The areas adjacent to open coal mining facilities are affected by different kinds of anthropogenic impact, including dust pollution. To reveal the extent of technogenic impact, the parameters characterising the content and composition of 19 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in chernozem soils adjacent to the haul road of the Gorlovo anthracite deposit (the Novosibirsk Region) were assessed. It is shown that the maximum total concentration of PAHs (>1000 ng/g) is reached at the distance of 100 m from the source, while the levels higher than the background are detected at a distance of 1000 m. The effect of dominating wind direction and the presence of tree belt were determined to affect the total PAH content in soil but leave their group composition unchanged at a distance of 2000 m from the road. At the same time, the individual composition of PAHs in soils changes with an increase in the distance from the pollution source. The concentration of benz(a)pyrene and total PAH content, calculated for benz(a)pyrene toxic equivalents, were determined in the soils of territories adjacent to the road and compared with the current standards in force in the Russian Federation (sanitary rules and regulations). Statistical processing of the results, performed by the principal component analysis, shows that the input of black carbon in the form of anthracite coal dust into soil is most adequately represented by polyarene ratio PHE/(PHE + CHR), where PHE is phenanthrene, and CHR is chrysene. However, the threshold of technogenic load (<0.8), that was previously established for objects in which anthracite is the main source of PAHs, requires confirmation for black soils.

Recently, there has been increasing evidence in favor of prenatal programming influence on the development of many diseases in adults, including cardiovascular pathologies. However, the mechanisms underlying the programming effect of developing cardiovascular dysfunction remain unclear, which prevents timely diagnosis and identification of potential clinical therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute hypoxia during early organogenesis on heart rhythm formation and its regulation in early postnatal development in rats. It was shown that acute hypoxia suffered by rat pups on day 10 of intrauterine development did not change the overall dynamics of heart rhythm formation in the first month of the postnatal period. However, the experimental animals showed lower heart rate compared to control in the first weeks of life in addition to higher values of rhythm variability and the RMSSD index (root mean square of successive differences in RR intervals) indicating an expressed tone of parasympathetic department of the ANS. Moreover, in the first week of life, the basic heart rate following pharmacological blockade of sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiotropic nervous influences in rats suffering from prenatal hypoxia turned out to be 15

Risk factors associated with environmental exposure, especially during critical periods of intrauterine development, affect fetal development and increase the risk of certain diseases in adulthood including cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Hypoxia is considered the most common and clinically significant form of intrauterine stress that causes systemic pathological changes, in 78% of cases associated with cardiovascular system disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute hypoxia on the 10th day of gestation on heart rate and its regulation in rats' offspring of prepubescent and pubertal age, as well as to analyze the dependence of resulting disorders on gender. By the beginning of puberty the heart rate of rats survived prenatal hypoxia was significantly higher than in control accompanied by significant decrease in heart rate variability (dX) which naturally leads to stress index (SI) increase indicating growing sympathetic activity in heart rhythm regulation. At the same time the base heart rate in animals suffered intrauterine hypoxia turned out to be lower than in control. The fact that matured animals of both sexes, survived intrauterine hypoxia in early organogenesis, also show changes in dX and SI indicates long-term and irreversible disorders in heart rhythm regulation. Thus hypoxia during early organogenesis is of a programming nature potentially increasing the risk of developing CVD in adult animals. Moreover the autonomic system balance shift towards the activation of sympathetic tone was more pronounced in females making them more vulnerable to the risk of developing cardiac pathology in puberty.

