Influence of viral genes on the cell-to-cell spread of RNA silencing

The turnip crinkle virus-based vector TCV–GFPDCP had been devised previously to study cell-to-cell and long-distance spread of virus-induced RNA silencing. TCV–GFPDCP, which had been constructed by replacing the coat protein (CP) gene with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) coding sequence, was able to induce RNA silencing in single epidermal cells, from which RNA silencing spread from cell-to-cell. Using this unique local silencing assay together with mutagenesis analysis, two TCV genes, p8 and p9, which were involved in the intercellular spread of virus-induced RNA silencing, were identified. TCV–GFPDCP and its p8- or p9-mutated derivatives, TCVmp8–GFPDCP and TCVmp9–GFPDCP, replicated efficiently but were restricted to single Nicotiana benthamiana epidermal cells. TCV–GFPDCP, TCVmp8–GFPDCP, or TCVmp9–GFPDCP was able to initiate RNA silencing that targeted and degraded recombinant viral RNAs in inoculated leaves of the GFP-expressing N. benthamiana line 16c. However, cell-to-cell spread of silencing to form silencing foci was triggered only by TCV–GFPDCP. Non-replicating TCVmp88–GFPDCP and TCVmp28mp88–GFPDCP with dysfunctional replicase genes, and single-stranded gfp RNA did not induce RNA silencing. Transient expression of the TCV p9 protein could effectively complement TCVmp9–GFPDCP to facilitate intercellular spread of silencing. These data suggest that the plant cellular trafficking machinery could hijack functional viral proteins to permit cell-to-cell movement of RNA silencing

Representation and usage of knowledge for initialization of accelerator control equipment

A knowledge based application, called SETUP, to initialize and diagnose the CERN/PS accelerators' control equipment is described. The object model and the general features of control algorithms are presented, together with their relation to the knowledge description of the setting up of the system. The different ways of the integration of the SETUP in the control system are outlined

Effective Practices of Macroprudential Stress Testing as a Tool of Increasing the Stability of Russian Financial System in the Context of Macroeconomic Shocks

The article examines the evolution of the prudential approach to banking regulation, examines the practical contribution of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision to the development and implementation of internationally unified practices and procedures for stress testing and supervision. The authors share the point of view that the existing methods and practices of stress testing still need improvements and methodological improvements, since they regularly allow the practical implementation of adverse scenarios leading to financial shocks and global crises. As a significant disadvantage of many actively used stress testing models, it is noted that they are often focused on complex, highly bureaucratic procedures for the preparation and analysis of financial statements, the main purpose of which is to assess the probabilities and sizes of losses and identify scenarios for the development of the situation for each specific bank, and no risks for the financial system as a whole. The authors come to the conclusion that it is advisable to prioritize the use of alternative stress testing models in crisis and post-crisis conditions, the forecasts within which are based on the actual values of financial market indicators, macroeconomic variables, and other open data. Special attention is paid to the stylized CLASS model, based on simple econometric models, as well as stress testing the current market value of V-lab. Based on the results of the study, the authors come to a number of conclusions that the role of the macroeconomic component in the procedures, methods, and algorithms for macroprudential stress testing used in Russia should increase, the degree of involvement and the sphere of responsibility for its results of key institutional units of the public administration system should expand, and macroprudential stress testing itself should not be limited to supervisory stress testing in everyday practice

Experimental Investigations of Changes in beta-decay rate of Co-60 and Cs-137

Results of simultaneous measurements of beta-decay rate with the aid of Ge(Li)-detectors performed at two laboratories 140km apart (INR RAS, Troitsk, Co-60, and JINR, Dubna, Cs-137) during a period from 15.03.2000 till 10.04.2000, are presented. Regular deviations of the count rate of gamma-quanta following the beta-decay of $\sim$ 0.7% (INR RAS, Co-60) and $\sim$ 0.2% (JINR, Cs-137) from the statistical average, are observed. The analysis of extremum deviations of gamma-quanta count rate shows that the set of directions of tangents to the Earth's parallels of latitude at the extremum points of trajectories of motion in the space of each laboratory clearly forms three separate compact subsets of directions which agree, for two laboratories, to an accuracy of $\pm10^\circ$. This phenomenon is shown not to be explained on the basis of traditional notion. A possible explanation is suggested basing on the hypothesis that there exists a new anisotropic interaction caused by the cosmological vectorial potential \textbf{A}$_{\rm g}$, a new fundamental constant having, according to the experiments carried out, the coordinate of right ascension $\alpha \approx 285^\circ$ in the second equatorial system. This is in agreement with earlier experiments.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX2e, 4 PS figure

