Global corporations and smaller actors in textile business: European perspective

Earlier in Europe, there existed many local textile brands and manufacturers. However, these have experienced significant pressure from the rapid expansion, and success of the European based global textile industry corporations, such as H&M and Inditex (Zara). Their further advancement is supported by the expansion into the new locations and application of nearshoring strategies to the favourable markets, such as Russian, which have attracted to some extent previously entirely offshored European manufacturing located in China. In this regard, the objective of the current study is the assessment of the business activities of the given companies, as well as one company from Finland, and three major textile companies from the Baltic States, through the designed methodological approach. Due to the fact that most performance indicators of companies are based on empirical data, the study is explorative in its nature. Moreover, it shows the relationship between the main key performance indicators of the company with one of the functional areas of logistics (warehousing and inventory management). In particular, analysis of this research shows that two global actors (H&M and Inditex) have experienced exceptional growth, profits and profitability during the years 2001–2016. It was concluded that nearly all of these earlier successful ones and smaller actors have faced difficulties in the past decade, and best growing has been company concentrating on warehousing and retail, instead of manufacturing. Most of these smaller actors have faced profitability challenges, and considerable amount of shareholder value has been lost during the decade. © Hilmola O.-P., Tolli A. & Panova Yu. Text. 2019

Changes of Granite Rapakivi under the Biofouling Influence

Interdisciplinary study of granite rapakivi biofouling in the natural and anthropogenic environment (St. Petersburg, Vyborg, Southern Finland) was carried out. The biodiversity of microorganisms (cyanobacteria, micromycetes, and organotrophic bacteria) and various types of biofilms are characterized. The influence of external factors on the changes of cyanobacterial biofilms is shown. The features of biofilms localization on the granite surface in an urban environment and in natural outcrops are studied. Differences in the biofilms metabolites composition at the granite quarries and monuments of St. Petersburg are shown. The behavior of chemical elements during the bioweathering of granite is estimated. The role of biofilms in the accumulation of chemical elements on the surface of granite is established. The dynamics of chemical elements leaching from granite may depend on the type of biofilm developing on granite

Experience of eradicating parasites of laboratory rats in conventional vivarium

The purpose of the research is to test different dehelminthization schemes of laboratory rats infected with cestodes Rodentolepis nana and nematodes Syphacia muris and evaluate the significance of combined environment disinfection measures. The practical experience of eradication (helminth eradication) in animals in a conventional vivarium was described.Materials and methods. Experiments were conducted to study the efficacy of anthelmintics and administration schemes against cestode and nematode infections in laboratory rats. In the first experiment, praziquantel was used at a dose of 10 mg/kg to treat rats infected with R. nana. In the second experiment, the comparative efficacy of fenbendazole, albendazole, and pyrantel was evaluated against syphaciosis at the recommended dosages of 20, 10, and 12.5 mg/kg, respectively. Each drug was given orally, individually, twice with an interval of 7 days. The third experiment tested different schemes for treating syphaciosis with fenbendazole. One group of rats was given the drug orally individually using an esophageal tube at a dose of 20 mg/kg once a day for 7 consecutive days. Other groups were given fenbendazole daily with food for 7 days (150 mg fenbendazole per 1 kg of food). In all three experiments, all animals were divided into groups, and their cells underwent a complex of additional disinfection measures, and those kept in cages without disinfection.Results and discussion. Praziquantel showed 100% efficacy at a single dose of 10 mg/kg in R. nana therapy. In animals without additional disinfection procedures, cestode eggs were again recorded starting from day 14 after the drug administration. In the group of animals with disinfection measures, pathogens were not detected during the experiment. Double administration of fenbendazole, albendazole and pyrantel in the recommended dosages against syphaciosis did not result in eradicated nematodes in the animals. The disinfection did not affect the obtained results. Fenbendazole administered daily for 7 days ensured helminth eradication in animals. However, on day 7 after the therapy, Syphacia sp. eggs were again found in the groups that received the drug individually intragastrically through a tube, regardless of whether their cells were disinfected. The animals that received fenbendazole with food and were regularly disinfested remained free from nematodes throughout the experiment until the additional disinfection measures were cancelled. In the absence of disinfection, released helminth eggs were recorded on day 14 after therapy

