Ultrastructural characteristics of the neocortex during rehabilitation from the sequelae of long-term protein-energy deficiency

Electron microscopy of mouse neocortex was carried out during rehabilitation following long-term protein-caloric deficiency. Food rehabilitation led to partial recovery of brain ultrastructure, however, a high neuronal level of secondary lysosoms and lipofuscin bodies was preserved, with the changes in the spine apparatus and synaptic contacts persisting in neuropile. Carnitine addition to food during rehabilitation increased the number of free ribosomes in cortical neurons. A substantial development of granular endoplasmic reticulum was observed. A greater number of spine apparatus cisterns was detected, however, like in conventional rehabilitation, the width of synaptic clefts and postsynaptic densities remained narrower than in control mice.     

Etiology of severe hospital infections in intensive care units and antibiotic resistance of pathogens]

The leading pathogens of severe infections in intensive care units were the following: respiratory tract infections--bacteria of the famility of Enterobacteriaceae (33.8%), Pseudomonas spp. (24.9%), Acinetobacter spp. (18.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (16.0%), blood flow infections--coagulase negative staphylococci (33.6%), S. aureus (26.1%), Enterobacteriaceae (17.6%), wound infections--Enterobacteriaceae (35.7%), coagulase negative staphyloccocci (17.8%), Pseudomonas spp. (14.3%). As for various species of Enterobacteriaceae, susceptibility was preserved in 91-100% of the isolates to meropenem, in 72-100% to cefoperazone/sulbactam, in 51-65% to cefepime, in 72-86% to amikacin, and in less than 50% to cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. As for P.aeruginosa, 28% of the isolates was resistant to all the antibacterials, except polymyxin. The highest susceptibility to cefoperazone/sulbactam and meropenem was revealed in the isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii. Oxacillin resistance was detected in 64.9% of the S.aureus isolates. The oxacillin resistance as a rule was associated with resistance to macrolides, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. As for coagulase negative staphylococci, oxacillin resistance was stated in 75.6% of the isolates. All the isolates of the Staphylococcus spp. preserved their susceptibility to vancomycin and linezolid.     

Dysbiotic manifestations during eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori and their corrections

Forty-eight patients with duodenal peptic ulcer disease infected with Helicobacter pylori were examined. All patients undergo conventional 1-week eradication therapy. After its ending the patients were randomized to two groups: those who will be treated by synbiotics or control group. Normoflorin B and Normoflorin L, which contain bifidobacteria or lactobacilli in complex with different microelements, vitamins, aminoacids, organic acids, and antioxidants, were used as synbiotics. Morphologic study of biopsy samples of small intestine mucosa were performed in patients from both groups. It was determined that eradication therapy worsened existing symptoms of dyspepsia in 80.9% of cases or lead to their emergence, connected with dysbiotic manifestations, in 55.5% of patients. Inclusion of synbiotics in complex therapy resulted in rapid and effective elimination of dyspeptic symptoms, promoted recovery of affected morphologic and functional states of small intestine mucosal epithelium, and optimized metabolic processes important for the digestion.     

Response of eutrophication in the eastern Gulf of Finland to nutrient load reduction scenarios

The trophic status of the eastern Gulf of Finland, where the largest Baltic metropolis St. Petersburg sits at the mouth of the largest Baltic river Neva, is elevated but existing recommendations on water protection measures are controversial. In this study, the effects of nutrient load reductions on this ecosystem were estimated with the aid of a three-dimensional coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model. As a reference, the contemporary seasonal dynamics were simulated with nutrient inputs corresponding to the recent estimates of point and riverine sources. In order to eliminate the effects of natural inter-annual variations, the computations were run under recurrent annual forcing for 3 years, until quasi steady-state seasonal dynamics were reached. Reasonable comparability of simulated concentrations and biogeochemical fluxes to available field estimates provides credibility to scenario simulations. These simulations show that substantial reductions of nutrient point sources in St. Petersburg would affect only the Neva Bay as the immediate receptor of treated sewage waters, where primary production could decrease by up to 20%. Eutrophication in the other parts of the Neva Estuary and in the entire eastern Gulf of Finland would change insignificantly owing to increased nutrient import from the offshore waters. Therefore, more significant changes can occur only via a reduction in nutrient pools in the open Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Proper, which would require a longer time. Guest editors: J. H. Andersen & D. J. Conley Eutrophication in Coastal Ecosystems: Selected papers from the Second International Symposium on Research and Management of Eutrophication in Coastal Ecosystems, 20–23 June 2006, Nyborg, Denmark     

Effect of Heat Stress on Expression of DILP2 and DILP3 Insulin-Like Peptide Genes in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis> Adults

In a number of works, it was demonstrated that insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway in the Drosophila melanogaster can be involved in the control of the organism reaction to stress. However, it remains unclear which of eight insulin-like peptides (ligands of insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway) known in the D. melanogaster are involved in the response to different types of stress. We conducted immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of two insulin-like peptide genes (DILP2 and DILP3) in insulin-producing cells of the brain in adult D. melanogaster females after heat stress. We for the first time found that the DILP3 is one of the components of the response to heat stress, while the DILP2 is apparently not involved in the organism response to heat stress.