Recreational and tourist potential of the transnistrian district of Ukraine

The article proves that the sphere of tourism, in contrast to other sectors of the economy, makes it possible to implement the concept of self-development, self-government and self-financing from its own resources, own financial sources. The article emphasizes that a special place in the development of tourism in Transnistria in the future should belong to the Dniester Reservoir. In fact, this determines the relevance and practical significance of this study. The tourist and recreational complex of Transnistria is a leading factor in the development of the region’s economy. The article reveals the peculiarities of the development of recreational and tourist conditions and resources of the Transnistrian district of Chernivtsi region

Visual-test and Sorption-spectrophotometric Determination of Melamine in Biological Objects

Melamine may have toxic effects on humans and animals. It is well known that melamine accumulates in the body and causes reproductive damages, forms bladder or kidney stones, which can lead to bladder cancer. Trace amounts of melamine at ppm levels may occur in certain food commodities due to its migration from melamine-containing disposable tableware plastics. It was intentionally adulterated to milk products to show a false increase in protein concentration. Considering these facts there is a need for establishing sensitive and reliable methods of melamine determination. As uncostly, rapid and selective melamine detection methods are highly required, the hyphenated sorption-spectrophotometric and visual test methods seem to be perspective candidates.In the present work the optimal conditions of sorption concentration of melamine from aqueous solutions ontо the silica gel surface were studied. The calibration graph for the sorption-spectrophotometric method is linear in 0.02 – 9.8 μmol.L-1 mg L-1 melamine concentration range. Proposed method allows naked-eye monitoring of biological samples.

Individual Human Brain Areas Can Be Identified from Their Characteristic Spectral Activation Fingerprints

The human brain can be parcellated into diverse anatomical areas. We investigated whether rhythmic brain activity in these areas is characteristic and can be used for automatic classification. To this end, resting-state MEG data of 22 healthy adults was analysed. Power spectra of 1-s long data segments for atlas-defined brain areas were clustered into spectral profiles (“fingerprints”), using k-means and Gaussian mixture (GM) modelling. We demonstrate that individual areas can be identified from these spectral profiles with high accuracy. Our results suggest that each brain area engages in different spectral modes that are characteristic for individual areas. Clustering of brain areas according to similarity of spectral profiles reveals well-known brain networks. Furthermore, we demonstrate task-specific modulations of auditory spectral profiles during auditory processing. These findings have important implications for the classification of regional spectral activity and allow for novel approaches in neuroimaging and neurostimulation in health and disease

Innate Immune Function in Placenta and Cord Blood of Hepatitis C – Seropositive Mother-Infant Dyads

Vertical transmission accounts for the majority of pediatric cases of hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection. In contrast to the adult population who develop persistent viremia in ∼80% of cases following exposure, the rate of mother-to-child transmission (2–6%) is strikingly low. Protection from vertical transmission likely requires the coordination of multiple components of the immune system. Placenta and decidua provide a direct connection between mother and infant. We hypothesized that innate immune responses would differ across the three compartments (decidua, placenta and cord blood) and that hepatitis C exposure would modify innate immunity in these tissues. The study was comprised of HCV-infected and healthy control mother and infant pairs from whom cord blood, placenta and decidua were collected with isolation of mononuclear cells. Multiparameter flow cytometry was performed to assess the phenotype, intracellular cytokine production and cytotoxicity of the cells. In keeping with a model where the maternal-fetal interface provides antiviral protection, we found a gradient in proportional frequencies of NKT and γδ-T cells being higher in placenta than cord blood. Cytotoxicity of NK and NKT cells was enhanced in placenta and placental NKT cytotoxicity was further increased by HCV infection. HCV exposure had multiple effects on innate cells including a decrease in activation markers (CD69, TRAIL and NKp44) on NK cells and a decrease in plasmacytoid dendritic cells in both placenta and cord blood of exposed infants. In summary, the placenta represents an active innate immunological organ that provides antiviral protection against HCV transmission in the majority of cases; the increased incidence in preterm labor previously described in HCV-seropositive mothers may be related to enhanced cytotoxicity of NKT cells

Mammalian sex determination—insights from humans and mice

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are congenital conditions in which the development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical. Many of the genes required for gonad development have been identified by analysis of DSD patients. However, the use of knockout and transgenic mouse strains have contributed enormously to the study of gonad gene function and interactions within the development network. Although the genetic basis of mammalian sex determination and differentiation has advanced considerably in recent years, a majority of 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis patients still cannot be provided with an accurate diagnosis. Some of these unexplained DSD cases may be due to mutations in novel DSD genes or genomic rearrangements affecting regulatory regions that lead to atypical gene expression. Here, we review our current knowledge of mammalian sex determination drawing on insights from human DSD patients and mouse models

Visualization of the Pool Fire Action Zones with Using MapInfo GIS for the Number of Filling Stations of the Odessa (Ukraine) Residential District

