Diverticular disease of the colon: diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of complications

Introduction. Diverticular disease of the colon is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases. During the last 30–40 years, there has been a “rejuvenation” of the disease. Today, the prevalence of the disease in people under 40 years of age is 5–10%, and therefore the costs of diagnostic testing and treatment are gradually increasing, which makes the disease socially significant.Aim. To study the clinical features of diverticular disease, the features of diagnosis and treatment, and prophylactic approaches. The specific objectives of the analysis were to study epidemiology; study the role and a necessary minimum set of laboratory diagnostic test methods for the diagnosis of diverticular disease; study the incidence rate of SIBO and its impact on the clinic presentation and treatment; develop an algorithm for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and management of patients with diverticular disease.Materials and methods. A total of 195 patients with different forms of diverticular disease were examined. As diagnostic tests, we used blood tests, stool tests, biochemical tests; inflammatory tests: calprotectin, CRP, fibrinogen, ferritin; ultrasound imaging, irrigoscopy, CT, NMR, colonoscopy (if medically required); clinical manifestations at different stages of the course of diverticular disease. 5-aminosalicylates were used to treat exacerbation with inflammation; alpha-normix and motility regulators were used to treat exacerbation without signs of inflammation.Results. On the basis of the study results, we suggested an algorithm for the diagnosis, management and treatment of patients with diverticular disease. According to the particulars of the management, it is reasonable to divide all patients with diverticular disease into three groups: 1) patients who underwent acute diverticulitis; 2) patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease; 3) patients with complicated diverticular disease.Conclusions. The first two groups should be followed up by a gastroenterologist/general practitioner, the third group should be followed up by a surgeon. The patient tested positive for SIBO should receive drugs to eradicate SIBO. The treatment regimens for exacerbation of diverticular disease are proposed

Ontogenetic Development of Neurophysiological Mechanisms Underlying Language Processing

During the last 20 years, new data on the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying different types of cognitive activity, especially speech and its ontogenetic formation, were obtained in the Laboratory of Children’s Neurophysiology headed by Prof. M.N. Tsitseroshin. Using the analysis of the spatial-temporal structure of regional interactions of cortical bioelectric potentials (so-called functional connectivity), we investigated how specific language levels, such as phonology, grammar, and semantics, are represented in the brain. The data obtained in children vs. adults indicate that the speech perception and production require joint and extremely coordinated activities of both hemispheres, along with the obligatory and differentiated involvement of “classic” speech centers in the left hemisphere, especially Wernicke’s area. Another line of our research is to explore the differences, which arise during verbal processing in adults and children with impaired vs. non-impaired speech, particularly with alalia, dysarthria and stuttering, using behavioral and EEG data. Our data obtained in children vs. adults allow assessing the degree of maturity in the organization of the central processes of maintaining the studied types of verbal activity in children of different ages. These data allow expanding modern concepts about the brain mechanisms of verbal activity in children in the norm and pathology

Automatic morphology phenotyping of tetra- and hexaploid wheat spike using computer vision methods

Intraspecific classification of cultivated plants is necessary for the conservation of biological diversity, study of their origin and their phylogeny. The modern cultivated wheat species originated from three wild diploid ancestors as a result of several rounds of genome doubling and are represented by di-, tetra- and hexaploid species. The identification of wheat ploidy level is one of the main stages of their taxonomy. Such classification is possible based on visual analysis of the wheat spike traits. The aim of this study is to investigate the morphological characteristics of spikes for hexa- and tetraploid wheat species based on the method of high-performance phenotyping. Phenotyping of the quantitative characteristics of the spike of 17 wheat species (595 plants, 3348 images), including eight tetraploids (Triticum aethiopicum, T. dicoccoides, T. dicoccum, T. durum, T. militinae, T. polonicum, T. timopheevii, and T. turgidum) and nine hexaploids (T. compactum, T. aestivum, i:ANK-23 (near-isogenic line of T. aestivum cv. Novosibirskaya 67), T. antiquorum, T. spelta (including cv. Rother Sommer Kolben), T. petropavlovskyi, T. yunnanense, T. macha, T. sphaerococcum, and T. vavilovii), was performed. Wheat spike morphology was described on the basis of nine quantitative traits including shape, size and awns area of the spike. The traits were obtained as a result of image analysis using the WERecognizer program. A cluster analysis of plants according to the characteristics of the spike shape and comparison of their distributions in tetraploid and hexaploid species showed a higher variability of traits in hexaploid species compared to tetraploid ones. At the same time, the species themselves form two clusters in the visual characteristics of the spike. One type is predominantly hexaploid species (with the exception of one tetraploid, T. dicoccoides). The other group includes tetraploid ones (with the exception of three hexaploid ones, T. compactum, T. antiquorum, T. sphaerococcum, and i:ANK-23). Thus, it has been shown that the morphological characteristics of spikes for hexaploid and tetraploid wheat species, obtained on the basis of computer analysis of images, include differences, which are further used to develop methods for plant classifications by ploidy level and their species in an automatic mode

