Statistics of Neutron Stars at the Stage of Supersonic Propeller

We analyze the statistical distribution of neutron stars at the stage of a supersonic propeller. An important point of our analysis is allowance for the evolution of the angle of inclination of the magnetic axis to the spin axis of the neutron star for the boundary of the transition to the supersonic propeller stage for two models: the model with hindered particle escape from the stellar surface and the model with free particle escape. As a result, we have shown that a consistent allowance for the evolution of the inclination angle in the region of extinct radio pulsars for the two models leads to an increase in the total number of neutron stars at the supersonic propeller stage. This increase stems from he fact that when allowing for the evolution of the inclination angle $\chi$ for neutron stars in the region of extinct radio pulsars and, hence, for the boundary of the transition to the propeller stage, this transition is possible at shorter spin periods (P~5-10 s) than assumed in the standard model.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures; scale corrected for figures 3-

A Unique LnIII{[3.3.1]GaIII Metallacryptate} Series That Possesses Properties of Slow Magnetic Relaxation and Visible/Near‐Infrared Luminescence

A new family of [3.3.1] metallacryptates with the general composition [LnGa6(H2shi)(Hshi)(shi)7(C5H5N)] (Ln‐1; shi3−=salicylhydroximate; Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm–Yb) has been synthesized and characterized. Ln‐1 display both interesting magnetic and luminescent properties. Sm‐1 has sharp emission bands in the visible and the near‐infrared (NIR) regions with quantum yield values (QSmL) of 1.64(9) and 5.5(2).10−2 %, respectively. Tb‐1 exhibits a weak green emission (QTbL=1.89(3).10−1 %) while Pr‐1, Nd‐1, Ho‐1, Er‐1, and Yb‐1 possess emission bands in the NIR range with QPrL=3.7(2).10−3 %, QNdL=1.71(5).10−1 %, QHoL=1.1(2).10−3 %, QErL=7.1(2).10−3 % and QYbL=0.65(3) %. Nd‐1, Dy‐1, and Yb‐1 display slow magnetization relaxation in an applied field, where only Dy‐1 has been observed to follow an Orbach process (Ueff=12.7 K). The combination of NIR emission with magnetic properties makes Nd‐1 and Yb‐1 attractive candidates as smart materials addressable in two manners.A two‐for‐one scaffold: A new LnIII‐encapsulating metallamacrocyclic scaffold was synthesized and structurally determined to resemble cryptands. This metallacryptand can bind a wide variety of LnIII ions of different natures and demonstrates the ability to sensitize their characteristic emissions in the visible and/or near‐infrared. Slow magnetic relaxation was also observed for selected LnIII.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145255/1/chem201801355.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145255/2/chem201801355_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145255/3/chem201801355-sup-0001-misc_information.pd

The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence and the Possibility of its Application in Cyber Games

Artificial intelligence, as a separate field of research, is currently experiencing a boom - new methods of machine learning and hardware are emerging and improving, and the results achieved change the life of society. Machine translation, handwriting recognition, speech recognition are changing our reality. The work of creating unmanned vehicles, voice assistants and other devices using these technologies is in an active process. The article examines the historical context of the artificial intelligence development, it evaluates the possibilities of its introduction into cyber games, as a safe and effective platform for testing new methods of machine learning. The promotion of such projects can increase the reputation of development companies, ensure increased user confidence in other products and, with a competent marketing strategy, cause a significant public resonance among video game fans, providing the developer with economic profit

Distribution, excretion and metabolic pathways of a single parenteral administration of kappa-opioid receptor agonist RU-1205

The purpose was to study the pharmacokinetic properties of RU-1205 with the previously identified kappa-agonistic and analgesic effects after parenteral administratio

Therapy of Schizoaffective Disorder and Paranoid Schizophrenia with Episodic Course

Background. The use of atypical antipsychotics in schizophrenia contributes to the reduction of psychotic, affective, negative and cognitive disorders.Aims. To evaluate the effectiveness of ziprasidone therapy in patients with schizoaffective disorder and paranoid schizophrenia with episodic course.Materials and methods. In accordance with ICD-10 there were 14 (63.6 %) people with schizoaffective disorder (F25), 8 (36.4 %) people with paranoid schizophrenia, episodic course (F20.x1). Treatment with ziprasidone lasted 42 days. The dose of ziprasidone in 6 patients (27.3 %) was 80 mg, in 10 patients (45.5 %) – 120 mg, in 6 patients (27.3 %) – 160 mg. Evaluation of the effectiveness of ziprasidone therapy was carried out using psychometric scales (PANSS, General clinical impression scale to assess the effectiveness of therapy – CGI-S, CGI-I), adverse events were registered with the UKU scale.Results. The number of respondents was 19 (86.3 %) (reduction of the total score on the PANSS scale > 20 % of the pre-treatment level). Ziprasidone was effective in patients with schizoaffective disorder with a significant decrease in total score on PANSS subscales to the 14 th day of therapy (p < 0.05), with paranoid schizophrenia with episodic course – by the 21st day (p < 0.01). According to the CGI-S scale at the end of therapy, “borderline condition” was observed in 10 patients (52.6 %), mild severity – in 3 (15.8 %), normal condition – in 6 (31.6 %). CGI-I scale showed a significant improvement in 10 patients (52.6 %), marked improvement – in 9 patients (47.4 %). Among the mild adverse events that do not require discontinuation of the drug, we noted: weakness – in 3 patients (15.8 %), drowsiness – in 3 (15.8 %), impaired concentration – in 2 (10.5 %), orthostatic dizziness – in 2 (10.5 %), galactorrhea – in 1 (5.3 %).Conclusions. Ziprasidone is an effective antipsychotic drug that has a safe tolerability profile. It can be used in patients with schizoaffective disorders and paranoid schizophrenia with episodic course