The content and composition of 19 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the rocks and soils of dumps, mushrooms growing on them (Verpa bohemica and Suillus luteus), as well as infiltrated and thawed snow waters on the territory of the Gorlovo anthracite deposit were evaluated. It is shown that the main source of PAH in the components of technogenic and adjacent natural landscapes of the deposit are fine coal particles and products of their transformation of non -pyrogenic nature. The flux of PAH into the components of the environment occurs due to: 1) dust fallout near the road along which the extracted coal is transported; 2) transformation of anthracite inclusions in the upper horizons of coal -bearing soils of dumps; 3) migration of transformation products with infiltrated waters. A distinctive feature of the composition of PAH in the samples of the studied objects is the predominance of light PAH (LPAH) in rocks and coals and heavy PAH (HPAH) in infiltrated and thawed snow waters. The composition of the polyarenes of rocks is dominated by PHE (phenanthrene) > FLT (fluoranthene) > NAP (naphthalene), waters - FLT > PYR (pyrene) > CHR (chrysene). The composition of PAH of soils depends on the presence of coal inclusions. For carbonaceous soils, the predominant polyarenes are FLT > PYR > PHE = CHR. With depth in soils, the composition of PAHs changes and becomes close to the composition of soil -forming rocks. Mushrooms have a selective ability to absorb PAH. Regardless of the presence of coal in the soils on which the mushrooms grow, the predominant compounds are FLT for V. bohemica and PHE for S. luteus. Based on the results of the analysis of the principal components, as well as the correlation of the priority PAH indices with their total content and the content of carcinogenic polyarenes, it has been found that the most representative ratios for assessing the impact of technogenic sources associated with anthracite extraction and transportation are PHE/(PHE + CHR) and Sigma LPAH/Sigma HPAH.

In this study we examined mitochondrial DNA diversity of Eurasian otter from European part of Russia and Transcaucasian countries and compared it with other European populations. We used a fragment of mtDNA control region (255 bp) and also included previously detected haplotypes from NCBI. Six haplotypes were found in 75 samples from European part of Russia and Transcaucasian countries. Lut1 was the most common haplotype (62.1% of samples), Lut4 was detected in 17.6% of samples, other 4 haplotypes were newly detected. Haplotype diversity for European part of Russia and Transcaucasian countries were h = 0.56 ± 0.054, nucleotide diversity were π = 0.0016 ± 0.002. When we elongated the fragment of mtDNA (820 bp), haplotype (0.85 ± 0.03) and nucleotide diversity (π = 0.002 ± 0.001) were increased and 14 haplotypes were found. Geographic distribution of haplotypes depends neither on region, nor on river system. Central haplotype was detected throughout European part of Russia and Transcaucasian countries, as well as minor haplotypes, observed in lesser number of regions. Therefore, genetic diversity of Eurasian otters from European part of Russia and Transcaucasian countries is higher than in the rest of Europe. Besides, the population structure repeats European pattern with several regional features.

The results of long term research on the influence of rocks stored in dumps during coal mining on the rate of soil processes during the regeneration of technogenic landscapes are presented. An approach to assess the lithogenic potential of soil formation as an integral indicator of the ability of technogenic substrates to ensure the formation of a climate-appropriate soil profile was developed and applied. It is shown that the main properties forming the potential are the density, rockiness and texture of rocks. The rockiness decreases in the upper part of the profile and the manifestation of signs of an eluvial process and the formation of a finely dispersed fraction during biochemical weathering was noted. The dependence of the processes of profile differentiation on the properties of the substrate and on hydrothermal conditions has been revealed. It is shown that the optimal conditions for the developing of the substrate by soil processes are formed on the dumps of coal and brown coal deposits in a humid climate. Further development of soil-forming processes limits by the increase in climate aridity and the degree of rock metamorphism.

Due to the increasing volume of anthracite production in the Novosibirsk region, the area of disturbed territories is also increasing. In this regard, the problem of restoring ecosystems on dumps is acute. The vast majority of research on the restoration of man-made ecosystems is aimed at studying any one of their components. The purpose of this work was a comprehensive assessment of the specifics of recovery of waste dumps of the Gorlovsky anthracite deposit (Novosibirsk region). It included a study of the development of soil and vegetation cover, as well as an assessment of the biodiversity of soil invertebrates (for example, ground beetles). It was revealed that three types of soil are formed in the composition of the soil cover of the studied objects "initial, organo-accumulative and turf embryozems. The soil-ecological condition of sample areas was evaluated quantitatively in bonus points, taking into account the topography of the dumps (leveled and hilly areas), the density of the top layer of soil (0-10 cm), and the stage of evolution of young soils. It is shown that the succession of vegetation cover proceeds in the direction from pioneer groups to closed phytocenoses simultaneously with the development of young soils. The population of ground beetles was studied. 43 species belonging to 17 genera were found. The interaction between ecosystem components is studied. Using statistical methods, it is shown that along with the restoration of plant communities and the formation of soil cover on the studied dumps, both the number of species of ground beetles and the indices of diversity increase. Species are replaced by specialized ones, and the number of dominants increases. The species diversity of ground beetles increases syngenetically to the improvement of the soil ecological condition.

