Can Shrews Avoid Competition When Hutchinson's Ecological Rule Is Disobeyed?

It is established that Hutchinson's ratio of the weights and sizes of the body and foraging organs in similar species is not fully obeyed in shrew species of the genus Sorex. Similarity in the centroid size of the mandible was observed in the large species S. isodon and S. araneus. Differences in the shape of the mandible, which is intensely used in foraging, were detected between the species by geometric morphometrics. Interspecific differences were found in mandibular indices, which reflect trophic specialization and functional features of the mandibles. Shrews can therefore avoid competition even when Hutchinson's rule is violated. The avoidance is due to a transformation and specialization of the mandible and changes in prey capture methods and diet, rather than to changes in size. Hutchinson's ecological rule is thus not mandatory, but is only one of the conditions for reducing competition between closely related species.

Lifespans of Fur Color Morphs in Polymorphic Populations of the Mole Vole and the Hypothesis of Adaptive Polymorphism.

Different lifespans were for the first time demonstrated for three (brown, bicolor, and black) fur color morphs in ten mole vole populations of the Volga, Ural, and Trans-Ural regions. With the longest lifespan of 5 years in the species, morphs that numerically dominate in a population can live 1-4 years longer than accompanying morphs. Spearman's correlation coefficient between the longest lifespan of the morphs and their proportion in the population was Rsp = 0.81 (p < 0.0001). A number of morphological and functional features were identified in the color morphs. The findings are of general biological significance, confirming the hypothesis of adaptive polymorphism. Evolutionary and ecological mechanisms whereby selective advantages develop in morphs (as probable ecomorphs) are possible to evaluate using the morphs as a natural model of the initial step of sympatric form development in different parts of the range.

Design optimization for bright electrically-driven quantum dot single-photon sources emitting in telecom O-band.

A combination of advanced light engineering concepts enables a substantial improvement in photon extraction efficiency of micro-cavity-based single-photon sources in the telecom O-band at ∼1.3 µm. We employ a broadband bottom distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) and a top DBR formed in a dielectric micropillar with an additional circular Bragg grating in the lateral plane. This device design includes a doped layer in pin-configuration to allow for electric carrier injection. It provides broadband (∼8-10 nm) emission enhancement with an overall photon-extraction efficiency of ∼83% into the upper hemisphere and photon-extraction efficiency of ∼79% within numerical aperture NA=0.7. The efficiency of photon coupling to a single-mode fiber reaches 11% for SMF28 fiber (with NA=0.12), exceeds 22% for 980HP fiber (with NA=0.2) and reaches ∼40% for HNA fiber (with NA=0.42) as demonstrated by 3D finite-difference time-domain modeling.

Analysis of Geographical Variability of Morphogenetic Trajectories Using the Mole Vole (Ellobius talpinus Pall.) as an Example.

ABSTTRACT: -Using the methods of geometric morphometrics, we have revealed the phenomenon of geographical variability of morphogenetic trajectories when doing side-by-side comparisons of mandibular shapes in individuals of different ages from three southern Trans-Ural populations of the mole vole (Ellobius talpinus Pall.) in the common morphospace.

[Immune response to lower urinary tract infections].

Urinary tract infections are one of the most common and widespread infectious diseases. A certain role in etiopathogenesis may play genetic predisposition, as well as a decrease in antiadhesive properties and an increase in urothelium permeability due to incompetence of bladder glycosaminoglycan layer. The prevalence of infectious diseases increases significantly with age, as well as in patients with chronic diseases. The introduction of modern biotechnology has allowed clinicians to greatly expand therapeutic armamentarium, while having a number of advantages, including minimal frequency of complications and adverse events, the possibility for long-term use, accessibility, and etc. Priority research areas include the study of toll-like receptors, which are transmembrane proteins that provide pathogen recognition and activate the immune response. The role of these receptors in the development of the immune response to urinary tract infections was evaluated in our study, which allows to predict the course of the disease and to increase treatment efficiency.

