Implementation of state transport policy: regional aspect

The implementation of the transport strategy is based on the general principles of federal relations and takes into account the peculiarities of social-economic development and transport needs of individual regions of the country. The regional aspects of the transport system of Russia development are directly related to the creation of a network of competitive innovation clusters, new regional centers of economic development, also in the Russian Far East. The tasks of the transport complex development common for Russia, depending on the specific conditions of the social-economic development of the regions, have their own specifics, focus and priorities, which are taken into account when developing the priorities of the state transport policy. The main problem is that it is necessary to form an active position of the state at the new stage of development of the country economy to create the conditions for social-economic development, primarily to improve the quality of transport services, reduce the total costs of society that depend on transport, and increase the competitiveness of the domestic transport system, strengthening the innovative, social and environmental orientation of the transport industry development. At the same time, transport as a backbone element of the economy and investment and innovation demand generator for products should be considered as an independent point of economic growth. The purpose of the article is to analyze the implementation of the state transport policy on the Primorsky Territory within the framework of the activities by the Ministry of Transport and Roads of the Primorsky Territory and to identify the main problems and prospects for the development of transport policy main trends in the specified subject of the Russian Federation

Detection of diphtheria antitoxin by four different methods

ObjectiveTo investigate the reliability of the different methods used in Norway and Russia for detection of diphtheria antitoxin.MethodsOne hundred and twenty-two sera were selected among Russian serum samples previously collected for seroepidemiologic studies of diphtheria antitoxin. The sera were selected to cover the total antitoxin range and were analyzed by four different antidiphtheria toxin assays: an in vitro toxin neutralization test using Vero cells (in vitro NT), an in vivo neutralization test using rabbit skin inoculation (in vivo NT), an indirect enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and a passive hemagglutination assay (PHA). The results were expressed according to the international standard as: not protected (<0.01 IU/mL), relatively protected (0.01–0.1 IU/mL) or protected (≤0.1 IU/mL). The sensitivity, specificity and inter-rater agreement (K or Kw) of each method were related to the in vitro NT selected as the reference method.ResultsThe in vivo NT test corresponded very well with the in vitro NT in its ability to differentiate between protection/relative protection and no protection (sensitivity 97%, specificity 87% and K=0.84). The EIA test showed a high sensitivity (96%), but since many sera were categorized as protected rather than not protected, the specificity (30%) and inter-rater agreement (K=0.29) were low. The PHA test had a very high specificity (100%) but a low sensitivity (86%).ConclusionsThe agreement between the two neutralization tests was high. If none of the neutralization assays is routinely available, the PHA test can be used to predict the need for vaccination on an individual basis but should not be used for seroepidemiologic studies, since the protection rate for diphtheria would be falsely too low, due to the lower sensitivity. The indirect EIA test used in this study should not be used routinely

Influence of CSP 310 and CSP 310-like proteins from cereals on mitochondrial energetic activity and lipid peroxidation in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND: The development of chilling and freezing injury symptoms in plants is known to frequently coincide with peroxidation of free fatty acids. Mitochondria are one of the major sources of reactive oxygen species during cold stress. Recently it has been suggested that uncoupling of oxidation and phosphorylation in mitochondria during oxidative stress can decrease ROS formation by mitochondrial respiratory chain generation. At the same time, it is known that plant uncoupling mitochondrial protein (PUMP) and other UCP-like proteins are not the only uncoupling system in plant mitochondria. All plants have cyanide-resistant oxidase (AOX) whose activation causes an uncoupling of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation. Recently it has been found that in cereals, cold stress protein CSP 310 exists, and that this causes uncoupling of oxidation and phosphorylation in mitochondria. RESULTS: We studied the effects of CSP 310-like native cytoplasmic proteins from a number of cereal species (winter rye, winter wheat, Elymus and maize) on the energetic activity of winter wheat mitochondria. This showed that only CSP 310 (cold shock protein with molecular weight 310 kD) caused a significant increase of non-phosphorylative respiration. CSP 310-like proteins of other cereals studied did not have any significant influence on mitochondrial energetic activity. It was found that among CSP 310-like proteins only CSP 310 had prooxidant activity. At the same time, Elymus CSP 310-like proteins have antioxidant activity. The study of an influence of infiltration by different plant uncoupling system activators (pyruvate, which activates AOX, and linoleic acid which is a substrate and activator for PUMP and CSP 310) showed that all of these decreased lipid peroxidation during cold stress. CONCLUSIONS: Different influence of CSP 310-like proteins on mitochondrial energetic activity and lipid peroxidation presumably depend on the various subunit combinations in their composition. All the plant cell systems that caused an uncoupling of oxidation and phosphorylation in plant mitochondria can participate in plant defence from oxidative damage during cold stress

