[Age-related dynamics of the main extracellular matrix components in residents of the Russian Arctic].

The main extracellular matrix components in Arctic residents were studied. Northerners had increased levels of total glycosaminoglycans, hyaluronan, and collagen IV in plasma and both general and peptide-bound hydroxyproline in urine, which indicates an accelerated metabolism of the main extracellular matrix components compared with comparison group (residents of Siberia). Age-related remodeling of extracellular matrix in northerners manifested in changing ratio and quantity of its main components. Levels of total glycosaminoglycans, hyaluronan, fibronectin, hydroxyproline and its fractions increased with age while the level of collagen IV changed insignificantly. Average positive correlation between extracellular matrix components and biological aging indicators is suggestive of relationship between these two processes: aging - which is accelerated in the Arctic and pathological remodeling of extracellular matrix as it is associated with accelerated aging. Changes in local regulation system including those related to matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors may be one of the reasons for pathological remodeling of extracellular matrix.

[ESTIMATION OF THE EFFECTS OF GEOMAGNETIC AND SOLAR ACTIVITY ON THE HUMAN BRAIN BIOELECTRICAL PROCESSES WITH STRUCTURAL FUNCTION].

We investigate the impacts of sharp variations in solar and geomagnetic activity (GMA) at high latitudes on the human brain bioelectrical activity by means of the empirical structure function of multi-channel EEG. Ten healthy men ages 19 to 37 took part in the study. EEG was recor- ded daily over the 25 days test period that was marked by C- and M-class solar flares and geomagnetic storm levels in the G2-G3 range. The EEG signals were used for the estimate of the mul-tivariate temporal structure function (SF) of the first order in 8-dimensional space. The value of the SF correlation radius is used here as an estimation of a scale of the integral temporal correlation structure of multi-channel EEG, while the value of the SF horizontal asymptote is used as an estimation of the spatial correlation structure of EEG. It is shown that GMA variations make an even greater impact on the SF correlation radius, than on the SF asymptote. We reveal the disturbing and modulating effects of geomagnetic and solar activity on the SF parameters and its power spectrum. Thus, the SF of multi-channel EEG allows us to estimate the effects of heliogeophysical factors on the integrated brain reaction as a unitary system and may be used to investigate the environmental influence on the humans.

[Quality of life for men of different ages in the russian European North and its relationship with self-reported health and hormonal status].

Assessment of the quality of life for male inhabitants of the Russian European North demonstrated decreased indices of physical health component (the scale of role functioning determined by physical condition) and mental health component (the scales of social functioning and role functioning determined by emotional state and mental health) compared to the inhabitants of Siberia as a comparison group. Men aged up to 29 had the highest values at all scales. The values decreased with age. The most prominent decrease was observed for the scales of general well-being and pain intensity. There was a moderate decrease for the scales of physical functioning, role functioning determined by emotional state, and role functioning determined by physical condition. Quality of life was closely related to self-reported health of northerners, pathological index, molecular marker of aging, and biological age. Negative correlation between these values implies the deterioration of physical and mental health with biological age. The quality of life for northerners also correlated with hormonal status. There was a relationship between testosterone and three scales of physical health components; between cortisol and one scale of physical component; and between both dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and insulin and the scales of physical and mental components of health. The effect of various hormones on different age groups of northerners was demonstrated.

[Psychophysiological and cardiohemodynamic effects of solar, geomagnetic and meteorological factors in man living in Arctic area].

Complex investigation of solar, geophysical and meteorological factors as well as lunar cycle-phases effects on the indices of cardiohemodynamics, emotional state and the CNS functional state was carried out in 12 males 19-38 years old living in the Arctic region (Apatity, 67°57' N, 33°39' E). The observation period was characterized by flares of M1-M2-class as well as geomagnetic storms of G1-G3 class. Adaptive modulatory effect of environmental factors was shown on the autonomic regulatory systems, as well as a strongviolation action of geomagnetic storms and solar chromosphere flares were revealed on the human functional state. Multiple regression method allowed us to obtain the dominant environmental factors by magnitude of their action on functional parameters, and to estimate the combined effect of these factors. The coefficient of determination in the most cases did not exceed 0.5, but in a certain subjects reached 0.7-0.8 on some indicators. Data show the selective nature of the multiple effects of environmental factors on indicators of functional and emotional states at various persons. Each of examined subjects living in the high latitude extreme conditions reacts on permanent climatic-geographic and cosmophysical factors variation, however both a character and magnitude of reactions were dependent on personal susceptibility to isolated and combined actions of these factors.

