Cortical gray-matter thinning is associated with age-related improvements on executive function tasks

Across development children show marked improvement in their executive functions (EFs), including the ability to hold information in working memory and to deploy cognitive control, allowing them to ignore prepotent responses in favor of newly learned behaviors. How does the brain support these age-related improvements? Age-related cortical gray-matter thinning, thought to result from selective pruning of inefficient synaptic connections and increases in myelination, may support age-related improvements in EFs. Here we used structural MRI to measure cortical thickness. We investigate the association between cortical thickness in three cortical regions of interest (ROIs), and age-related changes in cognitive control and working memory in 5–10 year old children. We found significant associations between reductions in cortical thickness and age-related improvements in performance on both working memory and cognitive control tasks. Moreover, we observed a dissociation between ROIs typically thought to underlie changes in cognitive control (right Inferior Frontal gyrus and Anterior Cingulate cortex) and age-related improvements in cognitive control, and ROIs for working memory (superior parietal cortex), and age-related changes in a working memory task. These data add to our growing understanding of how structural maturation of the brain supports vast behavioral changes in executive functions observed across childhood

ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ ПОДХОДА «РАЗВИВАЮЩИЙ ТАНЕЦ» В НЕЙРОРЕАБИЛИТАЦИИ

Dance movement therapy is a part of art therapy, which implements dance and movement to improve various aspects of a person’s daily functioning, improving his/her physical and emotional state. Dance therapy is especially applicable in older age, when intense stresses are beyond his/her physical capabilities. Elderly people who dance on the regular basis have better flexibility, postural stability, balance, reaction time and cognitive abilities, compared to people of the same age who do not dance. Published evidence support the positive experience of using dance therapy as a method of rehabilitation in elderly patients and subjects with various neurological and mental disorders. Argentine tango represents a promising tool of art therapy, because it is based on biomechanical schemes of movement that are physiological for the human body, includes an improvisation element that stimulates neuroplasticity, and activates social, cognitive, psychological and communicative abilities of the subject. The use of the “educational dance” approach in teaching allows solving several rehabilitation tasks: adaptation of the subject to the process of perception of new information; learning to realize body in motion and build motion on the basis of biofeedback; achievement of maximum comfort during movement and gain a unique manner of movement that is maximally functional for the subject. The acquired skill of conscious movement can become the foundation for further rehabilitation. Thus, argentine tango may be a useful rehabilitation tool for patients with diseases of the nervous system who need to improve motor skills, balance and coordination, and cognitive and communicative capacity. In addition, the use of argentine tango as a motivational factor in comprehensive rehabilitation programs seems promising. The influence of dance therapy on the mood and quality of life in the elderly requires further study in this population.Танцевально-двигательная терапия является направлением арт-терапии, в котором танец и движение используются для улучшения ряда параметров повседневного функционирования индивида, улучшая его физическое и эмоциональное состояние, в особенности в пожилом возрасте, когда интенсивные нагрузки находятся за пределами его физических возможностей. Регулярно танцующие пожилые люди обладают бóльшей гибкостью, постуральной стабильностью, балансом, временем реакции и когнитивными возможностями, по сравнению с людьми того же возраста, которые не занимаются танцами. Приводятся данные о положительном опыте применения танцевальной терапии как метода реабилитации у пациентов и субъектов пожилого возраста при различных неврологических и психических заболеваниях. Аргентинское танго является перспективным инструментом метода, поскольку основано на физиологичных для организма человека биомеханических схемах движения, включает элемент импровизации, чем стимулирует нейропластичность, а также задействует социальные, когнитивные, психологические и коммуникативные способности субъекта. Использование в обучении подхода «Развивающий танец» позволяет решать ряд реабилитационных задач: адаптировать субъекта к процессу восприятия новой информации, научиться осознавать свое тело в движении и строить движение на основе обратной связи, добиваться в движении максимальной комфортности, обрести свою уникальную манеру движения, максимально функциональную именно для него; полученный навык осознанного движения может стать фундаментом для дальнейшей реабилитации. Таким образом, аргентинское танго может быть полезным инструментом реабилитации для пациентов с заболеваниями нервной системы, нуждающихся в улучшении двигательных навыков, координации движений, когнитивных и коммуникативных способностей. Кроме того, многообещающим представляется использование аргентинского танго как мотивационного фактора в комплексных программах реабилитации. Влияние танцевальной терапии на психоэмоциональное состояние и качество жизни у пожилых людей требует дальнейшего изучения в этой популяции

Application of Potential Capabilities of Interactive Technologies for Development of Cognitive Processes in Children with Disabilities