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to &lt;90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], &gt;300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of &lt;15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P&lt;0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P&lt;0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

The Influence of Carbohydrate Status and Low Temperature on the Respiratory Metabolism of Mitochondria from Etiolated Leaves of Winter Wheat

The separate and combined effect of sucrose (12%, 7 days) and low temperature (2 °С, 7 days) on the growth of plants, the content of carbohydrates in the leaves and oxidative activity of mitochondria isolated from them has been studied on the etiolated plants of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). It has been shown that sucrose and low temperature cause inhibition of the growth and increasing of the carbohydrates content. Using the different oxidation substrates (malate, malate + rotenone, succinate, NADH and NADPH) have been identified changes in the mitochondrial oxidative activity and the functioning of alternative oxidase and rotenone-insensitive NAD(P)H dehydrogenases. It has been determined that activity of the alternative oxidase and “external” rotenone-insensitive NAD(P)H dehydrogenases in the mitochondria of etiolated leaves depends on the carbohydrate status of the plant, regardless of the growth temperature

Change of AOX1a Expression, Encoding Mitochondrial Alternative Oxidase, Influence on the Frost-Resistance of Arabidopsis Plants

The resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh (Columbia ecotype) plants: Col-0 line (wild type), AS-12 line (plants transformed with the construct carrying the AOX1a gene under control of the CAMV 35S promoter in the antisense orientation) and line XX-2 (plants transformed with the AOX1a gene construct in the sense orientation) (Umbach et al., 2005), to action of subzero temperature has been studied. It is shown that change of the AOX1a expression is accompanied by change of the AOX contribution in respiration and increase of the base frost-resistance of Arabidopsis plants. In the leaves of plants with overexpression of АОХ1а was reduced activity of total superoxide dismutase (SOD), but was increased activity of guaiacol peroxidase and was less content of hydrogen peroxide. It was found that cold hardening during 7 days at 5°C increases the resistance of plants to the subsequent action of subzero temperature regardless of АОХ1а expression degree. The hardening lead to activation of respiration, increase of the contribution of AOX in the respiration, a significant increase of the water-soluble carbohydrates content and increase of the activity SOD and total guaiacol peroxidases in leaves of all lines the plants. In hardened plants of Arabidopsis wild type and AOX1a transformants were detected differences in the contents of individual types of reactive oxygen species and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The trend to decrease of hydrogen peroxide content in lines with altered expression of AOX1a was observed, but content of superoxide anion radical (SAR) was significantly lower in the AS-12 line compared with the Col-0 and XX-2 plants after hardening. The low content of SAR in leaves of AS-12 line was partly caused by increase of activity total SOD. Thus, we have identified differences in the basic frost-resistance of Arabidopsis plants with altered AOX1a expression, but significant differences in frost-resistance of hardened plants of wild-type and lines with altered AOX1a expression was not found. It was concluded that the frost-resistance of plants depends on the activity of AOX, but the decrease of its activity can be compensated by the activation of other protective systems including antioxidant enzymes

Origin of the Rare Hybrid Genus ×<i>Trisetokoeleria</i> Tzvelev (<i>Poaceae</i>) According to Molecular Phylogenetic Data

