Boris F. Porshnev: Between Russian and French History, or On the Role of Chance in a Historian’s Life

The article was submitted on 10.06.2017.This article considers the beginning of the academic career of Boris F. Porshnev, an eminent Soviet historian. During his postgraduate studies in RANION (Soviet Social Science Consortium) at the Institute of History (1926–29), he specialised in Russian history and was writing a thesis on public thought in Russia. Later, in Rostov-on-Don (between 1930 and 1932), Porshnev lectured on world history and would work on any projects available. After returning to Moscow (1932), he was going to become an ethnographer; however, instead he got a job at the Lenin State Library, then headed by his teacher V. I. Nevsky. Porshnev wrote texts on a variety of subjects and had no academic preferences. Such diversity was most likely caused by financial reasons (food rationing and high inflation in the USSR). The country witnessed many ideological campaigns; the academic landscape and establishment changed frequently in accordance with ideological attitudes. The choice to pursue an academic career largely depended on social connections, conditions, and chance. For years to come, the historian’s destiny was determined by a chain of accidents: V. I. Nevsky’s arrest in 1934, Porshnev’s resignation from the library in 1935, and his work on editing a translation of The Memoirs of Cardinal de Retz (1932–36).Рассмотрены жизнь и деятельность выдающегося советского историка Б. Ф. Поршнева в начале его академической карьеры. Обучаясь в аспирантуре Института истории РАНИОН (1926–1929), он готовился стать русистом и писал диссертацию по общественной мысли России; в Ростове-на-Дону (1930–1932) его деятельность носила универсальный характер: он вел занятия по всеобщей истории и работал там, где открывались возможности. Показано, что после возвращения в Москву (1932) историк сначала собирался стать этнографом, но затем поступил на работу в библиотеку им. В. И. Ленина, которой руководил его учитель В. И. Невский, и писал тексты на самые разнообразные темы, не имея определенных академических предпочтений. Представляется, что такая разнородность детерминировалась материальными причинами, поскольку в СССР действовала карточная система и была высокая инфляция, а также тем, что в стране окончательно не определились ни политические, ни академические порядки. Выбор академической карьеры зависел от социальных связей, ситуации и случая. Арест В. И. Невского в 1934 г., увольнение из библиотеки в 1935 г. и редактирование перевода «Мемуаров» кардинала де Реца (1932–1936) стали такой цепью случайностей, которые определи судьбу историка на последующие годы

ACINIC CELL CARCINOMA OF THE MINOR SALIVARY GLANDS: A CASE REPORT

Acinic cell carcinomas (ACC) constitute 5 to 11 % of all salivary gland cancers. ACCs arise from the reserve precursor cells of the terminal and intercalated ducts. The tumor results from the neoplastic proliferation and aberrant differentiation of reserve pluripotent cells that are normally located in the transition of acini into the intercalated ducts of the salivary gland and/or into the intercalated ducts proper of mature salivary glands. ACCs chiefly affect the major salivary glands; sporadic cases of its involvement of the minor salivary glands have been described in the literature. This paper presents a clinical case of ACC of the minor salivary glands

PRIMARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM AT THE BACKGROUND OF PARATHYROID GLAND HYPERPLASIA. PECULIARITIES AND DIFFICULTIES OF DIAGNOSTICS

The article uses a clinical case of primary hyperparathyroidism in young patient with hyperplastic parathyroid gland localization in tissues of thyroid gland as an example to study the matters of cytological, histological, clinical and laboratory diagnostics of such pathology. It provides a literature reference on the difficulties of establishing a cytological and histological diagnoses, sets out the peculiarities of morphological pattern, discusses the tactical matters of primary hyperparathyroidism management, indications for surgical treatment and case follow-up of patients

Modern information technologies in high school education

Article is devoted to urgent problems of using modern information technologies in teaching students of universities. New conditions of the development Russian society determine the necessity of using information technologies as a means of accumulation and implementation of innovative potential participants in the educational process. Analyzes the efficiency conditions of using information technologies in improving the quality of educationИсследуются актуальные вопросы использования современных информационных технологий при обучении студентов вузов. Новые условия развития российского общества определяют необходимость использования информационных технологий как средств накопления и реализации инновационного потенциала участников образовательного процесса. Анализируются условия эффективности применения информационных технологий в повышении качества образовани