Для детей с ограниченными возможностями здоровья информационные технологии приобретают актуальность и ценность не только как предмет изучения, но и как мощное и эффективное средство коррекционно-педагогического воздействия. По этой причине в современных образовательных условиях педагогический процесс в коррекционном учреждении уже немыслим без применения в работе инновационных технологий. Наиболее часто применяемым считаются интерактивные технологии.For children with disabilities, information technologies acquire relevance and value not only as a subject of study, but also as a powerful and effective means of corrective and pedagogical influence. For this reason, in modern educational conditions, the pedagogical process in a correctional institution is already unthinkable without the use of innovative technologies in the work. Interactive technologies are considered the most frequently used

Understanding Human and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Kola Arctic : A Participatory Integrated Study

The Lake Imandra watershed is located in one of the most developed regions in the Arctic - the Kola Peninsula of Russia. Approximately 300 000 people live on the roughly 27 000 km² watershed, making it one of the most densely populated areas of the Arctic. Most of the people are involved in large-scale mineral extraction and processing and the infrastructure needed to support this industry. This paper reports the results of a pilot project staged for the Lake Imandra watershed that has put human dynamics within the framework of ecosystem change to integrate available information and formulate conceptual models of likely future scenarios. The observation period is one of both rapid economic growth and human expansion, with an overall economic decline in the past decade. We are applying the Participatory Integrated Assessment (PIA) approach to integrate information, identify information gaps, generate likely future scenarios, and link scientific findings to the decision-making process. We found an increasingly vulnerable human population in varying states of awareness about their local environment and fully cognizant of their economic troubles, with many determined to attempt maintenance of relatively high population densities in the near future even as many residents of northern Russia migrate south. A series of workshops have involved the citizens and local decision makers in an attempt to tap their knowledge of the region and to increase their awareness about the linkages between the socioeconomic and ecological components.Le bassin hydrographique du lac Imandra est situé dans l'une des régions les plus développées de l'Arctique, soit la presqu'île de Kola, en Russie. Près de 300 000 personnes vivent dans la zone du bassin qui couvre environ 27 000 km², ce qui en fait l'une des régions les plus peuplées de l'Arctique. La plupart des habitants travaillent dans l'extraction et le traitement miniers à grande échelle ainsi que dans l'infrastructure qui soutient cette industrie. Le présent article rapporte les résultats d'un projet pilote mis sur pied pour le bassin du lac Imandra, projet qui a placé la dynamique humaine dans le cadre du changement des écosystèmes, afin d'intégrer l'information disponible et de formuler des modèles conceptuels de scénarios probables dans l'avenir. La période d'observation en est une à la fois de croissance économique et d'expansion démographique rapides, suivie d'un déclin général au cours de la dernière décennie. On a recours à la méthode d'évaluation participative intégrée (EPI) pour intégrer l'information, y dégager des lacunes, générer des scénarios probables dans l'avenir et établir un lien entre résultats de la recherche et processus décisionnel. On a trouvé qu'il y avait une population humaine de plus en plus vulnérable qui était sensibilisée à divers degrés aux problèmes locaux de l'environnement et pleinement consciente des difficultés économiques, population dont une bonne part était fermement décidée à tenter de maintenir à brève échéance des densités de population relativement élevées, alors même que les résidents du nord de la Russie migrent en grand nombre vers le Sud. On a tenu une série d'ateliers avec citoyens et décideurs locaux pour chercher à capter leurs connaissances de la région et à accroître leur sensibilisation aux liens existant entre les composantes socio-économiques et écologiques

Evolution of oxygen-ion and proton conductivity in Ca-Doped Ln2Zr2O7 (Ln = Sm, Gd), located near pyrochlore fluorite phase boundary

Sm2-xCaxZr2O7-x/2 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1) and Gd2-xCaxZr2O7-x/2 (x = 0.05, 0.1) mixed oxides in a pyrochlore-fluorite morphotropic phase region were prepared via the mechanical activation of oxide mixtures, followed by annealing at 1600 ?C. The structure of the solid solutions was studied by X-ray diffraction and refined by the Rietveld method, water content was determined by thermogravimetry (TG), their bulk and grain-boundary conductivity was determined by impedance spectroscopy in dry and wet air (100-900 ?C), and their total conductivity was measured as a function of oxygen partial pressure in the temperature range: 700-950 ?C. The Sm2-xCaxZr2O7-x/2 (x = 0.05, 0.1) pyrochlore solid solutions, lying near the morphotropic phase boundary, have proton conductivity contribution both in the grain bulk and on grain boundaries below 600 ?C, and pure oxygen-ion conductivity above 700 ?C. The 500 ?C proton conductivity contribution of Sm2-xCaxZr2O7-x/2 (x = 0.05, 0.1) is ~ 1 ? 10-4 S/cm. The fluorite-like Gd2-xCaxZr2O7-x/2 (x = 0.1) solid solution has oxygen-ion bulk conductivity in entire temperature range studied, whereas proton transport contributes to its grain-boundary conductivity below 700 ?C. As a result, of the morphotropic phase transition from pyrochlore Sm2-xCaxZr2O7-x/2 (x = 0.05, 0.1) to fluorite-like Gd2-xCaxZr2O7-x/2 (x = 0.05, 0.1), the bulk proton conductivity disappears and oxygen-ion conductivity decreases. The loss of bulk proton conductivity of Gd2-xCaxZr2O7-x/2 (x = 0.05, 0.1) can be associated with the fluorite structure formation. It is important to note that the degree of Ca substitution in such solid solutions (Ln2-xCax)Zr2O7-? (Ln = Sm, Gd) is low, x < 0.1. In both series, grain-boundary conductivity usually exceeds bulk conductivity. The high grain-boundary proton conductivity of Ln2-xCaxZr2O7-x/2 (Ln = Sm, Gd; x = 0.1) is attributable to the formation of an intergranular CaZrO3-based cubic perovskite phase doped with Sm or Gd in Zr sublattice. ? 2019 by the authors.371C-9F16-EBDE | Eduarda GomesN/