In our article, we analyzed new data on the origin of the hybrid genus ×Trisetokoeleria. According to the morphological criteria ×T. jurtzevii is a hybrid between Koeleria asiatica s. l. and Trisetum spicatum, ×T. taimyrica, and originated from Koeleria asiatica s. l. and Trisetum subalpestre, ×T. gorodkowii, a hybrid between Koeleria asiatica and Trisetum ruprechtianum. Later ×T. taimyrica was transferred to Koeleria. Parental taxa are prone to active hybridization themselves, thus, new methods of next-generation sequencing (NGS) were needed to clarify the relationships of these genera. For NGS we used the fragment 18S rDNA (part)–ITS1–5.8S rDNA (totally 441 accessions). We analyzed ITS1–5.8S rDNA–ITS2 region, trnL–trnF and trnK–rps16 from eight samples of the five species, using the Sanger method: ×Trisetokoeleria jurtzevii, ×T. taimyrica, Koeleria asiatica, Sibirotrisetum sibiricum (=Trisetum sibiricum), and Trisetum spicatum. We also studied the pollen fertility of ×Trisetokoeleria and its possible progenitors. Our data partly contradicted previous assumptions, based on morphological grounds, and showed us a picture of developed introgression within and between Koeleria and Trisetum. ×T. jurtzevii, a totally sterile hybrid formed rather recently. We can suppose that ×T. jurtzevii is a hybrid between K. asiatica and some Trisetum s. str. Species, but not T. spicatum. ×T. gorodkowii, a hybrid in the stage of primary stabilization; it has one unique ribotype related to T. spicatum s. l. The second parental species is unrelated to Trisetum ruprechtianum. ×T. taimyrica and is a stabilized hybrid species; it shares major ribotypes with the T. spicatum/T. wrangelense group and has a minor fraction of rDNA related to genus Deyeuxia s. l

Changes in the Ultrastructure of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Cells Make It Possible to Identify and Analyze the Injuring Effects of Ciprofloxacin, Polycationic Amphiphile and Their Hybrid

The purposeful development of synthetic antibacterial compounds requires an understanding of the relationship between effects of compounds and their chemical structure. This knowledge can be obtained by studying changes in bacteria ultrastructure under the action of antibacterial compounds of a certain chemical structure. Our study was aimed at examination of ultrastructural changes in S. aureus cells caused by polycationic amphiphile based on 1,4‒diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DL412), ciprofloxacin and their hybrid (DL5Cip6); the samples were incubated for 15 and 45 min. DL412 first directly interacted with bacterial cell wall, damaging it, then penetrated into the cell and disrupted cytoplasm. Ciprofloxacin penetrated into cell without visually damaging the cell wall, but altered the cell membrane and cytoplasm, and inhibited the division of bacteria. The ultrastructural characteristics of S. aureus cells damaged by the hybrid clearly differed from those under ciprofloxacin or DL412 action. Signs associated with ciprofloxacin predominated in cell damage patterns from the hybrid. We studied the effect of ciprofloxacin, DL412 and their hybrid on S. aureus biofilm morphology using paraffin sections. Clear differences in compound effects on S. aureus biofilm (45 min incubation) were observed. The results obtained allow us to recommend this simple and cheap approach for the initial assessment of antibiofilm properties of synthesized compounds