Fatty Acids of Erythrocyte Membranes and Blood Serum in Differential Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Aim: to study fatty acid levels in erythrocyte membranes (RBC) and blood serum (BS) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) to develop differential diagnostic models including fatty acids as biomarkers to distinguish between nosological entities of IBDs (ulcerative colitis — UC, Crohn's disease — CD, unclassified colitis — UCC).Materials and methods. We examined 110 patients (mean age 37,7 ± 12,1 years) with IBDs and 53 healthy patients in control group (43,3 ± 11,7 years). The IBDs group included 50 patients with UC, 41 patients with CD, 19 patients with UCC. An exacerbation of the disease was revealed in 42 patients (84 %) with UC, 34 patients with CD (82.9 %) and 11 people with UCC (57.9 %). The study of fatty acids (FA) composition of RBC membranes and BS was carried out using GC/MS system based on three Agilent 7000B quadrupoles (USA).Results. The most significant for distinguishing active UC from CD exacerbation were serum levels of elaidin (p = 0.0006); docosatetraenoic (n-6) (p = 0.004); docodienic (n-6) (p = 0.009); omega-3/omega-6 ratio (p = 0.02); docosapentaenoic (n-3) (p = 0.03); the sum of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic (p = 0.03), as well as the content of RBC lauric FA (p = 0.04) (AUC — 0.89, sensitivity — 0.91, specificity — 0.89, diagnostic accuracy — 0.91). To distinguish active UC from the same of UCC, the following serum FA were found to be significant: alpha-linolenic; saturated (pentadecanoic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic); monounsaturated (palmitoleic, oleic); omega-6 (hexadecadienic, arachidonic) (p = 0.00000011—0.03300000) (AUC — 0.995, sensitivity — 0.98, specificity — 0.96, diagnostic accuracy — 0.97). The most significant in distinguishing patients with active CD from UCC exacerbation were levels of the following FA: alpha-linolenic; palmitoleic; oleic; the amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA); total unsaturated fatty acids (UFA); stearic; monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) amount; SFA/UFA; SFA/PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids); linoleic; total PUFA n6; lauric; arachidic acid (p = 0.0000000017–0.030000000) (AUC — 0.914, sensitivity — 0.90, specificity — 0.87, diagnostic accuracy — 0.91).Conclusion. The study of FA levels in groups with different nosological forms of IBDs using complex statistical analysis, including machine learning methods, made it possible to create diagnostic models that differentiate CD, UC and UCC in the acute stage with high accuracy. The proposed approach is promising for the purposes of differential diagnosis of nosological forms of IBDs

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ УРОВНЯ ЖИРНЫХ КИСЛОТ МЕМБРАН ЭРИТРОЦИТОВ И СЫВОРОТКИ КРОВИ У ПАЦИЕНТОВ С КОЛОРЕКТАЛЬНЫМ РАКОМ Г. НОВОСИБИРСКА

