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Introduction. Testicular germ cell tumor is a relatively rare disease. Its high social significance is due to the fact that this pathology occurs in young patients. The standard schemes of polychemotherapy determine the potential possibility of effective treatment for most of the patients even with an advanced disease. Several circulating markers (alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin and lactate dehydrogenase) are being used for therapy monitoring, but the low diagnostic specificity of these molecules determines the need to develop new approaches. Over the past years, circulating microRNA, for instance miR-371a-3p, appeared to be promising marker for testicular germ cell tumor monitoring. However, to develop and to implement in practice the microRNA-based diagnostic technologies, it’s necessarily to understand the features of the microRNA expression alterations specific for different histological types of testicular germ cell tumor.The study objective – to evaluate changes in the expression of several potential marker microRNA molecules (miR-302/ miR-367, miR-371/miR-373) in testicular germ cell tumor samples of various histological types.Materials and methods. Testicular germ cell tumor samples (n = 61), including seminomas, embryonic carcinomas, post-pubertal teratomas, yolk sac tumors, chorioncarcinomas, and corresponding normal tissue samples (n = 61) were included in the study. The analysis of selected miRNA expression was performed by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction.Results. We identified the changes in the expression profile of the miR-302/miR-367 cluster typical for semines, embryonic carcinomas, post-pubertal teratomas, yolk sac tumors and chorioncarcinomas, as well as changes in the expression profile of the miR-371/miR-373 cluster, universal for all histotypes except chorioncarcinomas. Inhibition of miR-10b and miR-145 expression in semines, embryonic carcinomas, and post-pubertal teratomas was demonstrated.Conclusion. Activation of miR-302b, miR-302d, miR-371a expression and inhibition of miR-10b, miR-145 expression in the tissue of the most common variants of testicular germ cell tumor is a characteristic feature of these tumors. The detected changes are significant and can lead to corresponding changes in the profile of circulating microRNAs.

In the modern world breastfeeding (BF) is considered as a significant factor in reducing the risk of developing malignant tumors of the mammary gland and ovaries. However, the problem of maintenance or refusing BF in malignant neoplasms (malignant neoplasms) still remains open. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in breast cancer (BC), especially in developed countries, with more than 10% of all breast malignancies (BC) diagnosed in women under 40 years of age. The presented article highlights aspects of maintaining lactation in different periods of the relevance of BF in relation to the timing of manifestation of cancer, and also presents data from the multicenter study POSITIVE (Pregnancy Outcome and Safety of Interrupting Therapy for women with endocrine responsIVE breast cancer) on the possibilities of implementing reproductive function and BF in women receiving therapy for hormone-receptor positive (HR+) BC stages I–III. BF with cancer detected in the postpartum period depends on the treatment of the underlying disease. In patients undergoing surgical treatment, BF is not contraindicated, but it is not always technically possible. During chemotherapy, BF is not recommended. When carrying out radiotherapy, it is possible to undergo BF using a healthy mammary gland. There is currently no evidence to suggest that BF woman diagnosed with cancer may have any negative effects. In general, it has been shown that preserving and maintaining lactation in women with a history of cancer is safe for both mother and child.

Aim. To evaluate the usage of antihypertensive drugs (AHDs) and their combinations in participants aged 35 to74 years with arterial hypertension (AH) in the population-based study ESSE-RF3.Material and methods. Representative samples of the population aged 35 to 74 years from 15 regions of Russia (n=28731) with a response rate over 70% were examined in the ESSE-RF3 study. Therapy received by 9944 participants with AH (with systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, or when the subject was taking AHDs) was analyzed. Information about AHDs intake (brand name of the drug) was recorded by questionnaire and coded according to International Nonproprietary Names by classes. Statistical analysis was performed using the open-source R 4.1 environment. Comparison of discrete indicators between groups was performed using Fisher’s exact test. The significance level for all tested hypotheses was taken as.05. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of FGBI “NMRC TPM” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, each participant signed an informed consent.Results. Among the patients receiving therapy for AH, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) were used by 38.8% of participants, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) — 31.6%, betablockers (BBs) — 29.0%, сalcium channel blockers (CCBs) — 21.5%, diuretics — 18.6%, 1.1% — outdated AHDs; 8.6% — other groups of drugs. Monotherapy was used by 53.1% of patients, 33.1% of participants received two, and 13.9% received three AHDs. Among participants taking two or more AHDs (including single-pill combinations (SPC)), males most often received the combination of BB+ ACEI and females — BB+ARBs. SPC AHDs were used by 10.3% of those receiving therapy (males: 9.8%, females: 10.6%). Among SPCs, the top three combinations were CCBs + ACEIs (28%), diuretics + ACEIs (27.5%), and diuretics + ARBs (24.4%).Conclusion. The population study ESSE-RF3, based on the survey of a representative sample of the Russian population aged 35-74 years, showed that more than a half of participants with AH receiving therapy were used the monotherapy, only every tenth of those treated received SPC. The problem of insufficient patients’ literacy was indicated — about 1% of patients received outdated AGPs. In addition, 8.6% of patients used non-AHDs for the treatment of AH. For improving the control of AH treatment, it is necessary to increase the adherence of patients to the prescribed therapy and more strict adherence of doctors to the published guidelines for AH treatment.

