Influence of physical loading on behavioral reactions of rats in cerebral hypoperfusion

A number of clinical studies demonstrate that individual characteristics such as stress tolerance and cognitive ability can be considered not only as diagnostic variables but also as risk factors for severe cerebral hypoperfusion. The aim of the study was to identify the typological features of the effect of physical activity on the behavioral reactions of rats during cerebral hypoperfusion. Material and methods. Cerebral hypoperfusion was modeled by bilateral carotid artery ligation. The study involved 280 rats, divided into equal subgroups, according to sex, stress tolerance and learning capacity. Of these, 112 animals were subjected to daily short-term swimming as a rehabilitation model. Before the simulation, and at 6, 8, 14, 21, 28, 35, 60 and 90 days postoperatively, the animals were tested using a Morris water maze and an “open field” test. Results and discussion. The dynamics of stress resistance and learning ability are related to the periodicity of inflammatory, necrotic, circulatory and reparative remodeling in the model used. After 2-3 months of study, cerebral hypoperfusion causes stabilization of indices characterizing stress resistance and cognitive functions below control values. A decrease in stress resistance begins earlier from day 6 of the study, while the index characterizing cognitive functions first decreases significantly after 3 weeks of study. Factors reducing the damaging effects of cerebral hypoperfusion were female gender, high baseline stress tolerance and learning ability. When assessing learning ability under physical load, animals with high baseline cognitive development showed earlier recovery dynamics during urgent adaptation and a significant increase during long-term adaptation

METHODICAL APPROACHES TO THE FORMATION OF ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES

The article has been devoted to the formation of adaptive organizational management structures. The essence of structures and their relationship with other elements of the control system have been analyzed. Adaptability and flexibility are considered as the most important indicators of the efficiency of structures, their ability to ensure sustainable functioning and innovative development of enterprises. The mechanism of formation of adaptive structures has been presented. The issues about the quality of adaptation, the adaptive characteristics of the structure and their consistency with the level and quality of adaptation of other elements of the enterprise, the interface of adaptability and flexibility, the pace of change have been raised. It has been concluded, that the structure is not effective, if it does not seek adaptability. Meanwhile, the process of adaptation should be innovative and ensure effective innovation and technological development of the enterprise

EDUCATIONAL MOTIVATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AS AN INDICATOR OF THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The motivation as one of the key indicators of the quality of higher education, as a powerful driver of the educational process, and one of the main catalysts of personal and professional growth of the student has been considered. The results of the diagnosis of the level of motivation and structure of the motivational complex, carried out with the help of two psychological techniques, modified by the authors of the article, have been briefly outlined and displayed. Possible reasons for the “lack” of motivation among students of management specialties have been identified. Meanwhile, it has been offered to look on the lack of motivation a little wider, than the authors were able to identify in the analysis of sources on this theme. Possible directions of optimization of motivational structure of future managers have been studied. The vector of further studies of educational motivation as an indicator of the quality of management education has been outlined

Evaluation of the effects of tumor necrosis factor-а inhibitors versus nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on spinal inflammatory changes from magnetic resonance imaging data in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Objective: to evaluate the time course of inflammatory changes (ICs) in the spinal column and sacroiliac articulations (SIA) from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) during treatment with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-а) inhibitors or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which were first used. Subjects and methods. MRI of the most painful part of the spine and SIA was performed in 58 patients with AS at baseline and 12 weeks later. MRI T2 STIR and T1 (SIGNA EXCITE, General Electrics; 0.35 T, matrix 288x192) regimens were used. Bone marrow edema was regarded as active inflammation. Active ICs in the most painful part of the spine were assessed by the AS spinal MRI activity (ASspiMRI-a) score and those in SIA by the Leeds scoring system. MRI was interpreted independently by two specialists; one of them did not know about the number of a visit and performed therapy. The patients were divided into two groups: 1) those who first used TNF-а inhibitors and 2) those who were first given NSAIDs. Both groups were matched for demographic indicators. Results. In both groups, the mean pain level in the spinal part under study decreased significantly in both groups: from 5.7±1.7 to 2.3±1.8 in the TNF-а inhibitor group (p = 0.000006) and from 4.8±2.3 to 2.6±2.3 in the NSAID group (р = 0.00001). After 12 weeks of treatment, the patients receiving TNF-а inhibitors (n = 28) showed a considerable reduction in the MRI signs of spinal ICs from 4.8±2.3 to 1.6±1.6 (p = 0.00001); moreover, this trend was more pronounced in patients (n = 17) with more baseline IC foci (≥ 5) than in those (n = 11) with fewer baseline IC foci (< 5) (the mean а was 4.3±1.5 and 1.6±1.4, respectively; р = 0.0003). In the patients taking NSAIDs (n = 30), the decrease in the number of spinal MRI ICs (from 2.8±2.5 to 2.3±2.1) was insignificant (p = 0.17). After 12 weeks, regression of active sacroiliitis was noted in 28 patients from the TNF-а inhibitor group with lower Leeds scores from 2.1±2.0 to 0 (p = 0.01). At baseline, 28.5% of the patients had MRI signs of active sacroiliitis, which were not found in any case at 12 weeks. At this time, the reduction in active sacroiliitis was also observed in the NSAID group patients (n = 30), but it was insignificant; the Leeds scores decreased from 2.6±2.5 to 2.1±2.0 (р = 0.083). At baseline and 12 weeks, the MRI signs of active sacroiliitis were present in 73.3 and 60% of the patients, respectively. During treatment with TNF-а inhibitors, the mean reduction in MRI IC scores during the follow-up was more marked than that in the use of NSAIDs (p = 0.003 for the spinal column and p = 0.013 for SIA). Conclusion. Pain intensity in the examined spinal part was significantly reduced in both the use of both TNF-а inhibitors and NSAIDs. MRI ICs significantly decreased when treated with TNF-а inhibitors rather than NSAIDs. With the greater magnitude of baseline MRI ICs, their drop was more significant during treatment with TNF-α inhibitors

