Spatio-temporal segmentation of image sequences for non-invasive analysis of cardiovascular structure and function in Whitefish embryos.

Label-free quantitative analysis of the cardiovascular structure and function in wild fish is highly important and still unsolved problem. We developed a robust algorithm for bright field microscopy data processing, which allows reliable detection and quantification of circulatory system across the whole animal. We verified this technique by in vivo experiments on broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) embryos. Calculated morphofunctional features of heart and vessels are quite specific due to low temperature embryonic development of this fish, and correspond well to the reference data obtained by ex vivo techniques. This research highlights the feasibility of non-invasive cardiovascular imaging and measurements valuable for behavioral, environmental, toxicological, drug discovery and many other studies.

Artificial radio lighting with sources of microwave dynamic chaos.

Application of dynamic chaos for the illumination of the surrounding space by artificial incoherent sources of microwave radiation with the purpose of its subsequent observation using special receiving equipment is considered. An incoherent broadband microwave radiation field is provided by "radio light lamps" based on dynamic chaos generators. The radio light is received with specially designed sensitive elements that combine the properties of an envelope detector in communication systems and a radiometer. It is shown that with the help of directional antennas connected to these sensitive elements, it is possible to create receivers with spatial resolution for visualizing a part of the surrounding space in artificial radio light. Radio light images of a room have been obtained. The possibility to detect changes associated with the emergence of new objects on these images is demonstrated.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) as a biomarker of acute kidney injury in patients with acute decompensation of chronic heart failure.

Actuality. Impaired kidney function adversely influences both immediate and remote prognosis for patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, early detection and prediction of acute kidney injury (AKI) are understudied.The aim of study was to investigate hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) as a biomarker for early diagnosis of AKI and determining prognosis in patients with acute decompensated CHF (ADCHF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 84 patients admitted for ADCHF (18 women; mean age, 61.4±7.1) were evaluated. ADCHF was diagnosed in accordance with SEHF guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure (RCS, 2016). AKI was diagnosed according to KDIGO criteria (2012). HIF-1, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NТ-proBNP), and erythropoietin were measured in blood serum. The follow-up period lasted for 12 months. RESULTS: AKI was diagnosed in 27 (32.1 %) patients. Level of HIF-1 was 1.27±0.63 ng / ml; NТ-proBNP - 2469.6 (interquartile range (IQR), 1312.2; 3300.0) pg / ml; eryhthropoietin - 56.0 mIU / ml (IQR, 13.2; 68.1). No correlation was found between HIF-1 and glomerular filtration rate, NТ-proBNP, or erythropoietin. Differences in biomarker levels were not observed between patients with and without AKI; however, HIF-1 was higher in the group of deceased patients than in the group of survived patients (1.64±0.9 vs. 1.17±0.44 ng / ml, р=0.004), which was not observed for NТ-proBNP and erythropoietin. CONCLUSION: AKI was observed in every third patient with ADCHF. In ADCHF, HIF-1 was not correlated with the kidney function; however, a relationship was found between the HIF-1 level and prediction for patients with CHF.

Application of Laser Correlation Spectroscopy for Measuring Virus Size.

Dynamic light scattering method or laser correlation spectroscopy was applied to evaluation of the size of viruses. We measured correlation functions of the light scattered by human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and hepatitis A viruses (HAV) and found that size of HIV-1 (subtype A and B) and HAV virions were 104 nm and 28 nm, respectively. Comparison of these findings with electron microscopy data for fixed samples of the same viruses showed good agreement of the results.

[TREATMENT COMPLIANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE AND COMORBIDITIES].

UNLABELLED: Treatment compliance determines to a large degree the effectiveness of therapy of chronic heart failure (CHF). However; individual characteristics of a patient, such as comorbidities and personality status are frequently disregarded. This work was aimed to study clinical and psychological peculiarities of patients with CHF determining treatment compliance taking account of comorbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 203 patients (130 men and 73 women) of mean age 61.8 ± 9.6 yr. The following features were evaluated: comorbidity psychological status, compliance with medicamental and non-medicamental treatment of CHF. RESULTS: Charlson comorbidity index corrected for age was 5.0 ± 2.1. Compliance with non-medicamental (recommendations on self-control and changes in the lifestyle) and medicamental therapy was documented in 37 (18.2%) and 61 (30%) patients respectively. Patients with poor compliance were characterised by disadaptive type of responsiveness, emotional lability and indecisiveness (p < 0.04). CONCLUSION: Poor treatment compliance is to a large extent determined by peculiarities of the personality status.

