Dependence of the probability density function of laser radiation power on the scintillation index and the size of a receiver aperture.

Power scintillations of a Gaussian laser beam propagated through a 7 km long horizontal atmospheric path for a wide range of turbulence strengths and different sizes of the receiver aperture were studied experimentally. The probability density function (PDF) and its properties were analyzed for a wide range of scintillation conditions. It was shown that the PDF can be described by the fractional exponential distribution in the strong scintillation regime (scintillation index of power measured on aperture PIB2>1) for apertures with diameter d < a, where a is the size of the isoplanatic region, and by the gamma distribution in the weak scintillation regime (PIB2<1), as well as by the lognormal distribution for PIB2≪1.

Application of 3-D imaging sensor for tracking minipigs in the open field test.

Background: The minipig is a promising model in neurobiology and psychopharmacology. However, automated tracking of minipig behavior is still unresolved problem.

New Method: The study was carried out on white, agouti and black (or spotted) minipiglets (n=108) bred in the Institute of Cytology and Genetics.

Spatial learning in the Morris water maze in mice genetically different in the predisposition to catalepsy: the effect of intraventricular treatment with brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Hereditary catalepsy in mice is accompanied with volume reduction of some brain structures and high vulnerability to inflammatory agents. Here an association between hereditary catalepsy and spatial learning deficit in the Morris water maze (MWM) in adult mouse males of catalepsy-resistant AKR, catalepsy-prone CBA and AKR.CBA-D13Mit76 (D13) strains was studied.

Method of estimation of turbulence characteristic scales.

We propose an optical method that uses phase data of a laser beam obtained from a Shack-Hartmann sensor to estimate both the inner and outer scales of turbulence. The method is based on the sequential analysis of normalized correlation functions of Zernike coefficients. It allows the exclusion C(n)(2) from the analysis and reduces the solution of a two-parameter problem to a sequential solution of two single-parameter problems.

Association between tryptophan hydroxylase-2 genotype and the antidepressant effect of citalopram and paroxetine on immobility time in the forced swim test in mice.

Tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2) is the rate limiting enzyme of serotonin synthesis in the brain. The 1473G allele of the C1473G polymorphism in mTPH2 gene is associated with reduced enzyme activity and serotonin synthesis rate in the mouse brain. Here, the influence of the 1473G allele on the antidepressant effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), citalopram (2.

Effects of LPS and serotonergic drugs on hygienic behavior in mice.

Hygienic self-grooming is a behavioral adaptation for removing litter particles and pathogenic agents from animal fur and skin. We studied contribution of brain serotonin system into mechanisms regulating hygienic behavior in intact mice and mice with LPS(lipopolysaccharide)-induced sickness. A spot of fluorescent dye was applied on the back of a mouse, and the decrease in its fluorescence served as an index of fur cleaning efficiency estimated using original classifier algorithm.

Novel approach to the study of fur cleaning in inbred mice: effects of genotype, stress, and lipopolysaccharide.

Body care (grooming) is a behavioral adaptation for removing litter particles, pathogenic microbes, and parasites from animal fur and skin. It also serves as an indicator of animal health. Here a technique of direct measurement of fur cleaning has been developed.

Automated measurement of spatial preference in the open field test with transmitted lighting.

New modification of the open field was designed to improve automation of the test. The main innovations were: (1) transmitted lighting and (2) estimation of probability to find pixels associated with an animal in the selected region of arena as an objective index of spatial preference. Transmitted (inverted) lighting significantly ameliorated the contrast between an animal and arena and allowed to track white animals with similar efficacy as colored ones.