Strategic instruments to choose foreign target markets

Purpose: The paper aims to elaborate the principles and the authors’ original method to choose target markets of textile and fibers manufacturers when internationalizing their economic activity. The decision on foreign target markets must be very reasonable as having chosen a new foreign market the company put a lot of resources into it. Design/Methodology/Approach: The authors suggest to take into account three factors for the most perspective foreign markets for export interventions. The cash flow in foreign trade by specific materials (textiles and fibers) was estimated by each country – to select the countries depending on textiles and fibers import. Among those countries the markets' attractiveness was estimated by their size and growth intensity. After that general opportunities of doing business by Russian companies in the country were estimated using a complex index calculated on a basis of data characterizing import from Russia volume and its dynamics, transport accessibility, GDP Volume and Dynamics. Findings: The paper contains a set of data characterizing the most perspective countries for Russian textile companies export expansion – Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Viet Nam. Central and Eastern European countries (Romania, Poland, Slovenia), United Kingdom, USA, Canada are attractive from a point of view of potential prospects of business development in the country, however cooperation with them may be difficult due to some serious barriers on entering the markets. Practical Implications: The matrix can be used in managerial practices of different companies oriented on their international business activities expanding. The results of the new methods implementation (the list of the most perspective foreign markets) can be used by for management of the Russian textile companies oriented on foregn markets. Originality/Value: The paper contains a new method of foreign target markets choosing and a new strategic instrument – the matrix of export expansion markets choosing.peer-reviewe

The priority choice in the process of strategy working-out of the social economic micro region development

The development of the social economic strategies progress of the micro region namely the choice of priority industries which progress is to be supported by the authorities. The given article provides detailed description of a special authors’ approach how to analyze of perceptivity investment level into different sectors in frames of strategies working-out of the social economic development of the micro region. This approach is based on the creation of a special scale within its formation special attention is paid to the identification of the life cycle stage of the industry under analyses besides the potential development possibility of industries available for resources usage.peer-reviewe

Biomarkers in diagnostics of acute kidney injury after the organ-preserving surgery of localized renal cancer

Objective: to assess perspectives using biomarkers for early detection of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) among patients during partial nephrectomy under the warm ischemia of the kidney. Materials and methods: data of 100 patients was assessed with a localized renal cancer Т1N0М0 aged 56,5±8,7 years. All the patients underwent partial nephrectomy under warm ischemia of the kidney. The concentration of the following “early markers of AKI” was tested in blood of the patients using the ELISA technique and standard test-systems: cystatin С (BioVendor, Czech Republic), NGAL (BCMDiagnostics, USA), L-FABP (Hycult Biotechnology, Netherlands). The duration of warm ischemia was also fixed and the rate of diuresis was valued either. The test was carried out 24 hours prior to and 16 hours after the surgical interference. All the patients were diagnosed and classified by the presence or absence of AKI during the early postoperative period according to the generally accepted classification KDIGO. The obtained results were processed with the help of Microsoft Excel software, the statistical reliability of the results was defined on the basis of the use of Wilcoxon non-parametric test. Simultaneously the expert analysis of the clinical data and results of the laboratory research was carried out. Results: the method of the early diagnostics of AKI among patients who underwent partial nephrectomy under the warm ischemia of the kidney was developed. The method is based on the successive identification of the concentration of the early biochemical markers of AKI, the duration of warm ischemia and the rate of diuresis. Conclusions: the use of the developed method allows diagnosing the development of AKI among patients undergoing partial nephretomy under the warm ischemia already in 16 hours after the surgical interference (before the rise in the creatinine level)