The objective is to measure the level of fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes and serum of patients with colorectal cancer.Materials and methods. The study group included 100 patients with diagnosed colorectal cancer (57 men and 43 women). The control group included 24 reasonably healthy people (14 men and 10 women) matched for age and sex, without malignant cancers or manifested pathology of the internal organs.Results. Decreased levels of saturated, monounsaturated fatty acids and increased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in erythrocyte membranes and serum (p <0.0001–0.05) were observed. The levels of omega-3 PUFAs in colorectal cancer exceeded the levels in healthy individuals both in erythrocyte membranes and in serum; for omega-6 PUFAs only a trend was observed. At the same time, the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 PUFAs in colorectal cancer was lower than in control (p <0.0001–0.002). The state of erythrocyte membranes more significantly and for more parameters characterized differences between the groups than serum. The most discriminating parameters between patients with colorectal cancer and healthy individuals both in erythrocyte membranes and serum were the levels of C20:2;11,14 (eicosadienoic), C20:3;8,11,14 (dihomo-γ-linolenic), C20:4;5,8,11,14 (eicosatetraenoic, arachidonic), C22:5;7,10,13,16,19 (docosapentaenoic), and C22:6;4,7,10,13,16,19 (docosahexaenoic) PUFAs.Цель исследования – изучить уровень жирных кислот мембран эритроцитов и сыворотки крови у пациентов с колоректальным раком.Материалы и методы. В основную группу вошли 100 пациентов с диагностированным колоректальным раком (57 мужчин и 43 женщины). Контрольная группа включала 24 практически здоровых человека (14 мужчин и 10 женщин), не имеющих злокачественных новообразований, без манифестирующей патологии внутренних органов. Группы были сопоставимы по возрасту и полу.Результаты. Выявлены сниженные уровни насыщенных, мононенасыщенных жирных кислот и повышенные – полиненасыщенных жирных кислот (ПНЖК) в мембранах эритроцитов и сыворотке крови (p <0,0001–0,05). Уровни омега-3 ПНЖК при колоректальном раке превышали таковые у здоровых лиц как в мембранах эритроцитов, так и в сыворотке крови, для омега-6 ПНЖК выявлена лишь тенденция к повышению. При этом соотношение омега-6/омега-3 ПНЖК при колоректальном раке ниже, чем в контроле (p <0,0001–0,002). Состояние мембран эритроцитов более достоверно и по большему числу показателей, чем сыворотка крови, отражает имеющиеся различия между группами. Наиболее дискриминирующими показателями между пациентами с колоректальным раком и здоровыми лицами как в мембранах эритроцитов, так и в сыворотке крови, оказались уровни C20:2;11,14 (докодиеновой), C20:3;8,11,14 (дигомо-γ-линоленовой), C20:4;5,8,11,14 (эйкозатетраеновой, арахидоновой), C22:5; 7,10,13,16,19 (докозапентаеновой) и C22:6;4,7,10,13,16,19 (докозагексаеновой) ПНЖК

Earliness and morphotypes of common wheat cultivars of Western and Eastern Siberia

The global and local climate changes determine the producing of highly-adaptive common (bread) wheat commercial cultivars of a new generation whose optimal earliness matches the climatic features of the territory where the cultivars are farmed. Principal component analysis involving our own and published data has been applied to investigate 98 commercial common wheat cultivars from Western and Eastern Siberia comparing their morphotypes; cultivar zoning time; length of the vegetation period; 1000-grain weight, and inheritance of spring growth habit. It demonstrated that the dominant Vrn gene polymorphism determining the spring growth habit of the Siberian cultivars was minimally polymorphic. In 75 % of the tested cultivars, the spring growth habit was controlled by digenic, namely dominant Vrn-A1 and Vrn-B1 genes. In 25 % of them (24 cultivars), spring growth habit is controlled by a single gene. In 19 and 5 of these cultivars spring growth habit is controlled by only one dominant gene, Vrn-B1 or Vrn-A1, respectively. In cv. Tulun 15, a trigenic control was identified. A conclusion about the optimality of the digenic control for the climatic conditions of both Western and Eastern Siberia has been confirmed. However, since none of the tested cultivars had the dominant Vrn-D1 gene typical of the regions of China and Central Asia bordering Siberia, it can be considered as an additional argument in favor of the European origin of Siberian common wheat cultivars. The revealed high frequency of the Vrn-B1c allele in the Western Siberian cultivars and the Vrn-B1a allele in the Eastern Siberian cultivars suggests their selectivity. The analysis also confirmed the dominance of red glume (ferrugineum, milturum) and awned spike (ferrugineum, erythrospermum) varieties in the Eastern Siberian cultivars, and white glume and awnedless spike (lutescens and albidum) ones in the Western Siberian cultivars. Small grain size cultivars are more typical of Eastern than Western Siberia. The retrospective analysis based on the cultivars’ zoning time included in the “State Register for Selection Achievements Admitted for Usage” brought us to the conclusion that the earliness/lateness of modern Siberian commercial cultivars was not regionally but rather zonally-associated (taiga, subtaiga, forest-steppe and steppe zones)

