Nature of S\bm{S}-wave NN\bm{NN} interaction and dibaryon production at nucleonic resonance thresholds

Phase shifts and inelasticity parameters for $NN$ scattering in the partial-wave channels ${}^3S_1$--${}^3D_1$ and ${}^1S_0$ at energies $T_{\rm lab}$ from zero to about 1 GeV are described within a unified $NN$ potential model assuming the formation of isoscalar and isovector dibaryon resonances near the $NN^*(1440)$ threshold. Evidence for these near-threshold resonances is actually found in the recent WASA experiments on single- and double-pion production in $NN$ collisions. There, the excitation of the Roper resonance $N^*(1440)$ exhibits a structure in the energy dependence of the total cross section, which corresponds to the formation of dibaryon states with $I(J^\pi)=0(1^+)$ and $1(0^+)$ at the $NN^*(1440)$ threshold. These two $S$-wave dibaryon resonances may provide a new insight into the nature of the strong $NN$ interaction at low and intermediate energies.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Infective and nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis in patients with post-COVID-19 viral-immune myocarditis

The possibility of heart inflammation (both myocardial and endocardial) months after a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not been practically studied, especially since approaches to the treatment of myocarditis in combination with various endocarditis forms have not been developed.Aim. To study the prevalence and mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-associated endocardial injury in patients with morphologically verified post-COVID-19 myocarditis, as well as to develop approaches to comprehensive therapy.Material and methods. The study included 18 patients with severe morphologically verified post-COVID-19 myocarditis (men, 9; 51,1±9,4 years; 35 to 66 years). Patients with prior verified myocarditis/myocardial infarction, rheumatic heart disease, and systemic immune diseases were excluded. The average time after COVID-19 was 6,5 [3.5; 10] months The diagnosis of myocarditis was confirmed by endomyocardial biopsy (including immunohistochemical examination with antibodies to CD3, CD20, CD45, CD68, and to SARS-CoV-2 antigens; polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, DNA of cardiotropic viruses). The blood level of anticardiac antibodies was determined by indirect immunofluorescence. In addition, echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (n=8), cardiac multislice tomography (n=1), and coronary angiography (n=14) were performed.Results. Biopsy revealed active (n=12) and borderline (n=3) lymphocytic myocarditis, eosinophilic (n=2) and giant cell (n=1) myocarditis. In 4 patients, nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) with parietal and intravascular thrombosis was diagnosed, and in one patient — infective endocarditis (IE) of the bicuspid aortic valve. Myocardial persistence of SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 72% of cases (in 3 patients — with NBTE; in 1 — with IE; in 9 — without endocarditis). Titers of anticardiac antibodies increased by 3-4 times in 94% of patients. Patients with endocarditis were characterized by larger heart chambers, lower ejection fraction (27,5±6,6 vs 36,0±13,4%), more severe pulmonary hypertension, and valvular regurgitation. Intraventricular thrombosis according to echocardiography/magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac embolism was not observed. Treatment in all patients included methylprednisolone at an average dose of 24 mg a day. In 10 patients, the result was monitored for at least 3 months as follows: the ejection fraction was 46,0±12,7% and 44,3±7,3% in patients with and without endocarditis, respectively.Conclusion. Endocarditis in patients with post-COVID-19 myocarditis was detected in 28% (1 patient — IE; 4 — NBTE). The key mechanisms of post-COVID-19 myocarditis and NBTE are long-term (up to 18 months) myocardial persistence of SARS-Cov-2 and the development of an autoimmune reaction. Endocarditis was diagnosed in more severe patients, including those with giant cell and eosinophilic myocarditis. The effectiveness of steroid therapy in combination with anticoagulants in patients with NBTE requires further study. In case of IE, steroids can also be used in the treatment of myocarditis (in combination with antibiotics and immunoglobulin)

Semiconductor A3B5 nanostructures for infrared femtosecond lasers

Two techniques were suggested and tested for the recovery time shortening of saturable absorbers on a base of A3B5 compounds including quantum wells. The first one, proposed by authors, is the sample post-growth treatment by UV laser radiation; it implied generation of point defects, which, in its turn, led to electron-hole recombination acceleration and to recovery time shortening by an order of magnitude and more. Another technique based on special design of barriers gave promising results for the fast saturable absorbers. Semiconductor mirrors designed for Yb3+:KY(WO4)2 infrared laser mode locking led to 115 fs stable modelocking regime with average power close to CW operation. Results on fast saturable absorbers for spectral region of 1500 nm are also presented

