STUDY OF IMMUNITY TO POLIOVIRUSES ON CERTAIN "SILENT" TERRITORIES OF RUSSIA

Abstract. The degree of immunity to polioviruses of three serotypes among children of different ages was analysed on certain "controlled" and "silent" territories of Russia in different periods of Polio Eradication Initiative. It was shown that the levels of immunity of children’s population to polioviruses on "controlled" and "silent" territories had no significant difference. It was stated that on the phase which preceded the certification for the absence of circulation of wild polioviruses, when the National Immunisation Days were conducted in the country, the percentage of eronegative children to polioviruses of different serotypes was low on all the territories of Russia. After Russia as a part of the WHO European region was certified as a polio free country and mass immunisation was stopped thepercentage of seronegative children increased, especially to poliovirus of serotype 3, both on the "controlled" and on the "silent" territories

Studying Cat (Felis catus) Diabetes: Beware of the Acromegalic Imposter

Naturally occurring diabetes mellitus (DM) is common in domestic cats (Felis catus). It has been proposed as a model for human Type 2 DM given many shared features. Small case studies demonstrate feline DM also occurs as a result of insulin resistance due to a somatotrophinoma. The current study estimates the prevalence of hypersomatotropism or acromegaly in the largest cohort of diabetic cats to date, evaluates clinical presentation and ease of recognition. Diabetic cats were screened for hypersomatotropism using serum total insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1; radioimmunoassay), followed by further evaluation of a subset of cases with suggestive IGF-1 (>1000 ng/ml) through pituitary imaging and/ or histopathology. Clinicians indicated pre-test suspicion for hypersomatotropism. In total 1221 diabetic cats were screened; 319 (26.1%) demonstrated a serum IGF-1>1000 ng/ml (95% confidence interval: 23.6-28.6%). Of these cats a subset of 63 (20%) underwent pituitary imaging and 56/63 (89%) had a pituitary tumour on computed tomography; an additional three on magnetic resonance imaging and one on necropsy. These data suggest a positive predictive value of serum IGF-1 for hypersomatotropism of 95% (95% confidence interval: 90-100%), thus suggesting the overall hypersomatotropism prevalence among UK diabetic cats to be 24.8% (95% confidence interval: 21.2-28.6%). Only 24% of clinicians indicated a strong pre-test suspicion; most hypersomatotropism cats did not display typical phenotypical acromegaly signs. The current data suggest hypersomatotropism screening should be considered when studying diabetic cats and opportunities exist for comparative acromegaly research, especially in light of the many detected communalities with the human disease

Вирусы Коксаки B1–6 как этиологический фактор энтеровирусной инфекции

Aim: Study of the role of Coxsackieviruses B in the etiology of enterovirus infection and other forms of neurological pathology and also the frequency of isolation of enteroviruses excreted by children living on the territory of the Russian Federation.Materials and methods: We investigated 1722 samples from children with acute flaccid paralysis, 19030 samples from patients with enterovirus infection and 100 samples from healthy children from institutions of preschool education. Isolation and identification of enteroviruses were conducted according to WHO recommendations.Results: Coxsackieviruses B were detected in patients with acute flaccid paralysis and persons who had contacts with them. In the patients with enterovirus infection Coxsackieviruses B were isolated in 3, 6% of cases, mainly in sporadic cases of enterovirus meningitis. In the structure of all isolated enteroviruses the percentage of Coxsackieviruses B was rather high (26%) and it was only lower than those of enterovirus ECHO 30 (32, 2%) which caused the season’s peaks of enterovirus infection in 2007–2009 and 2013. Coxsackieviruses B were also detected in the samples from children from preschool institutions. These viruses prevailed in the structure of all isolated enteroviruses and they were isolated in the samples from some children in two preschool institutions which served as the proof of the virus propagation after their importation to the institution when children start attending the institutions after summer holidays.Conclusion: Coxsackieviruses B constantly circulated on a great number of territories. They are the etiologic factor of mainly sporadic but also group cases of enterovirus meningitis. In the structure of all isolated enteroviruses these viruses occupied the leading position during almost all the years of 10 years of surveillance. The examination of the children without clinical symptoms of infection revealed that Coxsackieviruses B constituted the majority among isolated enteroviruses. That proves the possibility that healthy children are carriers of Coxsackieviruses B.Цель: изучение роли энтеровирусов Коксаки В1–6 в этиологии энтеровирусной инфекции и других форм неврологической патологии, а также частоты их выделения у здоровых детей, постоянно проживающих на территории Российской Федерации.Материалы и методы: Исследовано 1722 пробы фекалий от детей с острым вялым параличом, 19 030 проб от больных энтеровирусной инфекцией и 100 проб от здоровых детей из детских дошкольных учреждений. Выделение и идентификацию неполиомиелитных энтеровирусов проводили в соответствии с рекомендациями ВОЗ.Результаты: энтеровирусы Коксаки В1–6 были детектированы у детей с острыми вялыми параличами и контактных с ними лиц. У больных энтеровирусной инфекцией вирусы Коксаки В1–6 были изолированы в 3,6% случаев, в основном при спорадических случаях энтеровирусного менингита. В структуре выделенных энтеровирусов доля вирусов Коксаки В была довольно высокой – 26% и уступала только таковой вирусов ECHO 30 (32,2%), которые обусловили сезонные подъемы заболеваемости энтеровирусной инфекцией в 2007–2009 и 2013 гг. Вирусы Коксаки В1–6 также были детектированы у здоровых детей в организованных коллективах. Эти вирусы преобладали в структуре выделенных энтеровирусов и были изолированы у нескольких детей в двух дошкольных учреждениях, что свидетельствует об их распространении после заноса в эти учреждения, когда дети вновь начали их посещать после летнего отдыха.Заключение: энтеровирусы Коксаки В1–6 постоянно циркулируют на многих территориях, являясь этиологическим фактором в основном спорадических случаев, а также групповых заболеваний энтеровирусным менингитом. В структуре выделенных энтеровирусов эти вирусы занимали лидирующее положение почти во все годы на протяжении 10 лет наблюдения. При обследовании детей из организованных коллективов без клинических проявлений инфекции энтеровирусы Коксаки В1–6 составили большинство среди выделенных энтеровирусов, что свидетельствует о возможности носительства этих вирусов здоровыми детьми