Origin and evolution of life on terrestrial planets.

The ultimate goal of terrestrial planet-finding missions is not only to discover terrestrial exoplanets inside the habitable zone (HZ) of their host stars but also to address the major question as to whether life may have evolved on a habitable Earth-like exoplanet outside our Solar System. We note that the chemical evolution that finally led to the origin of life on Earth must be studied if we hope to understand the principles of how life might evolve on other terrestrial planets in the Universe. This is not just an anthropocentric point of view: the basic ingredients of terrestrial life, that is, reduced carbon-based molecules and liquid H(2)O, have very specific properties. We discuss the origin of life from the chemical evolution of its precursors to the earliest life-forms and the biological implications of the stellar radiation and energetic particle environments. Likewise, the study of the biological evolution that has generated the various life-forms on Earth provides clues toward the understanding of the interconnectedness of life with its environment.

Cosmic ray impact on extrasolar earth-like planets in close-in habitable zones.

Because of their different origins, cosmic rays can be subdivided into galactic cosmic rays and solar/stellar cosmic rays. The flux of cosmic rays to planetary surfaces is mainly determined by two planetary parameters: the atmospheric density and the strength of the internal magnetic moment. If a planet exhibits an extended magnetosphere, its surface will be protected from high-energy cosmic ray particles. We show that close-in extrasolar planets in the habitable zone of M stars are synchronously rotating with their host star because of the tidal interaction. For gravitationally locked planets the rotation period is equal to the orbital period, which is much longer than the rotation period expected for planets not subject to tidal locking. This results in a relatively small magnetic moment. We found that an Earth-like extrasolar planet, tidally locked in an orbit of 0.2 AU around an M star of 0.5 solar masses, has a rotation rate of 2% of that of the Earth. This results in a magnetic moment of less than 15% of the Earth's current magnetic moment. Therefore, close-in extrasolar planets seem not to be protected by extended Earth-like magnetospheres, and cosmic rays can reach almost the whole surface area of the upper atmosphere. Primary cosmic ray particles that interact with the atmosphere generate secondary energetic particles, a so-called cosmic ray shower. Some of the secondary particles can reach the surface of terrestrial planets when the surface pressure of the atmosphere is on the order of 1 bar or less. We propose that, depending on atmospheric pressure, biological systems on the surface of Earth-like extrasolar planets at close-in orbital distances can be strongly influenced by secondary cosmic rays.

[Qualitative and quantitative assessment of exposure to geomagnetic field variations on the functional status of the human brain]. / Kachestvennaia i kolichestvennaia otsenka vozdeistviia variatsii geomagnitnogo polia na funktsional'noe sostoianie mozga cheloveka.

The comparison of functional dynamics of human brain with reference to qualitative and quantitative characteristics of local geomagnetic field (GMF) variations was conducted. It was showed that just local GMF variations can be a principal reason of modulation the human brain's functional state. The steady and unsteady states of human brain can be determined: by geomagnetic disturbances before the observation period; by structure and doses of GMF variations; by different combinations of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of GMF variations. The optimal level of GMF activity, manifested in periodic oscillations in certain amplitude-frequency range is demanded for steady brain's functional state. The decrease of optimal GMF activity level and the appearance of aperiodic disturbances of GMF can be a reason of unsteady brain's state.

[Dynamics of the morphofunctional status of cell cultures exposed to variations in the geomagnetic field at high latitudes]. / Dinamika morfofunktsional'nogo sostoianiia kletochnykh kul'tur pri variatsiiakh geomagnitnogo polia v vysokikh shirotakh.

The goal of this research is to study a dependence between dynamics of the biological parameters, characterized the state of the cell cultures, and variations of geomagnetic field (GMF) in the quiet and disturbed conditions. The investigations were carried out on geophysical recording site in high-latitude regions. Geophysical and biological observations were conducted simultaneously and at the same place. Continuous cell lines of mouse, hamster and pisces were used in experiments. Morpho-functional characteristics, including the percentage of polynuclear cells were estimated. Has been shown that dynamic of morphofunctional state of cell culture associated with GMF variations. Geomagnetic activity (GMA) abrupt change is followed by a stepwise changes the state of cell cultures. Changes is properties of cell surface are related to cell fusion, the appearance of heterokaryons, enlargement of cellular adhesion and aggregation. Enhancement of morpho-functional variety in cellular populations involving a reorganization of nuclear material demonstrate a possible regulatory and evolutionary part of GMF variations.

