Bacterial communities of the Black Sea exhibit activity against persistent organic pollutants in the water column and sediments.

The ability of bacteria to degrade organic pollutants influences their fate in the environment, impact on the other biota and accumulation in the food web. The aim of this study was to evaluate abundance and expression activity of the catabolic genes targeting widespread pollutants, such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachloro-cyclohexane (HCH) in the Black Sea water column and sediments. Concentrations of PAHs, PCBs and HCH were determined by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) and electron capture (ECD) detectors.

Bounded analytic bond-order potentials for sigma and pi bonds.

Novel analytic bond-order potentials (BOP's) are derived for the sigma and pi bonds of sp-valent systems that are correctly bounded from above by unity. We show that these BOP's allow the concept of single, double, triple, and conjugate bonds in carbon systems to be quantified, the average error compared to accurate tight-binding predictions being only 1% for the sigma bonds and 15% for the pi bonds. Although molecular dynamics simulations are an order of magnitude slower than with standard Tersoff potentials, these new BOP's provide the first "classical" interatomic potentials that handle both structural differentiation and radical formation naturally within its framework.

[A diagnostic module for gestosis].

Changes were recorded in central and periphery haemodynamic indices during the uncomplicated pregnancy, at the onset of preeclampsia, and postpartum, in the relevant studies made. The following three cardiodynamic phase syndromes were found to be developing through stages during physiological pregnancy against the background of hypervolemia: volume loading under 22 to 24 weeks, hyperdynamic state at 28 to 32 weeks, and hypodynamic one antepartum. Preeclampsia is associated with changeable haemodynamic indices, which fact is chiefly hypervolemia-related.

[Jejunoileal bypass in the prevention and treatment of clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis in patients with morbid obesity].

Jejunoileostomy effects on blood lipids and cardiovascular system were investigated in obese patients. They were found to lose 30% of their body mass within 6 postoperative months with parallel reduction in concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and VLDL cholesterol and apoprotein B. These changes persisted for 4.

[Cryohemosorption--a method of removal of lipoprotein-antibody immune complexes and other atherogenic substances in patients with atherosclerosis].

The efficacy of extracorporeal cryohemosorption was estimated in the treatment of atherosclerotic patients in terms of the autoimmune theory of the pathogenesis of this disease. There was a slight decrease in the plasma levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, there was over 2-fold reduction in the plasma levels of fibrinogen and fibronectin. All major components of apo B-containing lipoproteins and immunoglobulin G were found as part of the cryoprecipitate.

[Level of lipids and apolipoproteins in obesity].

The level of lipids and apolipoproteins was studied in the serum of patients with various degrees of obesity without hormonal impairments in order to find interrelationship between obesity and atherosclerosis development. 14 men and 42 women aged 19-59 years were examined. Concentration of triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol was distinctly higher in obese patients of both sexes than in normal weight persons.

[Etiology of inflammatory maxillofacial diseases and estimation of the effectiveness of antibacterial drugs in vitro].

The results of identification of 710 clinical strains of anaerobic microorganisms isolated from the pathological foci of patients with maxillofacial diseases are presented. The species composition of the microflora associations in the cases with abscesses, phlegmon, lymphadenitis, osteomyelitis and parodontitis is described. Along with a high frequency of nonsporulating anaerobes, staphylococci, microaerophilic streptococci and in the cases with parodontitis actinomycetes, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus coagulans strains (1.

[The effect of nitazole preparations on the microflora in periodontitis].

Twenty-three patients with generalized periodontitis were examined. Microbiologic examination of the periodontal pouch contents, making use of anaerobic cultivation, resulted in isolation and identification of 103 strains, 76 (72.8%) of which were referred to obligate anaerobes.

[The bacterial associations in maxillofacial actinomycosis].

A variety of clinical forms of actinomycosis, difficulties of its early diagnosis and particularly of the differential diagnosis between this condition and tuberculosis, nocardiosis, aspergillosis necessitate the development of present-day methods for the early laboratory diagnosis of actinomycosis. Basing on the data on present-day methods for isolation of anaerobic and microaerobic diphtheroids, the authors characterize the bacterial associations occurring in maxillofacial actinomycosis and other odontogenic processes, discuss problems in isolation and identification of Actinomyces cultures.

[Properties of plasma low density lipoproteins in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and ischemic heart disease].

It has been shown that low-density plasma lipoproteins in patients with ischemic heart disease and hypertriglyceridemia are heavier in density, smaller in size, more negatively charged and more inclined to peroxide modification and aggregation than in healthy persons. The protein in the composition of such lipoproteins deviates towards the water phase, which may result in the masking of the domen, recognized by the BE-receptor and may lead to hyperlipidemia of a retaining character.

[Nutrient media for fermenting Actinomyces].

Fitness of various commercial nutrient media, manufactured in the USSR, for isolation and cultivation of fermentation-producing actinomyces was under study. The media were tested in two stages. Reference and newly isolated actinomyces cultures were examined at stage 1, clinical material at stage 2.

[The tentative identification of actinomycetes of the oral cavity by a complex of key morphophysiological signs].

In this work the results obtained in the study of the morphology of 208 Actinomyces strains isolated from the oral cavity and a wide spectrum of their enzymatic activity are presented. The identification of these strains was carried out on the basis of chemotaxonomic criteria. Bacteria belonging to the same taxonomic group were found to have considerable similarity in their morphological and physiological features.

[Changes in the levels and composition of lipoproteins and apolipoproteins of blood plasma in patients with ischemic heart disease after hemosorption].

Prior to and following activated charcoal hemosorption, concentrations of lipids, apolipoproteins AI and B and lipid and protein composition in lipoprotein fractions isolated by ultracentrifugation were determined in the plasma from patients with coronary heart disease. The majority of the patients showed a parallel proportional decrease in plasma atherogenic parameters and all components of very low density lipoproteins and low density lipoproteins, triglycerides in particular. Antiatherogenic parameters, such as high density lipoprotein and apo-AI cholesterol, and all the components in high density lipoprotein subfractions were less reduced.

[The rate of elimination of homologous and heterologous native and modified high density lipoproteins from rabbit plasma after their intravenous administration].

Rates of catabolism of total fraction of human native high density lipoproteins (HDL) and their subfractions as well as horse and rabbit native and modified HDL were studied after intravenous administration of the HDL into healthy rabbits and the animals with experimental hypercholesterolemia. The following procedures were carried out for production of HDL derivatives: methylation, succination, blocking of Arg residues and of COOH-groups. Rates of catabolism were similar for rabbit and horse total fractions of 125I-HDL, whereas human HDL were catabolized at a slightly higher rates as compared with rabbit lipoproteins.