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This survey paper contains a brief analysis of publications included in current issue of scientific journal «Cytology and Genetics» dedicated to its 50th anniversary. These papers reflect scientific achievements of their authors in the field of genetics and cell biology and underine the potential of these two biological disciplines, forming «double helix» of the journal.

Summarizing paper contains short analysis of the publications resulting cell biological, molecular genetic and population genetic investigations devoted to studying of accute radiation exposure and chronic radiation contamination effects on biological systems after disaster on Chornobyl nuclear power station in 1986.

The paper discusses different methodological approaches to the study of transgenerational alterations of metabolic pathways in soybean and flax seeds in the process of adaptation to chronic irradiation in the Chernobyl alienation zone. A combination of general biological methods and novel approaches, such as genomics, proteomics, cytogenetics, and mutagenesis, allows researchers to analyze an organism’s systemic response and identify the latent chronic irradiation effects in plants from the Chernobyl zone. The proteomic approaches are especially efficient, since they range from the identification of changes in abundance and folding of individual proteins to the characterization of posttranslational modifications, trends of qualitative changes during seed maturation, or protein-protein interactions during plant growth and development under permanent impacts of stress factors. The application of proteomics opens new horizons in the understanding of the hidden mechanisms behind the impact of chronic low-dose radiation on living cells and makes it possible to visualize metabolic network alterations regardless of their transcriptional, translational, or epigenetic nature.

The paper is devoted to determination of α-emitting radionuclides of 238, 239 + 240Pu and 241Am in liver, lungs, muscular and bone tissues of the boars on the territory of the Belarusian part of the ChNPP exclusion zone. It is shown that the content of Pu and Am isotopes in boar organs and tissues decreases in the following order: liver > bone tissues > lungs ≥ muscular tissues. The results received allow evaluation of penetration of 238, 239 + 240Pu and 241Am through the biological chain "soil-ration-organs and tissues". It is calculated that 1.7% of a boar's ration falls on the soil getting into the stomach with food. Translocation and accumulation coefficients characterizing the transfer of radionuclides through the chain "soil-vegetation-organs and tissues" were calculated. The conclusion about accumulation of Pu in the boar's body is made.

The paper dedicated to comparative gap of epidemiology data in Ukraine, Europe and North America, review of evidence-based researches of value of particular risk factors of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

The cellulolytic and endoglucanase activity of Fusarium oxysporum strains isolated from soil and plants in the media with plant waste as carbon source has been studied. It was established that the majority of studied strains were able to hydrolyze the filter paper, husk of sunflower seeds, wheat straw and corn stalks. Cellulolytic activity depended on the strain of microscopic fungi, type of substrate and duration of cultivation. The maximum cellulase activity 1 U/ml and the concentration of reducing sugars -0.875 mg/ml were found in soil strain F. oxysporum 420 in the medium with corn stalks. Endoglucanase activity of plant pathogenic strains was higher than that of soil ones.

The paper presents the results of orthodontic examination of 503 schoolchildren from the region with high content of fluoride in drinking water. It was found that the prevalence of malocclusions in the examined population subgroup was 71.38 ± 2.02%. The highest rate was revealed in the village of Sosnivka 73.69 ± 3.20% followed by 69.04 ± 3.71% and 70.89 ± 3.61% in the cities of Chervonograd and Dobrotvir. Deep bite was diagnosed in 16.70 ± 1.66% and distal occlusion in 13.32 ± 1.52%. Open bite and mesial occlusion were diagnosed in 7.35 ± 1.17% and 4.38 ± 0.92%. Transversal plane malocclusions were observed in 11.53 ± 1.42%, in 5.37 ± 1.00% cases the cause was narrow dental arch, in 2.48 ± 0.69% - disproportions of the width of the upper and lower dental arches. It was revealed that only 3.58 ± 0.83% of all examined children were receiving orthodontic treatment.

