Functional Evolution of a cis-Regulatory Module

Lack of knowledge about how regulatory regions evolve in relation to their structure–function may limit the utility of comparative sequence analysis in deciphering cis-regulatory sequences. To address this we applied reverse genetics to carry out a functional genetic complementation analysis of a eukaryotic cis-regulatory module—the even-skipped stripe 2 enhancer—from four Drosophila species. The evolution of this enhancer is non-clock-like, with important functional differences between closely related species and functional convergence between distantly related species. Functional divergence is attributable to differences in activation levels rather than spatiotemporal control of gene expression. Our findings have implications for understanding enhancer structure–function, mechanisms of speciation and computational identification of regulatory modules

Functional Evolution of a <i>cis-</i>Regulatory Module

Lack of knowledge about how regulatory regions evolve in relation to their structure–function may limit the utility of comparative sequence analysis in deciphering cis-regulatory sequences. To address this we applied reverse genetics to carry out a functional genetic complementation analysis of a eukaryotic cis-regulatory module—the even-skipped stripe 2 enhancer—from four Drosophila species. The evolution of this enhancer is non-clock-like, with important functional differences between closely related species and functional convergence between distantly related species. Functional divergence is attributable to differences in activation levels rather than spatiotemporal control of gene expression. Our findings have implications for understanding enhancer structure–function, mechanisms of speciation and computational identification of regulatory modules.</p

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANIC SOILS IRRIGATED WITH MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER

ABSTRACT Soil irrigation with wastewater (WW) gives the opportunity to solve the problems of its disposal, final purification or reuse. Many studies have examined mineral soils upon continued WW application. The aim of this paper was to examine the properties of organic soils 3 years after WW application was discontinued. Peat-muck soil planted with Populus spp. or Salix spp., and mineral-muck soil under grasses were irrigated for 4 years with municipal WW at a low (comparable with intensive NPK fertilization) and high WW rate (600 and 1200 mm yearly, respectively). Soils were analysed for organic matter (OM), pH, bulk density (BD), water holding capacity (WHC), P 2 O 5 , Fe 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , MnO, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, magnetic susceptibility (MS) and dehydrogenase and catalase activities. The results were compared with control soils which have never received WW. The study showed that only P 2 O 5 , MnO and catalase activity (CA) were significantly affected by former WW application. On average, P 2 O 5 increased by 30 per cent, whereas MnO decreased by 35 per cent with no differences between the two WW rates. CA decreased by 18 per cent at the high WW rate. Most of tested characteristics were determined by soil type. The peat-muck soil showed higher OM, WHC, P 2 O 5 , MnO, Pb and CA than mineral-muck soil and lower BD, MS, Fe 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 and Cr. Soil depth influenced Fe 2 O 3 , MnO, Zn, MS and enzyme activities, while basic soil properties (OM, pH, BD, WHC and P 2 O 5 ) were not changed by soil depth. Heavy metals (Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb) were below upper permissible limits

