Drug-Induced Acute Kidney Injury

Drug-induced nephrotoxicity is the third most common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). The aim of the study was to analyse and summarise data on the factors and mechanisms responsible for increased risk of drug-induced AKI, to analyse potential methods of its prevention and treatment. At present, the following phenotypes of drug-induced AKI are distinguished: acute vascular disease, acute glomerular disease, acute tubular injury / necrosis, and acute interstitial nephritis. It was discovered that most often these complications occur following the use of antimicrobial drugs, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and anticancer drugs, including targeted therapy. Risk factors for drug-induced AKI include age >65, female gender, low body weight, pre-existing chronic kidney disease, hypovolemia, hypoalbuminemia, acute and chronic heart failure, diabetes, malignancies, liver cirrhosis, prolonged use of nephrotoxic drugs, and simultaneous use of two or more nephrotoxic drugs. Discontinuation of the drug which resulted in kidney failure is the first and foremost principle for managing not only drug-induced, but all AKI patients. The use of potentially nephrotoxic drugs should be avoided, especially in high-risk patients, in order to prevent drug-induced AKI. If a patient needs a drug that affects renal hemodynamics, the therapy should begin with a minimum effective dose, and combinations of two and more nephrotoxic drugs should be avoided. Close monitoring of kidney function is crucial for high-risk patients. They should also be informed about the importance of adequate water consumption schedule for prevention of hypovolemia

Unconventional magnetism of non-uniform distribution of Co in TiO2 nanoparticles

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), magnetic methods, and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations were applied for the investigations of Co-doped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles (∼20 nm). It was found that high-spin Co2+ ions prefer to occupy the interstitial positions in the TiO2 lattice which are the most energetically favourable in compare to the substitutional those. A quantum mechanical model which operates mainly on two types of Co2+ – Co2+ dimers with different negative exchange interactions and the non-interacting paramagnetic Co2+ ions provides a satisfactorily description of magnetic properties for the TiO2:Co system. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.Russian Foundation for Basic Research. Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federatio

Melioidosis in aspects of epidemiology, clinic, and laboratory diagnostics

Melioidosis is a life-threatening infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, an environmental Gram-negative bacterium, inhabitant of moist soils in the tropics and subtropics. There is no licensed vaccine against melioidosis. The main routes of B. pseudomallei infection are percutaneous inoculation, inhalation, or ingestion. Individual cases of vertical, sexual, zoonotic, and nosocomial transmission of melioidosis are described. Risk factors for infection are contact with soil or water (especially during the rainy season). The age over 45, type 2 diabetes, alcoholism, liver disease, chronic lung disease, chronic renal disease, and thalassemia, as well as long-term use of steroids and immunosuppressive therapy, are the main susceptibility factors for melioidosis. Among the affected adult residents of endemic regions, 80% had one or more predisposing factors, among children — about 20%. No significant influence of concomitant diseases on the development of melioidosis in travelers was found. Less than 50% of patients had predisposing factors. The incubation period of melioidosis ranges within 1—21 days; on average, 9 days, in case of sizeable infectious dose, it can be less than one day. There is no post-infectious immunity, and reinfection can occur with a different B. pseudomallei strain after successful treatment. B. pseudomallei is a facultative intracellular pathogen that can invade and multiply inside a wide range of cells, including phagocytic. The acute form of melioidosis is characterized by pneumonia, multiple abscesses, bacteremia, and systemic sepsis. Chronic, subacute, and latent forms are also possible. Antimicrobial therapy is divided into the initial intensive phase and the subsequent eradication phase. B. pseudomallei is resistant to penicillins, first- and second-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, macrolides, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, trimethoprim, and in some cases to co-trimoxazole, and rarely to ceftazidime. Early diagnosis and appropriate management are crucial in reducing severe complications leading to high mortality, and in preventing disease recurrences. However, there is no pathognomonic melioidosis-specific feature, and the disease is not well known to physicians and microbiologists. The results of serological tests for detection of specific antibodies are ambiguous. The bacterial load of the tested sample limits the detection of antigens. Among the accelerated methods for identifying the causative agent of melioidosis, PCR has the highest sensitivity and specificity. Automated identification using microbiological analyzers generally shows good results, but about 15% of isolates are misidentified. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization is potentially useful for rapid identification of B. pseudomallei. However, existing databases require optimization by adding the reference spectra for B. pseudomallei

Assessment of Resistance in <i>Burkholderia pseudomallei</i> to Benzalkonium Chloride and Antibiotics

