‘Difficult Winds’: the Cancellation of the Schonen Expedition from the Perspective of the Prussian Ambassador Friedrich Ernst von Cnyphausen

The article was submitted on 11.02.2017.В историографической традиции по поводу мотивов отказа Петра I от высадки на шведском острове Шонен 17 сентября 1716 г. существует два варианта интерпретации: царь опасался непредвиденных военных рисков, а также не доверял своим союзникам – Дании и Великобритании. В статье представлена попытка проанализировать более подробно повод, предмет и последствия данного недоверия внутри Северного альянса на примере сообщений прусского посланника в Копенгагене барона Фридриха Эрнста фон Кнюпгаузена, хранящихся в Тайном государственном архиве Прусского культурного наследия в Берлине. Новацией является подробный анализ его реляций, оригинальный текст одной из которых публикуется ниже. Показано, что русофобская истерия, охватившая королевский датский двор в сентябре 1716 г., имела совершенно иррациональный характер, если провести параллели с прусским двором. Кнюпгаузен не дает ни малейшего намека на то, чтобы эта истерия имела под собой хоть какие-то реальные основания. Король Фридрих Вильгельм соглашался с аргументами царя и П. П. Шафирова, изложенными ему 18 октября. Согласно им, причиной данного решения послужили интриги ганноверской дипломатии при датском дворе. В прочем же Россия обладала достаточной военной силой, чтобы самостоятельно победить в войне против Швеции, отчего Пруссия только выигрывала.There are two interpretations of Peter the Great’s motives for refusing to land on the Swedish island of Schonen in historiography: that the tsar feared unforeseen military risks and that he did not trust his allies, Denmark and Great Britain. In this article, the author attempts to analyse in a more detailed way the reasons and consequences for the mistrust in the Northern Alliance by looking at communications by Baron Friedrich Ernst von Cnyphausen, the Prussian ambassador in Copenhagen. It is shown that the Russophobic hysteria which grasped the Danish royal court in September 1716 looks completely irrational when we consider parallel attitudes in the Prussian court. Cnyphausen does not give the slightest hint that the hysteria had any factual basis. King Friedrich Wilhelm agreed with the arguments of the tsar and P. P. Shafirov presented on 18 October because of Hanoverian diplomatic intrigues at the Danish court. Russia had sufficient military strength to win the war against Sweden by itself: whatever happened, Prussia stood to gain

Nuclear anomalies in the buccal cells of calcite factory workers

The micronucleus (MN) assay on exfoliated buccal cells is a useful and minimally invasive method for monitoring genetic damage in humans. To determine the genotoxic effects of calcite dust that forms during processing, MN assay was carried out in exfoliated buccal cells of 50 (25 smokers and 25 non-smokers) calcite factory workers and 50 (25 smokers and 25 non-smokers) age- and sex-matched control subjects. Frequencies of nuclear abnormalities (NA) other than micronuclei, such as binucleates, karyorrhexis, karyolysis and ‘broken eggs', were also evaluated. Micronuclei and the other aforementioned anomalies were analysed by two way analysis of covariance. The linear correlations between the types of micronucleus and nuclear abnormalities were determined by Spearman's Rho. There was a positive correlation between micronuclei and other types of nuclear abnormalities in accordance with the Spearman's Rho test. Results showed statistically significant difference between calcite fabric workers and control groups. MN and NA frequencies in calcite fabric workers were significantly higher than those in control groups (p < 0.05). The results of this study indicate that calcite fabric workers are under risk of significant cytogenetic damage

Cytokine Plasma Levels: Reliable Predictors for Radiation Pneumonitis?

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy (RT) is the primary treatment modality for inoperable, locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but even with highly conformal treatment planning, radiation pneumonitis (RP) remains the most serious, dose-limiting complication. Previous clinical reports proposed that cytokine plasma levels measured during RT allow to estimate the individual risk of patients to develop RP. The identification of such cytokine risk profiles would facilitate tailoring radiotherapy to maximize treatment efficacy and to minimize radiation toxicity. However, cytokines are produced not only in normal lung tissue after irradiation, but are also over-expressed in tumour cells of NSCLC specimens. This tumour-derived cytokine production may influence circulating plasma levels in NSCLC patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and TGF-beta1 plasma levels to predict radiation pneumonitis and to evaluate the impact of tumour-derived cytokine production on circulating plasma levels in patients irradiated for NSCLC. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In 52 NSCLC patients (stage I-III) cytokine plasma levels were investigated by ELISA before and weekly during RT, during follow-up (1/3/6/9 months after RT), and at the onset of RP. Tumour biopsies were immunohistochemically stained for IL-6 and TGF-beta1, and immunoreactivity was quantified (grade 1-4). RP was evaluated according to LENT-SOMA scale. Tumour response was assessed according to RECIST criteria by chest-CT during follow-up. In our clinical study 21 out of 52 patients developed RP (grade I/II/III/IV: 11/3/6/1 patients). Unexpectedly, cytokine plasma levels measured before and during RT did not correlate with RP incidence. In most patients IL-6 and TGF-beta1 plasma levels were already elevated before RT and correlated significantly with the IL-6 and TGF-beta1 production in corresponding tumour biopsies. Moreover, IL-6 and TGF-beta1 plasma levels measured during follow-up were significantly associated with the individual tumour responses of these patients. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results of this study did not confirm that cytokine plasma levels, neither their absolute nor any relative values, may identify patients at risk for RP. In contrast, the clear correlations of IL-6 and TGF-beta1 plasma levels with the cytokine production in corresponding tumour biopsies and with the individual tumour responses suggest that the tumour is the major source of circulating cytokines in patients receiving RT for advanced NSCLC