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Aim. To analyze modern methods for the diagnosis of trematodiasis in experimental and epidemiological studies.Trematodiasis is a group of common parasitic diseases that are a socially sensitive health problem worldwide. According to World Health Organization, more than 250 million people are affected by trematode infections globally. The most common types of human trematode infections are diseases caused by Schistosoma, Fasciola, Clonorchis, and Opisthorchis pathogens. Diagnosis of trematodiasis is often multistage and includes identification of disease symptoms, analysis of medical history, and use of various laboratory tests. Clinical presentation of parasitic infections often varies, making a definitive diagnosis difficult. Various tools are used to diagnose trematode infections: epidemiological criteria, laboratory tests (complete blood count and blood biochemistry, serological methods), instrumental methods (abdominal X-ray and ultrasound), and parasitological techniques, which often have insufficient sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, development of modern and effective non-invasive methods for detection of trematode infections with high sensitivity and specificity, including screening in endemic regions, is relevant.The present review analyzes the results of 90 clinical trials and experimental studies on the diagnosis of trematode infections using the PubMed search engine and the eLibrary database. The review analyzes original articles published from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2021.Most studies confirm that the absence of a standard diagnostic approach highlights obvious convenience of utilizing a combined approach to reliable diagnosis of trematodiasis. An adequate combination of different diagnostic tests makes it possible to diagnose the disease correctly, devise a correct treatment and follow-up strategy, and organize preventive measures.

Abstract Adenine-DNA-glycosylase MutY is a monofunctional enzyme and catalyzes hydrolysis of N-glycosidic bonds with adenine residues located opposite 8-oxonuanine residues in DNA. Rational design was carried out to construct mutant enzyme forms with altered catalytic activity. Structures of the MutY mutants were calculated by molecular dynamics (MD). Their analysis showed that some of the MutY mutants may have AP lyase activity in addition to hydrolyzing the N-glycosidic bond, as is the case with bifunctional DNA glycosylases. MutY mutants with the A120K or S124K substitution were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis, and their catalytic activities were determined. The S120K substitution was shown to confer additional AP lyase activity, while the A124K substitution completely inactivated the enzyme.

The article is focused on the dynamics of publication activity of medical universities in Russian Federation over the period of 1996–2019. Based on the number of publications indexed in Scopus database, 28 institutions that have made significant contribution were selected for analysis. Overall, Russian medical universities have demonstrated rapid growth of publication activity over the recent years. Several typical growth patterns were identified, that are shared by the majority of institutions. These patterns were found to be independent of funding and number of staff, or geographic location, and most likely reflect the impact of individual institutional policy in the field of scientific research. Additionally, we investigated the structure of total scholarly output of each institution in terms of scientific fields, frequency of international collaborations, and publication language, all of which have demonstrated significant variability. The dynamics of citation was also analyzed. While medical universities in Russian Federation make advances in terms of publication activity, the citation profile is yet to improve.

Food allergy (FA) is an actual problem in pediatric practice. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in food sensitization development, since the maturation of immune system occurs under the influence of intestinal microorganisms. Immunoregulatory activity of gut microbiota is associated with the increase of IgA production and promotion of the barrier function of intestinal epithelium. Gut microbiota influence the activity of T-regulatory cells, as well. Violation of gut biocenosis, which occurs under the influence of various factors (artificial feeding, past diseases, the use of antibiotics, etc.), can lead to a shift in the balance of the immune system towards the increase of Th2-profile cytokines and the subsequent formation of hypersensitivity to food allergens. In this regard, the correction of the gut microbiome is a promising method of FA control, due to the ability of intestinal bacteria influence the production of T-regulatory cells and thus suppress allergy immune response.

The article presents the results of studies to determine the drought resistance of peach cultivars to drought by the water-holding capacity of the leaves and taking into account the chlorophyll fluorescence intensity in the wilting process. It was found that cultivars responded differently to drought. In the studied cultivars, a high correlation dependence of the chlorophyll fluorescence indices of the leaves and the moisture content (0.7-0.9) was traced. On a set of indicators Merkurij cultivar was marked out, it gave away moisture more slowly, restored the leaf surface better, was characterized by better photosynthetic indicators and is promising for cultivation in areas with insufficient water supply.

