Experience of microbiologic diagnostics of acute pneumonia cases arose in town Verkhnyaya Pyshma in July-August 2007

Bacteriologic, serologic, and PCR tests of blood, sputum, serum and autopsy samples from 91 patients were performed during outbreak of pneumonia in town Verkhnyaya Pyshma in July-August 2007. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from 20% of diagnostically meaningful samples of sputum and from 50% of autopsy samples. Diagnosis of Legionnaires' disease was confirmed in 48% of cases. It was shown that association of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila determined the affect during such pneumonia. Need for establishment of diagnostic procedure for patients with pneumonia including those caused by atypical agents was revealed.     

Study of learning and memory processes in adult rats under conditions of intracerebral caspases inhibitors administration

Effects of caspase inhibitors injected intracerebroventricularly or applicated to cerebellar vermis of adult rats on different types of learning and memory were studied. Pancaspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk introduced into lateral cerebral ventriculi enhanced elaboration of long-term spatial memory in Morris water maze and stimulated habit alteration at the early stage of its formation. Caspase-3 inhibitor z-DEVD-CHO applied to cerebellar vermis enhanced the elaboration of acoustic startle habituation but had no effect on its storage and retrieval. These results indicate caspase participation in mechanisms of learning and memory both through influence on coupled processes of neurogenesis-apoptosis and through modulation of synaptic efficiency.     

Electrooptical parameters of kanamycin-treated E. coli cell suspensions

The effect of kanamycin on the electrophysical parameters of cell suspensions of Escherichia coli K-12 and pMMB33 was investigated. Incubation of the sensitive K-12 strain with kanamycin resulted in significant changes in the orientation spectra (OS) of the cell suspensions; these changes were not revealed in the case of the resistant pMMB33 strain. In the case of the sensitive K-12 strain incubated with different kanamycin concentrations, changes in the OS of the cell suspensions occurred within the 10-1000 kHz frequency range of the orienting electrical field. The most pronounced change in the electrooptical signal was observed at 10 microg/ml of kanamycin. Control experiments were carried out by standard plating on nutrient media. Thus, the OS changes of suspensions in the presence of antibiotics may be used as a test for microbial resistance to such antibiotics.     

Genetic structure of four socio-culturally diversified caste populations of southwest India and their affinity with related Indian and global groups

Background  

A large number of microsatellites have been extensively used to comprehend the genetic diversity of different global groups. This paper entails polymorphism at 15 STR in four predominant and endogamous populations representing Karnataka, located on the southwest coast of India. The populations residing in this region are believed to have received gene flow from south Indian populations and world migrants, hence, we carried out a detailed study on populations inhabiting this region to understand their genetic structure, diversity related to geography and linguistic affiliation and relatedness to other Indian and global migrant populations.     

Autoantibodies in children with chronic inflammatory lung diseases

124 sera of children with chronic bronchitis, chronic pneumonia, bronchial asthma, exogenic allergic alveolitis, congenital developmental defects of the lungs and the syndrome of the situs inversus of organs were examined with a view to study the state of humoral immunity to tissues. The study was carried out by means of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with the use of collagen, elastin, DNA (native and denaturated), membrane antigens of the lung, the liver, the small intestine and the large intestine. Among all groups of patients autoimmune disturbances, manifested by a rise in the level of autoantibodies of different specificity, were registered. The degree of manifestation of autoimmune disturbances depended on the kind of pathology. After treatment a decrease in the level of autoantibodies was registered in the examinees.     

Degradation ofortho-chlorophenol,para-chlorophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by the bacterial community of anaerobic sludge

The bacterial community of anaerobic sludge could degradeo-chlorophenol,p-chlorophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid at concentrations as high as 100 mg/l. The time needed for the degradation of a given chlorinated phenol derivative increased 1.5- to 2-fold upon a twofold increase in its concentration (from 50 to 100 mg/l). The duration of the adaptation period depended on the compound studied and on its concentration. The degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid proceeded via 2,4-dichlorophenol andp-chlorophenol as intermediates; the degradation ofo-chlorophenol occurred with the formation of phenol. The dynamics ofp-chlorophenol degradation and chloride ion accumulation were studied.     

The dynamics of the psychophysiological state of navigator students on a voyage

The dynamics of the state of health and the changes in the autonomic index and emotional state in students of the Marine University during practical training on board the training sailing vessel Nadezhda were studied. Three series of studies were performed: at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the voyage. It was established that deterioration of the psychophysiological state began to manifest itself at the end of the third or the beginning of the fourth month of the voyage (revealing persons with a considerable disturbance of health; a decrease in the number of normotonics among the subjects; an increase in the number of vagotonics with an extremely low general index of sympathicotonia; and an increase in the coefficients of maladaptation, stress, and resistance). The emotional background throughout the voyage was positive; however, apathy and a striving for rest and solitude could manifest themselves at the initial stage of the voyage; an outburst of emotional activity (criticalness, aggressiveness, activity, inquisitiveness) in the middle of the voyage; and an inclination for daydreaming, a contemplative perception of the world, and a lack of initiative at the final stage.     

Structure of the oligosaccharide region (core) of the lipopolysaccharides of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Shigella flexneri</Emphasis> types 2a and 5b

The full structure of the lipopolysaccharide core of bacteria Shigella flexneri types 2a and 5b, the causative agents of bacillary dysentery (shigellosis), was established by chemical methods, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The structure of the O-antigen repeating unit and the configuration and position of the linkage between the O-antigen and the core were determined in the lipopolysaccharide of S. flexneri type 2a.     

Mahaim Fiber Accelerated Automaticity and Clues to a Mahaim Fiber Being Morphologically an Ectopic or a Split AV Node

Mahaim Fiber tachycardia characteristically causes a wide QRS tachycardia with left bundle branch morphology and left axis deviation, especially in young patients, having no structural heart disease. Mahaim fiber automaticity further cements the proposition of Mahaim fiber, due to its Atrioventricular (AV) node like property, being called as an ectopic AV node.