Oxidation of n-С5-С8 hydrocarbons and cyclohexane in a reactor with barrier discharge. P. 2. Simulating cyclohexane oxidation reaction

Numerical model of hydrocarbon oxidation kinetics in a reactor with barrier discharge has been proposed by the example of cyclohexane oxidation reaction. The results of calculations with the use of barrier discharge surface model showed that electron energy and other discharge characteristics in pure oxygen and in the mixture of oxygen with cyclohexane vapors slightly differ that allowed using a simplified model of homogeneous discharge for simulating cyclohexane oxidation reaction. The results of calculation showed good fit with the experimental dat

Технология коронарного стентирования и роль воспаления в атерогенезе: проблемы и перспективы

 Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains one of the leading causes of death in developed industrial countries. Timely and effective medical care for CAD patients depends on availability and application of endovascular methods for CAD treatment. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug- eluting stents allows to achieve good clinical results even in most severe patients. The issues of personalized invasive treatment for patients with chronic coronary syndrome and optimal prevention of recurrent clinical events in survivors of acute coronary syndrome and PCI remain relevant.One of most important and unresolved problems in the pathophysiology of CAD is assessment of the nature of the inflammatory reaction that develops in the coronary vessels and myocardium in response to ischemic damage and PCI. Clinical studies focused on exploring correlation between the pro-inflammatory parameters of the patient’s status and the rate of secondary adverse events and aimed at revealing triggers of systemic and local inflammation are of great interest. Such a trigger could be the intestinal endotoxin (ET) which is capable of inducing systemic inflammation and, therefore, plays a significant role in the atherogenesis. A relationship between the endotoxin and cytokine system parameters should be investigated to develop a therapeutic concept for supporting CAD patients, including individuals after PCI. Parameters of systemic endotoxemia could be used as additional factors  in developing the biomarker-based approach to identify patients with active inflammation or fibrosis. This could result in development of specific therapy aimed at suppressing pro-inflammatory mediators and protecting the heart from inflammation.  Ишемическая болезнь сердца (ИБС) остается одной из ведущих причин смертности в развитых индустриальных странах. Своевременная эффективная помощь данному контингенту больных зависит от доступности и эффективности применения эндоваскулярных методов лечения ИБС. Чрескожное коронарное вмешательство (ЧКВ) с применением стентов с лекарственным покрытием позволяет добиваться хороших клинических результатов даже у самых тяжелых групп пациентов. Остаются  актуальными вопросы персонализации планового  инвазивного лечения пациентов с хроническим  коронарным синдромом, а также оптимальной вторичной профилактики повторных клинических событий у пациентов, благополучно переживших острый коронарный синдром и ЧКВ.Одной из важнейших и неразрешенных проблем в  патофизиологии ИБС является оценка характера  воспалительной реакции, развивающейся в венечных  сосудах и миокарде в ответ на ишемическое повреждение и ЧКВ. Представляют интерес клинические исследования, направленные на изучение корреляции показателей провоспалительного статуса пациентов с частотой развития  повторных неблагоприятных клинических событий с целью выявления индуктора системного и местного (в стенте)  воспаления. Вероятным кандидатом является кишечный  эндотоксин, способный индуцировать системное  воспаление и таким образом играющий существенную роль в атерогенезе. Необходимы исследования взаимодействия  параметров эндотоксиновой и цитокиновой систем для  выработки терапевтической концепции поддержки больных  ИБС, в том числе после проведения процедуры стентирования коронарных артерий. Использование  показателей системной эндотоксинемии в прогнозе течения заболевания может быть дополнительным фактором для выработки подходов, основанных на биомаркерах для  идентификации больных с активным воспалением  или  фиброзом, что привело бы к разработке специфической  терапии, направленной на подавление провоспалительных  медиаторов и защиту сердца от воспалительного  повреждения.