Parametrizing number variation in Russian noun phrases with experimental studies and language modeling

This study addresses the problem of variability numbers in agreement with the composed structures. Article is devoted to the study of the syntax of Russian noun phrases with composed modifiers that demonstrate the variability of the controller number harmonizatio

Blood biomarkers and Ki-67 proliferation marker in breast cancer

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with breast cancer (BC). It is known that the lesion of regional lymph nodes by tumor cells is more common in tumors with higher proliferative activity. Moreover, there is literature evidence on effects of cytokines and proteins upon the migration potential of the tumor. The aim of our work was to study the correlation between the concentrations of cytokines, proteins, and expression of Ki-67 proliferation marker in breast cancer with histology of non-specific invasive carcinoma.On the basis of pathological findings, 16 patients had metastases in regional lymph nodes (group I), and 18 patients had no detectable metastases (group II). Solid-phase enzyme immunoassay was used to determine concentrations of 14 cytokines in the supernatants of immunocompetent blood cells, i.e., IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-1ra, TNFα, IFNγ, G-CSF, GM-CSF, VEGF and MCP-1, and concentrations of 6 proteins were determined in blood serum: estrogen and progesterone receptors, cadherin-E (CDH1), plasminogen activator type 1 (PAI-1), mucin 1 (MUC1), heat shock protein 90αA1 (HSP90αA1). Immunohistochemical study of Ki-67 expression was performed in paraffin sections of tumors using monoclonal antibodies.The study showed that Ki-67 expression in tumor tissues and blood concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and TNFα were higher in group I patients. On the contrary, blood concentrations of CDH1 and PAI-1 were higher in group II patients. It was found that Ki-67 showed both inverse correlations with CDH1 and PAI1, and direct correlations with IL-8 and TNFα. CDH1 had a direct correlation with PAI1, and inverse correlations with IL-6, IL-1β and TNFα. The studied cytokines showed direct correlations with each other. The analysis of ROC curves showed good quality and optimal values of the cut-off points for Ki-67 expression, cytokine and protein concentrations, thus allowing best prediction for detectable lymphatic metastasis.On the basis of these results, a quotient was proposed, which represents a ratio of CDH1 contents to the sum of IL-1β and TNFα concentrations in blood samples, which can help identification of the patients with breast cancer at risk for lymphatic metastasis

CYTOKINE-PRODUCING RESOURCE OF IMMUNOCOMPETENT BLOOD CELLS IN BREAST TUMORS AND PRECANCEROUS CHANGES OF MAMMARY GLAND

At present, only ductal carcinoma in situ is included into the group of precancerous lesions of mammary ducts, according to International Agency for the Study of Cancer. However, based on recent publications, in addition to ductal carcinoma in situ, sclerosing adenosis, intraductal proliferative lesions and radial scar may be also attributed to precancerous changes. A variety of both benign and malignant events in mammary gland, the features of neoplastic growth and age of the patients require new approaches to study of carcinogenic events in mammary gland. As based on the known role of cytokines in genesis of malignancies, the aim of the study was to evaluate the cytokine-producing resource of immunocompetent blood cells in malignant, benign and precancerous mammary disorders. To assess the cytokine-producing resource of immunocompetent blood cells in the patients, we studied quantitative effects of polyclonal activators upon production of cytokines by immunocompetent blood cells of patients with invasive ductal cancer representing a histological type of adenocarcinoma (group I), and patients with non-malignant breast neoplasias (group II). At subsequent step, the patients with non-malignant neoplasms of the breast were divided into a subgroup of patients with only fibroadenoma and mastopathy (group III), and a group which included patients with precancerous diseases, i.e., sclerosing adenosis and interductal proliferates (group IV). Concentrations of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-1ra, TNFα, IFNγ, G-CSF, GM-CSF, VEGF, and MCP-1 were determined by solid-phase enzyme immunoassay. When comparing groups I and II, we revealed higher influence of polyclonal activators upon production of G-CSF and GM-CSF in patients with invasive ductal cancer. When comparing the influence of polyclonal activation for cytokine production in patients of I and III groups, higher values were registered in patients with invasive ductal cancer (production of IL-2, G-CSF, and GM-CSF), and in patients with fibroadenoma and mastopathy (IL-18, and TNFαproduction). When comparing patients of groups I and IV, higher indexes of the polyclonal activator effects were found only for IL-1ra, G-CSF, and VEGF production in invasive ductal cancer. When comparing the indexes of polyclonal activator influence upon cytokine production of groups III and IV, higher values were obtained in patients with benign changes for the following cytokines: IL-8, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-1ra and TNFα, in contrast to patients with sclerosing adenosis and proliferates. The lower indexes of polyclonal activating effects upon the production of a number of cytokines in patients with precancerous changes, as compared to patients with malignant and benign breast tumors, do not indicate a decreased functional activity of immunocompetent blood cells. However, those may be due to high level of spontaneous cytokine production in sclerosing adenosis and interductal proliferates

