Studies of fluxes of dissolved iron and manganese in the Gulf of Finland

© 2004 IEEE. Metal fluxes (total dissolved iron and manganese) across the water-sediment interface were studied in situ in the Gulf of Finland in June 2002 and 2003 using an autonomous benthic lander. Distribution of these metals in the sediment and the porewater was also investigated. Focus was given to understand the behavior of the studied metals at various redox conditions and the influence when sediment resuspension is occurring. Our data indicate the importance of the redox conditions for the iron fluxes with no fluxes at oxic, intermediate at anoxic and high fluxes at suboxic conditions. The fluxes of manganese do not seem to have any correlation with the oxygen levels. Both metals were significantly affected by resuspension, which led to a rapid release

Effect of a glutathione-containing dinitrosyl iron complex on the oxidative metabolic state and crystallogenic properties of rat blood plasma: a preclinical experimental study

Background: The multifaceted regulatory role of nitric oxide in biological systems predetermines the high value of studying the possibilities of the external control of the compound level in organs and tissues. There are several fundamentally different ways of exogenous modulation of nitric oxide metabolism. The most promising option is the use of pharmacological donors. Dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNIC) with various ligands hold a prominent place among such donors as they are considered as a natural deposited form of nitric oxide.Objective. To study the effect of a glutathione-containing dinitrosyl iron complex on the oxidative metabolism parameters and crystallogenic activity of rat blood.Methods. A preclinical experimental randomized study was conducted on 60 sexually mature male Wistar rats weighing about 250 g. The animals were divided into 6 groups, each consisting of 10 individuals. Group 1 included intact (without any manipulations) individuals. In group 2, the rats were administered daily intraperitoneal injections of 1 ml. of 0.9% sodium chloride solution for 10 days. The rats included in the other four groups received daily intraperitoneal injections of 1 ml of dinitrosyl iron complexes with glutathione ligands in an isotonic sodium chloride solution with different agent concentrations: 0.15 mM for group 3; 0.30 mM for group 4; 0.45 mM for group 5; 0.60 mM for group 6. The final indicator of the study was the assessment of the oxidative potential and crystallogenic properties of blood under the conditions of administering various doses of glutathione-containing dinitrosyl iron complexes. The following parameters were used to assess the activity of proand antioxidant systems: lipid peroxidation intensity; the total activity of antioxidant systems, and malondialdehyde concentration. The parameters for intrinsic crystallization assessment included serum facies structural index, crystallizability, assessment of the marginal facies zone, and the destruction degree of facies elements. The obtained data calculation was performed using the software packages MS Office 2013 (Microsoft Corporation, USA) and Statistica 10 (StatSoft, USA).Results. The research established that glutathione-containing dinitrosyl iron complexes have an antioxidant effect. Moreover, the manifestation of these properties demonstrates a nonlinear dependence on their dose, with a possible optimum lying in the range of 0.3–0.45 mM. The study also revealed a tendency towards crystallogenic properties activation induced by this agent, corresponding to concentrations of 0.3 and 0.45 mM.Conclusion. The undertaken studies indicate the presence of an antioxidant effect in glutathione-containing dinitrosyl iron complexes. The manifestation of these properties demonstrates a dependence on their dose with a possible optimum varying from 0.3 to 0.45 mM. The research has established the activating effect of glutathione-containing dinitrosyl iron complex injections on the crystallogenic potential of the blood serum of healthy rats. This effect consisted in an increase in the density and complexity of crystalline elements. What is more, the maximal manifestation of this tendency (for metabolic indicators as well) corresponded to concentrations of 0.3 and 0.45 mM

Experience of treatment of a patient with non-small cell lung cancer with met exon 14 skipping

Personalized therapy is starting to play an increasing role in modern approaches to the treatment of oncological diseases. The previously existing uniform standard for each malignant disease is expanded with new options and treatment possibilities, depending on each specific clinical situation. That increases the  effectiveness of  therapy and helps to control the  disease. A  separate niche in the individual approach to anti-tumor treatment is occupied by targeted therapy of malignancies. There are a lot of mutations that can lead to the emergence of malignant neoplasms. So of all that multitude of choices the individual approach to a patient helps to select the mutations that are most likely to be found in a given patient. The research in the area of the c-MET mutation has allowed it to occupy its niche as a therapeutic target. The identification of this mutation is not included in the routine set of analyses performed for a patient with diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma. But expanding the panel of molecular testing would increase the detectability of this mutation and, as a result, improve the quality of treatment for this category of patients. This clinical case describes the experience of treatment of an elderly patient with lung adenocarcinoma, in whose tumor tissue a MET mutation was detected

