New type of ensemble of quasi-periodic, long-lasting VLF emissions at the auroral zone

A new type of the series of quasi-periodic (QP) very low frequency (VLF) emissions in frequency range of 1–5 kHz, and not associated with geomagnetic pulsations, has been discovered at auroral latitudes (<I>L</I> = 5.3) during the Finnish VLF campaign (held in December 2011). At least five unusually spectacular events, each with a duration of several hours, have been observed during the night under conditions of quiet geomagnetic activity (Kp = 0–1), although QPs usually occur during the daytime. Contrary to the QP emissions typically occurring during the day, the spectral structure of these QP events represented an extended, complicated sequence of repeated discrete rising VLF signals. Their duration was about 2–3 min each, with the repetition periods ranging from ~1 min to ~10 min. Two such nighttime non-typical events are reported in this paper. The fine structure of the separated QP elements may represent a mixture of the different frequency band signals, which seem to have independent origins. It was found that the periodic signals with lower frequency appear to trigger the strong dispersive upper frequency signals. The temporal dynamics of the spectral structure of the QPs studied were significantly controlled by some disturbances in the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). This finding is very important for future theoretical investigations because the generation mechanism of this new type of QP emissions is not yet understood

The problem of defining agression as an instinct

The purpose of the study is to determine whether aggression is an instinct.Цель исследования – определить, является ли агрессия инстинктом

Expert System for Histological Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

The paper is dedicated to the development of expert system for histological prostate cancer diagnosis. The developed system allows to fill the knowledge base and then to use this knowledge base to support physician decision on the histological diagnosis of prostate disease. Keywords: pattern recognition, prostate cancer diagnosis, decision making, decision support syste

Structure and Dynamics of Adeno-Associated Virus Serotype 1 VP1-Unique N-Terminal Domain and Its Role in Capsid Trafficking

The importance of the phospholipase A2 domain located within the unique N terminus of the capsid viral protein VP1 (VP1u) in parvovirus infection has been reported. This study used computational methods to characterize the VP1 sequence for adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes 1 to 12 and circular dichroism and electron microscopy to monitor conformational changes in the AAV1 capsid induced by temperature and the pHs encountered during trafficking through the endocytic pathway. Circular dichroism was also used to monitor conformational changes in AAV6 capsids assembled from VP2 and VP3 or VP1, VP2, and VP3 at pH 7.5. VP1u was predicted (computationally) and confirmed (in solution) to be structurally ordered. This VP domain was observed to undergo a reversible pH-induced unfolding/refolding process, a loss/gain of α-helical structure, which did not disrupt the capsid integrity and is likely facilitated by its difference in isoelectric point compared to the other VP sequences assembling the capsid. This study is the first to physically document conformational changes in the VP1u region that likely facilitate its externalization from the capsid interior during infection and establishes the order of events in the escape of the AAV capsid from the endosome en route to the nucleus

Timing of AR CrB eclipses

AR CrB is a short-period low-mass eclipsing binary. We conducted photometric observations of the system in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and obtained times of its light curves minima. The timing of eclipses (our times of minima combined with data from the literature) shows that the orbital period of AR CrB could possess periodical variations that can be explained by the gravitational influence of a third companion in a highly eccentric orbit around the central binary

Know Your Heart: Rationale, design and conduct of a cross-sectional study of cardiovascular structure, function and risk factors in 4500 men and women aged 35-69 years from two Russian cities, 2015-18

Russia has one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in the world. The International Project on Cardiovascular Disease in Russia (IPCDR) was set up to understand the reasons for this. A substantial component of this study was the Know Your Heart Study devoted to characterising the nature and causes of cardiovascular disease in Russia by conducting large cross-sectional surveys in two Russian cities Novosibirsk and Arkhangelsk. The study population was 4542 men and women aged 35-69 years recruited from the general population. Fieldwork took place between 2015-18. There were two study components: 1) a baseline interview to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors, usually conducted at home, and 2) a comprehensive health check at a primary care clinic which included detailed examination of the cardiovascular system. In this paper we describe in detail the rationale for, design and conduct of these studies.The International Project on Cardiovascular Disease in Russia (IPCDR) project was supported in part by a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award [100217]. The project was also funded by the Arctic University of Norway, UiT in Tromsø; Norwegian Institute of Public Health; the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

ASASSN-15lh: a superluminous ultraviolet rebrightening observed by Swift and Hubble