The aim of the study was to investigate the features of resistance formation in Burkholderia pseudomallei to quaternary ammonium compounds, as well as to analyze its influence on the development of antibiotic resistance.Materials and methods. 10 strains of melioidosis causative agent with typical cultural and morphological properties have been studied. The selection of variants resistant to benzalkonium chloride was carried out by successive passages on a dense nutrient medium with the addition of a disinfectant in increasing concentrations. The determination of sensitivity to benzalkonium chloride was performed through serial dilutions in agar, to antibacterial drugs from the groups of sulfonamides, β-lactams and tetracyclines – using disk diffusion method. Statistical processing of the obtained results was conducted with the help of the Microsoft Excel 2019 software. Arithmetic mean values and errors of mean values were calculated. The significance of differences between the parameters was determined applying Student’s t-test.Results and discussion. All parental strains showed a similar degree of resistance to the disinfectant compound and most of the strains – susceptibility to the antibiotics tested. Cultivation of B. pseudomallei strains on a nutrient medium with the addition of benzalkonium chloride led to an increase in resistance to this disinfectant. In addition, an increase in the level of resistance to all studied antibiotics was found. Statistical processing of the data collected revealed a significant correlation between the change in sensitivity to benzalkonium chloride and the emergence of resistance to amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid and ceftazidime. It was found that the causative agent of melioidosis, with a natural high susceptibility to benzalkonium chloride, has a high potential for developing resistance to this disinfectant compound, which is of practical importance in the development of disinfection regimens using quarternary ammonium compounds. For the first time, a direct correlation between a decrease in the sensitivity to benzalkonium chloride in B. pseudomallei and emergence of resistance to amoxicillin/clavulonic acid and ceftazidime has been demonstrated

Design of Primers for Detection and Typing of β-Lactamase Genes from Pathogenic Species of <i>Burkholderia</i>

The set of oligonucleotide primers was designed to identify β-lactam-resitance determinats in isolates of pathogenic Burkholderia using PCR. Simultaneously identified was certain molecular class of detected β-lactamases. PCR with primers specific to metallo-β-lactamase (class B) and oxacillinase of D-ala carboxypeptidase family (class D of β-lactamase) gene sequences allowed to differentiate among pseudomallei group of Burkholderia species

Інформаційна технологія організації моніторингу впливу мотивованого вибору спеціальності студентом на успішність навчання в ЗВО

Рассмотрена актуальная проблема организации информационной технологии для проведения исследования для влияния мотивированного выбора специальности студентом на успеваемость при обучении в УВО. Для проведения анкетирования разработано мобильное приложение, созданное на языке программирования Java в интегрированной среде разработки Android Studio. Полученные результаты анализировались с помощью SPSS – программы для статистической обработки данных. По результатам исследования сделаны перспективные выводы.The article explores the actual problem of organization of the information technology for conducting research of the social and psychological climate in the groups of students. Two questionnaires were created for students' questionnaires. The first survey was conducted according to the classical Hans Eysenck methodology for the determination of the temperament (this technique is one of the most popular in modern psychology). The goal was to study the personality of each of the students from several components: extraversion and psychotype, emotional-volitional stability and the classification of the temperament in correspondence with the classical types. The second questionnaire was sociological and was created with the goal to clarify the degree of the motivation level in terms of the choice of the study program, the level of satisfaction with the educational process, substantiation of personal opinion about methods of teaching at the university, and a need of potential changes of the teaching strategies. The survey was conducted among the students of the ten study programs at the Oles Honchar Dnipro National University: "Political Science", "Sociology", "Informatics", "Applied Mathematics", "Software Engineering"; "System analysis"; "Special Education", "Psychology"; "Chemistry", "Social Work". The total number of survey participants included 205 students. In order to optimize the process of collection of the information a mobile questionnaires application was created. This application was created using the Java programming language in the integrated Android Studio mobile application environment. When creating the application, a convenient user interface of the application was developed with an adaptive design, convenient menu, good running functionality, and the ability to select a passing text. View hierarchies and their subclasses were also used. View objects are the widgets of users interface, such as buttons or text fields. The collected information was analized with the help of SPSS and the results were  used  to provide objective summaries. In the future it is planned to add such functions as the option to search for a survey by the survey title; sending the result via email, SMS or via social networks; to view statistics on various surveys at the same time; to increase the number of surveys as well as to optimize the application design.Розглянуто актуальну проблему організації інформаційної технології для проведення дослідження впливу мотивованого вибору спеціальності студентом на успішність навчання в ЗВО. Для проведення анкетувань розроблено мобільний застосунок, який було створено за допомогою мови програмування Java в інтегрованому середовищі розробки Android Studio. Отримані відповіді аналізувалися за допомогою SPSS – програми для статистичної обробки даних. За результатами дослідження зроблено перспективні висновки

Authigenic dolomite of Bazhen source successions as an indicator of the final stage of hydrocarbon generation

Petrographic observations, substantiated by the X-ray phase examinations, have revealed dissimilar character of the secondary dolomite development within the highly bituminous rocks of the Bazhenov formation. The mineral in question has not been found in any dry holes. In the low- and medium-flow-rate wells (160-2160 tons per day), it, alongside with other minerals, is more or less uniformly distributed in the principal bituminous mass, impregnates it, producing a peculiar 'starry arch' pattern in thin rock sections. In case of high oil influxes (more than 80 tons per day), the amount of newly formed dolomite rises sharply, its nature and localization character alter. It is important to emphasize, that the dry holes are maximally remote from the faults, and the most productive well has been drilled directly within the tectonic dislocation zone. The rest of the low- and medium-flow-rate wells occur in the intermediate positions relative to the faults. Productivity of the Bazhenov Formation and generation of authigenous dolomite are controlled by the rock heating degree. Increased temperatures (at about 200°C) are required for normal dolomite generation. Within the settings of tectonohydrothermal activation of the Western Siberian Plate, hydrocarbon generation in the oil and gas source rocks occurs under the following temperatures: oil - from 60 to 170°C, oil + gas condensate - from 150 to 200°C). The investigation results show that the algal authigenous dolomite from the Bazhenov formation has not resulted from diagenesis; it has originated autonomously, due to heating of the highly bituminous, Mg and Cacomprising rocks. The absence or the presence of algal dolomite in situ indicates whether the highly bituminous source series of the Bazhenov Formation has been subjected to the stage of final hydrocarbons generation or not. The areas with the occurrences of algal authigenous dolomite should be regarded as the areas of intense (final) hydrocarbons generation by the Bazhenov deposits

