Detection of African Swine Fever Antibodies in Experimental and Field Samples from the Russian Federation: Implications for Control.

African swine fever (ASF) re-entered in Europe in 2007 by Georgia rapidly affecting neighbouring countries. Since then, ASF has caused severe problems to the Russian Federation (RF) and spread to Northern and Western regions, including Ukraine (2012 and 2014) and Belarus (2013). At the beginning of 2014, dead wild boars were found in Lithuania and Poland. Several outbreaks have been later notified in the European Union(EU), affecting domestic pigs and wild boar of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, and also wild boar in Estonia, causing major problems for the EU pig sector. Some studies have been performed with this ASFV isolate, revealing that it belongs to genotype II and causes an acute form of the disease. However, few data are available about the presence of antibodies in field and experimental samples from the affected area. This study analysed samples from experimental infections with ASFV isolated from the RF in 2013 (74 sera and 3 tissue exudates), and field samples from the RF from 2013 to 2014 (266 samples, including 32 and 7 tissue exudates from domestic pigs and wild boar, respectively). All samples were tested by a commercial ELISA and, some of them (79), also by immunochromatographic tests. Positive and doubtful samples were confirmed by immunoblotting test. Positive results were found in experimental and field samples, which confirm the presence of antibodies against ASFV in the RF. Antibodies were detected in animals inoculated with three different ASFV isolates, with some differences found among them. Only a small percentage of field samples was positive for ASF antibodies (3.7%), in agreement with other observations that reported a high virulence for the ASFV isolates in the area. These results confirm the potential presence of survivor animals that should be considered in affected areas to help design effective control and eradication plans against ASF.

Luminescence of the (O2(a(1)Δ(g)))2 collisional complex in the temperature range of 90-315 K: Experiment and theory.

Experimental and theoretical studies of collision induced emission of singlet oxygen molecules O2(a(1)Δg) in the visible range have been performed. The rate constants, half-widths, and position of peaks for the emission bands of the (O2(a(1)Δg))2 collisional complex centered around 634 nm (2) and 703 nm (3) have been measured in the temperature range of 90-315 K using a flow-tube apparatus that utilized a gas-liquid chemical singlet oxygen generator. The absolute values of the spontaneous emission rate constants k2 and k3 are found to be similar, with the k3/k2 ratio monotonically decreasing from 1.1 at 300 K to 0.96 at 90 K. k2 slowly decreases with decreasing temperature but a sharp increase in its values is measured below 100 K. The experimental results were rationalized in terms of ab initio calculations of the ground and excited potential energy and transition dipole moment surfaces of singlet electronic states of the (O2)2 dimole, which were utilized to compute rate constants k2 and k3 within a statistical model. The best theoretical results reproduced experimental rate constants with the accuracy of under 40% and correctly described the observed temperature dependence. The main contribution to emission process (2), which does not involve vibrational excitation of O2 molecules at the ground electronic level, comes from the spin- and symmetry-allowed 1(1)Ag←(1)B3u transition in the rectangular H configuration of the dimole. Alternatively, emission process (3), in which one of the monomers becomes vibrationally excited in the ground electronic state, is found to be predominantly due to the vibronically allowed 1(1)Ag←2(1)Ag transition induced by the asymmetric O-O stretch vibration in the collisional complex. The strong vibronic coupling between nearly degenerate excited singlet states of the dimole makes the intensities of vibronically and symmetry-allowed transitions comparable and hence the rate constants k2 and k3 close to one another.

[Occupational digestive diseases in chemical industry workers of West Siberia].

