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Copyright of Refrigeration Engineering & Technology is the property of Odesa National University of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives. The goal of the study was to isolate group A, С, and G streptococci from children and characterize them by the methods of molecular epidemiology.Materials and methods. Group A, С, and G streptococci were isolated from tonsils and back wall of pharynx of Vietnamese children during 2012–2014. сpn60 gene based PCR approach and rnpB gene sequencing were used to identify streptococcal species belonging to group С and G streptococci. The presence of scpA, lmb, nga, slo virulence genes was analyzed in S. anginosus and S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis strainS. emm-typing of S. pyogenes was done as published (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/biotech/strep/MProteinGene_typing.htm). Antibiotic resistance of the strains was tested by the disk diffusion method.Results. A total of 1359 children were examined. Group A streptococci (S. pyogenes) were isolated from 49 children, group C streptococci – from 8 children (4 stains – S. anginosus, 1 strain – S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, 1 strain – S. parasanguinis, 1 strain – S. gordonii, 1 strain – S. constellatus), and group G streptococci – from 75 children (55 stains – S. anginosus, 8 stains – S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis, 4 stains – S. sanguinis, 3 stains – S. parasanguinis, 2 stains – S. australis, 2 stains – S. constellatus, 1 stain – S. mitis). emm-typing of 47 S. pyogenes strains revealed 15 different emm-subtypes belonging to 11 different emm-typeS. The subtypes emm104.0 and emm109.1 were found to be predominant. S. anginosus strains under study were genetically heterogeneous for the presence of virulence genes. All tested strains were susceptible to cephalosporins and vancomycin, and resistant to amikacine. A total of 70% and 52,5% of S. pyogenes were resistant to tetracycline and erythromycin, respectively.

Copyright of Refrigeration Engineering & Technology is the property of Odesa National University of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Species composition of epiphytic communities within different formations of Phú Quôc Island (Southern Vietnam) is studied. The dependence of species composition and structural complexity of epiphytic communities on formation quality is demonstrated. Representatives of different families differ notably in their sensitivity to disturbances. Most vulnerable are Orchidaceae which represent the dominant group in epiphytic community of rain forest and which drop out almost completely under anthropogenic impacts. In less disturbed forests, epiphyte species diversity increases mainly at the expense of "lower" synusias and directly depends on the formation layering. Diminishing of layering numbers leads to dropping out of species belonging to "lower" synusias. Among epiphytes, the indicators of disturbed communities can be detected, namely species of ruderal strategy (explerents). In primal rain forest, they are absent or barely noticeable. An index is proposed for estimation of epiphytic communitiy complexity.

This study was carried out during the period 1989-2011. The following areas were included: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Climax tropical forest and anthropogenically transformed ecosystems, including those damaged by the chemical warfare program of the United States in Vietnam, were investigated. Some regularities in the structure dynamics and functioning of forests ecosystems under a tropical monsoon climate have been revealed. The principles of classification of tropical forests have been elaborated. The major results of investigation of the tropical monsoon forests in Vietnam are given.

Aim: Carry out retrospective clinical-epidemiological analysis of sporadic and group cases of acute HE morbidity in St. Petersburg (2000 - 2012). MATERIALS AND METHODS; Medical histories of 11 patients with sporadic morbidity (9 males and 2 females, average age 36 +/- 18) and 13 patients involved in group HE morbidity were analyzed. Acute hepatitis E diagnosis was established based on common clinical-epidemiological criteria confirmed by results of biochemical study and data of objective examination. Hepatitis E etiological membership was confirmed by detection in patient blood sera of specific marker of infection--anti-HEV G and M classes with laboratory exclusion of hepatitis A, B and C., Results: Study of epidemiological anamnesis of patients showed that 8 of them were migrants from countries with tropical and subtropical climate. 3 patients were residents of St. Petersburg. In the end of December 2011 and in January 2012 a group HE morbidity was registered among those who had arrived to study in St. Petersburg from India (Mumbai) in a group exceeding 200 individuals. Clinical characteristic of acute HE during sporadic and group morbidity is given., Conclusion: The presence of sporadic and group HE morbidity in St. Petersburg indicates the necessity to register these situation in organization of protection of the territory of Russia from endogenous HE.