EXPRESSION OF mRNA FOR CYTOKINES COMPARED TO THEIR CONCENTRATIONS IN CULTURE SUPERNATES OF U937 CELLS EXPOSED TO POLYCLONAL ACTIVATORS

Investigation of the cytokine expression dynamics as well as the cytokine-producing potential of immune-competent cells allows extensive studies of their functional characteristics. mRNAs encoding a number of cytokine genes are relatively stable, thus their level may be used as a marker for assessing the levels of activation and proliferation of immunocompetent cells as well as for evaluating the cytokine-producing potential of immunocompetent cells.In our work, we assessed correlations between the levels of mRNA expression specific for IL-10, TNF-α, GM-CSF cytokines determined in a culture of differentiated macrophage U937 cells, and protein concentrations of the same cytokines as measured in supernates of U937 cell cultures, without and after exposure to polyclonal activators. The IL-10, TNF-α, GM-CSF mRNA expression was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Protein concentrations of IL-10, TNF-α, GM-CSF cytokines in the culture supernatant of U937 cells were measured by an enzyme immunoassay. The use of an initially homogeneous cell culture in the study is convenient due to the identical conditions in all experimental variants.The most pronounced effect of polyclonal activators is exerted upon production of GM-CSF mRNA, as well as protein concentration of this cytokine in the cell culture supernatants, thus actually coinciding with RT-qPCR results.  The TNF-α mRNA level decreased under the influence of polyclonal activators, whereas concentration of this cytokine was decreased in the cell supernate. The TNF-α protein in a culture medium did not reflect temporal changes in the cellular TNF-α mRNA expression, probably, due to potential decrease of cellular mRNA occurring by the feedback inhibitory mechanism. While the cytokines can accumulate and remain in the supernatant, the mRNA-related events leading to cytokine formation may be completed earlier. Therefore, the signalling pathways and cytokine release kinetics should be studied after establishing the time dependence at short time intervals, which may be individual for each cytokine.Thus, the results of a study using polyclonal activators suggest that polyclonal activators applied as mitogens, have a significant effect upon the concentration of secreted IL-10, TNFα and GM-CSF. In this case, polyclonal activators affect the levels of mRNA encoded by cytokine genes, thus indicating transcriptional mechanisms of its action. But, in view of the fact that the data are ambiguous, in order to achieve greater correspondence between the changes in the studied proteins and specific mRNAs, a detailed description of the time dependence is required for the changes in mRNA contents

ВЛИЯНИЕ ПРЕДВАРИТЕЛЬНОГО ПРИЕМА ПРОБИОТИКОВ НА МОРФО-ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ СТАТУС СЕРДЦА В УСЛОВИЯХ ХРОНИЧЕСКОЙ СЕРДЕЧНОЙ НЕДОСТАТОЧНОСТИ