In the paper there are investigated and analyzed the new laws and regulations of sanitary and town planning legislation, introduced in 2011-2012 which concern issues of planning and building of settlements. It is established that the functions of the State for Sanitary and Epidemiological Oversight have been given up and the necessity of incorporation in the Law of Ukraine "On ensuring sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population" alterations which touch upon the implementation of a new approach to the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Oversight of the objects, namely for the placement of objects with low and moderate epidemic risk accordingly to hygienic declarations, objects with high risk--using an approach directed to the risk assessment of the impact of such facilities on public health.

A group of phytopathogenic bacteria was isolated from patterns of drying horse-chestnuts (Aesculus L.), which grow in Kyiv. The properties of slowly growing, highly aggressive microorganisms have been described in the paper. They grow up on the 8-10th day after sowing. The investigated microorganisms form very small (0.5-1 mm in diameter) colonies on the potato agar. Bacteria are protuberant, shining, smooth with flat edges, they are pale yellow, yellow, or pink. The bacteria are Gram-positive, spherical, are disposed in smears singly, in pairs, as accumulations, or netting. They are aerobes, do not form spores, are not mobile. They are inert in respect of different sources of carbon. They reduce nitrates, do not dilute gelatin, do not hydrolyze starch, do not release hydrogen sulphide and indole. The bacteria are catalase-positive, oxidase-negative. They do not cause potato and carrot rot. They lose quickly their viability under the laboratory conditions. The saturated acids C 14:0; C 15:0; C16:0; C18:0 have been revealed in the composition of cellular fatty acids. Microorganisms are identified as Micrococcus sp. Under artificial inoculation this highly aggressive pathogen causes drying of the horse-chestnut buds and necrosis, which occupies 1/3-1/2 of the leaf plate. A wide zone of chlorosis, surrounding necrosis, may occupy the whole leaf surface. The infected leaves use to twist up from the top (apex) or along a midrib and to dry.

Based on data collected from urban residents by questionnaire, the basic parameters of the genetic-demographic structure of populations of the three megalopolises, i.e., Moscow, Kharkov, and Minsk, have been calculated, including the migration coefficients and their dynamics in generations, the radius of the cities migration attraction, the parameters of marriage structure (the proportion ofinterethnic marriages, the level of intraethnic assortative mating, the marital distances), and the gene flow between the ethnic groups. It is shown that the representatives of the most numerous ethnic groups in each megalopolis have considerable amount of admixture. For Russians of Moscow, Ukrainians of Kharkov, and Belarusians of Minsk, the proportion of individuals whose ancestors were all born in the given city for at least three generations and belonged to the same nationality turned out to be very low (4.75% in Moscow, 1.83% in Kharkov, and 3.13% in Minsk). This finding questions the formation of a reference population in the megalopolis as a sampling of aboriginals of certain ethnic origins. In the paper, we justify principles of creating genetic databases for the population of the megalopolis taking into account the complexity and dynamism of its population structure.

The paper deals with etiopathogenetic and clinical peculiarities, and also therapeutic methods during the pathological processes in the thyroid system in the childhood. The most common of these processes is the diffuse nontoxic goiter, which results in abnormality of metabolic processes regulation in the child's growing organism and often signals to the beginning of many thyropathies.

The paper deals with the global issues relative pension reforms in Ukraine and worldwide. The author has outlined the main factors limiting occupation of older people. Second, measures to maintain their economic activity are proposed.

The paper describes the main stages of development of sanitary bacteriological studies at the leading hygiene research institute of Ukraine--the A. N Marzeyev Institute for Hygiene and Medical Ecology. These researches have made a substantial contribution to the formation and development of hygiene science in the former Soviet Union. The current and promising areas in sanitary microbiology in Ukraine are considered.

The paper presents the results of a study of selenium levels in the blood of apparently healthy residents aged 18 to 59 years in technogenically polluted areas (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine). In women, the selenium levels have been ascertained to be 5-13% higher than those in men. The selenium status in the examinees corresponds to an average of the suboptimal level and 16% lower than the optimal one and significantly lower than that in the control area.