Empirical testing of the hypotheses for speciation, namely, allopatric (refugia model) and parapatric (gradient model) models, has been attempted using molecular phylogenetic methods by a case study on several groups of closely related species of small mammals inhabiting the Ethiopian Plateau. Comparison of the results with the available literature data on other ground vertebrates of tropical mountains has allowed us to demonstrate groundlessness of the currently popular concept on the significant role of parapatric speciation in formation of modern tropical biodiversity. It has been shown that a marked partition of altitudinal gradient by relatively close ground vertebrate species of tropical mountains in the majority of cases is secondary in nature and is not connected with the specific mode of their origination.

The goal of this study was to evaluate hypoglycemic activity of Berberin and extract obtained from the bark of Phellodendron Lavalei, which is introduced in sub tropic areas of Georgia-Kobuleti. The study was carried out to reveal comparative hypoglycemic activity and acute toxicity of alkaloid Berberin and bark extract of Phellodendron Lavalei. Effects of Berberin hydrochloride and bark extract on blood glucose level was studied on mice. Measurement of blood glucose level was carried out on fasting animals using glucose meter "GlucoLab"--auto-coding. The study showed that Berberin hydrochloride dose 150 mg/kg, extract (obtained from the bark of Phellodendron Lavalei) dose 400 mg/kg and glybenclamid dose 0.25 mg/kg practically decreased blood glucose level of mice in a same pattern. Received data allows us to suggest that Phellodendron Lavalei, introduced in sub tropic areas of Georgia contains active hypoglycemic components. In conclusion the possible use of Phellodendron Lavalei as a plant raw material for obtaining hypoglycemic substances needs to be decided after further study of efficacy, mechanism of action of extracts and active components of Phellodendron Lavalei on experimental models of diabetes mellitus.

The abundance, species diversity, and spatial distribution of small mammals were studied in two localities in southern Vietnam: the Cat Tien National Park and the Binh Chau Nature Reserve. Rodents were trapped on the ground and in the tropical forest canopy (2-12 m above the ground), marked, and released on the spot. Species diversity of small mammals in undisturbed tropical forest (9 species) was higher than in disturbed tropical forest (14 species). The rat Maxomys surifer and the squirrel Callosciurus flavimanus were dominant. In undisturbed forest, the frequencies of rodent occurrence on the ground and in the canopy were of the same order; in disturbed forest, rodents occurred in the canopy an order of magnitude less frequently than on the ground.

The specific features of initial period of vivax and tropical malaria were defined with the help of clinical-and-laboratory methods in two groups of servicemen (70 persons in each group) differed by the period of stay in tropics. For comparison 30 similar patients, the tropics inhabitants, were investigated. In local inhabitants the course of all forms of malaria was rather mild with development of disease characteristic paroxysms in most of them. The reverse correlation of disease severity and period of servicemen' stay in tropics was revealed. For both forms of malaria the migrants compared with local inhabitants had the prodromal period and initial fever without typical paroxysms. The following debuts of malaria were revealed in servicemen: the frequent (influenza-like, arthralgia-like, gastrointestinal, bronchopneumonic, typhoid-like) and the rare (abdominal and painful, cerebral: meningeal and comatose, dysentery-like, tuberculosis-like, hemorrhagic). The shown features of malaria initial period in servicemen caused difficulties in its early diagnosis.

An examination of a thick blood drop and of blood smear for the presence of plasmodia is a classic and indisputable diagnostic test for tropic malaria. However, express-methods, based on the immune-enzyme analysis, have been introduced into the health-care practice primarily in developing and underdeveloped countries. The diagnosis of tropic malaria by using the discussed methods enables, in the non-laboratory settings, a rapid and reliable detection of PI. falciparum in blood. This is important because an untimely diagnosis of tropic malaria increases the risk of the lethal outcome.

The current state of biological resources of China is characterized by the example of animal world resources. Dynamics of the protected territories, control over the world trade of animals, and methods of protection of animals in situ and ex situ are described.

Genetic differentiation of taxa from three Holarctic and three originally Afrotropical phyla of small mammals was analyzed. Its extrapolation to the time scale revealed the following trends: (1) Distributions of fixed gene differences along the scale are relatively independent. (2) Extrapolation of these distributions to the time scale shows that the speciation process is discontinuous. It consists of relatively stable periods interrupted by speciation bursts. (3) Periods of speciation activity in different phyla coincide. In general, these results are consistent with the concept of punctuated equilibria and suggest that the speciation process is temporally discontinuous.

The authors have considered the causes of inability to continue working in tropic climate because of health deterioration for 359 specialists and 19 lethal cases. The main cause of inability to work in tropical climate and primary cause of death was cardiovascular disease. One-third of the cases were due to exacerbation of chronic diseases. The exacerbations occurred more frequently in the most intensive phases of adaptation. Measures which should be taken to prevent breakdown of health in subjects working in tropical conditions are recommended.

