A note on the predictability of the Russian stock market

Over the past 20 years, the problem of low investment activity of private investors has been featuring the Russian stock market. There are various reasons for that, among them the financial crises, limited access to information, a high subjectivity and lack of developed and simple methods for making investment decisions. Therefore, this research aims to study the predictability of the Russian stock market in the conditions of instability due to crises, as well as the limited access of private investors to information and the low investment literacy in general. This research addresses the predictability of the equity premium on the Russian stock market from 31 January 2008 to 31 January 2017. This is the period of two economic crises for the Russian economy: from 2008 to 2013 and from 2014 to 2017. The authors investigate whether the returns of industry portfolios can predict future stock market returns. The particular set of traditional macroeconomic variables functioning as predictors of stock returns and the economy, in general, is determined. Thus, the selection of approaches, methods, and indicators for the analysis and forecasting of the Russian stock market was carried out according to three criteria: the instability (crises) periods, the information available for the private investor (generally accepted indicators), and the clarity and ordinariness of analysis and forecasting methods. A macroeconomic indicator-based approach or an industry-based approach is more often used for these purposes. Taking into account the instability caused by the economic crises in Russia, the authors combined two approaches. Using traditional linear regression modeling, three out of nine industries and five out of eight macroeconomic predictors have been found statistically significant. However, all the models based on these predictors have negative pseudo-R-squared values; therefore, they underperform the historical out-of-sample mean model. It has also been revealed that two out of nine forecast models, based on significant predictors, provide utility gains for the mean-variance investor

The effect of derivatives of 1-Alkenilimidazol on the central nervous system of experimental animals

For the first time the effect of metal complex derivatives of 1-alkenilimidazol on the function of the central nervous system is studied by tests: conditioned defense reflex of avoidance, duration of hexenal sleep, the individual behavior of mice in the «open field» and the process of korazol convulsions. These experiments show the benefit of the activating influence of pilim-1 and pilim-2 on the central nervous system of animals. The studies confirm the hypothesis about the possible psychosedative effect of the compound «allim-2»

Complex 99mTc-PDA-DTPA for myocardial imaging

The 123I-labeled fatty acids such as 123I-Iodophenylpentadecanoic acid and 123I-Beta-methyliodophenylpentadecanoic acid are the agents used clinically for myocardial imaging. Fatty acids are the major source of energy for the normal myocardium. However, under ischemic conditions the myocardial cells switch to glucose metabolism for their energy needs. Fatty acids undergo prolonged metabolic stunning in patients with reversible ischemia, thereby helping in early diagnosis of coronary artery disease in highrisk patients. High cost andlimited availability of cyclotron-produced 123I, makes 99mTc-labeled fatty acids more desirable for the purpose. In diagnosis the dominant radionuclide is 99mTc. It is estimated that it is involved in about 85% of all imaging procedures in nuclear medicine. The method for preparation of new 99mTc-fatty chemical systems based on modified diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) molecule has been elaborated in this work . The main advantage using DTPA as chelate agent for radioactive label, is the molecule or it's derivative ability to form sufficiently stable complexes with different radioactive metals including technetium-99. Moiety of pentadecanoic acid addition gave the ability to prepare modified complex of DTPA. In a labeling procedure, freshly eluted Na99mTcO4 (20mCi) was added to a mixture of cysteine, stannous chloride, PDK-DTPA and ethanol in a vial. On keeping the reaction mixture at 90 0C for 30 min, [99mTc-PDK-DTPA] radiopharmaceutical was formed. Thereafter, the reaction mixture was cooled over ice and characterized by HPLC. The result of dynamic scintigraphic research showed, that after being injected, the substance is actively acumulated into myocardium. Eventually one can say that modified DTPA-moleculs are functionally suitable for myocardial imaging

Genetic environment of the blaKPC-2 gene in a Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate that may have been imported to Russia from Southeast Asia

