Structural attributes of nucleotide sequences in promoter regions of supercoiling-sensitive genes: how to relate microarray expression data with genomic sequences

The level of supercoiling in the chromosome can affect gene expression. To clarify the basis of supercoiling sensitivity, we analyzed the structural features of nucleotide sequences in the vicinity of promoters for the genes with expression enhanced and decreased in response to loss of chromosomal supercoiling in E. coli. Fourier analysis of promoter sequences for supercoiling-sensitive genes reveals the tendency in selection of sequences with helical periodicities close to 10 nt for relaxation-induced genes and to 11 nt for relaxation-repressed genes. The helical periodicities in the subsets of promoters recognized by RNA polymerase with different sigma factors were also studied. A special procedure was developed for study of correlations between the intensities of periodicities in promoter sequences and the expression levels of corresponding genes. Significant correlations of expression with the AT content and with AT periodicities about 10, 11, and 50 nt indicate their role in regulation of supercoiling-sensitive genes.Comment: 38 pages, 12 figure

GENETIC RESOURCES OF RICE (ORYZA SATIVA L.) WITH COLORED PERICARP

The rice plant (Oryza sativa L.) provides nutrition for more than half the world’s population. Traditionally it is considered an Asian crop, but it is also cultivated in Africa, America, Australia and Southern Europe. The main areas of rice growing in the world are occupied with the white-grained varieties. Wild-growing ancestors of cultural rice had a colored grain pericarp. In the countries of traditional rice growing, along with white-grained varieties, red and black grain rice varieties are grown as a dietary and therapeutic product. It is used for food without preliminary grinding of the grains, therefore all nutrients and biologically active substances this culture is valued for are preserved. Rice with the colored grain pericarp has a higher antioxidant activity than white-grained. The review presents data on the content of antioxidant compounds in the varieties of the red- and black-grained rice: phenolic acids, lavonoids, γ-oryzanol, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, etc. Aiming at these useful properties of rice plants with a colored grain pericarp, the leading rice-growing countries work on breeding of the modern pigmented rice varieties. In European countries, Italy and France, the red and black grain varieties of rice with a high content of phytochemical elements have also been bred based on Asian varieties. Breeding of rice varieties with colored grain pericarp was started in the Russian Federation in 2001. As a result, the following rice varieties were developed: red-grained Mars and Rubin (2012), as well as the black-grained glutinous variety Yuzhnaya Noch (2014), which are included in the RF State Register of Protected Breeding Achievements. These varieties have been revealed to contain a large amount of oleic and linolenic acids (up to 43 % each), whereas only their traces are found in the white-grained rice variety Rapan. There are signiicant diferences in the content of antioxidants: Rapan has 7 mg/100 g; Mars and Rubin, 45 mg/100 g; Yuzhnaya Noch, 105 mg/100 g. These varieties have been introduced into commercial production and are used for dietary nutrition and as a starting material for the creation of new exclusive varieties of rice

Productivity of various barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars under semi-arid conditions in southern Russia

ArticleDrought is a significant factor limiting crop production in arid conditions. In the dry climatic weather situation of southern Russia, ten - year laboratory trials and subsequent field experiments were laid out on various barley varieties collected across the globe during 2007 – 2017 period. This study was conducted to ascertain from the collection of barley cultivars of the entire world which one is best suited to stressful climatic conditions by being tolerant to drought, heat and salinity which can be adopted for barley breeding. According to the results obtained, the varieties that are tolerant to dry climatic conditions are as follows: Alga (Lithuania), Brenda, Henni (Germany), Décor (Great Britain), Furat 5 (Syria), Vakula (Ukraine), Ataman (Belarus) and Vladimir (Russia); heat resistant varieties are: Brenda (Germany), Alga (Lithuania), Furat 5 (Syria), Ataman (Belarus) , Vladimir and Ratnik (Russia); Salt - resistant varieties: Alga (Lithuania), Henni (Germany) and Vladimir (Russia). The selected varieties did not show any sign of adverse weather effect resulting in stable grain productivity throughout the entire duration of this research over the years, they had large grain size and stable 1 , 000 grains weight. However, the yield of selected cultivars varied over the years which was about 1.1 – 1.4 t ha - 1

Non-exciting wakefield structured bunches in a one-dimensional plasma model

A model of one-dimensional (1D) cold plasma with an external train of rigidly structured bunches with diverse charges has been introduced. In this model, a solution that cancels the wakefield after the train is found. The density of such bunches can be much greater than the density of the plasma, and a high amplitude electrical field arising inside the train can be used for charged-particle acceleration. In addition, analytical and numerical simulations have been performed

Change in the Hydrocarbon and Component Compositions of Heavy Crude Ashalchinsk Oil Upon Catalytic Aquathermolysis

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. A physical model has been developed for the aquathermolysis of heavy crude oil from the Ashalchinsk oil field at 250°, 300°, and 350°C. Nickel and cobalt carboxylates were used as oil-soluble catalyst precursors. In the presence of a hydrogen proton donor at 300°C, the oil content was found to rise considerably and the resin content was found to decrease by a factor of 1.8, which leads to a decrease in crude oil viscosity by 91% and a decrease in density from 960 to 933 kg/m 3 . The hydrocarbon composition of the liquid aquathermolysis products was studied by chromate-mass spectrometry. The average molecular weight of the asphaltenes was determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) spectrometry. The maximum disproportionation of the hydrocarbons into n-alkanes, alkylcyclohexanes, and alkylbenzenes occurs at 300° and 350°C. The composition of the hydrogen proton donor (tetralin) conversion products at these aquathermolysis temperatures was determined

Retrospective analysis of long-term clinical and functional outcomes of implantation of domestically produced posterior chamber PIOL

