Color Effects Associated with the 1999 Microlensing Brightness Peaks in Gravitationally Lensed Quasar Q2237+0305

Photometry of the Q2237+0305gravitational lens in VRI spectral bands with the 1.5-m telescope of the high-altitude Maidanak observatory in 1995-2000 is presented. Monitoring of Q2237+0305 in July-October 2000, made at nearly daily basis, did not reveal rapid (night-to-night and intranight) variations of brightness of the components during this time period. Rather slow changes of magnitudes of the components were observed, such as 0.08 mag fading of B and C components and 0.05 mag brightening of D in R band during July 23 - October 7, 2000. By good luck three nights in 1999 were almost at the time of the strong brightness peak of image C, and approximately in the middle of the ascending slope of the image A brightness peak. The C component was the most blue one in the system in 1998 and 1999, having changed its (V-I) color from 0.56 mag to 0.12 mag since August 1997, while its brightness increased almost 1.2 mag during this time period. The A component behaved similarly between August 1998 and August 2000, having become 0.47 mag brighter in R, and at the same time, 0.15 mag bluer. A correlation between the color variations and variations of magnitudes of the components is demonstrated to be significant and reaches 0.75, with a regression line slope of 0.33. A color (V-I) vrs color (V-R) plot shows the components settled in a cluster, stretched along a line with a slope of 1.31. Both slopes are noticeably smaller than those expected if a standard galactic interstellar reddening law were responsible for the differences between the colors of images and their variations over time. We attribute the brightness and color changes to microlensing of the quasar's structure, which we conclude is more compact at shorter wavelengths, as predicted by most quasar models featuring an energizing central source.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, LaTeX, submitted to A&

Time delays in PG1115+080: new estimates

We report new estimates of the time delays in the quadruple gravitationally lensed quasar PG1115+080, obtained from the monitoring data in filter R with the 1.5-m telescope at the Maidanak Mountain (Uzbekistan, Central Asia) in 2004-2006. The time delays are 16.4 days between images C and B, and 12 days between C and A1+A2, with image C being leading for both pairs. The only known estimates of the time delays in PG1115 are those based on observations by Schechter et al. (1997) -- 23.7 and 9.4 days between images C and B, C and A1+A2, respectively, as calculated by Schechter et al., and 25 and 13.3 days as revised by Barkana (1997) for the same image components with the use of another method. The new values of time delays in PG 1115+080 may be expected to provide larger estimates of the Hubble constant thus decreasing a diversity between the H_0 estimates taken from gravitationally lensed quasars and with other methods.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

Сarbohydrate metabolism disorders and their outcomes in the long-term period in hospitalized patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a predisposing factor for the development of many infectious complications. Numerous studies have demonstrated the association of hyperglycemia in patients having DM with a high risk of a more unfavorable course of COVID-19. However, hyperglycemia is often detected in patients with a COVID-19 not having anamnesis of DM. The following remains unclear: the etiological factors causing such disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, the persistence of these disorders and the characteristics of the course, as well as their comparative effect on the outcomes of COVID-19 and the further prognosis of patients.AIM: To study the prevalence and nature of carbohydrate metabolism disorders in patients with moderate to severe course of COVID-19, as well as 6 months after it.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hospitalized patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 of moderate and severe course of the disease were examined. There were no medical interventions outside recommendations of patient management. The observation was carried out during two time periods: inpatient treatment of a COVID-19 and 6 months after discharge. The following were evaluated: anamnesis data, the level of fasting plasma glucose; HbA1c, the results of computed tomography of the lungs, the drug therapy taken in all patients. Descriptive statistics methods were used to evaluate the parameters.RESULTS: The study included 280 patients with a median age of 61.5±14,2 years. During the disease, a violation of  carbohydrate metabolism was detected in 188 people (67%), the remaining patients (33%) made up the normoglycemia group. Patients with hyperglycemia were stratified in a following way: a group with an established diagnosis of DM before COVID -19 included — 56 people (20%), a group with steroid-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) — 95 people (34%), a group of stress- induced hyperglycaemia — 20 people (7%), with undiagnosed diabetes — 17 people (6%). In the postcovid period (after 6 months), the normal level of glycemia in the same sample group was observed in 199 people (71.4%); 8 people (3%) were diagnosed with new cases of DM. The mortality rate was 10 people (3.6%) in the group of SIH (8 people) and undiagnosed DM (2 people).CONCLUSION: The use of glucocorticoids in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 leads to high incidence of SIH, which has reversible character. About 6% among hospitalized patients with a COVID-19 had undiagnosed DM and were not receiving antihyperglycemic therapy. The highest mortality was noted in the group of SIH, which allows us to conclude that SIH worsens the prognosis of patients to the greatest extent. Patients with newly diagnosed hyperglycemia, regardless of the level of hyperglycemia, are characterized by a more unfavorable course