Сytokine markers for different variants of sclerotic lichen in women

Our work was aimed for studying the role of systemic of IL-23 and IL-20 levels in different clinical variants of sclerotic lichen in women. The study was based on results of clinical data (anamnesis, examination, palpation, vulvoscopy) and immunological studies (determination of IL-20 and IL-23 cytokines in peripheral blood) in the patients with sclerotic lichen (114 patients aged 42.5±15.1 years). Group I included patients with atrophic variant of sclerotic lichen (n = 58); group II, with sclerotic variant of sclerotic lichen (n = 34). Group III included women with a sclero-atrophic variant of this disorder (n = 22). The control group consisted of conditionally healthy women without present, or previously documented vulvar pathology (30 persons). Criteria for inclusion were as follows: women 20 to 60 years old, the presence of a benign vulvar disease, absence of treatment with immunotropic drugs over past year. Exclusion criteria: presence of viral infection (HPV, HSV), detection of STI, presence of acute inflammatory process (including vulvitis and vaginitis), cancer diagnosis, symptoms of autoimmune disorders, pregnancy, and the patient’s reluctance to participate in the study.Predominant increase of IL-23 was revealed in all clinical groups of the examined patients, the most pronounced increase (2.7 times) was in severe sclerotic lichen (p &lt; 0.0001). IL-23 concentration in the 2nd clinical group corresponded to the reference age-matched values. There was a significant increase in the blood content of IL-20 in subgroup 2.2 of the patients with sclerotic lichen (p &lt; 0.0001), as well as in patients from group 3 with a mixed clinical course of its disorder (p &lt; 0.0001). Meanwhile, the absence of pronounced vulvar tissue sclerosis in sclerotic variant of sclerotic lichen (subgroup 2.1) was accompanied only by a tendency for increased IL-20 concentration (p = 0.502), and only a trend for decrease in atrophic variant of sclerotic lichen (p = 0.288). In general, analysis of these data presumes a significant role of IL-20 and IL-23 in pathogenesis of sclerotic lichen in women. The cytokine assays in various clinical variants of this vulvar disorder may provide additional differential diagnostics (IL-20), and to assess severity of atrophic and sclerotic changes in vulvar tissues (IL-23) in women with sclerotic lichen

T regulatory lymphocytes and FoxP3 nuclear translocation in various adipose tissue depots in patients with coronary artery disease

T regulatory lymphocytes (Treg) are present is adipose tissue. Their frequency, as well as the level of FoxP3 nuclear translocation, in epicardial and thymus adipose tissue remains unexplored. Properties of adiposeresident Tregs may be of high significance in patients with coronary artery disease as potential pathophysiological factor in the development of atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to compare frequency of FoxP3+Tregs and FoxP3 nuclear translocation in epicardial, thymus, subcutaneous adipose tissue and peripheral blood in patients with coronary artery disease. A pilot study was conducted in 11 patients with coronary artery disease scheduled for the coronary artery bypass graft surgery after prior selective coronary angiography. Frequency of CD4+CD25hiFoxP3+ and CD4+CD25loFoxP3+ lymphocytes and FoxP3 nuclear translocation were evaluated by imaging flow cytometry in peripheral blood and in stromal vascular fraction of epicardial, subcutaneous and thymus adipose tissue. Frequencies of CD4+CD25hiFoxP3+ and CD4+CD25loFoxP3+ lymphocytes were higher in epicardial adipose tissue compared to blood (3 and 5 times higher, p = 0.020); CD4+CD25loFoxP3+ cells frequency in subcutaneous adipose tissue was 4 times higher than in blood (p = 0.028). The level of FoxP3 nuclear translocation was the highest in blood and decreased in epicardial, subcutaneous and thymus adipose tissue (p = 0.020 both for CD4+CD25hiFoxP3+ and CD4+CD25loFoxP3+ lymphocytes). Frequency of CD4+CD25loFoxP3+ cells was directly related to age in thymus (rs = 0.818; p = 0.002), and inversely in epicardial adipose tissue (rs = -0.618; p = 0.043). Frequencies of CD4+CD25hiFoxP3+ and CD4+CD25loFoxP3+ with FoxP3 nuclear translocation in subcutaneous adipose tissue negatively correlated with age (rs = -0.827; p = 0.002 and rs = -0.648; p = 0.031, respectively). Frequency of CD4+CD25loFoxP3+ cells with FoxP3 nuclear translocation in thymus adipose tissue negatively correlated with waist-to-hip ratio (rs = -0.700; p = 0.016). The severity of atherosclerosis was related only to the frequency of CD4+CD25loFoxP3+ cells in subcutaneous adipose tissue (rs = -0.655; p = 0.029). Thus, epicardial and subcutaneous adipose tissue are enriched with Tregs, but factors that influence Treg accumulation and FoxP3 nuclear translocation in these fat depots may be different. The obtained results may further be used for personalized immunomodulatory therapy in patients with atherosclerosis

