Stable one-dimensional periodic waves in Kerr-type saturable and quadratic nonlinear media

We review the latest progress and properties of the families of bright and dark one-dimensional periodic waves propagating in saturable Kerr-type and quadratic nonlinear media. We show how saturation of the nonlinear response results in appearance of stability (instability) bands in focusing (defocusing) medium, which is in sharp contrast with the properties of periodic waves in Kerr media. One of the key results discovered is the stabilization of multicolor periodic waves in quadratic media. In particular, dark-type waves are shown to be metastable, while bright-type waves are completely stable in a broad range of energy flows and material parameters. This yields the first known example of completely stable periodic wave patterns propagating in conservative uniform media supporting bright solitons. Such results open the way to the experimental observation of the corresponding self-sustained periodic wave patterns.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figure

Band-gap solitons in nonlinear optically-induced lattices

We introduce novel optical solitons that consist of a periodic and a spatially localized components coupled nonlinearly via cross-phase modulation. The spatially localized optical field can be treated as a gap soliton supported by the optically-induced nonlinear grating. We find different types of these band-gap composite solitons and demonstrate their dynamical stability.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Collapse of Incoherent Light Beams in Inertial Bulk Kerr Media

We use the coherent density function theory to show that partially coherent beams are unstable and may collapse in inertial bulk Kerr media. The threshold power for collapse, and its dependence on the degree of coherence, is found analytically and checked numerically. The internal dynamics of the walk-off modes is illustrated for collapsing and diffracting partially coherent beams

Чувствительность к глюкокортикостероидам и гетерогенность ответа клеток in vitro у пациентов с хронической обструктивной болезнью легких

Inhaled corticosteroids are widely used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but their efficacy significantly varies between patients. The aim of the study was to establish approaches to reveal steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant patients with COPD using the blood and lung cells. Methods. Forty five patients with COPD undergoing bronchoscopy were recruited for the study of cytokine secretion by alveolar macrophages under the influence of glucocorticoids. Alveolar macrophages isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were cultured with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and different concentrations of dexamethasone (0.01 – 1000 nM) for 24 h. Then, supernatants were removed and analyzed for concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Binding of the glucocorticoid with its receptors was investigated in 24 patients with COPD, 20 healthy smokers and 20 healthy non-smokers. Blood cells were cultured with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled dexamethasone and monoclonal antibodies against surface antigens of lymphocyte and monocyte populations. Fluorescence intensity of FITC-labelled dexamethasone was analyzed in blood cells using flow cytometry. Results. Dexamethasone significantly inhibited IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α production in alveolar macrophages in a dose dependent manner. The maximal inhibition of cytokine production was observed at dexamethasone concentration of 100 nM, and the maximal cell response variability was found at 10 nM. IL-8 was less sensitive to the corticosteroid compared to IL-6 and TNF-α. Dexamethasone at any concentration failed to reach >50% inhibition of LPS-induced production of IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-α in alveolar macrophages of 40.0%; 11.1% and 8.9% of COPD patients, respectively. The fluorescence intensity of FITC-labelled dexamethasone in blood lymphocytes and monocytes was lower in smokers with COPD compared to healthy smokers and healthy non-smokers. The binding of dexamethasone with its receptors in the blood cells was higher in healthy non-smokers compared to healthy smokers. Conclusion. In vitro response of alveolar macrophages to glucocorticoids in COPD patients is characterized by significant inter-individual variability. The weak corticosteroid-related inhibition of IL-8 production can contribute to neutrophilic inflammation in COPD. The capacity of glucocorticoid receptors to bind with their ligands in blood lymphocytes and monocytes is decreased in COPD patients.Ингаляционные глюкокортикостероиды (иГКС) широко используются для лечения пациентов с хронической обструктивной болезнью легких (ХОБЛ), однако их эффективность значительно различается. Целью настоящего исследования явилось определение подходов к выявлению пациентов с ХОБЛ, чувствительных и нечувствительных к ГКС, при использовании клеток легких и крови. Материалы и методы. В исследовании цитокин-секретирующей функции альвеолярных макрофагов (АМ) под влиянием ГКС приняли участие пациенты (n = 45), которым выполнялась бронхоскопия. АМ, выделенные из бронхоальвеолярной лаважной жидкости, культивировались с липополисахаридом и различными концентрациями дексаметазона (0,01–1 000 нМ). По истечении 1 суток собирались супернатанты, в них определялась концентрация интерлейкина (IL)-6, IL-8 и фактора некроза опухоли-α (TNF-α). Для изучения особенностей взаимодействия ГКС и их рецепторов обследованы пациенты с ХОБЛ (n = 24), здоровые курильщики (n = 20) и здоровые некурящие (n = 20). Клетки крови культивировались с дексаметазоном, меченным флюоресцеинизотиоцианатом (FITC) и моноклональными антителами к поверхностным антигенам популяций лимфоцитов и моноцитов. Анализ интенсивности флюоресценции FITC-меченного дексаметазона в клетках крови проводился с использованием проточной цитометрии. Результаты. При использовании дексаметазона дозозависимо снижалась секреция IL-6, IL-8 и TNF-α АМ. Максимальное значение ингибирования продукции цитокинов АМ наблюдалось при концентрации дексаметазона 100 нМ, а наибольшая степень вариабельности ответа клеток – при 10 нМ. IL-8 был менее чувствителен к иГКС, чем IL-6 и TNF-α. При любой из используемых концентраций дексаметазон не ингибировал более чем на 50 % индуцированную продукцию IL-8 в АМ у 40 % пациентов с ХОБЛ, IL-6 – у 11,1 %, TNF-α – у 8,9 %. У курящих пациентов с ХОБЛ интенсивность флюоресценции FITC-меченного дексаметазона в популяциях лимфоцитов и моноцитах крови оказалась ниже, чем у курящих и некурящих здоровых. Связывание дексаметазона со своими рецепторами в клетках крови было выше у некурящих здоровых, чем у здоровых курильщиков. Заключение. ХОБЛ характеризуется существенной межиндивидуальной вариабельностью in vitro ответа АМ на ГКС. Ограниченное ингибирование синтеза IL-8 ГКС может способствовать поддержанию нейтрофильного типа воспаления при ХОБЛ. Для пациентов с ХОБЛ свойственно снижение способности ГКС-рецепторов связываться со своими лигандами в лимфоцитах и моноцитах крови

