Repetitive DNA in the Architecture, Repatterning, and Diversification of the Genome of Aegilops speltoides Tausch (Poaceae, Triticeae)

The genome’s adaptability to environmental changes, especially during rapid climatic fluctuations, underlies the existence and evolution of species. In the wild, genetic and epigenetic genomic changes are accompanied by significant alterations in the complex nuclear repetitive DNA fraction. Current intraspecific polymorphism of repetitive DNA is closely related to ongoing chromosomal rearrangements, which typically result from erroneous DNA repair and recombination. In this study, we addressed tandem repeat patterns and interaction/reshuffling both in pollen mother cell (PMC) development and somatogenesis in the wild diploid cereal Aegilops speltoides, with a focus on genome repatterning and stabilization. Individual contrasting genotypes were investigated using the fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) approach by applying correlative fluorescence and electron microscopy. Species-specific Spelt1 and tribe-specific Spelt52 tandem repeats were used as the markers for monitoring somatic and meiotic chromosomal interactions and dynamics in somatic interphase nuclei. We found that, the number of tandem repeat clusters in nuclei is usually lower than the number on chromosomes due to the associations of clusters of the same type in common blocks. In addition, tightly associated Spelt1–Spelt52 clusters were revealed in different genotypes. The frequencies of nonhomologous/ectopic associations between tandem repeat clusters were revealed in a genotype-/population-specific manner. An increase in the number of tandem repeat clusters in the genome causes an increase in the frequencies of their associations. The distal/terminal regions of homologous chromosomes are separated in nuclear space, and nonhomologous chromosomes are often involved in somatic recombination as seen by frequently formed interchromosomal chromatin bridges. In both microgametogenesis and somatogenesis, inter- and intrachromosomal associations are likely to lead to DNA breaks during chromosome disjunction in the anaphase stage. Uncondensed/improperly packed DNA fibers, mainly in heterochromatic regions, were revealed in both the meiotic and somatic prophases that might be a result of broken associations. Altogether, the data obtained showed that intraorganismal dynamics of repetitive DNA under the conditions of natural out-crossing and artificial intraspecific hybridization mirrors the structural plasticity of the Ae. speltoides genome, which is interlinked with genetic diversity through the species distribution area in contrasting ecogeographical environments in and around the Fertile Crescent

Качество жизни при переломах проксимального отдела бедра у лиц старшей возрастной группы

Objective: to study quality of life in Kemerovo old patients with proximal femoral fractures. Patients and methods. Quality of life in osteoporotic fractures was analyzed in 219 patients (173 women and 46 men) who had sustained the injury in January 2004 to December 2008. Results. In the patients with hip fractures, the lowest (41.94+31.16 scores) values were recorded by the physical functioning scale reflecting the degree to which their health limited the performance of physical exercises (self-service, walking, going upstairs, weight carriage, etc.). The role functioning and life activity scales showed the highest values (50.96+19.04 and 51.44+26.51 scores, respectively). The mean value of the physical component scale was 46.42+28.26 scores. That of the psychological component scale was 49.56+19.55 scores. Conclusion. The patients with proximal femoral fractures were found to have lower scores on all SF-36 dimensions.Цель исследования — изучение качества жизни при переломах проксимального отдела бедра у лиц старшей возрастной группы в Кемерово. Пациенты и методы. Проанализировано качество жизни при остеопоротических переломах у 219 больных (173 женщины и 46 мужчин), получивших травму с января 2004 г. по декабрь 2008 г. Результаты исследования. У больных с переломами бедра наименьшие показатели зарегистрированы по шкале физического функционирования (41,94+31,16 балла), отражающей степень, в которой здоровье лимитирует выполнение физических нагрузок (самообслуживание, ходьба, подъем по лестнице, перенос тяжестей и т. п.). Наибольшие значения отмечены по шкале «Ролевое функционирование, обусловленное эмоциональным состоянием»: 50,96+19,04 балла и «Жизненная активность»: 51,44+26,51 балла. Среднее значение «Физического компонента здоровья» составило 46,42+28,26 балла. Уровень «Психологического компонента здоровья» соответствовал 49,56+19,55 балла. Выводы. Установлено, что у лиц с переломами проксимального отдела бедра показатели шкал опросника SF-36 снижены по всем параметрам

