[Current views on vision of mammals].

In the review, research data are presented on mammals' vision including visual pigments, color and contrast vision, and visual behaviour in different species. It is shown that in course of evolution mammals were gradually losing the elements of daylight cone vision system that are typical of other vertebrates. In monotremes, visual pigments SWS2 (cone blue-sensitive 2) and MWS/LWS (green/red-sensitive) are still present, as well as rod RH1. Theria, except some primates, also have two cone visual pigments: SWS1 (ultraviolet/violet or blue-sensitive 1) and MWS/LWS along with rod RH1. Humans and some other higher primates evolved the new visual pigment, MWS, and acquired trichromatic vision. Marine mammals (cetaceans and pinnipeds) and some species of other orders have lost also the visual pigment SWS1, probably due to specificity of processing the information received by these cones. Current view on mammals' vision with two cone pigments and rods is presented. Data on maximum spectral sensitivity of visual pigments in different species and orders are given along with data on spatial contrast sensation. High visual acuity has been acquired by ungulates, artiodactyls, and primates, while the highest one--by humans with their specialized fovea.

Cones in the retina of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus: an immunocytochemical and electrophysiological study.

Immunocytochemistry revealed in the retina of the Mongolian gerbil three immunologically distinct photoreceptor cell types. Rods comprising about 87% of the total receptor population were selectively recognized by an antirhodopsin serum (AO). The most abundant cone type (11-13% of photoreceptors) was labeled by the monoclonal antibody COS-1, specific in mammals to the middle-to-long-wave sensitive cone visual pigments. A minor cone population (2.5-5% of the cones) reacted with the monoclonal antibody OS-2, shown earlier to bind to the blue cones in mammalian species. Color substitution experiments revealed on the ERG level a color discrimination capability which must be attributed to the cooperative activity of green-sensitive (COS-1 positive) and blue-sensitive (OS-2 positive) cones. We conclude that the Mongolian gerbil has a well developed cone system, and that it may possess dichromatic green-blue color vision.

[Dynamics of negative disorders and the problem of differentiating paroxysmal schizophrenia (epidemiologic study)]. / Dinamika negativnykh rasstroistv i problema differentsiatsii pristupoobraznoi shizofrenii (épidemiologicheskoe issledovanie).

The task was set to elaborate, using random material, a systematics of paroxysm-like schizophrenia on the basis of the characteristics of the time-course of negative disturbances and comparison with the current systematics formed on the basis of the clinical experience. The authors analyzed the course of the disease in all registered patients with paroxysm-like schizophrenia (3928 individuals) living in four administrative districts of Moscow. Seven major variants of paroxysm-like schizophrenia have been identified. The prognosis of the disease is more favourable in cases where it first manifests itself by mild negative changes. The time-course of adverse changes determines the development of productive disturbances and their level both in paroxysms and remissions. The relationship between these phenomena indicates certain pathogenetic independence of each of the identified variants of the disease course.