Atrial Fibrillation Triggers in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease and Subclinical Thyrotoxicosis

We examined 202 patients with paroxysms of symptomatic and asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF), some of whom suffered from coronary artery disease (CAD) andsubclinical thyrotoxicosis (ST). Healthy individuals acted as a comparison group. It was revealed that in all studied groups, extrasystoles and paroxysms of reciprocal atrioventricular orthodortic and nodal tachycardia was the role of the triggering factors of AF. In patients with ST without CAD and in healthy persons, the paroxysms of tachycardia are short and unstable. When CAD combined with ST, the number of extrasystoles and AF paroxysms is significantly higher than only in ST and in healthy individuals. It was found that in patients with asymptomatic AF the total number of extrasystoles and paroxysms of tachycardia is greater than in the case of symptomatic. Thus, the identification of concomitant subclinical thyrotoxicosis in a patient with CAD should alert the clinician to the development and progression of atrial fibrillation. It should be given great attention to screening thyroid pathology in patients with CAD. Keywords: atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, subclinical thyrotoxicosis

Asymptomatic Lone Atrial Fibrillation in Pregnant Women

We examined 43 pregnant women with paroxysms of asymptomatic lone atrial fibrillation. It was revealed that the increasing of the gestational age leads to increase of number of single, paired and group supraventricular extrasystoles; single and paired ventricular extrasystoles; number and duration of paroxysms of atrial fibrillation. However, the number of extrasystoles and paroxysms of arrhythmia decreased to baseline values after delivery. Thus, it was proved that pregnancy contributes to the increase of paroxysms of lone atrial fibrillation due to the increased influence of modulating components on the triggering extrasystoles. The importance of the method of 24-hour ECG monitoring in the detection of arrhythmia in pregnant women is emphasized. Keywords: lone atrial fibrillation, extrasystole, pregnancy

On the phenomenology of a Z' coupling only to third-family fermions

The phenomenology of an additional U(1) neutral gauge boson Z' coupled to the third family of fermions is discussed. One might expect such a particle to contribute to processes where taus, b and t quarks are produced. Precision data from LEP1 put severe constraints on the mixing and heavy-boson mass. We find that the effects of such a particle could not be observed at hadronic colliders, be it at the Tevatron or the LHC, because of the QCD background. At LEP2 and future e^+e^- linear colliders, one could instead hope to observe such effects, in particular for b\bar b final states.Comment: 36 pages, LaTeX, including 12 figure

Asymptotic distribution of quasi-normal modes for Kerr-de Sitter black holes

We establish a Bohr-Sommerfeld type condition for quasi-normal modes of a slowly rotating Kerr-de Sitter black hole, providing their full asymptotic description in any strip of fixed width. In particular, we observe a Zeeman-like splitting of the high multiplicity modes at a=0 (Schwarzschild-de Sitter), once spherical symmetry is broken. The numerical results presented in Appendix B show that the asymptotics are in fact accurate at very low energies and agree with the numerical results established by other methods in the physics literature. We also prove that solutions of the wave equation can be asymptotically expanded in terms of quasi-normal modes; this confirms the validity of the interpretation of their real parts as frequencies of oscillations, and imaginary parts as decay rates of gravitational waves.Comment: 66 pages, 6 figures; journal version (to appear in Annales Henri Poincar\'e

Development and Testing of Monoclonal Antibodies-Based Diagnostic Preparation for <i>Bacillus anthracis</i> Spores Detection Using Latex Agglutination Method

Immobilization of anti-B. anthracis monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) on latex microparticles was studied, the optimal load of these MAbs was determined to be 20 µg for 50 µl of the stock latex suspension. The highest sensitivity of latex agglutination test was observed for 1E6 MAbs. Latex suspensions with immobilized MAbs were lyophilized. Their sensitivity and specificity were shown to be highly competitive with those of the stock liquid latex suspension. Latex diagnosticum for Bacillus anthracis spores detection was constructed on the basis of these lyophilized reagents, developed and approved was the regulatory documentation that included their application instructions and technical specifications. Carried out were inter-laboratory and commission tests of experimental prototypes of the designed latex diagnosticum. These preparations demonstrated high sensitivity (from 1·105 to 2·106 spores/ml and even more) and specificity (absence of cross-reactions with spores of different species of sporogenous bacilli at concentration of 108 spores/ml)

High orders of perturbation theory: are renormalons significant?