A preliminary intake of probiotics has a positive effect on the structural and functional status of the heart with its chronic failure. There was a decrease in the frequency of a pathological Q-wave on ECG, reducing the fibrosis degree and the conservation of the volume of cardiomyocytes; wavy deformations and cardiac myocyte vacuolization were not seen. There was a decrease in blood concentrations of CRP.Потребление крысами в течение 10 суток пробиотиков «Диалакт», «Бифидумбактерин» оказывает протекторное действие на развитие хронической сердечной недостаточности (ХСН), моделируемой последующим введением изадрина (изопреналина гидрохлорида, Sigma). Установлено ослабление наблюдающихся в контроле (ХСН) изменений интервалов электрокардиограммы, вариабельности сердечного ритма (ВСР), снижение появления нетипичного для крыс зубца Q.На микропрепаратах отсутствуют волнообразные деформации и вакуолизация кардиомиоцитов, восстановлен их объем и уменьшена степень фиброза. В крови наблюдается падение концентрации С-РБ как показателя снижения транслокации в кровяное русло липополисахарида.Таким образом, используемые пробиотики способствуют восстановлению структурно-функциональных показателей сердца, облегчая течение основного заболевания

Water-Soluble Composite Materials Based on Polyvinyl Alcohol of Various Degrees of Hydrolysis and Polysaccharides of Various Nature

В работе проведен сравнительный анализ показателей водорастворимых композитных материалов на основе поливинилового спирта (ПВС) различной степени гидролиза при жидкофазном наполнении полисахаридами (ПС) различной природы и дисперсности, были выявлены некоторые закономерности: для низкогидролизованного ПВС при наполнении ПС не характерны деформации формы и размеров образцов, в отличие от высокогидролизованного ПВС, для которого за счет формирования областей повышенной кристалличности наблюдается эффект «сжатия» материала при обезвоживании, коррелирующий с размером частиц наполнителя; светопропускание ПВС, наполненного декстрином, достигает светопропускания чистого ПВС, независимо от степени его гидролиза и содержания наполнителя, для крахмалонаполненных композитов светопропускание снижается с повышением степени наполнения и увеличением содержания ВА‑групп в ПВС; сорбционная емкость композитов по отношению к воде за счет особенностей внутренней структуры материала максимальна при наполнении декстрином и минимальна при наполнении микроцеллюлозой, независимо от степени гидролиза ПВС; предел прочности композитов зависит от марки ПВС и природы наполнителя и снижается в ряду «ПВС‑декстрин» → «ПВС‑крахмал» → «ПВС‑микроцеллюлоза» → «ПВС‑клетчатка кофейного зерна», для образцов, как в сухом, так и во влагонасыщенном состоянии, при этом относительное удлинение материала в сухом состоянии примерно одинаково для всех экспериментальных образцов, но при влагонасыщении сильные межмолекулярные взаимодействия в системах «ПВС‑декстрин» и «ПВС‑крахмал» обеспечивают эластичность материала, повышая на порядок его относительное удлинение по сравнению с системами, наполненными грубодисперсными частицами клетчаткиThe paper provides a comparative analysis of the indicators of water-soluble composite materials based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) of various degrees of hydrolysis during liquid-phase filling with polysaccharides (PS) of various nature and dispersion, some patterns were revealed: low-hydrolyzed PVA when filling with PS is not characterized by deformations of the shape and size of samples, unlike highly hydrolyzed PVA, for which due to the formation of areas of increased crystallinity has an effect of “compression” of the material during dehydration, correlating with the size of the filler particles; the light transmission of PVA filled with dextrin reaches the light transmission of pure PVA, regardless of the degree of its hydrolysis and filler content, for starch-filled composites, light transmission decreases with an increase in the degree of filling and an increase in the content of VA groups in PVA; the sorption capacity of composites in relation to water due to the peculiarities of the internal structure of the material is maximal when filled with dextrin and minimal when filled with microcellulose, regardless of the degree of hydrolysis of PVA; the ultimate strength of composites depends on the grade of PVA and the nature of the filler and decreases in the series “PVA‑dextrin” → “PVA‑starch” → “PVA‑microcellulose” → “PVA‑fiber of coffee beans”, for samples both in dry and moisture-saturated state, while the relative elongation of the material in dry the state is approximately the same for all experimental samples, but with moisture saturation there are strong intermolecular interactions in the “PVA – dextrin” and “PVA – starch” ensures the elasticity of the material, increasing its elongation by an order of magnitude compared to systems filled with coarse fiber particle