Introduction. Petroleum bitumen is the main component of road surfaces, which play an important role in ensuring the safety and comfort of vehicle traffic. Over time, bitumen undergoes ageing, which leads to changes in its physical and chemical properties. Such changes cause a decrease in the quality of road surfaces, deterioration of their performance characteristics and reduction of durability. The analysis of research in the field of bitumen thermal stabilization, which is of great importance for optimization of technological processes at high temperatures, was carried out. The optimal composition of modified bitumen using stearic acid, industrial oil was determined.Materials and methods. Bitumen undergoes serious changes during technological processes, during the transition from the bulk to the film state under the influence of high temperatures. Thus, thermal stability of bitumen is an important condition for preserving its quality at all stages of its life cycle. The issue of bitumen thermal stabilization with the use of stearic acid T-18 in combination with industrial oil I-20, which lead to increased resistance from external factors, is considered. To establish the degree of influence of modifying components on bitumen properties, a two-factor rotatable experiment with varying the amount of industrial oil and stearic acid additives, was performed.Results. The compositions and properties of the obtained modified bitumen were studied. The analysis of the obtained results shows that the effect of stearic acid on bitumen penetration is about 6 times higher than the effect of industrial oil, while both components together have insignificant effect on the other studied properties of bitumen.Conclusions. In order to further study thermal stability on the optimal versions of bitumen compositions, studies on mass retention of bitumen films at temperatures from 160 to 220 °C were performed. According to the obtained results, it was found that the effectiveness of stearic acid is manifested at higher temperatures and reaches values up to 25 %.

Summary: Bacteriophages are a major component of the gut microbiome and are believed to play a role in establishment and stabilization of microbial communities by influencing taxonomic and functional diversity. We show that the activity of lytic and temperate phages can also significantly affect bacterial community structure in a model of extended colonic retention. Intact fresh human feces were incubated anaerobically at 37°C without homogenization and subjected to metagenomic sequencing. We observed subject-specific blooms and collapses of selected bacteriophage and bacterial populations within some individuals. Most notable were striking collapses of Prevotella populations accompanied by increases in specific bacteriophages. In a number of cases, we even observed a shift from one bacterial “enterotype” to another within 48 h. These results confirm that intact feces represents a highly dynamic ecological system and suggests that colonic retention time could have a profound effect on microbiome composition, including a significant impact by bacteriophages.

The article examines the functions of birds of prey in medieval German epic poems and chivalric romance. Despite a number of common European meanings assigned to falcons and hawks in medieval bestiaries and hunting treatises, the semantics of hunting birds may have differed significantly in works of different national and genre traditions. The Nibelungenlied and Kudrun were epic in origin and content, but created in the era of the courtesan. The poets’ desire to “modernize” the sound of ancient tales manifested itself at different levels of the text, including hunting birds’ scenes. These scenes also demonstrate the strength of the genre nature of these poems, when elements “borrowed” from the courtly culture are transformed to fit adequately into the epic text. The article analyses scenes involving hunting birds in the most important 13th-century chivalric romances by Hartmann von Aue, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Gottfried von Strassburg and Chrétien de Troyes.