In this paper, some final results of 25-year investigations carried out in Scientific Centre for Radiation Medicine and Burns MH RA (SCRMB) on the Armenian cohort of the Chernobyl accident consequences liquidators are shown. These results show that health conditions of the liquidators became worse during the whole observation period. A considerable development of both pathological states atypical of radiation damages and diseases, which may be considered as radiation-induced ones, was determined. Rise of the sickness rate of almost all organism systems, first of all, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive ones, was observed. In 70% of liquidators the main disease was primarily detected after working on CNPP. In the intervening years, the average number of diagnoses per 1 liquidator increased from 1.5 in 1987 to 7-8 in the recent time. In addition to the detected diseases, particular functional shifts in neuropsychological and vegetative status of the liquidators were observed. The overwhelming majority of them have increased tonicity of the sympathetic vegetative nervous system, asthenic and depressive syndromes occurring in the form of weakness, somnolence, mood instability, mental capacity decrease, and memory defects. In the paper, the results of investigations aimed at clarification of changes in biological aging processes of the liquidators and assessment of their "life quality" features in terms of physical, psychical and social welfare are considered. Biological aged-related passportization in a definite part of liquidators elucidated an accelerated aging rate. The studies were performed with the help of SF-36 inquirer and indicated that health status aggravation of the liquidators also affected their life satisfaction. The "life quality" indices of the liquidators significantly concede the overall average standards by both physical health and psychical and social welfare scales.

In this paper the results of the Chernobyl accident investigation 5-10 and 24 years after are summarized. The genomic instability, adaptive response formation, genome damage and oxidative status have been investigated. The studies were performed on cells in culture, mice, children and adults living in contaminated areas and liquidators. On cells in culture after exposition in the accident zone and culturing thereafter in laboratory conditions the cell proliferative activity decrease; the late cell death, the frequency of cells with micronuclei and giant cells increasing have been observed. In the progeny of exposed cells the enhancement of radiosensitivity has been noticed. So we can suppose that in cultured cells exposition in the zone of the accident the genomic instability is induced which results in many disturbances. At the organism level in mice exposed in the Chernobyl zone the radiosensitivity increase and the decrease of endotheliocytes density in brain tissue has been observed. On the stimulated by PHA blood lymphocytes of children the increase of the frequency of cells with micronuclei more than 2 time have been noticed. In all groups investigated, the decrease of individuals with significant adaptive response was observed. In children and adults inhabitants the increase of radiosensitivity after low dose of irradiation has been noticed. 24-year after the accident it was discovered that in liquidators lymphocytes the frequency of cells with micronuclei, with chromosome type aberrations, with DNA double strand breaks have been increased; the reactive oxygen species (ROS) were decreased in comparison with the control population. We can suppose that genomic instability induced in residents of contaminated regions and liquidators long after the accident results in the genetic apparatus damage, radiosensitivity enhancement, hypoxia that represent risk factors and increase the probability of tumour and non-tumour diseases. The development of these pathological processes may happen in much more remote periods.

The paper reports on an intensive reforestation of Pallas pine (Pinus pallasiana D. Don) in post-fire sites in the native Mountainous Crimean populations and around the previously planted seed-producing trees in ore-mining dumps of the Krivoy Rog region. Self-sown progeny growing in the dump is characterized by a better growth and comes to the reproductive development phase earlier compared to that one growing in post-fire forest. Allele variability at 20 allozyme loci is less in self-sown progeny than in the native populations whereas its heterozygosity level is similar. Genetic distance (D(N)) among self-sown progenies in post-fire sites and ore-mining dump is comparable to that of the natural populations.

This paper is devoted to a topical problem of rehabilitative therapy of children with ecological disadaptation syndrome under the conditions of a health resort. Original approaches to the improvement of efficiency of treatment are described with reference to different therapeutic modalities. The study demonstrated advantages of modulation peloidotherapy targeting adaptive and reflectory responsiveness of the patients over traditional methods of mud application.

