The role of calcifying nanoparticles in biology and medicine

Calcifying nanoparticles (CNPs) (nanobacteria, nanobacteria-like particles, nanobes) were discovered over 25 years ago; nevertheless, their nature is still obscure. To date, nobody has been successful in credibly determining whether they are the smallest self-replicating life form on Earth, or whether they represent mineralo-protein complexes without any relation to living organisms. Proponents of both theories have a number of arguments in favor of the validity of their hypotheses. However, after epistemological analysis carried out in this review, all arguments used by proponents of the theory about the physicochemical model of CNP formation may be refuted on the basis of the performed investigations, and therefore published data suggest a biological nature of CNPs. The only obstacle to establish CNPs as living organisms is the absence of a fairly accurately sequenced genome at the present time. Moreover, it is clear that CNPs play an important role in etiopathogenesis of many diseases, and this association is independent from their nature. Consequently, emergence of CNPs in an organism is a pathological, not a physiological, process. The classification and new directions of further investigations devoted to the role of CNPs in biology and medicine are proposed

Epidemiology of septic infections caused by methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus

The purpose of the work is to reveal the patterns of methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) spread in medical institutions and to develop the approaches to the epidemiological surveillance and control in health care institutions, depending on the level of MRSA spread. Methods. The study of 193.869 samples of biological material has been carried out. We have used standard microbiological techniques, molecular-genetic and statistical methods. Results. Due to the epidemiological monitoring of the circulation of MRSA in Kemerovo region the heterogeneity of distribution of strains in certain territories (from 2.63% to 60.12%; χ2 = 40.97; p = 0.000) has been revealed. The incidence of infections caused by MRSA in patients of health care organizations has been 10.97 per 1000 patients. The differences of circulation intensity of MRSA in patients of hospitals of different profiles (from 219.4 to 131.8 per 1000 patients; c2 = 755, p = 0.0003) has been revealed. The belonging of the cultures to the clonal complex CC8/239 has been determined. The dependence of MRSA circulation on the frequency of disinfection processing of medical personnel hands has been established, the sensitivity of the cultures to disinfectant preparations and the preparations for local treatment of wounds has been investigated. Conclusions. 1. The circulation of MRSA in Kemerovo region in a population of people without pathological processes, in hospital patients and in closed institutions has been unequal. 2. The sources of MRSA in outpatient medical institutions are mostly patients with purulent infections of skin and soft tissues, infections of respiratory tract, ENT-organs and eyes. 3. The strains of MRSA, identified in surgical hospitals, have a significant pathogenic potential due to the genes embodying the synthesis of pathogenicity factors, that provide the immunosuppressive properties. 4. The dynamics of infections caused by MRSA remains stable; however, it is necessary to differentially develop the approaches to the surveillance of the given group of infections and correction of anti-epidemic measures depending on the prevalence of MRSA

Modern trends of Salmonella epidemic process

Modifications in the technology of foodstuff producing, storage and realization, the change of eating behavior along with the endless globalization process are followed by the intensive growth of salmonellosis, thus the permanent epidemiologic monitoring of this group of infections is necessary. The manifestations of the epidemic process of salmonellosis have been studied by an epidemic retrospective analysis and a random retrospective survey of “case – control” type. This article illustrates the analyzed data from Kemerovo region: 41820 cases of salmonellosis disease (1992-2012 г.г.), 1759 cards of the epidemiological study from the disease center (2011-2012 г.г.), the results of bacteriological monitoring (94790 samples of materials of animal origin and objects of the environment). Two periods of salmonellosis morbidity have been identified, which had significant differences in the intensity of epidemic process (the first one – from 1995 to 2004, the second one – from 2005 to 2012). During the first period the morbidity sharply decreased (Тпр. = 9.24%), in the second period, on the contrary, it raised (Тпр. = 9.60%). The growth of the number of the disease cases provoked by salmonella of serogroup D (Salmonella enteritidis) has been discovered. The maximum rate of the salmonellosis morbidity in the annual dynamics has been detected in August, the minimum one – in December. The special group of high risk is babies from 0 to 2 years old. It has been discovered that the majority of morbidities have been caused by a nutritional factor. There is a high rate of correlation between salmonella diseases and eating eggs and poultry products (OR = 4.27). It is obvious that the preventive measures for salmonellosis should be improved

Investigation of antiparkinsonian activity of new imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid derivatives on the experimental model of catalepsy

To study the antiparkinsonian activity of new ligands of the glutamate NMDA receptor complex -1,2-substituted imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acids - on an experimental model of catalepsy caused by haloperidol intraabdominal injections in rat

Occurence of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the Gulf of Trieste and the northern Adriatic Sea

1. The Mediterranean common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), considered to have been very common in the past, had undergone a dramatic decline across most of the basin by the end of 1970s. In the northern Adriatic Sea, one of the regions with most available historical information, the common dolphin is thought to have been the most common and abundant cetacean throughout most of the 20th century. However, by the end of 1970s, it had virtually disappeared from the region and is now considered generally absent from the entire Adriatic Sea. 2. This contribution summarizes the occurrence of common dolphins in the Gulf of Trieste and provides a brief review of published records in other parts of the Adriatic Sea. 3. Systematic boat surveys in the wider area of the Gulf of Trieste between 2002 and 2019 confirmed that the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is the only regularly occurring cetacean species in this area. Despite this, several records of common dolphins were documented in the Gulf of Trieste between 2009 and 2012, through sightings of live animals or recovery of dead stranded animals. 4. Dorsal fin markings allowed the photo‐identification of some of these, suggesting that at least four different live individuals (three adults and one calf) occurred here in recent times. Most cases involved single adult individuals, but one included a mother‐calf pair that was temporarily resident in a port for several months, a behaviour atypical for this species. Photo‐identification showed that the presumed mother had previously been sighted in the Ionian Sea in Greece, over 1,000 km from the Gulf of Trieste, making this the longest documented movement for this species worldwide. 5. At present, the common dolphin continues to be rare in the region.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Pharmacological activity of new imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid derivatives in dopaminergic transmission suppression ttests in mice and rats

To study the antiparkinsonian activity of new 1,2-substituted imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acids in dopaminergic transmission suppression tests in mice and rat