Role of photochemical and microbial degradation of phenol in water

The present work is aimed at spectroscopic and luminescent investigations of the microbial cleavage efficiency of phenol in the water solution upon expose to UV light. With increasing time of irradiation of phenol in the saline solution,the absorption intensity increases throughout the spectrum. The efficiency of photoalteration of phenol in the saline solution is higher compared to that in water. The results obtained have shown that the efficiency of complex photobiological phenol destruction increases sharply compared to the photochemical or microbial destruction

B-lymphocyte aggregation in the lung tissue is a pathogenic factor in experimental infection caused by Mycobacterium avium

When infecting the lungs with Mycobacterium avium of B6 line mice genetically susceptible to this infection the compact aggregates (follicles) of B-lymphocytes are formed with the peak at the 11-13th week after the infection. Physiological role of these cellular accumulations remained unclear. Having applied segregative genetic analysis to allele conglutination of Slc11a1 gene with two signs – quantity of mycobacteria and accumulation of B-cellular follicles to the F2 mice from crossing (В6 × I/St), one managed to find out that the quantity and size of follicles directly correlate with M. avium replication in the lungs. Thus this type of the lung tissue infiltration does not protect the host from infection and it is a pathogenic factor

CHANGING SCHOOL-BASED ANXIETY DURING PHYSICAL EDUCATION, TAKING THE INDIVIDUAL TYPOLOGICAL APPROACH INTO ACCOUNT

Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study is to identify changes in school-based anxiety in children aged 12 – 13 during their physical education using a special Program for the individual typological approach implementation. Methodology: Two groups had been formed: reference and experimental (25 people each); three methods were used (Method for studying individual typological peculiarities of middle-school children by A. Belov, Method of Kondash's anxiety scale (1973), and Method of identifying general physical education of students); diagnostic testing of physical fitness was conducted (long jump from the spot; lifting the body in 30 sec. (press); push-up (girls); pulling up on the crossbar (boys); running 30 meters, shuttle running 3x10; bending forward from a sitting position). Main Findings: The results of the study have been statistically processed with Excel 2000 and STATISTICA 8.0, using the Student's t-test for dependent and independent samples. The M average has been found; the differences have been considered significant at p < 0.05. Applications of this study: The Program for the individual typological approach implementation has been compiled with an emphasis on reducing school-based anxiety in children aged 12 – 13; its features, objectives, indicators, criteria, content, and forms of implementation have been substantiated; a set of general physical exercises has been developed for each type of temperament, which includes the exercises for some groups of muscles of the upper shoulder girdle, back muscles, abdomen, and hips. Novelty/Originality of this study: The significant improvement in the physical fitness of students from the experimental group compared to the reference one identified during the term proves the efficiency of the implemented physical education program, taking into account the individual typological approach to the personality of adolescents with an emphasis on reducing their school-based anxiety. The results of the study have allowed formulating recommendations for improving the approaches to conducting physical education classes

Allogeneic biomaterial: a fibrosis inhibitor in ischemic myocardial damage

Injectable allogeneic decellularized biomaterials are being developed both as scaffolds for delivery of cellular products and as independent pharmacological agents that affect the cascade of tissue reactions during the period of post-ischemic myocardial remodeling. Biomaterial degradation products can affect cellular processes and modulate cytokine effects, thus determining the healing strategy of damaged tissue. In this work, the influence of biomaterial on the expression of key fibrogenic factors by the cells of tissue bed was demonstrated, and the degree of damage to the myocardium during its ischemic damage was experimentally determined. The aim of our study was to determine the area of myocardial scar degeneration and detection of key fibrogenic factors (bFGF-1, TGFb1, MMP-9), as well as TIMP-2 (MMP-9 antagonist) at the acute and subacute stages of myocardial infarction after implantation of allogeneic powder-like biomaterial in an experimental model.In the course of experiments, the left ventricular coronary artery was ligated in male Wistar rats (experimental group). All animals were divided into 3 groups: experimental group I (n = 50), experimental group II (n = 50), and controls (n = 50). In experimental group I, the artery ligation was simultaneously accompanied by intramyocardial administration of powder-like biomaterial suspension (2 mg). In experimental group II, the allogeneic powder-like biomaterial was administered 5 days after coronary occlusion, and only physiological saline was administered in the control group. The animals were withdrawn from experiment on days +3, +7, +14, +30, and +45. Standard histological assessment (hematoxylin and eosin staining, according to Mallory) and immunohistochemical examination (MMP-9, TGFb1, bFGF-1, TIMP-2) were made, and statistical evaluation was performed. The cells with positive staining were counted, and the scar area index was calculated.We have found that administration of dispersed allogeneic biomaterial was followed by a five-fold decrease in the degree of scar degeneration in both experimental groups at the acute and subacute stages of ischemic myocardial damage as compared to the control group. A significantly decreased expression of fibrogenic factors (MMP-9, TGFb1, bFGF-1) by the local cells was found, along with increased activity of metalloproteinase inhibitor (TIMP-2) in connective tissue cells.Decellularized allogeneic powder-like biomaterial serves as a fibrosis inhibitor and promotes cardioprotection during myocardial remodeling at the initial stages after ischemic injury

