Coexistence of multiple sclerosis and brain tumours: Case report and review

In the present report, a review of the literature on the combination of multiple sclerosis and brain tumours is performed. Additionally, the frequency of such combination, possible etiopathogenetic mechanisms, current diagnostic criteria and treatment approaches are reviewed. Furthermore, the case of a 30-year-old man with multiple sclerosis and anaplastic astrocytoma of the right temporal lobe is described in detail. Specifically, the patient underwent a series of tests, including laboratory analyses of blood and cerebrospinal fluid, brain MRI in various modes, MR spectroscopy and excised tumour’s pathohistological and immunohistochemical examination. Results of the tests are reported here. A staged examination and treatment of the patient allowed the researchers to perform a correct diagnosis and obtain a satisfactory functional outcome

Hydrogel Nanocomposites with Silver Nanoparticles

Copolymer hydrogels based on acrylic monomers (primarily acrylamide and acrylonitrile) are synthesized and their physicochemical properties are investigated. Methods of incorporation of nanoparticles of gold and silver into hydrogel pores and methods of their stabilization using reagents of different nature are developed. Our studies showed pronounced bactericidal properties of the nanocomposites regarding gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and, at the same time, their biocompatibility to stem cells

FOXP3, IL2R, CD8A and RORγ gene expression in peripheral blood leukocytes of healthy people and patients with arterial hypertension

Impaired balance of T regulatory and T effector lymphocytes has recently been considered as an important pathogenetic link in arterial hypertension (AH). There are, however, contradictory literature data about contents of these cells in the patients with hypertension, or obtained in experimental animal models of induced hypertension. Most results about changed patterns of immune cells in cardiovascular diseases were obtained by means of flow cytometry. There are also some works on expression of genes encoding surface and cytoplasmic differentiation antigens of immune cells in the patients with cardiovascular pathologies. These results coincide with the data obtained with flow cytometric techniques. Purpose of the present study was to analyze of the levels of gene transcripts encoding differentiation markers of regulatory (FOXP3, IL2R) T cells, effector T subpopulations (T helpers 17 (RORγ), and CD8 lymphocytes (CD8A) in healthy subjects and the patients with arterial hypertension (stages I-II). We examined healthy individuals (40 people, 20 men and 20 women), 27 patients with hypertension who did not receive antihypertensive therapy (14 men and 13 women), 26 hypertensive patients taking β-adrenergic receptor blockers (metoprolol or bisoprolol), including 12 men and 14 women. The relative levels of transcripts in peripheral blood leukocytes were assessed by real-time RT-PCR. It was shown that the transcriptional activity of FOXP3, IL2R, RORγ, and CD8A genes in peripheral blood leukocytes of the diseased people was significantly higher than in healthy individuals (p < 0.01). This finding may indicate an increased number of circulating T regulatory lymphocytes, CD8+ cells and T helpers 17 in hypertensive patients, and activation of T cell immunity in these patients. There were no statistically significant gender differences in FOXP3, IL2R, RORγ and CD8A gene expression in leukocytes, both in the group of healthy people and in hypertensive patients. The patients receiving cardioselective β-adrenergic receptor blockers (metoprolol and bisoprolol) exhibited lower expression of these genes, thus, probably, indicating antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of these drugs

Evaluation of commercial traits in the accessions of Medicago sativa L. from Asia Minor

Background. One of the main tasks of the present-day breeding practice is the development of high-yielding intensive-type fodder crop cultivars for indoor feeding of livestock. Alfalfa, as a productive and high-protein crop, deserves special attention. An offer of new breeding sources would enable breeders to broaden the diversity of alfalfa cultivars. Objective. The present study involved 65 local varieties and wild accessions of alfalfa from Turkey preserved in the VIR collection. Material and methods. Yekaterinino Experiment Station of VIR (Tambov Province) was chosen as the research site. Evaluation of the alfalfa collection was carried out in 2015–2017, using the methods developed at VIR for fodder crop research targeted at such traits as green biomass yield, seed productivity, and leafiness. The cultivar ‘Marusinskaya 425’ was used as the reference. Results and conclusions. In 2015, four accessions were identified as promising for their green matter yield and seed productivity: local varieties k-3373 and k-3378 from Konya Province, k-5992 from Isparta Province, and k-6116 from Sivas Province. In 2016, three accessions exceeded the reference in the yield of green matter, and three accessions had higher seed productivity. Eight accessions surpassed the reference in leafiness. In 2017, only one accession, k-6009 (Kayseri Province), significantly exceeded the reference in green matter yield. Nine accessions were selected for their high seed yield. The maximum seed productivity was observed in the accession k-3379 (Konya). Leafiness was notably higher than the reference’s in 15 accessions. The average for three years shows that none of the accessions credibly surpassed the reference in green matter yield. Four accessions had higher seed productivity than the reference. According to the three-year average, 11 accessions exceeded the reference in leafiness. All in all, in the three years of study, the accessions k-3373, k-3378 and k-3379 (Konya) were selected for high green matter yield and seed productivity. High seed productivity and leafiness, with satisfactory green matter yield, were registered in the accession k-5992 (Isparta). The accession k-6009 (Kayseri) significantly exceeded the reference in green matter yield, but demonstrated low seed productivity and poor leafiness. The place of origin for the identified local accessions had been Central Anatolia, with its continental climate. These accessions are valuable breeding sources with noteworthy commercial traits. Alfalfa from Asia Minor can be recommended for use in breeding practice, targeted at the development of new high-yielding intensive-type cultivars

