Fragmentation of Single-Particle Strength around the Doubly Magic Nucleus

Spectroscopic factors of neutron-hole and proton-hole states in ^{131}Sn and ^{131}In, respectively, were measured using one-nucleon removal reactions from doubly magic ^{132}Sn at relativistic energies. For ^{131}In, a 2910(50)-keV γ ray was observed for the first time and tentatively assigned to a decay from a 5/2^{-} state at 3275(50) keV to the known 1/2^{-} level at 365 keV. The spectroscopic factors determined for this new excited state and three other single-hole states provide first evidence for a strong fragmentation of single-hole strength in ^{131}Sn and ^{131}In. The experimental results are compared to theoretical calculations based on the relativistic particle-vibration coupling model and to experimental information for single-hole states in the stable doubly magic nucleus ^{208}Pb.

The Role of LAM Genes in the Pheromone-Induced Cell Death of S. cerevisiae Yeast.

Lam1-4 proteins perform non-vesicular transport of sterols from the plasma membrane to the endoplasmic reticulum. Disruption of their function leads to an increase in the content of sterols in the plasma membrane. In mammals, homologs of Lam proteins are responsible for the internalization of plasma cholesterol. The biological role of Lam proteins in yeast remains unclear, since the strains lacking individual LAM genes do not display any pronounced phenotype. Deletion of LAM1 (YSP1) gene inhibits the regulated death of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells induced by the mating pheromone. Here, we investigated whether LAM2 also plays a role in the cell death induced by the excess of mating pheromone and assessed genetic interactions between LAM2 and genes responsible for ergosterol biosynthesis. We have shown that LAM2 deletion partially prevents pheromone-induced death of yeast cells of the laboratory strain W303, while deletions of three other LAM genes - LAM1, LAM3, and LAM4 - does not provide any additional rescuing effect. The UPC2-1 mutation in the transcription factor UPC2 gene, which leads to the excessive accumulation of sterols in the cell, promotes cell survival in the presence of the pheromone and shows additivity with the LAM2 deletion. On the contrary, LAM2 deletion stimulates pheromone-induced cell death in the laboratory strain BY4741. We have found that the deletion of ergosterol biosynthesis genes ERG2 and ERG6 reduces the effect of LAM2 deletion. Deletion of LAM2 in the Δerg4 strain lacking the gene of the last step of ergosterol biosynthesis, significantly increased the proportion of dead cells and decreased the growth rate of the yeast suspension culture even in the absence of the pheromone. We suggest that the absence of the effect of LAM2 deletion in the Δerg6 and Δerg2 strains indicates the inability of Lam2p to transport some ergosterol biosynthesis intermediates, such as lanosterol. Taken together, our data suggest that the role of Lam proteins in the regulated death of yeast cells caused by the mating pheromone is due to their effect on the plasma membrane sterol composition.

Taxonomic Interpretation of Allopatric Mammalian Forms on the Example of Two Karyoforms of Microtus (Terricola) subterraneus (Rodentia, Arvicolinae) from Eastern Europe.

New European pine vole records from the Novgorod, Kaluga, Voronezh, and Belgorod oblasts were studied by sequencing of the mtDNA cytb gene (1143 bp) and by karyotyping (routine staining and G-banding techniques). The results enabled us to summarize chromosome variability of this species throughout Eastern Europe. In the sample studied, two geographically replacing chromosomal forms have been identified: northern, 2n = 54 (Novgorod and Kaluga oblasts), and southern, 2n = 52 (Voronezh and, presumably, Belgorod oblasts). Our data make the boundaries of these two karyoforms in Eastern Europe more precise and testify to intraspecific level of their taxonomic differentiation.