There is an increase in the prevalence of chronic, noncommunicable diseases, including allergic and autoimmune diseases in developed countries. In this regard, the study of factors modifying the population’s immune response is very important.According to the “old friends” hypothesis , insufficiency of infectious stimulation and decrease in prevalence of helminthiasis are associated with development of noncommunicable diseases. Studies revealed that intestinal parasites modulate the host immune response and alter susceptibility to immunological diseases. It is suggested that one of the pathogenetic mechanisms of immune response modulation by parasites is an increase in the content of gastrointestinal bacteria with anti-inflammatory effect. Advanced technologies of microorganism identification provide a deep insight into the microbiota in different pathologies. The study of changes in the intestine and bile microbiota of the host in helminthiases provides new possibilities for prevention, diagnosis and control of such conditions as chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and allergic diseases. The purpose of this review is to analyze current experimental and clinical data on intestinal microbiota in helminth infections and possible association with development of chronic noncommunicable diseases.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a cancer with high mortality owing to its aggressiveness and resistance to therapy. The liver flukes of the Opisthorchiidae family have been recognized as risk factors of CCA. Opisthorchis felineus infection occurs in Western Siberia, the biggest endemic area in the Russian Federation, and is associated with chronic inflammation of the bile ducts, which may be linked to severe hepatobiliary morbidity. We report two cases of confirmed CCA who had a chronic O. felineus infection. Both cases presented unspecific symptoms at the onset of the disease, a stage when severe pathological changes already had occurred. Both patients were living in endemic areas but did not receive any antihelminthic treatment. This report underlines the need for assessment of O. felineus infection as a causative factor of CCA. The results will provide further arguments for control of O. felineus in the Russian Federation.

Infection with the liver fluke, Opisthorchis felineus, caused by the consumption of infected raw or undercooked cyprinid fish is common in humans and carnivores in the middle Ob River basin (Tomsk region, Russia) and can lead to diseases in humans. The goal of this study was the status of fish infection with O. felineus metacercariae in order to assess the role of fish in the infection of the human population in the middle Ob River basin. Of the 14 Cyprinidae species recorded in the middle Ob River basin, we examined 6 cyprinid species for prevalence and intensity of infection with O. felineus metacercariae. Five of these species (Leuciscus idus, Leuciscus leuciscus, Rutilus rutilus, Abramis brama, and Carassius gibelio) are of commercial value, while the common bleak is an object of amateur fishing. In addition, we conducted a survey of the fish consumption habits as part of a community-based cross-sectional study in the rural Shegarsky district, Tomsk region, Russian Federation. O. felineus metacercariae were observed in muscles of all examined species except for the Prussian carp. The ide is the main infection source in the Ob River (prevalence of infection, 100%, and intensity, 50.5 metacercariae per fish) and the common dace in the Tom River (91.1% and 12.7 metacercariae). Although the two alien species (bream and common bleak) are susceptible to infection with O. felineus metacercariae, the prevalence of infection in these fish and in the roach did not exceed 3%. The prevalence and intensity of infection in fish increased with age and size. The infection characteristics of fish in different water flows were different. The cyprinid species account on average for 69.8% of the commercial fish harvested in the Tomsk region. According to epidemiological survey, among 600 participants, 87.5% (n = 525) of respondents consumed river fish, with the most popular fish being cyprinids including Prussian carp, dace, ide and bream, followed by pike and perch. Thus, the epizootological state of the water flows in the middle Ob River basin is adverse with respect to opisthorchiasis, as indicated by high infection rates of liver fluke metacercariae in ide and common dace, which are abundant species of high commercial value. An extremely high prevalence of infection suggests a strong transmission cycle with a high rate of infection from infected humans and/or animal reservoir hosts to snails and fish. In addition to treating humans, there should be a strong focus on identifying these potential reservoir hosts to reduce subsequent infection in humans. Furthermore, since the intensity of infection in humans is determined by the presence of fish species such as ide and dace in the diet, they should be included in a dietary change campaign by eliminating the consumption of raw fish., Highlights • Commercial cyprinid species play the key role in maintaining opisthorchiasis foci. • The ide and common dace are the main source of human and animal infection. • Measures to control Opisthorchis felineus should target these two species of fish. • The invasion of fish increases with their age and size.