Structural and functional changes in erythrocytes associated with the development of thrombosis and disorders of hemostasis

The data of clinical and experimental studies of the last decade force us to reconsider the role of red blood cells in the development of thrombosis and disorders of the hemostasis system. This area is of particular relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the review is to present data on the structural and functional changes in erythrocytes, on changes in their number associated with the development of thrombosis and hemostasis disorders, including in patients with coronavirus infection. The article presents the results of scientific research devoted to the study of morphological and functional changes in red blood cells that affect hemostasis and thrombosis. These changes include erythrocyte number or hematocrit (which modulates blood rheology through blood viscosity) and qualitative changes such as deformability, erythrocyte aggregation, expression of adhesive proteins and phosphatidylserine, release of extracellular microvesicles, hemolysis, piezo receptor status, modulation of nitric oxide bioavailability. Changes in the parameters of erythrocytes that occur during blood storage are shown, with possible thrombotic consequences during blood transfusion. The most recent research concerns changes in red blood parameters during SARS-CoV-2 infection that are associated with the development of thrombosis: virus attachment and amplification of viral proteins in erythropoiesis progenitor cells; activation of stress erythropoiesis with an increase in nuclear erythrocyte cell percentage up to 42 %; activation of the processes of oxidation of the protein band 3 with its excessive cleavage, oxidation and cleavage of the alpha-chain of spectrin, ankyrin; changes in the lipid architecture of the membrane and a decrease in the activity of erythrocyte antioxidants, which mediate disturbances in cell deformability and impaired ATP release; reducing the ability of red blood cells to secrete nitric oxide; decrease in the level of sphingolipids of the erythrocyte membrane; excessive production of microvesicles with tissue factor; an increase in erythrocyte rigidity with impaired release of intraerythrocyte nitric oxide due to SARS-CoV-2 virus attacking the hemoglobin 1-beta chain and porphyrin capture with potential heme inhibition; an increase on the surface of erythrocytes expression of activated complement components C3b and C4d, immunoglobulin IgG, which worsens cell deformability; attachment of erythrocytes through the Toll-like receptor 9 to neutrophil extracellular traps, which contributes to thrombosis; increased presentation of phosphatidylcholine on erythrocyte membranes, which facilitates the assembly of the tenase and prothrombinase complexes, contributing to the production of thrombin, an increase in intracellular calcium levels with stimulation of the formation of microvesicles with prothrombotic potential. The presented data indicate a significant role of changes in erythrocyte parameters in the development of hemostasis disorders, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes red blood cells a target for therapy and suggests a change in the emphasis of management tactics for patients with thrombosis

HEMOSTASIS AND LIPID PROFILE FEATURES IN THE NORTH

The reviews analyzed the research data of recent decades, as a result of which the features of the hemostatic system and lipid profile in the North were studied, which allows us to look at development under conditions of successful adaptation to adverse conditions, as well as from the standpoint of inadequate reactivity of the system leading to the development of pathology. The results of meta-analyzes according to the association of the “Eskimo diet” with a hemostasis system, which analyzes the mechanisms of the antiplatelet effect of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, are described in detail, a new physiological phenomenon of adaptation in the North is described - the reaction of the transformation of the inflammatory response, illuminated by new groups of physiological mediators (resolvines, maresins, etc.). Peculiarities of polymorphism of hemostasis factor genes that provide adaptation to the conditions of the North are noted. Affect the hemostatic system, adaptation mechanisms of the newcomer population

EXPERIENCE OF DONAT MG MINERAL WATER USE IN GASTROINTESTINAL PRACTICES

The article shows the basic properties of mineral water that can be used in gastrointestinal practices. The basic indications for the Donat Mg therapeutic mineral water have been identified based on practical use examples. A range of indications for the use of Donat Mg mineral water in patients with diseases of the upper and lower divisions of GT as well as of the hepatobiliary system is provided