Plasma neurofilament light chain protein is not increased in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and first-degree relatives

Objective: Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, is often associated with cognitive, neurological and neuroimaging abnormalities. The processes underlying these abnormalities, and whether a subset of people with schizophrenia have a neuroprogressive or neurodegenerative component to schizophrenia, remain largely unknown. Examining fluid biomarkers of diverse types of neuronal damage could increase our understanding of these processes, as well as potentially provide clinically useful biomarkers, for example with assisting with differentiation from progressive neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer and frontotemporal dementias. Methods: This study measured plasma neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) using ultrasensitive Simoa technology, to investigate the degree of neuronal injury in a well-characterised cohort of people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia on clozapine (n = 82), compared to first-degree relatives (an at-risk group, n = 37), people with schizophrenia not treated with clozapine (n = 13), and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 59). Results: We found no differences in NfL levels between treatment-resistant schizophrenia (mean NfL, M = 6.3 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [5.5, 7.2]), first-degree relatives (siblings, M = 6.7 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [5.2, 8.2]; parents, M after adjusting for age = 6.7 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [4.7, 8.8]), controls (M = 5.8 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [5.3, 6.3]) and not treated with clozapine (M = 4.9 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [4.0, 5.8]). Exploratory, hypothesis-generating analyses found weak correlations in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, between NfL and clozapine levels (Spearman’s r = 0.258, 95% confidence interval: [0.034, 0.457]), dyslipidaemia (r = 0.280, 95% confidence interval: [0.064, 0.470]) and a negative correlation with weight (r = −0.305, 95% confidence interval: [−0.504, −0.076]). Conclusion: Treatment-resistant schizophrenia does not appear to be associated with neuronal, particularly axonal degeneration. Further studies are warranted to investigate the utility of NfL to differentiate treatment-resistant schizophrenia from neurodegenerative disorders such as behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, and to explore NfL in other stages of schizophrenia such as the prodome and first episode

Neurovascular unit dysfunction with blood-brain barrier hyperpermeability contributes to major depressive disorder: a review of clinical and experimental evidence

About one-third of people with major depressive disorder (MDD) fail at least two antidepressant drug trials at 1 year. Together with clinical and experimental evidence indicating that the pathophysiology of MDD is multifactorial, this observation underscores the importance of elucidating mechanisms beyond monoaminergic dysregulation that can contribute to the genesis and persistence of MDD. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are mechanistically linked to the presence of neurovascular dysfunction with blood-brain barrier (BBB) hyperpermeability in selected neurological disorders, such as stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer’s disease. In contrast to other major psychiatric disorders, MDD is frequently comorbid with such neurological disorders and constitutes an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality in disorders characterized by vascular endothelial dysfunction (cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus). Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are implicated in the neurobiology of MDD. More recent evidence links neurovascular dysfunction with BBB hyperpermeability to MDD without neurological comorbidity. We review this emerging literature and present a theoretical integration between these abnormalities to those involving oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in MDD. We discuss our hypothesis that alterations in endothelial nitric oxide levels and endothelial nitric oxide synthase uncoupling are central mechanistic links in this regard. Understanding the contribution of neurovascular dysfunction with BBB hyperpermeability to the pathophysiology of MDD may help to identify novel therapeutic and preventative approaches

On the Prediction of Floods Caused by Rainfall in the Area of Action of the Meteorological Radar “Meteor 735CDP10”

Meteorological radar “METEOR 735CDP10” manufactured by “SELEX” (Germany) has been used since 2015 in the operational work of the anti-hail service of Georgia (indication of radar parameters for active exposure to hail dangerous and hail clouds - maximum reflectivity of clouds, height of maximum reflectivity, maximum cloud height, the size of hailstones in the cloud, etc.). Work is carried out in the Kakheti region of Georgia. The working radius of the radar in this case is 100-120 km and covers the entire territory of Kakheti. Season of the anti-hail works continues from April to October. The radar also allows you to determine the intensity of liquid precipitation, and when fixing in its computer program the coordinates of the area where floods often occur during rainfall, it is possibility forecasting these floods. Moreover, out the season of anti-hail works, the radius of the radar can be increased to 200 km and almost cover almost the entire territory of Eastern Georgia. The paper provides a map of points with recurring floods during rainfall in Eastern Georgia and examples of comparing radar data on precipitation intensity with flood data at these points. The accumulation of this information will allow creating an algorithm for flood forecasting in Eastern Georgia based on the results of radar monitoring of the precipitation intensity

Hail Storms in Georgia in 2016-2018

The analysis of the data of the Georgian Environment Agency on the incidents of hail in Georgia and damage from them in 2016-2018 is presented. The greatest number of days with hail for the indicated three years was recorded in Kakheti (32 days with hail, 90 locations subjected to hail), the smallest - in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti (one day with hail, 1 subjected to hail locations). A map of hail cases has been built

