EEG alpha band characteristics in patients with a depressive episode within recurrent and bipolar depression

BACKGROUND: The search for biological markers for the differential diagnosis of recurrent depression and bipolar depression is an important undertaking in modern psychiatry. Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of the promising tools in addressing this challenge. AIM: To identify differences in the quantitative characteristics of the electroencephalographic alpha band activity in patients with a depressive episode within the framework of recurrent depression and bipolar depression. METHODS: Two groups of patients (all women) were formed: one consisting of subjects with recurrent depressive disorder and one with subjects experiencing a current mild/moderate episode (30 patients), and subjects with bipolar affective disorder or a current episode of mild or moderate depression (30 patients). The groups did not receive pharmacotherapy and did not differ in their socio-demographic parameters or total score on the Hamilton depression scale. A baseline electroencephalogram was recorded, and the quantitative characteristics of the alpha band activity were analyzed, including the absolute spectral power, interhemispheric coherence, and EEG activation. RESULTS: The patients with recurrent depressive disorder demonstrated statistically significantly lower values of the average absolute spectral power of the alpha band (z=2.481; p=0.042), as well as less alpha attenuation from eyes closed to eyes open (z=2.573; p=0.035), as compared with the patients with bipolar affective disorder. CONCLUSION: The presented quantitative characteristics of alpha activity are confirmation that patients with affective disorders of different origins also display distinctive electrophysiological features which can become promising biomarkers and could help separate bipolar depression from the recurrent type

Stalingrad-Volgograd as a Symbol of Heroism and Patriotism in the Public Space of the Modern World

The paper presents the analysis of the Russian and foreign academic events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the defeat of German fascist troops by the Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad, in which lecturers, postgraduate and undergraduate students of the Volgograd State University (VolSU) took part. The focus of the paper is on the multilateral activities of the Center for Public Diplomacy, functioning on the basis of the VolSU, as well as of the Scientific and Educational Center “Modernization of the multidimensional social and political space of modern Russia” at the Department of International Relations, Political Science and Area Studies of VolSU on the presentation of Volgograd as a academic and methodological center for the formation of patriotism and civil identity in the Russian Federation. E.N. Vasilyeva presents an analytical review of the international scientific and practical conference “Stalingrad – a symbol of heroism, patriotism and cohesion of the peoples of Russia and the world”. S.B. Kozhirova characterizes the cooperation of foreign scholars with colleagues from the Volgograd State University on the formation of the historical memory of generations. S.A. Pankratov highlights the main activities of the Center for Public Diplomacy and the academic and educational center “Modernization of the multidimensional social and political space of modern Russia” in the context of the institutionalization of the practices of people’s diplomacy in the public policy of the hero city Volgograd-Stalingrad

Theoretical DFT interpretation of infrared spectra of biologically active arabinogalactan sulphated derivatives

Arabinogalactan (AG) and sulphated arabinogalactans (SAG) which are products of chemical modification of arabinogalactan polysaccharide with anticoagulant properties were studied by experimental infrared (IR) spectroscopy combined with density functional theory simulations. Mutual analythis of experimental and theoretical IR frequencies indicates that the descripancies between experiment and theory is caused by the influence of -OH groups, which led to the energy shift and broadening of the absorption IR bands. It was found that theoretical and experimental spectra correspond well within 3000-4000 cm-1 spectral region. Addition of sulphur group in AG structure causes hydroxyl group to become accessible for further sulphation. The difference between experimental and theoretical IR frequencies of sulphated AG derivatives is greater than for the parent arabinogalactan due to increase in the number of possible isomers and conformers

Asticcacaulis benevestitus sp. nov., a psychrotolerant, dimorphic, prosthecate bacterium from tundra wetland soil.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, heterotrophic, non-pigmented, dimorphic prosthecate bacterium was isolated from tundra wetland soil and designated strain Z-0023(T). Cells of this strain had a dimorphic life cycle and developed a non-adhesive stalk at a site not coincident with the centre of the cell pole, a characteristic typical of representatives of the genus Asticcacaulis. A highly distinctive feature of cells of strain Z-0023(T) was the presence of a conical, bell-shaped sheath when grown at low temperature. This prosthecate bacterium was a psychrotolerant, moderately acidophilic organism capable of growth between 4 and 28 degrees Celsius (optimum 15-20 degrees Celsius) and between pH 4.5 and 8.0 (optimum 5.6-6.0). The major phospholipid fatty acid was 18 : 1omega7c and the major phospholipids were phosphatidylglycerols. The G+C content of the DNA was 60.4 mol%. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain Z-0023(T) was most closely related to Asticcacaulis biprosthecium (98 % similarity), Asticcacaulis taihuensis (98 %) and Asticcacaulis excentricus (95 %). However, low levels of DNA-DNA relatedness to these organisms and a number of distinctive features of the tundra wetland isolate indicated that it represented a novel species of the genus Asticcacaulis, for which the name Asticcacaulis benevestitus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Z-0023(T) (=DSM 16100(T)=ATCC BAA-896(T))