MEMORY, ATTENTION, THINKING OF SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS: CONNECTION WITH THE GENDER, ALCOHOL ABUSE AND POLYMORPHISM OF THE GENEM CATHEHOL-ORTHO-METHYLTRANSFERASE

Objective: analysis of the connection rs4860 Val158Met polymorphism of catechol-ortho-methyl transferase gene (COMT) with thinking, memory, attention of patients with schizophrenia taking into account comorbidity alcohol abuse and gender identity.Materials and methods: 200 patients with paranoid schizophrenia, 100 men and 100 women. Patients are distributed into subgroups by the factor of comorbidity alcohol abuse. Short-term memory, attention, thinking has been evaluated by psychometric scales. The variant of polymorphism rs4680 of gene COMT is determined by a genetic method. The subgroups were compared among themselves. The association of alcohol abuse, gender identity, genotype with features of these cognitive functions was investigated.Results: the study demonstrated a high prevalence of alcohol dependence in patients with schizophrenia. There is no clear direct effect of alcohol abuse on cognitive status. Gender peculiarities of the cognitive status of schizophrenic patients have been revealed. In men, the conjugation of the genotype Met158Met is noted with greater safety of short-term memory and attention against the background of more severe disorders of thinking in the schizophrenic type. Conclusions: the study did not confirm the significant effect of the comorbidity alcohol abuse on the cognitive processes of patients with schizophrenia. In men more severe short-term memory, attention disturbance predominate, unlike women who have a greater depth of schizophrenic thinking disturbances. The variant of Met158Met polymorphism is associated with relative safety of short-term memory and attention among men, without comorbidity alcohol abuse

A Novel Conductometric Urea Biosensor with Improved Analytical Characteristic Based on Recombinant Urease Adsorbed on Nanoparticle of Silicalite

Development of a conductometric biosensor for the urea detection has been reported. It was created using a non-typical method of the recombinant urease immobilization via adsorption on nanoporous particles of silicalite. It should be noted that this biosensor has a number of advantages, such as simple and fast performance, the absence of toxic compounds during biosensor preparation, and high reproducibility (RSD = 5.1 %). The linear range of urea determination by using the biosensor was 0.05–15 mM, and a lower limit of urea detection was 20 μM. The bioselective element was found to be stable for 19 days. The characteristics of recombinant urease-based biomembranes, such as dependence of responses on the protein and ion concentrations, were investigated. It is shown that the developed biosensor can be successfully used for the urea analysis during renal dialysis

Экспериментальные характеристики механической бесступенчатой передачи с внутренними силовыми функциями

The paper proposes a new type of a mechanical continuously variable transmission with internal force functions  to upgrade the energy efficiency of a vehicle equipped with a conventional engine. The prototype of the transmission is a well-known V. F. Maltsev concurrent pulse variator in which freewheel mechanism driven members are supplemented with elastic torsions shafts. It is shown that the variator turns into a continuous transformer – a mechanical continuously variable transmission with internal force functions. There is an internal automaticity and continuity in the entire range of gear ratio changes. The configuration engineering solution is implemented in the engineering prototype. The aim of the research is experimental study of the properties and characteristics of such a mechanical continuously variable transmission. The kinematic configuration and the main structural dimensions of the engineering prototype are given. Special testing facility and measuring-and-recording equipment have been developed. A set of parameters to be recorded has been specified. The accuracy of their measurement is statistically estimated. The results of the experiments are presented in terms of output and input torque dependencies on the speed of the driven shaft. It is shown that the transmission characteristics in their dimensionless form (transformer ratio and efficiency) in the function of internal gear ratio are universal. The possibility of obtaining an infinite kinematic and significant power transmission ranges by independently changing the internal link oscillation range (level of the force function) and the rotation frequency of the drive shaft has been experimentally shown. The transmission  has high transforming and energy properties, which are higher than those of hydrodynamic gears.Предлагается для повышения энергоэффективности использования автотранспортного средства, оснащенного поршневым двигателем внутреннего сгорания, в качестве трансмиссии применять новый тип механических бесступенчатых передач с внутренними силовыми функциями. Показано, что если в известном многопоточном  импульсном вариаторе В. Ф. Мальцева механизмы свободного хода дополнить упругими валами – торсионами,  то такой вариатор превращается в непрерывный трансформатор – механическую бесступенчатую передачу с внутренними силовыми функциями. Появляются внутренняя автоматичность и непрерывность во всем диапазоне изменения передаточного отношения. Это схемное техническое решение реализовано в экспериментальном образце. В ходе испытаний изучены свойства и характеристики такой механической бесступенчатой передачи. Приведены кинематическая схема и основные конструктивные размеры экспериментального образца. Разработаны специальное стендовое оборудование и измерительно-регистрирующая аппаратура. Определен перечень регистрируемых параметров. Статистически оценена точность их измерения. Результаты экспериментов представлены в виде зависимостей крутящих моментов на ведомом и ведущем валах передачи от частоты вращения ведомого вала. Показано, что характеристики передачи в безразмерном виде – коэффициент трансформации и коэффициент полезного действия – в функции внутреннего передаточного отношения являются универсальными. Установлено, что путем независимого изменения  амплитуды колебаний внутренних звеньев (уровня силовой функции) и частоты вращения ведущего вала можно получить бесконечный кинематический и значительный силовой диапазоны передачи. Передача обладает высокими преобразующими и энергетическими свойствами, которые лучше, чем у гидродинамических передач

