Navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to correct eating behavior in obesity (clinical cases)

Obesity is a pathological condition caused by overweight and requiring medical intervention. The clinical and scientific experience gained over the past decades has allowed researchers to consider this problem as an independent disease with its own pathophysiological features, prevalence, incidence, approaches to therapy and prevention. One of the most important factors in the pathogenesis of obesity is disordered eating behavior, the central regulation of which is carried out with the active participation of the prefrontal cortex. Impact on this area (for example, using non-invasive brain stimulation) may be one of the promising ways to modulate eating behavior. The article describes clinical cases of treatment of morbid obesity using navigated rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Different patterns of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation before and after rTMS are demonstrated. Possible mechanisms of the influence of DLPFC on the formation of eating behavior are also considered. These data underline the important role of DLPFC dysregulation in obesity, as well as show potentially effective neuromodulation techniques

Phytophages of linden under the conditions of Grodno Ponemany (Belarus) and Krasnodar (Russia)

Comparative studies of linden phytophages in the urban landscapes of Grodno Ponemany (Belarus) and Krasnodar (Russia) have been carried out. 22 arthropod species were revealed, including 6 species of herbivorous ticks and 16 species of insects. Among these organisms, 18 species are representatives of the native fauna, 4 are invasive, while the invaders in the Grodno Ponemany and in Krasnodar are different (two species each). In Grodno Ponemany, oligophages prevail, in Krasnodar, the proportion of polyphages is high. The invasive species Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata) and native species of gall mites are the most harmful in Belarus. The significance of the invaders in Krasnodar is much lower, and Metcalfa pruinosa Say, and Hyphantria cunea Drury cause significant damage to linden only in the years of sharp increase in number. In Krasnodar, linden spider mite – Schizotetranychus tiliarium (Hermann) is the most harmful, populating 100 % of linden trees older than 10 years. Almost all polyphages, with the exception of the invaders identified for Krasnodar, exhibit moderate or low harmfulness

Spore-Trapping Device: An Efficient Tool to Manage Fungal Diseases in Winter Wheat Crops

Leaf airborne diseases cause major shortfalls in agricultural crops. The introduction of technical means can significantly improve early-warning systems for plant diseases as well as provide timely and accurate forecasts. In this paper, we aim to evaluate the possibilities of detecting a phytopathogenic infection using a spore-catching device developed at the Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection (FRCBPP) on winter wheat varieties of different levels of susceptibility to major economically important leaf diseases, taking into account climatic conditions. The device captures spores in the surface layer of air among crop plants. We conducted research in the experimental fields of FRCBPP in 2019–2021. The objects of the study were four cultivars of winter wheat. They were selected according to the degree of resistance to various leaf diseases. We studied the progress of wheat diseases according to generally accepted international scales the onset of the first manifestations to their maximum development. We studied the aerogenic infection in wheat crops using the FRCBPP developed portable device for determining the infestation of plants. Sampling was carried out in the same period as the visual assessment. The samples were taken in the crops of each variety at five points. The sampling time was one minute. As a result of research on experimental crops of four varieties of winter wheat, we observed the development of such diseases as powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), yellow spot (Pyrenophora tritici-repentis), septoria leaf spot (Septoria tritici), yellow (Puccinia striiformis) and brown rust (Puccinia triticina). In a laboratory study of samples under a light microscope, all of the listed pathogens were found except for septoria leaf spot. Two-way analysis of variance confirmed the statistically significant separate and cumulative influence of the cultivar and year factor on winter wheat diseases. A generalized correlation analysis for three growing seasons (2019–2021) showed that an average statistically significant correlation coefficient (0.5–0.6) remains for the total groups for powdery mildew, yellow and brown rust. This indicator for the causative agent of yellow spot was equal to 0.4 with a high level of statistical significance. Thus, we conclude that by using a spore-catching device, it is possible to identify spores of economically significant pathogens in winter wheat crops and predict the further development of pathogens, taking into account the cultivar and annual climate factors

Designing a methodological concept for the diagnosis of early development of the main wheat diseases pathogens

The studies presented in the article were carried out in 2018-2019 on the experimental field of the All-Russian Research Institute of Biological Plant Protection. The aim of the research was to assess the feasibility of diagnosing the early development of major diseases pathogens based on the results of ground-based spectrometry and the use of phytomonitoring technology, taking into account the genotypes of different winter wheat varieties. There were three options of the experimental plots for the research: the 1st – protected against diseases by fungicides, the 2nd – with an artificial infectious background, the 3rd – with the natural development of diseases. According to the results of data analysis, the most significant changes in the spectral characteristics of the studied plant backgrounds were noted at the time of the first signs of disease in the form of a decrease in the spectral brightness coefficient in the near infrared range. Using special tools in the experimental plots, the following pathogens were identified before the appearing of disease symptoms: Blumeria graminis (DC.) Speer f. sp. tritici Marchal , Puccinia striiformis West., Pyrenophora tritici-repentis Died., Puccinia triticina Erikss. Data on the diseases development, plant infestation by pathogens are compared with spectrometric measurements

