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Introduction: Intranasal vaccination using live vector vaccines based on non-pathogenic or slightly pathogenic viruses is the one of the most convenient, safe and effective ways to prevent respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Sendai virus is the best suited for this purpose, since it is respiratory virus and is capable of limited replication in human bronchial epithelial cells without causing disease. The aim of the work is to design and study the vaccine properties of recombinant Sendai virus, Moscow strain, expressing secreted receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 Delta strain S protein (RBDdelta) during a single intranasal immunization., Materials and Methods: Recombinant Sendai virus carrying insertion of RBDdelta transgene between P and M genes was constructed using reverse genetics and synthetic biology methods. Expression of RBDdelta was analyzed by Western blot. Vaccine properties were studied in two models: Syrian hamsters and BALB/c mice. Immunogenicity was evaluated by ELISA and virus-neutralization assays. Protectiveness was assessed by quantitation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in RT-PCR and histological analysis of the lungs., Results: Based on Sendai virus Moscow strain, a recombinant Sen-RBDdelta(M) was constructed that expressed a secreted RBDdelta immunologically identical to natural SARS-CoV-2 protein. A single intranasal administration of Sen-RBDdelta(M) to hamsters and mice significantly, by 15 and 107 times, respectively, reduced replicative activity of SARS-CoV-2 in lungs of animals, preventing the development of pneumonia. An effective induction of virus-neutralizing antibodies has also been demonstrated in mice., Conclusion: Sen-RBDdelta(M) is a promising vaccine construct against SARS-CoV-2 infection and has a protective properties even after a single intranasal introduction.

The authors report an attempt of tracheal stenosis bougienage complicated by tracheal rupture. Particularities of diagnosis and treatment of patients with cicatricial stenoses of breathing pathways are analyzed.

The development of preventive vaccines became the first order task in the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. This paper reports the construction of the pVAX-RBD plasmid containing the Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD) of the S protein and a unique signal sequence 176 which promotes target protein secretion into the extracellular space thereby increasing the efficiency of humoral immune response activation. A polyglucine-spermidine conjugate (PGS) was used to deliver pVAX-RBD into the cells. The comparative immunogenicity study of the naked pVAX-RBD and pVAX-RBD enclosed in the PGS envelope showed that the latter was more efficient in inducing an immune response in the immunized mice. In particular, RBD-specific antibody titers were shown in ELISA to be no higher than 1 : 1000 in the animals from the pVAX-RBD group and 1 : 42000, in the pVAX-RBD-PGS group. The pVAX-RBD-PGS construct effectively induced cellular immune response. Using ELISpot, it has been demonstrated that splenocytes obtained from the immunized animals effectively produced INF-y in response to stimulation with the S protein-derived peptide pool. The results suggest that the polyglucine-spermidine conjugate-enveloped pVAX-RBD construct may be considered as a promising DNA vaccine against COVID-19.

