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In 1908, George Coats published a paper about a rare form of outer retinopathy with massive exudation. Until today, the causes of the Coats’ disease (CD) has not been revealed and there is no generally accepted model of its pathogenesis. It was hypothesized that the condition could be caused by an infectious process or an inflammatory reaction, but there is no consensus about that. Genetic determinants of CD have not been identified, either. A histological examination of CD revealed “cholesterol fissures”, subretinal exudate, massive gliosis, retinal disorganization, vasodilation and hyalinization, diffuse thickening of retinal capillaries and areas of complete absence of pericytes and vascular endothelium, as well as inflammatory infiltrates. The main component of subretinal exudate is intense cell reaction of the macrophages. A study of the cytokine profile showed an increased concentration of VEGF in the subretinal fluid, the level of IL-6 was significantly higher in adult patients and correlated with the degree of exudative retinal detachment. In the eye fundus of CD patients, vascular telangiectasias followed by exudate deposition in these areas have been revealed. Complications of CD include vasoproliferative tumors, neovascular glaucoma, intraretinal and intraocular hemorrhages, vitreous fibrosis, traction retinal detachment, anterior chamber cholesterolosis. CD treatment includes laser coagulation, cryotherapy, intravitreal administration of glucocorticosteroids and angiogenesis inhibitors. In severe forms and advanced stages of CD, vitreoretinal surgery is resorted to. Enucleation may be necessary in some cases.

In the current study, the antibacterial and antioxidant effects of three formulated alginatebased edible coats on refrigerated beef were investigated. The formulated coats included 2 organic acids (OAs) based (T1 and T2) and one nisin-OAs based (T3). Control and coated beef slices were sampled immediately (zero time) and then periodically for 15 days of storage at 1C. The antibacterial effects of coating were assessed by aerobic plate count (APC), Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms count. Peroxide value (POV) and catalase (CAT) activity were applied as indexes of oxidation. Moreover, the cupper sulphate test and pH were used as freshness indexes. The coats appeared efficient antibacterials. By coating, APC didn't exceed 6 log cfu/g 15 for days of storage with OAs-based coats more significant. T1 and T2 were more effective against enteric bacteria where the load of Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms were reduced to undetectable levels for 15 days. The coats also successfully functioned as antioxidants. POV of coated slices significantly reduced where their values were 2.27, 1.87, 2.27 and 2.20 (meq/kg) for control, T1, T2 and T3, respectively after 15 days of storage. Nisin-OAs-based coats appeared the most antioxidant defense mechanism in stored beef where CAT levels were 0.005, 0.010, 0.007 and 0.044 U/g for control, T1, T2 and T3, respectively at end of 15 days of storage. According to freshness indexes, coated slices continued fresh for at least 3 days in excess to control with nisin-OAs coating the most effective. The obtained data indicate that studied coats can be effectively applied to improve the marketability of beef and preserve its quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal fur garments have historically served as a status symbol. However, the fur fashion market has recently undergone two noteworthy transformations. Firstly, the anti-fur consumption movements have heavily stigmatized wearing fur for fashion. Secondly, due to technological advancements, fake alternatives made from synthetic fibers, referred to as faux fur, can be now made to look authentic. Through a survey, this study examined the effects of growing stigma around wearing fur on consumer behaviors. It investigated the moderating effects of perceived stigma on the relationship between the need for status and purchase intentions toward genuine fur coats as well as faux fur coats that look real. Two-hundred and twenty usable data were collected from 353 female participants recruited from an online panel. Results revealed that status-seeking consumers had higher purchase intentions toward both genuine fur coats and faux fur alternatives that look real. The moderating effects of perceived stigma were found only for genuine fur coats, indicating that perceived stigma can hurt the demand for genuine fur coats, but not necessarily for faux fur coats that look real. By incorporating stigma theory, this study goes beyond previous focus on the determinants of status consumption by demonstrating the transformation of a status symbol through perceived stigma's effects on consumer purchasing decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assembly of the Bacillus subtilis spore coat involves over 80 proteins which self‐organize into a basal layer, a lamellar inner coat, a striated electrodense outer coat and a more external crust. CotB is an abundant component