ОПТИМИЗАЦИЯ ТЕХНИКИ ЛАПАРОСКОПИЧЕСКОЙ НЕРВОСБЕРЕГАЮЩЕЙ РАДИКАЛЬНОЙ ПРОСТАТЭКТОМИИ

Objective: to determine the optimal technique of laparoscopic nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (RPE). Materials and methods. The PubMed database was used to examine matters on the anatomy of the prostate, its surrounding structures, and different techniques of laporoscopic RPE (LRPE). This has led to the conclusion that the Brussels technique provides better results in nervesparing at LRPE. In July 2008 to July 2009, 17 laparoscopic radical prostatectomies (15 patients underwent extrafascial prostatectomy, 2 patients had interfascial prostatectomy) were performed using the Brussels technique via transperitoneal approach; the results were prospectively evaluated. Results. The mean follow-up was 5.3 months so we cannot adequately assess the results now. The health status of the patients was evaluated using the questionnaires (International Continence Society and International Index of Erectile Function-5) filled in by them before and after surgery. Four of 5 patients who had been followed up for more than 6 months were continent, 1 patient used 1 pad. Out of 2 patients with a median follow-up of 2 months who had led a sexual life before surgery (International Index of Erectile Function-5 greater than 20 scores), erection was preserved in one patient after bilateral nerve-sparing prostatectomy and not preserved in the other after unilateral one. Conclusion. Anterior approach to the prostate provides better control of the neurovascular bundles in the seminal vesicular region. The modified Brussels technique is more preferable in performing LRPE.Objective: to determine the optimal technique of laparoscopic nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (RPE). Materials and methods. The PubMed database was used to examine matters on the anatomy of the prostate, its surrounding structures, and different techniques of laporoscopic RPE (LRPE). This has led to the conclusion that the Brussels technique provides better results in nervesparing at LRPE. In July 2008 to July 2009, 17 laparoscopic radical prostatectomies (15 patients underwent extrafascial prostatectomy, 2 patients had interfascial prostatectomy) were performed using the Brussels technique via transperitoneal approach; the results were prospectively evaluated. Results. The mean follow-up was 5.3 months so we cannot adequately assess the results now. The health status of the patients was evaluated using the questionnaires (International Continence Society and International Index of Erectile Function-5) filled in by them before and after surgery. Four of 5 patients who had been followed up for more than 6 months were continent, 1 patient used 1 pad. Out of 2 patients with a median follow-up of 2 months who had led a sexual life before surgery (International Index of Erectile Function-5 greater than 20 scores), erection was preserved in one patient after bilateral nerve-sparing prostatectomy and not preserved in the other after unilateral one. Conclusion. Anterior approach to the prostate provides better control of the neurovascular bundles in the seminal vesicular region. The modified Brussels technique is more preferable in performing LRPE

ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ВЫПОЛНЕНИЯ РАДИКАЛЬНОЙ ПРОСТАТЭКТОМИИ ДЛЯ РАННЕГО ВОССТАНОВЛЕНИЯ КОНТИНЕНЦИИ

The paper presents the technical characteristics of radical prostatectomy (RPE) for early continence recovery in patients with prostate cancer. Restoration of the fascial structures of the small pelvis after RPE has been found to promote early urinary continence recovery. A method for total restoration of the fascial structures of the small pelvis (an operation after A. Tewari) and a procedure for performing posterior suspension of urethrocystic neoanastomosis in Denonvilliers’ fascia length deficit are considered, which show the similar results in the time of continence recovery.Представлены технические особенности выполнения радикальной простатэктомии РПЭ для раннего восстановления континенции у больных раком предстательной железы. Установлено, что раннему восстановлению континенции способствует восстановление фасциальных структур малого таза после РПЭ. Рассмотрены метод тотального восстановления фасциальных структур малого таза (операция А. Tewari) и способ осуществления задней суспензии уретроцистонеоанастомоза при дефиците длины фасции Денонвилье, характеризующиеся аналогичными результатами относительно сроков восстановления континенции

A Small Conductance Calcium-Activated K⁺ Channel in C. elegans, KCNL-2, Plays a Role in the Regulation of the Rate of Egg-Laying

