Experiment K-6-16. Morphological examination of rat testes. The effect of Cosmos 1887 flight on spermatogonial population and testosterone level in rat testes

Testes from rats flown on Cosmos 1887 for twelve and a half days were compared to basal control, synchronous control and vivarium maintained rats. When the mean weights of flight testes, normalized for weight/100 gms, were compared to the vivarium controls they were 6.7 percent lighter. Although the flight testes were lighter than the synchronous, the difference is not significant. Counts of spermatogonial cells from 5 animals in each group revealed a 4 percent decrease in flight compared to vivarium controls. In both cases the t-Test significance was less than 0.02. The serum testosterone levels of all animals (flight, synchronous and vivarium) were significantly below the basal controls

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Restaurant: Recommendations Based on an Expert Interview

This study examines how the impact of the coronavirus spread on business operations in the restaurant business varies depending on the level of restaurants adaptability to the challenges encountered during the pandemic, using three dimensions (analysis of consumer demand problems, optimization of corporate strategy and use of the company’s innovative potential). Through in-depth interviews with eight key food service industry experts in St. Petersburg, Russia, this study describes and fleshes out the rapidly transforming challenge of identifying major market changes in the restaurant business during the pandemic. The analysis showed that chain restaurants with sufficient resources to deal with employee turnover, technology development, brand building and customer loyalty are more resilient to the challenges resulting from the impact of the coronavirus spread than similar food service companies. While the presence of serious problems associated with consumer demand, the optimization of the offered dishes format and service had a significant impact on the relationship between the impact of the coronavirus spread and the inability to adapt to the new reality of doing business. The results of the research can be useful for entrepreneurs and managers of chain restaurants who develop marketing strategies to establish or adjust management decisions to adapt catering companies during a pandemic

Changes of the body functions during long-term hypokinesia

Prolonged hypokinesis (100-170 days) studied in 2000 rats kept in cages limiting their mobility provoked considerable changes in the gaseous and energetic metabolism: an elevation of the total gaseous metabolism and of the rate of O2 requirement by the muscles (in the late periods of hypokinesis) and a change in the intensity of tissue respiration of the liver and myocardium. There also proved to be a reduction in the level of phosphorylation and separation of oxidative phosphorylation in the myocardium, liver, and partially in the skeletal muscle. Prolonged hypokinesia led to changes in tissue metabolism: a disturbance of development of the animals, a marked delay and an increase in the weight of the organism and the muscular system, and disturbances of the mineral and protein metabolism. Prolonged hypokinesis also lead to exhaustion of the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal cortex system

Arctic strategies for socio-economic development of circumpolar states: national and regional aspects

In the presented paper, the authors have revealed some key priorities of the state Arctic policies of circumpolar countries on the base of the analysis of political and programmatic documents. The analysis of political and programmatic documents has shown that the state Arctic policies of the circumpolar countries are focused on expanding external interaction in the Arctic and maintaining the sustainable development of their own Arctic territorie

The Use of Reproductive Technologies to Produce Transgenic Goats

Recombinant DNA technology has revolutionized the production of therapeutic proteins. Thus, genes of a great number of human proteins have already been identified and cloned. The use of farm animals as bioreactors may be the better choice to produce recombinant therapeutic proteins. For this activity, the term “pharming” was created, referring to the use of genetic engineering to obtain a transgenic or genetically modified animal. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of livestock species, goats appear as a very good model. In addition, the first human commercially approved biological drug (antithrombin (AT)) was produced from the milk of transgenic goats. The aim of this chapter is to present various reproductive technologies used to obtain transgenic goats secreting recombinant proteins in milk. Initially, this chapter presents the methods for embryo production (in vivo and in vitro) to realize the DNA microinjection in pronuclear embryos. Thus, the techniques of superovulation of donors (in vivo embryo production) and ovarian stimulation for oocyte recovery (in vitro embryo production) are described. Also, the methods for DNA microinjection and embryo transfer are detailed in this chapter. Finally, this chapter describes the reproductive procedures used for obtaining transgenic goats by cloning

