Monitoring genomic alterations with a panel of oligonucleotide probes specific for various simple repeat motifs

Germline and somatic instability of the human genome was studied, using synthetic oligonucleotides specific for simple repeat motifs. The following probes were used: (GTG)5, (GACA)4, (GATA)4, (CT)8, (TTAGGG)3, (GT)8, (GAA)6 and (GGAT)4. Each of them is unique with respect to the target regions recognized in the genome. Thus compilation of the various fingerprint data provides a complex map of the genome (and its deviations). While the fingerprints of differentiated somatic tissues never showed any alterations, in tumor tissues (namely gliomas) many changes could be detected. Most of the latter reflect secondary karyological aberrations. In nearly one third of the gliomas, drastically amplified and apparently monomorphic DNA fragments were identified. This marker should make it possible to deal with causal pathogenetic mechanisms as well as novel diagnostic strategies.     

Book Reviews

Unsigned book reviews are by the Book Review Editor.     

Resistance of composite flywheel rim to radial tensile stresses from centrifugal forces based on results of pure bending of a rim segment

A method is proposed for evaluating the resistance of a flywheel rim to radial stresses in free rotation. The method is based on loading a rim segment in pure bending and calculating the limiting moment and the corresponding limiting angular velocity. Applicability of the method is substantiated theoretically by investigating the similarity of the radial stress diagrams in rotation and pure bending. The method is verified experimentally for the strained state of a rim segment in pure bending.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 521–526, July–August, 1993.     

Crystal and molecular structure of bis(2-isotropyliminomethinylphenyl) telluride

Scientific-Research Institute of Physical and Organic Chemistry, Rostov State University. A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Heteroorganic Compounds, Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Translated from Zhurnal Strukturnoi Khimii, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 104–106, May–June, 1991.     

Numerical solution of the zero-head seepage problem by discretization of the variational inequality

The problem of zero-head seepage through a cutoff is reduced to solving a variational inequality which is discretized by the finite element method. The discrete variational inequality is solved by a two-layer iterative process. A rate of convergence bound is obtained for the approximate solution and the optimal parameters of the two-layer iterative process are determined. A numerical experiment supports the theoretical results.Translated from Vychislitel'naya i Prikladnaya Matematika, No. 58, pp. 45–56, 1986.     

The Yoneda Algebras of Serial QF-Algebras

The Yoneda algebras of serial QF-algebras over an algebraically closed field k are described in terms of quivers with relations. We also describe the Ext-algebras of simple modules over the k-algebras in question. Bibliography: 7 titles.     

Microscopic theory of vitrification of metallic solutions

A Green's function technique is developed for describing compositional ordering and vitrification of solid solutions with arbitrary composition. It is shown that the proposed approach is related with the standard theory of ordering of regular solid solutions. Peculiarities of the diagrammatic technique are studied. Explicit expressions are derived for the spectrum of solitary excitations, which are responsible for the ordering. Equations are derived for determining the temperature-concentration dependences of the compositional order parameter, the vitrification parameter, and the chemical potential.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 60–65, May, 1991.     

High performance liquid chromatography as a tool in the definition of abnormalities in monoamine and tryptophan metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with neurological disorders

In this study we report the levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovallinic acid, tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid and serotonin in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular disease and muscular tension headache the later, as healthy controls. The separation of these substances was performed on a reversed phase column by ion pair high performance liquid chromatography and detection was made by a glassy carbon electrode set at +900 mV vs Ag+/AgCl. The whole separation was achieved within 25 min. Concentrations of all substances (10-1000 pmole/L) were linearly proportional to areas obtained. The system is sensitive, stable and reproducible. The significance of CSF levels of these metabolites from patients groups compared with healthy controls are discussed.