ИЗМЕРЕНИЕ БЕДНОСТИ В РОССИИ: ВОЗМОЖНОСТИ И ОГРАНИЧЕНИЯ

The article analyses prospects for incorporating multidimensional poverty indicators into Russian statistical practice. The advantages and disadvantages of one-dimensional and multidimensional approaches to measuring poverty are discussed. The authors place emphasis on the combination of both monetary and non-monetary indicators of poverty using workings of the UN Statistical Commission and the World Bank. Among monetary indicators special attention is given to «consumer expenditures» aggregate.It is demonstrated that there is a discrepancy between estimates of well-being indicators sourced from household surveys and obtained when calculating the system of national accounts. The issue of selecting poverty and well-being projections to calculate multidimensional indices agreeing with modern Russian conditions is reviewed. The authors underline the special importance of health indicators with regard to poverty characteristics. They also discuss ways to aggregate information on the poor into the final poverty index.Attention is paid to the Rosstat’s surveys on income, expenditure and living conditions of the population as sources of information for constructing multidimensional poverty index, material deprivation and social exclusion. The conclusion is made that these surveys provide enough information to base on them the multidimensional poverty index that meets the requirements of international statistics, provided that there is completeness and regularity of data collection. The method for calculating MPI [Alkire-Foster (AF) method] is illustrated in the article on the data of the notional example.В статье анализируются перспективы включения в российскую статистическую практику системных расчетов многомерных показателей бедности. Обсуждаются преимущества и недостатки одномерных и многомерных подходов к измерению бедности. Делается акцент на сочетании монетарных и немонетарных индикаторов бедности с привлечением разработок Статистической комиссии ООН и Всемирного банка. Из числа монетарных показателей особое внимание уделяется агрегату «Потребительские расходы».Отмечается несовпадение оценок показателей благосостояния по данным обследования домашних хозяйств и полученным при построении системы национальных счетов. Рассматриваются вопросы выбора проекций бедности и благосостояния для построения многомерных показателей, адекватных условиям современной России. Подчеркивается особая значимость показателей здоровья в контексте характеристики бедности. Обсуждаются способы агрегации информации о бедных в итоговый индекс бедности.Уделено внимание программам обследований Росстата по вопросам доходов, расходов и условий жизни населения как источникам информации для построения многомерных индексов бедности, материальной депривации и социальной изоляции. Сделан вывод о достаточности информации, содержащейся в данных обследований Росстата, для построения на их основе многомерного индекса бедности (МИБ), отвечающего требованиям международной статистики при условии полноты и регулярности сбора данных. Методика расчета МИБ (метод Алкир-Фостера) проиллюстрирована в статье на данных условного примера

Частота остеопоротических переломов бедра у лиц старшей возрастной группы г. Кемерово