Structural and Luminescence Properties of Silica-Based Hybrids Containing New Silylated-Diketonato Europium(III) Complex

A new betadiketonate ligand displaying a trimethoxysilyl group as grafting function and a diketone moiety as complexing site (TTA-Si = 4,4,4-trifluoro-2-(3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl)-1-3-butanedione (C4H3S)COCH[(CH2)3Si(OCH3)3]COCF3) and its highly luminescent europium(III) complex [Eu(TTA-Si)3] have been synthesized and fully characterized. Luminescent silica-based hybrids have been prepared as well with this new complex grafted on the surface of dense silica nanoparticles (28 (+/-3 nm) or on mesoporous silica particles. The covalent bonding of Eu(TTA-Si)3 inside the core of uniform silica nanoparticles (40 (+/- 5 nm) was also achieved. Luminescence properties are discussed in relation to the europium chemical environment involved in each of the three hybrids. The general methodology proposed allowed high grafting ratios and overcame chelate release and tendency to agglomeration, and it could be applied to any silica matrix (in the core or at the surface, nanosized or not, dense or mesoporous) and therefore numerous applications such as luminescent markers and luminophors could be foreseen

Relationship of the Content of Systemic and Endobronchial Soluble Molecules of CD25, CD38, CD8, and HLA-I-CD8 and Lung Function Parameters in COPD Patients

© 2017 Nailya Kubysheva et al. The definition of new markers of local and systemic inflammation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the priority directions in the study of pathogenesis and diagnostic methods improvement for this disease. We investigated 91 patients with COPD and 21 healthy nonsmokers. The levels of soluble CD25, CD38, CD8, and HLA-I-CD8 molecules in the blood serum and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in moderate-to-severe COPD patients during exacerbation and stable phase were studied. An unidirectional change in the content of sCD25, sCD38, and sCD8 molecules with increasing severity of COPD was detected. The correlations between the parameters of lung function and sCD8, sCD25, and sHLA-I-CD8 levels in the blood serum and EBC were discovered in patients with severe COPD. The findings suggest a pathogenetic role of the investigated soluble molecules of the COPD development and allow considering the content of sCD8, sCD25, and sHLA-I-CD8 molecules as additional novel systemic and endobronchial markers of the progression of chronic inflammation of this disease

Prokaryotic expression, purification and immunogenicity in rabbits of the small antigen of hepatitis delta virus

Funding Information: Expression and purification of HDV antigen was supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant 16-04-01490a). Evaluation of serum by Western blot and confocal microscopy was supported by Russian Science Foundation (grant 14-14-01021). Experiments in rabbits were supported by the Swedish Institute grants 09272_2013 and 19806_2016. Cross-border collaboration of the partners, exchange of the materials and standard operation procedures used in the study, and dissemination of the data were supported by the EU Twinning project VACTRAIN, contract nr 692293. Publisher Copyright: © 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a viroid-like blood-borne human pathogen that accompanies hepatitis B virus infection in 5% patients. HDV has been studied for four decades; however, the knowledge on its life-cycle and pathogenesis is still sparse. The studies are hampered by the absence of the commercially-available HDV-specific antibodies. Here, we describe a set of reproducible methods for the expression in E. coli of His-tagged small antigen of HDV (S-HDAg), its purification, and production of polyclonal anti-S-HDAg antibodies in rabbits. S-HDAg was cloned into a commercial vector guiding expression of the recombinant proteins with the C-terminal His-tag. We optimized S-HDAg protein purification procedure circumventing a low affinity of the His-tagged S-HDAg to the Ni-nitrilotriacetyl agarose (Ni-NTA-agarose) resin. Optimization allowed us to obtain S-HDAg with >90% purity. S-HDAg was used to immunize Shinchilla grey rabbits which received 80 µg of S-HDAg in two subcutaneous primes in the complete, followed by four 40 µg boosts in incomplete Freunds adjuvant. Rabbits were bled two weeks post each boost. Antibody titers determined by indirect ELISA exceeded 107. Anti-S-HDAg antibodies detected the antigen on Western blots in the amounts of up-to 100 pg. They were also successfully used to characterize the expression of S-HDAg in the eukaryotic cells by immunofluorescent staining/confocal microscopy.publishersversionPeer reviewe

The significance of soluble molecules of cellular adhesion, nitric oxide metabolites, and endothelin-1 and their associations as markers of progression of inflammation in COPD

© 2017, Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy. All rights reserved. The aim of the investigation was to assess the significance of the content of metabolites of the nitric oxide, sICAM-1 and sICAM-3 in blood serum and in exhaled breath condensate, the serum level of endothelin-1 as systemic and topical markers of inflammation in patients with COPD, and their correlations with the parameters of lung ventilation function. Materials and methods. 91 patients with COPD, aged from 46 to 67, and 21 healthy, non-smoking volunteers took part in the study. The material for investigation was blood serum and exhaled breath condensate. Results. The severity of progression of COPD was linked with an increase in the serum content of sCD50, sCD54, ET-1, as well as in the concentrations of metabolites of nitric oxide in blood and in exhaled breath condensate. For the patients with COPD we determined the associations between the function of pulmonary ventilation and the levels of ET-1, sICAM-1, sICAM-3 and the value of ΣNO – 2 /NO – 3 . The resulting correlations between the concentration of soluble adhesion molecules, the values of nitrosative stress, and ET-1 level indicate that they are involved in the genesis of chronic inflammation in COPD patients