Mothers of schizophrenic patients: medical and psychological aspects of the problem

Thus, we can talk about the obvious mutual influence between a child with schizophrenia and his mother. On the one hand, it can be manifested in the form of the fact that a certain number of personal characteristics of the mother is accompanied by the formation of high rates of schizoid and neurotic child. Of course, the presence of a certain psychological type of mother (as the only reason) is not enough for the emergence and development of schizophrenia, but the subsequent development of the child’s personal disorders, as a borderline between the norm and pathology, can already be the ground for the development of the disease in the presence of other more significant causes (for example, hereditary). On the other hand, the disease of the child can be a significant stress factor for the mother, leading to the formation of her manifestations of emotional stress and psychological maladjustment, which, in turn, can adversely affect not only the features of her relationship with the child, but also on the features of the course of his disease. The mechanisms of formation of such a «vicious circle» are poorly studied even theoretically, not to mention the fact that in routine psychiatric practice these issues do not fall into the focus of the psychiatrist’s attention, are not taken into account in the development of therapy strategy. However, the parameters of interaction between mother and child, the level of their mutual empathy, can be important for the formation of compliance in the treatment of schizophrenia, as the «conductor» of therapy in relation to a small patient is the mother. There is also no doubt that the level of mental health of the mother is an important resource for maintaining the viability of the whole family system and, in particular, a necessary condition for the organization of adequate therapy for a child with schizophrenia. Therefore, the study of the issues of mutual influence of the patient with schizophrenia and his mother, the development of ways to correct the problems arising in this case are an important scientific and practical task of modern psychiatry

Clinic pathogenetic characteristics of computer addiction

Objective: sto study the clinical picture, psychopathological dynamics and significant pathogenetic factors of computer addiction development (CA).Materials and methods: the study included 93 patients with CA. The control group (CG) was represented by 50 healthy volunteers. Methods: clinical, psychological, paraclinical (brain MRI; EEG; daily excretion level of adrenaline, norepinephrine, dopamine; blood serotonin level; molecular genetic studies), statistical.Results: It is established, that the clinical picture of CA is represented by episodes of computer activity (CAct) and non-episode periods. Their features form a single syndrome of addiction to CAct. Increase of symptoms’ severity and their complication occur due to addition of the altered reactivity syndrome. The clinical-dynamic model of CA development is characterized by phasing with the presence of the initial stage and the stage of the expanded clinical picture. The disorder has a predisposition. The personality component of the predisposition includes the predominance of accentuations of unstable and schizoid types, low rates of internality in both groups. The morphofunctional component includes Val158Met polymorphism features of the COMT gene as predominance (59.1 %) of homozygotes for the Val allele and a high frequency of CNS structural anomalies (55 patients; 62.5 %). The gender component characterizes the predominance of males in CA. Some pathogenetic mechanisms of CA are established: impaired catecholamine and serotonin neuromediation, impaired bioelectrical brain activity with a high prevalence (47.0 %) of paroxysmal activity.Conclusions: Based on the identified pathogenetic mechanisms, the following approaches to the CA treatment are recommended: psychotherapy, psychopharmacotherapy, and their combination