In the nervous system of mice, small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels function to regulate neuronal excitability through the generation of a component of the medium afterhyperpolarization that follows action potentials. In humans, irregular action potential firing frequency underlies diseases such as ataxia, epilepsy, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. Due to the complexity of studying protein function in the mammalian nervous system, we sought to characterize an SK channel homologue, KCNL-2, in C. elegans, a genetically tractable system in which the lineage of individual neurons was mapped from their early developmental stages. Sequence analysis of the KCNL-2 protein reveals that the six transmembrane domains, the potassium-selective pore and the calmodulin binding domain are highly conserved with the mammalian homologues. We used widefield and confocal fluorescent imaging to show that a fusion construct of KCNL-2 with GFP in transgenic lines is expressed in the nervous system of C. elegans. We also show that a KCNL-2 null strain, kcnl-2(tm1885), demonstrates a mild egg-laying defective phenotype, a phenotype that is rescued in a KCNL-2-dependent manner. Conversely, we show that transgenic lines that overexpress KCNL-2 demonstrate a hyperactive egg-laying phenotype. In this study, we show that the vulva of transgenic hermaphrodites is highly innervated by neuronal processes and by the VC4 and VC5 neurons that express GFP-tagged KCNL-2. We propose that KCNL-2 functions in the nervous system of C. elegans to regulate the rate of egg-laying. © 2013 Chotoo et al

Динамика маркеров острого почечного повреждения при резекции почки по поводу рака

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of epidural block on the functional state of the kidneys in patients with localized cancer during kidney resection under the conditions of warm ischemia.Materials and methods. We examined 45 patients (25 men and 20 women) with a localized kidney cancer (T1N0M0) aged 56.5±8.7 years. All the patients underwent kidney resection performed under conditions of warm ischemia (15—20 minutes). Patients were divided into 2 groups: the main group (25 subjects) in which the perioperative epidural block was applied and the reference group (20 patients) without the epidural block. The following parameters were tested in blood and urine using the ELISA technique: cystatin C, L-FABP, KIM-1 , IL-18, and GFR. The test was carried out 1 hour prior to surgery, 20 minutes after the warm ischemia stage, and on Days 1 and 3. Based on the baseline cystatin С level, the patients in each group were divided into 2 subgroups: subgroup 1 —cystatin C is 1000 ng/ml and lower; subgroup 2 — more than 1000 ng/ml. The statistical processing of the findings was performed using the Statistica 6.0 software based on the t-test for two independent samples. Differences were considered to be statistically significant at P<0.05.Results. It has been demonstrated that functional parameters of kidneys were recovered to the baseline values by the 3rd day after the kidney resection under the warm ischemia due to perioperative epidural block. Impairment of the tubulointerstitium and glomerular apparatus were observed in the reference group. GFR values in the patients of the main group were within normal limits by Day 3, whereas in the patients of the GFR was lower by 38.8% as compared to the baseline (P<0.05).Conclusion. The use of the perioperative epidural block in patients with localized kidney cancer who underwent the organ resection under the warm ischemia demonstrated the nephroprotective effect, while maintaining the functional parameters of kidneys at the baseline level. Цель исследования — изучить влияние эпидуральной блокады на функциональное состояние почек у больных локализованным раком при поведении резекции почки в условиях тепловой ишемии.Материал и методы. Обследовали 45 больных (25 мужчин и 20 женщин) локализованным раком почки T1N0M0 в возрасте 56,5±8,7 года. Всем больным выполнили резекцию почки в условиях тепловой ишемии (15—20 минут). Больных разделили на 2 группы: основную (25 человек), в которой в периоперационном периоде применяли эпидуральную блокаду, и контрольную (20 пациентов) — без эпидуральной блокады. В крови и моче методом ИФА исследовали — цистатин С, L-FABP, КИМ-1 , ИЛ-18, а также СКФ. Обследование проводили за 1 час до операции, через 20 минут после этапа тепловой ишемии, в 1-е и 3-и сутки. По исходной концентрации цистатина С в крови больные каждой группы были разделены на 2 подгруппы: 1 — концентрация цистатина С 1000 нг/мл и ниже, 2 — выше 1000 нг/мл. Статистическую обработку результатов проводили с использованием пакета программ «Statistiсa 6.0» по t-критерию Стъюдента для 2-х независимых выборок. Различия считали статистически значимыми при p<0,05.Результаты. Установили, что при выполнении резекции почки в условиях тепловой ишемии функциональные показатели почек к 3-м суткам после операции на фоне проводимой в периоперационном периоде эпидуральной блокады соответствовали исходным. В контрольной группе наблюдали нарушения со стороны тубулоинтерстиция и гломерулярного аппарата. Значения СКФ у больных основной группы к 3-м суткам сохранялись в пределах нормальных значений, тогда как у больных контрольной группы СКФ была снижена относительно исходных значений на 38,8% (p<0,05).Заключение. Применение в периоперационном периоде эпидурального блока у больных локализованным раком почки, подвергнутых резекции органа в условиях тепловой ишемии, оказывает нефропротективное влияние, обеспечивая сохранение функциональных показателей почек на исходном уровне.

