Molecular and morphological screening of Podocotyle spp. (Trematoda: Opecoelidae) sheds light on their diversity in Northwest Pacific and eastern European Arctic.

Podocotyle is a genus of marine opecoelid digeneans that parasitize a wide variety of fish as adults. We present the first phylogenetic analysis of several Podocotyle isolates using nuclear 28S rDNA and mitochondrial cox1 DNA regions. New sequences were obtained for Podocotyle specimens from fish caught in the Sea of Okhotsk and the White Sea. Based on morphological and molecular data, eight Podocotyle lineages of species rank were revealed. However, this diversity is poorly formalized within the current taxonomic model of the genus. As a result, we identified Podocotyle cf. angulata, Podocotyle cf. atomon, Podocotyle cf. reflexa, Podocotyle atomon of Sokolov et al., 2019, Podocotyle sp. of Denisova et al., 2023, Podocotyle sp. 1, Podocotyle sp. 2 and Podocotyle sp. 3. We also highlight the unresolved question of the life cycles of representatives of Podocotyle whose intramolluscan stages parasitize the intertidal snails Littorina spp.

First Observation of Neutral Bremsstrahlung Electroluminescence in Liquid Argon.

A recent discovery of additional mechanism of electroluminescence (EL) in noble gases due to the neutral bremsstrahlung (NBrS) effect led to a prediction that NBrS EL should be present in noble liquids as well. A theoretical model of NBrS EL in noble liquids was developed accordingly in the frameworks of Cohen-Lekner and Atrazhev. In this work, we confirm this prediction: For the first time, visible-range EL has been observed in liquid argon at electric fields reaching 90 kV/cm, using gas electron multiplier (GEM) and thick GEM structures. Absolute light yields of the EL were measured and found to be in excellent agreement with the theory, provided that the momentum-transfer cross section of electron scattering is used for calculation of the NBrS cross section (instead of the energy-transfer one).

Desulfothermobacter acidiphilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a thermoacidophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium isolated from a terrestrial hot spring.

An anaerobic sulfate-reducing micro-organism, strain 3408-1T, was isolated from a terrestrial hot spring in Kamchatka peninsula (Russia). The cells were spore-forming rods with a Gram-positive type of cell wall. The new isolate was a moderately thermoacidophilic anaerobe able to grow either by sulfate or thiosulfate respiration with H2 or formate as substrates, or by fermenting yeast extract, maltose, sucrose, glucose and pyruvate. The fermentation products were acetate, CO2 and H2. The pH range for growth was 2.9-6.5, with an optimum at 4.5. The temperature range for growth was 42-70 °C, with an optimum at 55 °C. The G+C content of DNA was 58 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene showed that strain 3408-1T belongs to the family Thermoanaerobacteraceae, order Thermoanaerobacterales and was distantly related to the species of the genus Ammonifex(93-94 % sequence similarity). On the basis of physiological properties and results of phylogenetic analysis, strain 3408-1T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Desulfothermobacter acidiphilus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 3408-1T (=DSM 105356T=VKM B-3183T).

Isolation and complete genome sequencing of rabies virus strain isolated from a brown bear (Ursus arctos) that attacked a human in Primorsky krai (November, 2014).

An attack of a brown bear (Ursus arctos) on human was detected in November, 2014 in the Barabash village (Khasan region of the Primorski krai) located in close proximity to the national park Land of the Leopard. The bear was shot. The deviant behavior of the bear indicated the possibility of rabies. The diagnosis was confirmed by means of laboratory methods. The strain RABV/Ursus arctos/Russia/Primorye/PO 01/2014 (further PO 01) was isolated from the brain of the bear. PO 01 is the first completely sequenced Far Eastern strain of RABV. It can be considered as topotypic. PO 01 considerably differs from the vaccine strain RV 97 (GenBank EF542830) that is the basis of attenuated vaccine applied in the Land of the Leopard. At the same time, the immunodominant sites in PO 01 and RV 97 proteins differ slightly. It can be recommended to continue application of the vaccine. The analysis of the PO 01 genome (GenBank KP997032) revealed its belonging to the Eurasian genetic subgroup of the genotype 1 (street rage). Thus, this genetic subgroup stretches to the East. Expansion of the cross-border protected territories of Russia and China in the Far East demands the correct statistics of circulation of the lyssaviruses to be kept.