The object of research is a system of filling stations (traditional filling stations) of the traditional type within the Malinovsky district of Odessa (Ukraine). One of the most problematic places of functioning of filling stations, as potentially dangerous objects, is their location within residential areas, on motorways with high traffic intensity, close to other infrastructure facilities. A significant danger is the location of several filling stations in a limited area, in close proximity to each other.The radii of the action zones of thermal radiation from a pool fire at various intensities for 4 types of fuel (gasoline A-80, A-95, A-95, diesel fuel) are calculated. It is shown that dangerous for a person distances from filling stations are reached at 650 m. The safest of all fuels is diesel fuel, and the safety of gasoline rises with the growth of the octane number.In the course of the study, a method for visualizing the action zones of the pool fire factor is developed using MapInfo GIS. The proposed method makes it possible to visualize the calculated radii of damage by thermal radiation on the map of the Malinovskiy district based on the geology of each filling station. It is clearly shown that the filling stations cover the territory of the district with a dense network and create the risks of damaging the consequences of an emergency fire of its most part.Due to this, the possibilities of visualizing not only the mutual location of the filling stations as sources of negative impacts and potential accidents, but also of the respective recipients under specific urban conditionsIn comparison with similar examples of assessments of the consequences of accidents at filling stations, the geo-information system makes it possible to identify the groups of filling stations for which the development of an emergency situation is possible by the mechanism of «dominoes». In the presence of an external ignition source, an escalation of the accident may develop, which in turn can initiate dangerous events at the next filling station

Potential Roles for Infectious Agents in the Pathophysiology of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis: What's New?

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a progressive cholestatic liver disease serologically characterized by the presence of high-titer antimitochondrial antibodies and, histologically by chronic nonsuppurative cholangitis and granulomata. The aetiology of the disease remains elusive, although genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and infectious factors have been considered important for the induction of the disease in genetically prone individuals. The disease shows a striking female predominance and becomes clinically overt at the fourth to sixth decade. These characteristics have prompted investigators to consider infections that predominate in women at these ages as the likely candidates for triggering the disease. Recurrent urinary tract infections due to Escherichia coli were the first infections to be considered pathogenetically relevant. Over the years, several other microorganisms have been linked to the pathogenesis of PBC owing to epidemiological, immunological, microbiological, or experimental findings in animal models. Recent studies have provided data supporting the pathogenic role of Novosphingobium aromaticivorans and betaretroviruses. Several reports have linked other organisms to the induction of the disease and/or the maintenance of the auto-aggressive responses that are perpetuated over the course of the disease. This review highlights the findings of the most recent studies investigating the link between infections and PBC. We also discuss the close interplay of the infectious agents with other environmental and genetic factors, which may explain the multifaceted nature of this puzzling disease

Proton therapy with a fixed beamline for skull-base chordomas and chondrosarcomas: outcomes and toxicity

Aim: This study presents an analysis (efficacy and toxicity) of outcomes in patients with skull-base chordomas or chondrosarcomas treated with a fixed horizontal pencil proton beam. Background: Chordomas (CAs) and chondrosarcomas (CSAs) are rare tumours that are usually located near the base of the skull and very close to the brain's most critical structures. Proton therapy (PT) is often considered the best radiation treatment for these diseases, but it is still a limited resource. Active scanning PT delivered via a fixed pencil beamline might be a promising option. Methods: This is a single-centre experience describing the results of proton therapy for 31 patients with CA (n = 23) or CSA (n = 8) located near the base of the skull. Proton therapy was utilized by a fixed pencil beamline with a chair to position the patient between May 2016 and November 2020. Ten patients underwent resection (32.2%), 15 patients (48.4%) underwent R2 resection, and 6 patients had unresectable tumours (19.4%). In 4 cases, the tumours had been previously irradiated. The median PT dose was 70 GyRBE (relative biological efficacy, 1.1) [range, 60 to 74] with 2.0 GyRBE per fraction. The mean GTV volume was 25.6 cm3 [range, 4.2–115.6]. Patient demographics, pathology, treatment parameters, and toxicity were collected and analysed. Radiation-induced reactions were assessed according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v 4.0. Results: The median follow-up time was 21 months [range, 4 to 52]. The median overall survival (OS) was 40 months. The 1- and 2-year OS was 100%, and the 3-year OS was 66.3%. Four patients died due to non-cancer-related reasons, 1 patient died due to tumour progression, and 1 patient died due to treatment-related injuries. The 1-year local control (LC) rate was 100%, the 2-year LC rate was 93.7%, and the 3-year LC rate was 85.3%. Two patients with CSA exhibited progression in the neck lymph nodes and lungs. All patients tolerated PT well without any treatment interruptions. We observed 2 cases of ≥ grade 3 toxicity, with 1 case of grade 3 myelitis and 1 case of grade 5 brainstem injury. Conclusion: Treatment with a fixed proton beam shows promising disease control and an acceptable toxicity rate, even the difficult-to-treat subpopulation of patients with skull-base chordomas or chondrosarcomas requiring dose escalation. © 2021, The Author(s)