Docking and quantum-chemical methods have been used for screening of drug-like compounds from the own database of the Voronezh State University to find inhibitors the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, an important enzyme of the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the SOL program more than 42000 3D molecular structures were docked into the active site of the main protease, and more than 1000 ligands with most negative values of the SOL score were selected for further processing. For all these top ligands, the protein-ligand binding enthalpy has been calculated using the PM7 semiempirical quantum-chemical method with the COSMO implicit solvent model. 20 ligands with the most negative SOL scores and the most negative binding enthalpies have been selected for further experimental testing. The latter has been made by measurements of the inhibitory activity against the main protease and suppression of SARS-CoV-2 replication in a cell culture. The inhibitory activity \of the compounds was determined using a synthetic fluorescently labeled peptide substrate including the proteolysis site of the main protease. The antiviral activity was tested against SARS-CoV-2 virus in the Vero cell culture. Eight compounds showed inhibitory activity against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 in the submicromolar and micromolar ranges of the IC50 values. Three compounds suppressed coronavirus replication in the cell culture at the micromolar range of EC50 values and had low cytotoxicity. The found chemically diverse inhibitors can be used for optimization in order to obtain a leader compound, the basis of new direct-acting antiviral drugs against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Objective: Is to study the features and to develop the methods for the determination of thiabendazole in the tissues of cadaveric organs and blood. When performing the experiments the methods of TLC, GC-MS and spectrophotometry were used. The advantages were substantiated and the optimal conditions for the release of thiabendazole from the tissues of organs and blood with acetone were determined. A variant of purification of the substance extracted from biomatrixes by the method of column chromatography of normal pressure (sorbent L 40/100 μm, mobile phase acetone-dichloromethane (9.5: 0.5)) is proposed. To identify the analyte by TLC the Sorbfil plates were used and a toluene-acetonitrile mobile phase (2:8). When identifying thiabendazole by a combination of gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (fragmentation of molecules by electron impact 70 eV) an HP-5MS column 30 m × 0.25 mm with a non-polar stationary phase (5% -phenyl) -methylpolysiloxane was proposed. The expediency of the spectrophotometric determination of thiabendazole on the basis of absorption in an acetonitrile medium has been shown. Methods for the determination of thiabendazole in tissues of organs and blood have been developed and validated. It is shown that the techniques meet the requirements of linearity, selectivity, correctness, precision and stability. The limits of detection of thiabendazole in the liver and blood are 0.14 and 0.10 mg, respectively; the limits of quantitative determination are 0.26 and 0.18 mg per 100 g of biomatrix.

This article examines the phenomenon of «intrauterine programming», which largely determines the further life cycle and the likelihood of developing a number of age-associated pathological processes. The possibility of the formation of pathological (accelerated) aging at various stages of ontogenesis is discussed with the use of large literary material from the standpoint of modern science. The reasons, mechanisms and phenotypic manifestations of accelerated aging and the possibilities of the earliest one, its diagnosis starting from the perinatal period, and prediction of age-associated pathologies are discussed in close interrelation.

Perforation of the nasal septum remains an actual problem. The success of surgical closure of perforation of the nasal septum depends not only on the surgeon's skill, but also on the degree of disturbance of the nasal cavity physiology. Traditionally, CFD studies of nasal septal perforations are dedicated to the analysis of changes in speed value of the inhaled air depending on the size and localization of perforation of the nasal septum. But there is a lack of studies about warming and moistening of the inhaled air in a case of nasal septal perforation. These studies are necessary not only for studying the pathophysiology of perforation of the nasal septum, but also for planning surgery.

Pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema are the main manifestations of gas syndrome in patients with tracheal injury. Traditional mediastinal decompression in case of tension emphysema is carried out through different types of cervical or transpleural mediastinotomy and subsequent passive drainage. Clinical observation of the use of VAC-therapy in the patient with injury of the membranous part of trachea followed by tension pneumomediastinum is presented. Cervicotomy with dissection of anterior mediastinum and installation of vacuum-assisted dressing were performed. Fast regression of subcutaneous emphysema and relief of pneumomediastinum were noted. There were no complications. The patient was discharged in 6 days after admission. Effectiveness of VAC-therapy in patients with tension subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum was confirmed.

Annotation: Polypous rhinosinusitis (PRS) is a hardly treatable disease due to the unknown etiology and recurrent course. Standard treatment regimens are aimed at removing polyps and reducing the activity of inflammation, while little attention is paid to pathogenesis factors such as oxidative stress and mucociliary insufficiency., Objective: To improve the combined treatment of PRS., Material and Methods: The study involved 98 patients (50 people - the study group, 48 people - control group). The structure of the comorbid pathology of patients in the control group was selected so as to correspond to the pathology in the study group. Patients of both groups received combined treatment, including surgical treatment in accordance with the FESS principles, followed by the prescription of 200 mcg mometasone furoate in each half of the nose for 6 months. The treatment of patients of the study group also included the drug N-acetylcysteine - 3 ml (300 mg) in each maxillary sinus intrasurgicaly, then 600 mg orally in the morning after meals for 6 months. Survey methods included a questionnaire survey using the SNOT-22 questionnaire, the prevalence of the polypous process was assessed by endoscopy (Claus Bachert scale) and CT (Lund-Mackay scale), and mucociliary function was also evaluated by performing a saccharin test. The results were compared with each other before surgery and after 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery., Results: Patients who have been taking N-acetylcysteine for a long time have a more pronounced and long-term improvement in their general condition (according to SNOT-22, an average by 1.7 times, p <0.05) compared with patients in the control group. Also, the frequency of relapses decreases and the effectiveness of surgical treatment increases (according to the Lund-Mackey scale - 5.02 in the experimental group and 10.75 in the control; according to S. Bachert - 1 point and 3 points, respectively)., Conclusions: Long-term use of N-acetylcysteine in PRS increases the effectiveness of surgical treatment, reduces the frequency of relapses, and also improves the general condition of patients.