ABSTRACTRuminococcus gnavus is a prevalent gut microbe reported to occur in higher abundance among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study reports the isolation and characterization of six bacteriophages (phages) isolated from human fecal material and environmental samples that infect this species. Isolated phages have a siphovirus morphology, with genomes ranging between 36.5 and 37.8 kbp. Genome analysis indicates that the phages have a temperate lifestyle, which was confirmed by their ability to form lysogens on their host bacterial species. In contrast to the finding that phages lyse their host in liquid medium, results from a mouse trial indicate these phages can co-exist with the host bacterium in the gut without causing a significant reduction of R. gnavus. The bacterial counts in the feces of phage-treated mice did not significantly differ in the presence of phage. Furthermore, analysis of publicly available gut virome sequence data indicates a high abundance of these phages among individuals suffering from IBD. This work provides the first insight into how phages interact with R. gnavus in the human gut microbiome.

A longitudinal analysis of unamplified fecal virome of healthy controls and IBD patients reveals interpersonal variability is a factor that limits our ability to identify associations between the virome composition and IBD.

Introduction. It is known that fires are one of the most large-scale emergencies. It is possible to systematize and formalize their causes only if you take into account the effective analysis of statistical data. The scientific problem lies in the lack of effective mathematical tools and techniques that allow the use of fire statistics as an emergency prevention tool. The solution of this problem is relevant for science and technology. Based on the identified problem, the purpose of this study is formulated, which consists in the analysis of fire statistics and its formalization in predicting emergencies.Problem Statement. The objective of this study is to analyze the state and causes of fires, as well as to find a tool for their prediction.Theoretical Part. The methodological tools for solving this problem are the use of multiple regression and correlation analysis methods that allow criticizing and formalizing the available fire statistics. It is established that an acceptable parameter characterizing the reliability and closeness of the connection of empirical data with their mathematical function in relation to the task is the correlation coefficient.Conclusions. It is proved that an effective tool for predicting fires is the use of linear regression analysis methods. The practical significance of the results obtained for science and technology lies in the possibility of creating digital tools for predicting and preventing emergencies, which will significantly reduce resource costs for eliminating their consequences.

This paper introduces the reader to the field of liquid biopsies and cell-free nucleic acids, focusing on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in breast cancer (BC). BC is the most common type of cancer in women, and progress with regard to treatment has been made in recent years. Despite this, there remain a number of unresolved issues in the treatment of BC; in particular, early detection and diagnosis, reliable markers of response to treatment and for the prediction of recurrence and metastasis, especially for unfavorable subtypes, are needed. It is also important to identify biomarkers for the assessment of drug resistance and for disease monitoring. Our work is devoted to ctDNA, which may be such a marker. Here, we describe its main characteristics and potential applications in clinical oncology. This review considers the results of studies devoted to the analysis of the prognostic and predictive roles of various methods for the determination of ctDNA in BC patients. Currently known epigenetic changes in ctDNA with clinical significance are reviewed. The possibility of using ctDNA as a predictive and prognostic marker for monitoring BC and predicting the recurrence and metastasis of cancer is also discussed, which may become an important part of a precision approach to the treatment of BC.

Abstract We compiled a human metagenome assembled plasmid (MAP) database and interrogated differences across multiple studies that were originally designed to investigate the composition of the human microbiome across various lifestyles, life stages and events. This was performed as plasmids enable bacteria to rapidly expand their functional capacity through mobilisation, yet their contribution to human health and disease is poorly understood. We observed that inter-sample β-diversity differences of plasmid content (plasmidome) could distinguish cohorts across a multitude of conditions. We also show that reduced intra-sample plasmidome α-diversity is consistent amongst patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Clostridioides difficile infections. We also show that faecal microbiota transplants can restore plasmidome diversity. Overall plasmidome diversity, specific plasmids, and plasmid-encoded functions can all potentially act as biomarkers of IBD or its severity. The human plasmidome is an overlooked facet of the microbiome and should be integrated into investigations regarding the role of the microbiome in promoting health or disease. Including MAP databases in analyses will enable a greater understanding of the roles of plasmid-encoded functions within the gut microbiome and will inform future human metagenome analyses.