Evaluation of the degradation of the modified polyolefins in different environments

Hybrid composites based on synthetic thermoplastics (STP) are a prospect for replacing traditional plastics in various sectors of the national economy: crop production (composite hydroponic substrates, containers, etc.), water treatment (composite biofilter loads), packaging industry, etc. The purpose of the work is to assess the destruction of composites based on STP, modified with prooxidants (PR) and polysaccharides (PS), in various external conditions that mimic environmental factors (thermal, photochemical (UV radiation), chemical, biochemical effects). As objects of research, we used prototypes based on a copolymer of ethylene with vinyl acetate and high-pressure polyethylene, modified with microcellulose and cobalt stearate. The time of exposure to external factors is 3 months. The work also assessed the degree of influence of the compounding technology (one-stage, two-stage) of the three-component system "STP: PR: PS" on the degree of destruction of the composite. It has been established that effective destruction of polyolefins modified by prooxidants is observed only under conditions of thermal and ultraviolet exposure. When the content of polysaccharides in the polyolefin matrix is 40 vol.% Or less, the composites are not significantly affected by chemical and biological environmental factors. Simultaneous modification of polyolefins with a prooxidant and a polysaccharide does not lead to a synergistic effect of destruction during the studied period of exposure. Under conditions of heat exposure and UV irradiation, the behavior of the three-component composite is similar to the behavior of the PO modified with the prooxidant, but with a less pronounced aging effect, and in aqueous media such materials behave as the PO polysaccharides modified, but also with less pronounced destruction. One-stage compounding of the three-component system "STP: PR: PS" significantly reduces the efficiency of composite destructio

Assessment of destruction of polyethylene modified with pro-oxidants in the context of environmental safety

The paper presents the results of the evaluation of the destruction of polyethylene LDPE (hereinafter-PE), modified by prooxidants based on iron, copper and cobalt carboxylates (in the amount of 1.5 mass. % ) with accelerated thermal and ultraviolet aging for 192 hours. The assessment of degradation in the context of environmental safety included the determination of the degree of compliance of the materials with the requirements of state standard 33747-2016 "Oxo-biodegradable packaging", according to which the criterion of the efficiency of oxobiodestructionpolyolefins may be a decrease in strength and elongation at break of the sample at accelerated aging, as well as the quantitative determination of the release of formaldehyde during thermal degradation modified with prooxidants PE for comparison with the maximum permissible concentration. The rheological parameters of the materials were studied and a comparative assessment of the melt viscosity reduction and reduction with respect to elongation at break in the dynamics of accelerated thermal and UV aging of the PE modified with prooxidants in the selected time interval of 192 hours of exposure was carried out. A decrease in the relative elongation at rupture of PE containing cobalt - based prooxidant by 94% at thermal aging for 192 hours, and by 46% at ultraviolet was established. For PE modified with copper carboxylate, these values were 64 and 33 %, respectively, for PE modified with iron carboxylate – 35% and 40%, respectively. The reduction of strength by 95% of the initial value for 192 hours of temperature exposure was achieved in a sample modified with cobalt, which confirms its compliance with state standard 33747-2016. For other samples, the degree of strength reduction in the selected time interval does not allow to assess compliance with the specified standard. The release of formaldehyde during thermal aging for 192 hours per 1 g of the PE sample modified with cobalt carboxylate was 0.051 mg/m3, for PE modified with copper carboxylate – 0.032 mg/m3, for PE modified with iron carboxylate – 0.034 mg/m3. Installed excessive concentrations of formaldehyde in air hood PH with the carboxylate of cobalt 1.2 times under thermal aging 96 hours and 1.5 times the thermal ageing of a maximum of 192 hours. The reduction of the viscosity of PE containing cobalt – based prooxidant by 90% at thermal aging for 192 hours and by 10% at ultraviolet was recorded. For PE modified with copper carboxylate, these values were 9 and 2 %, respectively, for PE modified with iron carboxylate – 8 and 5%, respectively