[Secretory function of stomach in long term followup period after selective proximal vagotomy]. / Sekretornaia funktsiia zheludka v otdalennye sroki posle selektivnoí proksimal'noí vagotomii.

Regional proteolysis and average daily levels of acidity in different parts of the stomach in long term follow up periods (up to 16 years after the surgery) are analysed. The depressed levels of the secretion remained during all the long term period. In older patients with isolated SPV the level of acidity is decreasing, mainly in distal parts of the stomach by the 11th-16th year after the surgery. There is an intestinal type of digestion in the parts of the stomach that do not contain hydrochloric acid. The intestinal type of digestion is more expressed after the SPV combined with gastrojejunal anastomosis. A high level of acid secretion was demonstrated in 9.7% of cases after the SPV.

[Heterogeneity of immunologic subtypes of blast crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia]. / Geterogennost' immunologicheskikh podvariantov blastnogo kriza khronicheskogo mieloidnogo leikoza.

Phenotyping of blood cells derived from 12 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in blast crisis with the use of Mab panel to differentiation antigens of human hemopoietic cells in a flow cytofluorimeter revealed heterogeneity of immunological phenotypes of blast cells. Subclones of blast cells were detected within each subset of disease at several successive stages of differentiation. The qualitative and quantitative composition of cell populations differing in immunological parameters is changed as a result of therapy given.

Hemoglobin dynamics in rat erythrocytes investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy.

Rats have been enriched in 57Fe and erythrocytes were isolated from the blood. Mössbauer absorption spectroscopy on the hemoglobin of these erythrocytes has shown rather similar dynamics as found earlier in crystals of myoglobin, in frozen solutions of human hemoglobin and in a number of other proteins. The results strongly indicate that the motion of the heme and presumably some part of the F-helix is mainly influenced by the average viscosity of the sample determined by a network of hydrogen bridges and other weak interactions. Extrapolations of Mössbauer results from protein crystals to proteins in their physiological surroundings seem to be suitable for heme proteins.

[Changes in the neuronal membrane potential of the mollusk Planorbarius corneus under the action of cardiac glycosides]. / Izmenenie membrannogo potentsiala neironov molliuska Planorbarius corneus pri deistvii serdechnykh glikozidov.

In experiments on isolated neurones from the gastropod mollusc P. corneus, strophantin and digoxin in low concentrations produce slow hyperpolarization, in higher ones--depolarization; at concentrations about 1 mM, hyperpolarization was more evident. In all cases, the decrease in membrane resistance was observed. Presumably, membrane permeability for potassium ions increases. During application of the drugs in concentrations 10-100 microM, hyperpolarization may be masked by depolarization due to block of Na,K-pump. Higher concentrations, increasing potassium permeability of the membrane, may result in substitution of depolarization by hyperpolarization.

[Role of conformational sub-states on the reaction capacity of protein molecules]. / Rol'konformatsionnykh podsostoianii v reaktsionnoi sposobnosti belkovykh molekul.

A review of the recent data on protein dynamics (mainly myoglobin) by X-ray technique, Mössbauer spectroscopy and Rayleigh scattering of Mössbauer radiation is given. The connection between dynamical and functional properties of biological systems are discussed.

[Mössbauer spectroscopy of intramolecular mobility in chromatophores from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides]. / Issledovanie vnutrimolekuliarnoi podvizhnosti khromatoforov iz Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides metodom Messbauérovskoi spektroskopii.

Mobility of the Mössbauer label attached to the membrane proteins and the Mössbauer probe embedded into the lipid matrix of the bacterial chromatophores were studied. Positive correlation was established between the dynamic properties of hydrophobic compartments in the chromatophores and functional electron--transport activity at the level of quinone cofactors associated with the photosynthetic reaction centres.