[State of microcirculation in patients with atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus after limb revascularization]. / Sostoianie mikrotsirkuliatsii u bol'nykh aterosklerozom i sakharnym diabetom posle revaskuliarizatsii konechnosti.

AIM: The study was aimed at comparatively assessing the dynamics of the parameters of the microcirculatory bed of the skin after endovascular revascularization of the lower limb in patients suffering from intermittent claudication (IC) with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Microcirculation (MC) of the skin of lower extremities was examined in 88 male patients presenting with IC and without DM (Group One) and in 28 male patients with IC and DM (Group Two). 30 patients from Group One and 21 patients from Group Two were subjected to endovascular revascularization of lower limbs. MC was examined on the 2nd day after restoration of blood flow in the extremity by means of laser Doppler flowmetry with the assessment of the amplitude parameters of blood flow fluctuations, reflecting active and passive mechanisms of regulation of microcirculation, the intensity of blood flow through the arteriole-venule shunts and the nutritive blood flow. RESULTS: At baseline, the main parameters of MC had no differences in the groups and were characterized by intensification of the blood shunted bypassing the nutritive bed, venous plethora, constriction of precapillaries and restriction of capillary blood flow. After endovascular angioplasty of the affected artery and restoration of blood flow therein the patients of the examined subgroups demonstrated an equal increase in the ankle-brachial index, thus approaching the normal values; the patients of both subgroups reported disappearance of pain in the legs during usual daily activities. In patients without DM, endovascular intervention was accompanied by a decrease in the intensity of the arteriole-venule shunts, venous plethora, and enhancement of capillary blood flow. The patients with DM at the early stage after restoration of blood flow in the limb were found to have no statistically significant shifts of the functional parameters of the microvascular bed. CONCLUSION: From the point of view of microcirculatory transformations in patients with IC and DM, the effect of limb revascularization at early stages of follow-up turned out to be incomplete, which, probably, was due to irremovable events of latent diabetic microangiopathy and neuropathy.

[Clinical characteristics and diagnosis of disseminated encephalomyelitis in adults]. / Klinicheskie osobennosti i diagnostika ostrogo rasseiannogo éntsefalomielita u vzroslykh.

AIM: To analyze clinical, neuroimaging and laboratory characteristics of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ODEM) in adults with an analysis of the frequency of diagnostic errors at the initial examination stage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 23 patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of ODEM. The analysis of clinical characteristics, MRI results and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was performed. The diagnosis of the disease in each case was specified after a full examination and dynamic observation. RESULTS: The diagnosis of ODEM was confirmed only in 16 cases. In 6 cases, the final diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) was made, and one case of Susak syndrome, primary CNS lymphoma and levamisole-associated multifocal inflammatory leukoencephalopathy was also detected. It has been shown that ODEM in adults is characterized by the acute development of multifocal brain lesions in combination with clinical manifestations of encephalopathy, which in half of cases is preceded by an infectious disease. There were no specific clinical, neuroimaging and laboratory features, which could allow differentiation of ODEM from onset of MS. CONCLUSION: To make a correct diagnosis in the first episode of acute multifocal brain lesion, a dynamic observation, including repeated MRI, is needed. The development of specific biomarkers may be of great importance for the early differential diagnosis of demyelinating diseases.

[Dynamics of bone metabolism markers in oral fluid after surgical treatment of chronic periodontal disease with various osteoplastic materials]. / Dinamika kostnogo metabolizma posle khirurgicheskogo lecheniia khronicheskogo generalizovannogo parodontita s podsadkoi razlichnykh kostno-plasticheskikh materialov po pokazateliam rotovoi zhidkosti.