Antimicrobial resistance control programmes often aim to “fix” the behaviour of antibiotic users and prescribers. Such behavioural interventions have been widely criticised in social science literature for being inefficient and too narrow in scope. Drawing on these criticisms, this article analyses how political programmes for fixing antibiotic behaviours were adapted into the practices of health‐care professionals and patients in Russia. In 2018, we conducted interviews with medical doctors, pharmacists and patients in a Russian city; focusing on their practices around the policy requirement introduced in 2017 which obligated medical prescriptions of antibiotics. We conceptualised the obligatory medical prescription as a political technique which sought to change practices of self‐treatment and over‐the‐counter sales of medications by establishing doctors as an obligatory passage point to access antibiotics. Our analysis shows that the requirement for medical prescriptions does not fulfil the infrastructural gaps that influence antibiotic practices. By navigating the antibiotic prescriptions, doctors, pharmacists and patients informally compensate for the gaps in the existing infrastructure creating informal networks of antibiotic care parallel to the requirement of obligatory prescriptions. Following these informal practices, we could map the inconsistencies in the current policy approaches to tackle AMR as a behavioural rather than infrastructural problem.

Throughout the 20th century, there have been significant changes in children’s health and enormous gains in paediatric healthcare because of systematic healthcare development including public health interventions. Recognising the importance of children’s health currently, countries have agreed to develop independently their own strategies, plans and programmes for sustainable development. According to WHO/Europe, infant mortality is associated with an increase in infectious diseases and adverse living conditions.1 The achieved improvements in children’s health are largely attributable to the reduction of infectious diseases prevalence. Many historical studies of children’s morbidity and mortality concentrated either on Western countries or on metropolitan locations in non-Western settings. This paper extends the discussion by focusing on a relatively remote and peripheral urban location in the Russian Empire, the city of Tomsk in Western Siberia. According to some estimates, at the end of the 19th century in the Russian Empire, infant mortality reached 250 cases per 1000 children and was one of the highest in Europe.2 Tomsk is a city located in the Western Siberia with the climate being characterised by cold and prolonged winters. According to official sources, the population of Tomsk in 1897 was 52 430 people. Average life expectancy was 29 years for men and 30 years for women.3 There was a high birth rate in comparison with other cities, 48 per 1000 inhabitants, along with the high mortality rate of children.4 The sanitary setting of the city was in bad condition. People were forced to drink river water, and the first water supply in Tomsk was opened only in 1905.5 The first Western-style medical faculties began to appear in Russia …

The human N-glycosylases SMUG1 and MBD4 catalyze the removal of uracil residues from DNA resulting from cytosine deamination or replication errors. For polymorphic variants of SMUG1 (G90C, P240H, N244S, N248Y) and the MBD4^(cat) catalytic domain (S470L, G507S, R512W, H557D), the structures of enzyme-substrate complexes were obtained by molecular dynamic simulation. It was experimentally found that the SNP variants of SMUG1, N244S and N248Y, had increased catalytic activity compared to the wild-type enzyme, probably due to the acceleration of the dissociation of the enzyme-product complex and an increase in the enzyme turnover rate. All other SNP variants of SMUG1 (G90C, P240H) and MBD4^(cat), in which amino acid substitutions disrupted the substrate binding region and/or active site, had significantly lower catalytic activity than the wild-type enzymes.

In mammalian cells, base excision repair (BER) is the main pathway responsible for the correction of a variety of chemically modified DNA bases. DNA packaging in chromatin affects the accessibility of damaged sites to the enzymes involved in repair processes. This review presents data concerning the enzymes involved in BER. Within the nucleosome core particle (NCP), the accessibility of damaged DNA to enzymes is hindered by the presence of a histone octamer. This means that the removal of DNA lesions largely depends on their rotational and translational positioning in the NCP, as well as on the specific features of each enzyme.