Bacterialdiseases of weeds in the crops of wheat on the fields of Kyiv and Vinnytsya regions of Ukraine Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski Agropyrum repens L. were revealed. The following symptoms of bacterial affections: the leaves wither, oval or hatched necrotic spots on green leaves, necroses on the stalks, empty-ears, partial blackening of the ear axes, awns, caryopsises, scales, water-soaked or dark brown with violet shade spots on the rhizomes were found. During the vegetation period bacteria were isolated from the affected plants which caused pathological process in the couch-grass and wheat. The pathogenic bacteria were identified as Pseudomonas syringae, P. viridiflava, Pseudomonas sp., Erwinia carotovora pv. carotovora, Pantoea agglomerans, the part of yellow-pigmentary isolates were not identified. Some Psyringae were isolated from the rhizomes during winterthawing. The paper is presented in Ukrainian.

In this paper, we analyze the results of long-term investigations of 137Cs accumulation in the specimens of fish of the highest trophic level, pike and pike perch, from the reservoirs suffered as a result of the ChNPP. Annual, seasonal and age peculiarities of accumulation of the 137Cs specific activity in the predatory fish from the Kiev reservoir and Teterev River were considered. It was shown, that during the whole time of radioecological investigations the pike was characterized by the higher level of 137Cs specific activity muscles in comparison with other predatory fish, in particular, pike perch. Intimated relationship between seasonal, age and sexual differences in 137Cs accumulation in fish organisms and types of feeding were revealed.

The paper presents the dynamics and the current state of radioactive contamination with 137Cs of low--running Kozhanovskoe lake situated in Bryansk region. Semi-empiric assessment of the current radiation state based on the analysis of dynamics of contamination of Kozhanovskoe lake with 137Cs corresponds satisfactory to experimental data. Integral 137Cs inventories were estimated for the main components of the lake, including water, bottom sediments and aquatic vegetation for the period of 2005-2007.

The paper describes the 2003-2004 outbreak oft richinosis in 2 districts of the Kherson Region. Pork was a source of infection. The disease occurred with the ingestion ofshashlik, raw meat, lard, or minced meat. The diagnosis of trichinosis was established 1-1.5 months after the onset of the disease. The patients received a course of therapy and were discharged in a satisfactory condition. The members of their families were prophylactically treated. Meats were bought at the markets and had negative veterinary sanitary tests. A package of antiepidemic and antiepizootic measures was implemented in the foci of trichinosis.

The paper shows an extremely greater danger of aerogenic doses of carcinogenic substances entering with smoking products than that of an aerogenic load in the industrial centers. The individual and population risks of cancer due to smoking of the Ukraine's common cigarettes and the economic damage caused by the treatment of this number of patients to the country have been calculated. For a full assessment of the carcinogenic risk of tobacco smoke, it is necessary to determine all its carcinogenic constituents, their precursors, and possible transformation groups at high temperatures.

The paper aims at comparative analysis of future trends of population ageing in Russia and Ukraine. The UN Population Prospects (The 2004 Revision) and probabilistic projections for Russia and Ukraine up to the year 2050 are analyzed. A number of ageing characteristics (proportions of the population aged 65+ and 80+, old age dependency ratio, median age) are considered.

The paper presents the results of a hygienic analysis of ambient air pollution in 18 industrial cities of the Ukraine in 1990, 1996, and 2003 and the calculations of noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic hazards of ambient air pollutions to human health. According to the calculated complex indices P, the cities were ranked by the magnitude of ambient air pollution (an environmental disaster area; extreme, severe, moderate, weak, and permissible pollution). The non-carcinogenic and (total indices, indices for critical organs and systems) carcinogenic risks were estimated for the populations of the studied cities in relation to the level of atmospheric pollution on their territories. Proposals are given for further development of studies.