Introduction. The use of phakic intraocular lens (PIOL) for the correction of high ametropia is reflected in the works of both domestic and foreign ophthalmologists. In spite of this, there are very few publications which are devoted to the long-term outcomes of the use of domestically produced models of PIOL such as RSK-1(3) and RSK-3.Purpose. The main aim of this work is to assess the clinical and functional outcomes of the use of domestically produced models of PIOL such as RSK-1(3) and RSK-3.Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of the long-term results of PIOL implants performed at the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution was carried out from 1994 to 2001. The analysis involved 122 eyes of 84 patients with high myopia from who were implanted with posterior chamber negative PIOL with two haptic elements (RSK-3) and PIOL with thr ee haptic elements (RSK-1(3). Results. Analysis of the dynamics of postoperative refractive data in compare with preoperative parameters showed us that in all cases there was a significant increase in uncorrected and corrected visual acuity. Long-term outcomes of implantation were found in 25 patients (43 eyes). The average duration of PIOL in the eye was 14.30±1.3 g (from 2 to 30 years). In all cases, the reducing cell density of the corneal epithelium did not exceed 4.0% in the early postoperative period. At the same time, the main complication in the distant postoperative period was the development of subcapsular cataracts.Conclusions. This method of ametropia correction can be recommended to young patients, who are not suitable for keratorefraction interventions

Экстракорпоральная антиоксидантная терапия у онкогинекологических больных

Objective: to improve the quality of anesthetic maintenance in gynecological cancer patients, by using extracorporeal antioxidant pharmacotherapy with cytoflavin. Subjects and methods: studies were conducted in 68 patients surgically treated for gynecological cancer. They performed 24 hours before surgery, in the traumatic state of an operation, and within 24 postoperative hours. The parameters of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant system were estimated. The levels of malonic dialdehyde and dienic conjugates and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and cerulo-plasmin in the red blood cells and plasma, as well as the concentrations of vitamins A and E were determined. At these stages, differential blood counts were estimated to determine the development of adaptive reactions and the exposure to stress. Results: the performed studies demonstrated that the use of cytoflavin as a component of an anesthetic appliance in different surgical stages promoted the elimination of damaging factors resulting from the activation of free radical oxidation and its administration into patients’ autoblood could enhance the efficiency of this agent and reduce the time of development of adaptive processes. Conclusion. The findings show it necessary to use antioxidants that are able to protect the body at the stages of surgical treatment and anesthesia. Key words: oxidative stress, extracorporeal antioxidant correction.Цель исследования . Улучшить качества анестезиологического обеспечения онкогинекологических больных путем использования антиоксидантной экстракорпоральной фармакотерапии цитофлавином. Материал и методы. Исследования проведены у 68 пациенток, подвергавшихся хирургическому лечению по поводу онкогинекологической патологии. Исследования проводили за сутки до операции, на травматичном этапе оперативного вмешательства и на первые сутки послеоперационного периода. Определяли показатели перекисного окисления липидов и антиоксидантной системы (ПОЛ/АОС). Изучали содержание малонового диальдегида (МДА) и диеновых конъюгат (ДК), активность суперок-сиддисмутазы (СОД), каталазы (К), церулоплазмина (ЦП) в эритроцитах и плазме крови, а также концентрацию витаминов А и Е. С целью определения формирования адаптационных реакций и уровня стрессового воздействия на этих же этапах исследовали лейкоцитарную формулу крови. Результаты. Проведенные исследования показали, что использование на различных этапах хирургического вмешательства цитофлавина, как компонента анестезиологического пособия, способствовало устранению повреждающих факторов, возникающих в результате активации свободнорадикально-го окисления, а его введение в аутокрови больных позволяет повысить эффективность данного препарата, уменьшить сроки формирования адаптационно-приспособительных процессов. Заключение. Полученные данные указывают на необходимость применения антиоксидантов, способных защитить организм на этапах хирургического лечения и анестезии. Ключевые слова: окислительный стресс, экстракорпоральная антиоксидантная коррекция

Comparative clinical and functional outcomes of implantation of «reverse-M» and «reverse-M1» IOL in patients with high myopia in the long-term postoperative period

The formation of secondary cataracts in patients with high myopia remains the main cause of vision loss in the long-term postoperative period. In view of that fact, the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution has developed a soft model of posterior chamber “reverse” IOL, which allows reducing the development of secondary cat aracts.Purpose. Comparative analysis the clinical and functional outcomes of «reverse-M» and «reverse-M1» IOL implantation in patients with high myopia in the long-term postoperative period.Material and methods. Clinical research has been carried out on 140 eyes of 97 patients with high myopia aged from 42 to 83 years (on average, 64.24±0.79 years) after phacoemulsification with IOL implantation in high myopia. The main group consisted of 57 eyes of 40 patients who were implanted with «reverse-M1» IOL, the control group consisted of 83 eyes of 57 patients who were implanted with “reverse-M” IOL. Before the surgery, the uncorrected visual acuity in any patient did not exceed 0.01, and the best corrected visual acuity was no more than 0.2 (80%). The follow-up period was up to 5 years.Results. Visual functions in most patients increased and remained stable throughout the postoperative period, amounting to 0.55±0.04 in the main group, and 0.54±0.03 in the control group. In the late postoperative period, dissection of the posterior lens capsule with «reverse-M» IOL was performed in 11 eyes of 13 patients (13.2%). In the main group, YAG laser dissection of the posterior capsule was required in 2 patients with 3 eyes (5.3%).Conclusion. «Reverse-M1» IOL implantation is safe, predictable and allows to reduce the incidence of secondary cataracts by more than 2 times in comparison with the «reverse-M» IOL