of the outer coat. The C‐terminal moiety of CotB, SKRB, formed by serine‐rich repeats, is polyphosphorylated by the Ser/Thr kinase CotH. We show that another coat protein, CotG, with a central serine‐repeat region, SKRG, interacts with the C‐terminal moiety of CotB and promotes its phosphorylation by CotH in vivo and in a heterologous system. CotG itself is phosphorylated by CotH but phosphorylation is enhanced in the absence of CotB. Spores of a strain producing an inactive form of CotH, like those formed by a cotG deletion mutant, lack the pattern of electrondense outer coat striations, but retain the crust. In contrast, deletion of the SKRB region, has no major impact on outer coat structure. Thus, phosphorylation of CotG by CotH is a key factor establishing the structure of the outer coat. The presence of the cotB/cotH/cotG cluster in several species closely related to B. subtilis hints at the importance of this protein phosphorylation module in the morphogenesis of the spore surface layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein secretion is initiated at the endoplasmic reticulum by the COPII coat, which self-assembles to form vesicles. Here, we examine the mechanisms by which a cargo-bound inner coat layer recruits and is organized by an outer scaffolding layer to drive local assembly of a stable structure rigid enough to enforce membrane curvature. An intrinsically disordered region in the outer coat protein, Sec31, drives binding with an inner coat layer via multiple distinct interfaces, including a newly defined charge-based interaction. These interfaces combinatorially reinforce each other, suggesting coat oligomerization is driven by the cumulative effects of multivalent interactions. The Sec31 disordered region could be replaced by evolutionarily distant sequences, suggesting plasticity in the binding interfaces. Such a multimodal assembly platform provides an explanation for how cells build a powerful yet transient scaffold to direct vesicle traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transient contamination of medical professional's attires including white coats is one of the major vehicles for the horizontal transmission of microorganisms in the hospital environment. This study was carried out to determine the degree of contamination by bacterial agents on the white coats in a tertiary care hospital in Nepal. Sterilized uniforms with fabric patches of 10 cm × 15 cm size attached to the right and left pockets were distributed to 12 nurses of six different wards of a teaching hospital at the beginning of their work shift. Worn coats were collected at the end of the shifts and the patches were subjected for total bacterial count and identification of selected bacterial pathogens, as prioritized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Fifty percent of the sampled swatches were found to be contaminated by pathogenic bacteria. The average colony growth per square inch of the patch was 524 and 857 during first and second workdays, respectively, indicating an increase of 63.6% in colony counts. The pathogens detected on patches were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter sp. Additional bacteria identified included Bacillus sp., Micrococcus sp., and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). The nurses working in the maternity department had their white coats highly contaminated with bacteria. On the other hand, the least bacterial contamination was recorded from the nurses of the surgery ward. One S. aureus isolate from the maternity ward was resistant to methicillin. This study showed that pathogens belonging to the WHO list of critical priority and high priority have been isolated from white coats of nurses, thus posing the risk of transmission to patients. White coats must be worn, maintained, and washed properly to reduce bacterial contamination load and to prevent cross-contamination of potential superbugs. The practice of wearing white coats outside the healthcare zone should be strictly discouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large and growing body of literature has focused on the association between "white coat hypertension" (WCH) and the underlying target organ damage. The evidence suggests that WCH is may not an entirely benign phenomenon. However, whether patients with WCH should receive antihypertensive drugs is unresolved. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to fully determine the ability of WCH to alter cardiovascular structure and to determine whether patients with WCH could benefit from drug intervention. Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception through 21 Oct 2019. A total of 25 studies (8,100 individuals) were included. In participants with WCH, values of aortic pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, intima–media thickness, interventricular septum thickness, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, and left ventricular mass index were lower than those with sustained hypertension, but greater than those in the normotensive group. Of note, antihypertensive drug therapy did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with WCH. WCH is accompanied by alterations of cardiovascular structure; however, the benefits from antihypertensive therapy are limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coat colour is one of the most important economic traits of sheep and is mainly used for breed identification and characterization. This trait is determined by the biochemical function, availability and distribution of phaeomelanin and eumelanin pigments. In our study, we conducted a genome-wide association study to identify candidate genes and genetic variants associated with coat colour in 75 Chinese Tan sheep using the ovine 600K SNP BeadChip. Accordingly, we identified two significant SNPs (rs409651063 at 14.232 Mb and rs408511664 at 14.228 Mb) associated with coat colour in the MC1R gene on chromosome 14 with −log10(P) = 2.47E-14 and 1.00E-13, respectively. The consequence of rs409651063 was a missense variant (g.14231948 G>A) that caused an amino acid change (Asp105Asn); however, the second SNP (rs408511664) was a synonymous substitution and is an upstream variant (g.14228343G>A). Moreover, our PCR analysis revealed that the genotype of white sheep was exclusively homozygous (GG), whereas the genotypes of black-head sheep were mainly heterozygous (GA). Interestingly, allele-specific expression analysis (using the missense variant for the skin cDNA samples from black-head sheep) revealed that only the G allele was expressed in the skin covered with white hair, while both the G and A alleles were expressed in the skin covered with black hair. This finding indicated that the missense mutation that we identified is probably responsible for white coat colour in Tan sheep. Furthermore, qPCR analysis of MC1R mRNA level in the skin samples was significantly higher in black-head than white sheep and very significantly higher in GA than GG individuals. Taken together, these results help to elucidate the genetic mechanism underlying coat colour variation in Chinese indigenous sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among a cohort of men who have sex with men in a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence trial, syphilis requiring treatment was associated with white coat dosing (increased PrEP adherence immediately preceding study visits) when compared with participants with optimal drug concentrations. The findings highlight the need for identifying and reducing barriers to PrEP adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study advances theory on professionals by introducing a novel 'coalface perspective' to study frontline professionals' standardizing work. Our multimethod quantitative and qualitative approach explores when, why and how medical professionals in German university hospitals actively maintain care pathway enactment – a technique to standardize day-to-day medical work – in their everyday patient treatment. Professionals' actively standardizing their work is an understudied yet highly relevant phenomenon that the established 'autonomy perspective' – which covers how professionals resist standardization – falls short of explaining. Introducing a coalface perspective overcomes this shortcoming by uncovering novel links between professionals' day-to-day problem-driven motivations for standardizing work, the characteristics of everyday situations of frontline professional work and practices of standardizing work at the frontline. This study has implications for research on frontline professionals and coalface-perspective research in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sesamum indicum is one of the most important ancient oil crops in the world. In fact, this plant, in particular its seeds, is used for food, medicinal and industrial purposes. This article provides an evaluation of the biochemical composition, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of dehulled sesame seeds Sesamum indicum and its coat fraction. Results analysis of our investigation showed that the level of total fatty oil, total protein and total sugars were present with 47.27%, 18.84% and 2.18% respectively. However; these compounds were significantly decreased in the coat fraction. On the contrary, the mineral content can be five times higher in the coat fraction, especially for calcium with a value of 831.11mg/100g, compared to dehulled seeds. Quantity of total phenolic and flavonoids were highest in the hydro-methanolic extract of seeds coat with 3.05±0.08mg GAE/g and 0.99±0.02 mg QE/g respectively. The same extract exhibited antinflammatory activity and antioxidant power, demonstrated by significantly decreasing in inflammation induced by carrageen in rats (85.56%), significant antioxidant activity (DPPH) (IC50: 2.12 mg/ml) and highest total antioxidant activity (95.5Îg/ml). This study suggests that seeds coat of sesamum indicum contain interesting phytochemical potential and significant biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rod‐shaped cells of Myxococcus xanthus, a Gram‐negative deltaproteobacterium, differentiate to environmentally resistant spores upon starvation or