[Treatment motivation in patients with chronic cardiorenal syndrome].

AIM: To study treatment motivation in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and in those with CHF concurrent with chronic kidney disease (CKD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 203 patients (130 men and 73 women; mean age, 61.8±9.6 years) with CHF diagnosed and assessed in accordance with the National Guidelines of the All-Russian Research Society of Cardiology and the Heart Failure Society for the diagnosis and treatment of CHF (third edition, 2009) were examined. CKD was diagnosed according to the 2012 National Guidelines of the Research Nephrology Society of Russia. A group of patients with chronic cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) included those with CHF and CKD with a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. The clinical course of CHF, personality profile, and motivation for non-drug and drug treatments were assessed in patients with chronic CRS. RESULTS: CFR was 67.7±17.2 ml/min/1.73 m2; chronic CRS was observed in 89 (44%) patients. Psychological functioning assessment showed that the patients with chronic CRS as compared with those with CHF without CKD had high anxiety and maladaptive disease attitudes. CHF treatment motivation (compliance with lifestyle modification and medication) was proved inadequate and detected only in 31 (15.3%) patients with CHF regardless of the presence of CKD. The specific features of psychological functioning, which affected treatment motivation, were seen in patients with chronic CRS: those who were lowly motivated had a euphoric attitude towards their disease (p=0.03); those who were satisfactorily motivated showed an emotive accentuation of character (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: The presence of CKD aggravates the clinical course of CHF and negatively affects the psychological functioning of patients with CHF. The patients with chronic CRS are characterized by a low level of motivation for both drug and non-drug treatments, which should be taken into account when managing this cohort of patients.

[Therapeutic approach to non-complicated non-parasitic hepatic cysts].

Results of treatment of 378 patients with non-complicated non-parasitic hepatic cysts during the last 15 years are presented. Diagnostics was based on the developed algorithm of diagnostics and treatment of space-occupying lesions of liver. Therapeutic approach to non-parasitic hepatic cysts was defined on the basis of their sizes. At case of small cysts monitoring was carried out. During the period of supervision the authors didn't observe any complications. Increasing of the cyst sices was signed only in 7.94% of cases. Puncture and sclerotherapy under ultrasound control were carried out in medium cysts with 96.70% of efficacy. If the authors didn't deny the parasitic or tumorous nature of liver lesions carry out the surgical treatment, which was also considered to be indicated at case of sizcable enlargement of the non-parasitic hepatic cysts and inefficiency of mini-invasive treatment.

[Focal cirrhosis of the liver].

The experience in treatment of 14 patients with focal cirrhosis of the liver is summarized. Clinical and morphological data is presented. It is noted that clinical picture is poor and non-specific. Ultrasonic examination is the main diagnostic tool. It is demonstrated that histological examination of removed specimen is often necessary for final diagnosis. Method of choice in the treatment of patients is surgical one. The scope of surgery depends on intraoperative features, extended hepatic resection is not usually indicated.

[Rare tumors of the liver and lesions simulating them]. / Redkie ob"emnye porazheniia pecheni i simuliruiushchie ikh obrazovaniia.

Problems of diagnostic and treatment policy in hepatic lesions are considered. Based on analysis of 511 cases, the authors demonstrate that among hepatic lesions as well as widespread diseases (hemangioma, cancers, parasitic and non-parasitic cysts) rare diseases can be also found. Diseases of different organs may simulate hepatic lesions.

[Diagnosis and therapy of malignant primary and metastatic liver neoplasms]. / Diagnostika i lechenie pervichnykh i metastaticheskikh zlokachestvennykh opukholei pecheni.

