Researchers on ice? How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Antarctic researchers

The COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic-related measures have impacted the lives and work-related activities of Antarctic researchers. To explore these impacts, we designed, piloted and disseminated an online survey in English, Russian, Spanish and Chinese in late 2020 and early 2021. The survey explored how the pandemic affected the productivity of Antarctic researchers, their career prospects and their mental wellbeing. Findings exposed patterns of inequities. For instance, of the 406 unique responses to the survey, women appeared to have been affected more adversely than men, especially in relation to mental health, and early-career researchers were disadvantaged more than their mid- or late-career colleagues. Overall, a third of the research participants reported at least one major negative impact from the pandemic on their mental health. Approximately half of the participants also mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic had some positive effects, especially in terms of the advantages that working from home brought and opportunities to attend events, network or benefit from training workshops online. We conclude with a series of recommendations for science administrators and policymakers to mitigate the most serious adverse impacts of the pandemic on Antarctic research communities, with implications for other contexts where scientific activities are conducted under extreme circumstances

АКТИВНАЯ РЕАБСОРБЦИЯ КАЛЬЦИЯ ПОСЛЕ АЛЛОТРАНСПЛАНТАЦИИ ПОЧКИ

Active calcium and sodium reabsorption (ACR, SR) examination was performed in 125 renal recipients (RR) [78 with good renal function (GRF), 26 with chronic rejection(CR), 21 with cyclosporine nephrotoxity(CN)], 18 with bronchial asthma (36 estimation) receiving for a long time glucocorticoid therapy (EG) and 16 – with chronic renal disease in the initial stage of renal insufficiency (CRD). It was revealed elevated level of ACR in all patients being maximal in triple immunosupression therapy (cyclosporine, prednisolone, azathioprine) and minimal in double (prednisolone, azathioprine) therapy both in GRF and CR. There was reliable linear inversely proportional dependence between ACR and SR in all recipients receiving triple immunosupression and EG patients with analogous regression coefficient and free article. The latter was lower in group of health voluntaries. ACR value did not depend on parathyroid hormone level in all groups of patients. In summary elevated ACR in RR is the result of low SR and high glucocorticoid level in blood and did not depend on PTH. Активная реабсорбция кальция (АРК) у 78 реципиентов аллотрансплантированной почки (АТП) при ее удовлетворительной функции (УФП), у 26 при хроническом отторжении (ХОТ), у 21 при нефротоксичнос- ти циклоспорина (ЦиАнт) и у 18 больных бронхиальной астмой на фоне длительной стероидной терапии (ЭГК) оказалась выше, чем у здоровых (n = 103). АРК была максимальной при ЭГК, УФТ и ХОТ на фоне трехкомпонентной иммуносупрессии (циклоспорин, преднизолон, азатиоприн; ТКИ) и достоверно выше, чем при двухкомпонентной (преднизолон, азатиоприн). На фоне ТКИ при УФТ, ХОТ и ЦиАнт, а также при ЭГК выявлены не связанные с уровнем ПТГ в крови достоверные прямые линейные корреляции между АРК и Т-критерием CNa/GFR с аналогичными коэффициентами и свободными членами уравнения рег- рессии. Усиление АРК после АТП, видимо, обусловлено глюкокортикоидной терапией и осуществляется в обмен на снижение реабсорбции натрия.

РАЗРАБОТКА МЕТОДА ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ ГРАДИЕНТНОЙ И АКТИВНОЙ РЕАБСОРБЦИИ КАЛЬЦИЯ ДЛЯ ОЦЕНКИ ФУНКЦИИ ПЕРЕСАЖЕННОЙ ПОЧКИ

The dependence between minute calcium and sodium excretion from 1 L glomerular filtrate (CaE/GFR; NaE/GFR) with NaE/GFR from 0,1 to 9,71 mmol/l GFR was studied in 103 health volunteers. There was received asymptotique curve with r2 = 0,54; Y = 0,06 [1 – exp (–x/2,34)]. The nomogramm with confidence intervals of 95% was built. On the basis of renal physiology it was offered differentiate gradual (to electrochemical gradiate created by sodium reabsorbtion) and active calcium reabsorbtion. It was assumed that gradual calcium reabsorbtion is equel to sodium reabsorbtion and may be estimate by NaE/GFR, CNa/GFR. We considered that active calcium reabsorbtion is normal if the correlation between CaE/GFR and NaE/GFR is inside being decreased if the correlation is higher and increased if the correlation is lower probable intervals. We proposed T-score CaE/GFR as the quantative parameter of active calcium reabsorbtion. It varied in health volunteers from –1,74 to +2,15. The method was applied in 236 recipients of allotransplanted kidney. На материале исследования 103 здоровых добровольцев проанализировано соотношение между минут- ными экскрециями кальция и натрия из 1 л клубочкового фильтрата (CaE/GFR, NaE/GFR) при NaE/GFR от 0,1 до 9,71 ммоль/л. Установлено, что соотношение описывается асимптотической кривой с r2 = 0,54; Yx = 0,06 [1 – exp (–x/2,34)]. Построена номограмма с доверительными интервалами (95%). Исходя из физиологических данных о двух механизмах реабсорбции кальция – градиентном (ГР) по градиенту, со- здаваемому реабсорбцией натрия, и активном (АР), – предложено на основе номограммы анализировать их состояние: ГР – на основании величины NaE/GFR, а АР – на основании направленности и степени отклонений от кривой у здоровых. Предложено количественно оценивать состояние АР реабсорбции кальция на основании Т-критерия (у здоровых –1,75 – +2,15) . Проанализировано состояние ГР и АР у 236 реципиентов трансплантированной почки.