Development of Methods for Remote Monitoring of Leaf Diseases in Wheat Agrocenoses

The development of remote methods for diagnosing the state of crops using spectral equipment for remote sensing of the Earth and original monitoring tools is the most promising solution to the problem of monitoring diseases of wheat agrocenoses. A research site was created on the experimental field of the Federal Research Center of Biological Plant Protection. Within the experimental field with a total area of 1 ha, test plots were allocated to create an artificial infectious background, and the corresponding control plots were treated with fungicides. The research methodology is based on the time synchronization of high-precision ground-based spectrometric measurements with satellite and unmanned remote surveys and the comparison of the obtained data with phytopathological field surveys. Our results show that the least-affected plants predominantly had lower reflectance values in the green, red, and red-edge spectral ranges and high values in the near-infrared range throughout the growing season. The most informative spectral ranges when using satellite images and multispectral cameras placed on UAVs are the red and IR ranges. At the same time, the high frequency of measurements is of key importance for determining the level of pathogenic background. We conclude that information acquisition density does not play as significant of a role as the repetition of measurements when carrying out ground-based spectrometry. The use of vegetation indices in assessing the dynamics of the spectral images of various survey systems allows us to bring them to similar values

Influence of a biological fungicide on the development and spreading of

The effect of the biofungicide BFTIM KS-2, Zh on the development and spreading of the Alternaria alternata fungus on vegetable crops (tomato, pepper, eggplant) was studied using classical and modern methods of phytosanitary monitoring. The research was carried out in Krasnodar region in the Pavlovsky District, on the production fields of the ZAO Yubileinoye. To assess the development and spreading of the disease, the classical visual method was used, as well as a modern method for determining the congestion rate of plantings using the OZR-1mp spore trap.The article presents data on the development and spreading of A. alternata, the number of fungal spores on vegetable crops before and after treatments with the biofungicide. It was found that the use of the biological product reduces the development and spreading of the phytopathogen. Its influence is the most effective on tomato and eggplant crops. Also, in the course of research, the possibility of using a spore trap for monitoring Alternaria on vegetable crops has been shown

Efficacy of New Local Bacterial Agents against <i>Pyrenophora tritici-repentis</i> in Kuban Region, Russia

The phytopathogenic fungus Pyrenophora tritici-repentis is a causal agent of tan spot. Antagonistic microorganisms can be used as a non-chemical alternative treatment against the tan spot of wheat. Bacillus velezensis BZR 336 g and BZR 517 stains were selected as the most active microorganisms and potential biocontrol agents. We found that B. velezensis strains BZR 336 g and BZR 517 exhibited antagonistic activity against P. tritici-repentis Kr-15/2016 in vitro: they inhibited mycelium growth by 72.4–94.3% and caused its degenerative changes. Treatment of seeds and plants with strains BZR 336 g and BZR 517 provided a biological efficiency of 31.2–38.4% against tan spot, while artificial inoculation of plants provided only 28.4–43.8% biological efficiency. Treatment of seeds and plants with BZR 336 g and BZR 517 in a three-year field trial demonstrated 24.6–50% biological efficiency. BZR 336 g and BZR 517 provided 5.0–7.6% additional yield. We conclude that BZR 336 g and BZR 517 are promising options for novel bioproducts that can control P. tritici-repentis tan spot

Efficacy of New Local Bacterial Agents against Pyrenophora tritici-repentis in Kuban Region, Russia

The phytopathogenic fungus Pyrenophora tritici-repentis is a causal agent of tan spot. Antagonistic microorganisms can be used as a non-chemical alternative treatment against the tan spot of wheat. Bacillus velezensis BZR 336 g and BZR 517 stains were selected as the most active microorganisms and potential biocontrol agents. We found that B. velezensis strains BZR 336 g and BZR 517 exhibited antagonistic activity against P. tritici-repentis Kr-15/2016 in vitro: they inhibited mycelium growth by 72.4&ndash;94.3% and caused its degenerative changes. Treatment of seeds and plants with strains BZR 336 g and BZR 517 provided a biological efficiency of 31.2&ndash;38.4% against tan spot, while artificial inoculation of plants provided only 28.4&ndash;43.8% biological efficiency. Treatment of seeds and plants with BZR 336 g and BZR 517 in a three-year field trial demonstrated 24.6&ndash;50% biological efficiency. BZR 336 g and BZR 517 provided 5.0&ndash;7.6% additional yield. We conclude that BZR 336 g and BZR 517 are promising options for novel bioproducts that can control P. tritici-repentis tan spot

Modern concepts of the pathogenesis of obesity and new approaches to its correction

The present review considers modern concepts of the physiological mechanisms of the formation of food behavior in a norm at several levels, beginning with the cellular level and ending with the level of functional systems. Neuroimaging methods used for both the study of the pathophysiological foundations of eating disorders and for determining the target for neurostimulation techniques are described. Methods of non-invasive brain stimulation such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial electrical stimulation, the mechanisms of their influence and aspects of safety of application are reviewed, the latest data on the results of studies on the use of the above methods in the therapy of obesity are summarized