Introduction: For the last decades endoscopic ear surgery has become a common practice. Advantages of the endoscopic technique in middle ear surgery are high definition and magnification of the endoscope with a modern camera and the ability to 'look around the corner' with the angled scope., Material and Methods: From March 2017 to November 2019 in NSRC PHOI named after Dmitry Rogachev in the Department of Oncology and Pediatric Surgery 53 patients (81 surgeries) have undergone endoscopic-assisted ear surgery: 3 biopsies for middle ear neoplasm with the transcanal endoscopic approach, 1 endoscopic tympanoplasty for attic retraction pocket with cholesteatoma, 2 endoscopic removal of middle ear tumors (including 1 combined approach) and 32 endoscopic myringoplasties, 22 canal wall down mastoidectomies for extensive middle ear and mastoid cholesteatoma, 21 second-look surgery with ossiculoplasty with overall good outcome. Age of the patients varied from 2 months to 16 years. Follow up period varied from 1 month to 3 years., Results: Two cases of middle ear tumor removal via endoscopic transcanal approach are described. In one case endoscopic transmeatal approach was used as an addition to the middle fossa approach for removal of facial nerve neurinoma located on the upper surface of petrous bone with expansion to the middle ear cavity. In the second case endoscopic transmeatal approach was used alone for removal of benign tumor (salivary gland choristoma) of middle ear cavity with extension to pneumatic system of petrous bone. In both cases endoscopic approach allowed to biopsy the tumor first and then to remove the tumor in a less invasive way, which lead to faster patient recovery., Conclusion: In the majority of cases endoscopic technique is a method of assistance in otologic surgery, but sometimes could be a used a single method in middle ear surgery, allowing less traumatic approach and the implementation of high-definition camera for more precise disease control. In our preliminary experience endoscopic technique could be used in pediatric practice independently of the patient's age.

Objective: To determine the frequency of the key psychopathological syndromes, the dynamics and comorbidity of schizophrenia and other psychoses in Russian veterans of local wars receiving hospital treatment., Material and Methods: The study included 685 patients of a psychiatric department of a military hospital, including 264 veterans of the local wars (the main group), 296 people (career military servicemen and retirees), who do not take part in combat actions (the first comparison group) and 125 people matched for the middle age and the age distribution curve with the main group (the second comparison group)., Results and Conclusion: The frequency of psychoses appeared to be slightly less in veterans (7.2%) compared to patients of comparison groups (14.5% and 8.8%, respectively). In all groups, most patients were diagnosed with schizophrenia (ICD-10 F20): 3.8% in the main group, 4.4% in the first comparison group and 4.0% in the second comparison group. Other acute and chronic psychotic disorders (F22-F23) were diagnosed in 0.8, 5.4 and 3.2% patients, respectively. Organic delusion disorders were diagnosed in 1.5% patients of the main group, 3.7% patients of the first comparison group and were not detected in the second comparison group. Comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychosis was about 2% in the main group in whole and 26.3% in those with schizophrenia and other delusional disorders. The degree of incidence of symptoms of PTSD in veterans diagnosed with psychosis was significantly less than their frequency among all veterans (20% and 46.9%, respectively). Military stress factors do not influence the development of hallucinations and delusions in the main group. In the majority of veterans, psychotic symptoms manifested for the first time after stopping combat stress, the subsequent development and recurrence of psychotic symptoms happened regardless of the influence of combat stress factors.

