Lymphocyte count in peripheral blood is a sensitive tool in pretreatment assessment of patients with urological cancer

Cancer, inflammation and immune surveillance recruit lymphocytes as common key cellular players. The aim of the study was to assess a utility of the absolute and relative lymphocyte counts (ALC and RLC) in peripheral blood of patients with urological cancer as sensitive tool in pretreatment assessment of patient, which correlates with postoperative outcome of the disease, and outlines the overall reactivity of the patient. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied correlation between lymphocyte count in peripheral blood of the patients with urological cancer (n = 789) and number of clinical parameters: cancer localization, stage of the disease, treatment outcome, complications. Mann — Whitney two-tailed test and logistic regression models were used. Results: Lymphocyte counts (both absolute and relative) correlate with the cancer stage, and status of the disease, allowing differentiate patients with urological cancer, from healthy individuals, and from the cancer patients after radical surgery. In patients with kidney and bladder cancer, lymphocyte count allowed differentiate the stages of the disease. Lower rate of the reactivity of the patient to the cancer treatment is accurately predicted by the ALC and RLC: those in highest quartile for lymphocytes count have shorter postoperative recovery. Patients in lowest quartile demonstrated worst postoperative performance, including cases of early postoperative mortality due to weak somatic status. Conclusion: The study presents evidence that pretreatment lymphocyte count in the peripheral blood of patients with urological cancer is a sensitive marker of cancer stage, and the reactivity of the patient to the cancer treatment, which can be used in the pretreatment assessment of the patient. Key Words: urological cancer, lymphocytes, postoperative morbidity, reactivity, immune status assessment, treatment outcome

Dynamic changes of Au/ZnO catalysts during methanol synthesis: A model study by temporal analysis of products (TAP) and Zn L_III near Edge X-Ray absorption spectroscopy

Small gold nanoparticles supported on ZnO have been identified as highly active and selective catalysts for the green synthesis of methanol from CO2 and H2. Furthermore, they can serve also a model system for the mechanistic understanding of methanol synthesis on the industrial Cu/ZnO catalyst. The dynamic changes in the structure of Au/ZnO upon exposure to methanol synthesis gas mixtures were studied using a combination of TAP reactor and near edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES) measurements at the Zn LIII edge, both in CO2/H2 and CO/H2 gas mixtures. TAP measurements indicated that CO can create significant amounts of O-vacancy defects in ZnO at 240°C, while CO2 can re-oxidize a pre-reduced catalyst or maintain this state in the presence of s trongly reducing gases (CO and H2). Furthermore, CO2 present as reactant or resulting from the reactive removal of surface lattice oxygen by interaction with CO can be deposited on the pre-reduced Au/ZnO surface as stable adsorbed carbon containing species, e.g., as surface carbonates, which decompose at T≥250°C. In situ XANES measurements at the Zn LIII edge revealed that ZnO is significantly reduced during reaction, both in CO2/H2 and CO/H2 gas mixtures, but with the extent of the reduction being more pronounced in CO/H2 than in CO2/H2. These results will be critically discussed in the light of previous findings on the role of ZnO reduction in the activity of methanol synthesis catalysts

ИММУНОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ХРОНИЧЕСКОГО ПОСТТРАВМАТИЧЕСКОГО ОСТЕОМИЕЛИТА

A comparative study of cellular immunity parameters was performed in patients with long bone chronic posttraumatic osteomyelitis in regard to osteomyelitis stages. Thirty patients with the fistulous form of long bone chronic posttraumatic osteomyelitis and 13 patients with long bone chronic posttraumatic osteomyelitis in the remission stage were examined using laser flow citometry. It was revealed that a moderate leukocytosis, increased monocyte and neutrophile absolute number as well as increased CD25 and HLA-DR-positive T-lymphocyte number are typical for chronic osteomyelitis regardless of the pathological process stages. The remission stage in patients with chronic posttraumatic osteomyelitis is accompanied by moderate activation of humoral immunity (increased B-lymphocyte (CD19+) number and increased production of IgG). The decrease in the peripheral blood lymphocyte number and well as reduction of HLA-DR expression on monocytes creates prerequisites for the development of fistulous osteomyelitis form and can be an indication for administering the preparations of immunomodulating action.Проведён сравнительный анализ показателей клеточного иммунитета у пациентов с хроническим остеомиелитом длинных костей в зависимости от стадии заболевания. Методом лазерной проточной цитометрии обследовано 30 больных со свищевой формой хронического посттравматического остеомиелита и 13 пациентов с хроническим посттравматическим остеомиелитом длинных костей в стадии ремиссии. Показано, что для хронического остеомиелита, независимо от стадии патологического процесса, характерен умеренный лейкоцитоз, повышение абсолютного количества моноцитов и нейтрофилов, увеличение числа CD25 и HLA-DR - позитивных Т-лимфоцитов. Стадия ремиссии у пациентов с хроническим посттравматическим остеомиелитом сопровождается умеренной активацией гуморального иммунитета (повышение количества В-лимфоцитов (CD19+) и продукции IgG). Снижение в периферической крови количества лимфоцитов, а также экспрессии HLA-DR на моноцитах создаёт предпосылки для развития свищевой формы остеомиелита и может служить показанием для применения препаратов иммуномодулирующего действия

