[Risk factors for complications of ureterolithotripsy].

AIM: to determine main risk factors for complications of ureterolithotripsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: a retrospective analysis of the results of 545 ureteroscopies performed in 506 patients with ureteral stones over the past 7 years at the urological clinic named after M.F. Vladimirsky was carried out. The relationship between preoperative and intraoperative factors and complications of ureterolithotripsy was analyzed. RESULTS: The overall complication rate was 22.4%. The risk of intraoperative complications was proved to increase (p<0.05) along with the stone size, location in proximal ureter, stone impaction for more than 3 weeks and the degree of hydronephrosis. No preoperative stenting or nephrostomy tube prior to ureteroscopy was associated to an increased risk of intraoperative complications (RR=2.88; p=0.03). Patients with preoperative drainage of upper urinary tract has lower probability of intraoperative complications (OR=0.35; p=0.03). The risk of developing stricture and ureteral obliteration in uncomplicated ureteroscopy was minimal (RR=0.008, p=0.0001). Small ureteral perforation and pronounced mucosal inflammation around the stone have the similar influence on the risk of complications, which was more than 7.5 times (p=0.0001) higher than in uncomplicated ureteroscopy. Large ureteral perforation was associated with the highest risk of stricture formation and ureteral obliteration, which was 64 times (p=0.0001) higher than in uncomplicated ureteroscopy. CONCLUSION: The rate of complications of ureterolithotripsy directly depends on the following factors: size and location of the stone, the stone impaction, pre- and intraoperative (nephrostomy tube) drainage of the upper urinary tract, the degree of hydronephrosis, level of bacteriuria and intraoperative trauma complications.

Peculiarities of Histological Structure of Pulmonary Veins in Patients with Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage as Morphological Substrates Relating to Formation of Postoperative Pulmonary Venous Obstruction.

The histological and immunohistochemical methods were employed to examine the peculiarities of histological structure of pulmonary veins and left atrium of the heart in norm and in various types of total anomalous drainage of pulmonary veins. In contrast to normal pulmonary vein covered with external multiple muscle layers (myocardial sleeve), such sleeve is absent in veins that have no connection with the left atrium irrespective of the type of the defect. In patients with total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, the structure of left atrium was heterogeneous featuring either the presence or absence of inner angiomural lining in this atrium. The structural peculiarities are important for insight into etiology of the development of postoperative pulmonary venous obstruction in patients with total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage.

Comparative Analysis of Blood Plasma Proteome in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Comparative mass spectrometric analysis of protein composition was carried out in 36 blood plasma specimens from patients with renal cell carcinoma and 20 specimens from donors. Analysis of protein composition of plasma specimens devoid of the major protein fractions showed a 20-50% higher level of protein identifications in patient' specimens. Specimens of the control and experimental series were similar by protein composition, 70-80% identifications in experimental and control series coinciding. High similarity of biological processes with participation of the proteins identified in both series was observed. The greater part of proteins in both series were located extracellularly and were exosomal (specimens from renal cancer patients) or vesicular (specimens from healthy volunteers).

Diatom genes originating from red and green algae: Implications for the secondary endosymbiosis models.

Previous phylogenomic analyses of diatoms have discovered some plastid-targeted genes apparently coming from green algae. Number of these genes varied from less than a half of EGT-compatible genes to an overwhelming majority, and their presence was treated as an evidence of cryptic green plastid. We have performed such an analysis with a novel weighted approach on an extended dataset of diatom genomes and proteomes. Approximately equal evidence was found for red and green algal origins for diatoms genes. Considering that very similar results were obtained on other secondary photosynthetic groups whose endosymbioses were independent from that of the diatom ancestors, we consider the serial plastid replacements unparsimonious. A better explanation of these data can be provided by the shopping bag model, where a future host switches numerous endosymbionts and acquires some genes from each of them. Eventually the host loses the ability to replace endosymbionts (e.g. through the loss of phagotrophy) and whatever symbiont was present at the moment gets fixed and reduced to an organelle.

Soluble Ligand of the Immune Checkpoint Receptor (sPD-L1) in Blood Serum of Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma.

The content of the soluble ligand of the immune checkpoint receptor (sPD-L1) was determined in the blood serum of 106 patients with renal cell carcinoma and 11 patients with benign kidney tumors by direct ELISA (Human sPD-L1 Platinum ELISA; Affimetrix, eBioscience). The control group included 19 healthy men and 18 women. Serum level of sPD-L1 significantly surpassed the control values in both patients with primary renal cancer (p<0.0001) and in patients examined during disease progression (p<0.05). In patients with benign kidney tumors, the level of this marker was significantly higher than in the control (p<0.05), but lower than in patients with renal cell carcinoma. The sPD-L1 level significantly increased with disease stage (p<0.001); it was higher in the presence of metastases in regional lymph nodes irrespective of their number (N1 or N2) than in the absence of metastases (N0); it was also increased in patients with distant metastases (M1) and patients with grade III-IV tumors in comparison with grade III-IV tumors (p<0.05). The highest sPD-L1 levels were recorded in patients with tumor size corresponding to T2 and T3 and decreased in patients with T4 tumors. Thus, sPD-L1 level in patients with renal cell carcinoma correlated with tumor grade and metastasizing and can be considered as a promising marker in monitoring of the effect of anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapy.