Pathological ventilation of the maxillary sinus (MS) is one of the risk factors for the formation of chronic maxillary sinusitis., Purpose of Study: Is to evaluate the effectiveness of the method of restoring the medial wall of the MS with an autograft - a quadrangular cartilage of the nasal septum using the butterfly technique (Patent Application No. 2018140468, priority of 11/19/2018)., Material and Methods: The study included patients who underwent septoplasty, endoscopic surgery on the MS with plasty of the medial wall of the MS (1st, main group, n =136), as well as patients who underwent surgery according to Caldwell-Luc with the formation of persistent nasoantral anastomosis in the lower nasal passage (2nd, control group, n =56). The criteria for the inclusion of patients in the study were as follows: the presence of MS fungal body; inverted papilloma with lesions of the MS; cysts and/or a foreign body of the MS with localization in the alveolar bay without involving the natural anastomosis in the pathological process; concomitant 3rd or 4th, or 5th or 6th types of curvature of the nasal septum according to R. Mladina (1987). An objective assessment of the condition of the patients was carried out using the SNOT-22 clinical questionnaire, and for analysis the state of aerodynamics of the nasal cavity and MS in patients of various groups after surgical treatment used the method of computational aerodynamics., Results: In patients with nasoantral ostium in the lower nasal meatus, the pathological maxillary sinus aeration one was observed. It is recommended to close the nasoantral ostium to prevent violations of the aerodynamics of the nasal cavity and the maxillary sinus during surgery through the lower nasal meatus., Conclusion: Our proposed method for closing a defect in the lower nasal passage is effective. The autograft is well established, contributes to the speedy restoration of normal sinus aerodynamics.

Background: Interstitial electrostimulation (IES) is used to treat spinal pain syndromes. The phenomena occurring in tissue around the electrode that is connected to a vertebra remain unknown., Aim: To reveal the mechanisms of action of IES on inflammatory and dystrophic phenomena and blood flow in osseous and paravertebral tissues in low back pain syndrome., Methods: Examinations were made in 64 patients with back pain of vertebral genesis in an exacerbation or incomplete remission with intervertebral disc protrusions. Two homogeneous groups of patients treated with different techniques of electrotherapy were identified. A study group was treated with IES, in which the active electrode as a sterile injection needle was brought into the focus of pathology in contact with the diseased vertebra. A control group received a cutaneous procedure with a 50 Hz current with the same physical parameters. Blood flow in the bone and the adjacent tissues and the intensity of pain syndrome were studied. That in the vertebrae was investigated using needle-rheography and polarography., Results: The intensity of pain depends on circulatory disturbances affecting the vertebral tissues, where a focus of inflammation is formed with signs of free radicals, acidosis, and edema. IES could relieve pain in 90.5% of patients. At the same time, blood circulation in the vertebral tissues considerably improved. Cutaneous electrostimulation was not found to have a substantial effect. The result of the therapeutic effect can be explained by electrochemical phenomena in the plasma from the vessels in the focus of inflammation and by electrophysical processes on the cell membranes of the tissue around its anode introduced., Conclusion: IES is a pathogenetic treatment. In this case, the active anode electrode must be inserted into the focus of pathology, resulting in a contact with the diseased vertebra.