Результаты лечения перипротезной инфекции крупных суставов у ВИЧ-позитивных больных

Relevance. There is a limited number of publications reporting outcomes of primary large joint arthroplasty in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The authors were unable to find papers on revision arthroplasty in patients with periprosthetic infection. Purpose of the study — to evaluate short term outcomes after revision arthroplasty in HIV-positive patients with periprosthetic infection of the hip and knee joint. Materials and methods. 13 HIV-positive patients with periprosthetic infection of the hip (10 cases) and knee (3 cases) joint underwent treatment in the period from 2015 to 2019. Patients were examined by clinical, laboratory and roentgenological methods. Harris Hip Score and Knee Society Score were used for evaluation prior to and after the surgery. Results. Mean follow up period was 21,4±2,6 months. Successful two-stage treatment was performed in two (15,4%) out of 13 patients with periprosthetic infection. In 5 cases (38,5%) control over infection was achieved by resection arthroplasty, and in one case (7,7%) – by arthrodesis. Five patients (38,5%) refused from interchange of spacer to prosthesis. Mean Harris Hip score demonstrated insignificant increase postoperatively — from 45,3±2,2 to 52,2±4,15 (р = 0,2). Conclusion. Despite following the international protocols for treatment of implant-associated infection the infection recurrence rate in HIV-positive patients in the asymptomatic phase remains very high. Efficiency of twostage treatment using antibacterial spacers in the present group of patients amounted only to 15,4%.Актуальность. Существует ограниченное количество публикаций, в которых приведены результаты первичного эндопротезирования крупных суставов у пациентов с вирусом иммунодефицита человека (ВИЧ). Мы не смогли обнаружить работ, посвященных ревизионному эндопротезированию у больных с перипротезной инфекцией. Цель исследования — оценить краткосрочные результаты ревизионного эндопротезирования у ВИЧ-позитивных пациентов с наличием перипротезной инфекции тазобедренного и коленного суставов. Материал и методы. За период с 2015 г. по 2019 г. на лечении в клинике находилось 13 ВИЧ-позитивных пациентов с перипротезной инфекцией тазобедренного (10 случаев) и коленного (3 случая) суставов. Состояние пациентов оценивали при помощи клинических, лабораторных, рентгенологических методов. Проводилась оценка по шкале Harris Hip Score и Knee Society Score до и после операции. Результаты. Средний срок наблюдения составил 21,4±2,6 мес. У двух (15,4%) из 13 пациентов с перипротезной инфекцией было проведено успешное двухэтапное лечение. В пяти случаях (38,5%) контроль над инфекцией был достигнут путем выполнения резекционной артропластики и еще в одном (7,7%) — с помощью артродеза. Пятеро больных (38,5%) отказались от замены спейсера на эндопротез. Средняя оценка по HHS возросла незначительно — с 45,3±2,2 до 52,2±4,15 баллов после лечения (р = 0,2). Заключение. Несмотря на соблюдение международных протоколов лечения имплантат-ассоциированной инфекции, частота рецидивов у ВИЧ-позитивных больных в бессимптомной стадии остается очень высокой. Эффективность двухэтапного лечения с использованием антибактериального спейсера в нашей группе больных составила лишь 15,4%

Investigation of Electrocatalysts Produced by a Novel Thermal Spray Deposition Method

Common methods to produce supported catalysts include impregnation, precipitation, and thermal spray techniques. Supported electrocatalysts produced by a novel method for thermal spray deposition were investigated with respect to their structural properties, elemental composition, and electrochemical performance. This was done using electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Various shapes and sizes of catalyst particles were found. The materials exhibit different activity towards oxidation and reduction of Fe. The results show that this preparation method enables the selection of particle coverage as well as size and shape of the catalyst material. Due to the great variability of support and catalyst materials accessible with this technique, this approach is a useful extension to other preparation methods for electrocatalysts