chemical stress. The environmental resistance depends on a spore coat polysaccharide that is synthesised by the ExoA‐I proteins, some of which are part of a Wzx/Wzy‐dependent pathway for polysaccharide synthesis and export; however, key components of this pathway have remained unidentified. Here, we identify and characterise two additional loci encoding proteins with homology to enzymes involved in polysaccharide synthesis and export, as well as sugar modification and show that six of the proteins encoded by these loci are essential for the formation of environmentally resistant spores. Our data support that MXAN_3260, renamed ExoM and MXAN_3026, renamed ExoJ, are the Wzx flippase and Wzy polymerase, respectively, responsible for translocation and polymerisation of the repeat unit of the spore coat polysaccharide. Moreover, we provide evidence that three glycosyltransferases (MXAN_3027/ExoK, MXAN_3262/ExoO and MXAN_3263/ExoP) and a polysaccharide deacetylase (MXAN_3259/ExoL) are important for formation of the intact spore coat, while ExoE is the polyisoprenyl‐phosphate hexose‐1‐phosphate transferase responsible for initiating repeat unit synthesis, likely by transferring N‐acetylgalactosamine‐1‐P to undecaprenyl‐phosphate. Together, our data generate a more complete model of the Exo pathway for spore coat polysaccharide biosynthesis and export. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voltage conversion ratio of basic dc/dc converters is limited due to the influence of parasitic elements of circuits and components. In this article, a family of passive circuits termed as “coat circuits” are proposed for conventional dc/dc converters. Not only voltage step-up capacity can be improved but also the voltage stress of components can be decreased by adding coat circuits to basic dc/dc converters. Moreover, no additional active switches are needed in the coat circuits, that means the control and driver circuits of the converters are not changed. The Cuk converter with the coat circuit has been analyzed as an example, and a 200 W experimental prototype has been built to verify the validity of the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the anticorrosion properties of sustainable organic coatings, which were prepared by dissolution of two different types of technical lignins - organosolv lignin (OL) and kraft lignin (KL) - in an organic solvent and applied onto iron-phosphated steel by airassisted spray coating. Influence of triethyl phosphate (TEP) as a crosslinking agent for lignin and its effect on the anticorrosion properties of coatings during 24 h of immersion in 3.5% NaCl were investigated. Results obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of coated steels suggest that the initial protection performance (1 h immersion) of non-crosslinked OL is higher than that of KL. Nevertheless, KL coatings that contained TEP and were heat-treated at elevated temperature (180 °C) demonstrated the best overall anticorrosion performance. In contrast, a similar trend was not observed for OL coatings, which indicates that the structural properties of lignin may be a crucial factor in applicability of TEP as a crosslinking agent. In addition, a layer of polyurethane was applied on all the different types of lignin coatings prepared and their adhesion characteristics were studied by crosscut adhesion measurements (ISO 2409). These adhesion results revealed that neither KL-TEP nor OL-TEP coatings demonstrate proper adhesive characteristics with a polyurethane (PU) topcoat and consequently these coatings are not suitable for utilization as a primer coating for the PU topcoat studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Buffy coat and ficoll of bone marrow (BM) are viable options for the study of minimal residual disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma (MM). As yet, there is no data about the superiority of either sample types. Herein, we aimed to address this issue. Methods: Forty pairs of ficolled BMs and BM buffy coats of 19 MM patients were studied for MRD by allele-specific oligonucleotide real-time quantitative PCR, with patient-specific primers/probes whenever appropriate. Results: There were 41 pairs of MRD data for comparison analysis due to one patient with biclonal disease. MRD levels in ficolls and buffy coats were highly concordant (rs = 0.936, P < 0.0001), with 31 (76%) and seven (17%) pairs being concomitantly MRD-positive or -negative. On the other hand, apart from the 16 pairs being both MRD-negative, or -positive but not quantifiable in ficolls and buffy coats, majority (n = 22, 88%) had higher MRD levels in ficolled BMs than BM buffy coats. Furthermore, in 17 pairs, in which MRD was quantifiable in both, MRD levels in ficolled BMs were 3.1 times those of BM buffy coats (median, 567/105 vs. 184/105, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Taken together, ficolled BM is more sensitive than BM buffy coat for MRD detection in MM, hence should be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed coat cracking in soybeans [Glycine max (L). Merr.] leads to commercial and agronomic losses. The