Productivity of various barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars under semi-arid conditions in southern Russia

ArticleDrought is a significant factor limiting crop production in arid conditions. In the dry climatic weather situation of southern Russia, ten - year laboratory trials and subsequent field experiments were laid out on various barley varieties collected across the globe during 2007 – 2017 period. This study was conducted to ascertain from the collection of barley cultivars of the entire world which one is best suited to stressful climatic conditions by being tolerant to drought, heat and salinity which can be adopted for barley breeding. According to the results obtained, the varieties that are tolerant to dry climatic conditions are as follows: Alga (Lithuania), Brenda, Henni (Germany), Décor (Great Britain), Furat 5 (Syria), Vakula (Ukraine), Ataman (Belarus) and Vladimir (Russia); heat resistant varieties are: Brenda (Germany), Alga (Lithuania), Furat 5 (Syria), Ataman (Belarus) , Vladimir and Ratnik (Russia); Salt - resistant varieties: Alga (Lithuania), Henni (Germany) and Vladimir (Russia). The selected varieties did not show any sign of adverse weather effect resulting in stable grain productivity throughout the entire duration of this research over the years, they had large grain size and stable 1 , 000 grains weight. However, the yield of selected cultivars varied over the years which was about 1.1 – 1.4 t ha - 1

Retrospective analysis of long-term clinical and functional outcomes of implantation of domestically produced posterior chamber PIOL

Introduction. The use of phakic intraocular lens (PIOL) for the correction of high ametropia is reflected in the works of both domestic and foreign ophthalmologists. In spite of this, there are very few publications which are devoted to the long-term outcomes of the use of domestically produced models of PIOL such as RSK-1(3) and RSK-3.Purpose. The main aim of this work is to assess the clinical and functional outcomes of the use of domestically produced models of PIOL such as RSK-1(3) and RSK-3.Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of the long-term results of PIOL implants performed at the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution was carried out from 1994 to 2001. The analysis involved 122 eyes of 84 patients with high myopia from who were implanted with posterior chamber negative PIOL with two haptic elements (RSK-3) and PIOL with thr ee haptic elements (RSK-1(3). Results. Analysis of the dynamics of postoperative refractive data in compare with preoperative parameters showed us that in all cases there was a significant increase in uncorrected and corrected visual acuity. Long-term outcomes of implantation were found in 25 patients (43 eyes). The average duration of PIOL in the eye was 14.30±1.3 g (from 2 to 30 years). In all cases, the reducing cell density of the corneal epithelium did not exceed 4.0% in the early postoperative period. At the same time, the main complication in the distant postoperative period was the development of subcapsular cataracts.Conclusions. This method of ametropia correction can be recommended to young patients, who are not suitable for keratorefraction interventions

Comparative clinical and functional outcomes of implantation of «reverse-M» and «reverse-M1» IOL in patients with high myopia in the long-term postoperative period

The formation of secondary cataracts in patients with high myopia remains the main cause of vision loss in the long-term postoperative period. In view of that fact, the Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution has developed a soft model of posterior chamber “reverse” IOL, which allows reducing the development of secondary cat aracts.Purpose. Comparative analysis the clinical and functional outcomes of «reverse-M» and «reverse-M1» IOL implantation in patients with high myopia in the long-term postoperative period.Material and methods. Clinical research has been carried out on 140 eyes of 97 patients with high myopia aged from 42 to 83 years (on average, 64.24±0.79 years) after phacoemulsification with IOL implantation in high myopia. The main group consisted of 57 eyes of 40 patients who were implanted with «reverse-M1» IOL, the control group consisted of 83 eyes of 57 patients who were implanted with “reverse-M” IOL. Before the surgery, the uncorrected visual acuity in any patient did not exceed 0.01, and the best corrected visual acuity was no more than 0.2 (80%). The follow-up period was up to 5 years.Results. Visual functions in most patients increased and remained stable throughout the postoperative period, amounting to 0.55±0.04 in the main group, and 0.54±0.03 in the control group. In the late postoperative period, dissection of the posterior lens capsule with «reverse-M» IOL was performed in 11 eyes of 13 patients (13.2%). In the main group, YAG laser dissection of the posterior capsule was required in 2 patients with 3 eyes (5.3%).Conclusion. «Reverse-M1» IOL implantation is safe, predictable and allows to reduce the incidence of secondary cataracts by more than 2 times in comparison with the «reverse-M» IOL