Ein aktiver und stabiler Cobaltkatalysator für die Sauerstoffentwicklungsreaktion: Polymerisation einer ionischen Flüssigkeit

Inspiriert durch die katalytischen Eigenschaften von Single-site-Katalysatoren und der erhöhten Leistungsfähigkeit von Metallkatalysatoren durch ionische Flüssigkeiten wurde eine Methode zur gezielten und skalierbaren Platzierung von einzelnen Cobaltatomen auf Kohlenstoffnanoröhrenoberflächen mithilfe einer polymerisierten ionischen Flüssigkeit entwickelt. Durch eine ionische Flüssigkeit wurden einzelne, fein verteilte Cobaltionen koordiniert und als heterogener Katalysator für die Sauerstoffententwicklungsreaktion (OER) genutzt. Die erhaltenen Daten zeigen eine hohe Aktivität bei gleichzeitig vorhandener Stabilität

A new test for unimodality

A distribution function (d.f.) of a random variable is unimodal if there exists a number such that d.f. is convex left from this number and is concave right from this number. This number is called a mode of d.f. Since one may have more than one mode, a mode is not necessarily unique. The purpose of this paper is to construct nonparametric tests for the unimodality of d.f. based on a sample obtained from the general population of values of the random variable by simple sampling. The tests proposed are significance tests such that the unimodality of d.f. can be guaranteed with some probability (confidence level)

Strong Metal Support Interaction as a Key Factor of Au Activation in CO Oxidation

We address the question of the nature of Au NP activation and through a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques. In situ XPS measurements of Au TiO2 during CO oxidation show high catalytic activity can be associated with the formation of an ionic Au species. DFT calculations performed on Au TiO2 show that the formation of such ionic Au is due to a strong metal support interaction between Au and reduced and defective TiO2. TEM supports these findings, indicating the formation of an overlayer of transition metal oxide support on Au NPs after CO oxidation. These results suggest TiO2 lattice oxygen is involved directly in CO oxidation, which was confirmed with labeled 18O2 experiment

Digital technologies in the tax sphere as a factor in the sustainability of economic activity

In the future, digital technologies will make it possible to increase the transparency of the economic activities of tax organizations, the transparency of the economy of all economic entities in Russian Federation, which guarantees the stability of receipts to the country's budget, an improvement in the quality of budget planning and economic stability. The purpose of this study is to substantiate the optimization of the economic activities of tax organizations based on the introduction of digital technologies. The object of the research is the economic activity of tax organizations. The subject of the research is digital technologies as a factor in optimizing economic activity and the sustainability of tax organizations. The analysis of the efficiency of tax organizations is presented. The author's vision of the influence of digital technologies on the optimization of economic activity is given on the example of the branch of the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation in terms of tax control and the provision of public services. It is concluded that the optimization of the economic activities of tax organizations based on the introduction of digital technologies will reduce the costs of current activities, tax administration, time costs for tax transactions

“Smart” transport and logistics complex as a factor of sustainable development of the region (on the example of the Volgograd region)

At the present stage of social development, which is forming a new high-tech world system with all its challenges and problems, it is necessary to provide all participants in social and economic relations with a single and convenient environment for interaction, to improve the level and quality of life, and to ensure sustainable development. «Smart city» technologies, and their further extrapolation to the scale of a regional entity – a «smart region» – make it possible to ensure sustainable development for all residents of the region and consumers of municipal and regional services – citizens, public and business organizations, as well as government. Due to the constant development of the transport industry and new opportunities for the transportation of passengers and goods, it is interesting to study the transport and logistics segment of the «smart region». It explains the relevance and practical significance of this study, which presents a theoretical and methodological substantiation of the formation of a «smart» transport and logistics complex with its positioning as a factor of sustainable development of the region, on the example of the Volgograd region. This approach is original, has a high degree of reliability, the ability to build and verify the forecast of the socio-economic development of the region. The developed model in the study represents the authors' vision of the development of the transport and logistics complex of the Volgograd region in the future, defines short, medium and long-term priorities, goals and objectives, proposes the main directions of development, mechanisms for achieving the set goals and objectives, taking into account the achieved level and identified problems. The results of approbation prove the expediency of its use in the development and scientific substantiation of the strategy of socio-economic development at the regional level