Abstract Background The crAss-like phages are ubiquitous and highly abundant members of the human gut virome that infect commensal bacteria of the order Bacteroidales. Although incapable of lysogeny, these viruses demonstrate long-term persistence in the human gut microbiome, dominating the virome in some individuals. Results Here we show that rapid phase variation of alternate capsular polysaccharides in Bacteroides intestinalis cultures plays an important role in a dynamic equilibrium between phage sensitivity and resistance, allowing phage and bacteria to multiply in parallel. The data also suggests the role of a concomitant phage persistence mechanism associated with delayed lysis of infected cells, similar to carrier state infection. From an ecological and evolutionary standpoint, this type of phage-host interaction is consistent with the Piggyback-the-Winner model, which suggests a preference towards lysogenic or other “benign” forms of phage infection when the host is stably present at high abundance. Conclusion Long-term persistence of bacteriophage and host could result from mutually beneficial mechanisms driving bacterial strain-level diversity and phage survival in complex environments.

Abstract Background The gut phageome comprises a complex phage community of thousands of individual strains, with a few highly abundant bacteriophages. CrAss-like phages, which infect bacteria of the order Bacteroidales, are the most abundant bacteriophage family in the human gut and make an important contribution to an individual’s core virome. Based on metagenomic data, crAss-like phages form a family, with four sub-families and ten candidate genera. To date, only three representatives isolated in pure culture have been reported: ΦcrAss001 and two closely related phages DAC15 and DAC17; all are members of the less abundant candidate genus VI. The persistence at high levels of both crAss-like phage and their Bacteroidales hosts in the human gut has not been explained mechanistically, and this phage-host relationship can only be properly studied with isolated phage-host pairs from as many genera as possible. Results Faeces from a healthy donor with high levels of crAss-like phage was used to initiate a faecal fermentation in a chemostat, with selected antibiotics chosen to inhibit rapidly growing bacteria and selectively enrich for Gram-negative Bacteroidales. This had the objective of promoting the simultaneous expansion of crAss-like phages on their native hosts. The levels of seven different crAss-like phages expanded during the fermentation, indicating that their hosts were also present in the fermenter. The enriched supernatant was then tested against individual Bacteroidales strains isolated from the same faecal sample. This resulted in the isolation of a previously uncharacterised crAss-like phage of candidate genus IV of the proposed Alphacrassvirinae sub-family, ΦcrAss002, that infects the gut commensal Bacteroides xylanisolvens. ΦcrAss002 does not form plaques or spots on lawns of sensitive cells, nor does it lyse liquid cultures, even at high titres. In keeping with the co-abundance of phage and host in the human gut, ΦcrAss002 and Bacteroides xylanisolvens can also co-exist at high levels when co-cultured in laboratory media. Conclusions We report the isolation and characterisation of ΦcrAss002, the first representative of the proposed Alphacrassvirinae sub-family of crAss-like phages. ΦcrAss002 cannot form plaques or spots on bacterial lawns but can co-exist with its host, Bacteroides xylanisolvens, at very high levels in liquid culture without impacting on bacterial numbers. Video abstract

Young women with reproductive tract neoplasms who receive treatment leading to termination of ovarian function often suffer from menopause symptoms that contribute to dramatic drop in quality of life. Climacteric symptoms in women with iatrogenic menopause are more severe than in case of natural menopause, especially in women with reproductive tract neoplasms. They lead to dramatic drop in quality of life and are one of the main reasons to stop applying endocrine therapy in women with hormone-positive tumors, which leads to decrease in disease free survival and to decline the prognosis. The most effective treatment option for climacteric symptoms of moderate to severe degrees is menopause hormone therapy; however, such therapy is not suitable for patients with estrogen-dependent tumors in past medical history due to the likelihood risk of progression of cancer, as well as the risk of venous thrombosis, the frequency of which in cancer patients increases. Non-hormonal pharmacological and non-pharmacological correction methods are used as first-line therapy for menopause disorders in women with estrogen-dependent tumors of the reproductive system. Among non-hormonal non-pharmacological correction methods actively study such methods as acupuncture, yoga, exercise to control weight, and a diet rich in phytoestrogens. The most effective non-hormonal methods of correcting vasomotor symptoms are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. However, currently in Russia these drugs can be prescribed only by a psychiatrist. The finding of effective and safe non-hormonal methods to correct menopause symptoms in women with hormone-positive reproductive tract tumors is the important task in practice among doctors in different specialties.