Meniere's disease is an inner ear pathology characterized by periodic fits of systemic dizziness, fluctuating low-frequency sensorineural loss of hearing, stuffiness in the ear and tympanophonia. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intra-tympanic administration of methyl prednisolone in the combination with gentamycin used to treat the patients presenting with Meniere's disease. The study included 18 patients at the age varying from 18 to 70 years presenting with this condition. Group 1 was formed to treat the patients with gentamycin, group 2 was comprised of the patients treated with methyl prednisolone. Special emphasis was placed on the recording of dynamics of the parameters of tonal threshold audiometry and cervical evoked vestibular myogenic potentials. The episodes of dizziness were characterized based on the results of comparison of the number of systemic dizziness episodes within the first 6 months after the first injection of methyl prednisolone or gentamycin with the number of such episodes during one month prior to the onset of the treatment. The results were estimated based on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI scale). It was shown that the patients comprising group 2 experienced a more pronounced reduction in the number of dizziness episodes compared with those in group 1 (91.56 and 69.81% decrease respectively). Moreover, hearing improved by 35% in the patients of group 2, whereas the improvement was altogether absent the patients of group 1. The patients of both groups reported comparable reduction of subjective tympanophonia estimated based on the DHI scale. The results of the comparison were evaluated based on the DHI scale (54.9% in group 2 and 53.8% in group 1).

Maxillary sinus is more than any other paranasal sinuses amenable to various pathological conditions that may require the surgical treatment. The objective of the present work was to study the age-related and the individual specific anatomical features of the walls of the maxillary sinus and to develop the principles of sinus surgery based on the results of the anthropometric studies. We analyzed the cone-beam CT scans obtained from 586 patients at the age varying from 5 to 60 years who were allocated to six different groups. The measurement of different anthropometric indicators of the maxillary sinus was undertaken. The study has demonstrated the feasibility of using boron as a means to obtain the access to the maxillary sinus for the purpose of the external surgical intervention. The maxillary sinuses having the thickness of the anterolateral wall of more than 1.5 mm most frequently occurred in the patients under 12 years of age. The surgical access to the maxillary sinus through the lower nasal passage having the medial wall thickness greater than 1 mm proved to be limited; this feature was found to be characteristic of the patients at the age below 12 years. It is shown that the depth of the lower lateral wall in the nasal passage did not depend on the age of the patients; the same was true of the angle formed between this wall and the bottom of the nose. Taken together, the obtuse angle (more than 100°) and the depth of the lateral wall of the inferior nasal meatus of more than 5 mm facilitated the surgical access to the maxillary sinus through the inferior meatus.

This article summarizes the results of computer simulation of the air flows in the nasal cavity and the maxillary sinus by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The objective of the study was to apply the method of computational aerodynamics to simulate the air flows in the nasal cavity and the maxillary sinus under the normal conditions and after the surgical interventions on the middle nasal meatus. The normal air space of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses was simulated and the computer modeling of the main options for the surgical approach to the maxillary sinus through the middle nasal meatus was performed including balloon sinuplasty, functional endoscopic sinus surgery, and uncinate process mobilization. The study has demonstrated the increase of the air flow velocity in the maxillary sinus after computer-assisted balloon sinuplasty. The computer simulation of functional endoscopic sinus surgery including the removal of the uncinated process revealed the mass exchange between the maxillary sinus and the nasal cavity.

The curvature of the nasal septum (NS) is one of the most widespread deformations of the facial skeleton. The objective of the present study was to substantiate the principles of and develop the rationale for the surgical correction and conservative treatment of this condition based on the morphological features of various types of deflection of the nasal septum. We have undertaken the morphological analysis of the osseous and cartilaginous structures determining the type and the shape of the curvature of the nasal septum together with the clinical analysis of different morphological variants of the deflection of the nasal septum making use of the R. Mladina classification. Type I-IV vertical deflections are regarded as the acquired deformities whereas type II deviations can just as well be congenital malformations. Types V and VI deflections can be a consequence of the birth injury resulting in the displacement of the nasal structures and leading to the curvature of the nasal septum. The authors describe the defects in the anatomical structures adjoining the nasal cavity associated with various types of the deflection of the nasal septum that the surgeons should take into account when planning and performing septoplasty.

The population structure of endemic species Sergentia baicalensis (Diptera, Chironomidae) from Lake Baikal was studied using the first subunit of the cytochrome C oxidase mitochondrial gene (Col). Two populations inhabiting different basins of this lake, the southern-central and northern, were detected. It was confirmed that the divergence time of this species was dated to Late Miocene (9.53 ± 3.9 Mya), during the period when geographically separated basins existed in the Baikal rift zone.

