[Cranial suture ultrasound for reducing radiation exposure in diagnosis of craniosynostosis in young children]

Currently, there are no standards for examining patients with suspected craniosynostosis. CT of the brain with 3D skull reconstruction is a common approach to diagnose craniosynostosis in many hospitals. This technique in pediatric patients is associated with a high dose of ionizing radiation and prompts searching for other diagnostic methods.

OBJECTIVE

To generalize an experience of cranial suture ultrasound and compare diagnostic capabilities of various ultrasound devices.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data of cranial suture ultrasound in 49 patients under the age of 14 months with a suspected craniosynostosis. All patients underwent expert-class ultrasound. Of these, 10 patients underwent middle-class ultrasound. Age of these patients ranged from 2 to 10 months.

RESULTS

According to ultrasound data, we have found 48 synostotic sutures in 42 patients. There were 2 inaccurate results among these 48 sutures. In both cases, expert-class ultrasound confirmed partial closure of cranial sutures while 3D CT revealed their complete closure. Sensitivity and specificity of technique were 95.8% and 100%, respectively. Both expert- and middle-class ultrasound revealed synostotic sutures in 10 children under 1 year old.

CONCLUSION

Our data have shown that ultrasound of cranial sutures may be a first-line imaging technique. This method has high sensitivity and specificity in pediatric patients. Moreover, middle-class ultrasound devices may be used for diagnosis.

[Intracranial meningiomas in children]

Meningiomas are rare in children and distinguished from the tumors in adults by clinical and biological aspects. Moreover, some histological forms and localizations are even casuistic in adults. There were 178 patients younger 18 years old with brain tumors. All patients underwent surgery at the pediatric department for 5-year period. Meningiomas were diagnosed in 5 cases that accounted for 2.8% of the total number of brain tumors in children. The authors reported children with intracranial meningiomas and discussed certain features of the course of disease in these patients.

[Endoscopic treatment of nonsyndromic sagittal craniosynostosis in dizygotic twins. A case report and literature review]

The article presents a rare clinical case of isolated sagittal craniosynostosis in dichorionic diamniotic twins. The review addresses issues of epidemiology, etiology, and pathogenesis of craniosynostosis in this group of patients.

[Aneurysm of the extracranial portion of the internal carotid artery combined with kinking of its distal segment]

Presented herein is a clinical case report regarding successful operation for an aneurysm of the left internal carotid artery (measuring 4.5*8.3 cm) combined with pathological tortuosity in its distal portion. The patient was subjected to aneurysmectomy of the left internal carotid artery with prosthetic repair. Kinking in the distal portion of the aneurysm made it possible with minimal technical difficulties to establish a distal anastomosis during prosthetic repair. The diagnosis of an atherosclerotic-aetiology aneurysm was morphologically confirmed.

[Endophytic Bacteria in Microbial Drugs that Improve Plant Development (Review)]

In this review data on the possibility of using endophytic bacteria for improving crop yields and quality are discussed.

Method for optical inspection of nanoscale objects based upon analysis of their defocused images and features of its practical implementation

A microscopic method to inspect isolated sub 100 nm scale structures made of silicon is presented. This method is based upon an analysis of light intensity distributions at defocused images obtained along the optical axis normal to the sample plane. Experimental measurements of calibrated lines (height 50 nm, length 100 μm, and widths of 40-150 nm in 10 nm steps) on top of a monocrystalline silicon substrate are presented. Library of defocused images of calibrated lines is obtained experimentally and numerically with accordance to experimental setup parameters and measurements conditions. Processing of the measured defocused images and comparison with simulated ones from library allow one to distinguish between objects with a 10 nm change in width. It is shown that influence of optical system aberrations must be taken into account in order to achieve coincidence between simulation and measured results and increase accuracy of line width inspection accuracy. The limits of accuracy for object width measurements using this optical method are discussed.

[Clinical peculiarities of posttraumatic arteriovenous fistulas]

Analysed herein are clinical manifestations of, and outcomes of successful surgical management for postoperative arteriovenous fistulas.

