[ECOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE SPREAD OF MITES OF THE FAMILY TROMBICULIDAE IN MONGOLIA].

The paper gives data on the fauna of chigger mites (Thrombiculinae), the ectoparasites of small mammals in Mongolia. The ecological and geographic analysis could reveal the major abiotic and biotic determinants of the spread of the chigger mites and make a map of their potential area.

[Dynamics of colonies of the speckled ground squirrel (Spermophilus suslicus Guld., 1770) on the northern boundary of the habitat].

Results of studies in 1999-2009 of the dynamics of five isolated colonies of the speckled ground squirrel (Spermophilus suslicus) at the northern boundary of the habitat of this species (Zaraiskii area, Moscow oblast) are given. An abrupt decrease in the number of this species in colonies was established, as was a multifold decrease (up to 70-90%) in suitable habitats due to the plowing of meadows and build-up of the area. The fragmentation of the optimum habitat of ground squirrels reached a stage where colonies can no longer exist as a stable autonomous system. The process of their extinction unfolds quickly: the number of animals in some colonies decreased five-six times over the last ten years. To preserve this species, it is necessary to create areas of steppefied meadows with regulated agricultural use.

[Experience with the use of ozone for the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis].

Comparative data are presented illustrating efficiency of the treatment of patients with chronic viral hepatitis by standard therapeutic methods and basal therapy combined with ozone therapy. Patients treated with the use of ozone exhibited better biochemical, virological, and functional characteristics compared with their counterparts managed by standard methods. The results of the study suggest a higher efficiency of combined therapy and reduced risk of development of cholelithiasis.

[Physical and colloidal properties picture of gall in patients with hepatitis on background standard diet].

Changes of physical properties and colloidal properties and microscopic picture of gall and liver bladder are detected in patients with virus hepatic B and C. A big number of chrystal elements (cholesterol chrystals gall acids, calcium belirubinates, microlytes) as well as cyllindic epithelium cells are revealed. The revealed changes degree isn't conncted with virus hepatitis ethyology, but proportionate to intensity of expressive changes in liver parenchyma.

[Bile biochemical composition changes in patients with chronic viral hepatitis].

AIM: to study the biochemical composition of cystic and hepatic bile in patients with different forms of viral hepatitis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Four hundred and fifty-seven patients with different forms of viral hepatitis were examined. The concentration and debit of cholic acid (CA), total cholesterol, total bilirubin, phospholipids, calcium, and C-reactive protein were determined by a bile biochemical study. Cholate-cholesterol and phospholipid-cholesterol ratios were simultaneously calculated for each bile portion. RESULTS: CA levels and cholate-cholesterol ratios were significantly decreased in all patients with viral hepatitis. The findings suggest that duodenal digestion was impaired, CA secretion was lowered and the majority of patients with viral hepatitis had biliary insufficiency. CONCLUSION: Stepwise chromatic duodenal intubation should be used, by making a biochemical study of bile portions and calculating the total debit of bile components secreted per hour after administration of a stimulus, in order to make a complex diagnosis of exocrine function of the liver in patients with viral hepatitis.

[Combined treatment including ozonotherapy of patients with viral hepatitis ].

Patients with viral hepatitis have disturbances of biliary tract motor function with the tendency to hypertonus of Oddi's sphincter, changes of physic-colloid properties of bile with increase in density of gall and hepatic bile, pH shift to acid side, microlites formation, disorders in biochemical composition of bile. More than 80% patients have biliar insufficiency. According to our data, with the purpose to correct of disturbances of hepatic exocrine function in patients with viral hepatitis and to prevent stone formation, it is reasonable to use together with antiviral therapy also intravenous injection of ozonated physiological solution and preparations of ursodeoxycholic acid.

[Dynamics of rodent community and populations in Kalmyk semideserts under decreasing pasture load and increasing humidity]. / Dinamika soobshchestva i populiatsii gryzunov polupustyn' Kalmykii v usloviiakh snizheniia nagruzki na pastbishcha i uvlazhneniia klimata.

Today, pastural ecosystems of the Kalmyk Republic demonstrate progressive regrowth dynamics, which is explained by a sharp decrease in grazing load and the onset of a new humidification cycle in the Caspian Lowland. By the mid-1990s, the sparse and poor desert vegetation with a significant proportion of ephemerals, characteristic of these ecosystems in the 1980s, had been substituted by highly productive tall-grass communities typical of steppes. Under such conditions, corresponding changes in the distribution and abundance of rodents could be expected. These parameters were assessed in different types of habitats in Chernye Zemli (the Kalmyk Black Lands) from 1980 to 1983 and from 1993 to 1997. Rodents were captured in live traps distributed over permanent test plots and in crush traps arranged in lines. The results showed that the population of midday gerbils did not change significantly during this period, although their favorite open habitats considerably decreased in area. The abundance and range of tamarisk gerbils noticeably increased, whereas those of little sousliks continued to decrease, contrary to our expectations. Thus, a rapid progressive succession in plant communities did not cause the corresponding change (of similar rate and extent) in the structure of rodent community. The difference between the observed and expected results provides evidence that rodent populations are somewhat "inert" in their response to changes in environmental conditions, and their development is relatively independent of these changes, but is contingent upon the state of populations in the past (i.e., the history of colonies).

[Relationship between zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis morbidity in the Murgab oasis and hydrometeorological factors]. / Analiz sviazei zabolevaemosti zoonoznym kozhnym leishmaniozom v Murgabskom oazise s gidrometeorologicheskimi faktorami.