Japanese elite soybean cultivar 'Fukuyutaka' is often used as a parent for breeding, but its high rate of seed coat cracking is an obstacle to its further use in breeding programs. To establish a DNA marker-assisted selection system for seed coat cracking, genetic factors related to high rates of seed coat cracking were surveyed, and a quantitative trait locus (QTL) with a stable effect on seed coat cracking in both years of a two-year replication experiment was detected on chromosome 20. Comparison of a set of near-isogenic lines (NILs) around this locus verified that the presence of the 'Fukuyutaka' allele significantly increased seed coat cracking in the kernel. The locus is located in a genomic region spanning 3.2 Mb. Marker-assisted selection for the locus will improve the selection efficiency of 'Fukuyutaka'-derived breeding populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absorption properties of wave-absorbing coatings can easily fail; therefore, a layer of corrosion-resistant topcoat is often added to the surface to increase the service life of the absorbing coating. In this study, we compare the changes in samples without or with a topcoat, namely fluorinated polyurethane, at 25 °C with a NaCl solution and at 35 °C with a neutral salt spray. Morphological characterization and composition analysis show that the topcoat can indeed greatly improve the corrosion resistance of the samples, but the absorption of the coatings still decreases in a short time. The reasons for this are indicated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. For the samples without a topcoat, the corrosion of the wave-absorbing coatings results in the failure of wave absorption. For the samples with a topcoat, it is likely that the state of the interface between the topcoat and absorbing coatings leads to the decline of the resistance of the wave-absorbing coatings, causing them to fail quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to analyse the genetic basis of piebald coat colour in Hucul horses and to verify their coat colour in breeding records. Tests were performed with DNA purified from the whole blood samples of 242 Hucul horses with different coat colour patterns. DNA was analysed to identify an inversion in ECA3 (PCR). The results confirmed that the inversion on ECA3 is a direct factor determining piebald (tobiano) colour in the analysed Hucul horses. No inversion was observed in any of the solid coloured horses, but it was present in all the piebald ones. It was also identified in 18% (11 of 61) of the horses from the group of horses qualified in the passport as solid coloured with white markings. In fact, these horses had the tobiano gene that is phenotypically identifiable as crypto-tobiano, which may give the false impression of having white markings and lead to error when describing a horse. This is an important issue, in particular with regard to the breed standard, which eliminates Hucul horses with white markings from breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Hokkaido, the northernmost region of Japan, soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] crops are damaged by cold weather. Chilling temperatures negatively affect seed appearance by causing seed coat discoloration around the hilum region, which is called cold-induced discoloration (CD). An assay for CD tolerance using a phytotron was developed, and two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with CD tolerance were identified. The major QTL was located in the proximal region of the I locus, and structural variation of this locus can serve as a useful DNA marker, called the Ic marker. To use this marker in breeding programs, the effects need to be assessed under field conditions because the Ic marker has been developed solely under phytotron conditions. The aim of this study was thus to assess the effect of the Ic marker under a cool field environment. We confirmed that the Ic allele was highly effective using 27 cultivars and breeding lines including a near-isogenic line grown in the field where severe cold-weather damage occurred. This allele had no negative influence on the agronomic traits in the near-isogenic line. Our results suggest that marker-assisted selection for the Ic allele is effective for improving CD tolerance in breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of PdCr thin film strain gauges on gas turbine engines requires protective overcoats to prevent the oxidation of the PdCr sensitive element. In this work, a heterolayered Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ceramic film, which was fabricated by electron beam evaporation, is utilized as a protective overcoat over the PdCr sensitive thin film. The morphology and microstructure of the prepared films indicate that the composite Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 film is smooth and compact, and the interface between the composite Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 film and Al 2 O 3 film is crack-free, which contributes to improving the protective performance of the heterolayered Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ceramic