— Intrauterine hypoxia is the most common prenatal risk factor presenting a direct danger not only to the life of the fetus but also to the future postnatal life of the organism. The aim of this study is to reveal an association between fetal hypoxia and oxidative stress as well as to estimate the significance of gestational age and gender for the development of oxidative stress. Pregnant rats were exposed to acute hypoxia on the tenth or 20th day of pregnancy, which corresponds to the first and second trimesters of human pregnancy. In newborn rats on the second day of life and in sexually mature offspring of both sexes on the 60th day of life, the state of antioxidant protection was estimated by the content of nonprotein thiols in the blood and liver homogenate, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activity in the liver homogenate, total antioxidant activity, and ceruloplasmin level in blood plasma as well as by the intensity of lipid peroxidation in blood plasma and liver homogenate. Regardless of the gestational age at which the offspring experienced acute hypoxia numerous changes in the indices of the antioxidant protection system were recorded in newborn rats, indicating in favor of the development of oxidative stress; this can be a cause of neurological and cardiological disorders shown already in adult animals.

Pregnancy in mammals is characterized by an increase in basal oxygen consumption. As it develops, there is an increase in oxidative stress, while the oxidative damage enhances in pregnancy complicated by hypoxic stress. The oxidative stress during prenatal development seems to be one of the key factors in the pathogenesis of most pregnancy disorders, including preterm birth and preeclampsia. The growing demand for oxygen increases either the production of reactive oxygen species or the synthesis of antioxidant defense components. To assess the antioxidant defense activity in rats, the content of nonprotein thiols in the blood and liver homogenate, catalase activity in liver homogenate, superoxide dismutase activity in blood plasma and liver homogenate, total antioxidant capacity in blood plasma, and the intensity of lipid peroxidation in blood plasma and liver homogenate were determined. According to obtained data, a decrease in antioxidant defense activity in blood plasma and liver of females is shown in the prenatal period of normal pregnancy and, particularly, in the same period of pregnancy complicated by hypoxic stress. It can be assumed that changes in blood’s antioxidant defense parameters reflect changes not only in the mother’s body but also in the placenta, providing potential danger to the developing fetus.

The antioxidant system activity during normal pregnancy and pregnancy following by hypoxic stress Pregnancy in mammals is characterized by an increase in basal oxygen consumption, as it develops there is an increase in oxidative stress while in pregnancy complicated by hypoxic stress the oxidative damage enhances. The oxidative stress during prenatal development seems to be one of the key factors in the pathogenesis of most pregnancy disorders, including preterm birth and preeclampsia. The growing demand for oxygen increases either the production of reactive oxygen species or the synthesis of antioxidant defense components. To assess the antioxidant defense activity in rats, the content of non-protein thiols in the blood and liver homogenate, catalase activity in liver homogenate, superoxide dismutase activity in blood plasma and liver homogenate, total antioxidant activity in blood plasma, and the intensity of lipid peroxidation in blood plasma and liver homogenate were determined. According to data obtained a decrease in antioxidant defense activity in blood plasma and liver of females is shown in the prenatal period of normal pregnancy and, particularly, in the same period of pregnancy complicated by hypoxic stress. It can be assumed that changes in blood antioxidant defense parameters reflect changes not only in mother’s body, but also in placenta, providing potential danger to the developing fetus.

Six of 11 strains of endophytic bacteria from pea ( Pisum sativum L.) seeds were found in an aqueous medium of seedling-root growth under hydroculture conditions. It was shown that bacterial inoculates of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv . viceae, Pseudomonas syringae pv . pisi, Azotobacter chroococcum and Rhodococcus erythropolis had different effects on the composition and concentration of endophytic bacteria in the pea-seedling rhizosphere. All six endophytes were found to have different capacities for N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine (N-PNA) degradation to produce phthalates. The amount of non-degraded substrate and the proportion of phthalates remaining after substrate degradation indicate different levels of the catabolism of N-PNA, a negative allopathic component of legume root exudates. These parameters determined the degree of participation of endophytic bacteria in the control of the relationship between pea plants and bacteria with different interaction strategies.