Динамика маркеров острого повреждения почек при использовании эпидуральной блокады во время резекции в условиях тепловой ишемии

Objective: to investigate the time course of changes in the early biomarkers of acute kidney injury in patients with clinically localized cancer during partial nephrectomy, as electively indicated, under thermal ischemia with prior epidural block.Materials and methods. To analyze the nephroprotective effect of an epidural block in kidney resection with warm ischemia, markers of acute kidney injury (cystatin C, interleukin 18, NGAL, L-FABP and KIM-1) were studied by ELISA in the blood and urine of 35 patients with local cancer with an epidural block (main group) and 37 patients with local cancer without an epidural block (control group) before surgery and 40 min after its beginning and on days 1 and 3 of the postoperative period. All patients were divided into 2 groups by the levels of cystatin C in the blood serum: 1000 ng/ml and lower, and over 1000 ng/ml.Results. Epidural block during the perioperative period in kidney resection with warm ischemia for patients with local cancer had an obvious nephroprotective effect allowing maintaining the initial renal functional parameters, in contrast to the standard disease management.Цель исследования – изучение динамики ранних биомаркеров острого повреждения почек у больных клинически локализованным раком при резекции почки по элективным показаниям в условиях тепловой ишемии с предварительным проведением эпидуральной блокады.Материалы и методы. Для изучения нефропротективного влияния эпидуральной блокады при резекции почки и тепловой ишемии в крови и моче 35 больных локализованным раком с проведением эпидуральной блокады (основная группа) и 37 пациентов с локализованным раком без проведения эпидуральной блокады (контрольная группа) до вмешательства и через 40 мин после начала операции, а также на 1-е и 3-и сутки послеоперационного периода методом иммуноферментного анализа были исследованы 5 маркеров острого повреждения почек: цистатин С, интерлейкин 18, NGAL, L-FABP и КIМ-1. По фоновому уровню цистатина С в сыворотке крови все больные были разделены на 2 группы: с уровнем показателя ≤1000 нг/мл и >1000 нг/мл.Результаты. Применение эпидуральной блокады в периоперационном периоде у больных локализованным раком при резекции почки в условиях тепловой ишемии оказывает нефропротективный эффект, позволяя сохранить функциональные показатели почек на исходном уровне в отличие от стандартного ведения больных

Bioenergetic status modulates motor neuron vulnerability and pathogenesis in a zebrafish model of spinal muscular atrophy

Degeneration and loss of lower motor neurons is the major pathological hallmark of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), resulting from low levels of ubiquitously-expressed survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. One remarkable, yet unresolved, feature of SMA is that not all motor neurons are equally affected, with some populations displaying a robust resistance to the disease. Here, we demonstrate that selective vulnerability of distinct motor neuron pools arises from fundamental modifications to their basal molecular profiles. Comparative gene expression profiling of motor neurons innervating the extensor digitorum longus (disease-resistant), gastrocnemius (intermediate vulnerability), and tibialis anterior (vulnerable) muscles in mice revealed that disease susceptibility correlates strongly with a modified bioenergetic profile. Targeting of identified bioenergetic pathways by enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis rescued motor axon defects in SMA zebrafish. Moreover, targeting of a single bioenergetic protein, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (Pgk1), was found to modulate motor neuron vulnerability in vivo. Knockdown of pgk1 alone was sufficient to partially mimic the SMA phenotype in wild-type zebrafish. Conversely, Pgk1 overexpression, or treatment with terazosin (an FDA-approved small molecule that binds and activates Pgk1), rescued motor axon phenotypes in SMA zebrafish. We conclude that global bioenergetics pathways can be therapeutically manipulated to ameliorate SMA motor neuron phenotypes in vivo