Astaxantin and Isoflavones Inhibit Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rats by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Normalizing Ca/Mg Balance

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common pathology among aging men. Despite the broad pharmacological interventions, the available remedies to treat BPH are yet not devoid of side effects. Herbal compounds are suggested to be an alternative option for the BPH treatment. In our study, we evaluated the effect of kudzu isoflavones and astaxanthin on the BPH animal model. The animals were randomly divided into five groups: control; testosterone-induced BPH group; and three BPH-induced groups, which received intragastrically for 28 days finasteride (5 mg/kg) as a positive control, isoflavones (200 mg/kg), and astaxanthin (25 mg/kg). BPH was induced by castration of animals and subsequent subcutaneous injections of prolonged testosterone (25 mg/kg). Prostate index and histology, biochemical parameters, and antioxidant activity were evaluated. A significant decrease in prostate weight, immunohistochemical markers, and normalization of prostate Ca/Mg ratio was found in all treatment groups. Astaxanthin treatment also resulted in decreased epithelial proliferation and normalized superoxide dismutase activity. In conclusion, both isoflavones and astaxanthin inhibited BPH development at a level comparable to finasteride in terms of prostate weight, prostatic epithelium proliferation, and prostate tissue cumulative histology score. These results suggest that isoflavones and especially astaxanthin could serve as a potential alternative therapy to treat BHP. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Funding: This research was funded by Russian Science Foundation, grant number 20-65-47025

Creating a tobacco line with a weaker antifeedant property against colorado potato beetle

Background. Genetic modification of plants is one of the promising strategies to increase their resistance to insect pests. The development of metabolic or RNA interference systems for plant protection requires appropriate models of host-insect interactions. Nicotiana tabacum L. is a classical model plant used in molecular and metabolic engineering. We consider tobacco as a model for developing protective strategies against Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, CPB). Normally, tobacco is toxic for CPB due to high content of nicotine and related alkaloids in leaves. Modification of the tobacco genome could provide tobacco genotypes with altered metabolism suitable for CPB feeding. It is known that different mutations in Berberine Bridge-Like (BBL) genes cause different alterations in tobacco leaf alkaloid levels. In the current study, the Cas9/gRNA system targeting members of the BBL gene family of tobacco was used to create a line which can serve as a diet for CPB. Results. In order to obtain tobacco with modified alkaloid content, two gRNAs matching target sequences in six BBL genes were selected. Each gRNA was cloned into a gRNA/Cas9 generic vector. The created constructs were mixed and used for biolistic transformation of tobacco leaf explants together with the pBI121 plasmid harboring the kanamycin resistance gene nptII and the reporter E.coli betaglucuronidase (GUS) gene. Regenerants were selected on 100 mg/l of kanamycin and checked for transgene presence by histochemical GUS-assay. Unexpectedly, the regenerated plants displayed a variety of adverse phenotypic effects including different degree of growth and rooting inhibition, early flowering, increased number of internodes, changes in leaf shape, fusion of flowers, longostyly, and partial sterility. Only one from seven obtained calli produced a population of regenerated plants without severe phenotypic abnormalities. The NtaBBL5-14 line of clonally propagated plants was selected from this population and used for a CPB feeding experiment. It was shown that CPB larvae consume the leaves of NtaBBL5-14 line ten times more efficiently than the leaves of control plants (97±0.5% vs. 9±3% in 24 h respectively). Conclusion. The NtaBBL5-14 tobacco line is suitable for CPB feeding and can be further used as a model for studies in plant-pest interaction. The modification of other genes regulating nicotine metabolism can be a promising strategy to obtain tobacco plants edible for CPB with less pleiotropic effects

Comparing the effectiveness of hyperspectral imaging and Raman spectroscopy:A case study on Armenian manuscripts

Additional file 1. Additional Figures S1–S5 and Tables S1, S2

Эффективность и безопасность эрибулина при различных подтипах рака молочной железы: данные из реальной клинической практики в России

The article presents a pooled experience of the use of eribulin in the real clinical practice of treatment of metastatic breast cancer in Russian oncological institutions. The effectiveness of the drug in monotherapy with HER2‑negative breast cancer was analyzed, groups of patients with most effective use of eribulin were identified depending on the localization of metastases, the most effective lines of therapy. The effectiveness of the drug in combination with trastuzumab in HER2‑positive breast cancer is described, as well as toxic reactions. В статье представлен обобщенный опыт применения эрибулина в реальной клинической практике онкологических учреждений РФ при метастатическом раке молочной железы. Проанализирована эффективность препарата в монотерапии при HER2-отрицательном раке молочных желез, выделены группы больных в зависимости от локализации метастазов, линии терапии, в которых препарат оказался максимально эффективным. Описана эффективность препарата в комбинации с трастузумабом при HER2-положительном раке молочной железы, а также токсические реакции. 