New Antioxidant Genes from an Anhydrobiotic Insect: Unique Structural Features in Functional Motifs of Thioredoxins

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.Polipedilum vanderplanki is the most complex known organism able to survive body desiccation via entering a state of suspended metabolism called anhydrobiosis. This unique ability is based on the specific molecular machinery involving a synthesis of non-reducing sugar trehalose and a variety of protective proteins. Genes encoding these protective proteins are extensively duplicated in the P. vanderplanki genome and become hugely upregulated in response to desiccation. Some of these highly expressed genes encode substitutions of amino acids crucial for the function of corresponding proteins. An intriguing group of protective proteins in P. vanderplanki are thioredoxins (TRX). These antioxidant proteins are important for P. vanderplanki anhydrobiosis since desiccation is tightly related to the elevated production of free radicals and oxidative damage. The TRX set is unprecedentedly expanded in the P. vanderplanki genome up to 25 TRX genes. Genomes of congeneric midge Polipedilum nubifer, Apis mellifera, Drosophila melanogaster, and Anopheles gambiae encode only 3–7 TRX genes. Moreover, all three P. vanderplanki thioredoxin genes most expressed at 24 h of P. vanderplanki larva desiccation encode for proteins missing the typical CxxC motif

Профилактика тромбозов при антифосфолипидном синдроме

Warfarin and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) are most frequently used to prevent thromboses of different localizations in general medical practice and in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The mechanism of action of warfarin is associated with the ceased synthesis of blood coagulation factors VII, X, IX, and II. ASA inhibits platelet aggregation due to irreversible inactivation of СОХ 1. Patients with antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies and venous thromboses need long-term moderate-intensity warfarin therapy. Patients with ischemic strokes without other indications for the use of anticoagulants may be given either warfarin or ASA. In the latter case, there is no need for laboratory control or an individual dose adjustment. The primary prevention of thromboses in the presence of aPL is also performed with ASA. When pregnancy occurs, women with obstetric manifestations of APS may be given small-dose ASA in combination with heparins. To reduce the risk of hemorrhages, warfarin dosage adjustment is initiated with the minimum doses (<5 mg/day). Novel ASA formulations, such as ASA with the unabsorbed antacid magnesium hydroxide, have been developed to prevent gastrointestinal tract complications.Для профилактики тромбозов различных локализаций в общетерапевтической практике и у пациентов с антифосфолипидным синдромом (АФС) наиболее часто применяют варфарин и ацетилсалициловую кислоту (АСК). Механизм действия варфарина связан с прекращением синтеза VII, X, IX, II факторов свертывания крови. АСК ингибирует агрегацию тромбоцитов за счет необратимой инактивации ЦОГ1. Пациентам с антифосфолипидными антителами (аФЛ) и венозными тромбозами необходима длительная среднеинтенсивная терапия варфарином. Больные с ишемическими инсультами без других показаний для антикоагулянтов могут получать либо варфа-рин, либо АСК. В последнем случае не требуется лабораторного контроля и индивидуального подбора дозы. Первичная профилактика тромбозов при наличии аФЛ также осуществляется с помощью АСК. При наступлении беременности женщинам с акушерскими проявлениями АФС назначают низкие дозы АСК в сочетании с гепаринами. Для снижения риска кровотечений подбор дозы варфарина начинают с минимальных доз (<5 мг/сут). Для профилактики осложнений со стороны желудочно-кишечного тракта разработаны новые формы АСК, например соединения АСК с невсасывающимся антацидом - гидроокисью магния

Заболеваемость сахарным диабетом 2-го типа и традиционные факторы риска нарушений углеводного обмена у больных ревматоидным артритом