The aim of the work was to assess the balance between osteosynthetic and osteodestructive processes in the oral cavity in patients with chronic generalized periodontitis (CGP) of moderate and severe severity in the dynamics of a remote period of patchwork using various bone-plastic materials (BPM) based on xenogeneic hydroxyapatite (HA), ß-tricalcium phosphate (TCP). 123 patients with CGP were examined. Depending on the type of BPM, two groups were distinguished by composition in the course of patchwork operations. Patients of group 1 (n=61) received BPM on the basis of xenogeneic HA, 2 groups (n=62) on the basis of ß-TCP. Initially and after surgery at 8 and 12 months in the oral fluid, the concentration of osteoprotegerin (OPG), the ligand of the soluble activator of the kappa B nucleation factor (sRANKL), the bone isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (BAP), was determined by an immunoenzyme method. As a result of the study, it was found that in patients with moderate-bodied CGP after surgical treatment, restriction of osteoclast activity with a decrease in sRANKL due to an increase in OPG in the oral fluid, an increase in osteoblast activity with BAP secretion is most pronounced when using ß-TCP-based BPM at 8 months. After surgery with an average severity of the disease. Less pronounced changes in bone metabolism in the oral cavity are detected with the use of BPM on the basis of HA. In severe CGP, changes in bone homeostasis in the oral cavity after scrappy operations with BPM insertion based on TCP or HA are not expressed and are observed only after 12 months. Thus, the most effective changes in bone metabolism develop with the use of TCP as BPM.

Blood Cytokine Profile in Rats with Different Behavioral Characteristics after Metabolic Stress.

Changes in the blood cytokine profile in rats with various parameters of behavior were studied under conditions of 5-day starvation not followed by the recovery period or with subsequent normalization of food intake. Metabolic stress had no effect on the content of most cytokines. The concentration of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in blood plasma of rats was shown to increase significantly by the end of a 5-day recovery period after food deprivation. These changes in behaviorally passive specimens were more pronounced than in active animals. Therefore, differences in the strain of immune reactions in mammals with different prognostic resistance to extreme factors are most pronounced during the post-stress period. These data illustrate the necessity of an individual approach to studying the systemic organization of physiological functions under normal and pathological conditions.

Postgenomic Properties of Natural Micronutrients.

Modern medical approaches to the therapy of various diseases, including cancer, are based on the use of toxic drugs. The unfavorable side effects of traditional medicine could be counterbalanced by addition of natural bioactive substances to conventional therapy due to their mild action on cells combined with the multitargeted effects. To elucidate the real mechanisms of their biological activity, versatile approaches including a number of "omics" such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics are used. This review highlights inclusion of bioactive natural compounds into the therapy of chronic diseases from the viewpoint of modern omics-based nutritional biochemistry. The recently accumulated data argue for necessity to employ nutrigenetic and nutrimetabolomic analyses to prevent or diminish the risk of chronic diseases.

Activity of Cathepsin B and Proteome in the Serum and Brain of Rats with Different Behavioral Activity under Conditions of Metabolic Stress.

Study of the brain and serum of male Wistar rats with the metabolic stress model detected changed proteomic profiles of emotiogenic structures and an increase of cathepsin B activity. Antiapoptotic effect of coenzyme Q10, added to the ration, was detected. Differences in the adaptation response of animals with passive and active behavior under conditions of metabolic stress were detected.

Effect of Metabolic Stress on Lysosomal Proteolysis in the Liver and Brain of Rats Receiving Q10-Enriched Ration.

Activation of lysosomal proteolysis and increased coenzyme Q10 level were revealed in the liver and brain of rats with individual typological features under conditions of food deprivation. Changes in cathepsin B activity in these tissues were different in behaviorally active and passive animals. We observed indirect modulating effect of coenzyme Q10 in the regulation of activity of lysosomal endopeptidases in the brain of animals with different behavior during adaptation to metabolic stress.

Morphogenetic Effects of Resettlement of Mole Voles (Ellobius talpinus Pall., 1770) from the Southern Population to the Northern Boundary of the Species Range.