The nucleotide sequence of a blaKPC-2-harboring plasmid (pKPCAPSS) from Klebsiella pneumoniae ST273 isolated in Saint Petersburg, Russia, from a patient with history of recent travel to Vietnam is presented. This 127,970-bp plasmid possessed both IncFII and IncR replicons. blaKPC-2 was localized on a hypothetical mobile element. This element was flanked by 38-bp inverted Tn3 repeats and included a Tn3-specific transposase gene, macrolide resistance operon (mphA-mrx-mphR), and a fragment of blaTEM with unique polymorphisms. © 2017 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved

Glycyrrhetinic acid and its derivatives as inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerases 1 and 2, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 and DNA polymerase β

Aim. For strengthening the efficiency of monofunctional alkylating antineoplastic drugs it is important to lower the capacity of base excision repair (BER) system which corrects the majority of DNA damages caused by these reagents. The objective was to create inhibitors of the key BER enzymes (PARP1, PARP2, DNA polymerase β, and APE1) by the directed modification of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA). Methods. Amides of GA were produced from the GA acetate by formation of the corresponding acyl chloride, amidation with the appropriate amine and subsequent deacylation. Small library of 2-cyano substituted derivatives of GA methyl esters was obtained by the structural modification of GA framework and carboxylic acid group. The inhibitory capacity of the compounds was estimated by comparison of the enzyme activities in specific tests in the presence of compounds versus their absence. Results. None of tested compounds inhibits PARP1 significantly. Unmodified GA and its morpholinic derivative were shown to be weak inhibitors of PARP2. The derivatives of GA containing keto-group in 11 triterpene framework were shown to be moderate inhibitors of pol β. Compound 3, containing 12-oxo-9(11)-en moiety in the ring C, was shown to be a single inhibitor of APE1 among all compounds studied. Conclusions. The class of GA derivatives, selective pol β inhibitors, was found out. The selective inhibitor of APE1 and weak selective inhibitor of PARP2 were also revealed

Studying the expression of productivity and immunity genes of chickens under the influence of feed glyphosate using the RNA-seq method

The aim of the study was to study the effect of different concentrations of glyphosate on meat productivity and differential expression of genes for immunity and broiler productivity. Broilers were divided into groups: Control I, who received a diet without the introduction of glyphosate, Experimental II, who received a diet with the addition of glyphosate at a dose of 10 mg/kg of feed (0.5 MPC for food); Experimental III, who received a diet with the addition of glyphosate at a dose of 20 mg/kg of feed (1 MPC); Experimental IV, who received a diet with the addition of glyphosate at a dose of 100 mg/kg of feed (5 MPC). Transcriptome analysis was performed by RNA-seq on the Illumina Miseq platform, using the TruSeq Stranded mRNA kit (Illumina, USA). In the 22-28-day period of broiler rearing, a decrease in live weight gain (83 g less) was observed in Experimental group III compared to Control I (P≤0.05). It has been shown that glyphosate at the level of 1 and 5 MPC for food causes activation (P≤0.05) of the proinflammatory response genes (IL15, IL1B, IL34, IL22) and apoptosis (Casp1, Casp2, Casp6, Casp7, Casp8, Casp9) up to 31.1 times, which probably leads to the redistribution of nutrients in in the body towards the immune system, reducing the functions of absorption in the intestine. In parallel, there is an inhibition (P≤0.05) of the expression of genes that have a direct effect on growth and development, which ultimately leads to a decrease in poultry meat productivity. Exposure to glyphosate is an important but unaccounted-for risk factor for reducing meat productivity in birds, acting through a change in gene expression

Friedreich's ataxia-associated childhood hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a national cohort study