Objective: to clarify the primary incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to compare the prevalence of traditional risk factors (RFs) in groups of patients with and without carbohydrate metabolic disorders.Patients and methods. A retrospective analysis was carried out in 158 patients with RA (diagnosed at the age of 45 years and older; the disease duration was more than 12 months). The exclusion criteria were concomitant type 1 DM and type 2 DM that was diagnosed before or at the onset of RA. The patients' median age was 62 [57; 68] years. Most RA patients had moderate (41.8%) and high (39.9%) DAS28. New cases of type 2 DM and the presence of hyperglycemia were recorded at the time of the examination. The traditional RFs of type 2 DM were assessed using the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC).Results and discussion. The incidence rates of type 2 DM was 9.3 per 1000 patient-years. The patients with developed type 2 DM versus those without DM had a larger number of RFs according to the the FINDRISC questionnaire (6 [5; 7] and 5 [4; 5]; p<0.01), had more frequently experienced myocardial infarction and undergone surgery for myocardial revascularization (27.3 and 2.7%; p<0.01), taken beta-adrenoblockers (72.7 and 33.3%; p<0.05) and calcium channel blockers (36.4 and 12.2%; p<0.05). Fasting hyperglycemia was detected in 10.1% of RA patients. The patients with hyperglycemia versus those with normal venous blood glucose levels more often had obesity (50.0 and 29.8%) and a history of hyperglycemic episodes (43.8 and 19.1%) and less frequently used glucocorticoids (18.8 and 47.3%; p<0.05 for all cases). Conclusion. The high incidence of type 2 DM in RA was associated with the presence of a set of traditional RFs and previous cardiovascular disease, while fasting hyperglycemia was with individual RFs for carbohydrate metabolic disorders. Цель исследования – уточнить первичную заболеваемость сахарным диабетом (СД) 2-го типа у больных ревматоидным артритом (РА) и сравнить распространенность традиционных факторов риска (ФР) в группах пациентов с нарушениями углеводного обмена и без них.Пациенты и методы. Проведен ретроспективный анализ 158 пациентов с РА (диагноз установлен в возрасте 45 лет и старше, длительность болезни более 12 мес). Критериями исключения были сопутствующий СД 1-го типа и диагноз СД 2-го типа, установленный до дебюта РА или одновременно с ним. Медиана возраста пациентов – 62 [57; 68] года. Большинство больных имели умеренную (41,8%) и высокую (39,9%) активность РА по индексу DAS28. Регистрировали новые случаи СД 2-го типа и наличие гипергликемии на момент обследования. Традиционные ФР развития СД 2-го типа оценивали по опроснику Finnish Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Form (FINDRISK).Результаты и обсуждение. Заболеваемость СД 2-го типа составила 9,3 случая на 1000 пациенто-лет. Пациенты с развившимся СД 2-го типа по сравнению с больными без СД имели большее число ФР по опроснику FINDRISK  (6 [5; 7] и 5 [4; 5]; p<0,01), чаще переносили инфаркт миокарда и операции по его реваскуляризации (27,3 и 2,7%; р<0,01), принимали бета-адреноблокаторы (72,7 и 33,3%; р<0,05) и блокаторы кальциевых каналов (36,4 и 12,2%; р<0,05). У 10,1% больных РА выявлена гипергликемия натощак. Пациенты с гипергликемией чаще, чем больные с нормальным уровнем глюкозы в венозной крови, имели ожирение (50,0 и 29,8%) и эпизоды гипергликемии в анамнезе (43,8 и 19,1%) и реже принимали ГК (18,8 и 47,3%; р<0,05 для всех случаев).Выводы. Высокая заболеваемость СД 2-го типа при РА ассоциировалась с наличием комплекса традиционных ФР и предшествующей сердечно-сосудистой патологией, в то время как гипергликемия натощак – с отдельными ФР нарушений углеводного обмена

