The narrative approach to the problem of personal identity

The article deals with the problem of personality identity. First, I consider the main approaches to this problem, i.e. a psychological approach and a somatic approach. Second, I present an alternative approach – a narrative one – and discuss its benefits. To specify the narrative approach, I examine the concept of the «center of narrative gravity».В статье рассмотрена проблема тождества личности, основные подходы к ее решению: психологический и соматический. Также описан нарративный подход к решению данной проблемы и его преимущества перед остальными. Рассмотрено понятие «центр нарративной гравитации»

Operating System Influence on VLSI Radiation Resistance

The article presents a comparative analysis of radiation resistance levels of complex-functional VLSI when using an operating system (OS) for software development in comparison with the traditional approach based on a superloop. The applied OSs and objects of the research are presented. The features of the program code for functional control tests when using and not using OS are described. Algorithms of conducting experiments in the studies of absorbed dose affects and dose rate effects are presented. Comparisons were made of radiation resistance levels to total ionizing dose (TID) effects and dose rate effects in the presence and in the absence of OS. The obtained results of studies on TID effects demonstrate that the presence of OS can change the radiation resistance level up to ~30% both up and down compared to the traditional case in the absence of OS. Based on the results of dose rate effects studies, it was concluded that the use of OS can reduce the level of fault-tolerant operation by 43% compared to the case in the absence of OS. The results also show that the type of OS also affects the fault-tolerant operation level. Possible explanations of difference in radiation resistance levels are proposed. Directions for futher research are outlined

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ КАЛЬЦІЮ ІОНОФОРУ У ПАЦІЄНТОК ЗІ ЗНИЖЕНИМ РЕПРОДУКТИВНИМ ПРОГНОЗОМ У ПРОТОКОЛАХ ДРТ

The aim of the study – to learn the effectiveness of the use of Ca ionophore in IVF – ICSI protocols in patients with a reduced reproductive prognosis. Materials and Methods. A study was conducted of the effectiveness of the method of oocyte activation in ECO-ICSI protocols in patients after at least one unsuccessful attempt of ART. Identical CSR protocols were used. Effectiveness was estimated on the basis of embryological (frequency of fertilization, embryo cleavage, percentage of blastulation) and clinical indicators (frequency of pregnancy). Results and Discussion. The use of calcium ionophore at the time of the ICSI procedure allows to improve the percentage of oocyte fertilization, the percentage of cleavage, the percentage of blastulation. This, in turn, has increased the pregnancy rate in the IVF-ICSI treatment. Conclusion. Improvement of embryological parameters allowed to significantly improve the results of the frequency of pregnancy in women of older reproductive age with a reduced prognosis for the occurrence of pregnancy.Мета дослідження – вивчення ефективності використання Са іонофору в протоколах ЕКЗ – ICSI у пацієнток зі зниженим репродуктивним прогнозом. Матеріали та методи. Проведено дослідження ефективності методики активації ооцитів у протоколах ЕКЗ – ICSI у пацієнток після як мінімум однієї невдалої спроби ДРТ. Застосовували ідентичні протоколи КСО. Результативність оцінювали, виходячи з ембріологічних (частота запліднення, дроблення ембріонів, відсоток бластуляції) і клінічних показників (частота настання вагітності). Результати дослідження та їх обговорення. Застосування кальцію іонофору в момент проведення процедури ICSI дозволяє поліпшити відсоток запліднення ооцитів, відсоток дроблення, відсоток бластуляції. Це, у свою чергу, дозволило підвищити частоту настання вагітності в програмах ЕКЗ – ICSI. Висновок. Поліпшення ембріологічних показників дозволило істотно поліпшити результати щодо частоти настання вагітності в жінок старшого репродуктивного віку зі зниженим прогнозом по настанню вагітності.Мета дослідження – вивчення ефективності використання Са іонофору в протоколах ЕКЗ – ICSI у пацієнток зі зниженим репродуктивним прогнозом. Матеріали та методи. Проведено дослідження ефективності методики активації ооцитів у протоколах ЕКЗ – ICSI у пацієнток після як мінімум однієї невдалої спроби ДРТ. Застосовували ідентичні протоколи КСО. Результативність оцінювали, виходячи з ембріологічних (частота запліднення, дроблення ембріонів, відсоток бластуляції) і клінічних показників (частота настання вагітності). Результати дослідження та їх обговорення. Застосування кальцію іонофору в момент проведення процедури ICSI дозволяє поліпшити відсоток запліднення ооцитів, відсоток дроблення, відсоток бластуляції. Це, у свою чергу, дозволило підвищити частоту настання вагітності в програмах ЕКЗ – ICSI. Висновок. Поліпшення ембріологічних показників дозволило істотно поліпшити результати щодо частоти настання вагітності в жінок старшого репродуктивного віку зі зниженим прогнозом по настанню вагітності