We performed a quantitative assessment of the conidia yield in Neurospora crassa in response to treatment with different conidiation effectors. Depending on nitrogen source and intactness of nitrite reductase (NiR) and nitrate reductase (NR), light and dehydration affected the number of viable conidia produced by the ascomycete. In most variants of the nitrogen status, the combined action of light and dehydration synergistically increased the conidia yield. Conidiation in wild-type cells cultivated on the medium with NH4Cl as a sole nitrogen source did not respond to light, whereas illumination of the same culture grown on NH4NO3- or NaNO3-containing medium stimulated the process of spore formation. In response to light exposure, conidia formation occurred in the same way in the nit-2 (no NR and NiR) and nit-6 (no NiR) mutants cultivated in the presence of NH4Cl, but differed greatly when grown on the medium with NH4NO3. The results obtained indicate the possibility that NR and NiR participate in the photoconidiation regulation (wild-type strain on the medium with secondary nitrogen source); however, they cannot be necessary because light-dependent stimulation of spore formation was observed in nit-2 and nit-6 mutants.

The aim of the present work were the development and clinical testing of the method for the closure of defects in the anterior wallsof the frontal and maxillary sinuses with the use of the allotransplants. We have carried out the experimental studies with the transposition of the cartilaginous allograft into the bone defect by means of the press-fit technique. Within six months after the operation, the transplantation resulted in the formation of a regenerate composed of the lamellar bone tissue. We have also undertaken the clinical testing of the method forthe closure of defects in the anterior wallsof the frontal and maxillary sinuses using the cartilaginous allograft. In all the cases, the favourable clinical outcome has been achieved as evidenced by the integrity of the restored anterior wall of the sinus.

This paper was designed to report the currently available data on physiology of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses together with the results of national and international investigations on the computer modeling of the air flow in these structures. Also discussed are the gas composition in the paranasal sinuses and the potential factors responsible for the changes in the concentration of nitric oxide with the chemical formula of NO in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.

It is testified that the intensity of lipid peroxidation (LP) in the brain of old and mature rats did not differ significantly. Stress-effects in the form of immobilization led to activation of the LP and inhibition of antioxidant activity (AOA) in the brain mainly in aged rats. The simultaneous introduction of tryptophan and nicotinic acid reduced negative changes of LP and AOA in the brain of old rats caused by immobilization stress exposure. In the brain of mature rats, the combination of tryptophan and nicotinic acid in normal and immobilization decreased the level of LP and increased the intensity of AOA. The increased activity of antioxidant system in the brain of rats by complex of tryptophan and nicotinic acid demonstrated its protective antioxidant properties.

The paper presents the data on variant and individual anatomy of the maxillary sinus in 400 men and women of the I and II periods of adulthood obtained using by computer tomography with 3D function. It was found that in the I period of adulthood, 12.5% of individuals had the bony septa in the alveolar recess of the maxillary sinus which were oriented frontally--Underwood's septa. Individuals of the II period of adulthood had this septa in 20% of cases. Also in the second age group, 7.2% of the cases demonstrated the septa which are oriented sagittally. These structures were often associated with the bony canal of the infraorbital nerve. The detected variants of individual variability of the maxillary sinus have both theoretical and practical importance. In particular, during the planning of micromaxillotomy (through the endonasal access or fossa canina), the presence of bone septa, their location and the course of the infraorbital nerve canal should be taken into account.

Phylogenetic relationships between the endemic baicalian green algae Draparnaldioides simplex C. meyer et Skabitsch, 1976 and holarctic taxa of green algae were studied using the fragment of 18S rDNA and internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 of nuclear DNA. We showed that the baicalian genus Draparnaldioides is a separate taxon. The genetic difference between Draparnaldioides and nonbaicalian taxa of the sister groups of the green algae are small enough to indicate relative youth of the genus Draparnaldioides and its recent radiation from a common ancestor with Draparnaldia and Chaetophora.

