Memory Effects and Scaling Laws in Slowly Driven Systems

This article deals with dynamical systems depending on a slowly varying parameter. We present several physical examples illustrating memory effects, such as metastability and hysteresis, which frequently appear in these systems. A mathematical theory is outlined, which allows to show existence of hysteresis cycles, and determine related scaling laws.Comment: 28 pages (AMS-LaTeX), 18 PS figure

Noise studies of magnetization dynamics in dilute magnetic semiconductor heterostructures

We study theoretically and experimentally the frequency and temperature dependence of resistivity noise in semiconductor heterostructures delta-doped by Mn. The resistivity noise is observed to be non-monotonous as a function of frequency. As a function of temperature, the noise increases by two orders of magnitude for a resistivity increase of about 50%. We study two possible sources of resistivity noise -- dynamic spin fluctuations and charge fluctuations, and find that dynamic spin fluctuations are more relevant for the observed noise data. The frequency and temperature dependence of resistivity noise provide important information on the nature of the magnetic interactions. In particular, we show how noise measurements can help resolve a long standing debate on whether the Mn-doped GaAs is an p-d Zener/RKKY or double exchange ferromagnet. Our analysis includes the effect of different kinds of disorder such as spin-glass type of interactions and a site-dilution type of disorder. We find that the resistivity noise in these structures is well described by a disordered RKKY ferromagnet model dynamics with a conserved order parameter.Comment: 15 pages, 7 eps figures, published versio

Protestant women in the late Soviet era: gender, authority, and dissent

At the peak of the anti-religious campaigns under Nikita Khrushchev, communist propaganda depicted women believers as either naïve dupes, tricked by the clergy, or as depraved fanatics; the Protestant “sektantka” (female sectarian) was a particularly prominent folk-devil. In fact, as this article shows, women’s position within Protestant communities was far more complex than either of these mythical figures would have one believe. The authors explore four important, but contested, female roles: women as leaders of worship, particularly in remote congregations where female believers vastly outnumbered their male counterparts; women as unofficial prophetesses, primarily within Pentecostal groups; women as mothers, replenishing congregations through high birth rates and commitment to their children’s religious upbringing; and women as political actors in the defence of religious rights. Using a wide range of sources, which include reports written by state officials, articles in the church journal, letters from church members to their ecclesiastical leaders in Moscow, samizdat texts, and oral history accounts, the authors probe women’s relationship with authority, in terms of both the authority of the (male) ministry within the church, and the authority of the Soviet state

Erratum to : Analysis of the mitochondrial maxicircle of Trypanosoma lewisi, a neglected human pathogen

BACKGROUND The haemoflagellate Trypanosoma lewisi is a kinetoplastid parasite which, as it has been recently reported to cause human disease, deserves increased attention. Characteristic features of all kinetoplastid flagellates are a uniquely structured mitochondrial DNA or kinetoplast, comprised of a network of catenated DNA circles, and RNA editing of mitochondrial transcripts. The aim of this study was to describe the kinetoplast DNA of T. lewisi. METHODS/RESULTS In this study, purified kinetoplast DNA from T. lewisi was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing in combination with sequencing of PCR amplicons. This allowed the assembly of the T. lewisi kinetoplast maxicircle DNA, which is a homologue of the mitochondrial genome in other eukaryotes. The assembly of 23,745 bp comprises the non-coding and coding regions. Comparative analysis of the maxicircle sequence of T. lewisi with Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma rangeli, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania tarentolae revealed that it shares 78 %, 77 %, 74 % and 66 % sequence identity with these parasites, respectively. The high GC content in at least 9 maxicircle genes of T. lewisi (ATPase6; NADH dehydrogenase subunits ND3, ND7, ND8 and ND9; G-rich regions GR3 and GR4; cytochrome oxidase subunit COIII and ribosomal protein RPS12) implies that their products may be extensively edited. A detailed analysis of the non-coding region revealed that it contains numerous repeat motifs and palindromes. CONCLUSIONS We have sequenced and comprehensively annotated the kinetoplast maxicircle of T. lewisi. Our analysis reveals that T. lewisi is closely related to T. cruzi and T. brucei, and may share similar RNA editing patterns with them rather than with L. tarentolae. These findings provide novel insight into the biological features of this emerging human pathogen

Exposure from the Chernobyl accident had adverse effects on erythrocytes, leukocytes, and, platelets in children in the Narodichesky region, Ukraine: A 6-year follow-up study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>After the Chernobyl nuclear accident on April 26, 1986, all children in the contaminated territory of the Narodichesky region, Zhitomir Oblast, Ukraine, were obliged to participate in a yearly medical examination. We present the results from these examinations for the years 1993 to 1998. Since the hematopoietic system is an important target, we investigated the association between residential soil density of ¹³⁷Caesium (¹³⁷Cs) and hemoglobin concentration, and erythrocyte, platelet, and leukocyte counts in 1,251 children, using 4,989 repeated measurements taken from 1993 to 1998.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Soil contamination measurements from 38 settlements were used as exposures. Blood counts were conducted using the same auto-analyzer in all investigations for all years. We used linear mixed models to compensate for the repeated measurements of each child over the six year period. We estimated the adjusted means for all markers, controlling for potential confounders.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data show a statistically significant reduction in red and white blood cell counts, platelet counts and hemoglobin with increasing residential ¹³⁷Cs soil contamination. Over the six-year observation period, hematologic markers did improve. In children with the higher exposure who were born before the accident, this improvement was more pronounced for platelet counts, and less for red blood cells and hemoglobin. There was no exposure×time interaction for white blood cell counts and not in 702 children who were born after the accident. The initial exposure gradient persisted in this sub-sample of children.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study is the first longitudinal analysis from a large cohort of children after the Chernobyl accident. The findings suggest persistent adverse hematological effects associated with residential ¹³⁷Cs exposure.</p