According to Lipatov, the high orders of perturbation theory are determined by saddle-point configurations (instantons) of the corresponding functional integrals. According to t'Hooft, some individual large diagrams, renormalons, are also significant and they are not contained in the Lipatov contribution. The history of the conception of renormalons is presented, and the arguments in favor of and against their significance are discussed. The analytic properties of the Borel transforms of functional integrals, Green functions, vertex parts, and scaling functions are investigated in the case of \phi^4 theory. Their analyticity in a complex plane with a cut from the first instanton singularity to infinity (the Le Guillou - Zinn-Justin hypothesis) is proved. It rules out the existence of the renormalon singularities pointed out by t'Hooft and demonstrates the nonconstructiveness of the conception of renormalons as a whole. The results can be interpreted as an indication of the internal consistency of \phi^4 theory.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures include

Tularemia: Relevant Issues and Forecast of Epidemic Situation in the Territory of the Russian Federation in 2018

168 cases of human infection with Francisella tularensis were registered in the Russian Federation in 2017. 80 % of the cases are accounted for by three Federal Districts: North-Western, North-Caucasian, and Siberian ones. Epizootic manifestations of the infection of varying intensity were reported in 61 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. High morbidity rates in 2017 were observed in the Stavropol Territory – 49 tularemia cases, in the Republic of Karelia – 40, Omsk Region – 20, and Saint Petersburg – 12. To assess epizootic and epidemic situation in each constituent entity of the Federation, the numbers of small mammals and their species composition, infection rates of rodents, ticks, mosquitoes, horseflies, hunting animals, nests, regurgitates of birds of prey and excrements of carnivores, surface water bodies, agent culture numbers, isolated from clinical samples, animals, ticks and water, as well as the data on incidence and vaccination of the population in the region were analyzed. The conclusion has been drawn in regard to the territories where epidemic complications are most likely to occur in 2018

WAYS TO IMPROVE THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL OF ANTHRAX IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Presented are summarized data on anthrax epidemiological and epizootiological situation in the Russian Federation. The causes of the unstable situation are analyzed. Characterized are modern clinical and epidemiological features of anthrax infection, as well as key areas for improvement of surveillance and control of anthrax in the current conditions based on a systematic approach and effective interdepartmental cooperation

Epizootiological and Epidemiological Situation on Tularemia in Russia in 2020, the Forecast for 2021

The purpose of the review is to assess the trends in the development of epizootic activity in various territories of the Russian Federation in order to identify the regions of increased risk of infection of the population with tularemia pathogen in 2021 and to plan and carry out high-priority measures in these regions, such as vaccination, investments in water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, epizootiological monitoring of natural foci and other measures aimed at suppressing the activity of natural foci and the development of herd immunity to this infection. In 2020, 41 cases of human infection with tularemia pathogen were registered on the territory of the Russian Federation, 60 % of which occurred in the Northwestern Federal District. Epizootic manifestations of the infection of varying intensity were detected in 55 constituent entities of Russia. Against this background, sporadic cases of tularemia in humans were registered in 14 regions of the country. The most pronounced epidemic complications continue in the territory of Karelia – 23 patients. 12 cultures of Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica from the ambient environment were isolated in the Vologda (3), Rostov Regions (6), in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District (2), and in St. Petersburg (1). Based on the analysis of the data presented, in 2021, epidemic complications in the form of sporadic cases of the disease among the unvaccinated population in the following territories are most likely to occur: Central Federal District – in the Oryol, Ryazan and Yaroslavl Regions, as well as in Moscow; Northwestern Federal District – in the Arkhangelsk and Leningrad Regions, the Republic of Karelia and in St. Petersburg; Volga Federal District – in Tatarstan, Mordovia, Chuvash Republic, Kirov and Orenburg Regions; Ural Federal District – in the Khanty-Mansiysk, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts and the Tyumen Region; Siberian Federal District – in the Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Tomsk and Omsk Regions, as well as in the Altai Territory; Far Eastern Federal District – in some regions of Kamchatka and Khabarovsk Territories

Genetic Diversity of the Family <i>Francisellaceae</i>, Analysis of the situation on tularemia Incidence in the Russian Federation in 2021, and Forecast for 2022

The review briefly outlines the current taxonomy of the most studied strains of the species belonging to the family Francisellaceae. Due to the significant genetic diversity within the family, the detection of Francisella tularensis, especially in environmental samples, becomes even more difficult and may lead to false positive results. A comparison of the incidence rates in European countries, in which the extensive epidemic manifestations of tularemia are recorded annually, namely Sweden, Finland, Norway and the Czech Republic, and in Russia over the past five years is provided. The paper presents the comparative dynamics of tularemia incidence in the territories of the Federal Districts of the Russian Federation in recent years. The dynamics of the incidence during epidemic outbreaks in the Republic of Karelia and the Omsk Region over the past few years is shown. 17 cases of human infection with the causative agent of tularemia were registered on the territory of the Russian Federation in 2021. Epizootic manifestations of the infection of varying degrees of intensity were detected in 45 constituent entities of the Federation. Against that background, sporadic cases of tularemia in humans were reported in 11 regions of the country. Six cultures of Francisella tularensis subsp. mediasiatica from different types of ticks were isolated in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Altai and the Altai Territory. Based on the analysis of the data presented, in 2022, epidemic complications in the form of sporadic cases of the disease are most likely to occur among the unvaccinated population in the territories of the Central Federal District – the Voronezh, Ryazan, Smolensk Regions and in Moscow; Northwestern Federal District – in the Arkhangelsk Region, the Republic of Karelia and in St. Petersburg; Volga Federal District – in the territories of Samara, Kirov Regions and Republic of Tatarstan; Ural Federal District – in the Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts; Siberian Federal District – in certain districts of the Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk and Tomsk Regions, Altai and Krasnoyarsk Territories