Microfluidic droplet platform for ultrahigh-throughput single-cell screening of biodiversity

© 2017, National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.Ultrahigh-throughput screening (uHTS) techniques can identify unique functionality from millions of variants. To mimic the natural selection mechanisms that occur by compartmentalization in vivo, we developed a technique based on single-cell encapsulation in droplets of a monodisperse microfluidic double water-in-oil-in-water emulsion (MDE). Biocompatible MDE enables in-droplet cultivation of different living species. The combination of droplet-generating machinery with FACS followed by next-generation sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the secretomes of encapsulated organisms yielded detailed genotype/phenotype descriptions. This platform was probed with uHTS for biocatalysts anchored to yeast with enrichment close to the theoretically calculated limit and cell-to-cell interactions. MDE-FACS allowed the identification of human butyrylcholinesterase mutants that undergo self-reactivation after inhibition by the organophosphorus agent paraoxon. The versatility of the platform allowed the identification of bacteria, including slow-growing oral microbiota species that suppress the growth of a common pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, and predicted which genera were associated with inhibitory activity

Involvement of yeast HSP90 isoforms in response to stress and cell death induced by acetic acid

Acetic acid-induced apoptosis in yeast is accompanied by an impairment of the general protein synthesis machinery, yet paradoxically also by the up-regulation of the two isoforms of the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) chaperone family, Hsc82p and Hsp82p. Herein, we show that impairment of cap-dependent translation initiation induced by acetic acid is caused by the phosphorylation and inactivation of eIF2 alpha by Gcn2p kinase. A microarray analysis of polysome-associated mRNAs engaged in translation in acetic acid challenged cells further revealed that HSP90 mRNAs are over-represented in this polysome fraction suggesting preferential translation of HSP90 upon acetic acid treatment. The relevance of HSP90 isoform translation during programmed cell death (PCD) was unveiled using genetic and pharmacological abrogation of HSP90, which suggests opposing roles for HSP90 isoforms in cell survival and death. Hsc82p appears to promote survival and its deletion leads to necrotic cell death, while Hsp82p is a pro-death molecule involved in acetic acid-induced apoptosis. Therefore, HSP90 isoforms have distinct roles in the control of cell fate during PCD and their selective translation regulates cellular response to acetic acid stress.This work was supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia and COMPETE/QREN/EU (PTDC/BIA-MIC/114116/2009), and by the Canadian Institute for Health Research (MOP 89737 to MH). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

РОЛЬ ТРЕХМЕРНОГО КОМПЬЮТЕРНОГО МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЯ БРОНХОСОСУДИСТЫХ СТРУКТУР ПРИ РАДИКАЛЬНЫХ СУБЛОБАРНЫХ АНАТОМИЧЕСКИХ РЕЗЕКЦИЯХ У ПАЦИЕНТОВ С ПЕРИФЕРИЧЕСКИМИ НОВООБРАЗОВАНИЯМИ ЛЕГКИХ

In recent years, there is a steady tendency of increase in the number of minimally invasive, organ safety surgical treatment in thoracic oncology, such as video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy, requiring a maximal information about broncho- and angioarchitectonics in the affected lung segment. The use of multislice computed tomography and postprocessing software packages allows to get highly informative three-dimensional reconstruction of broncho-vascular structures that contribute to safety and individual approach of surgical admission.В последние годы четко прослеживается тенденция к увеличению количества таких малоинвазивных, органосохраняющих оперативных вмешательств в торакальной онкологии, как видеоассистированная торакоскопическая сегментэктомия, требующая максимальной информации о бронхо- и ангиоархитектонике в пораженном сегменте легкого. Применение мультиспиральной рентгеновской компьютерной томографии и программных пакетов постпроцессорной обработки в настоящее время позволяет получать высокоинформативные трехмерные реконструкции бронхососудистых структур, что способствует безопасности и индивидуальному подходу к выполнению операции