Antiproliferative activity of PEP005, a novel ingenol angelate that modulates PKC functions, alone and in combination with cytotoxic agents in human colon cancer cells

PEP005 is a novel ingenol angelate that modulates protein kinases C (PKC) functions by activating PKCδ and inhibiting PKCα. This study assessed the antiproliferative effects of PEP005 alone and in combination with several other anticancer agents in a panel of 10 human cancer cell lines characterised for expression of several PKC isoforms. PEP005 displayed antiproliferative effects at clinically relevant concentrations with a unique cytotoxicity profile that differs from that of most other investigated cytotoxic agents, including staurosporine. In a subset of colon cancer cells, the IC50 of PEP005 ranged from 0.01–140 μM. The antiproliferative effects of PEP005 were shown to be concentration- and time-dependent. In Colo205 cells, apoptosis induction was observed at concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 3 μM. Exposure to PEP005 also induced accumulation of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. In addition, PEP005 increased the phosphorylation of PKCδ and p38. In Colo205 cells, combinations of PEP005 with several cytotoxic agents including oxaliplatin, SN38, 5FU, gemcitabine, doxorubicin, vinorelbine, and docetaxel yielded sequence-dependent antiproliferative effects. Cell cycle blockage induced by PEP005 in late G1 lasted for up to 24 h and therefore a 24 h lag-time between PEP005 and subsequent exposure to cytotoxics was required to optimise PEP005 combinations with several anticancer agents. These data support further evaluation of PEP005 as an anticancer agent and may help to optimise clinical trials with PEP005-based combinations in patients with solid tumours

Клиническое наблюдение успешной фотодинамической терапии пациентки с тяжелой дисплазией вульвы

A case of successful photodynamic therapy (PDT) of the patient with grade 3 vulvar dysplasia. One course of treatment with photolon was performed. The photosensitizer was administered intravenously as 30 min infusion in dose of 1.0 mg/kg body weight. The PDT session was performed 3h after infusion of photolon, the light dose was 350 J/cm2. The treatment was well tolerated. Due to PDT a complete tumor regression was achieved. The patient received a strict follow-up schedule, for 8 months after PDT no recurrence was observed. Описан клинический случай успешного применения фотодинамической терапии (ФДТ) для лечения больной с дисплазией III ст. вульвы. Проведен 1 курс лечения с препаратом фотолон. Фотосенсибилизатор вводили внутривенно посредством 30-минутной инфузии в дозе 1,0 мг/кг массы тела. Сеанс ФДТ проводили через 3 ч после введения фотолона, плотность энергии лазерного облучения – 350 Дж/см2. Лечение пациентка перенесла удовлетворительно. В результате ФДТ получена полная регрессия опухоли. После лечения больная находилась под строгим динамическим наблюдением, в течение 8 месяцев с момента проведения ФДТ – без рецидива заболевания.

Фотодинамическая терапия в клинической практике

The review is on opportunities and possibilities of application of photodynamic therapy in clinical practice. The advantages of this method are the targeting of effect on tumor foci and high efficiency along with low systemic toxicity. The results of the set of recent Russian and foreign clinical trials are represented in the review. The method is successfully used in clinical practice with both radical (for early vulvar, cervical cancer and pre-cancer, central early lung cancer, esophageal and gastric cancer, bladder cancer and other types of malignant tumors), and palliative care (including tumor pleuritis, gastrointestinal tumors and others). Photodynamic therapy delivers results which are not available for other methods of cancer therapy. Thus, photodynamic therapy allows to avoid gross scars (that is very important, for example, in gynecology for treatment of patients of reproductive age with cervical and vulvar cancer), delivers good cosmetic effect for skin tumors, allows minimal trauma for intact tissue surrounding tumor. Photodynamic therapy is also used in other fields of medicine, such as otorhinolaryngology, dermatology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, for treatment of papilloma virus infection and purulent wounds as antibacterial therapy.Обзор посвящен перспективам и возможности применения фотодинамической терапии в клинической практике. Преимуществами данного метода являются направленность воздействия на опухолевые очаги и высокая эффективность при низкой системной токсичности. В обзоре приведены результаты ряда отечественных и зарубежных клинических исследований последних лет. Показано, что метод успешно применяется в клинической онкологии как с радикальной целью (при ранних стадиях рака и предраке вульвы, шейки матки, раннем центральном раке легких, раке пищевода и желудка, раке мочевого пузыря и других), так и с паллиативной целью (в том числе, при опухолевых плевритах, опухолях желудочно-кишечного тракта и других). Фотодинамическая терапия позволяет достичь результатов, недоступных при использовании других методов противоопухолевой терапии. Так, проведение фотодинамической терапии позволяет избежать появления грубых рубцов (что очень важно, например, в гинекологии при лечении пациенток раком шейки матки и вульвы репродуктивного возраста), достичь хорошего косметического эффекта при локализации опухоли на коже, минимально травмировать окружающие опухоль здоровые ткани. Фотодинамическая терапия также применяется и в других отраслях медицины, таких как оториноларингология, дерматология, офтальмология, ортопедия, в лечении папилломавирусной инфекции, а также в лечении гнойных ран в качестве антибактериальной терапии

