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To prevent pest contamination of crops, they are treated with plant defense agents, the action of which is aimed at the destruction or development and reproduction control of hazardous organisms. But also these chemical agents cause pollution of environmental ecosystems. Furthermore, the use of pesticides on honey bees often leads to mass mortality of the bees and contamination of nectar and pollen. Honey, made by the bees of such nectar, may contain pesticide residues that are toxic to a bee brood and harm the viability and productivity of bee colonies. One hundred seventy-two samples of bee honey and 40 samples of dead bees were studied from different regions of Ukraine. Eight hundred thirty-seven bee colonies died from pesticide poisoning of the honey bees in 2021. The bees most died due to thiamethoxam (523 bee colonies), clothianidin 400 (bee colonies), and lambda-cyhalothrin (342 bee colonies). In 2022, the poisoning of the honey bees, from which 1,130 bee colonies died, was caused by seven insecticides. Lambda-cyhalothrin (653 bee colonies), thiamethoxam (352 bee colonies), imidacloprid (342 bee colonies), clothianidin (325 bee colonies), and acetamiprid (320 bee colonies) were most frequently detected. 11 insecticides, 11 fungicides and 2 each of acaricides and herbicides were found in the honey. There were 425 detection cases of insecticides, 285 fungicides, 8 acaricides, and 3 herbicides. In 2021-2022, 16 insecticides of the 3rd toxicity class were found in the dead bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Articular cartilage is highly-organized nonvascularized tissue which is responsible in humans for pressure absorption under load, as well as for the smoothness of the opposite tangential bone surfaces. The purpose of our research is to study structural and functional features of articular cartilage at lightoptical level by using state-of-the-art research methods of bone-cartilage tissue. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on samples of femoral heads. Hyperfine sections were subject to hematoxylin and eosin, Van Gieson's and PAS staining. In order to identify the receptor profile of chondrocytes and the features of protein arrangement in extracellular matrix we undertook an immunohistochemical study. Results: An articular cartilage is quite organized tissue. As any other organ, it has parenchyma and stroma. Parenchyma is represented by one type of cells -- chondrocytes, which, depending on how deep they are located in cartilage, have a different shape, size and functional features. The chondrocytes and extracellular matrix have different degrees of receptors expression. Conclusions: The cartilage is being constantly self-renewed, what is manifested by means of a rather slow division of the surface-located chondrocytes and programmed death of dystrophic-modified cells. The features of extracellular matrix structure determine the originality of cell location in different areas of cartilage tissue. Due to synthesis of specific proteins, chondrocytes self-regulate properties of cartilage tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Introduction: Genome-Wide Association Studies have identified a large number of polymorphic loci associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Ectonucleotide Pyrophosphatase/Phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) gene is one of the candidate genes which have primary importance in T2DM development. Several studies revealed the association between ENPP1 polymorphisms, including rs997509, and T2DM, obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in different populations. The aim: To test the association between ENPP1 rs997509 polymorphism and T2DM development in patients with different risk factors in the Ukrainian population., Patients and Methods: Materials and methods: Venous blood of 317 unrelated T2DM patients and 302 healthy volunteers was used for analysis. ENPP1 rs997509 genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction with following restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis) method., Results: Results: Our results revealed that ratio of C/C homozygotes, C/T heterozygotes and T/T homozygotes between case and control groups was significantly different (89.0 % , 11.0%, 0 % vs 94.4 %, 5.6 %, 0 %, P = 0.015). It was shown that risk of T2DM development in T allele carriers is significantly higher compared to C/C homozygotes (OR = 2.086; P= 0.027). Herewith the risk increased in heterozygotes with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (OR = 2.223, P=0.031) and obesity (OR = 3.230; P = 0.023)., Conclusion: Conclusions: ENPP1 rs997509 polymorphism is associated with T2DM development in Ukrainian population.