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Relevance of the research is defined by the necessity in optimization of coal exploration well geophysical researches by means of pulsed-neutron-neutron logging. Formulation of the problem is conditioned by modern tendencies of coal industry development and new instrumental and technical elaborations at exploration and borehole geophysics. The aim of the research is to show the opportunities and effectiveness of pulsed-neutron-neutron logging at coal exploration wells on materials of experienced-experimental works in Eastern Donbass. Object: logs of pulsed-neutron-neutron logging registered in coal exploration wells of Eastern Donbass. Methods: analysis of pulsed neutron-neutron logging logging curves for the effectiveness of using the method in a standard complex for solving problems posed by the geological service for identifying: 1) targets, i. e. coal seams with the definition of their position in the section; 2) rocks containing coal seams. Outcomes of the research. The application of pulsed-neutron-neutron logging for the study of geological sections of the coal wells was justified. The authors have studied qualitative and quantitative characteristics of thermal neutrons lifetime in rocks of the coal-bearing strata. The paper demonstrates the opportunities of the method by estimation of mark composition of coal and their ash content. The authors carried out the well logging curves matching registered at differ temporary delays and with different velocity of logging zond lifting on subject to choosing optimal conditions of geophysical work by this method. It was established that all the lithological differences including thin coal layer are unambiguously distinguished by the pulsed-neutron-neutron logging method. There authors analyzed the pulsed-neutron-neutron logging resolution on the background of well logging curves of geophysical well survey complex including the methods of electrical, radioactive, acoustical well logging and caliper. The accent was made on positive sides and drawbacks of gamma-gamma well logging with soft source. The authors suggested replace GGK-S research by pulsed-neutron-neutron logging logging in the presence of organizational and technical difficulties.

The article aims to review the pressing issues of expert’s opinion validation in criminal cases related to investigation of safety rules violations in construction work and to find ways to resolve them. The following assessment criteria are addressed in the paper: expert’s qualification and competence, correctness of an expert’s opinion drafting, thoroughness and scientific validation of a research, coherence and correlation between findings and research part of an expert’s opinion, cogency of an opinion to an investigator (court) and other parties to the proceedings. Based on the expert practice analysis typical examples of problem situations related to validation of this type of expert’s opinions are given as well as the ways to resolve them are suggested and justified. The information presented may be of practical interest when preparing an evaluative judgement on an expert’s opinion on the category of cases in question.

Practice indicates that construction forensics investigations to identify severable and nonseverable property improvements often present a challenge even for construction experts. This has to do with the complex legal nature of property improvements. Moreover, definitions of the terms «severable» and «non-severable» improvements are absent from regulations and legislation. The paper covers key terms and concepts, examines the defining features of improvements, and offers recommendations on how to perform this type of analysis, with examples from forensic casework and generic questions commonly included in the examination request.

The results of the works undertaken by students on practical classes and during educational practices have been discussed. Causes and difficulties in student learning of exploratory geophysics have been analyzed. It has been found a deficiency in practical skills of future engineers relevant to the work with geophysical facilities and equipment and further mental processing of the measured parameters of natural and artificial geophysical fields. A brief description has been given for improvements in the methodology of teaching geophysics to future geology and geoecology engineers via inclusion of practical works with geophysical equipment on the test site on the Zorge Street with tasks linked to engineering-geological cross-section study and mapping underground infrastructure on the given area. There are some other examples of student involvement in solution of geophysical tasks on the objects of educational geophysical practices with subsequent detailed geological and geophysical interpretation.

A general approach to the development of the stochastic mathematical model of the longitudinal orientation process of the long strawy fractions on the special orienting device is given.

Summary: Selenof (15-kDa selenoprotein; Sep15) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident thioredoxin-like oxidoreductase that occurs in a complex with UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase. We found that Selenof deficiency in mice leads to elevated levels of non-functional circulating plasma immunoglobulins and increased secretion of IgM during in vitro splenic B cell differentiation. However, Selenof knockout animals show neither enhanced bacterial killing capacity nor antigen-induced systemic IgM activity, suggesting that excess immunoglobulins are not functional. In addition, ER-to-Golgi transport of a target glycoprotein was delayed in Selenof knockout embryonic fibroblasts, and proteomic analyses revealed that Selenof deficiency is primarily associated with antigen presentation and ER-to-Golgi transport. Together, the data suggest that Selenof functions as a gatekeeper of immunoglobulins and, likely, other client proteins that exit the ER, thereby supporting redox quality control of these proteins. : Yim et al. report that Selenof (15-kDa selenoprotein; Sep15) functions as a gatekeeper of immunoglobulins and, likely, other client proteins en route from the ER to the Golgi apparatus, thereby preventing secretion of dysfunctional proteins and supporting redox quality control. Keywords: Selenof, selenoprotein, oxidoreductase, immunoglobulins, IgM, knockout mouse, endoplasmic reticulum, Sep15, gatekeeper

The articles examines the key stages of on-site investigations (building inspections) conducted by forensic engineers. Typical challenges facing forensic practitioners are identified, and solution approaches are offered. This includes recommendations for possible courses of action toresolve specific issues

Abstract Post-translational redox modification of methionine residues often triggers a change in protein function. Emerging evidence points to this reversible protein modification being an important regulatory mechanism under various physiological conditions. Reduction of oxidized methionine residues is catalyzed by methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs). Here, we show that one of these enzymes, a selenium-containing MsrB1, is highly expressed in immune-activated macrophages and contributes to shaping cellular and organismal immune responses. In particular, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces expression of MsrB1, but not other Msrs. Genetic ablation of MsrB1 did not preclude LPS-induced intracellular signaling in macrophages, but resulted in attenuated induction of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-10 and the IL-1 receptor antagonist. This anomaly was associated with excessive pro-inflammatory cytokine production as well as an increase in acute tissue inflammation in mice. Together, our findings suggest that MsrB1 controls immune responses by promoting anti-inflammatory cytokine expression in macrophages. MsrB1-dependent reduction of oxidized methionine in proteins may be a heretofore unrecognized regulatory event underlying immunity and inflammatory disease, and a novel target for clinical applications.

