Timed and targeted differential regulation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and anti-NOS genes by reward conditioning leading to long-term memory formation

In a number of neuronal models of learning, signaling by the neurotransmitter nitric oxide (NO), synthesized by the enzyme neuronal NO synthase (nNOS), is essential for the formation of long-term memory (LTM). Using the molluscan model system Lymnaea, we investigate here whether LTM formation is associated with specific changes in the activity of members of the NOS gene family: Lym-nNOS1, Lym-nNOS2, and the antisense RNA-producing pseudogene (anti-NOS). We show that expression of the Lym-nNOS1 gene is transiently upregulated in cerebral ganglia after conditioning. The activation of the gene is precisely timed and occurs at the end of a critical period during which NO is required for memory consolidation. Moreover, we demonstrate that this induction of the Lym-nNOS1 gene is targeted to an identified modulatory neuron called the cerebral giant cell (CGC). This neuron gates the conditioned feeding response and is an essential part of the neural network involved in LTM formation. We also show that the expression of the anti-NOS gene, which functions as a negative regulator of nNOS expression, is downregulated in the CGC by training at 4 h after conditioning, during the critical period of NO requirement. This appears to be the first report of the timed and targeted differential regulation of the activity of a group of related genes involved in the production of a neurotransmitter that is necessary for learning, measured in an identified neuron of known function. We also provide the first example of the behavioral regulation of a pseudogene

Hormonal parameters and embryological outcomes of in vitro fertilisation/intra cytoplasmic sperm injection cycles in women using dydrogesterone for the prevention of premature luteinizing hormone surge during ovarian stimulation

Aim. To evaluate the hormonal parameters and embryological outcomes of an ovarian stimulation protocol using dydrogesterone to prevent the premature LH surge in IVF/ICSI programmes. Materials and methods. A prospective study randomised, including 79 women with normal ovarian reserve undergoing ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI with recombinant FSH (rFSH) from Day 2 or 3 of the menstrual cycle. To prevent the premature LH surge, participants in Group 1 (n=38) received oral dydrogesterone 20 mg/day from the start of ovarian stimulation until the day of ovulation trigger administration. Participants in Group 2 (n=41) received a GnRH antagonist. We evaluated the starting and total dose of gonadotropins, duration of stimulation, serum levels of LH, oestradiol and progesterone on Day 1 and 6 of stimulation and the day of trigger administration, number of retrieved and mature oocytes, fertilization rate, and the number of blastocysts and cryopreserved embryos. Results. There were no significant differences in most hormonal parameters, characteristics of the ovarian stimulation and embryological outcomes between the two groups. Serum levels of progesterone in the dydrogesterone arm were higher than in the GnRH antagonist arm (2.3 nmol/l [2.03.4] vs 1.5 [1.02.4] nmol/l; p=0.026), but without any impact on the embryological outcomes. Conclusion. Prevention of premature LH surge in ovarian stimulation cycles using oral dydrogesterone may represent a convenient alternative to the conventional use of GnRH antagonists, reducing the number of required injections and potentially increasing the convenience in patients who are not planning a fresh embryo transfer

Клиническое значение микробиоты легких и опыт применения ингаляционной антибактериальной терапии у детей Омского центра муковисцидоза (серия случаев)

