The Russian press headlines denoting China

This article discusses the newspaper headlines of Russian mass newspapers ("Arguments and facts", "Komsomolskaya Pravda"). It is not a secret that the impact of printed information flows surpasses the influence of all other types of mass media: radio, television, Internet resources. The language of articles is an indicator of the processes taking place in different areas of the Russian language. Recently journalists have observed the strengthening of Russian-Chinese relations. As a result - the emergence of a large number of articles about the life of the neighboring country. The aim of the work is to study the headlines denoting Chin

OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH REFRACTIVE ERRORS. Part 1: The thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer

Purpose. To develop an available method to correct the influence of the optical system of long or short eyes on the thickness of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), measured using the optical coherence tomography (OCT).Material and methods. The study involved 46 patients (46 eyes) aged 18 to 40 years, with moderate and high myopia and the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) not lower than 0.8, as well as 53 healthy persons with emmetropia of the same sex and age (comparative group) and 117 healthy emmetropic individuals aged 41-84 years (group «over 40 years old»). The OCT was performed using a Cirrus HD-OCT device (Carl Zeiss Meditec). An analysis of the literature was conducted for the selection of the optimal method to correct the influence of the eye optical system on the pRNFL parameters.Results. Taking into account the literature data, Littmann’s method (1982), modified by Bennett et al. (1994), was chosen for a correction of the influence of the ocular optical system on the pRNFL. The method was modified and adopted to the emmetropic eye with a 23.5 mm axial length. The pRNFL normative data were defined for such eyes. Despite the high visual acuity, the patients with myopia showed a significant decrease in the thickness of pRNFL (83.9±5.4 µm) compared to the healthy individuals (96.1±8.2 µm, P<0.000) and the correlation of the pRNFL thickness with the axial length of the eye (r=-0.394; P=0.007).After the correction by the suggested modified method, the average RNFL thickness (96.0±5.8 µm) did not differ from the healthy individuals, and there was no correlation with the axial length of the eye. A table was developed that allows to correct the pRNFL thickness taking into account the axial length of the eye.Conclusion. The OCT devices of most manufacturers do not consider the effect of refractive errors, especially in case of high degree, on quantitative measurements of structures of the eye fundus. For a correct interpretation of pRNFL measurements in these patients, the existing methods of calculation were improved and an original table was proposed, which provides a quick assessment of the obtained results

Conformational spread as a mechanism for cooperativity in the bacterial flagellar switch

The bacterial flagellar switch that controls the direction of flagellar rotation during chemotaxis has a highly cooperative response. This has previously been understood in terms of the classic two-state, concerted model of allosteric regulation. Here, we used high-resolution optical microscopy to observe switching of single motors and uncover the stochastic multistate nature of the switch. Our observations are in detailed quantitative agreement with a recent general model of allosteric cooperativity that exhibits conformational spread—the stochastic growth and shrinkage of domains of adjacent subunits sharing a particular conformational state. We expect that conformational spread will be important in explaining cooperativity in other large signaling complexes

Six-month therapy of CGRP monoclonal antibodies in real-world clinical practice: an interim analysis of efficacy and safety data

Introduction. Migraine is one of the most common disabling neurological disorders. Recently developed monoclonal antibodies to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or its receptor are the first targeted medication for preventive therapy of both episodic and chronic migraine. They have been thoroughly investigated in clinical trials; however, there is little data from real-world clinical practice available to date. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of 6 months of treatment with erenumab in real-world clinical practice and investigate the effect of the drug on the patients’ sensitivity to medicines for migraine headaches relief and patient satisfaction after treatment.Materials and methods. Our observational cohort prospective study included patients in our Headache Clinic prescribed monoclonal antibodies blocking the  CGRP-receptor  – erenumab. During the  investigation, we evaluated the  previous preventive therapy and its efficacy, the number of days with migraine per month, adverse events occurring during the erenumab treatment, depression and anxiety (HADS), migraine disability (MIDAS), the presence of allodynia (ACS-12) and improved response to acute therapy after treatment. A total of 42 patients participated in the study: 6 men, 36 women, the average age was 43.9 ± 12.2. Of them, 38 patients (90%) had chronic migraine. Thirty-two patients (76%) had previously been prescribed preventive therapy, which proved ineffective, and 10 patients (24%) had not once received any type of migraine prevention.Results. Among our patients, we identified 11 patients with resistant migraine and one patient with refractory migraine. During the study, two patients dropped out due to adverse events (constipation). Thirty patients continued the administration of erenumab 70 mg for at least six months. The average number of migraine days per month before treatment was 22.8, and after six months of treatment, it dropped to 7.3. Twenty-nine patients (72.5%) also noted that the response to acute headache treatment improved after the therapy.Conclusion. The results of our study are consistent with the international experience of using erenumab and confirm its effectiveness for migraine preventive therapy, including difficult-to-treat migraine cases. However, further studies with more participants and evaluation of predictors of successful monoclonal antibody therapy are still needed