Background The liver fluke, Opisthorchis felineus, is widely distributed throughout Europe and large parts of the Russian Federation. In Western Siberia, information about opisthorchiasis is lacking although infection may lead to severe liver and bile duct diseases. We aimed to assess the current prevalence of O. felineus infection along with associated risk factors and morbidity in rural Western Siberia. Methods We conducted a community-based, cross-sectional study in the rural Shegarskiy district, Tomsk Oblast, Russian Federation. All household members (≥ 7 years) present on the survey day were enrolled (n = 600). Two stool samples per person were examined for helminth eggs, using PARASEP (DiaSys Ltd, UK). The number of eggs per gram (EPG) of feces was recorded. Each study participant was interviewed to determine risk factors, using a pre-tested questionnaire. An abdominal ultrasonography examination of liver and bile ducts was performed with a mobile, high resolution ultrasound device. In total, 488 persons completed assessments (two stool samples, completed questionnaires); of those, 436 individuals had an ultrasonography (US) examination. Results We observed a prevalence of O. felineus infection of 60.2%. Significant risk factors for infection were the consumption of river fish (odds ratio from adjusted analysis [aOR] 2.4, 95% CI 1.52–3.95, p, Author summary Opisthorchis felineus is a trematode (liver fluke) that infects the hepatobiliary systems of humans in endemic regions. The infection may lead to severe liver and bile duct diseases, making it a public health issue in endemic communities like Western Siberia. Yet, little information is available from this region about its epidemiology. We aimed to assess the current prevalence of O. felineus infection along with associated risk factors and morbidity in one district in rural Western Siberia. We conducted a cross-sectional community-based study in the Shegarskiy district, Tomsk Oblast, Russian Federation. All household members (≥ 7 years) present on the survey day were enrolled (n = 600). Two stool samples per person were examined for helminth eggs. We interviewed study participants to determine risk factors using a questionnaire. An abdominal ultrasonography examination was performed to assess liver and bile duct pathology. In total, 488 persons completed assessments. We found a high O. felineus infection prevalence of 60.2%. Women and older study participants had a higher risk of infection. The consumption of river fish, particularly stock, smoked, frozen and raw fish; and fishing activities increased the risk of infection. Study participants with a higher socio-economic status had a lower risk of infection. The ultrasonography showed that participants with infection had an increased risk of gallbladder stones and bile duct pathologies. Our study provides valuable information about Opisthorchis infection prevalence, its risk factors and morbidity in rural Siberia. The results will be useful for developing a multidisciplinary, community-based control program against Opisthorchis infection in endemic regions.

Binase is an extracellular guanyl-preferring ribonuclease from Bacillus pumilus. The main biological function of binase is RNA degradation with the formation of guanosine-2',3'-cyclic phosphate and its subsequent hydrolysis to 3'-phosphate. Extracellular RNases are believed to be key agents that affect the functional activity of the body, as they directly interact with epithelial and immune cells. The biological effects of the enzyme may consist of both direct RNA degradation, and the accumulation of 2',3'-cGMP in the human body. In this work, we have performed a comparative analysis of the cleavage efficiency of model RNA substrates, i.e., short hairpin structures that contain guanosine at various positions. It has been shown that the hydrolysis efficiency of the model RNA substrates depends on the position of guanosine. We have also demonstrated the influence of various divalent metal ions and low molecular weight nucleotide compounds on the binase-catalyzed endoribonucleolytic reaction.

