[Myasthenic syndrome in a patient with end-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. / Miastenicheskii sindrom u patsienta s terminal'noi stadiei bokovogo amiotroficheskogo skleroza.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and myasthenia gravis are diseases with similar clinical features but different prognosis and approach to treatment. It is possible as an extremely rare combination of these diseases, as well as myasthenia gravis with signs of ALS (MuSK-positive), as well as ALS, accompanied by myasthenic syndrome. Latter option is the most common. Myasthenic syndrome accompanying the ALS characterized by pathological muscle fatigue signs, symptoms variability during the day, partial sensitivity to neostigmine, M-wave decrements detection during electromyographyc study. We present a case of a patient with terminal ALS and myasthenic syndrome. The main pathogenesis theories of this condition and the differential diagnosis of ALS and myasthenia gravis are discussed.

[The efficacy of the anti-acidemic agent dimephosphone at the first rehabilitation stage in patients in the acute period of carotid-related ischemic stroke]. / Effektivnost' primeneniya antiatsidemicheskogo sredstva Dimefosfon na pervom etape reabilitatsii u patsientov v ostrom periode ishemicheskogo insul'ta v karotidnoi sisteme.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of the intravenous form of dimephosphon at the first stage of rehabilitation in patients with ischemic stroke in the carotid system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The article presents the results of examination of 60 patients in the acute period of ischemic stroke in the carotid system (30 patients were treated with dimephosphon and 30 patients were in the comparison group). The dynamics of the clinical picture (according to the NIHSS), functional dependence in self-service (according to the modified Rankin scale), state of autonomic response using spectral analysis of heart rate variability, cerebrovascular reactivity using functional tests were assessed during the treatment. RESULTS: A significant decrease in NIHSS points was recorded (on average by 60% from the initial level) in the main group, relative to the comparison group (on average by 33% from the initial points). On the 10th day of therapy, there was a significantly more improvement in cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnic and hypocapnic loads, the index of vasomotor reactivity, as well as the state of cerebral blood flow autoregulation in the main group compared with the comparison group. In addition, by the 10th day of therapy relative to the initial values in the main group, a statistically significant increase (by 30%) was revealed in the number of patients with adaptive sympathicotonic type of autonomic regulation with a decrease in the number of patients with hypersympathetic and asymptomatic types of autonomic regulation after orthostatic test (by 10% and 20%, respectively). By the 10th day of hospitalization, there were more patients with no or mild signs of disability (0-2 points according to the modified Rankin scale) in the main group (83%) compared with the comparison group (60%). CONCLUSION: The use of the multimodal drug dimephosphon in complex therapy in patients in the acute period of ischemic stroke in the carotid system contributes to the normalization of the regulatory mechanisms of cerebral circulation and autonomic regulation. This helps to improve functional recovery and enhance the rehabilitation potential of patients.

[Gender Differences of Behavioral Risk Factors in Saint-Petersburg Inhabitants].

BACKGROUND: In developed countries there are significant gender differences in lifetime expectancy that can be explained by behavioral risk factors (RF). OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to estimate gender features of behavioral RF in general population of Saint-Petersburg, Russia. METHODS: As a part of all-Russian epidemiology survey ESSE-RF a random sampling of 1600 Saint-Petersburg inhabitants (25-64 y.o.) stratified by age and sex was performed. All participants filled in the questionnaire. Anthropometry (weight, height, body-mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and fasting blood-tests (lipids, glucose by Abbott Architect 8000 (USA)) were performed. RESULTS: There were examined 573 (36%) men and 1027 (64%) women. No gender differences in obesity were found according to BMI criteria--in 178 (31.2%) women and 352 (35.1%) men. Obesity was more often detected in females according to WC criteria: ATPIII--44.1 vs 30.3%; IDF 51.2 vs 66.4% (p < 0.001 for both). Linear regression analysis was performed and age was associated with BMI--1.6 kg/m2/decade, WC in women--5.2 cm/decade and WC in men--2.8 cm/decade, p < 0.001 for all anthropometric parameters. Optimal level of physical activity was equally documented in both genders--540 (61.2%) women and 286 (58.9%) men. Daily intake of sweets was lower in men--228 (39.8%) vs 539 (52.5%) in women (p < 0.001). 810 (50.6%) of trial subjects were non-smokers, 395 (24.7%) were former smokers, and 395 (24.7%) were smokers at the moment of trial. The higher number of female smokers was observed--194 (19.1%). CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of obesity is observed in sample of Saint-Petersburg inhabitants--it is higher among women according to WC criteria regardless of menopause, possibly due to bigger sweets consumption. Males smoke more often and consume less fresh fruits and vegetables which is accompanied by a higher prevalence of hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia.

[Spinal segmental myoclonus in multiple sclerosis (case report)]. / Spinal'naia segmentarnaia miokloniia pri rasseiannom skleroze (nabliudenie iz praktiki).

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease with multicentric lesions of central nervous system. These numerous lesions can cause a lot of different symptoms. Sometimes these signs are atypical and make difficulties for MS diagnosing. Hyperkinesis is extremely rare manifestation of MS especially if it concerns spinal myoclonus. Spinal myoclonic jerks can be caused by various focal damages of neuraxis including demyelination lesions. This report describes the case of spinal segmental myoclonus as an unusual manifestation of MS. The patient was diagnosed definite MS according to the McDonald criteria (2010). The nature of movement disorders was defined by careful neurologic and neurophysiologic examination. These movement disorders were reliably caused by demyelinating type lesions in the cervical cord.

[Study of genetic control of pediocins synthesis].

Plasmid profiles of 2 strains of Pediococcus acidilactici and 3 strains of P. pentosaceus were studied. Synthesis of bacteriocins in 2 strains of P. acidilactici was coded on the plasmid which was confirmed by experiment with elimination of plasmids and subsequent electrophoregram, which demonstrated synchronous disappearance of bacteriocins synthesis characteristic in plasmid-lacking variants. In 3 strains of P. pentosaceus plasmids were not found which points to chromosomal localization of genes for bacteriocins production.

Study of temperature influence on electron transport in higher plants via delayed luminescence method: experiment, theory.

The temperature dependence of steady-state millisecond delayed luminescence (DL) is studied within the temperature range from -23 to 45 degrees C in leaf segments of chinese rose (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.) and bean (Ficia faba). To describe the experimental dependence of DL steady-state intensity on temperature theoretically, we suggest the temperature dependences of rate constants in earlier proposed model of photosynthesis. Under these conditions, the temperature dependence of DL steady-state value has the same form as experimental curve.

[Experimental and theoretical study of temperature dependence of steady-state parameters of delayed luminescence induction in leaves of higher plants]. / Eksperimental'noe i teoreticheskoe issledovanie temperaturnoi zavisimosti statsionarnogo znacheniia induktsii zamedlennoi liuminestsentsii list'ev vysshikh rastenii.

The temperature dependence of delayed luminescence of Hibiscus rosa sinensis leaves was studied in the temperature range from -25 degrees C to degrees C. Temperature dependence of the steady-state delayed luminescence intensity has two maxima, at -10 and at +35 degrees C. For the theoretical modeling, the mathematical model of plant photosynthesis developed earlier was used. The temperature dependence of the delayed fluorescence induction was obtained by introducing into the model the temperature dependences for 12 rate constants derived from the data on the effect of temperature on different stages of photosynthesis. The theoretical temperature dependence of the steady-state delayed luminescence was shown to have the same shape as the experimental one.