ВНЕЛАБОРАТОРНЫЙ ЭКСПРЕССНЫЙ ГАЗОХРОМАТОГРАФИЧЕСКИЙ МЕТОД АНАЛИЗА ВЫДЫХАЕМОГО ЧЕЛОВЕКОМ ВОЗДУХА С АВТОМАТИЗИРОВАННОЙ ГРАДУИРОВКОЙ

One of the current urgent task in medicine, and preventive medicine in particular, is the development of noninvasive (without surgery) methods of diagnosis and determination of the risks of various diseases. Much attention is paid to the possibilities of exhaled breath analysis for the diagnosis of various diseases such as cancer, gastroenterology, diabetes and others. Possibilities of such analyses are determined by a wide range of human exhaled volatile organic compounds. The growing interest in the development of noninvasive methods of diagnosis of diseases by the analysis of exhaled breath initiated the creation of easy-to-use and portable gas analyzers for the mass examination of patients in non-laboratory conditions. The main requirements for such gas analyzers are combinations of portability, speed, sensitivity and stability control. Current article presents a gas chromatographic method of rapid analysis of exhaled breath with an automated calibration of the vapor-phase concentration source that meets all of the above requirements. A portable polycapillary gas chromatography is used, which provides low thresholds for the determination of substances at the time of analysis of a few tens of seconds. The method of obtaining the vapor-phase calibration concentration of acetone vapors at the level of 10-10 g/cm3 is discussed. The calibration unit is integrated into the gas chromatograph (GC), and its software control ensures the automation of GC calibration. The original scheme of the sampling system (SS) provides multiple input samples from a single exhalation of a person and a completely similar input calibration air mixture in GC to reduce the calibration errors. The structure of the software is implemented in convenient terms for the chemist-analyst practice. Original SS, polycapillary gas chromatography, and built-in automated calibration provide real-time analysis of exhaled air in the presence of the patient. The possibility of differentiation of patients by metabolic disorders (metabolism) in the human body by express analysis of exhaled air using the proposed gas chromatographic method of express analysis of exhaled air with automated calibration is illustrated.Key words: automated sample device, express analysis of exhaled air, polycapillary gas chromatography, automated graduation, a head-space source of concentration(Russian) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/analitika.2018.22.2.007A.O. Malysheva1, 3, M.N. Baldin1, V.M. Gruznov1, 2, 3, L.V. Blinova11Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Koptyug Avenue, 3, Novosibirsk, 630090,Russian Federation 2Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova St., 2, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russian Federation 3Novosibirsk State Technical University, K. Marx Avenue, 20, Novosibirsk, 630073, Russian FederationВ настоящее время актуальной задачей медицины, в частности профилактической, является разработка неинвазивных (бескровных) методик диагностики и определения риска различных заболеваний. Уделяется большое внимание возможностям анализа выдыхаемого воздуха для диагностики различных заболеваний – раковых, гастроэнтерологических, сахарного диабета и других. Возможности такого анализа определены широким набором выдыхаемых человеком летучих органических соединений. Возрастающий интерес к разработке неинвазивных методик диагностики заболеваний по анализу выдыхаемого человеком воздуха инициирует создание простых в обращении и портативных газовых анализаторов для массового обследования пациентов во внелабораторных условиях. Основные требования к газоанализаторам ‒ это сочетание портативности, быстродействия, чувствительности и контроля стабильности отклика. В статье изложен удовлетворяющий этим требованиям газохроматографический метод экспрессного анализа выдыхаемого воздуха с автоматизированной градуировкой парофазным источником концентрации. Использована портативная поликапиллярная газовая хроматография, обеспечивающая низкие пороги определения веществ при времени анализа в несколько десятков секунд. Обсуждается методика получения парофазной градуировочной концентрации паров ацетона на уровне 10–10 г/см3. Блок градуировки встроен в газовый хроматограф (ГХ), его программное управление обеспечивает автоматизацию градуировки ГХ. Оригинальная схема пробоотборного устройства (ПУ) обеспечивает многократный ввод пробы из разового выдоха человека и полностью аналогичный ввод градуировочной воздушной смеси в ГХ для уменьшения погрешностей градуировки. Структура программного обеспечения (ПО) реализована в терминах, удобных для практики химика-аналитика. Оригинальное ПУ, поликапиллярная газовая хроматография, встроенная автоматизированная градуировка обеспечивают анализ выдыхаемого воздуха в режиме реального времени в присутствии пациента. Проиллюстрирована возможность дифференцирования пациентов по нарушению метаболизма (обмену веществ) в организме человека по экспрессному анализу выдыхаемого воздуха предложенным газохроматографическим методом экспрессного анализа выдыхаемого воздуха с автоматизированной градуировкой.Ключевые слова: отбор выдыхаемого воздуха, экспрессный анализ выдыхаемого воздуха, поликапиллярная газовая хроматография, автоматизированная градуировка, парофазный источник концентрацииDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/analitika.2018.22.2.00

Алгоритм цифровой трансформации компаний на основе бизнес-моделей

In the context of convergence of markets and competition between traditional and digital companies, there is a high demand for business models and algorithms for their implementation. The article is devoted to a comparative analysis of traditional and digital business models. Algorithms for implementing business models are presented, their similarities and differences are considered. The points of entry into the modeling process, the results and the degree of the manager's involvement in the decision-making process are compared.В условиях конвергенции рынков и конкуренции традиционных и цифровых компаний наблюдается высокий спрос на бизнес-модели и алгоритмы их внедрения. Статья посвящена сравнительному анализу традиционных и цифровых бизнес-моделей. Приводятся алгоритмы внедрения бизнес-моделей, рассматриваются их сходства и отличия. Сравниваются точки входа в процесс моделирования, результаты и степень вовлеченности руководителя в процесс принятия решений