On the generalised Ritt problem as a computational problem

The Ritt problem asks if there is an algorithm that tells whether one prime differential ideal is contained in another one if both are given by their characteristic sets. We give several equivalent formulations of this problem. In particular, we show that it is equivalent to testing if a differential polynomial is a zero divisor modulo a radical differential ideal. The technique used in the proof of equivalence yields algorithms for computing a canonical decomposition of a radical differential ideal into prime components and a canonical generating set of a radical differential ideal. Both proposed representations of a radical differential ideal are independent of the given set of generators and can be made independent of the ranking.Comment: 9 page

Characteristics of mukoviscisidosis in the southern regions of Russia

Introduction. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a  hereditary disease with genetic heterogeneity and clinical polymorphism. Expanding the range of knowledge about the characteristics of the course of the disease in different regions is important to achieve the goal of improving the quality and life expectancy.Purpose. Comparative analysis of the features of the course of CF in the subjects of the Southern Federal District, Stavropol Territory.Methods. Data from the National Register of Patients of the RF MV 2016 were used. Results: there are clinical and genetic features between the regions of the Southern Federal District and the Stavropol Territory of the North Caucasus Federal District and in general with the Russian Federation. Analysis of the data showed differences in indicators: the proportion of patients aged ≥ 18 is the lowest in the Republic of Crimea (14.9%), in the Rostov region the lowest average age of patients (9.0 ± 6.3), and the lowest age of diagnosis 2.2 ± 3.1 years. Late terms of diagnosis were revealed in the Stavropol Territory (4.0 ± 8.0 years), but here there is one of the highest average age of CF patients (14.1 ± 11.5), the proportion of adult patients (23.3%) and the lowest allelic frequency of F508del, which is determined by the high number of patients with a “soft” genotype. There is a high proportion of patients with an undetermined genotype. A low proportion of two identified genetic variants of the CFTR gene is registered in patients of the Republic of Crimea. A low frequency of Burkholderia cepacia complex and Achromobacter spp was revealed, and a high infection with non-tuberculous mycobacteria was revealed in the Rostov region. FEV1 in children and adults was lower in Rostov Region and Stavropol Territory. In all regions, there is a discrepancy between the seeding of flora and azithromycin therapy and the severity of the genotype with the use of pancreatic enzymes.Conclusions. Analysis of the data of the registry, which allows substantiating the need to study the regional characteristics of the course of CF in order to differentiate the planning of measures to improve the quality of medical care for patients with CF

Прогноз исхода хронического нарушения сознания на основании определения некоторых гормонов и натрийуретического пептида

Introduction: Changes in hormonal status in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDC) remain poorly understood. There are no studies devoted to the investigation of prognostic value of hormonal changes to predict the outcome which is primarily due to a relatively small number of patients, different variants of structural brain disorders in vegetative state (VS) patients, concomitant somatic pathology including typical complications.The objective: to study the correlation between outcomes in VS patients with hormonal status and the level of natriuretic peptide. Subjects and methods. 275 patients in VS were examined for the time period from 2007 to 2017. 152 patients had sequela of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 123 patients suffered from hypoxic brain damage. All patients matched the international criteria of VS diagnosis. In all patients, blood samples were collected during the first week after admission to ICU to test hormones and natriuretic peptide levels. ACTH, cortisol, TSH, free T3 and T4 , STH, prolactin and natriuretic peptide were tested in the period from 2 to 4 months of staying in VS. In men, the level of total testosterone, LH and FSH was additionally tested. The obtained data were compared with VS outcome.Results. The tested hormones were stably insufficient only in few VS patients. None of the tested hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis made a reliable criterion for predicting VS outcome. The tendency of disrupted rhythm of cortisol secretion was found to be most frequent and consistent, with higher rates in the evening hours. The average value of STH was higher in men with sequela of traumatic brain injury who had recovered consciousness versus those who remained in VS. A significant decrease in testosterone levels, regardless of age, was found in the patients with TBI sequela. Mean levels of LH were higher in patients with TBI sequela and hypoxia who remained unconscious versus patients who later restored consciousness. The average level of FSH was higher in patients who had recovered consciousness compared to those who remained in chronic VS. The increased level of natriuretic peptide was observed both in patients who remained in chronic VS and in those who restored consciousness.Conclusions. When investigating levels of certain hormones, no specific endocrine background characterizing this category of patients was found. Abnormal rhythms of some hormones secretion, in particular cortisol, can be considered typical of VS patients especially patients with TBI sequela.Изменения гормонального статуса у пациентов с хроническим нарушением сознания (ХНС) в настоящее время остаются малоизученными. Фактически отсутствуют исследования, посвященные изучению прогностической ценности изменений гормонального фона у пациентов с ХНС, что прежде всего обусловлено относительно небольшим количеством пациентов, различными вариантами структурных нарушений мозга, сопутствующей соматической патологией, включая закономерные осложнения.Цель: изучить зависимость исхода у пациентов в вегетативном состоянии (ВС) в зависимости от гормонального статуса и уровня натрийуретического пептида.Материалы и методы. Обследовано 275 пациентов в ВС (152 с последствиями черепно-мозговой травмы (ЧМТ) и 123 пациентов с последствием остановки кровообращения) с 2007 по 2017 г. Все пациенты соответствовали международным критериям диагноза ВС. В период от 2 до 4 мес. нахождения в ВС исследовали уровень адренокортикотропного гормона, кортизола, тиреотропного гормона, свободных Т3 и Т4 , соматотропного гормона (СТГ), пролактина, натрийуретического пептида. У мужчин дополнительно исследовали уровень общего тестостерона, лютеинизирующего гормона (ЛГ) и фолликулостимулирующего гормона (ФСГ). Полученные данные сопоставляли с исходом ВС.Результаты. Устойчивую недостаточность содержания в крови исследованных гормонов наблюдали только у единичных пациентов в ВС. Ни один из исследованных гормонов гипоталамо-гипофизарно-надпочечниковой оси не явился надежным критерием прогнозирования исхода ВС. Наиболее часто и устойчиво выявляли тенденцию к нарушению ритма секреции кортизола, с более высокими показателями в вечерние часы. Среднее значение СТГ было выше у мужчин с последствиями ЧМТ, у которых восстановилось сознание, чем у тех, кто остался в ВС. Для пациентов с последствием ЧМТ, вне зависимости от возраста, было характерно значительное снижение содержания тестостерона. Средний уровень ЛГ был выше у пациентов с последствием ЧМТ и гипоксии, оставшихся в хроническом ВС, чем у пациентов, у которых в дальнейшем восстановилось сознание. Cредний уровень ФСГ был выше у больных, у которых в дальнейшем восстановилось сознание, по сравнению с оставшимися в хроническом ВС. Повышение уровня натрийуретического пептида наблюдали как у пациентов, оставшихся в хроническом ВС, так и у тех, у кого восстановилось сознание.Выводы. При изучении уровня отдельных гормонов у пациентов в ВС не установлено сформировавшегося определенного эндокринного фона, характерного для пациентов этой категории. Нарушения ритмов секреции некоторых гормонов, в частности кортизола, можно считать характерным для больных в ВС гормональным нарушением, особенно у пациентов с последствиями ЧМТ