Оценка выраженности легочного фиброза по данным аутопсии у реконвалесцентов COVID-19: сопоставление с данными количественной КТ легких в острой фазе заболевания

INTRODUCTION: After the COVID-19 pandemic, there is increasing evidence that many patients show fibrous changes in lung tissue accompanied by functional lung disorders. Objective data on the histopathogenesis of such changes is still insufficient. Prospective studies are required to fully assess the consequences of these clinical manifestations.OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the capabilities of digital processing of histological preparations of lung tissue and their comparison with quantitative CT data of lung patients in the acute phase of COVID-19.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included data from patients after COVID-19 (7 women and 3 men aged 47 to 93 years) who died after the acute phase of COVID-19 from extrapulmonary causes. The control group included data from 7 people (5 women and 2 men aged 35 to 93 years) who died shortly after hospitalization from extrapulmonary causes (myocardial infarction or acute cerebral stroke), with no signs of lung diseases, including autopsy results. Digital processing of histological preparations of lung tissue obtained during autopsy was carried out, and their comparison with the results of quantitative semi-automatic processing of CT data.Statistics. Beta regression (mgcv library) was used. The model was characterized by a pseudodetermination coefficient R2. The association was considered statistically significant at p&lt;0.05.RESULTS: A reliable dependence of the severity of fibrous changes in histological samples on the results of quantitative analysis of CT images of patients in the acute period of COVID-19 was demonstrated.DISCUSSION: Extrapolation of lung autopsy data through quantitative CT assessment is one of the ways to pre-diagnose and identify groups of patients who require specific treatment of post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis.CONCLUSION. Computerized digital processing of histological images made it possible to correctly compare the histopathological examination data with the CT picture in COVID-19, which could potentially have a prognostic value in the search for more effective treatment strategies.ВВЕДЕНИЕ: После пандемии COVID-19 появляется все больше доказательств того, что у многих реконвалесцентов COVID-19 выявляются фиброзные изменения легочной ткани, сопровождающиеся функциональными нарушениями легких. Объективных данных о гистопатогенезе подобных изменений по-прежнему недостаточно. Для полной оценки последствий этих клинических проявлений требуются проспективные исследования.ЦЕЛЬ: Оценка возможностей цифровой обработки гистологических препаратов легочной ткани и их сопоставление с данными количественной КТ легких пациентов в острой фазе COVID-19.МАТЕРИАЛЫ И МЕТОДЫ: В исследование были включены данные пациентов-реконвалесцентов COVID-19 (7 женщин и 3 мужчин в возрасте от 47 до 93 лет), умерших после острой фазы COVID-19 от внелегочных причин. В контрольную группу вошли данные 7 человек (5 женщин и 2 мужчин в возрасте от 35 до 93 лет), умерших вскоре после госпитализации от внелегочных причин (ОКС либо ОНМК), без каких-либо признаков заболеваний легких, в том числе по результатам аутопсии. Проводилась цифровая обработка полученных при аутопсии гистологических препаратов легочной ткани и их сопоставление с результатами количественной полуавтоматической обработки данных СКТ. Статистика. Использовалась бета-регрессия (библиотека mgcv). Модель характеризовалась коэффициентом псевдодетерминации R2. Ассоциация признавалась статистически значимой при p&lt;0,05.РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ: Продемонстрирована достоверная зависимость выраженности фиброзных изменений в гистологических образцах от результатов количественного анализа КТ-изображений пациентов в остром периоде COVID-19.ОБСУЖДЕНИЕ: Экстраполяция данных аутопсийного исследования легких через количественную оценку КТ является одним из способов предварительной диагностики и определения групп пациентов, которым требуется специфическое лечение пост-COVID-19 легочного фиброза.ЗАКЛЮЧЕНИЕ: Компьютеризированная цифровая обработка гистологических изображений позволила корректно сопоставить данные гистопатологического исследования с КТ-картиной при COVID-19, что потенциально может иметь прогностическое значение в поиске более эффективных стратегий лечения

Event-by-event study of neutron observables in spontaneous and thermal fission

The event-by-event fission model FREYA is extended to spontaneous fission of actinides and a variety of neutron observables are studied for spontaneous fission and fission induced by thermal neutrons with a view towards possible applications for detection of special nuclear materials.Comment: 16 pages, 24 figure