The high incidence of chronic digestive diseases is recorded in chemical industry workers exposed to the isolated action of noxious substances. The aim of the investigation was to make a hygienic assessment of the risk for occupational digestive diseases in chemical industry workers exposed to a combination of noxious drugs. The working conditions and the prevalence of digestive diseases were studied in 4120 workers engaged in chemical and auxiliary processes. Under the isolated action of noxious substances, the workers had an average of 35% increase in the incidence of digestive diseases than unexposed ones (p < 0.05). Under the combined action of hazardous substances, the incidence of digestive diseases was 1.7-fold greater (p < 0.05) than in the unexposed subjects and 1.2-fold greater in those under isolated action. The odd ratio and relative risk for digestive diseases in the workers exposed to a combination of noxious substances were 4.0-11.1 and 3.5-10.7 times higher, respectively (p < 0.05) than in the unexposed subjects.

[Prevalence of gastro-intestinal diseases in workers engaged into nitrogenous compounds production].

The authors demonstrated that a complex of occupational hazards on chemical enterprise of nitrogenous compounds production causes higher level of occupationally mediated diseases of gastrointestinal tract in the workers exposed.

[Vertebral column growth in children after surgical correction of severe kyphosis in tuberculosis spondylitis].

The growth of the unit of vertebrae and intact vertebrae outside and within the instrumental fixation area was studied in children operated on for tuberculosis spondylitis complicated by severe kyphotic deformity. There was a considerable growth retardation of blocked vertebrae after radical spinal repair from the growth of intact vertebrae. Instrumental fixation of the vertebral column after its radical reconstruction causes no considerable retardation of the vertical growth of intact vertebral bodies; however, it leads to the advanced growth of their anterior versus posterior portions, which mediates a supplementary self-correction of residual kyphosis during growth. When compression implants are presented in the body for 2 years or more, most children develop degeneration of intervertebral risks within the fixation area.

[The specific features of surgical spinal stabilization in children with tuberculous spondylitis complicated by severe kyphosis].

Procedures for anterior spine fusion and posterior instrumental spinal fixation have been developed for the surgical treatment of childhood tuberculous spondylitis complicated by severe kyphotic deformity. The optimum method of the instrumental fixation is the use of multisupport constructions with the heterodirectional action of corrective efforts (in 15 children). Anterior osteoplastic stabilization of the vertebral column, by applying brace cortical grafts with saddle-shaped hollows on the tips of its ventral projection, was applied in 6 children. A significant and steady-state correction of kyphosis was achieved in all the cases; there were no complications of anterior spine fusion and posterior instrumental fixation.

[Influence of industrial pollutants on bronchial permeability].

Findings are that prevalence of COLD among workers of chemical industrial complex in Kemerovo city, who contact organic chemicals, is 1.6 times higher than that among those in contact with irritants and 5.4 times higher than that in reference group. Chemical industry workers develop dysbalance of pro- and antioxidant processes, that is maximal in those contacting organic solvents.

[Influence of industrial pollutants on bronchial permeability].

The authors studied influence of chemical hazards with various characteristics on bronchial permeability. Workers exposed to organic chemicals demonstrated respiratory complaints and spirometric signs of bronchial obstruction 1.3-1.8 times more frequently. Longer length of service in hazardous conditions is associated with higher occurrence of bronchial obstruction and more intensive changes of lipid peroxidation.

[Instrumental correction of severe kyphosis in tuberculous spondylitis in young children (new technology)]. / Instrumental'naia korrektsiia grubykh kifozov pri tuberkuleznom spondilite u detei mladshego vozrasta (novye tekhnologii).

A new mode has been proposed to correct deformities in tuberculous spondylitis complicated by more than 50 degrees kyphotic deformity. The mode involves extended repair of the vertebral column, supplemented by the use of Luque-modified posterior multisupport hooked contractors. The mode ensures correction deformity to 47 degrees. The procedures of a surgical intervention are described.

[Ultratonotherapy in the combined treatment of chronic periodontitis]. / Ul'tratonoterapiia v kompleksnom lechenii khronicheskogo periodontita.

The trial of apex-locator application for improvement of endodontic management of root canals of a tooth as well as of ultratonotherapy in 120 patients aged 20-40 years with chronic granulomatous and granulating periodontitis has proved that ultratonotherapy relieves inflammation and stimulates regeneration of bone tissue.

