The article presents the results of a study devoted to the analysis of the interaction of ethnic studies (ethnology, or, rather, ethnography as it was called at the time) and Soviet nationality ...policy. The study of the role of domestic ethnography in the history of the country, reviewing the development of science in the context of the state strategy for the development of society is based on the analysis of a variety of subjects related to the ‘national question’. The project, supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Russian Historical Society as part of the competition ‘The Soviet Era: History and Legacy (to the 100th anniversary of the USSR)’, addresses a number of research questions, providing a basis for identifying the role of academic developments and the creative elite in the national policy. The work is largely of historiographical nature. The authors focus on the analysis of conceptual approaches, on the quests and achievements of Russian ethnography in the 20th century. The authors characterize the research tools and provide a comprehensive overview of scientific ethnographic trends that were developed in different parts of the country in the Soviet period from the perspective of national policy. The past allows one to speak of the importance of an individual, an expedition, an (arti)fact in the full range of issues under study. By reading the ‘bright and dark’ pages of the history of science, one can better understand the reality that underlies today’s ethnological research. Compared to the Soviet concept of nation-building, we may clearer see the potential of ethnology and the promise of its role in contemporary Russia for shaping Russian identity, developing mechanisms for migration policy, adapting children of migrants, etc.
The article is devoted to the study of the content and approaches to the analysis of the Arctic policy of Russia, the EU and China. The author summarizes the information, expert assessments of the EU ...and China in the region, describes the vectors of Russia's dialogue with these international actors on the development of the Arctic zone. The analysis showed that the further development of the Arctic will be provided by the use of innovative technologies, the formation of a global effective policy. In these circumstances, the Russian state needs to step up its efforts to improve the model of regional and international cooperation with interested countries in order to protect and promote its rights and interests.
Cellular mechanisms of heart-muscle growth in the snail Achatina fulica have been studied using cytophotometry and electron microscopic autoradiography. Cytophotometric DNA measurements showed that ...the snail cardiomyocytes are mononucleated cells with diploid nuclei. Ultrastructural analysis of the snail myocardium revealed that, in addition to mature myocytes, it contains small roundish undifferentiated cells (UCs) and poorly differentiated muscle cells. EM autoradiography detected silver grains over the nuclei of UCs 2 h after injection of tritiated thymidine (3 H Tdr), while the nuclei of both mature and poorly differentiated myocytes remained unlabeled. In EM autographs of the myocardial tissue fixed 14 days after 3 H Tdr administration, labeled myonuclei were evident, which may suggest some myodifferentiation of prelabeled UCs. Many labeled UCs persist for 14 days after a single 3 H Tdr injection, suggesting that not all UCs undergo myodifferentiation after passing through the cell cycle, and that those that do not can enter the next cycle. UCs in the snail myocardium presumably provide not only reserve but also stem cells for myocytes. Thus, the heart muscle of the adult snail consists of mononucleated diploid myocytes with blocked proliferative activity and a renewable population of precursor myogenic cells. The results obtained suggest that the growth of this muscle involves a myoblastic mechanism of myogenesis; this mechanism differs from that of vertebrate cardiac muscle growth, which is non-myoblastic-that is, based on proliferation or polyploidization of cardiomyocytes. Evolutionary aspects of cellular mechanisms of the heart-muscle growth are discussed.
In vertebrate cardiomyocytes, DNA synthesis and mitosis occur in the presence of myofibrils. The myocardium of the adult vertebrates has no cambial elements. We have studied the ultrastructural ...features and replicative abilities of the heart cells of Ascidia obliqua, a representative of the tunicates, which are considered to be closely related to the immediate precursors of vertebrates. The ascidian heart is composed of a pericardium and a myocardium. The pericardium consists of mononucleated cells with well-developed Golgi complexes and expanded channels of rough endoplasmic reticulum. The myocardium consists of mono- and binucleated myoepithelial cells, whose polarity is recognizable in basement lamina underlying the basal surface; centrioles, cilia, and a well-developed Golgi complex located at the apical side; and cross-striated myofibers, one per cell, running along the basal membrane. Four hours after injection of tritiated thymidine (3 H Tdr), labeled nuclei were found both in pericardial and myocardial cells. Electron microscope autoradiographs show that the 3 H Tdr-labeled nuclei in the myocardium belong to myofiber-containing cells. We failed to observe mitosis; however, the occurrence of centrioles and the high number of binucleated myocytes testify to the ability of these cells to undergo karyokinesis. Large numbers of 3 H Tdr-labeled and prophasic nuclei have been observed in the raphe region, the site of transition of the pericardium into myocardium. The morphological features, such as loss of labyrinth junctions and the acquisition of gap junctions, that distinguish the cells of the raphe region from ordinary pericardial cells give evidence of their premyocytic nature. The resemblance of ascidian myocardium to the vertebrate embryonic one and the presence of cambial zone in the ascidian heart are discussed.
The atrium of the gastropod mollusc Achatina fulica receives rich innervation and contains numerous granular cells (GCs). We studied the atrial innervation and discovered that axon profiles typical ...in appearance of peptidergic neurons form close unspecialized membrane contacts with GCs. Then, we investigated, at both morphological and biochemical levels, the effect of electrical stimulation of the heart nerve on GCs of Achatina heart perfused in situ. The ultrastructural study demonstrated changes in granule morphology consistent with secretion. These events included alteration of granule content, intracellular granule fusion and formation of complex degranulation channels, within which the granule matrix solubilized. It was shown that electrical stimulation resulted in a significant increase of the total protein concentration in the perfusate. Furthermore, SDS-PAGE analysis of the perfusate revealed three new proteins with molecular masses of 16, 22, and 57 kDa. Affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies against the 16 kDa protein were obtained; the whole-mount immunofluorescence technique revealed the presence of this protein in the granules of atrial GCs. In GCs of the stimulated atrium, a progressive loss of their granular content was observed. The results suggest that the central nervous system can modulate the secretory activity of the atrial GCs through non-synaptic pathways.
Genomic stability is critical for the clinical use of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. We performed high resolution SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) analysis on 186 pluripotent ...and 119 non-pluripotent samples. We report a higher frequency of subchromosomal copy number variations in pluripotent samples compared to non-pluripotent samples, with variations enriched in specific genomic regions. The distribution of these variations differed between hESCs and hiPSCs, characterized by large numbers of duplications found in a few hESC samples and moderate numbers of deletions distributed across many hiPSC samples. For hiPSCs, the reprogramming process was associated with deletions of tumor suppressor genes, while time in culture was associated with duplications of oncogenic genes. We also observed duplications that arose during a differentiation protocol. Our results illustrate the dynamic nature of genomic abnormalities in pluripotent stem cells and the need for frequent genomic monitoring to assure phenotypic stability and clinical safety.