Objective: to study the incidence rate of osteoporotic proximal femoral fractures in old persons from Kemerovo after 6, 12, and 24 months. Subjects and methods. The incidence of femur fractures was analyzed in people of 50 years or older who had been followed up in the Kemerovo units from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008. Results. In the examined period, the incidence of femur fractures by referrals for both sexes was 277.75 per 100,000 population 50 years of age and older: 179.59 for males and 335.96 for females. Among the Kemerovo dwellers, the least prevalence of femur fractures was noted in the old age group in 2004: 26.77 and 49.17 per 100,000 for males and females, respectively (p<0.05). The highest incidence of fractures was recorded in 2005 and was 40.59 and 79.64 per 100,000 for males and females, respectively (p<0.05). Femur fractures were found to be more common in women aged 50—79 years than in males of the same age. There were statistically significant group differences for the age groups of 50—54, 55—59, 65—69, 70—74, and 75—79 years (p<0.05). Among the persons aged 80 years or older, femur fractures were more frequently seen in the males than in the females (p>0.05). Conclusion. In the old women living in Kemerovo, the incidence of osteoporotic femur fractures was higher than that in the men within all years of the follow-up. The largest number of fractures was in the age group of 75 years or older in both male and female populations.Цель исследования — изучить частоту остеопоротических переломов проксимального отдела бедра (через 6, 12 и 24 мес) у лиц старшей возрастной группы г. Кемерово. Материал и методы. Проанализирована частота переломов бедра у лиц 50 лет и старше, наблюдавшихся в травматологических отделениях Кемерово с 1 января 2004 г. по 31 декабря 2008 г. Результаты исследования. Частота переломов бедра по обращаемости за исследуемый период составила для лиц обоего пола 277,75 на 100 тыс. населения в возрасте 50 лет и старше: для мужчин — 179,59, для женщин — 335,96. Наименьшая распространенность переломов бедра среди жителей Кемерово старшей возрастной группы отмечена в 2004 г.: у мужчин — 26,77 на 100 тыс., у женщин — 49,17на 100 тыс. (p<0,05). Наибольшая частота переломов зарегистрирована в 2005 г. и составила среди мужчин 40,59 на 100тыс., среди женщин — 79,64 на 100 тыс. (p<0,05). Установлено, что в возрасте 50—79 лет переломы бедра встречались чаще у женщин, чем у мужчин. Статистически значимые различия между группами получены для возрастных групп 50—54; 55—59; 65—69; 70—74 и 75—79 лет (р<0,05). Среди лиц в возрасте 80 лет и старше переломы бедра чаще отмечались у мужчин, чем у женщин (р>0,05). Заключение. Частота остеопоротических переломов бедра у женщин старшей возрастной группы, проживающих в Кемерово, была выше, чем у мужчин во все годы наблюдения. Максимальное число переломов пришлось на возрастную группу 75 лет и старше как в мужской, так и в женской популяции

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Former Soviet Union countries and European Union : overcoming the energy efficiency gap

This paper evaluates convergence of energy intensity for the former USSR countries during 1995-2010. We divide these countries into three clubs and show convergence in income and in energy intensity for each club. We also demonstrate that rate of convergence is higher in countries with a low level of development

Statistics of natural resources as a part of national wealth

This paper is following lectures given in 2010 at the Department of Economics of the European University at St. Petersburg in frameworks of the course Socio-economic statistics (module Natural resource statistics). (in Russian)statistics, natural resources

Review of approaches to oil price modeling

A huge size of an oil market and its relation to economic growth and global wealth distribution make the oil an unique commodity. Oil price prediction is associated with plans of development of states as well as firms. Jumps in oil prices influence world economy similarly to natural disasters of planet scale. There is no surprise that a lot of publications are devoted to research of an oil market, modeling and forecasting of oil prices. This paper gives main facts describing an oil market and oil prices behavior. We give a review of modern literature devoted to an oil market and consider main approaches to modeling and forecasting oil prices. (in Russian)oil price, modeling, forecasting

Incidence of osteoporotic femur fractures in old people living in Kemerovo

Objective: to study the incidence rate of osteoporotic proximal femoral fractures in old persons from Kemerovo after 6, 12, and 24 months. Subjects and methods. The incidence of femur fractures was analyzed in people of 50 years or older who had been followed up in the Kemerovo units from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008. Results. In the examined period, the incidence of femur fractures by referrals for both sexes was 277.75 per 100,000 population 50 years of age and older: 179.59 for males and 335.96 for females. Among the Kemerovo dwellers, the least prevalence of femur fractures was noted in the old age group in 2004: 26.77 and 49.17 per 100,000 for males and females, respectively (p<0.05). The highest incidence of fractures was recorded in 2005 and was 40.59 and 79.64 per 100,000 for males and females, respectively (p<0.05). Femur fractures were found to be more common in women aged 50—79 years than in males of the same age. There were statistically significant group differences for the age groups of 50—54, 55—59, 65—69, 70—74, and 75—79 years (p<0.05). Among the persons aged 80 years or older, femur fractures were more frequently seen in the males than in the females (p>0.05). Conclusion. In the old women living in Kemerovo, the incidence of osteoporotic femur fractures was higher than that in the men within all years of the follow-up. The largest number of fractures was in the age group of 75 years or older in both male and female populations