Geometric morphometry has been used to reveal transformations of mandible morphogenesis in the offspring of mole voles resettled to the northern part of the species range from a southern population. The transformations were new compared to both the original (southern) and the aboriginal (northern) populations. A significant increase in the intragroup morphological disparity estimated by the mean nearest neighbor distance (MNND) in the resettled animals compared to both aboriginal populations is an indirect indication of an increased developmental instability in the resettled animals exposed to new climatic conditions.

[Root canals dentinal wall structure after photodynamic exposure]. / Izuchenie struktury stenki kornevykh kanalov zubov posle fotodinamicheskogo vozdeistviia.

The aim of the study was to assess root canal dentinal walls structure after photodynamic exposure with the use of 0.5% photoditazine. A root canal dentin of 46 single root intact teeth removed for orthodontic indications was examined by scanning electron microscope JEOL JSM-6510 (Japan). Microphotographs of the root canal wall were obtained in the orifice, central and apical parts under×2000 magnification. It was found that photoactivation of 0.5% gel photoditazine by a light source, laser or diode, with a wavelength of 635-660 nm and a power of 150-200 mW is an effective technique for removing the smear layer of the root canal wall, which facilitates the maximum opening of the dentinal tubules to a depth of 2-3 µm. The best result (the maximum number of open dentinal tubules, the absence of a smear layer) is observed with 3 min photoditazine exposure and 2 min of laser exposure. The method can be proposed as an alternative supplement to the conventional root canals irrigation.

[Results of urethral reconstruction in adults after multiple hypospadias repairs].

AIM: To improve treatment results in patients after multiple hypospadias repairs by optimizing the postoperative management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-two patients (mean age 48.1+/-15.3 years) with urethral strictures secondary to failed hypospadias repairs underwent staged graft urethroplasty using oral mucosa (cheek, lip, tongue) as a grafting material. In 62 patients, at the end of surgery the bladder was drained with a standard Foley catheter. In twenty patients the bladder was drained with a modified silicone urethral catheter, which had an additional channel for delivering drugs and removing the urethral wound effluent, and a second additional channel for inflating a balloon fixed to the catheter tube at different parts of the catheter. RESULTS: The mean length of the stricture was 5.4+/-1.2 cm (from 1 to 16 cm). Twenty-eight patients had postoperative complications. Using the modified catheter resulted in statistically significantly (p<0.05) smaller percentage of complications (10% vs 41.9%) compared to standard Foley catheter. Urinalysis and sperm test on the follow up examination at 12 months showed that only 9 (10.9%) patients had signs of the inflammatory process. Seventy-five patients (91.5%) rated the appearance of the penis as "good"; only 5 (6.1%) and 2 (2.4%) patients considered the result as "satisfactory" and "unsatisfactory", respectively. Eighty patient (97.6%) regarded the treatment result as "good" for the quality of urination and only two (2.4%) considered it "satisfactory". When assessing the strength of urinary stream, 64 (78.1%), 13 (15.8%) and 5 (6.1%) patients rated it as "good", "satisfactory", and "unsatisfactory", respectively. CONCLUSION: The study findings shows that staged urethroplasty using the oral mucosa restores the urethral patency, reduces the severity of the inflammatory process, thus improving the quality of life of patients after failed hypospadias repair. The proposed modification of the catheter ensures the timely delivery of drugs to the surgical site, evacuation the wound effluent from the urethra and helps prevent strictures by periodically inflating the adjustable balloon-dilator.

Proteomic Characteristics of Blood Serum in Rats with Different Behavioral Parameters after Acute Stress.

We studied proteome profile of blood serum of Wistar rats with different behavioral activity immediately and in 1 and 3 days after acute stress on the model of 12-h immobilization during the nighttime. Comparative analysis of 2D-electrophoretograms revealed differences in the expression of serum proteins in non-stressed (control) and stressed (experimental) rats. We found 22 protein spots that characterized the proteomic features of blood serum in rats with different prognostic resistance to stress. Mass-spectrometry of isolated spots identified 6 functional proteins. Persistent proteome changes in the blood of animals at different stages after acute stress were determined. The specificity of proteomic characteristics of blood serum was shown in behaviorally passive and active rats during the post-stress period. These data extend the concept on specific protein markers for the formation of a negative emotional state and adaptive-and-compensatory processes in mammals with different sensitivity to stressogenic factors.