The paper presents the results of a hygienic analysis of ambient air pollution in 18 large industrial towns of the Ukraine in 1990, 1996, and 2003 and calculations of cancer and non-cancer risks of atmospheric pollutions to the population's health. It also provides proposals for further development of studies.

The paper gives the results of an analysis of interval estimations of the indices and age-adjusted structure of malignancy mortality, by using direct, indirect, and cumulative standardization methods. General trends in cancer mortality have been revealed and an excess risk of cancer deaths and the structural features of mortality due to cancer of the respiratory system and chest and gender-specific pathology: breast cancer in females and prostate cancer in males have been assessed in the Kiev Region in 1980-2003.

The paper analyzes a contingent of children and adolescents from a tuberculous sanatorium in 2000-2002. It was established that the children and adolescents with local forms of tuberculosis amounted to 14.5%, the children with a variety of tuberculin reactions were 33.5%; the children infected with tuberculosis and risk factors were 42.1%; the total proportion of children who had contacted patients with tuberculosis was 31.7% of the whole contingent of the sanatorium, i.e. about a third. In addition to different manifestations of tuberculous infection, nonspecific abnormalities were detected in 96.4% of the children and adolescents, in the vast majority they being first diagnosed at the sanatorium. The foregoing suggests that a children's tuberculosis sanatorium is of great medical importance under the present conditions.

The paper presents data on the prevalence of dirofilariasis in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea during 5 years from 1999 to 2003. The nematode Dirofilaria repens is a causative agent of the disease. Sporadic cases of helminthiasis are annually registered in some urban and rural areas on the plain of the peninsula. The disease is absent on the foothills and Black sea coast of the southern and eastern parts of Crimea. The localization of the parasite is typical of this helminthiasis. Dirofilariasis in Crimea may be regarded as a transmissible helminthiasis with natural focal trends.

Results of the author's long-term study of the karyotype of Lacerta (Zootoca) vivipara (family Lacertidae, Sauria) have been generalized and supplemented with relevant literature data. Within the species an interpopular karyotype variability was established, and several chromosomal forms were described. Karyotypes of L. (Z.) vivipara from four new, previously not examined populations have been first presented in this paper, and cytogenetical features of their chromosomes are given. Finally, cytogenetical analysis of particular specimens from different localities enabled the author to reveal a new chromosomal form and to define the limits of distribution of other forms of the species. The complex L. (Z.) vivipara has appeared to be more complicated than earlier believed. This complex includes several chromosomal forms of unclear taxonomic status, and some subspecies characterized by various modes of reproduction and distinct distribution ranges. It has been confirmed that in the complex L. (Z.) vivipara intensive chromosomal changes accompany the processes of form-formation and subspeciation. Some cytogenetical regularities of these processes have been demonstrated and compared with hybridogeneous form-formation and speciation. Based on the critical analysis of the available karyological data, some mechanisms of chromosomal changes were described, and their tendencies were determined. In addition, intraspecific relationships were analysed. The proposed scheme was compared with the pattern of intraspecific phylogeny of L. (Z.) vivipara based on molecular data. It has been shown that a high cytogenetical differentiation of the found chromosomal forms and subspecies is correlated with their low morphological differentiation and with a rather low genetical differentiation. The results of the combined analysis suggest the leading role of cytogenetical data for understanding the processes of form-formation and subspeciation. The importance of chromosomal rearrangements in these processes is emphasized, with special reference to their role in the evolution and phylogeny of the complex L. (Z.) vivipara. Some modes of form-formation and subspeciation in this complex are discussed.

The paper gives a brief analysis of the existing social and medical problems and factors, which determine poor trends in the development of the tuberculosis epidemic situation in the Ukraine.

The authors present and discuss a survey of published papers on medical care price formation. Economic analysis methods, socio-economic aspects of evaluation of medical care cost and effectiveness of different kinds of treatment were considered. Planning the volume of medical care in health care institutions strongly recommends perfecting the price formation by optimising calculation method and developing treatment and prophylaxis protocols.