Proteomic Analysis of Chikungunya Virus Infected Microgial Cells

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a recently re-emerged public health problem in many countries bordering the Indian Ocean and elsewhere. Chikungunya fever is a relatively self limiting febrile disease, but the consequences of chikungunya fever can include a long lasting, debilitating arthralgia, and occasional neurological involvement has been reported. Macrophages have been implicated as an important cell target of CHIKV with regards to both their role as an immune mediator, as well evidence pointing to long term viral persistence in these cells. Microglial cells are the resident brain macrophages, and so this study sought to define the proteomic changes in a human microglial cell line (CHME-5) in response to CHIKV infection. GeLC-MS/MS analysis of CHIKV infected and mock infected cells identified some 1455 individual proteins, of which 90 proteins, belonging to diverse cellular pathways, were significantly down regulated at a significance level of p<0.01. Analysis of the protein profile in response to infection did not support a global inhibition of either normal or IRES-mediated translation, but was consistent with the targeting of specific cellular pathways including those regulating innate antiviral mechanisms

Предоперационное прогнозирование и интраоперационная профилактика острой печеночной недостаточности после обширных резекций печени по поводу метастатического колоректального рака

Objective: improve the results of treatment of patients with metastatic cancer of liver by reducing the risk of post-resection liver failure based on the assessment of liver functional reserve.Materials and methods. The study included 2 independent samples of patients underwent surgery for liver metastases in the department of abdominal oncology at the P. A. Herzen Moscow Oncological Research Institute. Group 1 included 47 patients: in addition to the standard treatment algorithm they underwent 13C methacetin breath test and dynamic scintigraphy of liver in the preoperative stage. Patients from the group 2 (n = 30) underwent standard clinical and laboratory examination, without preoperative evaluation of liver functional reserves; the level of total bilirubin, albumin and prothrombin time showed no decrease in liver function. Post-resection liver failure was established based on 50/50 criterion when evaluated on the 5th postoperative day.Results. The analysis of operational characteristics of functional tests showed absolute sensitivity of 13C methacetin breath test (SE ≥ 100 %) and negative predictive value (–VP ≥ 100 %) in case of integrated application of 2 diagnostic methods. An incidence of post-resection acute liver failure in the study group was significantly 2.2-fold lower than in the control group – 10.6 % and 23.3 %, respectively (p &lt; 0.001).Conclusion. Combination of preoperative dynamic scintigraphy of liver with 13C methacetin breath test allows to perform comprehensive assessment of liver functional reserves, and it can greatly improve preoperative assessment and postoperative results of anatomic resections in patients with liver metastases.Цель исследования – улучшение результатов лечения больных метастатическим раком печени за счет снижения риска развития пострезекционной печеночной недостаточности на основании оценки функциональных резервов печени.Материалы и методы. Исследование включало 2 независимые выборки пациентов, оперированных по поводу метастатического поражения печени в отделении абдоминальной онкологии МНИОИ им. П. А. Герцена. В 1-ю были включены 47 пациентов, которым помимо стандартного алгоритма обследования проводили 13C-метацетиновый дыхательный тест и динамическая сцинтиграфия печени на предоперационном этапе. Больным 2-й группы (n = 30) выполняли стандартные клиническое и лабораторное обследования, но не проводили предоперационной оценки функционального резерва печени; показатели общего билирубина, альбумина и протромбинового времени не выявили снижения функции печени. Пострезекционная печеночная недостаточность устанавливалась на основании критерия 50/50 при оценке на 5-й день после операции.Результаты. Анализ операционных характеристик функциональных тестов показал абсолютную чувствительность 13C-метацитинового дыхательного теста (SE ≥ 100 %) и прогностическую ценность отрицательного результата (–VP ≥ 100 %) при комплексном применении 2 диагностических методов. Частота возникновения пострезекционной острой печеночной недостаточности в исследуемой группе достоверно в 2,2 раза ниже, чем в контрольной, – 10,6 и 23,3 % соответственно (p &lt; 0,001).Заключение. Сочетание предоперационной динамической сцинтиграфии печени с проведением 13С-метацетинового дыхательного теста позволяет провести комплексную оценку функционального резерва печени и может значительно улучшить предоперационную оценку и послеоперационные результаты анатомических резекций у больных с метастатическим поражением печени