Probability densities for the sums of iterates of the sine-circle map in the vicinity of the quasi-periodic edge of chaos

We investigate the probability density of rescaled sum of iterates of sine-circle map within quasi-periodic route to chaos. When the dynamical system is strongly mixing (i.e., ergodic), standard Central Limit Theorem (CLT) is expected to be valid, but at the edge of chaos where iterates have strong correlations, the standard CLT is not necessarily to be valid anymore. We discuss here the main characteristics of the central limit behavior of deterministic dynamical systems which exhibit quasi-periodic route to chaos. At the golden-mean onset of chaos for the sine-circle map, we numerically verify that the probability density appears to converge to a q-Gaussian with q<1 as the golden mean value is approached.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

LONG-TERM TRENDS OF CHANGES IN INFESTATION RATE OF THE BAIKAL REGION POPULATION BY IXODIC TICKS

Ixodid ticks are the vectors of many pathogens including tick-borne encephalitis virus and the Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. In Pribaikalye, Ixodes persulcatus, Dermacentor nuttalli, D. silvarum and Haemaphysalis concinna are regarded as main vectors of the diseases. Recently, significant changes in world tick fauna have been reported and this affects the spread of tick-borne pathogens. We studied the current species diversity, population structure and the number of attacks of hard ticks (Acari:Ixodidae) on humans in Irkutsk region and nearby territories during the season 2015. Long-term trends of changes in attack rate were analyzed as well. In total, 4268 individual ticks were identified and analyzed during the season 2015. The majority (86 %) of victims was bitten by I. persulcatus; 13.55 % of attacks on humans were caused by D. nuttalli and D. silvarum; whereas H. concinna was documented only in 2 cases (~0.05 %). No non-endemic or invasive tick species were documented in 2015. The seasonal activity and the age/gender structure of tick population that bite human hosts were described as well. The comparison of the results of 2015 with previously reported datasets on tick bite ratesfrom 1992-2001 andfrom 2007-2014 indicates that, after the burst of tick bites in 1992-2001, there are no significant increase of attack rate since 2007. Possible implications to human health and epidemiology of tick-borne infections are discussed

CIRCULATION OF ARBOVIRUSES AND INFLUENZA VIRUS IN PRIBAIKALYE

The California encephalitis serogroup virus, Batai virus and Geta virus were isolated as result of investigation of distribution of arboviruses in Pribaikalye. The results of the study of influenza A virus in birds in Pribaikalye are presented as well

NECESSITY TO IMPROVE THE EMERGENCY DIAGNOSTICS OF TICK-BORNE INFECTIONS IN PEOPLE BITTEN BY IXODID TICKS ABROAD OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Introduction. Annually, there are several patients attended the Center for Diagnosis and Prevention of Tick-borne Infections in  Irkutsk after bites of ticks that happened outside the Pribaikalye  region or abroad. In such cases, the attacking ticks do not belong to  convenient species that are usual for Eastern Siberia. Consequently,  the spectrum of pathogenic microorganisms transmitted by these  ticks may significantly differ from those that are detected by usual  laboratory tests. Thus, both physicians and laboratory personnel may  have difficulties in proper detection and identification of pathogens as well as in diagnosing and treating of such patients.The purpose of the study was the analysis of potential risks of human infection with the pathogens that are common in foreign countries outside the Russian Federation.Material and methods. The article uses information from electronic databases created by the authors during 2007-2017.Results and discussion. During 11 years of observations, 52 tick bites were registered in 20 countries, with 48 of them in the Eastern  Hemisphere (92.3 %), three (5.8 %) in the United States and one  (1.9 %) in the Republic of Cuba. The results indicate a real danger of infection by tick-borne pathogens of people traveling as the tourists  and with business purposes to the countries of Europe, Asia and America. Conclusion. It is necessary to improve the existing algorithm for diagnosis, prevention and treatment for people bitten by ixodid ticks  outside the Russian Federation, taking into account the possibility of  infection by inconvenient imported infections

ASSESSMENT OF NEUTRALIZING PROPERTIES OF DNA-APTAMERS AND EXTRACTS OF MEDICINAL HERBS AGAINST THE TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS

Tick borne encephalitis (TBE) is a dangerous neurological disease that is transmitted to humans through the bite of Ixodid ticks. The disease exhibits an estimated 16 000 cases recorded annually over 30 European and Asian countries. The agent of TBE is the tick borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), belonging to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus. In spite the significant impact of TBE on human health, there is a serious lack of specific treatment against this disease. The only specific drug available is the human anti-TBEV immunoglobulin from vaccinated blood donors. The drug is produced and used in Russia only, both to prevent and to cure the TBE. In this work, we evaluated the ability of TBEV-specific DNA-aptamers and extracts of traditional medicine plants to neutralize the TBEV Selection of aptamers was performed using SELEX approach. Extracts of the seeds of Momordica cochinchinensis and Terminalia chebula were produced by boiling the ground seeds in water, clarified by centrifugation and filtration steps and filter sterilized. The SELEX had produced two aptamers - My13 and My38. Neither of two was capable to neutralize TBEV in vitro. The ability to shield the antibody binding sites on the surface of TBEV virions was also absent. The extract of M. cochinchinensis exhibited no neutralizing activity as well. Surprisingly, the T. chebula extract completely neutralized the TBEV after 30 min of incubation at 37 °C. The possible explanations and further development of the project are discussed