PREPARATION OF STANDARD SAMPLES OF MASS FRACTION OF NEODYMIUM, LANTHANUM, URANIUM IN AN ION EXCHANGE RESIN MATRIX

Standard samples were synthesized by sorption of a solution onto a resin followed by pressing. The composition of the standard sample was monitored by ICP-MS and XRF analysis. The metrological characteristics of standard samples were assessed

FEATURES OF CMOS MICROCIRCUITS X-RAY IRRADIATION TESTING

The paper substantiates the possibility of X-ray sources usage in radiation-hardness tests of microcircuits with 180 nm design or less. The tests were conducted using an electron ac-celerator in bremsstrahlung mode and an X-ray unit. The comparison results and key features are presented.Авторы выражают благодарность Смолину А.С. и Демидову А.А. из АО «ЭНПО СПЭЛС» за полезные обсуждения и рекомендации при подготовке материала

DETERMINATION OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS IN PUROLITE C160 RESIN BY WD-XRF

Rare earth elements in resin Purolite C160 were determined by X-ray fluorescence method. Sample preparation was carried out by pressing crushed resin into a pressed sample on a boric acid substrate. The metrological characteristics of the analysis technique were also evaluated

Fusion of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigen 85A to an Oligomerization Domain Enhances Its Immunogenicity in Both Mice and Non-Human Primates

To prevent important infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and HIV, vaccines inducing greater T cell responses are required. In this study, we investigated whether fusion of the M. tuberculosis antigen 85A to recently described adjuvant IMX313, a hybrid avian C4bp oligomerization domain, could increase T cell responses in pre-clinical vaccine model species. In mice, the fused antigen 85A showed consistent increases in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses after DNA and MVA vaccination. In rhesus macaques, higher IFN-γ responses were observed in animals vaccinated with MVA-Ag85A IMX313 after both primary and secondary immunizations. In both animal models, fusion to IMX313 induced a quantitative enhancement in the response without altering its quality: multifunctional cytokines were uniformly increased and differentiation into effector and memory T cell subsets was augmented rather than skewed. An extensive in vivo characterization suggests that IMX313 improves the initiation of immune responses as an increase in antigen 85A specific cells was observed as early as day 3 after vaccination. This report demonstrates that antigen multimerization using IMX313 is a simple and effective cross-species method to improve vaccine immunogenicity with potentially broad applicability

Clinical features of post-COVID-19 period. Results of the international register “Dynamic analysis of comorbidities in SARS-CoV-2 survivors (AKTIV SARS-CoV-2)”. Data from 6-month follow-up

Aim. To study the clinical course specifics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and comorbid conditions in COVID-19 survivors 3, 6, 12 months after recovery in the Eurasian region according to the AKTIV register. Material and methods.The AKTIV register was created at the initiative of the Eurasian Association of Therapists. The AKTIV register is divided into 2 parts: AKTIV 1 and AKTIV 2. The AKTIV 1 register currently includes 6300 patients, while in AKTIV 2 — 2770. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 receiving in- and outpatient treatment have been anonymously included on the registry. The following 7 countries participated in the register: Russian Federation, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Uzbekistan. This closed multicenter register with two nonoverlapping branches (in- and outpatient branch) provides 6 visits: 3 in-person visits during the acute period and 3 telephone calls after 3, 6, 12 months. Subject recruitment lasted from June 29, 2020 to October 29, 2020. Register will end on October 29, 2022. A total of 9 fragmentary analyzes of the registry data are planned. This fragment of the study presents the results of the post-hospitalization period in COVID-19 survivors after 3 and 6 months. Results. According to the AKTIV register, patients after COVID-19 are characterized by long-term persistent symptoms and frequent seeking for unscheduled medical care, including rehospitalizations. The most common causes of unplanned medical care are uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) and chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or decompensated type 2 diabetes (T2D). During 3- and 6-month follow-up after hospitalization, 5,6% and 6,4% of patients were diagnosed with other diseases, which were more often presented by HTN, T2D, and CAD. The mortality rate of patients in the post-hospitalization period was 1,9% in the first 3 months and 0,2% for 4-6 months. The highest mortality rate was observed in the first 3 months in the group of patients with class II-IV heart failure, as well as in patients with cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In the pattern of death causes in the post-hospitalization period, following cardiovascular causes prevailed (31,8%): acute coronary syndrome, stroke, acute heart failure. Conclusion. According to the AKTIV register, the health status of patients after COVID-19 in a serious challenge for healthcare system, which requires planning adequate health system capacity to provide care to patients with COVID-19 in both acute and post-hospitalization period

ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ ПОДДЕРЖИВАЮЩЕЙ ТЕРАПИИ ПОСЛЕ ОКОНЧАНИЯ ПЕРВОЙ ЛИНИИ ЛЕЧЕНИЯ БОЛЬНЫХ МЕТАСТАТИЧЕСКИМ РАКОМ ТОЛСТОЙ КИШКИ – РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ПОПУЛЯЦИОННОГО ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of different regimens of maintenance chemotherapy after the first line of treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.Materials and methods. We performed retrospective analyses of the data from 432 patients from 17 clinics in 14 regions of the Russian Federation who started systemic therapy for metastatic cancer in 2013. The main inclusion criterion was objective response or stabilization after the first 16 weeks of first-line therapy. Four groups of patients were compared, depending on the nature of maintenance therapy: those receiving fluoropyrimidines, a combination of fluoropyrimidines with bevacizumab, monotherapy of bevacizumab and monotherapy of anti-EGFR antibodies. The main criteria for assesment of the effectiveness of treatment were progression-free survival and overall survival. The statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS 20.0 sof tware package.Results. Maintenance therapy after completion of the first 16 weeks of the 1st line of chemotherapy was administered in 126 patients, most of them were treated with fluoropyrimidines (53.1 %). The median overall survival in the maintenance group was 27 versus 21 months in the observation group, p=0.01, HR=0.78 (95 % CI 0.6–1.02) Median progression-free survival in the maintenance group was 11 vs 7 months in the observation group (p<0.001, HR=0.6, 95 % CI 0.5–0.8). The worst results of progression-free survival were observed in the group with monotherapy of bevacizumab – median was 10 months versus 12 months in the fluoropyrimidine monotherapy group, 10 months for the combination of fluoropyrimidine with bevacizumab and 14 months for monotherapy of the anti-EGFR (p=0,9, HR=1.0, 95 % CI 0.9–1.2).Conclusions. There were no statistical differences in survival with different regimens of maintenance therapy. Monotherapy of bevacizumab in maintenance treatment was associated with the worst sur vival rates.Цель. Оценить эффективность различных режимов поддерживающей терапии после окончания первой линии лечения больных метастатическим раком толстой кишки.Материалы и методы. Проведен анализ индивидуальных карт 432 пациентов 17 клиник 14 регионов РФ, которые начали терапию по поводу метастатического рака в 2013 г. Основным критерием отбора в исследование являлось отсутствие прогрессирования в течение первых 16 нед. терапии первой линии. Проведено сравнение четырех групп пациентов в зависимости от характера поддерживающей терапии: получавших фторпиримидины, комбинацию фторпиримидинов с бевацизумабом, бевацизумаб в монорежиме и анти-EGFR антитела. Основными критериями оценки эффективности лечения считались выживаемость без прогрессирования и общая выживаемость. Статистический анализ проводился в пакете программ SPSS 20.0.Результаты. Поддерживающая терапия после завершения первой линии лечения была назначена 126 пациентам, большинству проводилась терапия фторпиримидинами (53,1 %). Медиана продолжительности жизни в группе поддерживающей терапии составила 27 мес. против 21 мес. в группе наблюдения (р=0,01, ОР=0,78, 95 % ДИ 0,6–1,02). Медиана выживаемости без прогрессирования – 11 против 7 мес. (p<0,001, ОР=0,6, 95 % ДИ 0,5–0,8). Наихудшие результаты выживаемости без прогрессирования наблюдались в группе поддерживающего лечения мототерапии бевацизумабом: медиана 10 мес. против 12 мес. в группе монотерапии фторпиримидинами, 10 мес. в группе комбинации фторпиримидинов с бевацизумабом и 14 мес. в группе монотерапии анти-EGFR антителами (р=0,9, ОР=1,0, 95 % ДИ 0,9–1,2).Выводы. Не получено статистических различий в выживаемости при применении различных режимов поддерживающей терапии. Монотерапия бевацизумабом в поддерживающем лечении была ассоциирована с наименьшими показателями выживаемости пациентов