Linear to Circular Polarisation Conversion using Birefringent Properties of Aligned Crystals for Multi-GeV Photons

We present the first experimental results on the use of a thick aligned Si crystal acting as a quarter wave plate to induce a degree of circular polarisation in a high energy linearly polarised photon beam. The linearly polarised photon beam is produced from coherent bremsstrahlung radiation by 178 GeV unpolarised electrons incident on an aligned Si crystal, acting as a radiator. The linear polarisation of the photon beam is characterised by measuring the asymmetry in electron-positron pair production in a Ge crystal, for different crystal orientations. The Ge crystal therefore acts as an analyser. The birefringence phenomenon, which converts the linear polarisation to circular polarisation, is observed by letting the linearly polarised photons beam pass through a thick Si quarter wave plate crystal, and then measuring the asymmetry in electron-positron pair production again for a selection of relative angles between the crystallographic planes of the radiator, analyser and quarter wave plate. The systematics of the difference between the measured asymmetries with and without the quarter wave plate are predicted by theory to reveal an evolution in the Stokes parameters from which the appearance of a circularly polarised component in the photon beam can be demonstrated. The measured magnitude of the circularly polarised component was consistent with the theoretical predictions, and therefore is in indication of the existence of the birefringence effect.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, 1 table, REVTeX4 two column, Version for publicatio

Coherent Pair Production by Photons in the 20-170 GeV Energy Range Incident on Crystals and Birefringence

The cross section for coherent pair production by linearly polarised photons in the 20-170 GeV energy range was measured for photon aligned incidence on ultra-high quality diamond and germanium crystals. The theoretical description of coherent bremsstrahlung and coherent pair production phenomena is an area of active theoretical debate and development. However, under our experimental conditions, the theory predicted the combined cross section and polarisation experimental observables very well indeed. In macroscopic terms, our experiment measured a birefringence effect in pair production in a crystal. This study of this effect also constituted a measurement of the energy dependent linear polarisation of photons produced by coherent bremsstrahlung in aligned crystals. New technologies for manipulating high energy photon beams can be realised based on an improved understanding of QED phenomena at these energies. In particular, this experiment demonstrates an efficient new polarimetry technique. The pair production measurements were done using two independent methods simultaneously. The more complex method using a magnet spectrometer showed that the simpler method using a multiplicity detector was also viable.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, 1 table, REVTeX4 two column, Version for publicatio

Results on the Coherent Interaction of High Energy Electrons and Photons in Oriented Single Crystals

The CERN-NA-59 experiment examined a wide range of electromagnetic processes for multi-GeV electrons and photons interacting with oriented single crystals. The various types of crystals and their orientations were used for producing photon beams and for converting and measuring their polarisation. The radiation emitted by 178 GeV unpolarised electrons incident on a 1.5 cm thick Si crystal oriented in the Coherent Bremsstrahlung (CB) and the String-of-Strings (SOS) modes was used to obtain multi-GeV linearly polarised photon beams. A new crystal polarimetry technique was established for measuring the linear polarisation of the photon beam. The polarimeter is based on the dependence of the Coherent Pair Production (CPP) cross section in oriented single crystals on the direction of the photon polarisation with respect to the crystal plane. Both a 1 mm thick single crystal of Germanium and a 4 mm thick multi-tile set of synthetic Diamond crystals were used as analyzers of the linear polarisation. A birefringence phenomenon, the conversion of the linear polarisation of the photon beam into circular polarisation, was observed. This was achieved by letting the linearly polarised photon beam pass through a 10 cm thick Silicon single crystal that acted as a "quarter wave plate" (QWP) as suggested by N. Cabibbo et al.Comment: Presented at International workshop "Relativistic Channeling and Related Coherent Phenomena", Frascati (Rome) 23-26 March 200

Coherent bremsstrahlung, boherent pair production, birefringence and polarimetry in the 20-170 GeV energy range using aligned crystals

