Influence of breed and environment on leukocyte telomere length in cattle.

High milk yield is associated with reduced longevity in high-producing dairy cattle breeds. Pre-term culling leads to high replacement heifer demand and economic losses for the dairy industry. Selection for this trait is limited because of low heritability and difficulties in phenotype measurement. Telomeres are elements found at the ends of chromosomes, consisting of repetitive DNA sequences, several thousand base pairs in length, coupled with nucleoprotein complexes. Eventually, in humans and most other animals, telomere length reduces with age. When telomeric DNA is truncated to a critical length, cell ageing, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis are induced. As a result, telomere length can be considered as a predictor of health risks and an individual's lifespan. The leukocyte telomere length may be used as a proxy phenotype of productive lifespan to improve cattle selection. Our objectives were to assess the effects of breed and breed group (dairy vs. beef) on the leukocyte telomere length and to estimate the effect of cold climate on this trait in Kalmyk cattle populations from the South (Rostov Oblast) and Far North (Republic of Sakha) regions of Russia. The leukocyte telomere lengths were estimated computationally from whole-genome resequencing data. We leveraged data on leukocyte telomere length, sex, and age of 239 animals from 17 cattle breeds. The breed factor had a significant effect on leukocyte telomere length across our sample. There was no difference in leukocyte telomere length between dairy and beef groups. The population factor had a significant effect on leukocyte telomere length in Kalmyk animals. In conclusion, we found that breed, but not breed group (dairy vs. beef), was significantly associated with leukocyte telomere length in cattle. Residence in colder climates was associated with longer leukocyte telomere length in Kalmyk breed cattle.

[Predictive model for additional intraoperative placement of chest drainage after thoracoscopic lobectomy]. / Prognosticheskaya model' dlya dopolnitel'noi intraoperatsionnoi ustanovki plevral'nogo drenazha pri torakoskopicheskoi lobektomii.

OBJECTIVE: To create a prognostic model determining the risk of tension pneumothorax and the need for intraoperative installation of additional drainage after thoracoscopic lobectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective multiple-center study included patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer between 2016 and 2022. One drainage tube was used after surgery in all cases. We synthesized data to expand patient selection using the Riley method and machine learning algorithm. In total, treatment outcomes in 1458 patients were analyzed. After identifying significant factors, we performed binary logistic regression analysis using backward stepwise inclusion of variables in accordance with the Akaike information criterion. After validating the model using the Bootstrap method (400 iterations) and original data set, we created a nomogram determining scoring characteristics, linear predictors and risk of postoperative tension pneumothorax. RESULTS: The incidence of tension pneumothorax was 4.53% (n=66). The most significant variables associated with pneumothorax and the need for additional pleural drainage were adhesions, intraoperative lung suturing, unclear interlobar groove, enlarged intrapulmonary lymph nodes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p<0.001). The model's C-index was 0.957, mean absolute calibration error - 0.6%, calibration curve slope - 0.959. A score of 26 indicated a 95% risk of postoperative pneumothorax. CONCLUSION: We developed a prognostic model for tension pneumothorax after thoracoscopic lobectomy. Nomogram makes it possible to make a decision on intraoperative installation of additional pleural drainage tube and prevent complications associated with postoperative lung collapse.

[Status and prospects for improving geriatric care in the Russian Federation.]

The data on legal support, resources, structure, staffing of the geriatric service are given. The state of the geriatric service during the COVID-19 pandemic is discussed, as well as plans and directions for development in the post-COVID period. At the end of 2022, the geriatric service in its development reached the following indicators: 1 303 outpatient rooms; 75 geriatric centers; about 2 000 geriatricians trained; 9,2 million citizens older than working age underwent professional examinations; more than 16.0 million citizens older than working age were under dispensary observation; 106,8 thousand citizens older than working age were hospitalized in geriatric beds. It emphasizes the need to organize the provision of multi-level geriatric care and the need to reorganize geriatric care in general.