How “Humane” Is Your Endpoint?—Refining the Science-Driven Approach for Termination of Animal Studies of Chronic Infection

Public concern on issues such as animal welfare or the scientific validity and clinical value of animal research is growing, resulting in increasing regulatory demands for animal research. Abiding to the most stringent animal welfare standards, while having scientific objectives as the main priority, is often challenging. To do so, endpoints of studies involving severe, progressive diseases need to be established considering how early in the disease process the scientific objectives can be achieved. We present here experimental studies of tuberculosis (TB) in mice as a case study for an analysis of present practice and a discussion of how more refined science-based endpoints can be developed. A considerable proportion of studies in this field involve lethal stages, and the establishment of earlier, reliable indicators of disease severity will have a significant impact on animal welfare. While there is an increasing interest from scientists and industry in moving research in this direction, this is still far from being reflected in actual practice. We argue that a major limiting factor is the absence of data on biomarkers that can be used as indicators of disease severity. We discuss the possibility of complementing the widely used weight loss with other relevant biomarkers and the need for validation of these parameters as endpoints. Promotion of ethical guidelines needs to be coupled with systematic research in order to develop humane endpoints beyond the present euthanasia of moribund animals. Such research, as we propose here for chronic infection, can show the way for the development and promotion of welfare policies in other fields of research. Research on chronic infection relies heavily on the use of animals, as only the integral animal body can model the full aspect of an infection. That animals are generally made to develop a disease in infection studies exacerbates the tension between human benefit and animal well-being, which characterizes all biomedical research with animals. Scientists typically justify animal research with reference to potential human benefits, but if accepting the assumption that human benefits can offset animal suffering, it still needs to be argued that the same benefits could not be achieved with less negative effects on animal welfare. Reducing the animal welfare problems associated with research (“refinement” [1]) is therefore crucial in order to render animal-based research less of an ethical problem and to assure public trust in research. Studies that are designed to measure time of death or survival percentages present a particularly challenging situation in which at least some of the animals are made to die from the disease. These studies are frequent in experimental research on severe infections. The scientific community, industry, and regulatory authorities have responded to the ethical concerns over studies in which animals die from severe disease by developing new policies and guidelines for the implementation of humane endpoints as a key refinement measure (e.g., [2]–[4]). The most widely used definition considers a humane endpoint to be the earliest indicator in an animal experiment of severe pain, severe distress, suffering, or impending death [5], underlining that ideally such indicators should be identified before the onset of the most severe effects. Euthanizing animals, rather than awaiting their “spontaneous” death, is important to avoid unnecessary suffering in studies in which data on survival is thought to be required for scientific or legal reasons. However, several questions remain open regarding how humane endpoints are to be applied to address real animal welfare problems. We used TB experiments in mice as a case study to highlight the potential to establish biomarkers of disease progress that can replace survival time as a measure of disease severity.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/38337/2007)