Observation of the Isovector Giant Monopole Resonance via the

The (^{10}Be,^{10}B^{*}[1.74 MeV]) charge-exchange reaction at 100 AMeV is presented as a new probe for isolating the isovector (ΔT=1) nonspin-transfer (ΔS=0) response of nuclei, with ^{28}Si being the first nucleus studied. By using a secondary ^{10}Be beam produced by fast fragmentation of ^{18}O nuclei at the NSCL Coupled Cyclotron Facility, applying the dispersion-matching technique with the S800 magnetic spectrometer to determine the excitation energy in ^{28}Al, and performing high-resolution γ-ray tracking with the Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking In-beam Nuclear Array (GRETINA) to identify the 1022-keV γ ray associated with the decay from the 1.74-MeV T=1 isobaric analog state in ^{10}B, a ΔS=0 excitation-energy spectrum in ^{28}Al was extracted. Monopole and dipole contributions were determined through a multipole-decomposition analysis, and the isovector giant dipole resonance and isovector giant monopole resonance (IVGMR) were identified. The results show that this probe is a powerful tool for studying the elusive IVGMR, which is of interest for performing stringent tests of modern density functional theories at high excitation energies and for constraining the bulk properties of nuclei and nuclear matter. The extracted distributions were compared with theoretical calculations based on the normal-modes formalism and the proton-neutron relativistic time-blocking approximation. Calculated cross sections based on these strengths underestimate the data by about a factor of 2, which likely indicates deficiencies in the reaction calculations based on the distorted wave Born approximation.

Substrate-Specific Reduction of Tetrazolium Salts by Isolated Mitochondria, Tissues, and Leukocytes.

Tetrazolium salts are commonly used in cytochemical and biochemical studies as indicators of metabolic activity of cells. Formazans, formed by reduction of tetrazolium salts, behave as pseudo-solutions during initial incubation, which allows monitoring their optical density throughout incubation. The criteria and conditions for measuring oxidative activity of mitochondria and dehydrogenase activity in reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) in suspensions of isolated mitochondria, tissue homogenates, and leukocytes were investigated in this work. We found that the reduction of these two acceptors depended on the oxidized substrate - NBT was reduced more readily during succinate oxidation, while MTT - during oxidation of NAD-dependent substrates. Reduction of both acceptors was more sensitive to dehydrogenase inhibitors that to respiratory chain inhibitors. The reduction of NBT in isolated mitochondria, in leukocytes in the presence of digitonin, and in liver and kidney homogenates was completely blocked by succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors - malonate and TTFA. Based on these criteria, activation of succinate oxidation was revealed from the increase in malonate-sensitive fraction of the reduced NBT under physiological stress. The effect of progesterone and its synthetic analogs on oxidation of NAD-dependent substrates by mitochondria was investigated using MTT. Both acceptors are also reduced by superoxide anion; the impact of this reaction is negligible or completely absent under physiological conditions, but can become detectable on generation of superoxide induced by inhibitors of individual enzyme complexes or in the case of mitochondrial dysfunction. The results indicate that the recording of optical density of reduced NBT and MTT is a highly sensitive method for evaluation of metabolic activity of mitochondria applicable for different incubation conditions, it offers certain advantages in comparison with other methods (simultaneous incubation of a large set of probes in spectral cuvettes or plates); moreover, it allows determination of activity of separate redox-dependent enzymes when selective inhibitors are available.

[OUTPATIENT ANTIMICROBIAL TREATMENT FOR ACUTE TONSILLOPHARYNGITIS].

UNLABELLED: One of the most significant problems in antimicrobial therapy (AMT) is widespread administration of antimicrobial agents without relevant medical conditions. The aim of the research was the analysis of antimicrobial agent prescribing practices for outpatient treatment of acute tonsillopharyngitis at the Karaganda Polyclinic №1 and Polyclinic №2. The analysis of antimicrobial agents prescribing practices for outpatient treatment of acute tonsillopharyngitis was conducted; medical records of outpatients with acute tonsillopharyngitis treated in 2014 at Polyclinics №1 and №2 were analyzed. INCLUSION CRITERIA: patients ranging in age from18 to 44, verified diagnosis - acute tonsillopharyngitis. It was found that in all cases antimicrobial agents have been prescribed speculatively, without previous bacteriological study or method of express diagnostics of Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS). In a majority of cases ß-lactams were prescribed. Flemoxin Solutab was the most commonly prescribed ß-lactam in Polyclinic №1; Amoxicillin was the most commonly prescribed ß-lactam at Polyclinic №2; it associated with personal experience of administration of these agents rather than data of evidentiary medicine. Study of actual medicine administration showed that in half of the cases dosage regimen, rout of administration, dosage and treatment session duration have not been followed. For the development of clinical guidelines for rational treatment of acute tonsillopharyngitis is necessary to study the local spectrum of the major pathogens and their antimicribial resistance.

[Influence of Microbial Metabolites of Phenolic Nature on the Activity of Mitochondrial Enzymes].