A growth of antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa from patients with cystic fibrosis decreases a lung function significantly, which requires searching new, up-to-date antibiotics. Goal. An investigation of clinical and microbiological features of respiratory lesion and an assessment of elimination therapy at chronic P. aeruginosa infection in children on the example of the Regional Cystic Fibrosis Center. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of case histories of children at the Omsk Cystic Fibrosis Center (n=48) was performed, with evaluation of clinical and functional parameters depending on age and microbiological status of respiratory airways. The comparative evaluation of two drugs inhaled tobramycin Bramitob and Tobramycin-Gobbi efficiency was performed. Results. An association of microorganisms was identified from the majority of bacterial cultures of cystic fibrosis patients’ sputum (66.7%). Staphylococcus aureus (18.9%) and P. aeruginosa (16.6%) with the significant prevalence of non-mucoid forms were in the lead at the group of clinically relevant pathogens. From 2011 to 2016 amount of P. aeruginosa strains, which were sensitive to the all usable antibiotics, decreased, an especially significant decline of sensitivity was registered to amikacin (32.7%) and сiprofloxacin (48.6%). Children infected with P. aeruginosa had a lot more deviations of lung function measured by the computed bronchophonography and spirometry, they more often had changes in chest computed tomography than patients free of P. aeruginosa infection. Change from inhaled tobramycin Bramitob into inhaled tobramycin Tobramycin-Gobbi in the patients’ treatment didn’t lead to the elevation of respiratory syndrome exacerbation rates, didn’t increase requirement in the intravenous antibacterial treatment and didn’t influence to the rank of microbial colonization of sputum. Conclusion. In length of time, the increase of P. aeruginosa resistance to antipseudomonal antibiotics is observed, which makes reasonable the introduction high-concentrated forms of antibiotics. The replacement of inhaled tobramycin from Bramitob to Tobramycin-Gobbi didn’t cause the impairment of patients’ clinical and functional condition and didn’t change the microbiological status.  Актуальность. Высев антибиотикорезистентной синегнойной палочки у больных муковисцидозом значительно ухудшает функцию легких, что требует поиска новых, современных антибактериальных средств. Цель. Изучение клинико-микробиологических особенностей поражения органов дыхания и оценка эффективности элиминационной терапии при хронической синегнойной инфекции у детей на примере регионального центра муковисцидоза.Материалы и методы. Проведен ретроспективный анализ историй болезни детей Омского центра муковисцидоза (n=48) с оценкой клинических и функциональных показателей в зависимости от возраста и микробиологического статуса дыхательных путей. Дана сравнительная оценка эффективности лекарственных препаратов ингаляционного тобрамицина. Результаты. В большинстве бактериальных посевов мокроты (66,7%) больных муковисцидозом микроорганизмы высевались в ассоциации. Из клинически значимых патогенов лидировали золотистый стафилококк (18,9%) и синегнойная палочка (16,6%) со значительным преобладанием немукоидных форм. За период 2011–2016 гг. произошло снижение количества чувствительных штаммов Pseudomonas aeruginosa ко всем используемым антибиотикам, из них значимое снижение отмечено к амикацину (32,7%) и ципрофлоксацину (48,6%). У детей, инфицированных синегнойной палочкой, отмечались более выраженные отклонения в показателях функции внешнего дыхания по данным компьютерной бронхофонографии, спирометрии и чаще встречались изменения при мультиспиральной компьютерной томографии органов грудной клетки, чем у больных, свободных от синегнойной инфекции. Смена ингаляционных форм тобрамицина у некоторых больных не привела к повышению частоты обострений респираторного синдрома, не увеличила потребность в назначении внутривенной антибактериальной терапии и не повлияла на степень микробной колонизации мокроты.Заключение. В динамике отмечается рост устойчивости P. aeruginosa к антисинегнойным препаратам, что делает обоснованным внедрение высококонцентрированных ингаляционных форм антибиотиков. Замена одного ингаляционного тобрамицина на другой не вызвала ухудшения клинического и функционального состояния у 4 проанализированных пациентов и не изменила их микробиологический статус.Статья издается при поддержке компании «Генфа».Авторы заявляют об отсутствии конфликта интересов, о котором необходимо сообщить

Probing effective field theory operators in the associated production of top quarks with a Z boson in multilepton final states at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Combined searches for the production of supersymmetric top quark partners in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A combination of searches for top squark pair production using proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb(-1) collected by the CMS experiment, is presented. Signatures with at least 2 jets and large missing transverse momentum are categorized into events with 0, 1, or 2 leptons. New results for regions of parameter space where the kinematical properties of top squark pair production and top quark pair production are very similar are presented. Depending on themodel, the combined result excludes a top squarkmass up to 1325 GeV for amassless neutralino, and a neutralinomass up to 700 GeV for a top squarkmass of 1150 GeV. Top squarks with masses from 145 to 295 GeV, for neutralino masses from 0 to 100 GeV, with a mass difference between the top squark and the neutralino in a window of 30 GeV around the mass of the top quark, are excluded for the first time with CMS data. The results of theses searches are also interpreted in an alternative signal model of dark matter production via a spin-0 mediator in association with a top quark pair. Upper limits are set on the cross section for mediator particle masses of up to 420 GeV

