Melanophilin Polymorphism in Ferrets of Different Color.

In mammals, the main contribution to the variability of pigmentation is made by two groups of genes directly related to the metabolic pathways of pigment synthesis and controlling the transport of melanosomes in melanocytes to keratinocytes. In order to identify the genetic basis of pigmentation variants, the nucleotide sequences of the melanophilin gene were compared in two groups of ferrets-silver-colored and wild-type animals-using sequencing of 16 exons. In carriers of silver color, a single nucleotide deletion was detected in the 9th exon, leading to a shift in the reading frame and the formation of a stop codon downstream. The protein encoded by the mutant allele is almost completely devoid of the C terminal domain of the protein responsible for the contact of melanosomes with actin during their moving to the periphery of melanocytes, but it retains the leading domain involved in the formation of melanosomes. The combination of the preservation of the N domain and the defect of the C domain of the mutant protein for the first time makes it possible to explain the incomplete dominance of the wild-type protein in heterozygotes.

[Results of carotid endarterectomy in the acutest period of ischemic stroke]. / Rezul'taty karotidnoi endarterektomii v ostreishem periode ishemicheskogo insul'ta.

OBJECTIVE: Analysis of the results of carotid endarterectomy (CEE) in the acute period of ischemic stroke (IS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 128 patients (mean age 65.2±4.7 years, 84 (65.6%) men) who underwent CEE in the acute period. Inclusion criteria were: an ischemic focus in the brain with a diameter of no more than 2.5 cm according to MRI; mild neurological deficit (from 3 to 8 points on NIHSS); ≤3 points on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS); stenosis of ICA over 60%. Exclusion criteria were: severe neurological deficit; presence of decompensated comorbid dependence; contraindications to CEE. RESULTS: In the hospital postoperative period, 3.9% of patients were diagnosed with hemorrhagic transformation of the ischemic focus in the brain with progression of neurological deficit and level of consciousness to coma II. In 3.1% cases, a lethal outcome developed on 4-7 days after the operation. In 2.3% patients after CEE, the progression of neurological deficit was noted with the development of new ischemic foci according to postoperative neuroimaging. The probable cause of this event was a distal embolism that developed during the installation of a temporary shunt. Myocardial infarction was diagnosed in 3.9% of patients. The combined end point (death + myocardial infarction + ischemic stroke + hemorrhagic transformation) was 10.1%. CONCLUSION: CEE in the most acute period of ischemic stroke is accompanied by a high risk of hemorrhagic transformation, myocardial infarction, and death, which characterizes this revascularization option as unsafe.

[Comparative effectiveness study of local antioxidants in complex treatment of chronic periodontal disease].

Prospective, placebo-control, randomized blind study was carried out on the clinical effectiveness of the local administration of 1% emoxipine solution, 1,5% reamberin solution and 5% mexidol solution in patients with chronic periodontitis (CP). It was determined that all medications under study cause the decrease of simplified oral hygienic index by Green and Vermillion (OHI-S, Green J.C., Vermillion J.R., 1969), papillary-marginal-alveolar index (РМА, Parma C., 1960), papillary bleeding index (PBI, Saxer U.P., Muhlemann M.R., 1975) and increase the sialometry index in the case of CP. The best clinical effect was achieved by the local administration of reamberin, which turned out to be the only medication among those under study to lower the content of lipid peroxidation products in the mixed saliva, to decrease the periodontal index (PI, Russel A., 1956) and to result in the concomitant increase of life satisfaction index in patients with chronic periodontitis.

Extraction of bitumen, crude oil and its products from tar sand and contaminated sandy soil under effect of ultrasound.

In the present paper, the kinetics of the water extraction of bitumen from tar sand and crude oil or residual fuel oil from model contaminated soils under the effect of ultrasound is studied. The influence of process temperature, ultrasound power, the nature, and properties of the components of heterogeneous mixtures being separated, and the concentration of added alkaline reagents on the rate and degree of oil recovery is investigated. A functional form of the dependencies of separation efficiency on the mean size of solid particles and the temperature of a working medium is found. Optimum concentrations of reagents in the process solution are determined. It is shown that the spent solution of sodium silicate can be multiply used for separation, its reuse even speeding up the yield of oil in the initial period. Taking into account obtained results, a multipurpose pilot plant with a flow-type reactor for ultrasonic extraction of petroleum and its products from contaminated soils was manufactured and tested. During tests, the purification of sandy soil contaminated with residual fuel oil was carried out which verified the results of laboratory studies.

Io volcanism seen by new horizons: a major eruption of the Tvashtar volcano.

Jupiter's moon Io is known to host active volcanoes. In February and March 2007, the New Horizons spacecraft obtained a global snapshot of Io's volcanism. A 350-kilometer-high volcanic plume was seen to emanate from the Tvashtar volcano (62 degrees N, 122 degrees W), and its motion was observed. The plume's morphology and dynamics support nonballistic models of large Io plumes and also suggest that most visible plume particles condensed within the plume rather than being ejected from the source. In images taken in Jupiter eclipse, nonthermal visible-wavelength emission was seen from individual volcanoes near Io's sub-Jupiter and anti-Jupiter points. Near-infrared emission from the brightest volcanoes indicates minimum magma temperatures in the 1150- to 1335-kelvin range, consistent with basaltic composition.

Ultrasonic intensification of ozone and electrochemical destruction of 1,3-dinitrobenzene and 2,4-dinitrotoluene.

The removal of nitroaromatics from polluted water is difficult due to their high stability to conventional treatment methods. This paper presents a method for the destruction of 1,3-dinitrobenzene and 2,4-dinitrotoluene in aqueous solutions. The compounds are shown to be stable to reaction with ozone, even under ultrasonic activation. The use of ultrasound enhances the rate of electrochemical reduction but the overall rate of reaction is still slow. However, the simultaneous application of ultrasound and ozonation to the electrochemical reaction allows virtually complete destruction of the compounds in short times. The effect is attributed to the ultrasonic enhancement of the electrochemical process giving intermediates that are susceptible to ozone oxidation. While further analytical work is needed to deduce the exact contributions of the various possible degradation mechanisms, the work demonstrates the synergies that can be gained by using combined techniques for the destruction of these difficult compounds.