ENDOCRINE DISFUNCTION IN WOMEN WITH PRE-ECLAMPSIA AND ALIMENTARY OBESITY

The aim was to study the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), the level of leptin and kidney function in women with pre-eclampsia (PE) and alimentary obesity (AO).Materials and methods. The levels of renin, angiotensin II, aldoste-rone, leptin, insulin, cortisol, β2-microglobulin, glomerular filtration rate were measured.Results. We show that RAAS, along with a systemic inflammatory response, is a key factor in the development of pre-eclampsia and its progression. The increasing level of leptin has a direct damaging effect on the tubular system of the kidneys.Conclusions. Stimulating the RAAS aggravates the inflammatory response and endothelial dysfunction in women with PE and AO. Elevated concen-trations of leptin in these women have a direct damaging impact on the kidney tubules

Impact of foliar fertilization on apple and pear trees in reconciling productivity and alleviation of environmental concerns under arid conditions

Drought and heat stress are significant factors limiting fruit crop yield in arid conditions. Foliar fertilization is a common practice of supplying fruit crop production with mineral nutrients, especially under limited soil nutrient availability conditions. To evaluate potential effectiveness of the foliar application of macro-, micronutrient and growth regulators on dynamics of physiological parameters of the pear and apple cultivars under abiotic stresses, three–year experiments were carried out under arid conditions at the Russian Research Institute of Arid Agriculture during the 2015–2017 growing seasons. It has been revealed that foliar nutrition reduces the negative influence of heat stress, stabilizes the functional state of plants, thereby enhancing resistance to drought. During the most severe drought periods of vegetation, under the influence of foliar nutrition, there was a significant increase in the total water content (TWC), relative leaf turgidity (RLT) and water retention capacity (WRC); and also index of leaf water deficiency (LWD) was improved as compared to the non-treated control. All foliar treatments involving the macro-, micronutrient and growth regulators significantly enhanced fruit crop yield of pear and apple varieties over the control, yield enhancement was obtained 2.7–22.0 t ha−1 for the Talgar beauty (pear variety), 2.2–19.3 t ha−1 for the Renet Symirenko (apple variety), and 1.6–10.5 t ha−1 for the Starkrimson (apple variety). The most effective treatments for water consumption coefficient (WCC) were plantafol and speedphol. The results suggest that foliar plantafol and speedfol could be used as part of an efficient, sustainable fertilizer program for apple and pear trees for maintaining or improving fruit quality, productivity, and avoiding negative efficacy of abiotic stresses. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

IMPLANTATION OF POSTERIOR-CHAMBER PHAKIC INTRAOCULAR LENS pIOL-3 IN HIGH MYOPIA (preliminary report)

Aim. To assess preliminary clinical functional outcomes of phakic intraocular lens pIOL-3 implantation in high myopia.Patients and methods. pIOL-3 was implanted in 6 patients (10 eyes) aged 27‑63 with high myopia and no concomitant pathologies. Follow-up period varied from 1 to 12 months. IOL is made of hydrophilic material Contamac CI26 with water content of 26% and refraction index of 1.46. pIOL design (holes in the haptic portions) provides its matching to ciliary sulcus size (0.5 mmless than linear size of the sulcus). Preoperative and postoperative examination included visual acuity measurement, biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, visual field test, tonometry, endothelial microscopy, and ultrasound biomicroscopy. Simplicity of surgical technique, adaptability of haptics, and postoperative course were evaluated.Results. Early postoperative period was uncomplicated. Uncorrected (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved in the first hours after the surgery. No visual acuity worsening (as compared with preoperative BCVA) was observed. Surgical procedure did not affected IOP even despite the absence of basal iridotomy. Maximum endothelial cell loss was less than 5%. No IOL forward «vaulting» was observed.Conclusions. pIOL implantation in high myopia patients is safe and provides maximum visual acuity in the first postoperative hours. Owing to its design this IOL can be implanted into ciliary sulcus (which size is0.5 mmless than IOL diameter) without forward «vaulting»