On the morphology of procercoids of the genus Proteocephalus (Cestoda, Proteocephalidea).

The morphology of larvae of four Proteocephalus species from copepod crustaceans as studied by scanning electron microscopy is described. Differences between species in the shape of the body and scolex as well as in the body size and relative position of suckers were revealed. In some species, a host-dependent variability in dimension indices and microthrix density was observed.

The immune response of the definitive hosts to diphyllobothriid antigens.

It was established that antigens of diphyllobothriids entered the organisms of nestlings of gulls (Larus fuscus) and terns (Sterna hirundo) through the intestine. In terns, the most intensive neutralization of parasite antigens was found in the intestine inducing a weak response of the immune system. In gulls, there was no complete neutralization of the parasite antigens in the intestines. The antigens penetrated into the blood stimulating a response of the immune system. The intensity of the local immunity of terns seems to result from the absence of invasion in adult birds.

On the methods of obtaining diphyllobothriid surface antigens.

A new method of obtaining the diphyllobothriid surface antigens has been developed. It allows to obtain antigens with the increased content of the surface components of worm strobila. It was found that the antigens from extracts I are relatively more active than the antigens from extracts II and III.

Attempted mathematical models of seasonal dynamics of cestode infections in intermediate and final hosts.

The possibility of describing cestode infection dynamics in various host groups (e.g in birds, fishes and copepods) by trigonometric and parabolic polynomials is examined. The necessity of observing certain requirements during data collection for the correct application of the examined models is shown; the possibility of applying a parabolic polynomial in case of non-observing of some of these requirements has been found. The mathematical models obtained are of prognostic value and may serve as a measure of the uniformity and validity of the empirical data.

[The agglutination test of coracidia of pseudophyllidean cestodes and its use in cestodological research]. / Reaktsiia aggliutinatsii koratsidiev psevdofillidnykh tsestod i ee ispol'zovanie v tsestodologicheskikh issledovaniiakh.

Ability of coracidia to agglutination in homologous antiserum was established. The method of reaction of a direct agglutination of coracidia (RDAC) in the culture of alive larvae was described. When comparing the RDAC results in homologous and heterologous variants a dependence of the agglutination pattern on the degree of antiserum homology was established. On the example of RDAC of the cestodes Diphyllobothrium dendriticum and D. ditremum in polyvalent and species-specific antisera to D. dendriticum possibility was shown of RDAC usage in the studies on specific taxonomy of pseudophyllid cestodes.

Coracidia agglutination reaction of pseudophyllid cestodes and its application in cestode studies.

The ability of cestode coracidia to agglutinate in homologous antiserum was established. The method of direct agglutination of coracidia (RDAC) in a culture of living larvae is described. The comparison of RDAC results in homologous and heterologous variants shows a dependence of the agglutination pattern on the degree of antiserum homology. By the example of RDAC of the cestodes Diphyllobothrium dentriticum and D. ditremum in polyvalent antisera and in antisera species-specific to D. dendriticum a possibility is shown of using RDAC in studies on species taxonomy of pseudophyllid cestodes.