The estrogen dilemma

There are known 3 likely mechanisms of virus conveyance into the central nervous system (CNS). These include hematogenic penetration, spread along the peripheral nerves, and the olfactory pathway which begins from the infected olfactory neuroepithelial cells. The possibility of viral spread into CNS via the olfactory pathway was shown for the representatives of togaviruses, herpesviruses, coronaviruses, rhabdoviruses, and for some others. This study suggests that the olfactory pathway of viral conveyance into CNS may be blocked by specific mucosal antibodies in the nasal mucosa. The recombinant TK- variant of WR vaccinia strain with inserted genes coding structural and nonstructural proteins of TBE virus is accumulated in the branches of the respiratory tract only while the parenteral vaccinia strain is detected in the brain regions, spleen, respiratory tract, and in blood. The protective activity of recombinant strain and inactivated TBE vaccine after mice immunization by escarification or intranasally, or subcutaneously was comparatively studied. The findings indicate that intranasal immunization by recombinant strain is the most protective against intraperitoneal challenge by TBE virus. The mucosal and humoral immune response that was induced by intranasal immunization seems to provide the highest levels of protection, which was experimentally observed.     

The expert identification of the remains of the imperial family by means of molecular genetic verification of genealogical relations

The paper presents the results of international complex molecular genetic expert identification of skeletal remains of 9 subjects buried near the Koptiaki road in Ekaterinburg region, presumably belonging to the Romanov Royal Family and persons in their attendance. The armory of methods based on analysis of the least permissible amounts of DNA by the polymerase chain reaction and direct fluorescent sequencing of amplified DNA fragments included the latest scientific technologies. In addition, new methods were developed and used, which have no analogs in the world expert practice. The strategy included identification of biological gender of skeletons, of familial group among exhumed individuals, and of ties of relationship of this family with two independent maternal branches of the Romanov genealogical tree using tracing kindred markers based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The study was carried out in two stages: in 1992-1993 at Aldermaston Criminology Center of Home Office of the UK with participation of British specialists and in 1995 at Military Medical Institute of Ministry of Defence of the USA in Washington with participation of American specialists. In 1993 five skeletons were identified as Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, and their three daughters with 99.6% certainty. From modern criminological viewpoint, the result could not be considered as sufficiently certain for such an extraordinary case, and therefore in 1995 molecular genetic studies of presumable remains of Nicholas II and his brother Prince Georgi? Romanov were carried out again. The results showed absolute positional identity of mtDNA genetic code of these two men due to an extremely rare genetic abnormality (heteroplasmia), and thus the problem of appurtenance of the remains to the Romanov royal family was solved.     

The growth of high purity GaAs by molecular beam epitaxy in diffusion pumped system

Diffusion pumped MBE systems are likely to be technologically important in the development of production semiconductor growth equipment. It is demonstrated, for the first time, that high quality GaAs can be produced in such systems. Both electrical and optical results are presented to illustrate these findings.     

A collaborative study on the determination of free amino acids in blood plasma

Collaborative work to determine the amino acid, taurine, urea and ammonia contents of a standard mixture of amino acids and of blood plasma from a preruminant and a ruminant calf was carried out at four laboratories to assess the accuracy of the ion-exchange column chromatographic technique. Samples of blood plasma were deproteinised by the organising laboratory and by the collaborating laboratories using their own methods. For the standard amino acid mixture the mean absolute deviation was 0.036 of the true concentration. This compared favourably with results from previous collaborative trials on protein hydrolysates. The mean absolute deviations were 0.192 for preruminant calf blood deproteinised by the organising laboratory and 0.159 for blood deproteinised by the collaborating laboratories. Comparable values for ruminant calf blood were 0.149 and 0.117, respectively. These results were much poorer than those obtained for protein hydrolysates and possible explanations are put forward for these different degrees of precision.