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X-ray computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is a current method for diagnosing ischemic heart disease. Although this method has a high specificity and a negative predictive value in diagnosing coronary obstructions, there are limitations in determining the hemodynamic significance of the stenosis. Extensive use of noninvasive methods for evaluation of coronary hemodynamics, specifically evaluation of the fractional flow reserve (FFR) is limited due to its high cost and risks of complications. Mathematical modeling of coronary circulation and its reserve based on CTCA data is an up-to-date method that has been experimentally confirmed and clinically validated. This method showed a high diagnostic efficacy in several large studies that used the invasive determination of FFR as a "gold standard". This review addresses the current state of studies on mathematical modeling for fractional coronary reserve in patients with ischemic heart disease, as well as the limitations and prospects of this method.

Objective . Several lumped and distributed parameter models of the inner ear have been proposed to improve vestibular implant stimulation. The models should account for all significant physical phenomena that influence the current propagation, such as the electrical double layer (EDL) and medium polarization. The electrical properties of the medium are reflected in the electrical impedance; therefore, the study aimed to measure the impedance in the guinea pig inner ear and construct its equivalent circuit. Approach . The electrical impedance was measured from 100 Hz to 50 kHz between a pair of platinum electrodes immersed in 0.9% NaCl saline solution using sinusoidal voltage signals. The Randles circuit was fitted to the measured impedance in the saline solution in order to estimate the EDL parameters (C,W,andRct) of the electrode interface in saline. Then, the electrical impedance was measured between all combinations of the electrodes located in the semicircular canal ampullae and the vestibular nerve in the guinea pig in vitro . The extended Randles circuit considering the medium polarization (Ri,Re,Cm) together with EDL parameters (C,Rct) obtained from the saline solution was fitted to the measured impedance of the guinea pig inner ear. The Warburg element was assumed negligible and was not considered in the guinea pig model. Main results . For the set-up used, the obtained EDL parameters were:C=27.09*10-8F,Rct=18.75kΩ.The average values of intra-, extracellular resistances, and membrane capacitance wereRi=4.74kΩ,Re=45.05kΩ,Cm=9.69*10-8F,respectively. Significance . The obtained values of the model parameters can serve as a good estimation of the EDL for modelling work. The EDL, together with medium polarization, plays a significant role in the electrical impedance of the guinea pig inner ear, therefore, they should be considered in electrical conductivity models to increase the credibility of the simulations., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

Theoretic and experimental study of viscoelastic properties of the whole blood exposed to shear stress was carried out with acoustic resonance method based on the measurement of gain-frequency characteristics of resonating needle in an ARP-01M piezoelectric thromboelastograph (Mednord). The study revealed regularities in the changes of viscoelastic parameters of the whole blood within 0-80 kHz frequency range of shear vibrations. In this frequency range, the elastic (storage) modulus G' reflecting blood elasticity increased with frequency and significantly contributed to the complex viscosity coefficient. The revealed gain-frequency regularities open the vista to employ the acoustic resonance method to determine the viscoelastic parameters of the whole blood and their coagulation-induced changes in the wide frequency range of shear vibrations.

Theoretical and experimental analysis of viscoelastic properties of fluids at low oscillating shear stresses was performed. Mathematic approach for calculating the complex coefficient of viscosity on the basis of experimental data on the amplitude-phase characteristics measured by the method of low-frequency piezoelastography was developed. The dependencies of the amplitude and phase shift of the signal recorded by a piezoelectric detector of a ARP-01M Mednord piezoelectric thromboelastograph on the frequency of forced oscillations of a resonator needle in air, water, and glycerin at fixed temperature of 37°C were studied. It was found that with increasing fluid viscosity, the resonance frequency of oscillations decreases in comparison with the frequency of oscillations in air.

Comparative analysis of the groups of patients with idiopathic bilateral vestibular hypofunction and a group of vestibulopathy patients with vertebrobasilar insufficiency demonstrated identity of the basic and additional diagnostic parameters in these syndromes as well as similarity in clinical diagnostic and anamnesis data. In all cases, functional assessment of endothelium-dependent vasodilation and selected biochemical marker sICAM-1 revealed endothelial dysfunction. Drug correction of endothelial dysfunction positively affected the manifestations of major and minor features of the syndrome, which confirmed the contribution of endothelial functional disturbances to the pathogenesis of bilateral vestibular hypofunction.

We propose a new approach to optimization of electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve and improving the transfer function of vestibular implant. A mathematical model of the vestibular organ is developed based on its anatomy, the model premises, 3D-analysis of MRI and CT images, and mathematical description of physical processes underlying propagation of alternating electric current across the tissues of vestibular labyrinth. This approach was tested in vitro on the rat vestibular apparatus and had been examined anatomically prior to the development of its mathematical model and equivalent electrical circuit. The experimental and theoretical values of changes of the gain-phase characteristics of vestibular tissues in relation to location of the reference electrode obtained in this study can be used to optimize the electrical stimulation of vestibular nerve.

We studied the role of NF-κB/IKK-mediated signaling in the stimulation of growth potential of mesenchymal progenitor cells by alkaloid songorine in vitro. Specific NF-κB inhibitor oridonin abolished activation of proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells. Aurothiomalate, a selective blocker of IKK-2, also suppressed mitotic activity of fibroblast precursors, but had no effect on the rate of the differentiation.

We studied the psychopharmacological effects of atisine-type diterpene alkaloid Z77 in a rat model of cerebral ischemia. Pronounced cerebroprotective effect was found consisting in normalization of the orienting and exploratory activity and conditioned behavior associated with significant correction of morphological changes in the brain. The direct stimulatory effect of Z77 on neural stem cells was shown in vitro.