Purpose of the study. Improving the results of surgical treatment of melanoma of the skin of the extremities by using skin-fascial flaps on perforating vessels.Patients and methods. In 42 patients with limb skin melanoma T1–3N0M0, the closure of a skin defect was performed by islet flaps on perforating vessels. Perforating vessels of the donor zone were detected with an assessment of the blood supply of the flaps in the pre- and postoperative period using ultrasound and marking of perforants with adjustment of the preliminary marking of the flaps.Results. Permanent perforating vessels with a diameter of more than 1 mm were used. After excision of the tumor, on the opposite sides of the wound defect, taking into account the location of the perforating vessels, flaps were taken, with further mobilization by excision of the fiber and muscle fascia, they were separated from the underlying tissues while maintaining the integrity of the supply vessels. The circulatory state of the selected flaps was determined by skin color and capillary response to digital pressure. The flaps were displaced to the center, covered the area of the defect and sutured with single sutures, the edges of the donor wound were mobilized, sutured with single sutures until light tension appeared and sutured into the remaining wound defect. In the postoperative period, the determination of the parameters of the blood flow of perforating vessels showed the absence of hemodynamically significant violations of the blood flow during the movement of the flap. Transient ischemia of one of the oncoming flaps after surgery developed in 11.9%, marginal necrosis of the distal flap — in 7.1% of cases. A normotrophic scar was formed, with a width of not more than 0.3 cm, which aesthetically satisfied 92.8% of patients. Assessment of two-year relapse-free survival showed a complete absence of local relapses.Conclusion. The flaps vascularized by perforating vessels have high viability, are identical in color and texture to the skin of the recipient area, and the close proximity to the receiving area contributes to minimal deformation of the donor area, which increases the radicality of the operation, reduces the incidence of postoperative complications and improves аesthetic and functional results.

The involvement of axillary lymph nodes is one of the most important prognostic factors, significantly affecting the treatment strategy for early breast cancer (BC). The risk of axillary lymph node metastases depends directly on a number of factors (age of women, size of tumor, presence of lymphovascular invasion and biological characteristics of cancer). The evaluation of regional lymph node status in patients with early BC includes the clinical examination of regional zones and the ultrasound study (US), using these methods can help to study lymph nodes shape, borders, margins and structure. The sensitivity of ultrasound in the evaluation of regional lymph nodes status directly depends on the biological subtype of the tumor; the minimum level of ultrasound sensitivity in the evaluation of lymph nodes status is detected for luminal HER2-negative cancer (less than 40%), and maximum sensitivity is detected for triple negative and HER2-positive subtypes (6871%). Clinical examination and modern ultrasound are the most accessible methods for the evaluation of regional lymph nodes status, but the possibility to misjudge metastatic process can be detected in 1/4 of patients. Verification of the diagnosis in the preoperative phase (fine-needle aspiration biopsy/core-needle biopsy under ultrasound guidance) allows minimize the number of errors for the regional staging. The sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the gold standard of regional treatment in patients with early stage BC, nowadays. The randomized trials (NSABP B-32, ACOSOG q0011) show the safety of recession of performing regional lymph node dissection in favor of SLNB not only in case of clinically negative lymph nodes, but also in patients with metastases in 2 sentinel lymph nodes, upon condition that organ-conservative treatment and subsequent radiation therapy will be used. High-quality regional staging, the choice of the therapeutic algorithm in accordance with the biological characteristics of carcinoma, the application of the most effective modern drug regimes, the optimal radiation therapy allow not only minimize the extent of surgery, but also achieve high long-term survival results, provide excellent functional results and high quality of life in patients with the involvement of axillary lymph nodes.

Each period of childhood is characterized by its own peculiarities of growth and development, the degree of morphological and functional maturity of individual organs and systems, the specifics of physiological and metabolic processes. Rational feeding and nutrition play a significant role in a child’s health. The authors presented modern approaches to the complementary food for children, its timing, taking into account the child’s readiness to receive new food, the composition of the dish, feeding technique, the formation of proper eating habits and behavior. The literature actively discusses the problem of the formation of taste preferences at early age; thisisthe period for the first acquaintance with varioustastes. The article demonstratesthe advantages of using products of industrial production. It is particularly important to overcome the negative attitude to new products – it determinesthe attention of the specialists to the problem of the introduction of complementary foods.Conflict of interest: The authors of this article confirmed the lack of conflict of interest and financial support, which should be reported.