The aim of this work was to study the effect of microbial metabolites of phenolic nature on the activity of enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in isolated mitochondria, and determine metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid cycle as potential biomarkers of mitochondrial dysfunction in the blood of patients with sepsis. It is shown that microbial metabolites of phenolic nature have an inhibitory effect on the activity of dehydrogenases, determined by the reduction of dichlorophenolindophenol and nitroblue tetrazolium in liver mitochondria and liver homogenates. This effect is more pronounced in oxidation of the NAD-dependent substrates than succinate oxidation, and at lower concentrations of microbial metabolites than inhibition of respiration. By gas chromatography-mass spectrometry it was found that the content of the tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites in the blood of patients with sepsis decreased compared to healthy donors. The data obtained show that the microbial phenolic acids can contribute significantly to the dysfunction of mitochondria and suppression of general metabolism, characteristic of these pathologies.

[Changes in lymphocytes under influence of oxidative substrates].

Blood lymphocytes of children with oncology diseases were studied in smears compared with healthy ones examined from the closely selected group. The following two methods were used: the traditional in hematology method of smear staining for detection of blood formula and lymphocyte indices and the staining with novel cytobiochemical method including 60-min incubation in biochemical medium for estimation of the activity of succinate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and their ratio, that can serve as a measure of respiration and glycolysis--Warburg effect, typical of tumor. The great increase in lymphocyte size by addition of lactate was found in blood smears of patients with tumors. This effect was not pronounced by addition of succinate and in cells of healthy persons. Changes in the structure of the cells in patients were also related to the changes in the activity of enzymes studied. These changes can be considered as transition of metabolism and the structure of cells to the state in tumor. Cytobiochemical method allows for higher diagnostic sensitivity of patient examination and efficiency of medical care of patients with oncological diseases.

[Effectiveness of the use of iodized milk protein to improve girls' sufficiency with iodine].

The work presents the results of the research capabilities of the use of iodized milk protein as a component of food supplement and enriched food product for the correction of iodine sufficiency in girls. Milk iodinated protein was produced by the enzyme-effective iodization of amino acid residues of cow's milk whey proteins. The study involved 30 girls, whose average age was 19.9 +/- 1.4 years. Participants of observation were divided into three groups, for 10 people each. The first group received daily serving of meat cutlets (50g), enriched with dairy iodinated protein. Iodine content in the finished minced was 100 mcg. The second group received iodinated milk protein in the form of food supplement with iodine content of 100 mcg. The third group was a control one. The duration of observations was 30 days. To assess the effectiveness of measures the concentration of iodine in urine, blood levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine have been determined, changes in cognitive processes (memory and attention) with the use of psychological tests have been evaluated. Studies have shown the effectiveness of using of iodized milk protein for the correction of iodine deficiency in girls. The use of iodized protein, as part of the enriched product and in the form of food supplement increased urinary iodine level and had a positive influence on the state of the hypophysial-thyroid system. In addition, the use of iodized milk protein helped to improve the cognitive functions of the students, which can be considered as an additional positive effect of correction of iodine deficiency.

[State of succinate dehydrogenase in the organism--"unbalanced" or hyperactive].

Through the use of the original cytobiochemical method to study oxidation in mitochondria, preserving their native organization in network within cells in a blood smear, we revealed hyperactive state of succinate dehydrogenase, which is realized in the organism under physiological stress. It is consistent with the view of the non-equilibrium state of enzymes during activity. The mechanism of the succinate dehydrogenase hyperactivity moderation is based on the full functioning of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, supported by oxidation of isocitric acid.

[Experience in using teriparatide for the treatment of postoperative hypoparathyroidism in hemodialysis patients].

The frequency of chronic postoperative hypoparathyroidism after total parathyroidectomy for secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism in patients with end-stage renal failure, according to various authors, can reach 20% or more. Prescribing active metabolites of vitamin D and calcium it is not always sufficient for achievement of target goals. This dictates the need for replacement therapy with recombinant parathyroid hormone. Teriparatide is the only drug of this series approved by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and registered in the Russian Federation. However, it is registered as an anabolic anti-osteoporotic drug and is not indicated for the treatment of chronic hypoparathyroidism. The use of teriparatide in postoperative hypoparathyroidism in patients receiving renal replacement therapy with programmed hemodialysis in the Russian Federation has not been previously studied. Data on this issue is also limited in foreign literature. However, it is a potential treatment option for hemodialysis patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism and severe bone disorders. In this article, we present 2 clinical cases of substitution and anabolic therapy with teriparatide in this cohort of patients.