Ultrasonic examination of liver and laparoscopy have been carried out to diagnose hepatic tumors. An original procedure of laparoscope-controlled needle biopsy of liver has been suggested. Any required extent of liver resection can be obtained by an apparatus-reconstruction method developed at the Clinic. The procedure employs preserved peritoneal transplants.

[The relative amount of slow-adapting stretch receptors in the trachea, extrapulmonary bronchi and lungs of the cat]. / Otnositel'noe kolichestvo medlennoadaptiruiushchikhsia retseptorov rastiazheniia v trakhee, vnelegochnykh bronkhakh i v legkikh u koshki.

In 35 anesthetized cats, local mechanical stimulation determined the location of 185 slow-adapting stretch receptors of the lungs. 79.7% of the receptors were found in the lungs and the rest of them in the trachea and extrapulmonary bronchi. Out of the 20.3% of the latters, 9.3% were located in lobular bronchi, 1.5%--in the main ones, 5.5%--in the trachea bifurcation, 3.3%--in the thoracic portion, and 0.8%--in the cervical portion. The greatest density of the receptors was found in the trachea bifurcation and in lobular bronchi. The amount of the receptors in the lung lobes proved to be proportional to the lobes mass. When analysing the mechanisms of the respiration regulation, one should consider the fact that the relative amount of extrapulmonary tracheobronchial stretch receptors is considerably lesser in cats than in dogs and rabbits.

New outlook on the biology of cowpox virus.

Analysis of cowpox outbreaks revealed an extremely wide range of virus pathogenicity including 9 orders of mammals. Recent serological and virological data support the hypothesis that wild rodents may be a natural reservoir of cowpox virus. Cowpox infection of humans occurring without any contact with infected cattle (registered in the U. K. and Poland) is especially interesting for medical and veterinary virology. Surveillance seems justified of the possible virus dissemination beyond its natural reservoir resulting in further infection of man and animals.

[Data from the serological examination of the population of the Republic of Congo for the presence of antibodies to orthopoxviruses. I. A comparative evaluation of different study methods and general results]. / Dannye serologicheskogo obsledovaniia naseleniia Respubliki Kongo na nalichie amtitel k ortopoksivirusam. Soobshchenie I. Sravnitel'naia otsenka razlichnykh metodov issledovaniia i obshchie itogi.

The selective survey of the population of the Republic of Congo for the presence of antibodies to orthopoxviruses has been carried out with the use of the neutralization test, the hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) test and the ELISA. Despite a prolonged period (15 years) elapsed since the transmission of natural smallpox stopped in this country and despite the almost complete cessation of immunization against this infection since 1977, antibodies to orthopoxviruses can be detected in a considerable proportion of the population: 29%. This percentage grows as older age groups are examined, reaching 90.6% in the age groups of 16 years and over. Antibodies to orthopoxviruses have also been detected in children under 5 years of age, born after the eradication of smallpox and having no vaccination scars. The possible causes of this phenomenon are discussed. The comparison of the results obtained with the use of different tests has confirmed high sensitivity of ELISA. The HAI test is less sensitive, but this is compensated by its simplicity and its easy use for screening procedures. Besides, the positive results of this test indicate that the corresponding sera contain sufficiently high titers of virus-neutralizing antibodies detected by means of ELISA, which is of importance for their subsequent interspecific differentiation.

[Preparation and comparative evaluation of peroxidase conjugates based on pure antibodies and the IgG Fab fragment]. / Poluchenie i sravnitel'naia otsenka peroksidaznykh kon'iugatov na osnove chistykh antitel i Fab-fragmenta IgG.

The results of the preparation of peroxidase conjugates on the basis of the Fab-fragment of rabbit antivaccinal serum IgG and pure antirabbit IgG are presented. Peroxidase conjugates prepared on the basis of highly purified antibodies have been found (in vaccine virus-infected cell cultures) to ensure greater reliability of the immunoperoxidase method due to the decrease of nonspecific reactions registered by the control test system. This allows recommending peroxidase conjugates prepared on the basis of higher purified antibodies for use in diagnostic tests.