[The status of the gastric and duodenal mucosa, biopsied from those who worked in the cleanup of the aftermath of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station, in an organotypic tissue culture]. / Sostoianie slizistoi obolochki zheludka i dvenadtsatipertsnoi kishki likvidatorov posledstvii avarii na Chernobyl'skoi AES v organotipicheskoi kul'ture tkani.

Biopsies of stomach and duodenum different regions mucosa obtained from patients with gastroduodenitis (liquidators of consequences of accident in Chernobyl nuclear station--LCA CNS-- and control patients) were studied cultured in vitro. The following are the differences found. Mononuclear cells, differentiating into macrophages were exposed from control biopsies. Mononuclear cells exposed from LCA CNS biopsies formed rosette-like accumulations after mitotic dividing on a distance from the explant. Part of cells within the rosettes acquired processes and formed syncytial structure.

[Automated systems for ultrasound studies using personal computers]. / Avtomatizirovannyi kompleks dlia provedeniia ultrazvukovykh issledovanii na baze PEVM.

The paper deals with the functional diagram of the device for quantification, pre-processing, and input of ultrasound data into an IBM personal computer and discusses the algorithms for performance of some units and the block diagram of an experimental sample of the device (a scanning converter).

[The course of duodenal peptic ulcer in the participants in the cleanup of the aftereffects of the accident at the Chernobyl Atomic Electric Power Station]. / Techenie iazvennoi bolezni dvenadtsatiperstnoi kishki u uchastnikov likvidatsii posledstvii avarii na Chernobyl'skoi AES.

80 liquidators of Chernobyl disaster with aggravation of duodenal ulcer were examined, as well as a control group of 70 patients. In the group of liquidators some characteristic features were disclosed, namely peculiarities in the state of abdominal mucosa and clinical course of the disease. These data were obtained in the results of hematological, immunological and biochemical researches.

[Hygienic assessment of labor conditions in chemical industry sites during reconstruction]. / Gigienicheskaia otsenka uslovii truda v periody rekonstruktsii na khimicheskikh proizvodstvakh.

In periods of reconstruction of chemical enterprises, hazardous compounds concentrations may exceed MAC, they are also characterized by contamination of the skin with toxic substances, welding aerosols discharge into the working zone, and microclimate distabilization. The workers' health states display functional shifts with concomitant decrease of labour productivity, increase heart rates, a higher 11-oxycorticosteroids contents in saliva and peroxidase activity. Morbidity with temporary disability also increases. A range of health improving measures is needed to be performed at the stages of preventive sanitary control.

[1H-NMR of blood lipids in malignant and benign tumors]. / 1H-IaMR lipidov krovi pri zlokachestvennykh i dobrokachestvennykh opukholiakh.

High-resolution 1H-NMR (360 MHz) combined with thin-layer chromatography was used to study profile and molecular structure changes of inverted micelles of human blood developing in patients with malignant and benign tumors of the breast and uterus. Alterations were demonstrated in relative intensities of some lipid NMR peaks in tumor, as compared to normal blood. Changes in blood lipid levels, e.g. cholesterol, in tumor affect lipid structural and dynamical status thus elucidating NMR regularities obtained.

[Characteristics of anaphylactic reactions to antibiotics administered under anesthesia]. / Osobennosti anafilakticheskikh reaktsii na antibiotiki vvedennye pod narkozon

Wide application of active chemical and biological substances in medical practice is inevitably associated with the appearance of adverse side reactions sometimes hazardous for patients' life. Especially grave allergic reactions are observed to antibiotics administered under narcosis. Narcosis would inhibit an anaphylactic response, but with its cessation when the allergen concentration in blood is high enough an extremely rapid anaphylactic reaction would develop that promptly resulted in a terminal patients' condition. Three case reports are described. Reanimation measures proved to be a success only in 2 cases.