IMMUNOLOGICAL AND PATHOMORPHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EARLY AND LATE PREECLAMPSIA

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy, and it can be after 20 weeks of gestation. It ends only with a complete dissection of afterbirth. Traditionally, PE is subdivided into the early one, taking place through 34 weeks of pregnancy (EOPE) and the late one, which is after 34 weeks of gestation (LOPE). Clinical manifestations are similar in both cases however, risk factors and the severity of PE are different . It has been established that EOPE is determined by impaired trophoblast invasion and transformation of the spiral arteries of the uterus in early pregnancy, and late onset of PE is associated with oxidative stress of syncytiotrophoblast, which occurs secondarily, with limited gas exchange and insufficient intake of nutrients. Numerous studies have noted a significant contribution of immune responses to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, however, the state of B-lymphocytes in EOPE and LOPE has not been studied. A comprehensive assessment of the condition of women with early (up to 34 weeks of pregnancy inclusive) and late (after 34 weeks) development of preeclampsia was carried out, taking into account clinical and anamnestic characteristics, the peculiarities of the formation of the structural components of the placenta, as well as determining the nature of differentiation and functional activity of B-lymphocytes. In peripheral venous blood, the content of CD19+, CD20+, CD19+CD27+IgD±, CD19+CD20- CD38+, CD20+CD5+-cells and serum levels of IL-5, IL-9, IL-13 were examined. Morphological examination included gross description, organometry, survey histology, and transmission electron microscopy. In the group of women with early preeclampsia in history, there were more often perinatal losses, premature births and medical abortions, and in the current pregnancy, intrauterine infection, oligohydramnios, placental insufficiency and fetal growth retardation. With late preeclampsia, metabolic syndrome, anemia, and a history of arterial hypertension were more often observed. In the peripheral blood of all women with preeclampsia, there was an increase in the content of CD20+CD5+-cells in comparison with those in uncomplicated pregnancy, more pronounced in the late onset of preeclampsia. Only in women with early preeclampsia blood levels of CD19+CD20- CD38+ and CD19+CD27+IgD±-cells, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13 increased. Studies of the placenta in early preeclampsia indicated impaired implantation and pathological placentation with the development of primary placental insufficiency, which becomes chronic. In late preeclampsia, the development of placental insufficiency was determined by chronic disorders of maternal and fetal hemocirculation with increased deposition of fibrin and fibrinoid in the basal lamina and in the zones of villous epithelium necrosis. The study showed that the timing of the manifestation of preeclampsia is determined by the action of factors of the clinical history, structural rearrangements in the placenta and immune responses of B-lymphocytes are closely interrelated

Оценка эффективности нового набора реагентов для выявления мутаций, связанных с лекарственной устойчивостью микобактерий туберкулеза к рифампицину и изониазиду, методом ПЦР по данным клинических испытаний

The objective: to evalute effectiveness in clinical trials of the new kit of reagents of AmpliTest® MBT-Resist-I based on real-time PCR (RT-PCR) versus similar kits of reagent registered in Russia, to identify genetic markers of M. tuberculosis complex (MTB) resistance to rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) in human biological samples and MTB cultures.Subjects and Methods. 200 DNA samples were studied, they had been obtained from biological specimens (sputum (N=100), bronchoalveolar lavage (N=50), biopsy (surgical material; N=50)) of pulmonary tuberculosis patients and containing MTB DNA at a concentration of at least 1 x 103 GE/ml, and from 100 DNA samples of MTB cultures. Efficiency of detecting mutations associated with MTB resistance to RIF and INH using the new kit of reagent of AmpliTest® MBT-Resist-I was evaluated in comparison with HP Amplitube-MDR-RV (OOO Sintol, Russia). In the case of discordant results, the target MTB DNA loci were sequenced by Sanger.Results. We observed complete agreement of the results and consequently high efficiency rates (positive and negative concordance of results - 100%, respectively) of the new kit of reagents of AmpliTest® MBT-Resist-I in comparison with the kit of reagent of Amplitube-MDR-RV in detection of mutations associated with MTB resistance to both RIF and INH, both for human samples and for MTB cultures. In two DNA samples of MTB cultures, an additional mutation (I572L) in the rpoB gene was detected using the new kit of reagents which was not detected by the comparison kit and was confirmed by Sanger sequencing.Conclusion. Inhalers vary significantly by the patients' ability to use them correctly. Asthma patients master the correct inhalation technique better versus COPD patients. Liquid inhalers were more difficult to be used correctly, and the best results were observed with multi-dose powder inhalers. The patient's training by a healthcare professional is critical to assure the correct use of inhalers.Цель исследования: оценка эффективности использования в клинических испытаниях нового набора реагентов (НР) «АмплиТест® МБТ-Резист-I» на основе ПЦР в реальном времени (ПЦР-РВ) в сравнении с аналогичным по назначению, зарегистрированным российским НР, по выявлению генетических маркеров резистентности М. tuberculosis complex (МБТ) к рифампицину (RIF) и изониазиду (INH) в образцах биологического материала человека и культурах МБТ.Материалы и методы. Были исследованы 200 образцов ДНК, полученных из биологического материала (мокроты (N=100), бронхоальвеолярного лаважа (N=50), биоптата (операционного материала; N=50)) от пациентов с туберкулезом лeгких и содержащих ДНК МБТ в концентрации не менее 1 х 103 ГЭ/мл, и 100 образцов ДНК культур МБТ. Оценку эффективности выявления мутаций, связанных с устойчивостью МБТ к RIF и INH, с помощью нового НР «АмплиТест® МБТ-Резист-I» проводили в сравнении с НР «Амплитуб-МЛУ-РВ» (ООО «Синтол», Россия). В случае получения дискордантных результатов целевые локусы ДНК МБТ секвенировали по Сэнгеру.Результаты. Получено полное совпадение результатов и, как следствие, высокие показатели эффективности (положительное и отрицательное соответствие результатов - 100% соответственно) нового НР «АмплиТест® МБТ-Резист-I» в сравнении с НР «Амплитуб-МЛУ-РВ» при выявлении мутаций, связанных с устойчивостью МБТ как к RIF, так и к INH, как для образцов биологического материала человека, так и для культур МБТ. В двух пробах ДНК культур МБТ с помощью нового НР обнаружена дополнительная мутация (I572L) в гене rpoB, не выявляемая набором сравнения и подтвержденная секвенированием по Сэнгеру

АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ ТУБЕРКУЛЕЗА У ПОДРОСТКОВ ИЗ ОЧАГОВ ТУБЕРКУЛЕЗНОЙ ИНФЕКЦИИ

The article characterizes respiratory tuberculosis in adolescents exposed to tuberculous infection. Exposure to tuberculosis in the family or when contacting close relatives makes the biggest contribution into development of the disease unless the patient is isolated from those exposed. Advanced and severe forms of tuberculosis with bacillary excretion are detected, compromising the life quality of adolescents. The main causes of late diagnostics are poor performance of TB services, primary medical units, low level of health education aimed at the increase of motivation to have planned medical examinations in the general population and to take relevant sanitary and hygienic measures in the sites of infection. Adolescents from the sites with bacillary excretion, and, first of all, if multiple or extensive drug resistant tuberculosis is detected, are to be considered a high priority group facing the risk to develop the disease with more frequent monitoring and deeper examination. In primary medical units, should any sings typical of tuberculosis be presented, it is sensible to add skin tests (Mantoux test and test with tuberculous recombinant allergen) to the minimum diagnostic procedures. Organizational, methodical and health education activities in the sites of infection are to be improved.Дана характеристика туберкулеза органов дыхания у подростков из контакта с больным туберкулезом. Набольшее значение для развития заболевания имеет контакт в семье и с близкими родственниками без изоляции контактирующих лиц от больного. Выявляются тяжелые, распространенные процессы с бактериовыделением, которые снижают качество жизни заболевшего подростка. Основные причины поздней диагностики – недостатки в работе противотуберкулезной службы, первичной медико-санитарной помощи (ПМСП), низкий уровень санитарно-просветительной работы по повышению мотивации населения к плановым обследованиям и соблюдению санитарно-гигиенических мероприятий в очаге. Подростки из очагов с бактериовыделением, в первую очередь при обнаружении микобактерий туберкулеза с множественной/широкой лекарственной устойчивостью, должны рассматриваться как приоритетная группа риска развития заболевания с более частым мониторингом, углубленным обследованием. В учреждениях ПМСП при наличии клинических признаков, таких же как при туберкулезе, целесообразно включить в диагностический минимум кожные иммунологические тесты (проба Манту и проба с аллергеном туберкулезным рекомбинантным). Необходимо совершенствование работы организационно-методической и санитарно-просветительной работы в очагах

Клапанная бронхоблокация в комплексном лечении туберкулеза органов дыхания у подростка

Goal: The clinical case is presented to describe the successful use of valve bronchial block (installation endobronchial valve into the bronchus) for treatment of cavities in the 15 year old female adolescent with bilateral pulmonary tuberculosis.Results. The X-ray examination showed the healing of cavities in 3 months after installation of endobronchial valve. The endobronchial valve stayed in the upper zone left bronchus for 6 months and it was successfully removed through bronchoscopy upon the treatment completion. Цель. Представлено клиническое наблюдение успешного применения метода клапанной бронхоблокации (установка в бронх эндобронхиального клапана) для лечения каверн у девочки-подростка 15 лет с двусторонним туберкулезом легких.Результаты. Закрытие полостей распада зафиксировано рентгенологически через 3 мес. после установки эндобронхиального клапана. Эндобронхиальный клапан находился 6 мес. в верхнезональном бронхе слева и был успешно извлечен при бронхоскопии после окончания лечения