Aim: To compare the efficiency of using different interventional procedures for a barren marriage in case of secretory azoospermia (SAS)., Subjects and Methods: The trial enrolled 110 patients aged 25 to 54 years with SAS. The levels of sexual hormones were determined; ovarian punch biopsy was performed., Results: Decreased volume of the ovaries was noted in 85.3% of the patients; diffuse or focal changes in their parenchyma were seen in 65.7%. There was an increase of follicle-stimulating hormone levels and a reduction in testosterone ones. Hyperestrogenemia was identified in 26.5% of the patients. The level of inhibin B was lower in all the patients. The efficiency of standard testicular sperm extraction for cryopreservation was achieved in 28.7% of the patients and that of a microsurgical technique was in 56.7%. The wives of 37 out of the 57 patients included in an assisted reproductive technology program were more than 12 weeks pregnant after 95 intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles., Conclusion: The microsurgical technique is most effective in achieving the successful treatment of patients with azoospermia in order to prevent male infertility.

The set of specific oligonucleotide primers and hybridization testers with the support of TaqMan in real time is proposed to identify and differentiate such human pathogenic orthopoxviruses as smallpox virus, monkey smallpox virus, cowpox virus, variolovaccine. The analytical specificity of the set is determined upon the example of 20 strains of 6 types of human pathogenic orthopoxviruses and made up 100%. The sensibility is established using recombinant plasmids containing orthopoxviruses sequence. The minimal revealed amount of plasmid made up to 20 copies for smallpox and monkey smallpox viruses, 10 copies for cowpox and 60 copies for variolovaccine in reaction.

One of the intrones of the phosphofructokinase gene has been sequenced in seven species of endemic Baikalian gastropods of family Baicaliidae. The length of this introne differs even between sister species. Along with relatively few nucleotide substitutions numerous deletions and insertions accumulated. The number of deletions/insertions does not correlate to genetic distance between the species as estimated by comparing sequences of a mitochondrial fragment. Deduced tertiary structure differs markedly even between sister taxa although there is a consensus motif. Long RNA stems appearing and disappearing in course of evolution may contain regulatory RNAs and therefore the evolution of the introne may be non-neutral.

Aim: To study the influence of long-term of vardenafil use on endothelial and erectile functions in patients with arteriogenic erectile dysfunction (ED)., Subjects and Methods: The study included 74 arteriogenic ED patients (mean age 57.4 +/- 4.7 years). In addition to a comprehensive andrological examination, all the patients underwent the estimation of the endothelial function of cavernous arteries, the indicator of which is the percentage increase in the diameter of cavernous arteries. The patients were divided into 3 groups: 1) 24 patients receiving vardenafil on demand in a dose of 10 mg; 2) 26 patients taking the drug on demand in a dose of 20 mg; and 3) 24 patients regularly using the agent in a dose of 10 mg every other day. Endothelial and erective functions were re-estimated 1, 3, and 6 months after the initiation of vardenafil therapy and a month following its discontinuation., Results: Erectile function improvement was noted just a month after the initiation of vardenafil therapy and achieved the maximum values by month 6. The highest erectile function parameters were observed in Group 3. There was a significant endothelial function improvement only in Group 3; the peak effect was achieved by month 6 of treatment., Conclusion: The long-term use of vardenafil contributes to the improvement of both erectile and endothelial functions in patients with arteriogenic ED.

In gastropod mollusk Baicalia carinata Dybowski, 1875, sampled in different sites of the Lake Baikal, comparison of 81 sequences of internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) located between the genes for 18S rRNA and 5.8S rRNA, and of 100 sequences of the fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome-c-oxidase subunit 1 gene (CO1) was performed. Molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the endemic mollusk species studied formed at least two distinct populations, Southwestern and Eastern. Statistical significance of the species subdivision into two populations was evaluated using the Mann-Whitney rank test.

The dependence of the rate of neutral molecular evolution on biological parameters and demographic population factors was studied based on actual genetic information as an example and using the individual-oriented model of population dynamics. The first part of the study deals with tracing the neutral evolution occurring in the model concurrently with adaptive speciation. The second part concerns the effect of individual biological parameters and demographic population factors of members of the order Testudines (turtles) on the relative evolution rate of the mitochondrial CytB gene. Demographic population factors and individual biological parameters are shown to affect the rate of molecular evolution.