Complete electric dipole response and the neutron skin in 208Pb.

A benchmark experiment on (208)Pb shows that polarized proton inelastic scattering at very forward angles including 0° is a powerful tool for high-resolution studies of electric dipole (E1) and spin magnetic dipole (M1) modes in nuclei over a broad excitation energy range to test up-to-date nuclear models. The extracted E1 polarizability leads to a neutron skin thickness r(skin) = 0.156(-0.021)(+0.025) fm in (208)Pb derived within a mean-field model [Phys. Rev. C 81, 051303 (2010)], thereby constraining the symmetry energy and its density dependence relevant to the description of neutron stars.

[Scent as an element of subjective assessment of young males and females].

In 46 male and 19 female students who were both donors and recipients of scent samples, we studied effects of the menstrual cycle phase, reproductive health, sexual motivation, and sexual experience on subjective assessment of intensity and pleasantness of the sweat scent. The sweat samples were collected by the 60-min long exposure of a filter paper in the armpit. Then the male and female samples were reciprocally assessed olfactorily with respect to their intensity, unpleasantness/pleasantness, and association with male or female. It has been established that the cycle phase affects statistically significantly the coincidence of subjective assessments by the unpleasant/pleasant scale, which different recipients were giving to the same scent samples. Their coincidence in the non-receptive state is replaced by the non-coincidence at the receptive cycle phase, which indicates an increase in the contribution of the recipient's individual properties to the variability of scent assessments. In girls in the non-receptive state there is noted the reverse correlation between the strength and pleasantness of the male scent. In the receptive state, they become tolerant to intensive male scents. At non-regular menstrual cycles, the female scent is assessments by young males as less pleasant. At the same time, the girls themselves with the cycle disturbances assess higher the male scent samples as compared with reproducibly healthy girls. The first sexual experience decreases the subjective assessments given by girls to the male scent samples. The young males, on the contrary, increase assessments given by girls to the male scent samples. The young males, on the contrary, increase assessments of the female scent on having acquired the sexual experiment. Coefficients of correlation of the mutual assessments of scent pleasantness of young males and females are progressingly rising with increase of biological and social significance of the search for optimal partner. Thus, effect of psychophysiological and social factors on assessments of pleasantness of scent samples aggress well with requirements, to which the reproductively significant non-verbal signal should fit.

Isospin character of the pygmy dipole resonance in 124Sn.

The pygmy dipole resonance has been studied in the proton-magic nucleus 124Sn with the (α, α'γ) coincidence method at Eα=136 MeV. The comparison with results of photon-scattering experiments reveals a splitting into two components with different structure: one group of states which is excited in (α, α'γ) as well as in (γ, γ') reactions and a group of states at higher energies which is only excited in (γ, γ') reactions. Calculations with the self-consistent relativistic quasiparticle time-blocking approximation and the quasiparticle phonon model are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results and predict a low-lying isoscalar component dominated by neutron-skin oscillations and a higher-lying more isovector component on the tail of the giant dipole resonance.

Study of peptide fractions from hemolymph of Galleria mellonella.

Changes in the peptide composition of hemolymph of Galleria mellonella larvae induced by their immunization have been studied, and some new peptides have been found. The composition of fractions exhibiting antibacterial activity was investigated. Known antibacterial peptides have been found in the hemolymph of control larvae and those immunized with bacteria.

[The activation of specific immunity in male mice stimulates fertility of their breeding partners: the phenomenon of lot's daughters].

In previous experimental studies on laboratory mice, it was shown that activation of specific immunity by injection with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) lessens males' sexual olfactory attractiveness for intact females. However, reduced attractiveness can decrease males' reproductive efficiency only under the conditions of free mating, which is not obligatory for natural populations. The goal of this work was to study the influence of immunoenhancement on sexual behavior and reproductive output of outbred ICR male mice. Males, either injected with saline (control group) or SRBC-treated, were kept with intact females during 5 days after injection. While the number of fertile copulations was practically equal in both groups, the potential (ovulated ova) and actual (number of embryos) fecundity was significantly higher in females having been paired off with SRBC-treated males. Main reproductive effects were registered at 3-5th day after injection, when specific antibody-forming process starts and males' scent becomes less attractive for females. On the base of previous and present data, the hypothesis is proposed that if the quality of a non-alternative mating partner is compromised by activation of specific immunity, a female tries to maximize its reproductive output (due to low chance of repeated copulation). This responsibility for the next generation is reminiscent of the Bible story about Lot and his daughters, and may help to sustain the species existence under conditions of parasitic press.