ОСНОВНЫЕ ПОКАЗАТЕЛИ МЕДИЦИНСКОЙ ПОМОЩИ ОНКОЛОГИЧЕСКИМ БОЛЬНЫМ В АМУРСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

Materials of the research was accepted in the Russian accounting and reporting documents of cial cancer statistics. The article presents the main indicators of medical care for cancer patients in the Amur region, where the 2014 3012 registered new cases of malignant neoplasms, which is 8.9 % more than in the previous year (2013 year – 27.67). Under medical supervision were 15997 patients, i.e. 2 % of the population. Of these, a 45.5 % male and 54.5% female. The maximum number of cases was in the age group 50–69 years. Fewer patients with I–II stages of the process, but it was more of patients with advanced forms of cancer pathology. The number of patients identi ed during preventive examinations amounted to 593 (2013 – 513). Mortality remained at the same level – 120.3 (2013 year – 129.5), whereas the incidence for the last 5 years has increased from 221.7 to in 2010 to 249.9 in 2014 (per 100 000 population). Mortality in the rst year from the time of diagnosis has decreased to 28.4 % (2013 year – 29.4 %). The proportion of patients registered for 5 years or more is 54.5 %. In the cities and districts of the region signi cantly reduced the number of oncologists (2012 year – 22; 2014 year – 13). In 2014 registered 20 cases of malignant neoplasms in children. Data on spatial features of the cancer disease are the basis for the analysis of cancer epidemiology in a speci c region and is aimed primarily at the prevention of this disease. Материалами исследования являлись общепринятые в России учетно-отчетные документы официальной онкологической статистики. Приведены основные показатели оказания медицинской помощи онкологическим больным в Амурской области, где в 2014 г. зарегистрировано 3 012 новых случаев злокачественных новообразований, что на 8,9 % больше, чем в предыдущем году (в 2013 г. – 2 767). Под диспансерным наблюдением находились 15 997 пациентов, т.е. 2 % населения области. Из них мужчин – 45,5 %, женщин – 54,5 %. Максимальное число заболевших приходилось на возрастную группу 50–69 лет. Уменьшилось количество больных с I–II стадиями процесса, но больше стало пациентов с запущенными формами онкопатологии. Количество больных, выявленных при профилактических осмотрах, – 593 (в 2013 г. – 513). Смертность снизилась в сравнении с прежним уровнем – 120,31 0/0000 (в 2013 г. – 129,5 0/0000), тогда как заболеваемость за последние 5 лет выросла с 221,74 0/0000 в 2010 г. до 249,91 0/0000 в 2014 г. Летальность на первом году с момента установления диагноза снизилась до 28,4 % (в 2013 г. – 29,4 %). Удельный вес больных, состоявших на учете 5 и более лет, – 54,5 %. В 2014 году зарегистрировано 20 случаев злокачественных новообразований у детей. Данные о территориальных особенностях онкологической патологии являются основой для анализа эпидемиологии рака в конкретном регионе.

Conformational Spread in the Flagellar Motor Switch: A Model Study

The reliable response to weak biological signals requires that they be amplified with fidelity. In E. coli, the flagellar motors that control swimming can switch direction in response to very small changes in the concentration of the signaling protein CheY-P, but how this works is not well understood. A recently proposed allosteric model based on cooperative conformational spread in a ring of identical protomers seems promising as it is able to qualitatively reproduce switching, locked state behavior and Hill coefficient values measured for the rotary motor. In this paper we undertook a comprehensive simulation study to analyze the behavior of this model in detail and made predictions on three experimentally observable quantities: switch time distribution, locked state interval distribution, Hill coefficient of the switch response. We parameterized the model using experimental measurements, finding excellent agreement with published data on motor behavior. Analysis of the simulated switching dynamics revealed a mechanism for chemotactic ultrasensitivity, in which cooperativity is indispensable for realizing both coherent switching and effective amplification. These results showed how cells can combine elements of analog and digital control to produce switches that are simultaneously sensitive and reliable

Aromatic Amino Acids: Phenylalanine and Tyrosine in Patients with Hypertension and Coronary Artery Disease