The processes of coherent bremsstrahlung (CB) and coherent pair production (CPP) based on aligned crystal targets have been studied in the energy range 20-170 GeV. The experimental arrangement allowed for measurements of single photon properties of these phenomena including their polarization dependences. This is significant as the theoretical description of CB and CPP is an area of active theoretical debate and development. With the theoretical approach used in this paper both the measured cross sections and polarization observables are predicted very well. This indicates a proper understanding of CB and CPP up to energies of 170 GeV. Birefringence in CPP on aligned crystals is applied to determine the polarization parameters in our measurements. New technologies for high energy photon beam optics including phase plates and polarimeters for linear and circular polarization are demonstrated in this experiment. Coherent bremsstrahlung for the strings-on-strings (SOS) orientation yields a larger enhancement for hard photons than CB for the channeling orientations of the crystal. Our measurements and our calculations indicate low photon polarizations for the high energy SOS photons.Comment: 23 pages, 27 figures, 2 tables, REVTeX4 two column

Роль микробиоты в онкогенезе

Objective. To conduct a systematic analysis of data on the results of studies published in scientific journals on the pro-carcinogenic and anticarcinogenic role of microbiota, as well as on the therapeutic potential of microorganisms in oncogenesis.Material and Methods. The articles were searched using the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Medline, and eLIBRARY databases. More than 150 sources dedicated to the study of the carcinogenic function of the microbiota and the possible influence of its species and quantitative composition on the efficacy and toxicity of antitumor therapy were found. Data from 71 articles were included in the review.Results. The relationship between the gut microbiota and cancer is multifactorial and bilateral: pro-carcinogenic on the one hand and anti-carcinogenic on the other hand. Microorganisms can induce tumor growth and cancer development through DNA damage and induction of mutagenesis, trigger oncogenic signals, disruption of barrier function, as well as immune response system disruption. Depletion of microbiota, the development of dysbiosis and induction of chronic inflammatory state are negative factors in the development of cancer. The anticancer effect of microorganisms is presumably based on the production of tumor-suppressive metabolites that function through multiple immune reactions. Maintenance of barrier function, competitive exclusion of pathogenic bacteria, and direct action on immune cells to prevent inflammation are also important protective factors. The presence of intratumor microorganisms in various tumors has been noted. Changes in species and quantitative composition of cancer patients’ microbiota are influenced by diet, taking antibacterial drugs, chemo-, immuno- and radiation therapy. In turn, the microbiota can affect the ongoing treatment. Numerous studies on the influence of the gut microbiota on the efficacy of immunotherapy, particularly in disseminated melanoma, have been conducted. It has been suggested that primary resistance to immunotherapy may be related to the abnormal composition of the gut microbiota. The level of gut microfora composition diversity and the number of Faecalibacterium or Bacteroidales in the fecal microbiota have been suggested to be the predictor of response to anti-PD-1 therapy. To change the composition and activity of the gut microbiota, several therapeutic methods, such as the administration of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, as well as the change in the microbiota composition through a specific diet, are available. Цель исследования – провести систематический анализ данных о результатах исследований, опубликованных в научных изданиях, о проканцерогенной и антиканцерогенной роли микробиоты, а также о терапевтическом потенциале микроорганизмов в онкогенезе.Материал и методы. Поиск статей проведен с использованием баз данных Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Medline, еLIBRARY. Всего найдено более 150 источников, посвященных изучению канцерогенной функции микробиоты и возможного влияния ее видового и количественного состава на эффективность и токсичность противоопухолевой терапии. В обзор включены данные из 71 статьи.Результат. Связь между кишечной микробиотой и раком многофакторная и двусторонняя: проканцерогенная, с одной стороны, и антиканцерогенная – с другой. Микроорганизмы могут индуцировать рост опухоли и развитие онкологических заболеваний посредством повреждения ДНК и индукции мутагенеза, запуска онкогенных сигналов, нарушения барьерной функции, а также нарушения системы иммунного ответа. Истощение микробиоты, развитие дисбиоза и индукция хронического воспалительного состояния являются негативными факторами при развитии онкологических заболеваний. Антиканцерогенное действие микроорганизмов, предположительно, основано на производстве опухолесупрессивных метаболитов, которые функционируют через множество иммунных реакций. Также немаловажными факторами защиты являются поддержание микроорганизмами барьерной функции, конкурентное исключение патогенных бактерий и прямое воздействие на иммунные клетки для предотвращения воспаления. Отмечается присутствие внутриопухолевых микроорганизмов в различных опухолях. На изменение видового и количественного состава микробиоты онкологических больных оказывают влияние питание, прием антибактериальных препаратов, химио-, иммуно- и лучевая терапия. В свою очередь, микробиота может оказывать влияние на проводимое лечение. Проведены многочисленные исследования по изучению влияния микробиоты кишки на эффективность иммунотерапии, в частности при диссеминированной меланоме. Предполагается, что первичная устойчивость к иммунотерапии может быть связана с аномальным составом микробиоты кишечника. Высказано мнение, что предиктором ответа на терапию анти-PD-1 являются уровень разнообразия состава микробиоты кишечника и преобладание Faecalibacterium или Bacteroidales. Доступно несколько терапевтических методов для изменения состава и активности кишечной микробиоты, таких как введение пребиотиков, пробиотиков, синбиотиков, постбиотиков, трансплантация фекальной микробиоты, а также изменение состава микробиоты посредством определенной диеты

