Social behavior and spatial orientation in rat strains with genetic predisposition to catatonia (GC) and stereotypes (PM)

Various psychopathologies, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression, are associated with abnormalities in social behavior and learning. One of the syndromes that may also take place in these disorders is catatonia. Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome in which motor excitement, stereotypy, stuporous state, including the phenomenon of “waxy flexibility” (catalepsy), can be observed. Rats with genetic catatonia (GC) and pendulum-like movements (PM) of the anterior half of the body have physiological and behavioral changes similar to those observed in schizophrenia and depression in humans and can be considered as incomplete experimental models of these pathologies. The social behavior of the GC and PM rats has not been previously studied, and the cognitive abilities of animals of these strains are also insufficiently studied. To determine whether the GC and PM rats have changes in social behavior and spatial learning, behavioral phenotyping was performed in the residentintruder test, three-chamber test, Barnes maze test. Some deviations in social behavior, such as increased offensive aggression in PM rats in the resident-intruder test, increased or decreased social interactions depending on the environment in different tests in GC, were shown. In addition, principal component analysis revealed a negative association between catatonic freezing and the socialization index in the three-chamber test. Decreased locomotor activity of GС rats can adversely affect the performance of tasks on spatial memory. It has been shown that PM rats do not use a spatial strategy in the Barnes maze, which may indicate impairment of learning and spatial memory

Stakeholders’ positioning in the projects’ implementation

Today, most people are talking about project activities and their effectiveness. Among the aspects considered in project management, there is no management of stakeholders, although their influence and participation determine the success of the project. Positioning is an important stage in project management, because it is the correct distribution of stakeholders into groups that makes it possible to build the right strategy for interacting with t stakeholders and minimize their negative impact on the project. There are several approaches to stakeholder positioning in the scientific literature, but they are not always used in practice. This decision is due to distrust of the positioning stakeholders’ process, possible mistakes in decision-making and the lack of a program to help the project manager. The article presents a way to improve the process of positioning stakeholders by creating a desktop application. Such application was developed by the authors of the article through one of the most popular programming languages Python and the well-known PyQt5 framework. As a result of using the application, the project manager receives a completed matrix where stakeholders are located on the basis of the completed information, and the opportunity to get the most out of working with stakeholders

Destabilization signs in behavioral and somatovegetative parameters of rats selected for catatonia

The article presents data on destabilization signs in response to selection for catatonia at an organismal level. Experiments were conducted with the unique GC (genetic catatonia) rat strain selected for long passive-defensive freezing. The goal of this study was to detect destabilization signs in the behavioral and somatovegetative parameters of GC rats emerging in response to selection. The destabilization manifested itself as changes in rat attitudes towards humans, as became apparent from the glove test. Altered hormone levels in GC rats were detected: corticosterone concentrations were reduced in feces and increased during handling. The metabolic system showed a decrease in energy stored accompanying the fast (glucose level) and slow (triglyceride level) responses. However, the strains did not differ in the concentration of insulin, which affects glucose transport through the cell membrane. Nor did we find differences between Wistar and GC rats in cholesterol level. This lipid is important for both energy and constructive metabolism. A side effect of selection for catatonia was the worse pelage status in GC rats. The overall physical condition of catatonic rats involved reduced body weight in both neonates and adults. All these changes point to the modification of behavioral and somatovegetative patterns and intensification of the passive-defensive component of selection in GC rats

Expression of catecholaminergic genes in the midbrain and prepulse inhibition in rats with a genetic catatonia

The GC rat strain (from the words "genetic" and "catatonia") was created by selection for predisposition to passive-defensive reaction of catatonic freezing in response to stressing stimuli. Rats of the GC strain have previously demonstrated a number of biochemical and behavioral properties similar to those of patients with schizophrenia and depression. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is widely explored as an important indicator, a decrease of which may be indicative of psychopathology, including schizophrenia. It has been established that the brain noradrenergic system influences the manifestation of PPI, in particular through the activation of central alpha-adrenoreceptors. Also known is the association between PPI and expression of catechol-O-methyltransferase. This study focuses on the reaction of prepulse inhibition in rats of the inbred GC strain, being considered as a hypothetical model of schizophrenia, as well as on the relation of prepulse inhibition to mRNA expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, catechol-O-methyltransferase, alpha1A- and alpha2Aadrenergic receptors in the midbrain of GC rats. For the first time, a decrease of PPI in GC rats compared with WAG rats was shown, both with a prepulse power of 75 dB and at 85 dB, which may indicate a violation of filtration of sensorimotor information into the central nervous system in GC rats. Real-time PCR showed a decrease in mRNA level of Adra1A in intact rats with genetic catatonia when compared to control WAG rats. There was observed no correlation between the expression of mRNA of the Adra1A, Adra2A, Th, and Comt genes in the midbrain and the PPI reaction in GC rats. The reduction of prepulse inhibition in GC rats indicates functional similarity of this genetic model of schizophrenic psychopathology with a prototype. © AUTHORS, 2017.Russian Foundation for Basic Research, RFBR: 16­04­013250324­2016­0002This study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project 16­04­01325, and State Budgeted Project 0324­2016­0002