[Relationship between metabolic and immunological disorders in experimental acute tetrachlomethane, ischemic and alcoholic liver disease]. / Vzaimosviaz' metabolicheskikh i immunologicheskikh narushenii pri éksperimental'nom ostrom tetrakhlometanovom, ishemicheskom i alkogol'nom porazhenii pecheni.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of metabolic and immunological disorders in acute tetrachlomethane, ischemic and alcoholic liver damage modelled in adult Wistar male rats weighing 120-160 g. After evaluation of metabolic and immunological parameters at the local and systemic levels, and correlation analysis was used to establish the relationship between the dynamics of the indicators against the background of experimental pathology models. The close correlation between the studied immune and metabolic parameters recognized for the tetrachlomethane, ischemic and alcoholic liver damage shows the existing "tension" between the indicators of immune and metabolic status. Such close correlation between the studied immunological and metabolic parameters at the system and local levels can serve to assess the severity of the disease, its prognosis, treatment effectiveness and preventive measures.

Hepatocarcinoma-29, a metastasizing transplantable mouse tumor inducing cachexia.

Here we describe an experimental tumor, hepatocarcinoma-29: transplantable strain of this tumor is maintained in an ascitic form in CBA/LacYIcgn mice in Institute of Cytology and Genetics of SD of RAS. After inoculation into the thigh muscles, the tumor induces anorexia, progressing loss of fat and muscle tissues, and physiological changes specific for cachexia: leukocytosis, hypoglycemia, and hypercorticism. The tumor metastasizes to all vital viscera and leads to animal death from renal failure.

[Redistribution of immune defence in male mice exposed by female scent].

Since scent marks of mice are harbored by parasites, their sniffing during olfactory search of the mating partner leads to increase of the infection risk. A hypothesis that sexual signals can induce, along with the reproductive behavior, non-specific immune defense against respiratory infections is tested in the present paper. It was found in the experiments on outbred ICR mice that the scent of soiled bedding from cages with mature females stimulated leukocyte intervention to the upper air-ways. Migration of the white blood cells to lung tissue was accompanied with a more prominent immune and endocrine responeses to intranasal application of the bacterial lipopolysacharide (LPS). In particular, LPS administration to male mice treated by female scent was resulted in much greater amount of leukocyte aggregations in the peribronchial areas than that was found in the males kept isolated from the female signals. The female scent also enhanced adrenocortical response to LPS administration, which was coincided with statistically significant increase of IL-1beta concentration in hypothalamus. So, chemical signals of the mature female induce travel of white blood cells to the upper air-waya in the scent treated male mice. It can increase resistance to respiratory infections, on the one hand, and aggravates stress response to inhalation of the bacterial compounds, on the other hand.

Increase in the contribution of transamination to the respiration of mitochondria during arousal.

The involvement of transamination in the respiration of liver mitochondria in ground squirrels during hibernation and arousal has been studied. It was shown by HPLC that, in the presence of glutamate and malate, the formation of alpha-ketoglutarate (KGL), a transamination marker, and fumarate, a product of succinate oxidation, takes place. During arousal, the formation of KGL increased fourfold, and the respiration sensitive to the inhibitor of aspartate transaminase aminooxyacetate (AOA) increased threefold. The function of transamination upon arousal is related to the elimination of oxaloacetate, an endogenous inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase. In addition, being more resistant to oxidative stress than oxidation, transamination is probably involved in the antioxidant defense required during the rapid rise of body temperature upon arousal. Our experiments showed an increase in the concentration of malonic dialdehyde (MDA), an end product of lipid peroxidation, in liver mitochondria in this state, which can reduce the activity of the enzymes of the tricarboxylic acids cycle. Under these conditions, the transamination contributes to the maintenance of a high respiration rate necessary for arousal.