The paper presents observational data of depression extent among general patients. Psychosomatic disorders are considered in the article. The authors analyzed the mental disorders incidence among different groups of somatic patients, a problem of using the various treatment techniques in these groups. Authors propose the treatment of depression observed among general patients; it is based on literature data and their own observations.

The paper submits data on the antigenic composition of HLA system in members of nuclear families of adolescent boys presenting with the delay in sexual maturation. Positive and negative associations of particular antigens with sexual underdevelopment are stated. Estimated in the families was the highest incidence rate of gaplotypes A 28-B 40, A 28-B 8, A 1-B 40, and A 3-B 40. The authors come out with a suggestion that it might be possible to use the identified antigens in prognostication of delayed puberty.

The paper deals with historical information concerning the investigation of mycotoxins and mycotoxicoses at the Institute of Microbiology and Virology of the NAS of Ukraine, main results of the works fulfilled for the last 25 years and possible trends of further investigations.

Submitted in the paper are data obtained as a result of analyzing and pooling information now available about positive and negative sequels of introduction in the Russian Federation of a compulsory medical insurance. Emphasis is placed on the relevance of, and need for, taking account of practical experience gained by the Russian Federation in deciding on the question about time and expediency of the start of a similar reform in Ukraine and on the importance of use of innovational approaches and technology at the stage of its planning.

The paper deals with the basic trends of fundamental investigations of the Department of Algae Viruses in the field of cyanophagia-ecology, biological and physico-chemical properties of cyanophages as well as interrelation with the host cells. Such problems as a possibility to use the system cyanophage-cyanobacteria as the experimental model for development of the unified functional model of productive infection, efficient methods of prophylaxis and therapy of virus infections as well as the solution of various biotechnological problems are discussed.

Health effects as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant occurred in 1986 are considered in the paper. Wrong prognosis of the health effects with respect to mortality and morbidity among the population exposed to low radiation doses is shown. Proven increase in thyroid cancer cases among people who were children aged from 0 to 18 at the time of the accident is shown. Linear relationship between thyroid cancer cases and dose to thyroid ranged from 0.2 to 4.0 Gy is considered. An additional absolute risk of thyroid cancer in children varies in the range 1.9-2.6 cases per 10(4) person-year Gy. During the fifteen years following the accident no cases of acute and chronic radiation sickness have been revealed because the population living in contaminated areas received low radiation doses. Also, exposures to low radiation doses did not result in excess of malignant tumors among population. In some cases the outcomes of acute radiation sickness were as follows: radiation damages to the skin, cancer cataracts, development of oncopathology.

A comparative analysis was done of prevalence, incidence rates, and mortality from cerebrovascular disorders (CVD), including cerebral insults, in Mariupol over the period 1999-2000. Submitted in the paper are CVD epidemiological findings from the Donetsk region, Ukraine. Of much interest to us was studying prevalence, risk factors for CVD development among those workers occupied in labour at large industrial enterprises in Mariupol, with which purpose sampling population studies were made among workers occupied in labour at the Illyich Integrated Iron-and-Steel Works and seaport. During the course of the above studies epidemiological indices were examined together with risk factors for development of cerebrovascular disorders.

The thesis about importance of specific immunoglobulin preparations in treatment of infectious diseases of viral and microbial etiology, uncontrollable infections, caused by representatives of herpes viruses family in particular, is developed in the paper. The types of immunoglobulin preparations, their advantages, technology peculiarities has been considered; the experience of application, including that of the authors have been analyzed. The necessity and expedience of intensive development of this branch of immunobiotechnology in Ukraine is proved, especially in connection with a high level of infectious morbidity in this country, concrete recommendations are given.

The formation of aerosols over the radioactive polluted areas results from some natural and industrial factors. In this paper physico-chemical characteristics of secondary aerosols generated by the Chernobyl accident are presented. The results of monitoring of the aerosol from traffic, dust storms and forest fires in 30-km zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and other regions are compared. Some methodical aspects of the sampling and analyses of aerosols are considered. The recommendations for choice of the personal respirators are given.