МОЛЕКУЛЯРНЫЕ МЕХАНИЗМЫ, ОПОСРЕДУЮЩИЕ РАЗВИТИЕ ХОЛАНГИОКАРЦИНОМЫ В ХОДЕ ХРОНИЧЕСКОЙ ИНВАЗИИ ПЕЧЕНОЧНЫМИ СОСАЛЬЩИКАМИ

Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignant tumor, characterized by poor prognosis and a low five-year survival rate. There is a clear correlation between the incidence of opisthorchiasis and high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma in South-East Asia. Liver flukes Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini are I class carcinogens. There are some endemic regions of opisthorchiasis In the Russian Federation. The most important factor that leads to carcinogenesis during liver fluke infection is chronic inflammation. This review article focuses on the communication of chronic inflammation caused by invasion of liver flukes and cholangiocarcinoma. This paper summarizes the current knowledge about the risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma, as well as knowledge about the molecular aspects of the induction of carcinogenesis by liver flukes.Холангиокарцинома характеризуется неблагоприятным прогнозом и низкой пятилетней выживаемостью. Прослеживается связь между заболеваемостью описторхозом и высокой частотой возникновения холангиокарциномы в странах Юго-Восточной Азии. Печеночные сосальщики Clonorchis Sinensis и Opisthorchis viverrini являются канцерогенами I класса. Известно, что в Российской Федерации также существует несколько эндемических очагов заболеваемости описторхозом. Важнейшим фактором, который обусловливает канцерогенез при описторхозной инвазии, является хроническое воспаление. В обзорной статье основное внимание уделено связи хронического воспаления, вызванного инвазией печеночных сосальщиков, и холангиокарциномы. Обобщены имеющиеся знания о факторах риска развития холангиокарциномы, а также данные о молекулярных аспектах индукции канцерогенеза печеночными сосальщиками

MOLECULAR MECHANISMS THAT LEAD TO CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA, DURING CHRONIC INFECTION OF LIVER FLUKES

Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignant tumor, characterized by poor prognosis and a low five-year survival rate. There is a clear correlation between the incidence of opisthorchiasis and high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma in South-East Asia. Liver flukes Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini are I class carcinogens. There are some endemic regions of opisthorchiasis In the Russian Federation. The most important factor that leads to carcinogenesis during liver fluke infection is chronic inflammation. This review article focuses on the communication of chronic inflammation caused by invasion of liver flukes and cholangiocarcinoma. This paper summarizes the current knowledge about the risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma, as well as knowledge about the molecular aspects of the induction of carcinogenesis by liver flukes

Optimization of Vehicle Speed Forecasting Horizont on the Intercity Highway

The movement of the car in the traffic on intercity routes was investigated. Traffic should be energy efficient, safe and comply with the desired schedule. A method for analyzing the input data flow based on a simulation model has been developed. The proposed simulation algorithm is based on the use of available information resources for driving a car. Traffic control involves choosing a speed with known road and traffic restrictions. The presented algorithm allows to consider the expediency of each of speed increase opportunities over the forecast horizon. The content of the algorithm is the optimal redistribution of time resources. Indicators of control quality are absolute deviations from the optimal energy-saving program of free movement and from the planned schedule. The movement of a freight road train on the long-distance highway E−371 was performed. It was found that the total amount of information increases with increasing distance of scanned traffic. However, the share of reliable information is reduced. It was found that the dependence of the quality of vehicle traffic control on the size of the forecast horizon is piecewise-continuous. The dependence has an extreme value of the horizon in each continuous section, at which the deviation from the optimal program is minimal. The obtained results can be applied in modern intelligent transport systems. The research results make it possible to develop and adhere to optimal long-term traffic programs on highways. It solves the problem of managing large data streams. Large amounts of information for forecasting can be submitted in parts with reasonable frequency using the developed methodolog

GENDER AND AGE STRUCTURE OF MULTIPLE CHRONIC DISEASES IN PATIENTS OF RYAZAN REGION

The study objective is to investigate gender and age structure of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) among patients seeking medical help from a primary care physician.Materials and methods. In total, 1940 patients under the care of primary care physicians in several polyclinics of Ryazan and the Ryazan Region were examined: 646 men and 1294 women aged 18–99. The list of conditions included cardiovascular disorders, lung, gastrointestinal, kidney diseases, oncological diseases, diabetes mellitus, etc. All diagnoses were made per the generally accepted criteria. The patients were divided into 5 age groups; age and gender structure of MCC, as well as polymorbidity index (total number of conditions per 1 patient), were determined.Results. Among all patients with MCC in all age groups, the number of women was larger than men. In the structure of MCC, predominance of cardiovascular disorders, diseases of the kidneys and joints was observed. With age, the fraction of patients in whom the majority of organs and systems was affected increased. However, in older patients, peptic ulcer disease, diabetes mellitus, oncological and autoimmune diseases were comparatively rare. In men, the mean number of diseases per 1 patient was higher, but after 75 years of age the number  of conditions in women exceeded the number in men. In obese patients, age increase led to quicker polymorbidity increase than in normal patients. The gender differences consisted of the prevalence of stomach/duodenal peptic ulcer, non-specific lung diseases, obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremities in men, and kidney diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2 in women.Conclusion. The main causes of polymorbidity are old age and obesity. In the structure of MCC, cardiovascular diseases, kidney and joint disorders are the most common. A gender difference in the incidence of some diseases is observed