Morphological Variability of the Mandible Shape of the Common Vole Microtus arvalis (Rodentia, Arvicolidae) Semi-species from the Hybrid Zone.

The mandible shape of the common vole semi-species from the hybrid zone was studied for the first time using the methods of geometric morphometry. The hybrid specimens were found to display high morphological variability being closer to the parental Microtus obscurus than to M. arvalis form. The main trends of changes in the mandible shape were primarily observed in the horizontal plane.

[Features of diagnosis and clinical picture of common dermatoses in the elderly and senile age.]

The review article presents data on common dermatoses in elderly patients. At present, this topic is practically not discussed in the Russian geriatrics. The urgency of the problem is increasing due to the increase in life expectancy and the deterioration in the availability of specialized care (in particular, dermatological care), especially for elderly patients. The review discusses a number of clinical cases in elderly patients. This article is addressed to geriatrics, general practitioners, general practitioners (family doctors).

[Microbiological profile of postoperative infection in current oncology surgery]. / Mikrobiologicheskii profil' posleoperatsionnoi infektsii v sovremennoi onkokhirurgii.

AIM: To analyze in-hospital infection in oncology center within 2012-2016. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 98 patients with nosocomial infection who underwent surgery for malignancies. Microbiological examination of biological materials was carried out by appropriate laboratories according to generally accepted methods. RESULTS: Mono- and polymicrobial infection was observed in 58 and 42% of cases. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common agent in patients with microbial infection. Minimal inhibitory concentration of vancomycin (MIC) ≥1.0 µg/ml was revealed in 60% of microbes. Microbial agents isolated were resistant to antibacterial drugs used to prevent postoperative infectious complications. CONCLUSION: In-hospital infection was accompanied by staphylococci as a rule. Causative agents of nosocomial infections are usually resistant to conventional antibacterial drugs. Moreover, 60.1% of microbes had minimal inhibitory concentration of vancomycin ≥1.0 µg/ml that indicated the need for alternative therapeutic agents.

[Chromosomal instability of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with precancer gastric cases].

Results of clinical and instrumental-laboratory study of 17 cases are presented. According to the rapid urease test (CLO) and histological studies, the helicobacter infection was found in 12 (70.6%) cases out of the group of 17 suffering from chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer adenomatous polyposis. Analyses of Helicobacter pylori dissemination over the gastric mucosa manifested the I (weak) degree (up to 20 microbes within field of vision) prevailing in 8 (66.7%) of 12 cases, while the II (medium) degree (up to 50 microbes within field of vision) and III (high) degree (over 50 microbes within field of vision) occurred only in 4 cases (33.3%). By comparative cytogenetic research of the peripheral blood lymphocytes we found the immunogenetic markers and characteristic features of cytogenetic disturbances in the immunocompetent cells in cases of pre-cancer Helicobacter pylori-associated diseases (chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer, adenomatous polyposis). Statistical data confirmed an increase in the percentage of cells with chromosomal aberrations, which amounted to 4.25+/-0.51 in the chronic atrophic gastritis cases, 3.5+/-0.46 in the gastric ulcer cases, 5.75+/-0.60 in the adenomatous polyposis cases for 100 analyzed metaphases. Considering the questionable role of Helicobacter pylori as a direct initiator of mutagenesis, the immune disturbances may be caused by the damage of DNA of lymphocytes resulting from the genotoxic effect of some intermediates of inflammation.

Tokamak equilibria with reversed current density.

Observations of nearly zero toroidal current in the central region of tokamaks (the "current hole") raises the question of the existence of toroidal equilibria with very low or reversed current in the core. The solutions of the Grad-Shafranov equilibrium equation with hollow toroidal current density profile including negative current density in the plasma center are investigated. Solutions of the corresponding eigenvalue problem provide simple examples of such equilibrium configurations. More realistic equilibria with toroidal current density reversal are computed using a new equilibrium problem formulation and computational algorithm which do not assume nested magnetic surfaces.