BACKGROUND: A clear understanding of the differences in the epidemiology of food allergy between rural and urban populations may provide insights into the causes of increasing prevalence of food allergy in the developed world.OBJECTIVE: We used a standardized methodology to determine the prevalence and types of food-specific allergic sensitization and food allergies in schoolchildren from urban and rural regions of China, Russia, and India.METHODS: The current study is a multicenter epidemiological survey of children recruited from 5 cities in China (Hong Kong and Guangzhou), Russia (Tomsk), and India (Bengaluru and Mysore) and 1 rural county in Southern China (Shaoguan). A total of 35,549 children aged 6 to 11 years from 3 countries participated in this survey. Random samples of children from 3 countries were first screened by the EuroPrevall screening questionnaire. Children with and without a history of adverse reactions to foods were then recruited for the subsequent case-control comparative studies. We determined the prevalence rates of food-specific IgE sensitization and food allergies using the predefined criteria.RESULTS: The prevalence rates of food-specific IgE sensitization (>= 0.7 kU/L) to at least 1 food were 16.6% in Hong Kong, 7.0% in Guangzhou, 16.8% in rural Shaoguan, 8.0% in Tomsk, and 19.1% in India. Using a definition of probable food allergy as reporting allergic symptoms within 2 hours of ingestion of a specific food plus the presence of allergic sensitization to the specific food (positive IgE and/or positive skin prick test result), the prevalence of food allergy was highest in Hong Kong (1.50%), intermediate in Russia (0.87%), and lowest in Guangzhou (0.21%), Shaoguan (0.69%), and India (0.14%). For children recruited from Hong Kong, both sensitization and food allergy were significantly higher in children who were born and raised in Hong Kong when compared with those who were born in mainland China and migrated to Hong Kong, highlighting the importance of early-life exposures in affecting the subsequent development of food sensitization and food allergy.CONCLUSIONS: There are wide variations in the prevalence of food-specific IgE sensitization and food allergy in the 3 participating countries. Food allergy appears to be less common when compared with developed countries. The variations in the prevalence of food allergen sensitization cannot be explained by the differences in the degree of urbanization. Despite the high prevalence of food-specific IgE sensitization in India and rural China, food allergy is still extremely uncommon. In addition to IgE sensitization, other factors must play important roles resulting in the clinical manifestations of food allergies. (C) 2019 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

The presence of some species of helminths is associated with changes in host microbiota composition and diversity, which varies widely depending on the infecting helminth species and other factors. We conducted a prospective case-control study to evaluate the gut microbiota in children with Opisthorchis felineus infection (n=50) before and after anthelmintic treatment and in uninfected children (n=49) in the endemic region. A total of 99 children and adolescents aged between 7 and 18 years were enrolled to the study. Helminth infection was assessed before and at 3 months after treatment with praziquantel. A complex examination for each participant was performed in the study, including an assessment of the clinical symptoms and an intestinal microbiota survey by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of stool samples. There was no change in alpha diversity between O. felineus-infected and control groups. We found significant changes in the abundances of bacterial taxa at different taxonomic levels between the infected and uninfected individuals. Enterobacteriaceae family was more abundant in infected participants compared to uninfected children. On the genus level, O. felineus-infected participants' microbiota showed higher levels of Lachnospira, Escherichia-Shigella, Bacteroides, Eubacterium eligens group, Ruminiclostridium 6, Barnesiella, Oscillibacter, Faecalitalea and Anaerosporobacter and reduction of Blautia, Lachnospiraceae FCS020 and Eubacterium hallii group in comparison with the uninfected individuals. Following praziquantel therapy, there were significant differences in abundances of some microorganisms, including an increase of Faecalibacterium and decrease of Megasphaera, Roseburia. Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia abundances were decreased up to the control group values. Our results highlight the importance of the host-parasite-microbiota interactions for the community health in the endemic regions.

The clinical features of inherited human DNA repair-deficient disorders such as Cockayne syndrome and Fanconi anemia point to the complex nature of endogenous oxidative DNA damage, which may include bulky adducts, inter-strand DNA crosslinks (ICLs) and clustered lesions. Conversely, severe biological effects of DNA crosslinking agents and ionizing radiation correlated with formation of ICLs and double-strand breaks in DNA, respectively. These complex DNA damages are postulated to be critical because they are more difficult to repair than singular lesions. It anticipated that the removal of ICLs and clustered oxidatively-induced DNA bases on both strands would, if not tightly regulated, either inhibit certain steps of repair or produce persistent chromosome breaks and thus be lethal for the cells. Genetic and biochemical data indicate that the elimination of complex damages requires several distinct DNA repair pathways including: base excision repair, nucleotide incision repair, Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases-mediated DNA strand break repair, global genome and transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair, mismatch repair, homologous recombination, non-homologous end joining, and translesion DNA synthesis pathways. In this review, we describe the role of recently discovered alternative DNA repair pathways in the removal of complex DNA lesions.