Bacteriophages of the crAssphage family have not yet been isolated, despite being highly abundant in the human gut. Here, Shkoporov et al. isolate in pure culture one of these viruses and show that it infects the human gut symbiont Bacteroides intestinalis.

At the present time, a broad spectrum of CD8+ T lymphocyte subsets is revealed, including naïve cells, memory cells and regulatory subpopulations. Along with cells with high cytolytic activity, some subsets with marked regulatory activity were found there. Each subpopulation is characterized by a set of produced mediators, surface and intracellular markers allowing to suggest their differential in vivo functional activity. The present review article proposes a classification of CD8+ Т cells which takes into account their morphological and functional features. According to conventional view, the CD8+ Т lymphocytes is a cell population exhibiting high cytotoxic ability which is of critical significance in pregnancy, under the conditions of semi-allogenic fetal cell invasion into the endometrium. The fraction of CD8+ T cells is rather high in decidual structures. The review discusses the known mechanisms of differentiation regulation, selective migration and activity of CD8+ T cells in decidual membrane and placenta in the course of pregnancy. Perforine and granzyme are the main cytotoxicity factors of CD8+ Т cells. IL-2, IL-5, IL-13, IFNγ, IL-17, TGF-β and IL-10 cytokines are considered regulatory mediators of CD8+ cells. To induce the effector properties of CD8+ T cells, an antigenic stimulation is required, which is provided by interactions between the CD8+ Т cells and activated CD4+ Т cells or dendritic cells, cytokine effects. Specific differentiation of the CD8+ T cells is determined by differences in microenvironvent. In the course of pregnancy, accumulation of CD8+ Т cells is observed in decidual membrane, but their phenotype and functional properties differ from CD8+ Т cells in peripheral blood. At present time, the mechanisms of selective CD8+ T cell migration to decidual membrane are studied. These events are suggested to be mediated by means of CXCR3 and CCR5 chemokine receptors, IL-6 and IL-15 cytokines. The features of CD8+ Т cell activities, and production of some cytokines, e.g., CSF2, IFNγ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8,IL-10, IL-12 and TNFα in decidual membrane and is of critical significance for effective invasion of trophoblast cells. In turn, the trophoblast and placental cells promote development of regulatory CD8+ Т lymphocytes in decidual membrane, being able to induce CD8+ T cell apoptosis in decidual membrane. Hence, interaction between the maternal CD8+ T cells and trophoblast in the area of uterine-placental contact is an important link during development of immunological tolerance in the maternal/fetal system.

Recent years have been marked by the growing interest towards virulent and temperate bacteriophage populations inhabiting the human lower gastrointestinal tract – the gut phageome. A number of studies demonstrated high levels of specificity and temporal stability of individual gut phageomes, as well as their specific alterations in disease cohorts, in parallel with changes in the bacteriome. It has been speculated that phages might have an active role in shaping the taxonomic composition and functional properties of the human gut bacteriome. An overwhelming majority of gut bacteriophages, however, remain uncultured, unclassified, and their specific hosts and infection strategies are still unknown. They are often referred to as “the viral dark matter”. A possible breakthrough in understanding of the phageome can only become possible when a significant proportion of the “the viral dark matter” is identified and linked to bacterial hosts. Here, we describe a method that enables rapid discovery and host-linking of novel bacteriophages in the gut via a combination of serial enrichment cultures and shotgun metagenomics of viral DNA. Using this approach dozens of novel and previously known bacteriophages were detected, including the ones infecting difficult-to-culture anaerobic bacteria. The majority of phages failed to produce lysis and propagate on host cultures in traditional assays. The newly identified phages include representatives of Siphoviridae, Myoviridae, Podoviridae, and crAss-like viruses, infecting diverse bacterial taxa of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Proteobacteria phyla. The proposed new method has a potential for high-throughput screening applications for mass discovery of new phages in different environments.