Protein compositions of venoms of South-American stinging ants, Ectatomma tuberculatum, Paraponera clavata (subfamily Ponerinae), and "tangarana" were analyzed. The venom of E. tuberculatum displayed the most complex protein composition (more than 15 polypeptides). The water-soluble fraction of the venoms of P. clavata and "tangarana" contained acidic proteins (pI < 3.5 to 5.2), whereas the venom of E. tuberculatum contained predominantly basic proteins (pI 8 to > 9.5). N-Terminal residues and N-terminal sequences of a number of polypeptides were determined. High-molecular-mass polypeptides of the P. clavata venom slightly stimulated the ATPase activity of mitochondrial F1-ATPase. Low-molecular-mass nonprotein components of this venom significantly inhibited the ATPase activity of submitochondrial particles and F1-ATPase from bovine heart mitochondria. The venoms of E. tuberculatum and "tangarana" produced no effect on the ATPase activity.

The paper reports the data of comparative study of the cardiorespiratory function in healthy males (19-22 year old) from the countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America lying within the tropic climatic-geographical zone during acute adaptation to the nature and the climate of the middle zone of Russia. The distinctions in respiration, circulation and gas exchange functions in the natives of different climatic-geographical zones were found as during comparative rest so under the combined effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia induced by the rebreathing test and ascribed to the environmental-genetic constitutional properties of the body and the chronobiological characteristics of the place of abode. Reactivity to the combined effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia in different groups is predominantly a function of unequal contributions of hemodynamics and pulmonary ventilation. A relatively low effectiveness of the cardiorespiratory system in representatives of the South-East Asia during acute adaptation was established. These results demonstrate the benefits of the hypoxic-hypercapnic test for determining functional potentials of the cardiorespiratory system in the context of adaptation to a new environment.

Stepanian (1991, 1992) proposed that the prosperity of avian populations in the tropical forest is based on preservation of the highest possible number of older generations during the longest possible period at the expense of youngs. We have tested this hypothesis with reference to mammals inhabiting some ecosystems. Comparison of the data on reproduction and abundance of mammalian populations (some species of the Sciuridae and Felidae) in the tropical forests and in the northern latitude areas suggests that this hypothesis is also valid for the mammalian populations of the tropical forests.

In heat discomfort, physically trained subjects had a high and stable physical working ability (PWA) whereas untrained subjects revealed a considerable decline of the parameter. A lesser work was performed with a greater tension of the cardiorespiratory system. The data obtained suggest a high and stable PWA is one of the main criteria of the organism's adaptation to hot climate conditions of the arid zone.

The study was undertaken to examine 190 males, aged 30-60 years who were divided into 4 groups: (1) patients with essential hypertension; (2) those with postinfarction cardiosclerosis; (3) those with postinfarction cardiosclerosis and essential hypertension; (4) healthy individuals. The levels of apolipoproteins B and A1 and circulating immune complex cholesterol were examined in the cold (winter) and hot (summer) seasons in the areas of arid (Ashkhabad) and temperate (Moscow) climate. The major apo-proteins were determined by enzyme uncompetitive immunoassay. Cholesterol levels in the immune complexes were measured by the method developed at the Institute of Experimental Cardiology, All-Union Cardiology Research Center, USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. The Moscow examinees were found to have more profound changes in the lipid spectrum than the Ashkhabad ones. In both climatic zones, the level of the major apo-proteins and their ratio were unaffected by seasonal variations.

The authors study the influence of tropical and high-mountain climate upon the process of one-month adaptation for two groups of servicemen. It was ascertained that there were statistic differences in many cardiovascular indexes of servicemen with various constitution type after measured physical load, although none of that changes were detected in ordinary conditions. This prognostication gives the possibility to make a more precise estimate of professional capability of man, determine the individuals with increased tendency towards dysadaptational disorders, and carry out a proper complex of prophylactic measures.