[Growth-stimulating effect of UF-irradiated blood. I. The radiation dose dependence of the initial growth potencies of blood and of the functional state of the target cells]. / Rostostimuliruiushchii éffekt obluchennoi UF luchami krovi. I. Zavisimost' ot dozy oblucheniia iskhodnykh rostovykh potentsii krovi i funktsional'nogo sostoianiia kletok-mishenei.

UV irradiation (UVI) of donor blood in the apparatus used in hospitals of the USSR with the therapeutic aim of autotransfusion of UV-irradiated blood (AUVIB), results in an increase of connective tissue cell growth potency: being added into culture media the supernatants of irradiated blood stimulate DNA-synthetic and proliferative activity of cultured human embryonic cells. The high activity of cells persists for about 2 days. The effect is great with low initial levels of cell proliferative activity. In this case the effect is maximum (about 125% of the control). It is suggested that the above effect may be involved in the mechanism of stimulation of regeneration processes in the organism after AUVIB.

[Functional and structural changes in the surface of human erythrocytes after irradiation by different wave lengths of UV rays. III. The immediate effect of the autotransfusion of UV-irradiated blood]. / Funktsional'nye i strukturnye izmeneniia poverkhnosti éritrotsitov cheloveka posle oblucheniia UF luchami raznoi dliny volny. III. Nemedlennyi éffekt autotransfuzii UF-obluchennoi krovi.

The autotransfusion of UV-irradiated blood (70-200 ml) results in the structural modification of cell surface in all the circulating erythrocytes of cardiological patients. The effect is registered within 1 hour after transfusion and involves some decrease in the distribution coefficient of erythrocytes registered in two-phase polymer system dextran-poly(ethylene glycol), which depends on membrane surface properties other than charge. This effect is suggested to be responsible for the main peculiarities of the therapeutic effect of UV-irradiated blood autotransfusion--high rate of appearance, prolongation and wide spectrum of the therapeutic action.

[Mechanism of the clinical effects of UV-irradiated blood: the stimulation of DNA synthetic activity of human cells in culture]. / Mekhanizm klinicheskikh éffektov UF-obluchennoi krovi: stimuliatsiia DNK-sinteticheskoi aktivnosti kletok cheloveka v kul'ture.

Supernatants of UV-irradiated specimens of donor whole blood, leukocyte-platelet or red cell suspensions added to human embryonic cells in vitro produce a 1.4-1.6-fold increase in 3H-thymidine incorporation into human embryonic cells. Irradiation of blood plasma without the cells by the same doses as therapeutic ones is not followed by the effect indicated. Therefore the stimulation of the growth capacity of the blood after irradiation is connected with its cells. It is suggested that the effect under discussion is derived from the release of some active components from the blood cell surface (outer perimembranous layer) because of its photochemical destruction during UV-irradiation.

[Evaluation of the antigenic structural changes in the rat liver after a single carcinogenic exposure]. / K otsenke izmenenii antigennoi struktury pecheni krys posle odonkratnogo kantserogennogo vozdeistviia.

A single injection of hepatocarcinogen (4-dimethylaminoazobenzene) to rats resulted in antigenic rearrangement in rat liver, typical of hepatocellular tumors, whereas the treatment with a non-carcinogen isomere (4-diethylaminoazobenzene) did not have the same effect. It is assumed that antigenic rearrangement in hepatocytes caused by 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene might be due to its carcinogenity.

[Dynamics of changes in the surface of normal cultivated rat cells after a single exposure to the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene]. / Dinamika izmenenii poverkhnosti normal'nykh kul'tiviruemykh krysinykh kletok posle odnokratnogo vozdeistviia kantserogenom 7,12-dimetilbenz(a)antratsenom.

Changes in the cell surface after a single treatment with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) of newborn rat carcass in cell culture have been studied by means of the agglutination reaction with concanavalin A. DMBA was shown to cause alterations in the cell surface. At 0.5 mkg/ml of DMBA, the difference in agglutinability of treated and untreated cells persists for 30 days. At 0.1 mkg/ml of DMBA, the agglutinability of drug-treated and control cells was similar on the 4th day after removal of carcinogen. A prolonged culturing of control cells results in an increased agglutinability of cells with concanavalin A, and in 2.5 months it becomes indistinguishable from the agglutinability level of tumor cells with concanavalin A. In 5 months, drastic karyotypic changes are registered in control cultures.