Поедаемость корма норками разного поведенческого типа

The main goal of the work was to determine the attitude of the American mink to feed consumption, depending on the genotype and behavior. The object of research was American mink (Neovison vison) of cell breeding of three different genotypes: Standard dark brown (+/ +), Hedlundwhite (h/ h) and Black crystal (CR/ +). Groups of animals were initially assessed on aggressive and manual behavior using a special hand catch test method. The duration of the work was 30 days. All animals received a unified ratio according to the recommended norms. Daily feed was weighed before distribution (190 g per 1 head to females and 250 g to males) and the amount of feed consumed a day per group and per 1 head was determined from the remains. The feed consumption was assessed by the indicator of the feed consumed by males and females of different genotypes and behavior. Comparison of the data was carried out using Student t-test. As the temperature factor influences the feed consumption, the feed intake by minks of different genotypes was assessed over seven-day periods. It was found that in the first observation period there was no difference in the amount of feed consumed by females. However, in the second period, aggressive Hedlund females consumed more than females of the black crystal genotype. In the same period, the females of the black crystal genotype showed the lowest feed consumption in comparison with the standard and Hedlund females. In the third period, Hedlund females consumed the largest amount of feed among aggressor females in comparison with the genotypes Standard and Black Crystal. There are no differences in feed consumption by males of different genotypes for the same periods. Over the entire study period, female aggressors of genotypes Standard and Hedlund consumed more feed than females of the tame type of behavior. The tame males of the standard genotype consumed more feed than the aggressive ones. There were no differences in feed consumption by minks of different behavior of the black crystal genotype.Основной целью работы являлось определение отношения американской норки к потреблению корма в зависимости от генотипа и поведения. Объектом исследований являлись американские норки (Neovison vison) клеточного разведения трех различных генотипов: Standard dark brown (+/+), Hedlund-white (h/h) и черный хрусталь (CR/+). Группы животных изначально были оценены на агрессивное и ручное поведение по специальной методике hand catch test. Длительность работы составляла 30 дней. Все животные получали единый рацион в соответствии с рекомендуемыми нормами. Ежедневно корм взвешивали перед раздачей (190 г на 1 голову самкам и 250 г – самцам) и по остаткам определяли количество съеденного корма за сутки на группу и на 1 голову. Поедаемость оценивали по показателю съеденного корма самцами и самками разных генотипов и поведения. Сравнение данных было проведено по t-критерию Стьюдента. Так как на потребление корма оказывает влияние температурный фактор, поедаемость корма норками различных генотипов оценивали по семидневным периодам. Установлено, что в первый период наблюдений разницы в количестве съеденного самками корма не было. Однако во второй период агрессивные самки хедлунд потребили больше по сравнению с самками генотипа черный хрусталь. В этот же период среди самок ручного типа наименьшую потребляемость корма показали самки генотипа черный хрусталь в сравнении со стандартными и хедлунд. В третий период среди самок-агрессоров больше всего потребили корма самки хедлунд в сравнении с генотипами стандарт и черный хрусталь. Различий в потреблении корма самцами разных генотипов по тем же периодам нет. Самки-агрессоры генотипов стандарт и хедлунд за весь период исследований потребляли больше корма, чем самки ручного типа поведения. Ручные самцы стандартного генотипа потребляли корма больше, чем агрессивные. Различий в потреблении корма норками различного поведения генотипа черный хрусталь не наблюдалось

Bruxism: methods of application and results of treatment with botulinum neuroprotein (Relatox)

The article substantiates the need for the use of botulinum therapy in the management of bruxism as a movement disorder. We present the technique of injecting a new Russian botulinum neuroprotein Relatox into the masticatory muscles of patients with bruxism. We have the positive clinical effects of botulinum therapy, a decrease in the level of pain on the visual analogue scale, normalization of muscle activity according to the surface electromyography of masticatory muscles, a decrease in number of nocturnal bruxism according to abrasion on the foil surface on Brux Checker are shown

Lipid Peroxidation in the Pre-Reactive Period of Cold Injury

Pathological processes in the pre-reactive period of cold injury have not been studied.The purpose of this study is to assess the morphological and biochemical parameters of blood in the body of patients in the pre-reactive period of cold injury.Material and methods. We examined patients with cold injury in the pre-reactive period. Determined: diene conjugates, malonic dialdehyde, the total content of low molecular weight antioxidants, superoxide dismutase activity, catalase,glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, using a SPECORD 40 spectrophotometer. The serum biochemical parameters in the serum were determined by biochemical automator analysis. Statistical processing of the data was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 19.Results and discussion. Features of the biochemical profile of blood in the pre-reactive period of cold injury in the human body are an increase in concentration of glucose and triacylglycerides in blood, an increase in transaminase activity, as aresult of inflammatory and destructive processes, a decrease in the cholesterol concentration in the blood of patients. At the same time, the pre-reactive period of cold injury is characterized by an increase in monocytes compared with the control, which, in combination with hypoxia, leads to an intensification of lipid peroxidation processes. In addition, the antioxidant protection in the pre-reactive period in the body of patients increased slightly.Conclusion. According to the results of our research, already at the stage of the pre-reactive period of cold injury there is a significant intensification of free radical lipid oxidation processes

Рост, жизнеспособность и продуктивность молодняка американской норки разного генотипа и поведенческого типа