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНОЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ОРГАНИЧЕСКИХ ПСИХИЧЕСКИХ РАССТРОЙСТВ СОСУДИСТОГО ГЕНЕЗА У УЧАСТНИКОВ ЛИКВИДАЦИИ ПОСЛЕДСТВИЙ АВАРИИ НА ЧАЭС

The result of the carried investigation of participants of liquidation of Chernobyl accident consequences, suffering from organic disease of a brain of a vascular origin with mental infringements, and patients with the similar pathology, not exposed with radiating influence, revealed a number of the сlinico- psychopathological and paraclinical peculiarities testifying heavier current of disease among liquidators, forming a chronic ischemic condition of a brain, and the atrophy phenomena among mentioned group.В результате проведенного обследования участников ликвидации последствий аварии на ЧАЭС, страдающих органическим заболеванием головного мозга сосудистого генеза с психическими нарушени- ями, и больных с аналогичной патологией, не подвергавшихся радиационному воздействию, выявлен ряд клинико-психопатологических и параклинических особенностей, свидетельствующих о большей прогре- диентности заболевания у ликвидаторов, формировании у них хронического ишемического состояния мозга и явлений атрофии. Особое место в клинической картине занимают микропароксизмальные рас- стройства, регистрируемые на различных уровнях организации психической деятельности

Background free search for neutrinoless double beta decay with GERDA Phase II

The Standard Model of particle physics cannot explain the dominance of matter over anti-matter in our Universe. In many model extensions this is a very natural consequence of neutrinos being their own anti-particles (Majorana particles) which implies that a lepton number violating radioactive decay named neutrinoless double beta ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay should exist. The detection of this extremely rare hypothetical process requires utmost suppression of any kind of backgrounds. The GERDA collaboration searches for $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay of $^{76}$Ge (^{76}\rm{Ge} \rightarrow\,^{76}\rm{Se} + 2e^-) by operating bare detectors made from germanium with enriched $^{76}$Ge fraction in liquid argon. Here, we report on first data of GERDA Phase II. A background level of $\approx10^{-3}$ cts/(keV$\cdot$kg$\cdot$yr) has been achieved which is the world-best if weighted by the narrow energy-signal region of germanium detectors. Combining Phase I and II data we find no signal and deduce a new lower limit for the half-life of $5.3\cdot10^{25}$ yr at 90 % C.L. Our sensitivity of $4.0\cdot10^{25}$ yr is competitive with the one of experiments with significantly larger isotope mass. GERDA is the first $0\nu\beta\beta$ experiment that will be background-free up to its design exposure. This progress relies on a novel active veto system, the superior germanium detector energy resolution and the improved background recognition of our new detectors. The unique discovery potential of an essentially background-free search for $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay motivates a larger germanium experiment with higher sensitivity.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 1 table; ; data, figures and images available at http://www.mpi-hd.mpg/gerda/publi

2νββ2\nu\beta\beta decay of 76^{76}Ge into excited states with GERDA Phase I

Two neutrino double beta decay of $^{76}$Ge to excited states of $^{76}$Se has been studied using data from Phase I of the GERDA experiment. An array composed of up to 14 germanium detectors including detectors that have been isotopically enriched in $^{76}$Ge was deployed in liquid argon. The analysis of various possible transitions to excited final states is based on coincidence events between pairs of detectors where a de-excitation $\gamma$ ray is detected in one detector and the two electrons in the other. No signal has been observed and an event counting profile likelihood analysis has been used to determine Frequentist 90\,\% C.L. bounds for three transitions: ${0^+_{\rm g.s.}-2^+_1}$: $T^{2\nu}_{1/2}>$1.6$\cdot10^{23}$ yr, ${0^+_{\rm g.s.}-0^+_1}$: $T^{2\nu}_{1/2}>$3.7$\cdot10^{23}$ yr and ${0^+_{\rm g.s.}-2^+_2}$: $T^{2\nu}_{1/2}>$2.3$\cdot10^{23}$ yr. These bounds are more than two orders of magnitude larger than those reported previously. Bayesian 90\,\% credibility bounds were extracted and used to exclude several models for the ${0^+_{\rm g.s.}-0^+_1}$ transition

Results on ββ\beta\beta decay with emission of two neutrinos or Majorons in 76^{76}Ge from GERDA Phase I

A search for neutrinoless $\beta\beta$ decay processes accompanied with Majoron emission has been performed using data collected during Phase I of the GERmanium Detector Array (GERDA) experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN (Italy). Processes with spectral indices n = 1, 2, 3, 7 were searched for. No signals were found and lower limits of the order of 10$^{23}$ yr on their half-lives were derived, yielding substantially improved results compared to previous experiments with $^{76}$Ge. A new result for the half-life of the neutrino-accompanied $\beta\beta$ decay of $^{76}$Ge with significantly reduced uncertainties is also given, resulting in $T^{2\nu}_{1/2} = (1.926 \pm 0.095)\cdot10^{21}$ yr.Comment: 3 Figure