Aim: To perform a comparative analysis with simultaneous measurement of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) in serum samples taken from healthy women and ovarian cancer patients; to perform association of these markers with their expression in primary tumors depending on clinical, morphological and biochemical characteristics of the disease and its prognosis. Materials and methods: We assessed 54 treatment-naïve patients with ovarian cancer aged from 23 to 74 years (mean ± SD, 53.2 ± 1.9), being at various FIGO stages of the disease. The control group consisted of 120 healthy women of matched age and reproductive status, in whom serum biomarker levels were studied. Patient survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method, with survival curves compared with log-rank test. All analyses were done with “STATISTICA” and SPSS software. Results: Serum VEGF levels in ovarian cancer patients were significantly (p 505 pg/ml (upper quartile in the control). With 505 pg/ml taken as a threshold, the test had sensitivity of 79.6% and specificity of 75%. Another cut-off value of serum VEGF level between the patients with ovarian cancer and the control group (510 pg/ml) was derived from ROC curves and 75% sensitivity and 78.2% specificity. No acceptable cut-off value for serum IGF1 to differentiate between the patients with ovarian cancer and the controls could be obtained from the ROC curves. Serum MMP7 levels in the patients with ovarian cancer were significantly higher than those in the control group (Mann-Whitney test p

The 3-hydroxy-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one motif is a valuable scaffold in drug discovery. The replacement of the 3-oxy fragment in 3-hydroxy-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones-based compounds with a 3-amino one (3-amino analogs of 3-hydroxy-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones, 3-amino-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones) can play a crucial role in their biological effect. Thus, approaches to 3-amino-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones are of significant interest. We developed an approach to 5-spiro-substituted 3-amino-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones that could not be obtained using previously reported approaches (reactions of 3-hydroxy-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones with amines). The developed approach is based on the thermal decomposition of 1,3-disubstituted urea derivatives of 5-spiro-substituted 3-hydroxy-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-ones, which were prepared via their reaction with carbodiimides.

The paper presents an original vision of the implementation process of the fundamental concepts of the European Foundation of Quality Management in terms of Russian universities. Identifying priority areas at different stages of its development, the University focuses on the fundamental concepts of the EFQM Excellence, which formed the basis of the philosophy of quality and inspired University to search for new areas of acquired knowledge and experience application.

New treatment options of chronic diseases, concerning the different selection of therapy regimens, as well as the system of drug administration (outpatiently, domiciliary, at hospital) started up over the last decade. The patient's awareness of the availability of treatment alternatives is an important benefit factor in terms of adherence of patients to treatment and preserving quality of life. The aim of this study was to examine the factors influencing the choice of medication administration route, used in case of various nosologies. In view of this we analyzed all publications in the PubMed database in the period of 1990 to 2016, concerning the comparison of efficacy, safety, pharmacoeconomic, patient preferences, in case of different medication administration route. As a result of the database analysis we incontestably proved that the basic criteria of medication selection were efficiency, safety, pharmacoeconomic aspects and patient preference. Patient preference is an important factor in achieving high adherence to treatment, increasing the efficiency of medical technology and enhancing quality of life.

In recent years, the main scientific directions concerning ovarian cancer have been associated with the attempt to individualize the treatment based on prognostic and predictive molecular biological markers. The damage in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes is identified in 10-15% of ovarian cancer cases. The main function of BRCA proteins is responsibility for repairing double-strand break in DNA by a mechanism of homologous recombination. The result of BRCA gene dysfunction is BRCA-associated DNA damage repair mechanism. As a result, these tumors can be extremely sensitive to DNA-damaging cytostatic agents - such as platinum-based drugs. Several studies show the better survival rates of patients with BRCA mutations in comparison with sporadic ovarian cancer. The information concerning the course of disease and treatment characteristics of patients with ovarian cancer associated with BRCA1, 2 mutations in the Russian population of patients is extremely limited.

The evidences for statin use in cardiology are presented. Especially hypolipidemic efficacy of atorvastatin is demonstrated in according to comparative studies. Results of clinical studies on atorvastatin efficacy and safety in different groups of patients are also presented.

Cell repair machinery is responsible for protecting the genome from endogenous and exogenous effects that induce DNA damage. Mutations that occur in somatic cells lead to dysfunction in certain tissues or organs, while a violation of genomic integrity during the embryonic period often leads to death. A mammalian embryo’s ability to respond to damaged DNA and repair it, as well as its sensitivity to specific lesions, is still not well understood. In this review, we combine disparate data on repair processes in the early stages of preimplantation development in mammalian embryos.