Antiviral activity of herbal extracts against the tick borne encephalitis virus (literature review)

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a widely known viral disease that is transmitted through the bites of ixodid ticks. In severe cases, it leads to disability or death of the patient. The causative agent of the TBE is the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), which belongs to the Flaviviridae family. Despite the great importance of TBE in human pathology, currently the only way to prevent and treat this disease is a donor immunoglobulin, which has a number of significant disadvantages. In this paper, we analyzed modern literature on the detection of antiviral properties of herbal preparations and assessed the possibility of using them to search for new drugs against TBE. In general, the published works can be divided into two areas of research - the study of whole plant extracts and the study of the biological activity of the purified extract components. The most informative results can be obtained under certain conditions; for example, the study of both water extracts of plants and extracts with organic solvents, fractionation of the initial preparations with the detected antiviral activity followed by the concentration of the target substance; identification of an antiviral agent to obtain standardized drugs and preclinical testing in laboratory animals and cell cultures. This approach made it possible to identify three substances - hebulinic acid, panicalagin and baikalein - possessing inhibitory activity against Dengue flavivirus. The article discusses the possibility of using these substances against TBEV and the optimal algorithm for searching for antiviral agents in plant preparations

Bird species - main carriers of influenza type a virus in Eastern Siberia

The grand-scale laboratory investigation on finding influenza type A virus in wild and synanthropic birds on vast territories of Eastern Siberia was conducted for the first time. Alongside with the ornithological investigations, we also conducted collection of over 17,000 samples of laboratory investigations of 165 bird species. In the south of Central Siberia in 2006-2011, the antibodies to antihemagglutination were found in 484 samples, 179 out of which were from synanthropic birds. During the investigation of PCR of RNA avian influenza 167 samples were isolated, 17 (10,2 %) out of which were from synanthropic species. In 2014, antibodies were isolated from 30 species, RNA avian influenza were isolated from 26 species of the following bird orders: Podicipediformes - 3/1 (in hemagglutination-inhibition reaction/polymerase chain reaction) of species, Ciconiiformes - 0/1, Anseriformes - 12/10, Gruiformes - 1/1, Charadriiformes - 7/4, Passeriformes - 6/8. In the following years the participation in epizootic process of new species/ subspecies were increased. The maximum virus carriage (40.2 %) and birds infection takes place during the period from July 15 till August 28, which is characterized mainly by the presence of a large number of multipleaged young-of-the-year water fowls on the ponds and riparian vegetation. In the process of work, there was compiled not only the list of species/subspecies of avian influenza virus carriers and vectors, but also revealed their connection with wintering areas and the main location of the recombinant subtypes of highly pathogenic virus H5N1. The cases of virus spreading and its influence on the birds of various ecologic groups were described

THE PREVALENCE OF TICK-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS ANTIGEN IN SERUM SAMPLES FROM PEOPLE SUFFERED FROM TICK BITES

The information about more than 17 thousand cases of public inquiries to the Center of Diagnostics and prevention of tick-borne infections of Scientific Center of Problems Family and Human Reproduction Problems because of bites of ticks at the territory of Irkutsk Region during the last six years (2007-2012) is analyzed in the article. All age groups undergo to the bites of ticks. Over the half of the people asking for help have the policy of voluntary health insurance of "Anti tick" kind. The percentage of people vaccinated against the tick borne encephalitis is a little bit over than 8 % what proves the low level of the sanitary education and neglect to the human health in the region. Every year the cases of tick's bites and findings of tick-borne encephalitis virus antigen in blood serum of bitten people in the northern areas of Irkutsk region are revealed. Every year in average 90 examples of blood serum had tick-borne encephalitis virus antigen that means 3 % of bitten people have pre-clinical infection of tick-borne encephalitis. Patients with positive result of tick-borne encephalitis virus antigen (543 patients) had the necessary consultation and preventive treatment with specific immunoglobulin according to the instruction of application. Diseases of tick-borne encephalitis among the patients had the preventive treatment in time were not marked

THE EFFICACY OF PROPHYLAXIS OF LYME DISEASE USING ANTIBIOTICS AMONG PEOPLE BITTEN BY IXODID TICKS

For the first time the results of the study of 1399 blood serum, samples from people bitten by Ixodid ticks in Predbaykalye region (East Siberia, Russia) and asking for medical care in the Center for prophylaxis of tick-borne diseases of Scientific Center of Family Health. Problems and. Human Reproduction. SB RAMS. The study showed, high, (up to 99,93 %) efficacy of early antibiotic course in preventing the Lyme disease in bitten peopl

Dynamics of Barred Galaxies

Some 30% of disc galaxies have a pronounced central bar feature in the disc plane and many more have weaker features of a similar kind. Kinematic data indicate that the bar constitutes a major non-axisymmetric component of the mass distribution and that the bar pattern tumbles rapidly about the axis normal to the disc plane. The observed motions are consistent with material within the bar streaming along highly elongated orbits aligned with the rotating major axis. A barred galaxy may also contain a spheroidal bulge at its centre, spirals in the outer disc and, less commonly, other features such as a ring or lens. Mild asymmetries in both the light and kinematics are quite common. We review the main problems presented by these complicated dynamical systems and summarize the effort so far made towards their solution, emphasizing results which appear secure. (Truncated)Comment: This old review appeared in 1993. Plain tex with macro file. 82 pages 18 figures. A pdf version with figures at full resolution (3.24MB) is available at http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~sellwood/bar_review.pd