We present and discuss ultraviolet and optical photometry from the Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope and X-ray limits from the X-Ray Telescope on Swift and imaging polarimetry and ultraviolet/optical spectroscopy with the Hubble Space Telescope of ASASSN-15lh. It has been classified as a hydrogenpoor superluminous supernova (SLSN I) more luminous than any other supernova observed. ASASSN- 15lh is not detected in the X-rays in individual or coadded observations. From the polarimetry we determine that the explosion was only mildly asymmetric. We find the flux of ASASSN-15lh to increase strongly into the ultraviolet, with a ultraviolet luminosity a hundred times greater than the hydrogen-rich, ultraviolet-bright SLSN II SN 2008es. We find objects as bright as ASASSN-15lh are easily detectable beyond redshifts of ∼4 with the single-visit depths planned for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. Deep near-infrared surveys could detect such objects past a redshift of ∼20 enabling a probe of the earliest star formation. A late rebrightening – most prominent at shorter wavelengths – is seen about two months after the peak brightness, which is itself as bright as a superluminous supernova. The ultraviolet spectra during the rebrightening are dominated by the continuum without the broad absorption or emission lines seen in SLSNe or tidal disruption events and the early optical spectra of ASASSN-15lh. Our spectra show no strong hydrogen emission, showing only Lyα absorption near the redshift previously found by optical absorption lines of the presumed host. The properties of ASASSN-15lh are extreme when compared to either SLSNe or tidal disruption events

Capsid Antibodies to Different Adeno-Associated Virus Serotypes Bind Common Regions

Interactions between viruses and the host antibody immune response are critical in the development and control of disease, and antibodies are also known to interfere with the efficacy of viral vector-based gene delivery. The adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) being developed as vectors for corrective human gene delivery have shown promise in clinical trials, but preexisting antibodies are detrimental to successful outcomes. However, the antigenic epitopes on AAV capsids remain poorly characterized. Cryo-electron microscopy and three-dimensional image reconstruction were used to define the locations of epitopes to which monoclonal fragment antibodies (Fabs) against AAV1, AAV2, AAV5, and AAV6 bind. Pseudoatomic modeling showed that, in each serotype, Fabs bound to a limited number of sites near the protrusions surrounding the 3-fold axes of the T=1 icosahedral capsids. For the closely related AAV1 and AAV6, a common Fab exhibited substoichiometric binding, with one Fab bound, on average, between two of the three protrusions as a consequence of steric crowding. The other AAV Fabs saturated the capsid and bound to the walls of all 60 protrusions, with the footprint for the AAV5 antibody extending toward the 5-fold axis. The angle of incidence for each bound Fab on the AAVs varied and resulted in significant differences in how much of each viral capsid surface was occluded beyond the Fab footprints. The AAV-antibody interactions showed a common set of footprints that overlapped some known receptor-binding sites and transduction determinants, thus suggesting potential mechanisms for virus neutralization by the antibodies

Эффективность бенрализумаба при тяжелой эозинофильной бронхиальной астме: промежуточный анализ результатов проспективного исследования BEST в условиях реальной клинической практики в России

Systematizing clinical experience in the use of biological treatments in patients with severe bronchial asthma in real world settings with assessment of clinical outcomes and quality of life level is of great interest and value in practical pulmonology.The aim of the BEST study (Real World Evidence of Benralizumab in Eosinophilic Severe AsThma in Russia) was to evaluate effectiveness of benralizumab by control and quality of life associated with respiratory status in patients with eosinophilic phenotype of severe asthma in real clinical practice in Russia.Results. The results obtained through 16 weeks of benralizumab therapy in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) were analyzed. All 59 enrolled patients showed significant improvement in the asthma control questionnaire (ACQ-5) score, the quality of life associated with respiratory status according to the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and subjective assessments of the well-being of patients and the disease severity (PGIC and PGIS). Treatment with benralizumab contributed to a reduction in the oral glucocorticosteroids intake throughout the study period.Conclusion. In real clinical practice, treatment with benralizumab results in significant improvement in disease control and the quality of life in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma and is characterized by a favorable safety profile.Актуальной задачей современной практической пульмонологии является систематизация опыта применения генно-инженерных биологических препаратов в терапии пациентов с тяжелой бронхиальной астмой (ТБА) в реальной клинической практике с оценкой результатов эффективности и показателей качества жизни (КЖ) больных.Целью исследования Real World Evidence of Benralizumab in Eosinophilic Severe AsThma in Russia (BEST) являлось определение эффективности контроля над заболеванием и КЖ, связанного с состоянием дыхательной системы, у пациентов с ТБА эозинофильного фенотипа на фоне применения бенрализумаба в условиях реальной клинической практики в России.Результаты. У пациентов с ТБА проанализированы промежуточные результаты исследования BEST, полученные через 16 нед. после начала терапии бенрализумабом. У всех больных, включенных в исследование (n = 59), достигнуто значимое улучшение оценки по результатам теста по контролю над БА (Asthma Control Questionnaire – ACQ-5), повышение КЖ, связанного с состоянием дыхательной системы, которое определялось с помощью опросника госпиталя Святого Георгия по оценке качества жизни больных респираторными заболеваниями (St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire – SGRQ), и субъективных оценок самочувствия пациентов (шкала самооценки пациентом изменения своего состояния (Patients’ Global Impression of Change – PGIC) и шкала самооценки пациентом тяжести заболевания (Patients’ Global Impression of Severity – PGIS)). При терапии бенрализумабом отмечено сокращение приема пероральных глюкокортикостероидов в течение всего периода наблюдения.Заключение. При использовании бенрализумаба в реальной клинической практике существенно улучшаются контроль над ТБА эозинофильного фенотипа и КЖ пациентов при благоприятном профиле безопасности терапии