The relevance of this work is to identify the features of the domestication of the American mink (Neovison vison) depending on the behavioural type of animals. For example, the authors found that aggressive females and males of the black crystal genotype exceeded the average live weight of tame animals of the same genotype by 141 and 269 g, respectively. On the other hand, aggressive and tame females of the Hedlund genotype did not differ in body weight (778 and 804 g), while males of domestic behaviour were 150 g heavier. Furthermore, the amount of food eaten between tame and aggressive minks in both genotypes also differs. Thus, the difference was 1160 g per one averaged head in the bold line of black crystal, while in the aggressive line of Hedlund, it was 1090 g. However, no grounds exist to state that food intake varies significantly depending on the genotype. There are no differences between females in terms of average daily gains. Regardless of belonging to the genotype and the nature of the behaviour, they vary within 7.3–8.6 g. A similar picture is observed for males of tame lines: 12.4– 13.4 g, while aggressive black crystal males of the compared lines had an average daily gain of 18.3 g versus 11.0 g for aggressive Hedlund males. In this regard, one average head’s feed cost per production unit was reduced by 7.7 g. Thus, the authors found the lowest feed price per unit of production of one medium head for the aggressive line of the black crystal - 27.0 g and the manual line of Hedlund - 25.5 g.Актуальность настоящей работы заключается в выявлении особенностей доместикации американской норки (Neovison vison) в зависимости от поведенческого типа зверей. Установлено, что агрессивные самки и самцы генотипа черный хрусталь превосходили по средней живой массе ручных зверей того же генотипа на 141 и 269 г соответственно. Агрессивные и ручные самки генотипа хедлунд по живой массе не различались (778 и 804 г), тогда как самцы ручного поведения были на 150 г тяжелее. У обоих генотипов количество съеденного корма между ручными и агрессивными норками также различается. Так, на одну усредненную голову у агрессивной линии черного хрусталя разница составила 1160 г, тогда как у агрессивной линии хедлунд – 1090 г. Однако нет оснований утверждать, что поедаемость корма существенно разнится в зависимости от генотипа. По показателям среднесуточных приростов различий между самками нет. Вне зависимости от принадлежности к генотипу и от характера поведения они варьируют в пределах 7,3–8,6 г. Аналогичная картина наблюдается и по самцам ручных линий: 12,4–13,4 г, тогда как из сравниваемых линий агрессивные самцы черного хрусталя имели среднесуточный прирост 18,3 г против 11,0 г у агрессивных самцов хедлунд, за счет чего сократились затраты корма на единицу продукции одной усредненной головы на 7,7 г. Таким образом, наименьшие затраты корма на единицу продукции одной усредненной головы установлены у агрессивной линии черного хрусталя – 27,0 г и ручной линии хедлунд – 25,5 г

\pi\pi, K\pi and \pi N potential scattering and a prediction of a narrow \sigma meson resonance

Low energy scattering and bound state properties of the \pi N, \pi\pi and K\pi systems are studied as coupled channel problems using inversion potentials of phase shift data. In a first step we apply the potential model to explain recent measurements of pionic hydrogen shift and width. Secondly, predictions of the model for pionium lifetime and shift confirm a well known and widely used effective range expression. Thirdly, as extension of this confirmation, we predict an unexpected medium effect of the pionium lifetime which shortens by several orders of magnitude. The \sigma meson shows a narrow resonance structure as a function of the medium modified mass with the implication of being essentially energy independent. Similarly, we see this medium resonance effect realized for the K\pi system. To support our findings we present also results for the \rho meson and the \Delta(1232) resonance.Comment: 42 pages, 17 PS figures, REFTeX, epsfig.sty needed, submitted to Phys. Re

(Pi+Pi-) Atom in Chiral Perturbation Theory

Hadronic (Pi+Pi-) atom is studied in the relativistic perturbative approach based on the Bethe-Salpeter equation. The general expression for the atom lifetime is derived. Lowest-order corrections to the relativistic Deser-type formula for the atom lifetime are evaluated within the Chiral Perturbation Theory.Comment: 36 pages, LaTeX-file (revtex.sty

The Polarised Valence Quark Distribution from semi-inclusive DIS

The semi-inclusive difference asymmetry A^{h^{+}-h^{-}} for hadrons of opposite charge has been measured by the COMPASS experiment at CERN. The data were collected in the years 2002-2004 using a 160 GeV polarised muon beam scattered off a large polarised ^6LiD target and cover the range 0.006 < x < 0.7 and 1 < Q^2 < 100 (GeV/c)^2. In leading order QCD (LO) the asymmetry A_d^{h^{+}-h^{-}} measures the valence quark polarisation and provides an evaluation of the first moment of Delta u_v + Delta d_v which is found to be equal to 0.40 +- 0.07 (stat.) +- 0.05 (syst.) over the measured range of x at Q^2 = 10 (GeV/c)^2. When combined with the first moment of g_1^d previously measured on the same data, this result favours a non-symmetric polarisation of light quarks Delta u-bar = - Delta d-bar at a confidence level of two standard deviations, in contrast to the often assumed symmetric scenario Delta u-bar = Delta d-bar = Delta s-bar = Delta s.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, COMPASS, revised: details added, author list update