[Positive experience in long-term follow-up and surgical management of a stenosing lesion of the thoracoabdominal portion of the aorta and its branches in non-specific aortoarteritis]

The article is based on experience gained in 25-year follow-up of a female patient presenting with pathology of the thoracoabdominal aorta and its branches in non-specific aortoarteritis. Discussed herein are clinical peculiarities of the development and course of the disease, analysing the outcomes of the reconstructive operations performed, followed by due assessment of efficacy of long-term treatment.

[A case report of successful surgical management of lower-limb critical ischaemia on the background of femoropopliteal atherosclerotic aneurysms]

Presented herein is a case report of successful surgical management of a male patient presenting with lower-limb critical ischaemia on the background of thrombosis of femoropopliteal atherosclerotic aneurysms and the presence of a necrobiotic process on the stump of the foot. The reconstructive intervention performed resulted in salvation of the extremity, followed by uneventful wound healing on his left foot with complete medical and social rehabilitation of the patient.

[A case of successful surgical management of a patient with acute thrombosis of the abdominal aorta and complicated gastric ulcer]

The authors describe a case report of surgical management of a patient presenting with a clinical picture of ascending thrombosis of the abdominal aorta on the background of Leriche's syndrome and perforated gastric ulcer complicated by penetration and haemorrhage.

[Monitoring of infectious diseases among wild boars]

Sixty-seven serum samples and 43 pathological material samples from wild boars, taken in 5 regions of Russia and in the Kharkov Region of the Ukraine in 2002 to 2005 were studied. Wild boars in some regions of Russia were shown to be carriers of Aujeszky's disease virus, porcine parvovirus, porcine circovirus type 2, lymphotropic herpesvirus-1, porcine cytomegalovirus, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida. The classical swine fever (CSF) virus genome was detected by polymerase chain reaction in the samples from 10 wild boars from 2 Russian regions (the Tver and Moscow Regions). Sequencing of the E2 gene 5'-terminal region of detected CSF virus isolates showed that they were closely related to two field virus isolates early found in domestic pigs in the Moscow and Vladimir Regions, which suggests that there is an epizootic relation between the SCF outbreaks among wild boars and domestic pigs in these regions. Tests for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, transmissible porcine gastroenteritis, porcine influenza, enteroviruses, and actinobacillus-induced pleuropneumonia were negative in all the regions under study.

Use of the recombinant nonstructural 3A, 3B, and 3AB proteins of foot-and-mouth disease virus in indirect ELISA for differentiation of vaccinated and infected cattle

Recombinant foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) proteins 3A, 3B, and 3AB were produced by expressing the corresponding genes in Escherichia coli and purified by metal-chelate affinity chromatography. The recombinant proteins were used as antigens in indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to differentiate between vaccinated and FMD-infected animals. The following parameters were determined: working concentrations of antigens and peroxidase conjugate of cattle anti-IgG, the optimum composition of blocking buffer, and the positive-negative threshold of the reaction. Tests performed with approximately 200 serum samples taken from animals of different immunity states showed that the protocol with protein 3A as the antigen (3A-ELISA) provided the most reliable differentiation. All the newly developed systems proved to outperform the commercial Chekit FMD-3ABC kit in sensitivity, and 3A-ELISA was no less specific.

[Recombinant non-structural 3A, 3B and 3AB proteins of foot-and-mouth disease virus: use for differentiation of vaccinated and infected cattle]

Recombinant proteins 3A, 3B and 3AB were obtained by expression in Escherichia coli and purified by metal-chelate chromatography. The proteins were used as antigens in indirect ELISA to differentiate vaccinated and infected cattle. While testing 200 sera from cattle 3A-ELISA was more sensitive and specific than 3B- and 3AB-ELISA. Compared with "Chekit FMD-3ABC", 3A-ELISA showed the same level of specificity and higher level of sensitivity.