Changes in the fluorescence of beta-carotene and chlorophyll a and their mixtures in different molar ratios under the action of hydrogen peroxide have been registered in two cases: (1) in Langmuir films and (2) in a complex with bovine serum albumin in water solution. Changes in the fluorescence of Langmuir-Shaefer films of Zn ethioporphyrine II under the action of hydrogen peroxide in different molar ratios have also been shown. No shifts of pigment band maxima have been registered.

Phylogenetic relationships within the class Clitellata were examined using nucleotide sequences of nuclear 18S ribosomal RNA gene fragments. In the analysis, the already determined sequences for the individual species representing the class members Hirudinea, Acanthobdellida, Branchiobdellida, and Oligochaeta were included. Furthermore, newly determined sequences of the thirteen representatives of the family Lumbriculidae. including 12 Baikalian endemic species, were analyzed. The hypothesis on the close relatedness of these four groups of Clitellata was supported. Leeches, branchiobdellidans, and lumbriculides form three independent parallel branches of evolution. These results were consistent with the hypothesis on the role of the family Lumbriculidae as a connecting link, or the transition form between the parasitic and free-living groups of Clitellata. At the same time, these data refute the suggestion that Lumbriculidae could be the ancestral lineage of other Oligochaeta. Moreover, polymorphic group of Baikalian lumbriculides clustered independently from the other representatives of the family, pointing to the uniqueness of the Baikalian fauna of oligochaetes, which was formed within relatively closed system of this ancient lake.

Using the data on 71 individual sequences of the gene for the mitochondrial cytochrome-c-oxidase subunit one, molecular and phylogenetic characterization of the Baikalian amphipod, Gmelinoides fasciatus (Crustacea, Amphipoda), was performed. Interspecific polymorphism was demonstrated. Four main amphipod populations, Southeastern, Southwestern, Northern, and Central, were distinguished. A low level of genetic diversity typical of Southwestern population was revealed. For its explanation, the bottleneck hypothesis was proposed.

Three 5S rRNA-binding ribosomal proteins (L5, L18, TL5) of extremely thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus have earlier been isolated. Structural analysis of their complexes with rRNA requires identification of their binding sites in the 5S rRNA. Previously, a TL5-binding site has been identified, a TL5-RNA complex crystallized, and its structure determined to 2.3 A. The sites for L5 and L18 were characterized, and two corresponding 5S rRNA fragments constructed. Of these, a 34-nt fragment specifically interacted with L5, and a 55-nt fragment interacted with L5, L18, and with both proteins. The 34-nt fragment-L5 complex was crystallized; the crystals are suitable for high-resolution X-ray analysis.

A reaction of native Drosophila proteins with an alkylating oligonucleotide derivative bearing 4-[(N-2-chlorethyl-N-methyl)amino]benzylamine at the 5' terminal phosphate has been investigated. It was found, that the reagent alkylates a few proteins (90, 50, 44, 39, 32 kDa). The modification was organ specific. The labeled 39 kDa protein is present in the ovaries only, while the modified 32 kDa protein is found only in the bulbus.

The authors have developed a technique for conservative taxis of the incarcerated inguinal hernia in boys, which they used in 164 of the 195 children. In ineffectiveness of the conservative taxis, incarceration of hernia in girls, admission to the hospital later than 12 h from the moment of incarceration, 36 patients were operated on. There were no lethal outcomes. Introduction into practice of the technique suggested by the authors will permit to decrease considerably the lethality in incarcerated inguinal hernia in children.

A measuring complex including microscope-photometer and computer is described to be used for scanning of a sample inside of an arbitrary contour. The complex is supplied with a television channel for simultaneous control of the sample and photometric diaphragm, and also with a manual manipulator for setting the boundaries of the informational zone. At the end of scanning the cytophotometric and morphometric data are registered.