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Background: A fast adoption of a non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in clinical practice is a global tendency last years. Firstly, in Russia according a new regulation it was possible to perform a widescale testing of pregnant women in chromosomal abnormality risk. The aim of the study-to assess efficiency of using NIPT as a second-line first trimester screening test in Moscow.Methods: Based on the first trimester combined prenatal screening results 12,700 pregnant women were classified as a high-risk (cut-off ≥ 1:100) and an intermediate-risk (cut-off 1:101 - 1:2500) groups followed by whole genome NIPT. Women from high-risk group and those who had positive NIPT results from intermediate-risk group were considered for invasive prenatal diagnostic.Results: 258 (2.0%) samples with positive NIPT results were detected including 126 cases of trisomy 21 (T21), 40 cases of T18, 12 cases of T13, 41 cases of sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) and 39 cases of rare autosomal aneuploidies (RAAs) and significant copy number variations (CNVs). Statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) were revealed for fetal fraction (FF) and both for some patient's (body mass index and weight) and fetus's (sex and high risk of aneuploidies) characteristics. NIPT showed as a high sensitivity as specificity for common trisomies and SCAs with an overall false positive rate 0.3%.Conclusions: NIPT demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity. As a second-line screening test it has shown a high efficiency in detecting fetus chromosomal anomalies as well as it could potentially lower the number of invasive procedures in pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve lichen species and two lichenicolous fungi, of them seven that belong to Micarea prasina group, are reported for the first time for St. Petersburg or the whole Leningrad Region. The lichenicolous fungus Intralichen baccisporus is new to Russia, and the lichen Micarea nowakii - for European Russia. A comparative table of characteristics for seven species of Micarea prasina group is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a lichen checklist for the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland in the limits of St. Petersburg, Russia. This area has diverse lichen biota within the city limits, and has been comprehensively studied since 1893, which gives a good base for analysis of historical changes in lichen diversity. The documented lichen biota comprises 469 species (430 lichenized, 24 lichenicolous, 3 facultatively lichenicolous, and 12 non-lichenized saprobic fungi), of them 191 species are known from herbaria and literature for the period before 1991, and 436 species were recorded since 1991 to 2019. Thirty-three taxa were excluded from the lichen list of the study area as erroneous or dubious records. Altogether 48 species are new to St. Petersburg, including: Lecidea malmeana and Micarea czarnotae - new to Russia; Caloplaca lucifuga, Gyalecta nigricans, Micarea soralifera - new to European Russia; Agonimia flabelliformis, Endococcus verrucosus, Lecania turicensis, Micarea fallax, M. tomentosa, Xanthomendoza huculica - new to Northwestern European Russia; Lichenoconium lichenicola, Ramalina europaea, Sarcogyne hypophaea - not known also from the Leningrad Region. The studied lichen biota is moderately rich compared to other city territories. The history of economic development of the region has caused its serious transformation, degradation of natural habitats and therefore partial loss of lichen diversity. At the same time, human-made substrates and anthropogenic plant communities are inhabited by lichens, including species unknown in the natural habitats of the study area. However, 44 species recorded in the study area are red-listed in St. Petersburg, with 13 of them known only from historical collections. Forest communities, as well as historical parks, in NW part of St. Petersburg are important source of biodiversity on regional level nowadays and hopefully in future, and deserve protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten lichen species and three lichenicolous fungi are reported for the first time for St. Petersburg, the whole Leningrad Region or its western part. The lichens Bacidina indigens and Lecidella asema are new for European Russia, the lichens Bryoria kuemmerleana, Caloplaca turkuensis, Scoliciosporum pruinosum, and the lichenicolous fungus Raesaenenia huuskonenii are new for North-Western European Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies indicate that solar clock (daily changes in the Earth’s surface illumination) is a mainzeitgeberfor human circadian system. It has been shown that human biological clock is weakly adjusted to such changes in social clock as daylight saving time (DST). There are two changes of social clock in Russian Federation: on 25 March 2011, DST has been replaced by permanent DST (DSTp), which was subsequently revoked on 26 October 2014 (non-DSTp). These manipulations with social clock may lead to prolonged disturbances of human circadian system. Our hypothesis is that during period of DSTp, the dissociation between social and biological clocks was greatest as compared with DST and non-DSTp periods. Here, we examine the effects of DSTp on the sleep timing, social jetlag (SJL), academic performance, and winter and summer seasonality of mood and behavior of 10–24-year-old inhabitants of European North of Russia. A cross-sectional retrospective analysis of questionnaire data (n = 7968) was performed using chi squared-test and analysis of covariance. Our findings indicate that SJL (F2,7967 = 31.9;p < 0.0001;η2 = 0.009), and winter pattern of mood seasonality (χ22,7967 = 10.5;p < 0.01) were increased in adolescents during the period of DSTp as compared with DST and non-DSTp periods. The largest increase in SJL was occurred in ages between 10 and 17-year-olds. The finding suggests that increase in SJL can be attributed to a later rise time on free days (F2,7967 = 44.9;p < 0.0001;η2 = 0.012). Similar changes were observed in three subsamples obtained in Syktyvkar, Petrozavodsk, and Vorkuta. Effect sizes of studied relationships were small or very small. The greatest effect sizes (η2 ∼ 0.05) were observed in Arctic city of Vorkuta indicating that in polar region, solar clock is still strongerzeitgeberfor human circadian system, than the social clock. In conclusion, we have shown for the first time that there is a greatest dissociation between social and biological clocks during the period of DSTp which potentially exerts a negative influence on adolescents’ sleep habits, mood, and behavior. Our data indicate that “non-DSTp” social clock system most suitable for prevention dissociation between social and biological clocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighteen species of lichens and five lichenicolous fungi are reported here for the Leningrad Region or Saint Petersburg. Of them, the lichens Absconditella delutula , Calogaya pusilla , Flavoplaca flavocitrina and Rinodina colobina are new for the North-Western European Russia, and the lichenicolous species Abrothallus parmeliarum , Diploschistes muscorum , Lichenochora cf. polycoccoides and Nieslia peltigericola – for the Leningrad Region; Cladonia novochlorophaea and Lichenodiplis lecanorae are reported for the first time for Saint Petersburg. The most noteworthy records are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty-one species of lichenicolous fungi are reported from Kamchatka, all but three being new to the area. Epinephroma gen. nov., Endococcus peltigericola sp. nov. (on Peltigera membranacea), Epinephroma kamchatica sp. nov. (on Nephroma parile) and Stigmidium buelliae sp. nov. (on Buellia disciformis) are described as new to science. Phoma lobariicola is new to Asia and Russia, Epicladonia stenospora, Plectocarpon peltigerae, Sphaerellothecium propinquellum and Tremella cetrariicola are new to Asia, Zwackhiomyces sphinctrinoides is new to Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight species of lichen-forming, eight lichenicolous and three non-lichenized fungi are reported from the Leningrad Region. Arthonia caerulescens, A. ligniaria, Hawksworthiana peltigericola, Micarea pycnidiophora and Trichonectria rubefaciens are new to Russia; Micarea lutulata, Protoparmelia oleagina and Stictis radiata are new to the North-Western European Russia; Lichenoconium lecanorae, Phaeocalicium populneum, Phaeosporobolus usneae, Ramboldia cinnabarina, Stictis brunnescens and Strigula stigmatella are new to the Leningrad Region. Most noteworthy records are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Folia Cryptogamica Estonica is the property of University of Tartu Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Folia Cryptogamica Estonica is the property of University of Tartu Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)