РОССИЙСКОЕ РЕСПИРАТОРНОЕ ОБЩЕСТВО ФЕДЕРАЛЬНЫЕ КЛИНИЧЕСКИЕ РЕКОМЕНДАЦИИ ПО ДИАГНОСТИКЕ И ЛЕЧЕНИЮ БРОНХИАЛЬНОЙ АСТМЫ

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease with bronchial hyperresponsivenes causing recurrent episodes of wheezing, dyspnea, chest tightness and cough which typically occur at nighttime or early in the morning. These episodes are due to generalized airway obstruction which is commonly reversible spontaneously or with treatment. Asthma is mainly diagnosed clinically and should be based on the patient's symptoms and signs, lung function testing with investigations of bronchial obstruction reversibility, allergy testing and after exclusion of other diseases. The aim of asthma therapy is achievement and maintenance of asthma control that is maximal resolution of clinical symptoms of the disease.Бронхиальная астма (БА) – хроническое воспалительное заболевание дыхательных путей с развитием бронхиальной гиперреактивности, которая обусловливает повторяющиеся эпизоды свистящих хрипов, одышки, чувства заложенности в груди и кашля, в особенности по ночам или ранним утром. Эти эпизоды связаны с распространенной обструкцией дыхательных путей, которая часто бывает обратимой спонтанно или под влиянием лечения. Диагноз БА является клиническим и устанавливается на основании жалоб и анамнеза пациента, клинико-функционального обследования с оценкой обратимости бронхиальной обструкции, специфического аллергологического обследования и при исключении других заболеваний. Целью лечения стабильной БА является достижение и поддержание контроля над симптомами БА, другими словами, максимальное устранение клинических проявлений заболевания

Генетическая характеристика больных муковисцидозом в Российской Федерации по данным Национального регистра (2014)

The aim of this study was to investigate genetic features of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) according to the National Register findings in Russia. Methods. The study involved 2,131 CF patients living in 74 regions of Russia who were included in the National Register of CF patients in 2014. Results. Genetic testing was performed in 89% of patients. The total mutant allele frequency was 81.2%. One hundred and twenty two mutations were found which comprised 173 genotypes; «mild» mutations took 23%. The most common mutant allele frequencies in the descending order were as follows: F508del, 51.53%; СFTRdele2,3, 5.93%; E92K, 2.62%; 3849+10kbC&gt;T, 2.14%; 2184insA, 1.80%; W1282X, 1.80%; 2143delT, 1.69 %; N1303K, 1.43%; G542X, 1.16%; 1677delTA, 0.98%; L138ins, 0.95%; R334W, 0.85%; 394delTT, 0.85%; 3821delT, 0.42%; 2789+5G&gt;A, 0.37%; S466X, 0.37%; S1196X, 0.37%; 3272-16T&gt;A, 0.34%; W1282R, 0.29%; 3944delGT, 0.21%. Typical features of CFTR mutation distribution in Russian CF patients were lower frequency of mutations which are predominant worldwide, such as F508del, G542X, N1303K, and scarce G551D, 1717-1G&gt;A, 2183AA&gt;G mutations. On contrary, СFTRdele2,3, E92K, 2184insA, 2143delT, 1677delTA, L138ins mutations which are quite rare in Western Europe were encountered more often in Russia. «Mild» mutations were more common in Russian population of CF patients compared to European countries and have being increasing last years. Conclusion. Genetic features of Russian CF patients could be provided by Slavic, Turkic and Finno-Ugric genetic influence on Russian population.Генетическому разнообразию больных муковисцидозом (МВ) в России посвящены единичные работы на ограниченной выборке больных. Цель. Выявление особенностей генетического профиля больных МВ в России по данным Национального регистра (2014). Материалы и методы. Данные пациентов с МВ (n = 2 131) из 74 регионов России, включенные в Национальный регистр больных МВ (2014). Результаты. Генетическое обследование проведено у 89,0 % больных, суммарная аллельная частота выявленных мутаций составила 81,2 %. Выявлено 122 мутации, которые сформировали 173 различных генотипа, среди которых доля «мягких» генотипов составила 23,0 %. Аллельная частота самых распространенных мутаций представлена в порядке убывания: F508del – 51,53 %, СFTRdele2,3 – 5,93 %, E92K – 2,62 %, 3849+10kbC&gt;T – 2,14 %, 2184insA – 1,80 %, W1282X – 1,80 %, 2143delT – 1,69 %, N1303K – 1,43 %, G542X – 1,16 %, 1677delTA – 0,98 %, L138ins – 0,95 %, R334W – 0,85 %, 394delTT – 0,85 %, 3821delT – 0,42 %, 2789+5G&gt;A – 0,37 %, S466X – 0,37 %, S1196X – 0,37 %, 3272-16T&gt;A – 0,34 %, W1282R – 0,29 %, 3944delGT – 0,21 %. Выявлено, что особенностями распределения мутаций. CFTRсреди российских больных МВ являются меньшая частота доминирующих в мире мутаций, таких как F508del, G542X, N1303K, единичная встречаемость мутаций G551D, 1717-1G&gt;A, 2183AA&gt;G и наоборот – более высокая частота мутаций, являющихся относительно редкими в западноевропейских странах: СFTRdele2,3, E92K, 2184insA, 2143delT, 1677delTA, L138ins. Другой особенностью является более высокая встречаемость «мягких» мутаций в России по сравнению со странами Европы. Выявлено, что доля «мягких» мутаций в популяции больных МВ на протяжении последних лет увеличивается. Заключение. При формировании населения России особенности генетического профиля российских больных МВ определяются славянскими, тюркскими и финно-угорскими влияниями