[Comparison of a Radiation Dose During Standard Digital Radiography, Tomosynthesis, and Multislice Spiral Computed Tomography in an Experimental Study of Pediatric Anthropomorphic Phantom].

Objective: To compare a radiation dose obtained during standard digital radiography, tomosynthesis, and multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT). Material and Methods: Life-size full body pediatric anthropomorphic mannequin phantom was examined with a Fujifilm FDR Ac Selerate 200 X-ray diagnostic apparatus and a Toshiba Aquilion Prime 64 computed scanner using the Piranha dosimetry equipment, as well as Gammex planar target, for comparison of the resolution of the apparatus. The effective radiation doses were calculated for different anatomical regions with the formulas specified in the methodical instructions, using the coefficients K and Kd. Results: The tables and graphs comparing the radiation dose when using different radiation diagnostic techniques were presented. The resolution of standard digital radiography versus that of tomosynthesis was analyzed. Fluctuations of the doses obtained were associated with the difference in the volume of irradiated tissue and in the presence of the doses in the irradiated volume of organs with high radiosensitivity. Optimal physical and technical parameters of photography were proposed, which could reduce a dose load on the patient, without significantly losing the quality of films. Conclusion: The effective doses of tomosynthesis were significantly higher than those of standard digital radiography (p < 0.05) while those of (MSCT) were above those of both X-ray and tomosynthesis, and the resolution of the latter was slightly lower.

[Efficiency of Cell Transplantation in Repair of Mouse Liver Damage].

The effectiveness of two transplantation methods of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells HepG2 and allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells of adipose tissue (AT MSCs) into mice was compared in order to select the most effective for liver damage repair. Considerable advantage of cell transplantation into the spleen compared with intraperitoneal administration was shown. It is found that, under similar conditions of transplantation, AT MSCs are detected in liver tissue in smaller quantities than human hepatocellular carcinoma cells HepG2; differences in cell localization of these types of cells in the liver are revealed. A tendency to decrease in the degree of fibrotic changes in liver tissue after transplantation of AT MSCs and to a greater extent after transplantation of AT MSCs, pretreated with interleukin-6, was traced.

Effect of Metabolic Stress on Coenzyme Q10 Content in Tissues of Active and Passive Rats.

The dynamics of coenzyme Q10 concentration in the blood plasma, liver, and brain of passive and active rats was studied on the model of metabolic stress. This parameter was shown to differ in rats with various patterns of behavior. Dietary consumption of coenzyme Q10 in doses of 10 and 100 mg/kg body weight was followed by changes in its content in experimental animals.

[Pathophysiological and clinical aspects of using L-arginine in cardiology and angiology]. / Patofiziologicheskie i klinicheskie aspekty primeneniia L-arginina v kardiologii i angiologii.

Presented herein is a review of scientific publications dedicated to studying the pharmacodynamics of L-arginine and possibilities of its clinical application. Interest to L-arginine is associated, first of all, with its role as a precursor in endogenous synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), playing an important role in regulation of the functional state of the vascular wall. According to numerous studies, oral and parenteral administration of L-arginine restores endothelial production of NO in such diseases as atherosclerosis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obliterating diseases of arteries of lower extremities. The NO-mediated effect of L-arginine manifests itself in increasing the capability of vessels to dilatation, decreasing blood platelet aggregation, and inhibiting proliferation of smooth muscle cells of vessels. The effect is most pronounced in patients presenting with hypercholesterolaemia and initially decreased reactivity of the blood channel. The mostly pronounced NO-mediated effect of L-arginine is observed in parenteral route of its administration. Prolonged administration of L-arginine slows down progression of atherosclerosis.