Gastrointestinal diseases and eating disorders are among the most common pathologies in the world. One of the most widespread and dangerous consequence of many eating disorders is an uncontrolled weight gain that often leads to obesity. This review focuses on the 15-year-long studies of obestatin, one of the potential regulators of eating behavior. This peptide contains 23 amino-acids and appears due to the processing of the preproghrelin gene responsible for the coding of another orexigenic protein ghrelin. Obestatin and ghrelin have multiple physiological functions, including appetite regulation. Obestatin was originally obtained from the gastric mucosa in rats, but subsequent studies showed that it could be expressed in various tissues and had different effects in various organs and tissues. This review emphasizes possible anorexigenic effects of this peptide and their mechanisms. Despite the 15 years of research on obestatin, its influence on different organs and the mechanism of anorexigenic effects in particular bring about a lot of discussion. This is primarily due to the ambiguity of the peptide receptors’ determination and is also related to the possible degradation of the molecule into small fragments, which, in turn, can have their own effects. The local effects of obestatin and its derivatives in peripheral tissues and the possible effect at the central level indicate the potential of these peptides for further studies. For example, these compounds can be considered as the potential therapeutic compounds for eating disorders’ treatment. The aim of this work was to describe the relevance of the problem associated with obesity treatment and to summarize the results of numerous studies on obestatin and its fragments and their effects on appetite regulation in order to explain its possible mechanisms.

The composition of aromatic compounds in the liquid culture medium and the cells of the Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae , Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi , and Clavibacter michiganensis sps. sepedonicus bacteria grown in the presence of the negative allelopathic compound N -phenyl-2-naphthylamine (N-PNA) found in the root exudates of legume plants is analyzed. It is demonstrated that phthalates are the main products of N-PNA degradation. Bacteria can actively secrete them into the environment and convert phthalates of one type into other types by changing the alkyl groups linked to the o -phthalic acid via the ester bond in their molecules. The analyzed bacteria differed in the rate of N-PNA degradation (10 and 100 µM), which exerted different effects on their growth and viability. The proposed mechanisms could potentially be used to control the bacterial composition and number in the rhizosphere of legume plants with N-PNA and phthalates secreted by plant roots into the exudates, as well as the phthalates produced in the course of N-PNA degradation in the bacterial cells.

Gastrointestinal diseases and eating disorders are among the most common pathologies in the world. One of the most widespread and dangerous consequence of many eating disorders is an uncontrolled weight gain that often leads to obesity. This review focuses on the 15-year-long studies of obestatin – one of the potential regulators of the eating behavior. This peptide contains 23 amino-acids and appears due to the processing of preproghrelin responsible for the coding of another orexigenic protein ghrelin. Obestatin and ghrelin have multiple physiological functions including the appetite regulation. Obestatin was originally obtained from the gastric mucosa in rats, but subsequent studies showed that it could be expressed in various tissues and had different effects in various organs and tissues. This review emphasizes possible anorexigenic effects of this peptide and their mechanisms. Despite the 15 years of research on obestatin, its influence on different organs and the mechanism of anorexigenic effects, in particular, bring about a lot of discussion. This is primarily due to the ambiguity of the peptide receptors determination, and is also related to the possible degradation of the molecule into the small fragments, which, in turn, can have their own effects. The local effects of obestatin and its derivatives in peripheral tissues and the possible effect at the central level indicate the potential of these peptides for the further studies. For example, these compounds can be considered as the potential therapeutic substances for eating disorders treatment. The aim of this work was to describe the relevance of the problem connected with obesity treatment and to summarize the results of numerous studies on obestatin and its fragments and their effects on the appetite regulation in order to explain its possible mechanisms.

Results of the field studies of the snow cover composition around dumps and a highway of the Gorlovo coal field are presented. The prevailing element in technogenic dust is carbon. The concentrations of almost all the elements in the dissolved and suspended parts of the snow cover exceed background values. The migration ability of the elements in snow samples collected near the dump and near the highway are similar. However, the distribution coefficients of the elements in snow samples from the highway region are lower, which is the evidence of their transfer in more mobile forms here. The influence of the Gorlovo anthracitic field on the surface layer of the atmosphere extends to more than 1000 m. At the same time, the highway along which the extracted coal is transported has a stronger influence on the state of the atmosphere than the dump for overburden and deads. The shielding effect of forests located along the road is shown.