Observation of tW production in the single-lepton channel in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV

A measurement of the cross section of the associated production of a single top quark and a W boson in final states with a muon or electron and jets in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV is presented. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36 fb(-1) collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC in 2016. A boosted decision tree is used to separate the tW signal from the dominant t (t) over bar background, whilst the subleading W+jets and multijet backgrounds are constrained using data-based estimates. This result is the first observation of the tW process in final states containing a muon or electron and jets, with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations. The cross section is determined to be 89 +/- 4 (stat) +/- 12 (syst) pb, consistent with the standard model.Peer reviewe

A review of the genus Muusoctopus (Cephalopoda: Octopoda) from Arctic waters

We report two Arctic species of incirrate octopods new to science. One is formally described here as Muusoctopus aegir Golikov, Gudmundsson & Sabirov sp. nov. while the other, Muusoctopus sp. 1, is not formally described due to a limited number of samples (all are immature individuals). These two species differ from each other, and from other Muusoctopus, especially in: 1) absence of stylets (in M. aegir sp. nov.); 2) proportions of mantle and head; 3) funnel organ morphology (W-shaped with medial and marginal limbs of equal length in M. aegir sp. nov., or medial are slightly longer; V V-shaped with medial limbs slightly longer and broader than marginal in Muusoctopus sp. 1); 4) sucker and gill lamellae counts; 5) relative arm length and sucker diameter; and 6) male reproductive system relative size and morphology. Species of Muusoctopus now comprise four of 12 known Arctic cephalopods. Additionally, this study provides: a) new data on the morphology and reproductive biology of M. johnsonianus and M. sibiricus, and a diagnosis of M. sibiricus; b) the equations to estimate mantle length and body mass from beak measurements of M. aegir sp. nov. and M. johnsonianus; c) a cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene barcode for M. sibiricus; d) new data on the ecology and distribution of all studied species; and e) a data table for the identification of northern North Atlantic and Arctic species of Muusoctopus

Clinical Significance of Lung Microbiota and Experience of the Inhaled Antibacterial Therapy in Children of the Omsk Cystic Fibrosis Center (Сase Series)

A growth of antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa from patients with cystic fibrosis decreases a lung function significantly, which requires searching new, up-to-date antibiotics. Goal. An investigation of clinical and microbiological features of respiratory lesion and an assessment of elimination therapy at chronic P. aeruginosa infection in children on the example of the Regional Cystic Fibrosis Center. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of case histories of children at the Omsk Cystic Fibrosis Center (n=48) was performed, with evaluation of clinical and functional parameters depending on age and microbiological status of respiratory airways. The comparative evaluation of two drugs inhaled tobramycin Bramitob and Tobramycin-Gobbi efficiency was performed. Results. An association of microorganisms was identified from the majority of bacterial cultures of cystic fibrosis patients’ sputum (66.7%). Staphylococcus aureus (18.9%) and P. aeruginosa (16.6%) with the significant prevalence of non-mucoid forms were in the lead at the group of clinically relevant pathogens. From 2011 to 2016 amount of P. aeruginosa strains, which were sensitive to the all usable antibiotics, decreased, an especially significant decline of sensitivity was registered to amikacin (32.7%) and сiprofloxacin (48.6%). Children infected with P. aeruginosa had a lot more deviations of lung function measured by the computed bronchophonography and spirometry, they more often had changes in chest computed tomography than patients free of P. aeruginosa infection. Change from inhaled tobramycin Bramitob into inhaled tobramycin Tobramycin-Gobbi in the patients’ treatment didn’t lead to the elevation of respiratory syndrome exacerbation rates, didn’t increase requirement in the intravenous antibacterial treatment and didn’t influence to the rank of microbial colonization of sputum. Conclusion. In length of time, the increase of P. aeruginosa resistance to antipseudomonal antibiotics is observed, which makes reasonable the introduction high-concentrated forms of antibiotics. The replacement of inhaled tobramycin from Bramitob to Tobramycin-Gobbi didn’t cause the impairment of patients’ clinical and functional condition and didn’t change the microbiological status