Geographical Distribution, Incidence, Malignancies, and Outcome of 136 Eastern Slavic Patients With Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome and NBN Founder Variant c.657_661del5

Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is a DNA repair disorder characterized by combined immunodeficiency and a high predisposition to lymphoid malignancies. The majority of NBS patients are identified with a homozygous five base pair deletion in the Nibrin (NBN) gene (c.657_661del5, p.K219fsX19) with a founder effect observed in Caucasian European populations, especially of Slavic origin. We present here an analysis of a cohort of 136 NBS patients of Eastern Slav origin across Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, and Latvia with a focus on understanding the geographic distribution, incidence of malignancy, and treatment outcomes of this cohort. Our analysis shows that Belarus had the highest prevalence of NBS (2.3 per 1,000,000), followed by Ukraine (1.3 per 1,000,000), and Russia (0.7 per 1,000,000). Of note, the highest concentration of NBS cases was observed in the western regions of Belarus and Ukraine, where NBS prevalence exceeds 20 cases per 1,000,000 people, suggesting the presence of an “Eastern Slavic NBS hot spot.” The median age at diagnosis of this cohort ranged from 4 to 5 years, and delay in diagnosis was more pervasive in smaller cities and rural regions. A total of 62 (45%) patients developed malignancies, more commonly in males than females (55.2 vs. 34.2%; p=0.017). In 27 patients, NBS was diagnosed following the onset of malignancies (mean age: 8 years). Malignancies were mostly of lymphoid origin and predominantly non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (n=42, 68%); 38% of patients had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The 20-year overall survival rate of patients with malignancy was 24%. However, females with cancer experienced poorer event-free survival rates than males (16.6% vs. 46.8%, p=0.036). Of 136 NBS patients, 13 underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with an overall survival of 3.5 years following treatment (range: 1 to 14 years). Indications for HSCT included malignancy (n=7) and immunodeficiency (n=6). Overall, 9% of patients in this cohort reached adulthood. Adult survivors reported diminished quality of life with significant physical and cognitive impairments. Our study highlights the need to improve timely diagnosis and clinical management of NBS among Eastern Slavs. Genetic counseling and screening should be offered to individuals with a family history of NBS, especially in hot spot regions. © Copyright © 2021 Sharapova, Pashchenko, Bondarenko, Vakhlyarskaya, Prokofjeva, Fedorova, Savchak, Mareika, Valiev, Popa, Tuzankina, Vlasova, Sakovich, Polyakova, Rumiantseva, Naumchik, Kulyova, Aleshkevich, Golovataya, Minakovskaya, Belevtsev, Latysheva, Latysheva, Beznoshchenko, Akopyan, Makukh, Kozlova, Varabyou, Ballow, Ong, Walter, Kondratenko, Kostyuchenko and Aleinikova.We thank all doctors for clinical help for patients. We also appreciate the support of patient and their parents for agreeing to take part in this study. TP thanks Sergey?Nikulshin, Marika Grutupa, and Zanna Kovalova. We thank Joseph Dasso for editing this manuscript, primarily for proper English

Sol-gel glassy antireflection GeO2 - SiO2 - Ag - Re films for solar cells and ir-devices

Optically homogeneous double-coated of GeO2 -SiO2 films, sodoped by ions of silver and cerium were fabricated with use sol-gel of a method, using tetraethylorthogermanate (TEOG) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as precursors for germania and silica, respectively. According to data IR-spectroscopy of a coat are glassy. Refractive indices for the materials were obtained the following: GeO2, n = 1.687 at thickness d = 530.5 nm and SiO2, n = 1.512 at d = 998.2 nm. They demonstrate good adhesion to the glass, germanium, silica and metal substrates. Introduction of Re-earth ions m allows to control refractive index within the limits of from 1,2 up to 1,6, that is important for deriving the multilayer antirefractive coats for the infra-red optics. Introduction silver nanoparticles allow using the yielded coats for magnification of efficiency of solar cells