Magnetic properties of colloidal suspensions of interacting magnetic particles

We review equilibrium thermodynamic properties of systems of magnetic particles like ferrofluids in which dipolar interactions play an important role. The review is focussed on two subjects: ({\em i}) the magnetization with the initial magnetic susceptibility as a special case and ({\em ii}) the phase transition behavior. Here the condensation ("gas/liquid") transition in the subsystem of the suspended particles is treated as well as the isotropic/ferromagnetic transition to a state with spontaneously generated long--range magnetic order.Comment: Review. 62 pages, 4 figure

PG 1115+080: variations of the A2/A1 flux ratio and new values of the time delays

We report the results of our multicolor observations of PG 1115+080 with the 1.5-m telescope of the Maidanak Observatory (Uzbekistan, Central Asia) in 2001-2006. Monitoring data in filter R spanning the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons (76 data points) demonstrate distinct brightness variations of the source quasar with the total amplitude of almost 0.4 mag. Our R light curves have shown image C leading B by 16.4d and image (A1+A2) by 12d that is inconsistent with the previous estimates obtained by Schechter et al. in 1997 - 24.7d between B and C and 9.4d between (A1+A2) and C. The new values of time delays in PG 1115+080 must result in larger values for the Hubble constant, thus reducing difference between its estimates taken from the gravitational lenses and with other methods. Also, we analyzed variability of the A2/A1 flux ratio, as well as color changes in the archetypal "fold" lens PG 1115+080. We found the A1/A2 flux ratio to grow during 2001-2006 and to be larger at longer wavelengths. In particular, the A2/A1 flux ratio reached 0.85 in filter I in 2006. We also present evidence that both the A1 and A2 images might have undergone microlensing during 2001-2006, with the descending phase for A1 and initial phase for A2. We find that the A2/A1 flux ratio anomaly in PG 1115 can be well explained both by microlensing and by finite distance of the source quasar from the caustic fold.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, 8 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRA

Заболеваемость раком легкого в Московской области (1998–2018)

This review discusses the main statistical indicators for lung cancer (LC) in the Moscow region over the past 20 years from 1998 to 2018. Methods. The analysis of basic statistics was carried out on the basis of official statistics of the Moscow region in the period from 1998 to 2018. Results. A decrease in the incidence was revealed. The five-year survival rate increased. The morphological diagnostics of LC improved. The detection of the disease in the early stages improved. In addition, mortality has decreased, both overall, and one-year. Conclusion. The reduction of morbidity and mortality, as well as the improvement of early detection of patients with LC in the Moscow Region was facilitated by the introduction of tobacco control measures, the implementation of programs to fight cancer, improving the quality of diagnostics and improving the equipment of clinics and hospitals, as well as the use of new modern treatment methods, such targeted and immunotherapy.В статье рассматриваются основные данные официальной статистики по заболеваемости раком легкого (РЛ) в Московской области за последние 20 лет (1998–2018).Материалы и методы. Проведен анализ (1998–2018).Результаты. Установлено снижение показателей заболеваемости и увеличение 5-летней выживаемости. Улучшились показатели морфологической диагностики РЛ и выявляемости заболевания на ранних стадиях. Показано снижение как общей, так и одногодичной летальности.Заключение. Снижению заболеваемости и летальности, а также улучшению выявляемости больных РЛ на ранних стадиях в Московской области способствовало введение противотабачных мер, реализация программ по борьбе с онкологическими заболеваниями, улучшение качества диагностики и оснащения поликлиник и стационаров, а также применение новых современных методов терапии, в частности, таргетной и иммунотерапии