Клиническое значение лептина при системной красной волчанке

Objective: to study the frequency of hyperleptinemia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), its relationship with clinical and laboratory manifestations of the disease, drug therapy, and other metabolic disorders.Patients and methods. The cross-sectional study included 46 women with a definite diagnosis of SLE (median age 40 [31; 48] years) and disease duration 3.0 [0.9; 9.0] years. Glucocorticoids (GC) were received by 38 (83%) patients, hydroxychloroquine – by 35 (76%), immunosuppressants – by 10 (22%), biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs – by 5 (11%). In all patients, fasting levels of glucose, leptin, apoliproprotein B (ApoB) and immunoreactive insulin were determined, and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Concentration of leptin ≥11.1 ng/ml, ApoB – >1.6 mg/ml were considered an elevated level. HOMA-IR index ≥2.77 corresponded to the presence of insulin resistance (IR).Results and discussion. Hyperleptinemia was found in 34 (74%) patients with SLE, an increased level of ApoB – in 19 (41%), IR – in 10 (22%). In patients with hyperleptinemia, serositis, positivity for anti-double-stranded DNA (aDNA) and hypocomplementemia were less common, overweight and obesity were more frequent, the SLEDAI-2K index was lower, the aDNA level was lower, and the concentration of the C3 component of complement, insulin, HOMA-IR index, body mass index (BMI) and disease duration were higher (p<0.05 for all cases). BMI <25 kg / m2 had 26 (57%) women, 14 (54%) of whom had hyperleptinemia. In patients with BMI <25 kg / m2, we found a relationship between leptin concentration and disease duration (r=0.4, p=0.04), SLE activity according to SLEDAI-2K (r=-0.6, p=0.003), levels of aDNA (r=-0.6, p<0.001), C3 component of complement (r=0.5, p=0.01), maximum (r=0.7, p<0.001) and supporting (r=0,5, p=0.023) GC doses.In patients with BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (n=20), no such relationship was observed.Conclusion. Hyperleptinemia was found in the majority of women with SLE; elevated levels of ApoB and IR were much less common. Patients with hyperleptinemia are characterized by a longer duration and less activity of the disease, as well as the presence of overweight and obesity and an increase in the HOMA-IR index. In SLE patients with normal body weight, the concentration of leptin increased along with GC dose elevation.Цель исследования – изучение частоты гиперлептинемии у пациентов с системной красной волчанкой (СКВ), ее взаимосвязи с клинико-лабораторными проявлениями заболевания, лекарственной терапией, а также другими метаболическими нарушениями.Пациенты и методы. В поперечное исследование включено 46 женщин с достоверным диагнозом СКВ (медиана возраста 40 [31; 48] лет) и длительностью заболевания 3,0 [0,9; 9,0] года. Глюкокортикоиды (ГК) получали 38 (83%) больных, гидроксихлорохин – 35 (76%), иммуносупрессанты – 10 (22%), генно-инженерные биологические препараты – 5 (11%). У всех больных определены натощак уровни глюкозы, лептина, аполипропротеина В (АпоВ) и иммунореактивного инсулина, рассчитан индекс оценки гомеостатической модели резистентности к инсулину (HOMA-IR). Повышенной считали концентрацию лептина ≥11,1 нг/мл, АпоВ – >1,6 мг/мл.Индекс HOMA-IR ≥2,77 соответствовал наличию инсулинорезистентности (ИР).Результаты и обсуждение. Гиперлептинемия обнаружена у 34 (74%) больных СКВ, повышенный уровень АпоВ – у 19 (41%), ИР – у 10 (22%). При гиперлептинемии реже встречались серозит, позитивность по антителам к двуспиральной ДНК (аДНК) и гипокомплементемия, чаще – избыточная масса тела и ожирение, были ниже индекс SLEDAI-2K, уровень аДНК, выше – концентрация С3-компонента комплемента, инсулина, индекс HOMA-IR, индекс массы тела (ИМТ) и длительность заболевания (р<0,05 для всех случаев). ИМТ<25 кг/м2 имели 26 (57%) женщин, у 14 (54%) из которых обнаружена гиперлептинемия. У пациенток с ИМТ <25 кг/м2 выявлена взаимосвязь концентрации лептина с длительностью заболевания (r=0,4, p=0,04), активностью СКВ по SLEDAI-2K (r=-0,6, p=0,003), уровнем аДНК (r=-0,6, p<0,001), С3-компонента комплемента (r=0,5, p=0,01), максимальной (r=0,7, p<0,001) и поддерживающей (r=0,5, p=0,023) дозами ГК. У больных с ИМТ ≥25 кг/м2 (n=20) подобной взаимосвязи не отмечено.Заключение. Гиперлептинемия выявлена у большинства женщин с СКВ, повышенный уровень АпоВ и ИР встречались гораздо реже.Для пациенток с гиперлептинемией характерны большая длительность и меньшая активность заболевания, а также наличие избыточной массы тела и ожирения, увеличение индекса HOMA-IR. У больных СКВ с нормальной массой тела концентрация лептина нарастала по мере увеличения дозы ГК