МИНЕРАЛЬНАЯ ПЛОТНОСТЬ КОСТИ ПОСЛЕ ПЕРЕСАДКИ ПЕЧЕНИ

Bone mineral density (BMD) was estimated twice in 18 recipents of ortotopic liver transplantation. There was decreased BMD in axial so as in peripheral skeleton in early time and in vertebral or hip Ward triangle in late time following transplantation being lower in primary biliary cirrosis then in cirrosis following chronic virus hepatitis despite tacrolimus immunosupression without prednisolon. Tacrolimus immunosupression with prednisolon in primary biliary cirrosis patients in late postoperative time was associated with hard BMD lowering which correlated with glucocorticoid therapy duration and prednisolon cumulative dosis. Минеральная плотность костной ткани (МПК) исследована повторно у 18 пациентов (36 наблюдений) после ортотопической трансплантации печени (ОТП). У реципиентов с первичным билиарным циррозом (ПБЦ) и с циррозом печени в исходе хронических вирусных гепатитов на фоне лечения такролимусом (без преднизолона) МПК в ранние сроки после ОТП снижена в области и осевого, и периферического скелета, притом у реципиентов с ПБЦ в достоверно большей степени, а в отдаленные сроки – только в поясничных позвонках или в треугольнике Варда. Иммуносупрессия такролимусом в комбинации с преднизолоном у реципиентов с ПБЦ в отдаленные сроки после ОТП ассоциируется со значительным снижением МПК во всех отделах скелета, выраженность которого определяется продолжительностью терапии преднизолоном и его кумулятивными дозами.

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Cognitive Function: Are Prostaglandins at the Heart of Cognitive Impairment in Dementia and Delirium ?

Studies of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in rheumatoid arthritis imply that inflammation is important in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, these drugs have not alleviated the symptoms of AD in those who have already developed dementia. This suggests that the primary mediator targeted by these drugs, PGE2, is not actively suppressing memory function in AD. Amyloid-β oligomers appear to be important for the mild cognitive changes seen in AD transgenic mice, yet amyloid immunotherapy has also proven unsuccessful in clinical trials. Collectively, these findings indicate that NSAIDs may target a prodromal process in mice that has already passed in those diagnosed with AD, and that synaptic and neuronal loss are key determinants of cognitive dysfunction in AD. While the role of inflammation has not yet become clear, inflammatory processes definitely have a negative impact on cognitive function during episodes of delirium during dementia. Delirium is an acute and profound impairment of cognitive function frequently occurring in aged and demented patients exposed to systemic inflammatory insults, which is now recognised to contribute to long-term cognitive decline. Recent work in animal models is beginning to shed light on the interactions between systemic inflammation and CNS pathology in these acute exacerbations of dementia. This review will assess the role of prostaglandin synthesis in the memory impairments observed in dementia and delirium and will examine the relative contribution of amyloid, synaptic and neuronal loss. We will also discuss how understanding the role of inflammatory mediators in delirious episodes will have major implications for ameliorating the rate of decline in the demented population

ACTIVE CALCIUM REABSORPTION FOLLOWING KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Active calcium and sodium reabsorption (ACR, SR) examination was performed in 125 renal recipients (RR) [78 with good renal function (GRF), 26 with chronic rejection(CR), 21 with cyclosporine nephrotoxity(CN)], 18 with bronchial asthma (36 estimation) receiving for a long time glucocorticoid therapy (EG) and 16 – with chronic renal disease in the initial stage of renal insufficiency (CRD). It was revealed elevated level of ACR in all patients being maximal in triple immunosupression therapy (cyclosporine, prednisolone, azathioprine) and minimal in double (prednisolone, azathioprine) therapy both in GRF and CR. There was reliable linear inversely proportional dependence between ACR and SR in all recipients receiving triple immunosupression and EG patients with analogous regression coefficient and free article. The latter was lower in group of health voluntaries. ACR value did not depend on parathyroid hormone level in all groups of patients. In summary elevated ACR in RR is the result of low SR and high glucocorticoid level in blood and did not depend on PTH

ELABORATION OF METHOD FOR GRADIENT AND ACTIVE CALCIUM RENAL REABSORBTION DEFINITION FOR FUNCTIONAL ESTIMATION OF TRANSPLANTED KIDNEY

The dependence between minute calcium and sodium excretion from 1 L glomerular filtrate (CaE/GFR; NaE/GFR) with NaE/GFR from 0,1 to 9,71 mmol/l GFR was studied in 103 health volunteers. There was received asymptotique curve with r2 = 0,54; Y = 0,06 [1 – exp (–x/2,34)]. The nomogramm with confidence intervals of 95% was built. On the basis of renal physiology it was offered differentiate gradual (to electrochemical gradiate created by sodium reabsorbtion) and active calcium reabsorbtion. It was assumed that gradual calcium reabsorbtion is equel to sodium reabsorbtion and may be estimate by NaE/GFR, CNa/GFR. We considered that active calcium reabsorbtion is normal if the correlation between CaE/GFR and NaE/GFR is inside being decreased if the correlation is higher and increased if the correlation is lower probable intervals. We proposed T-score CaE/GFR as the quantative parameter of active calcium reabsorbtion. It varied in health volunteers from –1,74 to +2,15. The method was applied in 236 recipients of allotransplanted kidney

BIOCHEMICAL BONE MARKERS AS PREDICTORS OF BONE LOSSES FOLLOWING LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

24 recipients after ortotopic liver transplantation (9 women and 5 men) 18–57 years aged were studied in 1–2 and then through 4–18 months following operation. Bone mineral density (BMD) in repeated estimation in 13 recipients was elevated on 14 ± 10,5% and in 11 recipients was decreased on 2,5 ± 2,56%. BMD elevation was associated with bone remodelling normalization. BMD lowering followed transplant dysfunction, glucocorticoid therapy, bone resorption increasing and bone formation suppression