РОЛЬ ЭНТЕРОВИРУСА ECHO 30 В ЭТИОЛОГИИ ЭНТЕРОВИРУСНОЙ ИНФЕКЦИИ НА СЕВЕРО -ЗАПАДЕ РОССИИ В 2013 г

In 2013 after two previous years when the situation had been calm the incidence rates of enterovirus infection significantly increased on certain territories of the North-West of Russia. In Novgorod and Vologda regions and in Saint-Petersburg enterovirus meningitis group cases were registered. The etiology of enterovirus infection was studied by virological and molecular methods. Enterovirus ECHO30 was identified as the principal etiological agent of the cases. Molecular study revealed that enteroviruses ECHO30 isolated in the North-West of Russia belonged to the genotype H and formed two subtypes inside this genotype. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that enteroviruses ECHO30 of both subtypes were closely related to the strains detected in different provinces of China in 2010-2013. Probably enteroviruses ECHO30 of the genotype H which largely circulated in Russia in 2013 and practically had not been detected in the country earlier had been imported on the territory of Russia from South-East Asia. Enteroviruses ECHO30 isolated in  Arkhangelsk and Novgorod regions in 2008-2009 belonged to another genotype Ec2. Enteroviruses of this genotype had circulated at that time in the European countries.В 2013 г. после относительно спокойной ситуации в течение двух предыдущих лет заболеваемость энтеровирусной инфекцией на ряде территорий Северо-Западного федерального округа резко возросла. Были зарегистрированы групповые заболевания энтеровирусным менингитом в Новгородской, Вологодской областях и в Санкт-Петербурге. Проведена расшифровка этиологии заболеваний энтеровирусной инфекцией с использованием вирусологического и молекулярно- генетического методов исследования. В качестве основного этиологического агента был идентифицирован энтеровирус ЕСНО 30. Установлено, что изолированные на Северо-Западе России вирусы ЕСНО 30 относились к генотипу Н и сформировали две филогенетические группы. Филогенетический анализ показал, что энтеровирусы ЕСНО 30 обоих субтипов были наиболее близко родственны штаммам, выделенным в разных провинциях Китая в 2010–2013 гг. Вероятно, энтеровирусы ЕСНО 30 генотипа Н, которые широко циркулировали в России в 2013 г. и ранее практически не выявлялись в стране, были импортированы на территорию России из Юго-Восточной Азии. Энтеровирусы ЕСНО 30, изолированные в 2008–2009 гг. в Архангельской и Новгородской областях, относились к другому генотипу Ес2, энтеровирусы этого генотипа циркулировали в тот период в странах Европы

Summary of Results from the Risk Management Program for the Mars Microrover Flight Experiment

On 4 July 1997, the Mars Pathfinder landed on the surface of Mars carrying the first planetary rover, known as the Sojourner. Formally known as the Microrover Flight Experiment (MFEX), the Sojourner was a low cost, high-risk technology demonstration, in which new risk management techniques were tried. This paper summarizes the activities and results of the effort to conduct a low-cost, yet meaningful risk management program for the MFEX. The specific activities focused on cost, performance, schedule, and operations risks. Just as the systems engineering process was iterative and produced successive refinements of requirements, designs, etc., so was the risk management process. Qualitative risk assessments were performed first to gain some insights for refining the microrover design and operations concept. These then evolved into more quantitative analyses. Risk management lessons from the manager's perspective is presented for other low-cost, high-risk space missions

Family Composition and Off-Farm Participation Decisions in Israeli Farm Households

This article studies the relationship between the off-farm participation behavior of farm operators and their spouses and the demographic composition of the household. We focus on farm families without parents, siblings or partners, and examine the effects of the existence of elderly children of the farm couple. We find that both the father and the mother tend to reduce their participation in off-farm work as the number of elderly children rises. This result holds even after controlling for observed characteristics. We also find that the effect of elderly children stems from considerations related to both farm production and household production. Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press.