Automated technology for synthesizing [18F]fluoromethylcholine, a radiopharmaceutical for diagnostic positron-emission-tomography tumor imaging, was developed. A TRACERlab FXFN synthesis module (GE Healthcare) used the combined technology of on-line alkylation and solid-phase extraction. The synthesis module was modified to allow operation at various He flow rates in critical process steps. The radiochemical yield of [18F]fluoromethylcholine was >10%, which was sufficient to produce several clinical doses. The quality control parameters of the produced [18F]fluoromethylcholine met the requirements of the RF Pharmacopoeia.

The severity of the disease is the main factor for further treatment. Bronchoobstructive syndrome of children is widespread. Early detection of the disease severity and correct treatment eliminate the clinical manifestation of the syndrome and improve the quality of patients life. Criteria of severity, as a rule, serve a certain set of clinical and paraclinical parameters used for different nosological forms. In particular, the decrease in parameters of the function of external respiration is the “gold standard” for assessing the severity. Lung function tests for preschoolers are limited. Clinical respiratory scales may be useful in the evaluation of preschooler. Alternative assessment respiratory function is sometimes used as clinical scale. Numerous studies devoted to the objective assessment of bronchial obstruction syndrome severity. A scientific literature review is dedicated to the analysis to the assessment of the bronchoobstructive syndrome severity degree and the effectiveness of therapy at preschool-aged children.

Background. To reveal the regularities of sensitization formation in children with atopic dermatitis (AD) in first four years of life. Methods. Continuous crosssectional study of 69 children with an established diagnosis of AD from age 0 to 4 years was conducted. Severity was assessed according to the SCORAD scale. Clinical examination included: general and biochemical blood tests, determination of total IgE and allergenspecific IgE (IgEs) in serum against the most common epidermal and food allergens with ImmunoCAP, Phadia IDM (Sweden) technology. Results. Diagnostically significant levels of IgEs to these allergens had 68,11% of patients. Sensitization to cow’s milk was estimated in 38,98% (n=23), to chicken egg and its components in 67,92% (n=36), to chicken protein in 67,44% (n=29), to yolk in 54,28% (n=19), to cat epithelium in 47,5% (n=19) of children. Conclusion. Sensitization to food allergens marks the early development of sensitization to exogenous allergens, predominantly to the cat epithelium. Sensitization to house dust mites develops less frequently, but can also occur in children under one year of age. Sensitization to cat epithelium can accompany food sensitization as well as to be an independent cause of AD.

Introduction. Pharmaceutical market and clinical trials (CTs) industry are growing rapidly in Russia, but little is known about perceptions of patients involved in medical experimentation, about their expectations regarding trial participation, and associated fears and reservations. Material and methods. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in different cities of the Russian Federation. Patients who had previous experience in CTs (or were enrolled in a CT at the time of this study) were asked to complete a questionnaire. Results. Likert-style questions were used to evaluate factors influencing the perception of CTs by the patients. The most important factors to decide whether to participate in the clinical trial or not for the patients included professional monitoring services, regular condition monitoring, better medical care, and free treatment. Three most significant factors that have adverse effect on the interest to participate in the study were: the risk of side effects, study of new medication and the risk of getting into the placebo group. The most important motivating factors to continue CTs for the patients were as follows permanent monitoring of condition, personal relationships with medical researchers, improvement of physical condition, as well as free medical examinations and medical assistance. Conclusion. Results of the study showed that expectations, motivations and experiences of patients participating in clinical trials in Russia are comparable with the world's data. The findings suggest more significant role of the researcher in almost all aspects of patient participation. After the end of the study the majority of respondents were still in contact with doctors.