[Application of brain electrical activity burst analysis method for detection of EEG characteristics in the early stage of Parkinson's disease]. / Primenenie metoda analiza vspleskoobraznoi élektricheskoi aktivnosti mozga dlia vyiavleniia osobennostei ÉÉG patsientov na rannei stadii bolezni Parkinsona.

AIM: To develop a mathematical method of analysis and visualization of EEG based on the ROC analysis of burst electrical activity in the cerebral cortex. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using a new method of analysis of EEG burst activity, the frequency parameters of brain electrical activity have been investigated in patients in the first stage of Parkinson's disease (PD) defined by the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Patients were right-handed, with disease onset in either the right or the left side. The burst term is used in neurophysiology for the description of wave activity in EEG signals. Bursts are reflected in the local peaks of wavelet spectrograms, some of the parameters of which have been analyzed. Electrical activity of the left and right central cortex areas was investigated. The results were compared with those obtained from healthy volunteers. RESULTS: In PD patients, burst activity was changed in alpha- and beta bands. Compared to healthy volunteers, it was higher in alpha band 8-9 Hz and lower in upper alpha band 11-13 Hz and beta band 18-24 Hz. With regard to asymmetry of the brain in PD patients, there was the change in burst activity in both brain hemispheres. Diagrams of burst activity showed the difference between the patients with tremor onset in the left hand and tremor onset in the right hand. CONCLUSION: This suggests differences in brain electrical activity changes in patients with left-sided and right-sided disease onset. The initial results of the study demonstrate that the method of analysis and visualization based on the evaluation of certain parameters of EEG bursts is promising for the analysis of EEG features in PD patients.

Novel subfamilies of actin-regulating proteins.

Ability of actin to polymerise and depolymerise makes it essential to key functions of eukaryotic cell. The functioning of actin is controlled by a host of regulatory proteins, the repertoire of which in diatoms is known to remarkably differ from other organisms. We have performed a phylogenetic analysis of 521 actin and actin-related proteins' aminoacid sequences, as well as 190 sequences of gelsolin family proteins from various genomic and transcriptomic datasets. Based on the results of this analysis, as well as on the presence of clade-specific indels in some of the actin-related proteins, we describe a novel ARP subfamily, dubbed ARP12, which is specific to heterokonts and related organisms. We also describe two novel diatom-specific subfamilies, dGRC1 and dGRC2, among short gelsolin repeat-containing proteins.

[Taxonomic Composition of Lake Baikal Bacterioneuston Communities].

The taxonomic composition of microbial communities of Lake Baikal surface microlayer was studied by pyrosequencing of the 16S rDNA amplicons. Statistically reliable differences were found between bacterioneuston of the shallow and deep-water stations. The shallow station community was characterized by higher diversity than the deep-water one. While bacterioneuston communities were shown to be less diverse than the water column communities, their diversity was comparable to that of other biofilm associations. Microbial communities of Lake Baikal surface microlayer were shown to be similar to those of the water column in the composition of predominant phyla, while differing considerably at the genus level. Bacterioneuston of Lake Baikal was comparable to microbial communities of the surface microlayer of other freshwater basins, although it was characterized by high abundance of the Alphaproteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. High abundance of photoheterotrophs compared to the water column communities of other freshwater basins was another distinctive feature of Lake Baikal bacterioneuston. Our results showed the Lake Baikal surface microlayer to be a specific microbial community with low species diversity and relatively high abundance of photoheterotrophic microorganisms.

[The growth factor of endothelium of vessels and its receptors type I and II in blood serum in patients with kidney cancer: clinical morphological correlations.]