protective overcoat at high temperature. Moreover, the PdCr thin film strain gauge with heterolayered Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ceramic film as protective overcoat displays a minimum drift rate of less than 0.09%/h at 800 °C, and excellent cyclic repeatability such that the eight cyclic curves of the relative grid resistance are almost overlapped from room temperature to 800 °C, indicating the excellent protecting performance of the heterolayered Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ceramic overcoat. It also reveals the smallest temperature coefficient of resistance of 155.3 ppm/°C compared to the monolayer Al 2 O 3 overcoat and composite Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 overcoat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Soybean (Glycine max) seeds are prone to imbibition injury caused by a rapid uptake of water. Genetic variation in imbibition injury tolerance is well documented, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of the aleurone layer of seed coat in the tolerance and its structural differences between tolerant and susceptible cultivars. Imbibition injury tolerance was closely related to the water absorption rate of seeds, which was regulated by the aleurone layer of the seed coat. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that water absorbed in seed coats entered the seed preferentially through the aleurone layer of the top area above the raphe. In susceptible cultivars, the cell walls of the aleurone layer facing the cotyledon in this area were thin and the surface showed shallow depression-like structures, a distinct structure different from those of the tolerant cultivars, which had aleurone cells with thick outer cell walls and smooth and stripe-like deposits. The differences in the structural features of the cell walls and surfaces of aleurone cells in the top area of the seed may be responsible for the difference in the extent of imbibition injury between susceptible and tolerant cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Evaluation of bond strength between pavement layers. A poor bond between the layers constituting an asphalt pavement can cause structural problems such as slippage, delamination, and top-down cracking. These are consequences of the pavement being unable to act as a continuous element and to properly transmit the effects of the traffic to underlying layers. The aim of this research was to characterize an asphalt emulsion with low asphalt content using the Mexican standard and to evaluate its performance through the Laboratorio de Caminos de Barcelona (LCB) shear testing. Cationic slow setting (SS) and cationic rapid setting (RS) asphalt emulsions were tested by varying the asphalt contents, dosages, and cure times. The slow set emulsions presented a greater fracture energy than did the rapid set emulsions; a dose of 0.3 L/m2 provided the same level of resistance as a 0.5 L/m2 dose; and a 55% asphalt content provided greater resistance than the 60% asphalt content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to a very recent phenomenon in contemporary Russian literature - a remake. The subject of this research is the literary 'dialogue' between the classic short story of The Overcoat by Nikolay Gogol and Russian literary works at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. In scope, there is a micro-novel of Vladimir Voinovich The Fur Hat, then Dmitry Gorchev's novel The Phone and Vladimir Shinkariev's work The Flat, as well as Bashmachkin - a drama written by Oleg Bogaev. The interest that contemporary authors demonstrate in Gogol's work is a result of the problems he described but which still appear to prevail. This is also an attempt to make Russian classics contemporary and reinterpret the 20th century novel simultaneously. The methods of bringing 'Gogol's text' up to date in the above-mentioned works present a wide range of possibilities that a remake offers. Voinovich put social and political principles of the Soviet state in the first place. The Table of Ranks together with its submission of an individual towards the state has been deeply analyzed. In Gorchev's and Shinkariev's stories, contemporary Bashmachkins - 'little men', eager to fulfill their dreams about a better life - are presented. What is more, those texts show a very interesting picture of the Russian reality at the beginning of the 21st century ruled by lawlessness, corruption and money. The most original approach to Gogol's work was presented by Bogaev in the continuation of the Bashmachkin's story, where the main character is actually the overcoat who is administering justice on behalf of a dying hero. The remake-sequel is not only a modernized version of Gogol's plot but also a new text emerging from a postmodern game. A proposed analysis of the above-mentioned Russian remakes presents many different ways a classic literature text can be modernized thanks to this kind of adaptation. However, on the ground of Russian literature, a remake is above all a pursuit of a dialogue with the classics, an attempt