Opisthorchis felineus (O. felineus) occurs in Western Siberia and many other parts of the Russian Federation (RF). The true extent of its distribution is not known. Chronic infection may lead to severe hepatobiliary morbidity. According to surgical and experimental reports, long-term infestation might significantly increase the risk for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). To date, no association between O. felineus infection and CCA has been demonstrated. The objective of this study was to review existing health data on the incidence of O. felineus infection and on the incidence of CCA in the RF. We reviewed the official medical statistics on reported O. felineus infection and CCA in 83 political/geographical units of the RF, covering the period January 2011-December 2013. Annual incidence data were obtained from Rospotrebnadzor and from official medical statistics. We calculated the average annual incidence of infection and cancer. The average annual incidence of O. felineus was 24.7±9.0 cases per 100,000 population. The highest incidence was observed in Khanty-Mansiysk district (599.7 cases per 100,000 population per year). In 27 geographical units, no O. felineus cases were reported. The incidence of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancers was 4.8±0.2 cases per 100,000 population; the highest rate was reported in Sakha Republic and Tomsk Oblast (14.5 and 9.3 cases per 100,000 population), and the lowest in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (0.9 cases per 100,000 population). O. felineus incidence was not associated with the mean annual incidence of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancers (r=0.20, p=0.07). This study documents the importance of opisthorchiasis in certain endemic areas and presents the best available data on associations between O. felineus infection and liver/intrahepatic bile duct cancers in RF. The findings support the need to implement a public health control programme against liver fluke infections and to increase the availability of anthelmintic treatment. Further studies are warranted to assess the contribution of opisthorchiasis to the CCA in RF.

In the present work, a thermodynamic analysis of the interaction between endonuclease VIII (Endo VIII) and model DNA substrates containing damaged nucleotides, such as 5,6-dihydrouridine and 2-hydroxymethyl-3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran (F-site), was performed. The changes in the fluorescence intensity of the 1,3-diaza-2-oxophenoxazine (tC°) residue located in the complementary chain opposite to the specific site were recorded in the course of the enzyme-substrate interaction. The kinetics was analyzed by the stopped-flow method at different temperatures. The changes of standard Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of sequential steps of DNA substrate binding, as well as activation enthalpy and entropy for the transition complex formation of the catalytic stage, were calculated. The comparison of the kinetic and thermodynamic data characterizing the conformational transitions of enzyme and DNA in the course of their interaction made it possible to specify the nature of the molecular processes occurring at the stages of substrate binding, recognition of the damaged base, and its removal from DNA.

Background. Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) is defined as immediate IgE-mediated allergic reaction localized in the oral mucosa and developing after consuming raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes in pollen sensitized patients. Objective. To study the prevalence of OAS in children in the Tomsk region. Material. The cross-sectional study in random groups of primary schoolchildren aged 7-10 years (n=13 010) from the Tomsk region, Russia, was performed in frames of (EuroPrevall, № FP6-2006-TTC-TU-5 Proposal 045879). During the screening phase a survey with standardized questionnaire was carried out. Clinical stage (n=1288) included clinical interviewing with parents/guardians, the clinical examination of patients, skin prick testing with extracts of food and pollen allergens (ALK-Abello, Spain), measurement of specific IgE level in serum to food and pollen allergens, component resolved diagnostics (ImmunoCAP, Phadia, Sweden). Results. OAS registered in 13,71% of children with pollen sensitization. The main triggers were apples, carrots, peaches, peanuts. Main cause of OAS in the Tomsk region was cross-reactivity to Bet v 1 - homologues belonging to PR-10 family: to apple - Mal d 1 (r=0,92; p=0,01); to peach - Pru p1 (r=0,87; p=0,01); to peanut - Ara h 8 (r=0,74; p=0,01); to hazelnut - Cor a 1 (r=0,76; p=0,01); to carrot - Dau c 1 (r=0,54; p=0,01). Conclusion. OAS was observed in 13,71% of children with pollen sensitization and was developesed due to crossreactivity to the birch allergen Bet v 1.

Peach is notable for its drought resistance as well as sensibility to moisture conditions. Therefore, improvement of breeding material and development of drought-resistant varieties can be numbered among our most pressing tasks. The object of research was 39 peach hybrid forms developed at Nikitsky Botanical Gardens. Throughout the research period the total water content in the leaves of hybrid forms amounted to 50.2-58.9%. The water deficit in leaves ranged from 11.2 to 25.9%. In the process of wilting the leaves of peach hybrid forms lost 26.4-39.8% of moisture content within 24 hours. High regeneration capacity of leaf surface (up to 86.2%) was observed in 3 early and 5 midripening forms. This research allowed us to identify hybrid forms with high drought tolerance, including 5 early-, 4 mid- and 1 late-ripening forms.