EFFICIENCY OF «AB INTERNO» TRABECULECTOMY USING THE «TRABECTOME» OPERATING SYSTEM IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA AND CATARACT

Purpose.  To study dynamics of intraocular pressure in open-angle glaucoma and cataract patients after «ab interno» trabeculectomy with the use of the «Trabectome» system. Material and methods. There were operated 52 patients (63 eyes) with open-angle glaucoma. The IOP level was determined using the Maklakov tonometer before operation and 1 week, 2 weeks, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, 13-26, 27 and more weeks after operation. Results.  In patients with cataract and glaucoma the mean IOP before operation was 26.1±3.23mmHg and after operation – 20.5±3.23mmHg in the mean follow-up 173± 170.2 days. Conclusions. «Ab interno» trabeculectomy with the use of the «Trabectome» operating system allowed to decrease the IOP by 21.5% in glaucoma patients. It is possible because of microinvasive removal of the trabecular tissue as the main reason for a resistance to the aqueous humor outflow in open-angle glaucoma patients

Metabolic syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis: role of adiponectin (preliminary results)

The clinical value of the disorders and diseases integrated within the metabolic syndrome (MS) is in the combination of traditional risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which significantly accelerates the development of cardiovascular events (CVEs). The detection rate for MS in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is shown to be higher than in the controls regardless of the diagnostic criteria for MS. At present, there are confusing data on the role of adipokins in RA. Objective: to determine the rate of MS and its components in RA patients and the association of the level of adipokin (adiponectin) with the components of MS in relation to the duration of RA. Subjects and methods: The investigation enrolled 69 RA patients divided into two groups: 1) 34 patients with early-stage (<2-year) RA and 2) 35 patients with end-stage (>2-year) RA. Results. MS occurred in 12 (17.4%) of the 69 patients with RA. There was central (abdominal) obesity in 37 (53.6%) patients with RA, hypertension in 29 (42%), low high-density cholesterol levels in 20 (29%), hyperglycemia in 11 (15.9%), and hypertriglyceridemia in 10 (14.5%). According to the presence or absence of MS, the patients were divided into 2 groups: 1) 12 patients with MS; 2) 57 without MS. In the patients with RA and MS, the duration of the disease was shorter; DAS28 and CDAI were higher than in those without MS: 15.4 [7; 24] months versus 51.8 [6; 72] months; DAS28 was 5.8 [4.9; 6.7] scores versus 5.1 [4.5; 5.8] scores; CDAI: 34.8 [21.8; 41.4] scores versus 24.2 [18; 31] scores, respectively (p < 0.05 in all cases). The serum level of adiponectin was lower: 13.1 [5.7; 10.7] ng/ml versus 20.6 [6.9; 30.9] ng/ml in the patients with RA and MS as compared to those without MS; but there were no significant differences. In the patients with early-end RA, the rate of MS was twice higher than that in those with end-stage RA; however, the differences were statistically insignificant (p = 0.1). The components of MS were encountered with the same frequency in early- and end-stage RA. The early RA group showed a correlation between SDAI (r = -0.34), body mass index (r = -0.41), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.33), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r =-0.35), and adiponectin. The >2-year RA group displayed no relationship between adipokins, activity markers, and metabolic disturbances. Conclusion. The preliminary results suggest the high rate of MS in patients with a high level of early RA disease activity untreated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, thus determining the high risk of CVEs just at disease onset. The role of adiponectin in the development of MS, CVEs in rheumatic diseases remains to be solved, which is the subject of further investigations. It is possible that normalization of adiponectin concentrations may promote reductions in the incidence of CVD, mortality rates due to atherosclerosis-induced CVEs, and the prevalence of MS and insulin resistance