[Ultrastructure of myocardial microcirculatory bed in patients with ischemic heart disease at various stages of aortocoronary bypass]. / Ul'trastruktura mikrotsirkuliatornogo rusla miokarda bol'nykh IBS na étapakh aortokoronarnogo shuntirovaniia.

Changes in the ultrastructure of microcirculatory vasculature were studied on 136 puncture biopsy samples of the left ventricular myocardium taken from 56 ischemic heart disease patients before aortic compression, at terminal cardioplegia, and after coronary flow reconstruction. It was found, that changes in the endothelial cells gradually grow during cardioplegia, becoming statistically significant in the reconstructive post-cardioplegia period lasting over 60 min, which affects the capillary permeability, status of homeostasis and metabolism, and contractility of cardiomyocytes in the postoperative period.

[The effect of lovastatin therapy on the dynamics of the clinical state of patients with ischemic heart disease and hyperlipoproteinemia]. / Vliianie terapii lovastatinom na dinamiku klinicheskogo sostoianiia bol'nykh ishemicheskoi bolezn'iu serdtsa s giperlipoproteidemiei.

The authors review the results of the clinical use of lovastatin in 150 patients with associated coronary heart disease and coronary atherosclerosis (according to coronarography). All the patients suffered from primary non-familial hyperlipoproteinemia (of the IIa and IIb types) and were entered into the placebo-controlled studies of the effectiveness of lovastatin. After 3 months of the treatment there was a decrease in the levels of total cholesterol (by 36%) (p less than 0.001); the content of cholesterol LDLP dropped by 48% (p less than 0.001), and that of triglycerides by 19% (p less than 0.01), while the level of cholesterol HDLP rose. Side effects were recorded in an insignificant number of cases. Therefore, lovastatin is a highly effective and well tolerable drug for the treatment of patients with coronary heart disease and hyperlipoproteinemia.

[Ultrastructure of myocardial capillaries in chronic ischemic heart disease]. / U'ltrastruktura kapilliarov miokarda pri khronicheskoi ishemicheskoi bolezni serdtsa.

Intraoperative myocardial biopsy specimens taken from 50 patients with coronary heart disease were studied to examine ultrastructure of myocardial capillaries. It was found that this disease was characterized by abundant myocardial capillaries with a narrowed lumen. Quantitative stereological analysis indicated that the ultrastructure of the capillaries with narrowed lumen was not substantially different from that of open capillaries. The findings showed that the narrowed capillaries to be reserve and capable of providing an adequate blood supply of cardiomyocytes after aortocoronary bypass surgery.

[Reorganization of the lateral geniculate body after deafferentation (experimento-morphologic research)]. / Reorganizatsiia naruzhnogo kolenchatogo tela mozga posle deafferentatsii (éksperimental'no-morfologicheskoe issledovanie).

One year after surgical section of the optical tract, the degenerative changes were found in the deafferented lateral geniculate bodies (LGB). The changes were species-dependent. In cats, the cytoarchitectonics was preserved, local neuronal losses and layers thinning absent. In night-active apes, with cytoarchitectonic image preserved and focal neuron necrosis absent, the layers were more substantially thinned. In apes with a primate-like LGB structure pattern, the extended zones of neurons degeneration were found in the layers. The most prominent deafferentation-induced structural LGB alterations were shown in the central vision projection zones.

[Factors determining the success of the surgical treatment of chronic postinfarct heart aneurysm]. / Faktory, opredeliaiushchie uspekh khirurgicheskogo lecheniia khronicheskoi postinfarktnoi anevrizmy serdtsa.

Evaluation of instrumental findings in relation to clinical course of the early postoperative period in 105 patients operated on for chronic postinfarction aneurysm of the heart demonstrated that regional left-ventricular contractility, particularly that of unscarred myocardial tissue, is the principal determinant of surgical success, followed by the severity of attendant coronary sclerosis and, consequently, the adequacy of the chosen surgical procedure. Preoperative congestive heart failure, indicative of disrupted left-ventricular myocardial compensatory potential, is an aggravating factor.