Macrophages in epicardial adipose tissue and serum NT-proBNP in patients with stable coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is widely considered a chronic inflammatory disorder, and dysfunction of epicardial adipose tissue could be an important source of the inflammation. Amino-terminal fragment of pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a known marker of cardiovascular disorders of cardiac origin. Recent studies show that inflammatory stimuli may influence its secretion. Our purpose was to evaluate NT-proBNP serum concentration in relation to immune cell ratios in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), and cytokine levels in the patients with stable CAD. Patients with stable CAD and heart failure classified into classes II–III, according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) scale, scheduled for the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, were recruited into the study (n = 10; 59.5 (53.0-65.0) y. o.; 50% males). The EAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) specimens were harvested in the course of CABG surgery. Immunostaining with anti-CD68, anti-CD45, antiIL-1β and anti-TNFα monoclonal antibodies was performed to evaluate cell composition by differential counts per ten fields (400 magnification). Fasting venous blood was obtained from patients before CABG. Blood was centrifuged at 1500g, aliquots were collected and stored frozen at -40 °С until final analysis. Concentrations of NT-proBNP, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNFα were determined in serum samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We have found increased production of IL-1β and TNFα cytokines in EAT compared to SAT. Concentrations of NT-proBNP exceeded 125 pg/ml in 4 patients, and correlations between the CD68+ macrophage counts in both EAT and SAT samples (rs = 0.762; p = 0.010 and rs = 0.835; p = 0.003, respectively). NT-proBNP levels showed positive relations with CD45+ leukocyte counts (rs = 0.799; p = 0.006), and with IL-1β+ cell numbers (rs = 0.705; p = 0.023) in EAT samples only. As for the serum biomarkers, NT-proBNP levels showed negative correlation with fasting glucose levels (rs = -0.684; p = 0.029), and positive correlation with serum IL-6 concentrations (rs = 0.891; p = 0.001). Increased serum concentrations of NT-proBNP in CAD patients correlate with accumulation of macrophages in EAT, which is associated with increased production of IL-1β in EAT and correlates with some metabolic parameters

The ananlysis of oral health in schoolchildren of Sverdlovsk region on the basis of questioning

A large number of publications are devoted to the problems of dental health of schoolchildren, which allows us to consider this area sufficiently studied. At the same time, the attitude of schoolchildren to oral health is changing every year, which is reflected in the survey among school-aged population. The data obtained in the survey of schoolchildren play an important role in assessing the epidemiological situation in the main group of dental diseases and the measures necessary for their prevention. In 2017 the government of Russian Federation published the resolution №394 on inclusion of measures on “Primary prevention of dental diseases among the population of the Russian Federation” in the state program of health care development for 2015-2020. The results of the survey of different population groups in the regions of the country are important for the implementation of this program.Проблемам стоматологического здоровья школьников посвящено большое количество публикаций, что позволяет считать достаточно изученным данное направление. При этом с каждым годом меняется само отношение школьников к здоровью полости рта, что находит отражение при проведении анкетирования среди детей школьного возраста. Данные, полученные при опросе школьников, играют важную роль в оценке эпидемиологической ситуации в основной группе стоматологических заболеваний и мерах, необходимых для их профилактики. В 2017 г. правительство РФ опубликовало постановление № 394 о включении мероприятий по вопросам «Первичной профилактики стоматологических заболеваний среди населения РФ» в государственную программу развития здравоохранения РФ на 2015—2020 гг. Для реализации данной программы имеют важное значение результаты анкетирования разных групп населения в регионах нашей страны