For the Methodology of Environmental Monitoring and Expertise in Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is called the appearance in it of new, uncharacteristic agents that have a negative impact on its processes and on the vital activity of organisms associated with it. Air pollution is one of the most dangerous in the biosphere, since the atmospheric air, due to its low density, is capable of dispersing toxic substances over long distances. The growth of atmospheric pollution in the last century is the result of a complex of environmental factors. First of all, these are factors of natural origin. Among them, the leading role is played by volcanic activity, vital activity of organisms, wind erosion, precipitation and fires. The factors of technogenic origin include the development of energy and metallurgy, transport, burning of fossil fuels, production and use of fertilizers, extraction and processing of oil and gas, chemical synthesis, radioactive emissions, as well as industrial accidents and disasters. The presented data are related to the methodologies of monitoring and disaster risk reduction and is the main purpose of the article

On Climate Change Mitigation Measures in Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metallurgy (General Analysis)

The role of metallurgical carbothermal production processes in the problem of global emission and accumulation of greenhouse gases is analyzed and highlighted. Hence, one of the effective measures to mitigate climate change are identified the need to reduce the risk of carbon sequestration of reactive raw materials (coke, coal, anthracite) to atmospheric oxygen, - reducing of its premature burnout, - reducing of carbon mono- and dioxide emissions, and increasing the degree of carbon beneficial use. The main ways and methods of this problem solving are described. A rational way of solving it are suggested to temporarily passivate the surface of carbonaceous raw materials using such fine-grained metallurgical wastes as industrial oxide-containing dust or sludge

Термодинамический анализ взаимодействия компонент системы Cr-Si-O-C и его экологические аспекты

კვლევის მიზანია ქრომიანი შენადნობების პირომეტალურგიული წარმოების ტექნოლოგიური რეჟიმების ოპტიმიზაცია. შესრულებულია Cr-Si-O-C სისტემის სრული თერმოდინამიკური ანალიზი შემდეგი შედგენილობებისათვის: 1) Cr2O3 + 0,5 SiO2 + 4 C 3) Cr2O3 + 2,5 SiO2 + 8 C 2) Cr2O3 + 1,5 SiO2 + 6 C 4) Cr2O3 + 4,0 SiO2 + 11C თერმოდინამიკური ანალიზის ძირითადი შედეგები წარმოდგენილია დიაგრამების სახით, ტემპერატურული ინტერვალისათვის 800-2000 K. დადგენილია, რომ საკვლევი ოქსიდური კომპონენტების ურთიერთრეაგირების ოპტიმალური ტემპერატურული ინტერვალი მდებარეობს 1700-2000 K ზღვრებში, ხოლო კომპონენტების Cr2O3-SiO2-C ოპტიმალური თანაფარდობაა 1:1.5:6. აღნიშნულია, რომ კვლევის შედეგების პრაქტიკული რეალიზაციით შესაძლებელია ქრომშემცველი ნედლეულის სასარგებლო ათვისების მაჩვენებლის მნიშვნელოვნი გაუმჯობესება და გარემოზე მავნე ზემოქმედების შემცირება.The objective of the research is to optimize the technological modes of pyrometallurgical production of chromium alloys. Complete thermodynamic analysis of Cr-Si-0-C system was carried out for the following compounds: 1) Cr2O3 + 0,5 SiO2 + 4 C 3) Cr2O3 + 2,5 SiO2 + 8 C 2) Cr2O3 + 1,5 SiO2 + 6 C 4) Cr2O3 + 4,0 SiO2 + 11C The basic results for all compounds are presented in the form of diagrams (dependence of components content at temperature range (800-2000K). It is determined that the optimal temperature range for the interaction of the researched oxide components is in the range of 1700-2000 K, and the optimal ratio of Cr2O3 + SiO2 + C components is 1:1.5:6. It is emphasazed that the practical implementation of research results can significantly improve the rate of utilization of chromium-containing raw materials and reduce the impact on the environment.Цель исследования - оптимизация технологических режимов пирометаллургического производства хромовых сплавов. Полный термодинамический анализ системы Cr-Si-0-C был проведен для следующих соединений: 1) Cr2O3 + 0,5 SiO2 + 4 C 3) Cr2O3 + 2,5 SiO2 + 8 C 2) Cr2O3 + 1,5 SiO2 + 6 C 4) Cr2O3 + 4,0 SiO2 + 11C Основные результаты для всех соединений представлены в виде диаграмм (зависимость содержания компонент в диапазоне температур (800-2000 К). Определено, что оптимальный температурный диапазон взаимодействия исследуемых оксидных компонент находится в диапазоне 1700 - 2000 К, а оптимальное соотношение компонент Cr2O3 + SiO2 + C составляет 1:1.5:6. Отмечается, что практическая реализация результатов исследований позволяет значительно повысить коэффициент использования хромсодержащего сырья и снизить его влияние на окружающую среду