Biophysical and electrochemical studies of protein-nucleic acid interactions

This review is devoted to biophysical and electrochemical methods used for studying protein-nucleic acid (NA) interactions. The importance of NA structure and protein-NA recognition for essential cellular processes, such as replication or transcription, is discussed to provide background for description of a range of biophysical chemistry methods that are applied to study a wide scope of protein-DNA and protein-RNA complexes. These techniques employ different detection principles with specific advantages and limitations and are often combined as mutually complementary approaches to provide a complete description of the interactions. Electrochemical methods have proven to be of great utility in such studies because they provide sensitive measurements and can be combined with other approaches that facilitate the protein-NA interactions. Recent applications of electrochemical methods in studies of protein-NA interactions are discussed in detail

Genome-wide association study identifies risk loci for progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Prognostication in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is challenging due to heterogeneity in clinical course. We hypothesize that constitutional genetic variation affects disease progression and could aid prognostication. Pooling data from seven studies incorporating 842 cases identifies two genomic locations associated with time from diagnosis to treatment, including 10q26.13 (rs736456, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.47–2.15; P = 2.71 × 10−9) and 6p (rs3778076, HR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.55–2.55; P = 5.08 × 10−8), which are particularly powerful prognostic markers in patients with early stage CLL otherwise characterized by low-risk features. Expression quantitative trait loci analysis identifies putative functional genes implicated in modulating B-cell receptor or innate immune responses, key pathways in CLL pathogenesis. In this work we identify rs736456 and rs3778076 as prognostic in CLL, demonstrating that disease progression is determined by constitutional genetic variation as well as known somatic drivers

Wpływ wypasu bydła i owiec na ekosystemy trawiaste Parku Narodowego Vel'ká Fatra

The Vel'ká Fatra National Park (declared on 1 April 2002) is extending on an area of 40,371 ha and was established to protect well-preserved ecosystems. The Vel'ká Fatra (Greater Fatra) with the highest peak Ostredok (1592 m altitude) is a typical mountain territory and ranks among the highest mountain ranges in Slovakia. Grassland areas above the forest line ("hole" in Slovak) and highland relief are typical for Vel'ká Fatra where forests cover is 85% of the area. Large areas of grassland located on gently modelled ridges resulted from deforestation many centuries ago. The alpine meadows which are rich in rare plant communities cover the area of 2000 ha. In the past, these grasslands were used by cutting and grazing. Nowadays, the meadows are not mowed at all. The reasons are low numbers of ruminants in nearby farms, high cost and poor access roads that are eroded very much. Grazing with young cattle has been banned and consequently tall grasses expanded, swards thinned as well as avalanche risk increased. Currently, it is allowed to graze young cattle again, but farmers do not exploit this option very much. About 200 heifers and 2,500 sheep graze there, but only at the lowest areas of the mountains and for short periods of time. The grassland is dominated by Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) P. Beauv. and also by very rapidly expanding Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth, Brachypodium pinnatum (L.) P. Beauv. and Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. indicating a prolonged period of abandonment.Park Narodowy Vel'ká Fatra ustanowiony 1 kwietnia 2002 r. dla ochrony dobrze zachowanych ekosystemów zajmuje powierzchnię 40 371 ha. Vel'ká Fatra (Większa Fatra) z najwyższym szczytem Ostredok (1592 m n.p.m.) jest typowym obszarem górskim i zalicza się do najwyższych grzbietów górskich Słowacji. Charakterystyczne dla parku są ekosystemy trawiaste położone powyżej linii lasów ("hole" w języku słowackim), porastających 85% obszaru i wysokogórskie ukształtowanie terenu. Rozległe obszary trawiaste, usytuowane na łagodnie uformowanych grzbietach, są wynikiem wylesiania, które miało miejsce wiele wieków temu. Alpejskie łąki, bogate w zespoły rzadkich roślin, pokrywają powierzchnię 2000 ha. W przeszłości były wykorzystywane jako użytki zielone. Obecnie łąki nie są koszone. Powodem jest niewielka liczba przeżuwaczy w okolicznych gospodarstwach, wysoki koszt i uciążliwy transport na silnie zerodowanych drogach. Zakazano wypasu młodego bydła. W konsekwencji rozwinęły się zespoły wysokich traw, ruń została przerzedzona i zwiększyło się ryzyko lawinowe. Obecnie zezwala się ponownie na wypas młodego bydła, ale rolnicy nie korzystają powszechnie z tej możliwości. Wypasa się tam jedynie 200 jałówek i 2500 owiec jedynie w najniżej położonych terenach górskich przez krótki okres. Zespoły trawiaste są zdominowane przez Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) P. Beauv. i przez bardzo ekspansywne Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth, Brachypodium pinnatum (L.) P. Beauv. and Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., co wskazuje na wydłużony okres zaniechania użytkowania

Magnetic Characterization of Co2MnSiCo_2MnSi Heusler Microwires

We report on the basic magnetic properties of glass-coated $Co_2MnSi$ Heusler microwires. Measurements of hysteresis loops in different directions show that easy magnetization axis coincides with the wire's axis. The frequency dependence of the coercive field has been measured at room temperature in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 10 kHz. The coercivity decreases with the frequency up to 100 Hz and then increases linearly up to 1 kHz