Aim. To evaluate changes in the profile of aromatic amino acids (AAA) in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD): hypertension and coronary artery disease (CАD) in comparison with healthy study participants.Material and methods. One hundred and thirty-one participants were included in the study: 58 participants were included in the hypertension group, 46 in the CАD group, and 27 participants without signs of CVD in the control group. We used ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography in combination with a triple quadrupole analyzer to measure plasma AAA: phenylalanine and tyrosine (Phe, Tyr) in all study participants. The association of AAA with biochemical blood test parameters, echocardiography (EchoCG) parameters, blood pressure level and clinical characteristics was analyzed.Results. A statistically significant difference in the level of concentration of Phe and Tyr was revealed (p=0,002 and p=0,024, respectively), comparing the three groups. Post-hoc analysis showed differences in the circulating level of both amino acids in patients with CAD vs the control group (Phe p=0,008 and Tyr p=0,020). Also a statistically significant difference in the level of Phe of the hypertension and CАD groups (p=0,017) was found. A negative correlation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) with the level of Phe (r=-0,685, p<0,05) and Tyr (r=-0,583, p<0,05), as well as the level of Phe with total cholesterol (r=-0,461, p<0,05) was found in the group without CVD. In the hypertension group, only a weak positive correlation was found between very low-density lipoproteins and AAA levels (Phe r=0,326 and Tyr r=0,365, p<0,05), while in patients with CAD, the level of Phe and Tyr was negative correlated with high-density lipoprotein (r=-0,378 and r=-0,543, respectively, p<0,05), and the level of Tyr with LDL (r=0,349, p<0,05). When isolating the group with proven atherosclerosis of peripheral and/or coronary arteries, a statistically significant difference was revealed between the group of patients with CVD and clinical and instrumental signs of atherosclerosis and the group of patients with CVD without proven atherosclerosis in Phe level (p=0,019).Conclusion. Concentrations of AAA were higher in patients with CVD, comparing with the control group. At the same time, an increase of the Phe level was associated with the presence of peripheral or coronary atherosclerosis. The revealed correlations of AAA with EchoCG parameters and lipid spectrum parameters require further study to understand the involvement of AAA in pathogenesis of CVD and its potential role as treatment target

Noise Filtering Strategies of Adaptive Signaling Networks: The Case of E. Coli Chemotaxis

Two distinct mechanisms for filtering noise in an input signal are identified in a class of adaptive sensory networks. We find that the high frequency noise is filtered by the output degradation process through time-averaging; while the low frequency noise is damped by adaptation through negative feedback. Both filtering processes themselves introduce intrinsic noises, which are found to be unfiltered and can thus amount to a significant internal noise floor even without signaling. These results are applied to E. coli chemotaxis. We show unambiguously that the molecular mechanism for the Berg-Purcell time-averaging scheme is the dephosphorylation of the response regulator CheY-P, not the receptor adaptation process as previously suggested. The high frequency noise due to the stochastic ligand binding-unbinding events and the random ligand molecule diffusion is averaged by the CheY-P dephosphorylation process to a negligible level in E.coli. We identify a previously unstudied noise source caused by the random motion of the cell in a ligand gradient. We show that this random walk induced signal noise has a divergent low frequency component, which is only rendered finite by the receptor adaptation process. For gradients within the E. coli sensing range, this dominant external noise can be comparable to the significant intrinsic noise in the system. The dependence of the response and its fluctuations on the key time scales of the system are studied systematically. We show that the chemotaxis pathway may have evolved to optimize gradient sensing, strong response, and noise control in different time scalesComment: 15 pages, 4 figure

Phenotypic Variation and Bistable Switching in Bacteria

Microbial research generally focuses on clonal populations. However, bacterial cells with identical genotypes frequently display different phenotypes under identical conditions. This microbial cell individuality is receiving increasing attention in the literature because of its impact on cellular differentiation, survival under selective conditions, and the interaction of pathogens with their hosts. It is becoming clear that stochasticity in gene expression in conjunction with the architecture of the gene network that underlies the cellular processes can generate phenotypic variation. An important regulatory mechanism is the so-called positive feedback, in which a system reinforces its own response, for instance by stimulating the production of an activator. Bistability is an interesting and relevant phenomenon, in which two distinct subpopulations of cells showing discrete levels of gene expression coexist in a single culture. In this chapter, we address techniques and approaches used to establish phenotypic variation, and relate three well-characterized examples of bistability to the molecular mechanisms that govern these processes, with a focus on positive feedback.

Stochastic dynamics and mean field approach in a system of three interacting species

The spatio-temporal dynamics of three interacting species, two preys and one predator, in the presence of two different kinds of noise sources is studied. To describe the spatial distributions of the species we use a model based on Lotka-Volterra equations. A correlated dichotomous noise acts on \beta, the interaction parameter between the two preys, and a multiplicative white noise affects directly the dynamics of each one of the three species. We study the time behaviour of the three species in single site for different values of the multiplicative noise intensity, finding noise-induced oscillations of the three species densities with an anticorrelated behaviour of the two preys. Afterwards, by considering a spatially extended system formed by a two-dimensional lattice with N sites and applying a mean field approach, we get the corresponding moment equations in Gaussian approximation. Within this formalism we obtain the time behaviour of the first and second order moments for different values of multiplicative noise intensity, with \beta(t) subject to the same dichotomous noise source. Finally, we compare our results with those obtained by using a coupled map lattice model, consisting of a time discrete version of the Lotka-Volterra equations.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to Centr. Eur. J. Phy