The COMPASS Experiment at CERN

The COMPASS experiment makes use of the CERN SPS high-intensitymuon and hadron beams for the investigation of the nucleon spin structure and the spectroscopy of hadrons. One or more outgoing particles are detected in coincidence with the incoming muon or hadron. A large polarized target inside a superconducting solenoid is used for the measurements with the muon beam. Outgoing particles are detected by a two-stage, large angle and large momentum range spectrometer. The setup is built using several types of tracking detectors, according to the expected incident rate, required space resolution and the solid angle to be covered. Particle identification is achieved using a RICH counter and both hadron and electromagnetic calorimeters. The setup has been successfully operated from 2002 onwards using a muon beam. Data with a hadron beam were also collected in 2004. This article describes the main features and performances of the spectrometer in 2004; a short summary of the 2006 upgrade is also given.Comment: 84 papes, 74 figure

A DFT study of hydrogen-deuterium exchange over oxidized and reduced gallium species in Ga/HZSM-5 zeolite

Quantum-chemical calculations give insight in the experimentally observed higher rate of hydrogen–deuterium exchange for oxidized Ga/HZSM-5 over reduced Ga/HZSM-5. The reaction is computed to be more facile over reduced (Ga+) than over oxidized (GaO+) cations. The difference lies in the difficult formation of active GaH2+ cations from Ga+ compared to facile hydrogen dissociation over GaO+ to give active GaHOH+ cations. Neutral gallium oxide clusters are shown to have a lower intrinsic activity than GaO+ cations

BENIGN URETHRAL NEOPLASMS IN WOMEN

The review article presents current data on the diagnosis and treatment of benign urethral neoplasms (BUN) in women. BUNs are common diseases, manifest with express clinical symptoms and significantly impair the quality of life of patients. The main manifestations of BUN are urination disorders, pathological discharge from the urethra, pain, dyspareunia, as well as the presence of a palpable formation in the urethra. Risk factors for the occurrence of BUN include recurrent lower urinary tract infections, impaired blood flow in the urethra, trauma to the external opening of the urethra, hypoestrogenemia, which contributes to urogenital atrophy and hyperplastic processes in the urinary tract. Macroscopic signs, symptoms and clinical course of fibroepithelial polyps of the urethra, urethral caruncles, urethral condylomas, non-epithelial benign tumors of the urethra (leiomyomas, hemangiomas and others) are described. The detailed diagnostic methods of BUN are presented, and special attention is paid to differential diagnosis with malignant tumors of the urethra. It is noted that the final diagnosis is made on the basis of histological examination. The main treatment for BUN is surgical. The choice of surgical treatment method is determined by the type of benign neoplasm and the nature of the clinical course. The modern methods of surgical treatment of BUN are described in detail, including laser ablation

Non-antibiotic prevention of postcoital cystitis in women

I.V. Kuz’min1, M.N. Slesarevskaya2, S.Kh. Al’-Shukri1 1I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation 2Research Institute for Surgery and Emergency Medicine of the I.P. Pavlov First Saint Petersburg&nbsp; State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation Background: postcoital cystitis ranks first among recurrent infections of the lower urinary tract in young women. Their prevention is an important medical social issue. Prescription of antimicrobials for these infections increases antibacterial resistance of urinary tract pathogens, thereby requiring the search for alternative preventive strategies for postcoital cystitis. Aim: to assess the effectiveness of diet correction using biologically active food supplement (BAFS) Ecocystin® containing D-mannose and&nbsp;inulin to prevent coitus-related infections of the lower urinary tract (postcoital cystitis) in women. Patients and Methods: 40 sexually active women aged 18–45 (the mean age 31.9±8.8 years) with recurrent coitus-related infections of the lower urinary tract were enrolled. Women were divided into two groups, i.e., the study group (n=22) and the control group (n=18). Study group women received postcoital preventive treatment for the lower urinary tract infections (one sachet of BAFS Ecocystin® containing 1.5 g of mannose and 1.5 g of inulin no later than 2 hours after sexual intercourse and then another 12 hours later). Control group women received no preventive treatment. The primary indicator of the efficacy of postcoital prophylaxis was the rate of recurrent infections of the lower urinary tract. The additional indicator was the severity of clinical presentations assessed by the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) questionnaire. Follow-up was six months. Results: the rate of recurrent infections of the lower urinary tract was significantly lower in the study group compared to the control group. Recurrences were reported in 27.3% in the study group and 77.8% in the control group over months 1–3 (χ2=10.01, p=0.002) and 13.6% and 72.2%, respectively, over months 4–6 (χ2=14.16, p&lt;0.001). The chances for cystitis exacerbation during the first and the second trimester of the follow-up were 2.9- and 5.3-times lower in the study group compared to the control group. During the first trimester of the follow-up, the recurrence rate was 0.45±0.86 per one woman of the study group and 1.55±1.10 per one of the control group (t=3.6, p&lt;0.001). During the second trimester of the follow-up, the recurrence rate was 0.18±0.50 and 1.50±1.20 (t=4.7, p&lt;0.001), respectively. Women who received BAFS Ecocystin® but developed postcoital cystitis reported much lower symptom severity than the control group. As&nbsp;a&nbsp;result, the study group’s quality of life was significantly higher than the control group’s. Conclusions: BAFS Ecocystin® is a highly effective and well-tolerated preventive tool for postcoital cystitis in women and a pathogenetically reasonable alternative for antibiotics. Keywords: postcoital cystitis, infections of the lower urinary tract, recurrent cystitis, Ecocystin, D-mannose, inulin, non-antibiotic prophylaxis. For citation: Kuz’min I.V., Slesarevskaya M.N., Al’-Shukri S.Kh. Non-antibiotic prevention of postcoital cystitis in women. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2021;4(3):209–217 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2021-4-3-209-217. <br

The rhabdoviruses: Biodiversity, phylogenetics, and evolution

Rhabdoviruses (family Rhabdoviridae) include a diversity of important pathogens of animals and plants. They share morphology and genome organization. The understanding of rhabdovirus phylogeny, ecology and evolution has progressed greatly during the last 30 years, due to enhanced surveillance and improved methodologies of molecular characterization. Along with six established genera, several phylogenetic groups at different levels were described within the Rhabdoviridae. However, comparative relationships between viral phylogeny and taxonomy remains incomplete, with multiple representatives awaiting further genetic characterization. The same is true for rhabdovirus evolution. To date, rather simplistic molecular clock models only partially describe the evolutionary dynamics of postulated viral lineages. Ongoing progress in viral evolutionary and ecological investigations will provide the platform for future studies of this diverse family

Host phylogeny constrains cross-species emergence and establishment of rabies virus in bats

For RNA viruses, rapid viral evolution and the biological similarity of closely related host species have been proposed as key determinants of the occurrence and long-term outcome of cross-species transmission. Using a data set of hundreds of rabies viruses sampled from 23 North American bat species, we present a general framework to quantify per capita rates of cross-species transmission and reconstruct historical patterns of viral establishment in new host species using molecular sequence data. These estimates demonstrate diminishing frequencies of both cross-species transmission and host shifts with increasing phylogenetic distance between bat species. Evolutionary constraints on viral host range indicate that host species barriers may trump the intrinsic mutability of RNA viruses in determining the fate of emerging host-virus interactions