The development of triploid apple cultivars is a priority in breeding

Great attention is paid to preliminary breeding (prebreeding) when developing triploid apple cultivars. Brief characteristics of diploid gamete donors are given. It should be noted that sometimes donors of diploid gametes with necessary important traits not only have to be selected from among existing tetraploid cultivars, but also developed by a breeding way, especially in the case when in nature there are no cultivars and genotypes (donors of diploid gametes) with given traits. The authors of the paper developed form 30-47-88 (Liberty×13-6-106) by a breeding way. 30-47-88 is a complex donor of diploid gametes and scab immunity (Vf ) at once. During 1970–2015, the following work was done in apple breeding using polyploidy: 455 crossing combinations were performed; 660000 flowers were artificially pollinated; 124700 hybrid seeds were obtained and 47900 one-year-old seedlings were grown, from which after multiple rejections 13200 seedlings were planted in breeding orchards. For the first time in Russia ten apple cultivars (Avgusta, Aleksandr Boiko, Bezhin Lug, Vavilovskoye, Dariona, Maslovskoye, Orlovsky Partizan, Osipovskoye, Patriot and Yablochny Spas) have been developed from intervalence crossings and regionalized. It has been stated that apple cultivars developed at the VNIISPK are characterized, as a rule, by high productivity, better fruit marketability, greater resistance to scab and higher autogamy. Apple cultivars combining triploidy and scab immunity have been developed. Promising breeding is being performed for apple cultivars combining triploidy, scab immunity and columnar habit (Co). Brief characteristics of triploid and scab immune cultivars Vavilovskoye and Yablochny Spas developed from the intervalence crossings as well as three triploid cultivars obtained from crossings of diploid cultivars are given. It is noted that triploid apple cultivars developed at the VNIISPK are inferior to none of foreign cultivars in a complex of commercial traits and they significantly excel foreign cultivars in adaptability. Our apple cultivars may contribute to import substitution of fruit production in the country

“CYTOKINE” MODEL OF PATHOGENESIS OF CHRONIC HEART FAILURE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES OF NEW THERAPEUTIC STRATEGY IN DECOMPENSATED PATIENTS

Neurohumoral model of pathogenesis of chronic heart failure (CHF) made it possible to develop new therapeutic approaches in patients with CHF . However , it became obvious that the ways of activation of neurohumoral systems in CHF are much more complicated. The increase in local synthesis of hormones causes the activation of inflammatory cytokines and protooncogenes, which have various negative effects. This allowed formulating immunoinflammatory conception of CHF pathogenesis, according to which the increase in interleukine-6 blood level is the marker of unfavorable prognosis for CHF , and the level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) straightly correlates with severity of clinical condition and neurohumoral activity in CHF . The growth of TNF-α in CHF progressing as well as its reduction in successful treatment do not exclude the probability of positive effect of therapy , focused on the reduction of TNF-α concentration. The pathogenesis peculiarities of CHF including cytokine aggression demand the necessity of development of new therapy approaches with the use of cytokine system modulators