[Molecular basis of changes in biological properties of foot and mouth disease virus of subtype A22]

Primary structure of capsid proteins and RNA polymerase of three closely related strains of foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV), subtype A22, differing by biological properties (the initial epitheliotropic strain A22 550 and its derivatives: thermoresistant myotropic A22 550/4 and thermosensitive attenuated A22 645) are compared by nucleic acid sequencing and analysis of the amino acid sequencing. The study revealed 1 substitute in VPI and 8 in RNA polymerase in the myotropic variant and 1 substitute in VP2, 2 in VP3, 13 in VP1, and 3 in RNA polymerase. Alteration of A22 550/4 tropism is probably due to a single substitution Gly 145-->Thr in the RGD site of capsid protein VP1. Analysis of the origin and biological properties of the attenuated strain A22 645 and the results of studies of the primary structure of proteins permit us to hypothesize that attenuation is polygenic, caused by adaptation to a heterologous host (continuous porcine cell culture), and can be expressed by changes in the structure of virus antireceptor providing its binding to cell receptors. Sites responsible for the reproduction of A22 FMDV at certain temperatures are presumably located in RNA polymerase.

[Primary structure of gene H of cattle plague virus strain K]

Synthesis, cDNA cloning, and identification of H gene nucleotide sequence of rinderpest virus (RPV) K strain are carried out. Analysis of the identified nucleotide sequence has revealed the single open reading frame encoding a protein consisting of 609 amino acids with molecular weight of 68 kDa. The mean nucleotide homology between H genes of K, Kabete O and L strains in 88.0%, the mean amino acid homology of the corresponding proteins is 88.2%. RPV K strain hemagglutinin contains 5 potential glycosylation sites. The position of all 13 cystein bases is identical to positions in H proteins of RPV Kabete O and L strains. Studies of the hydrophobic profile of the compared proteins have shown 2 potential transmembrane fragments.

[A simple method for RNA isolation and purification]

RNAs from Escherichia coli cells, Syrian hamster kidney cells, foot-and-mouth disease virus, and Newcastle disease virus were isolated using glass fiber filters GF/F or GF/C. The RNA was reversibly adsorbed on the filters in the presence of 2 M guanidine thiocyanate and 50% ethanol (or isopropanol) and eluted with water. The fraction composition of the isolated RNA depended on the guanidine thiocyanate and alcohol concentrations in the adsorption and washing procedures. The RNA preparations obtained by this method can be used in reverse transcription and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction without additional purification.

[Use of aerosol A-300 amd GF/F (GF/C) filters for purifying fragments of DNA, plasmid DNA, and RNA]

Aerosil A-300 and GF/F (GF/C) filters were used for purifying plasmid DNA and intact RNA as well as for the recovery of DNA fractionated on agarose gels. In the presence of guanidinium thiocyanate Aerosil A-300 and GF/F (GF/C) filters selectively bind nucleic acids, while proteins, agarose polysaccharides and salts are washed off. Nucleic acids desorbed from the Aerosil and filters are available immediately as substrates: DNA for restriction analysis, ligation and sequencing; RNA--for RT-PCR.

[Cloning fragments of the RNA polymerase gene of an attenuated variant of the foot-and-mouth disease virus A22]

The cDNA fragments complementary to RNA-polymerase gene and 3'-untranslated genome region of attenuated foot-and-mouth disease virus strain A(22)645 have been synthesized and cloned into a plasmid vector pUC19 in E. coli JM109. The cloned cDNA fragments were characterized as to their size, orientation towards the plasmid, and localization in the virus genome. Restriction maps for complete gene and two cDNA clones were constructed.

[The human umbilical cord vein in the surgical treatment of acute arterial thrombosis]

The authors' experience with the application of bioprostheses of the human umbilical cord vein allows them to speak of its effectiveness and positive properties such as: 1) thromboresistance, 2) areactivity, 3) immunological compatibility, 4) firmness, 5) possibility of prolonged storage, which make it possible to be used in urgent surgery of the vessels. Positive results were obtained in 89.47% of the cases and the authors think that using bioprostheses of the human umbilical cord vein is expedient in the surgery of acute arterial thromboses.