The relationships of changes in the incidence of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in the Mary velayat, Turkmenistan, to those in hydrometeroelogical factors in 1951 to 1993 were first analyzed and the regularities found were evaluated. There is an inverse relationship of the incidence to the temperatures of the preceding winter. The long persistence of sun shining seems to have a negative impact on the foci of ZCL. There is an insignificant correlation of humidity, precipitation, and winds. In the years marked by high waters in the valley foci, increased soil moisture content causes a reduction in their epidemic activity.

[History of the study of and the current data on the geographic range of the greater gerbil (Rhombomys opimus Licht., 1823) in Mongolia]. / Istoriia izucheniia i sovremennye dannye ob areale bol'shoi peschanki (Rhombomys opimus Licht., 1823) v Mongolii.

The history of studies of the great gerbil range was analyzed and position of the range boundaries was made more precise on the basis of the published data, museum collections, various natural maps, and authors' field observations. A scheme of the range regionalization is presented, in which three regional complexes of autonomous population groups are distinguished: Djungarian, Central Gobi, and East Gobi-Alashan'. Five autonomous population groups have also been isolated, which are located to the north of the main range: Shargin Gobi (?), Beger-nur, Orok-nur, Bulgan, and Bayan-dov. Regions with most favorable conditions for the great gerbil colonies were also shown.

[The multiyear changes in the epidemic activity of the foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis at the Murgab oasis. I. An analysis of the relations of morbidity to heliogeophysical factors]. / Mnogoletnie izmeneniia épidemicheskoi aktivnosti ochagov zoonoznogo kozhnogo leishmanioza v Murgabskom oazise. Soobshchenie I. Analiz sviazei zabolevaemosti s geliogeofizicheskimi faktorami.

Attempts were made to analyse the relationships of changes in the pattern of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) morbidity by the 1951-1993 statistics of the Turkmenistan Ministry of Health by the areas of Maryiskii velaiat with heliogeophysical factors. For quantitative characterization of solar activity changes, various indices were used; among them there was the Wolf number, radio radiation flux at a wavelength of 10.7 cm. and the geomagnetic Aa-index. In some many-year observations, vague cyclic variations were detected on a personal computer by spectral and periodogram analyses proved to be effective in other diseases. Correlation and cross-correlation analyses were used to evaluate the possible relationships between the morbidity rates and the changes in heliogeophysical factors. The study has revealed that the epidemic activity of ZCL foci is characterized by cyclicity with variations of about 2.4, 3.6, 6.9, and 11.2 years. The changes in ZCL morbidity in the areas, including the natural ZCL foci of Murgab delta landscapes, slightly differ from those in the areas with valley foci in the south part of the velayat in the duration and expression of cycles. At the same time sun-caused 11-year cycles are observed in all groups of the areas, though they are slightly more pronounced in the north than in the south. The greatest epidemic outbreaks (1956-1957, 1965, 1977, and 1986-1988) occurred in various areas of the Murgab oasis on an average of 1-3 years after the minimum of 11-year solar cycles. Noteworthy, they are greatly marked in odd solar activity cycles (the 1957 and 1977 outbreaks) in many areas. Among the parameters chosen, the radio flux of solar radiation at a wavelenght of 10.7 cm and the Wolf number (the correlation coefficients are as high as 0.30-0.50 at P = 0.95) are closely related with ZCL morbidity changes when the plot is shifted. At the same time the values of the geomagnetic Aa-index are unlikely to greatly affect changes in the epidemiological situation. The regularities revealed are of particular significance for long-term prediction of the greatest rises of ZCL morbidity rates. Taking into account the estimated solar activity changes within the next years, one may expect activation of natural ZCL foci and, in case of untimely use of prophylactic measures, the following rise in the population's morbidity in 1998-1999.

[The characteristics of the distribution of the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) on the territory of China]. / Osobennosti rasprostraneniia bol'shoi peschanki (Rhombomys opimus) na territorii Kitaia.

The distribution of the great gerbil (Rh. opimus) in China was analyzed on the basis of published data, museum collections, natural maps, and authors' field observations. A preliminary scheme was plotted for range regionalization, in which three parts have been isolated or, according to classification of Dubrovskii and Kucheruk (1971), three regional complexes of autonomous groups of populations: Dzungarian, Beishanian and Alashanian. West of the main area of the great gerbil distribution, an isolated colony is located in the Ili River valley, connected with the Kazakhstan portion of the range (Ili regional complex of autonomous groups of populations). Additional field observations are required for more detailed description of the great gerbil range.

[The taxonomic diversity of the rodents within the limits of the Asian ecological transect]. / Taksonomicheskoe raznoobrazie gryzunov v predelakh Aziatskogo ékologicheskogo transekta.

The diversity of rodents is considered at various taxonomic levels within the limits of the Asian ecological transect, which crosses Asia from the Taimyr Peninsula in the north to the southern coast of Indostan and embraces territories of seven countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, China, Nepal, and India. The highest diversity of rodents is observed in the south of West Siberia and in mountains of Middle Asia. The least number of all taxa was noted in the Taimyr Peninsula and in the Tibet region.

Natural focality of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Mongolian People's Republic; results and objectives of integrated research.

In the summer 1976, natural foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis were discovered by the authors on the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic. In 1976-1983 the integrated research of these foci was conducted and maps of a structure of the geographical range of the pathogen were compiled taking into account the peculiarities of distribution of its carriers and vectors. Great gerbils are the only identified vertebrate hosts of Leishmania and their infection rate comes up to 100% in single foci. Three species of sandflies belonging to subgenus Paraphlebotomus, Ph. andrejevi, Ph. mongolensis and Ph. alexandri, are vectors of the pathogen in foci. The most common of them in burrows of gerbils is Ph. andrejevi. It was established by genetic and biochemical methods that two variants of Leishmania major may circulate simultaneously in individual natural foci in the MPR, but both of them have a low virulence and are not dangerous for man.