Presented is a draft occupational health and safety manual for construction forensics practitioners. The draft guide was developed with the purpose of improving the reliability of workplace health and safety arrangements in construction forensics units within the system of the Russian Ministry of Justice. The expert community is invited to consider the proposed draft document.

The efficiency of the implementation of a complex of modern electric exploration methods of the expressive non-destructive diagnostics of the hydraulic works of small forms has been demonstrated on the example of Krasnokrymsk ground dam, located in the Myasnikovsky district of the Rostov region. The tasks of moisture saturation and dam’s leakage, the presence and direction of filtration processes have been solved by means of electro potential tomography sounding, the median gradient in the variant of spatial electric filtration, natural electric sources and by georadar studies.

A general approach to the development of the stochastic mathematical model of the longitudinal orientation process of the long strawy fractions on the special orienting device is given.

Methionine can be reversibly oxidized to methionine sulfoxide (MetO) under physiological conditions. Organisms evolved two distinct methionine sulfoxide reductase families (MSRA & MSRB) to repair oxidized methionine residues. We found that 5 MSRB genes exist in the soybean genome, including GmMSRB1 and two segmentally duplicated gene pairs (GmMSRB2 and GmMSRB5, GmMSRB3 and GmMSRB4). GmMSRB2 and GmMSRB4 proteins showed MSRB activity toward protein-based MetO with either DTT or thioredoxin (TRX) as reductants, whereas GmMSRB1 was active only with DTT. GmMSRB2 had a typical MSRB mechanism with Cys121 and Cys 68 as catalytic and resolving residues, respectively. Surprisingly, this enzyme also possessed the MSRB activity toward free Met-R-O with kinetic parameters similar to those reported for fRMSR from Escherichia coli, an enzyme specific for free Met-R-O. Overexpression of GmMSRB2 or GmMSRB4 in the yeast cytosol supported the growth of the triple MSRA/MSRB/fRMSR (Δ3MSRs) mutant on MetO and protected cells against H2O2-induced stress. Taken together, our data reveal an unexpected diversity of MSRBs in plants and indicate that, in contrast to mammals that cannot reduce free Met-R-O and microorganisms that use fRMSR for this purpose, plants evolved MSRBs for the reduction of both free and protein-based MetO.

Evidence suggests that selenium has cancer preventive properties that are largely mediated through selenoproteins. Our previous observations demonstrated that targeted down-regulation of the 15 kDa selenoprotein (Sep15) in murine colon cancer cells resulted in the reversal of the cancer phenotype. The present study investigated the effect of Sep15 knockout in mice using a chemically-induced colon cancer model. Homozygous Sep15 knockout mice, and wild type littermate controls were given four weekly subcutaneous injections of azoxymethane (10 mg/kg). Sep15 knockout mice developed significantly (p

Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants, and it is beneficial for animals. However, at high concentrations boron is toxic to cells although the mechanism of this toxicity is not known. Atr1 has recently been identified as a boron efflux pump whose expression is upregulated in response to boron treatment. Here, we found that the expression of ATR1 is associated with expression of genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis. These mechanisms are strictly controlled by the transcription factor Gcn4 in response to boron treatment. Further analyses have shown that boron impaired protein synthesis by promoting phosphorylation of eIF2α in a Gcn2 kinase dependent manner. The uncharged tRNA binding domain (HisRS) of Gcn2 is necessary for the phosphorylation of eIF2α in the presence of boron. We postulate that boron exerts its toxic effect through activation of the general amino acid control system and inhibition of protein synthesis. Since the general amino acid control pathway is conserved among eukaryotes, this mechanism of boron toxicity may be of general importance.

Methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs) are repair enzymes that protect proteins from oxidative stress by catalyzing stereospecific reduction of oxidized methionine residues. MsrB1 is a selenocysteine-containing cytosolic/nuclear Msr with high expression in liver and kidney.Here, we identified differences in MsrB1 gene structure among mammals. Human MsrB1 gene consists of four, whereas the corresponding mouse gene of five exons, due to occurrence of an additional intron that flanks the stop signal and covers a large part of the 3'-UTR. This intron evolved in a subset of rodents through intronization of exonic sequences, whereas the human gene structure represents the ancestral form. In mice, both splice forms were detected in liver, kidney, brain and heart with the five-exon form being the major form. We found that both mRNA forms were translated and supported efficient selenocysteine insertion into MsrB1. In addition, MsrB1 occurs in two protein forms that migrate as 14 and 5 kDa proteins. We found that each mRNA splice form generated both protein forms. The abundance of the 5 kDa form was not influenced by protease inhibitors, replacement of selenocysteine in the active site or mutation of amino acids in the cleavage site. However, mutation of cysteines that coordinate a structural zinc decreased the levels of 5 and 14 kDa forms, suggesting importance of protein structure for biosynthesis and/stability of these forms.This study characterized unexpected diversity of protein and mRNA forms of mammalian selenoprotein MsrB1.