The progress in treatment of kidney cancer is related to application of anti-angiogenic medications. Therefore, investigation and searching for new molecular markers characterizing its angiogenic activity is actual still. The purpose of study is to compare VEGF, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 in blood serum of healthy people, patients with cancer and benign tumors of kidney and to analyze their relationship with main clinical morphological characteristics of neoplasms. The study sampling consisted of 94 patients with cancer and 10 patients with benign tumors of kidney. The control group included 80 individuals. The concentration of analyzed proteins was determined using QuantikineТ (R&D Systems, USA), a reagents' kit for direct immune enzyme analysis. The content of VEGF, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 in blood serum of patients with cancer of kidney was reliably higher than in control group. The level of VEGF also was increased in patients with benign tumors. Under threshold level of VEGF of 365 pg/ml the diagnostic sensitivity of detection of primary cancer of kidney amounted to 67% and specificity - 70%. The stage of disease and T and N indices were correlated only with VEGFR1 level. The relationship between level of markers and histological structure and degree of differentiation of cancer of kidney was not established. Therefore, VEGF and its receptors have a limited diagnostic value under cancer of kidney but they can be applied for monitoring and prognosis of efficiency of anti-angiogenic therapy.

[CLOSING OF INTERVENTRICULAR SEPTUM DEFECT IN ONE-STEP AND STEPWISE SURGICAL TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY ATRESIA AND AORTO-PULMONARY COLLATERALS].

Pulmonary atresia with defect of interventricular septum and collateral pulmonary blood flow refers to complicated congenital malformation of the heart. Surgical treatment represents itself as very difficult task because of anatomical variability of this abnormality. The main problem of surgery is a definitive repair of the defect including correction of maldistributions of pulmonary arterial bed (unifocalization of pulmonary blood flow), reconstruction of outflow tract of the right ventricle and closing of interventricular septum defect. The performance of closing interventricular septum defect could be successful in patients with pulmonary atresia and collateral pulmonary blood flow in case of stepwise and one-step surgical treatment. The combination of maximal number of pulmonary segments and sufficient development of central pulmonary arteries facilitates to progress of assigned task. Patients with the level of pulmonary-arterial index more than 170 mm/m2 and integrity of pulmonary arterial bed, centralization of pulmonary segments (minimum 15) could be considered as a candidate for definite repair of the defect.

[FREQUENCY-TEMPORAL STRUCTURE OF HUMAN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM IN THE CONDITION OF ARTIFICIAL HYPOGRAVITY: DRY IMMERSION MODEL].

Frequency-temporal electroencephalogram (EEG) reactions to hypogravity were studied in 7 male subjects at the age of 20 to 27 years. The experiment was conducted using dry immersion (DI) as the best known method of simulating the space microgravity effects on the Earth. This hypogravity model reproduces hypokinesia, i.e. the weight-bearing and mechanic load removal, which is typical of microgravity. EEG was recorded by Neuroscan-2 (Compumedics) before the experiment (baseline data) and at the end of day 2 in DI. Comparative analysis of the EEG frequency-temporal structure was performed with the use of 2 techniques: Fourier transform and modified wavelet analysis. The Fourier transform elicited that after 2 days in DI the main shifts occurring to the EEG spectral composition are a decline in the alpha power and a slight though reliable growth of theta power. Similar frequency shifts were detected in the same records analyzed using the wavelet transform. According to wavelet analysis, during DI shifts in EEG frequency spectrum are accompanied by frequency desorganization of the EEG dominant rhythm and gross impairment of total stability of the electrical activity with time. Wavelet transform provides an opportunity to quantify changes in the frequency-temporal structure of the electrical activity of the brain. Quantitative evidence of frequency desorganization and temporal instability of EEG wavelet spectrograms may be the key to the understanding of mechanisms that drive functional disorders in the brain cortex in the conditions of hypogravity.

Sequencing of the complete genome of an araphid pennate diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians from Lake Baikal.

High-throughput method of sequencing was applied to determine the complete nucleotide sequence of an araphid pennate diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians from Lake Baikal (East Siberia). The assembled genome has a total length of 98 Mbp, the mean coverage is 33x. Structure-functional annotation of the genome was performed.

[Results of surgical treatment of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries].

This article presents the 14-year experience of surgical treatment of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary collateral blood bed. The surgery of defect was performed on 32 patients and they were followed up. The individual and differential approaches should be used in the choice of surgical strategy. This approach is based on the state of pulmonary arterial and collateral beds. An integral criterion of assessment was the common neo-pulmonary arterial index with boundary measure equal 150 mm2/m2. An application of given method allowed the performance of successful radical repair of defect in 15 patients, 4 patients having been operated in one stage. The rest of the patients had the appropriate staged interventions. The lethality consisted of 9.4%.

[Localization of cortical motor areas in humans by magnetoencephalography].

Movement-related MEG activity initiated by voluntary unilateral index finger movement was studied in 16 normal volunteers. Evoked motor field response was obtained by averaging with respect to movement onset detected by the actogram. Group averaging of single dipole solutions for the peak of the readiness field (Bereitschaftspotential) revealed activation of the cortical area corresponding to typical motor representation of the hand. Individual data showed strong individual differences in dipole localization, which may be associated with simultaneous activation of sensorimotor cortical areas. Readiness field obtained from each individual was localized either in the pre- or post-central gyrus. Individual differences in the localization may be related to simultaneous activation of the cortical areas incorporated in the sensorimotor complex. The study demonstrates that single dipole modeling may be used for the localization of the sensorimotor complex, but it is insufficient to separate the activity components of this complex.