Various aspects of the physiological activity of fascaplysine, a pigment from tropic sea sponges, were studied. One of the fragments of the chemical structure of the pigment is the indole ring. Ehrlich tumor cells, murine lymphocytes and erythrocytes were used as the biological tests and it was shown that in high doses (up to 50 micrograms/ml) fascaplisine had a low cytotoxic action on the resting cells. When the tumor cells and lymphocytes were subjected to the action of the proliferative and mitogenic stimuli, fascaplisine in doses up to 1 micrograms/ml showed a high inhibitory effect on involvement of labeled thymidine, uridine and leucine into the cell biosynthesis of the macromolecules. No significant antitumor effect of fascaplisine was stated when its in vivo antitumor activity was studied with doses of 5 to 20 mg/kg on a model of Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma. The absence of the antitumor activity is likely to be associated with the observed suppressive action on the immunocompetent cells.

Data on anatomo-clinical analysis of 36 cases of death due to general overheating of a body are presented. On the basis of these data can be stated that in most cases the effect of high ambient temperature combined with great physical exercise and prolonged exposure to the caused death within short (up to 3 days) periods of time as a result of cessation of CNS functioning. Without physical exercise and direct insolation death usually occurred later (on the average of 5-9 days) from acute renal and renal-hepatic failure. Morphologic changes were unspecific.

The Berman technique was used in the authors' modification for strongyloidiasis survey of 18212 persons in various areas of Azerbaijan. It was stated that with the height increasing up to 500 m over the sea surface the infestation with strongyloidiasis increased and varied between 5.7 and 9.3 +/- 0.1%. At the height of 500-1500 meters the value decreased up to 3.5 +/- 0.1% and at the height of 2000-2400 meters was the lowest one (2.2 +/- 0.1%). The investigation revealed that the disease foci could appear not only in the plains or foothills but in mountainous and high-mountain areas of the Azerbaijan subtropics.

This study was performed with a team of workers engaged in derrick construction in a desert area. A hygienic assessment of the labour conditions was made. It was suggested that the labour conditions and the way and method of their management influenced to a considerable degree the workers' functional state, their fatiguability and accumulation of fatiguability during the shift. The labour conditions can be related to the permissible hard labour conditions class.

A study was made of the clinical manifestations of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 106 Russians born in the European part of the USSR, who moved afterwards to Uzbekistan at different times. Analysis of the two patients' groups demonstrated that in those who fell ill in Uzbekistan, MS started at an older age and ran a more malignant course as compared to those who had fallen ill in the European part of the USSR. Therefore, a model has been tried, permitting one to assess the influence of the climatogeographic conditions of the region under study on the clinical polymorphism of MS after exclusion of the populational differences between the examinees.

A total of 106 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) underwent clinico-laboratory comparative studies. There were 3 groups of patients. Of these, 43 patients were examined in Moscow, 34 natives of Tadzhikistan (Tadzhiks and Uzbeks), and 29 patients belonging to the nonindigenous population were examined in Dushanbe. For estimation purposes use was made of routine clinical-instrumental and laboratory methods including the determination of antinuclear factor (ANF). The clinicoimmunological features of SLE seen in the natives of Tadzhikistan consisted in a more frequent demonstration of facial erythema, arthritis, oral ulcerations and clinical criteria for ARA on the whole; in a rarer demonstration of capillaritis, serositis, and laboratory criteria for ARA including ANF. SLE patients belonging to the non-indigenous population of Tadzhikistan occupy an intermediate place between SLE patients belonging to the indigenous population and patients living in Moscow. By their clinico-laboratory parameters, however, they are closer to the Moscow group patients excluding the age at which the disease occurs. In the nonindigenous population of Tadzhikistan, the disease appeared to start 10 years later. The clinico-laboratory differences as well as those in the age of the disease onset in the indigenous and nonindigenous population of Tadzhikistan form the basis for elaborating the medical and social measures with a purpose of goal-oriented identification of factors at risk for the development of SLE in Tadzhikistan bearing in mind the ethnic characteristics.

Metabolic and hormonal variations of crewmembers of MI-6 and MI-8 helicopters were investigated. The investigation was performed on 61 pilots, including 18 in the hot and 43 in the cold climate. The following parameters were measured before and after flight: nonesterified fatty acids, lactic acid, insulin, and cortisol in blood, and catecholamines and cortisol in urine. In the hot climate the content of nonesterified fatty acids, lactic acid and insulin increased. The renal excretion of catecholamines and cortisol grew drastically. In the cold climate nonesterified fatty acids increased postflight. Insulin, catecholamines and cortisol tended to grow.

The heat stability of the eggs of a polyvoltine strain of Bombyx mori occurring in the conditions of hot climate was studied. No marked differences between this strain and the moderate climate strains were found in the level of heat stability and the character of its age changes. The mechanisms of heat stability upon the diapause-less egg development are discussed.