4,5-Bis(butoxy)-2-nitrobenzaldehyde and 4,5-bis(tert-butoxycarbonyloxy)-2-nitrobenzaldehyde, as well as their fluorine-18 labeled derivatives (the half-life of F18 is T 1/2 = 110 min) were synthesized for use as precursors in the synthesis of fluorine-18 labeled catecholamines and 6-[18F]fluoro-l-DOPA ((S)-3-[4,5-dihydroxy-2-[18F]fluorophenyl]-2-aminopropionic acid), important radiopharmaceutical agents (RPAs) for positron emission tomography. An advantageous feature of the newly obtained substituted nitrobenzaldehydes is the presence of labile protective groups which can be removed without using aggressive chemicals and severe conditions, which is of fundamental importance for automation of the RPA synthesis in modern synthesis apparatus. A high and stable radiofluorination yield achieved under the optimum fluorination conditions (Kryptofix 222 [K/K2.2.2.]+[18F–], DMF, 140 °C, 10 min) using 4,5-bis(butoxy)-2-nitrobenzaldehyde as a substrate (83±6%, the number of experiments was n = 15) makes this compound a precursor of choice for the radioactive synthesis.

Introduction. Currently, clinical trials (CT) remain the only technology, which provides proof of efficacy and safety of new drugs and their subsequent release to the market. Medical researcher and informed consent (IC) are the main (and often the only) source of information for the patient about the upcoming clinical trials, and thus have a direct impact on the perception of clinical trials, and on the patient''s decision about participation. However, the degree of influence of these factors on the clinical trials participants still remains unclear.Materials and methods. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in different cities of the Russian Federation. Patients who had previous experience in CTs (or were enrolled in a CT at the time of this study) were asked to complete a questionnaire.Results. To assess the impact of researcher, all respondents were divided into 2 groups: patients that acquainted with IC in collaboration with the researcher, and the other group, which reviewed IC form independently. We evaluated the importance of the factors influencing the decision-making process on participation in clinical trials. According to our data, the most important factors were professional monitoring services (3,72 +/- 1,00), regular condition monitoring (3,66 +/- 0,98), and better medical care (3,62 +/- 1,00). These factors were evaluated at significantly lower score by group of patients that acquainted with IC together with the researcher (3,55 +/- 0,94, vs 4,01 +/- 0,90, p = 0,002; 3,52 +/- 1,01 vs 3,87 +/- 0,90, p = 0,040; 3,49 +/- 0,94, vs 3,83 +/- 1,06, p = 0,020 respectively). In assessing the factors that had negative impact on the interest in participating in a clinical trial, the most significant were risk of side effects (3,01 +/- 1,27), study of new medication (2,68 +/- 1,21), and the risk of getting into the placebo group (2,64 +/- 1,34) (so-called "objective" risk factors). At the same time, risk of side effects and risk of getting into the placebo group were also assessed at significantly lower score by group of patients that acquainted with IC together with the researcher (2,87 +/- 1,28, vs 3,33 +/- 1,17, p = 0,024; 2,51 +/- 1,25, vs 3,03 +/- 1,34, p = 0,022 respectively). Furthermore, it was found that in the case of the researcher''s assistance acquaintance time with IC reduced threefold. We also evaluated the effect of the complexity of IC text on the decision-making process on participation in clinical trials. The group of respondents, who rated the IC as easy, appeared to be more interested in the final results of the study.Conclusion. Thus, when assessing the impact of the researcher on the review process of informed consent with the decision to participate in clinical trials, we found that in the case of assistance of the researcher, the acquaintance time with IC is reduced three times. In addition, this group of patients during the conversation with the researcher shows better and more clear understanding of the nature and general methodology of clinical trials, resulting in an adequate assessment "objective" risk factors for participation in clinical trials. Thus, this group of patients is more informed, compared with an "independent" group. According to the study "Face to Face", we can recommend mandatory participation of a researcher during review process of the IC.