The paper provides the data on the invasion of unionids in the Zhitomir Polesye by parasitic worms Aspidogaster conchicola. The aspidogasters have been found in 9 species of molluscs (Unio--5, Colletopterum--1, Pseudonodonta--1, Batavusiana--2). An extensity and intensity of invasion of unionids by A. conchicola are unequal in different host species. The highest values of them were recorded for Unio conus borysthenicus (87% and 12 specimens), U. tumidus falcatulus (75%; 5 specimens), and Batavusiana nana (59.8%; 20 specimens). The invasion of molluscs by aspidogastrids from the stagnant waters are higher, than from the fluvial waters. The aspidogasters were found in the pericardium and kidneys of unionids. More often the parasites were met in the pericardium exclusively, rarely in the pericardium and kidneys simultaneously, and most rarely in the kidneys only. Within the pericardium, A. conchicola prefer the furthest sites of the contractile ventricle of the molluscan heart.

The paper presents an analysis of causes of relapse of gastric and duodenal peptic ulcers based on review of 2120 case records of patients from the Ukrainean-German gastroenterological centre over the period six months--two years. Chief causes of relapse of gastric and duodenal peptic ulcer are identified, such as incomplete course of eradication therapy; failure on the part of the patients to keep to the physician's orders, which fact suggests to us that there has not been achieved the necessary "compliance"; resistance to the therapy treatments administered, in the first place, to metronidazole (36%), development of gastroestrophagitis reflux.

The paper presents results of investigations designed to study changes in lipid peroxidation and in antioxidant system of miners in different vocational groups with Reiter's disease and gout. It is shown that the condition of the above systems is affected by both diseases as such and occupational conditions of miners. Based on the secured findings it is recommended that treatment of the above patients be supplemented with an antioxidant agent, copherol in particular.

Results on determination of radial (linear) growth rate of melanin-containing fungi Cladosporium sphaerospermum Penz. and Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler concerning place of their isolation and ecologic peculiarities are presented in the paper. Essential differences, as to all studied indices of the strains of C. sphaerospermum strains, isolated from premices of the ChNPP 4th unit from the control strains of this species have been established. Only strain 34 of C. sphaerospermum, isolated from the cable driving region of the "Shelter" object, which did not differ from the control strains as to all the studied indices, made the exception. The radial growth rate was 2-4 times as low and variability amplitude 10-30 times as high in strains 60 and 5-1 of C. sphaerospermum, (which suffered high radiation load), as in the control strains of this species. The radial growth rate of C. sphaerospermum studied strains was an order lower as a whole than that of A. alternata strains. All the above said evidence for implementation of K-type vital strategy by C. sphaerospermum species and in this connection one can suppose its active growth on the surface of walls and ferroconcrete structures of the ChNPP 4th unit. Absence of differences, as to the studied radial growth indices, between A. alternata strains isolated from the ChNPP 4th unit premices and control strains of the species can evidence for the existence of A. alternata species under the conditions of high radioactivity in the surviving state.

In those persons who had taken part in the elimination of the effects of the Chernobyl accident (AEEP), an oxidative stress with disturbed functioning of the antioxidant defence extracellular factors ceruloplasmin and transferrin is recordable over a long time range together with direct and indirect manifestations of insulin resistance. Submitted in the paper is an analysis of indices for ceruloplasmin, transferrin, free iron (FI), and insulin in the blood plasma of AEEP in different age groups and in those AEEP suffering from type II diabetes mellitus (DM) as well. The group of comparison was participants in the military operations (MOP) in Afghanistan. In the older age group AEEP (beyond 40 years of age) and in those AEEP presenting with type II DM similar alterations have been shown to be the case, such as decrease in the content of transferrin and augmentation of ceruloplasmin against the background of hyperinsulinemia. The above alterations can be regarded as a risk factor for origination of type II DM in Chernobyl AEEP.