International Social Survey Programme: Social Inequality III - ISSP 1999

The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) is a continuous programme of cross-national collaboration running annual surveys on topics important for the social sciences. The programme started in 1984 with four founding members - Australia, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States – and has now grown to almost 50 member countries from all over the world. As the surveys are designed for replication, they can be used for both, cross-national and cross-time comparisons. Each ISSP module focuses on a specific topic, which is repeated in regular time intervals. Please, consult the documentation for details on how the national ISSP surveys are fielded. The present study focuses on questions about social inequality.Social background and good relations as most important prerequisites for success in the society; most important criteria for social mobility (scale: personal effort, intelligence or corruption); reasons for and acceptance of social inequality; Self-assessment of payment suitable for performance; estimation of actual and adequate monthly income for occupational groups; responsibility of government to reduce income differences; attitude to a progressive tax rate; assessment of the economic differences between poor and rich countries; attitude towards compensation by additional taxes in the wealthy countries (Redistribution); justification of better medical supply and better education for people with higher income; assumption of conflicts between social groups in the country; self-assessment on a top-bottom-scale and expectation of the individual level in 10 years; social mobility; criteria for the classification of payment for work (scale: responsibility, education, supervisor function, needed support for family and children or quality of job performance); feeling of a just payment; characterisation of the actual and the desired social system of the country, measured by classification on pyramid diagrams; Self-assessment of the respondent as well as classification of an unskilled factory worker and a chairman of a large corporation on a top-bottom-scale; number of books in the parental home in the respondent’s youth. Demography: Age; gender; living together with a partner; marital status; school education; denomination; occupation status; profession (ISCO code); occupation in the public sector; autonomy; working hours per week; net income of the respondent; supervisor function; occupation status as well as profession and supervisor function of the partner; household structure; family income; size of household; city size; region; unemployment within the last few years and duration of unemployment; religiousness; frequency of church attendance; forms of the faith in God; Self-assessment of the social class; union membership; party preference; participation in elections; living situation and living status; in some countries: ethnic membership of the respondent.Das International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) ist ein länderübergreifendes, fortlaufendes Umfrageprogramm, das jährlich Erhebungen zu Themen durchführt, die für die Sozialwissenschaften wichtig sind. Das Programm begann 1984 mit vier Gründungsmitgliedern - Australien, Deutschland, Großbritannien und den Vereinigten Staaten - und ist inzwischen auf fast 50 Mitgliedsländer aus aller Welt angewachsen. Da die Umfragen auf Replikationen ausgelegt sind, können die Daten sowohl für länder- als auch für zeitübergreifende Vergleiche genutzt werden. Jedes ISSP-Modul konzentriert sich auf ein bestimmtes Thema, das in regelmäßigen Zeitabständen wiederholt wird. Details zur Durchführung der nationalen ISSP-Umfragen entnehmen Sie bitte der Dokumentation. Die vorliegende Studie konzentriert sich auf Fragen zu sozialer Ungleichheit.Soziale Herkunft und gute Beziehungen als wichtigste Voraussetzungen für Erfolg in der Gesellschaft; wichtigste Kriterien für einen gesellschaftlichen Aufstieg (Skala: persönlicher Einsatz, Intelligenz und Korruption); Gründe und Akzeptanz sozialer Ungleichheit; Selbsteinschätzung leistungsgerechter Entlohnung; Schätzung tatsächlicher und angemessener Monatseinkommen für ausgewählte Berufsgruppen; Einstellung zum Sozialstaat und Einschätzung der sozialen Unterschiede im Lande; Einstellung zu einem progressiven Steuersatz; Einschätzung der wirtschaftlichen Unterschiede zwischen armen und reichen Ländern und Einstellung zu einem Ausgleich durch zusätzliche Steuern in den reichen Ländern (Redistribution); Gerechtigkeit besserer medizinischer Versorgung und besserer Ausbildung für Besserverdienende; perzipierte Konflikte zwischen sozialen Gruppen im Lande; Selbsteinschätzung der aktuellen sozialen Schichtzugehörigkeit und Vergleich zur Schichtzugehörigkeit vor 10 Jahren (Oben-Unten-Skala); soziale Mobilität; Kriterien für die Bestimmung der Entlohnung für Arbeit (Skala: Verantwortung, Ausbildung, Vorgesetztenfunktion, Versorgung von Familie und Kindern, Qualität der Arbeitsleistung und Arbeitseinsatz); tatsächliche und gewünschte Gesellschaftsform des Landes, gemessen durch die Vorlage von Pyramiden-Diagrammen; Selbsteinschätzung des Befragten, sowie Einstufung eines Fabrikarbeiters und eines Vorstandsvorsitzenden auf dem Pyramiden-Diagramm; Anzahl der Bücher im Elternhaus zur Jugendzeit des Befragten. Demographie: Alter; Geschlecht; Zusammenleben mit einem Partner; Familienstand; Schulbildung; Konfession; Beschäftigungsstatus; Beruf (ISCO-Code); Beschäftigung im öffentlichen Sektor; Selbstständigkeit; Wochenarbeitszeit; Nettoeinkommen des Befragten; Vorgesetztenfunktion; Beschäftigungsstatus; Beruf; Vorgesetztenfunktion des Partners Haushaltszusammensetzung; Familieneinkommen; Haushaltsgröße; Ortsgröße; Region; eigene Arbeitslosigkeit in den letzten Jahren und Dauer dieser Arbeitslosigkeit; Religionszugehörigkeit; Kirchgangshäufigkeit; Formen des Glaubens an Gott; Selbsteinschätzung der Schichtzugehörigkeit; Gewerkschaftsmitgliedschaft; Parteipräferenz; Teilnahme an Wahlen; Wohnsituation und Wohnstatus; in einigen Ländern: ethnische Zugehörigkeit des Befragten