to modernize the problematic aspects and emphasize timeless contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to determine whether the coat cover in Polish Konik mares is more dense in winter than in summer and whether the possible difference is effected by the system of the horses' maintenance, lactation or age. Thirty three Polish Konik horses were included: 23 mares kept in a stable and pasture/paddock, and 10 mares living on a close reserve. The study was conducted in July and December, hence summer and winter coats were analysed. The measurements were taken from single horses. Nineteen mares were examined in both seasons, whereas five mares were studied only in the summer and other nine mares only in the winter which resulted in 52 measurements in total. The mares were split into four age groups. Most of mares in both groups lactated in summer, whereas in winter only reserve mares had foals at foot. The coat hair density was determined from the horse's scapula, where an approximately 9cm2 area was shaved to obtain hair 0.5mm in length. Photographs of this area were taken and after conversion a 1mm2 square net was put on the picture to enable counting the hair leavings. The measurement was the number of hairs in 1cm2. Data were analyzed using three-way ANOVA with repeated measures (summer, winter), considering two factors: the system of maintenance (stable, reserve) and lactation (lactating mares, non-lactating mares). The age group factor was considered in an additional two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. Spearman's correlation, Pearson's correlations, regression and determination coefficients were determined. The results showed that the coat hair density is a symptom of primitive horses' adaptation to changing environmental conditions. The hair density is significantly higher in winter than in summer, and the density in summer and winter is correlated. The coat hair is denser in reserve mares that are subject to more severe conditions than in stable mares. In winter, the coat hair density increases with the mares' age, which may be associated with higher requirements for isolation from harsh conditions in older mares. The coat hair density is not related to the mare's lactation. These findings may be important for improving the welfare of stable horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymorphic phenotypes of mammalian coat coloration have been important to the study of genetics and evolution, but less is known about the inheritance and fitness consequences of individual variation in complex coat pattern traits such as spots and stripes. Giraffe coat markings are highly complex and variable and it has been hypothesized that variation in coat patterns most likely affects fitness by camouflaging neonates against visually hunting predators. We quantified complex coat pattern traits of wild Masai giraffes using image analysis software, determined the similarity of spot pattern traits between mother and offspring, and assessed whether variation in spot pattern traits was related to fitness as measured by juvenile survival. The methods we described could comprise a framework for objective quantification of complex mammal coat pattern traits based on photographic coat pattern data. We demonstrated that some characteristics of giraffe coat spot shape were likely to be heritable, as measured by mother-offspring regression. We found significant variation in juvenile survival among phenotypic groups of neonates defined by multivariate clustering based on spot trait measurement variables. We also found significant variation in neonatal survival associated with spot size and shape covariates. Larger spots (smaller number of spots) and irregularly shaped or rounder spots (smaller aspect ratio) were correlated with increased survival. These findings will inform investigations into developmental and genetic architecture of complex mammal coat patterns and their adaptive value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although essential for many cellular processes, the sequence of structural and molecular events during clathrin-mediated endocytosis remains elusive. While it was long believed that clathrin-coated pits grow with a constant curvature, it was recently suggested that clathrin first assembles to form flat structures that then bend while maintaining a constant surface area. Here, we combine correlative electron and light microscopy and mathematical growth laws to study the ultrastructural rearrangements of the clathrin coat during endocytosis in BSC-1 mammalian cells. We confirm that clathrin coats initially grow flat and demonstrate that curvature begins when around 70% of the final clathrin content is acquired. We find that this transition is marked by a change in the clathrin to clathrin-adaptor protein AP2 ratio and that membrane tension suppresses this transition. Our results support the notion that BSC-1 mammalian cells dynamically regulate the flat-to-curved transition in clathrin-mediated endocytosis by both biochemical and mechanical factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]