OBJECTIVE: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an important predictor of long-term outcomes in Friedreich's ataxia (FA), but the clinical spectrum and survival in childhood is poorly described. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of children with FA-HCM. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study of children with FA-HCM from the UK. PATIENTS: 78 children (<18 years) with FA-HCM diagnosed over four decades. INTERVENTION: Anonymised retrospective demographic and clinical data were collected from baseline evaluation and follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary study end-point was all-cause mortality (sudden cardiac death, atrial arrhythmia-related death, heart failure-related death, non-cardiac death) or cardiac transplantation. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis of FA-HCM was 10.9 (±3.1) years. Diagnosis was within 1 year of cardiac referral in 34 (65.0%) patients, but preceded the diagnosis of FA in 4 (5.3%). At baseline, 65 (90.3%) had concentric left ventricular hypertrophy and 6 (12.5%) had systolic impairment. Over a median follow-up of 5.1 years (IQR 2.4-7.3), 8 (10.5%) had documented supraventricular arrhythmias and 8 (10.5%) died (atrial arrhythmia-related n=2; heart failure-related n=1; non-cardiac n=2; or unknown cause n=3), but there were no sudden cardiac deaths. Freedom from death or transplantation at 10 years was 80.8% (95% CI 62.5 to 90.8). CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest cohort of childhood FA-HCM reported to date and describes a high prevalence of atrial arrhythmias and impaired systolic function in childhood, suggesting early progression to end-stage disease. Overall mortality is similar to that reported in non-syndromic childhood HCM, but no patients died suddenly

Similarity analysis of silage, rumen and milk microbiota in dairy cows

Diseases that occur in such a multifactorial system as animal husbandry are determined not only by internal factors of the body, for example, the composition of the microflora of the digestive system, but also by external factors, such as feed. The aim of the study was to analyze the similarity of the microbiota of silage fed to cows with the composition of the microflora of their rumen and milk using the NGS sequencing method. The experiment was carried out on one of the commercial farms of the Leningrad region. The bacterial community of the contents of rumen, milk and silage from perennial cereals and legumes was evaluated by NGS sequencing on the MiSeq platform (Illumina, Inc., USA) with primers for the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. As a result of the study, 22 phylum of attributed microorganisms were found in the microflora of silage, 24 to 30 phylum of rumen, 18 phylum of milk. Similar taxa of microorganisms were identified in silage, rumen and milk, the main difference was noted in quantitative ratios (P≤0.05). For example, the amount of Firmicutes in silage was 52.9 ± 3.45%, in milk - 11.8 ± 0.78%. This suggests that there may be some relationship between the studied biotopes. Pathogenic microorganisms, including the causative agents of mastitis, were present in many samples. The genera Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Streptococcus and Fusobacterium were identified by us as the most represented (P≤0.05) in the composition of the milk microflora. Their content was 0.24±0.023, 1.8±1.23, 1.0±0.06 and 0.35±0.031%, respectively. Probably, the microflora of the rumen can influence the formation of the milk microbiota

A comprehensive evaluation of colonic mucosal isolates of Sutterella wadsworthensis from inflammatory bowel disease

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Роль микробиома верхних дыхательных путей в здоровье человека: биотопы и изменчивость

Human respiratory tract is a complex system with a specific microbiological profile. Until recently, researchers were mostly interested in lung microbial communities associated with acute and chronic infections. The upper respiratory tract microbiota has gained attention during COVID-19 pandemic as it was proposed to be one of the factors affecting the course and the outcome of viral infections. The aim. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge about microbial communities in each section of the upper respiratory tract, considering the proposed barrier function of the respiratory microbiome. Conclusion. The facts provided in the first part of this review give a modern perspective on the structure of microbial communities of each part of the upper respiratory tract and factors that affect their variability.Дыхательные пути (ДП) человека представляют собой сложную систему, обладающую собственным микробным профилем. До недавнего времени основной интерес научного сообщества вызывали микробные сообщества легких, ассоциированные с различными заболеваниями. В период пандемии COVID-19 внимание специалистов сосредоточилось на микробиоте верхних ДП (ВДП), которая, предположительно, является одним из факторов, оказывающих влияние на течение вирусных инфекций. Целью работы явились систематизация и оценка известной к настоящему моменту информации о микробных сообществах каждого из отделов ВДП, однако особое внимание уделено предположительной барьерной функции респираторной микробиоты. Заключение. Приводятся данные, обобщающие известную информацию о микробных сообществах каждого из отделов ВДП и факторах, оказывающих влияние на состав респираторной микробиоты