[Development and optimization of immunoassays for the detection of botulinum toxins].

Monoparametric immunoassay tests for detecting botulinum toxins types A and B and multiparametric assays for simultaneous detection of botulinum toxins type A and B have been developed. It is shown that the sensitivity of assays is affected by the size of nanoparticles of colloidal gold used as a marker of antibodies, load intensity of antibodies of colloidal gold in conjugates, the type of analytical membranes, as well as the chemical composition of buffer solutions used for the storage of conjugates and immunoassay analysis. The detection limit of monoparametric immunoassay tests is 0.5 ng/ml; that of multiparametric assays, 5.0 ng/ml. The developed immunoassay can be used for rapid assay of product quality, for grade control of botulinum toxins in pharmaceuticals, and environmental monitoring.

[Photoselective vaporization in treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in elderly and senile men].

The article presents the results of photoselective laser vaporization of the prostate (PVP) performed in 50 men aged 71.84 +/- 6.3 years with obstructive form of BPH. The operation was performed with the use of 80 W potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser. All patients had complicated cardiac history (CHD, arterial hypertension, circulatory failure, artificial pacemakers). Intraoperative bleeding occurred in 1 (2%) patient and required electrocoagulation. There was no need for transfusion of blood components in any cases. The patient's condition, blood pressure and heart rate remained stable during all surgeries. During the follow-up period, the positive dynamics in IPSS and QoL scores, as well as prostate volume, peak urine flow rate, and residual urine volume were observed. Thus, the PVP method is a good alternative to transurethral prostatic resection, especially for patients with burdened anamnesis

[Phase-locked alpha oscillations evoked by illusory contour perception in normal and autistic preschool boys].

We examined temporal dynamics of EEG phase-locked alpha oscillations during perception of illusory (Kanizsa square) and non-illusory images in boys with autism and age-matched typically developing boys. In typically developing boys the illusory contour (IC) as compared to the control stimulus provoked an increased alpha response at the parietal scalp areas. This IC effect demonstrated continuity within the time window of 133-267 ms after the stimulus onset. Although boys with autism did not display this effect at the group level, part of the sample showed an atypical two-stage pattern of illusory contour effect. The first early stage of IC effect (50-133 ms) was pronounced at the midline occipital electrode localized in the vicinity of the primary visual cortex. The localization and the early onset time suggest that this early IC effect is related to abnormally enhanced "low-level" locally-oriented processes of contour completion in autism. The second stage of IC effect (267-400 ms) was observed at the left parietal region only, and was delayed comparatively to that in healthy boys, suggesting the deficit of "intermediate" processes of perceptual grouping linked to the higher-order visual areas.

[Modification of Norwood's operation in children].

Modified Norwood's operations were performed on 46 children aged from 1 to 180 days. The operations were performed on patients with the single heart ventricle in combination with hypoplasia or atresia of the aorta. Atrioseptostomy was fulfilled in 29 children. Two variants of reconstruction of the aorta arch were used: plasty of the aorta arch with a patch or direct anastomosis between the aorta and pulmonary artery. A modified subclavian-pulmonary shunt was made in 24 children, venous-pulmonary conduit by the S.Sano method--in 22 children. No difference was found in the postoperative treatment and survival in groups of patients with the Blalock shunt and Norwood's conduit. The results of Norwood's operation depend on the experience of the surgical team rather than on the type of the operation.

[Alpha oscillations of human brain elicited by illusory contour perception].

We examined the changes in the phase-locked and total alpha oscillations of EEG during perception of illusory (Kanizsa square) and non-illusory images in 16 healthy adults. We applied a wavelet-based time-frequency analysis to compute alpha band power, statistical evaluation was performed using repeated-measures ANOVA and the non-parametric multi-way analysis. Results showed that both stimuli provoked an initial increase of total alpha power emerging not later than in 100 ms after the stimulus onset. The increase was caused by the phase-locked alpha response, and the illusory contour was systematically followed by a higher level of alpha power than the non-illusory one. Further suppression of total alpha power occurred within the time window of 200-500 ms after the stimulus onset and did not depend on the stimulus type. Both stages of the total alpha response were more prominent over the parieto-occipito-temporal scalp areas. We hypothesize that the first stage of alpha response is related to the modulation of the activity of neural circuits participating in processing of a coherent pattern whereas a later suppression of total alpha power links to the orienting processes.