Консервативное лечение ятрогенного разрыва трахеи (клинический случай)

The objective was to demonstrate a clinical case of iatrogenic injury of the trachea, which, despite its large size (length 65, width up to 25 mm), wastreated conservatively and, thus, avoided risks for the patient associated with the need for technically complex surgical intervention.Materials and methods. A 65-year-old patient diagnosed with peripheral cancer of the lower lobe of the left lung pT2aN0M0 stage IB, who routinely underwent thoracoscopic left lower lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection. During anesthesia, tracheal intubation with a double-lumen tube of the R. Shaw type was carried out with technical difficulties; during intubation, a defect in the posterior wall of the trachea in its membranous part was formed. The defect was diagnosed on the first postoperative day.Results. Despite the large size of the tracheal defect, the patient had no symptoms of respiratory failure, and there were also no signs of mediastinitis or damage to the esophagus, which almost completely covered the resulting hole in the posterior wall of the trachea. Such circumstances made it possible to avoid a potentially dangerous and complex surgical intervention, carry out conservative therapy and wait for the resulting defect to heal through granulation tissue. Enhanced antimicrobial therapy was carried out; in order to sanitize the tracheobronchial tree and monitor healing, fiber-optic bronchoscopy was performed, which made it possible to clearly demonstrate both the damage itself and the stages of its healing.Conclusions. The described case clearly demonstrates the potential for healing of even very extensive tracheal wall defects with conservative therapy. However, it is important to note that success in this clinical case was the result of a combination of circumstances – only the membranous part of the trachea was damaged; the defect was almost completely covered by the intact esophagus, which reduced the risk of developing mediastinitis and prevented the development of severe pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. There were no signs of respiratory failure. The patient was transferred from the intensive care unit on the 13th day of the postoperative period, discharged from the hospital on the 22nd day.Цель – продемонстрировать клинический случай ятрогенного повреждения трахеи, которое, несмотря на крупные размеры (длина 65, ширина до 25 мм), удалось излечить консервативно и, таким образом, избежать рисков для пациента, связанных с необходимостью проведения технически сложного оперативного вмешательства.Материалы и методы. Пациенту 65 лет с диагнозом «Периферический рак нижней доли левого легкого T2aN0M0 IB стадия» в плановом порядке выполнена торакоскопическая нижняя лобэктомия слева с медиастинальной лимфодиссекцией. В ходе анестезии с техническими трудностями проведена интубация трахеи двухпросветной трубкой типа Robertshaw, приведшая к образованию дефекта задней стенки трахеи в мембранозной ее части. Дефект диагностирован в первые послеоперационные сутки.Результаты. У пациента, несмотря на большой размер дефекта трахеи, отсутствовали явления дыхательной недостаточности, а также не было признаков медиастинита и повреждения пищевода, который почти полностью прикрывал образовавшееся отверстие в задней стенке трахеи. Такие обстоятельства позволили избежать потенциально опасного и сложного оперативного вмешательства, провести консервативную терапию и дождаться заживления образовавшегося дефекта через грануляционную ткань. Проводили усиленную антимикробную терапию; с целью санации трахеобронхиального дерева и контроля заживления выполняли фибробронхоскопию, что позволило наглядно продемонстрировать и собственно повреждение, и этапы его заживления.Выводы. Описываемый случай демонстрирует потенциальную возможность заживления даже весьма обширных дефектов стенки трахеи при проведении консервативной терапии. Однако важно отметить, что успех в данном клиническом случае был результатом стечения ряда обстоятельств – повреждена была только мембранозная часть трахеи; дефект практически полностью был прикрыт неповрежденным пищеводом, что уменьшило риск развития медиастинита, предотвратило развитие обширных пневмомедиастинума и подкожной эмфиземы. Также отсутствовали явления дыхательной недостаточности. Пациент был переведен из отделения реанимации и интенсивной терапии на 13-е сутки послеоперационного периода, выписан из стационара на 22-е сутки