Current abundance of spotted seal ( <i>Phoca largha</i>) in Peter the Great Bay (Japan Sea): unstable equilibrium or sustainable growth?

Представлена информация о динамике численности популяции ларги, размножающейся в Дальневосточном морском заповеднике (зал. Петра Великого, Японское море). Современный размер ежегодного приплода оценивается в 750 детенышей при общей численности популяции (без учета приплода) - 3,0-3,2 тыс. особей. Результаты учетов свидетельствуют, что на протяжении последних полутора десятилетий численность местной популяции пребывает в состоянии устойчивого роста. Увеличение численности тюленей сопровождается возникновением новых крупных репродуктивных залежек на тех островах архипелага Римского-Корсакова, где полтора десятилетия назад эпизодически размножались единичные тюлени. Тенденция дальнейшего увеличения численности ларги в зал. Петра Великого сохраняется

Luminescence of phosphorus doped silica glass

This work is supported by Material Science program IMIS2 of Latvia.A fiber preform with P-doped silica core is studied by luminescence methods. P-doped silica was synthesized via the SPCVD method on a substrate tube made of pure silica glass F300. Two luminescence bands were detected under excitation of the F2 excimer laser (157 nm). One band is in UV range at 4.6 eV (265 nm) with two time constants ~ 30 ns and 5 μs and the other at 3.1 eV (400 nm) with time constant ~ 5.5 ms. Fast decay of the blue band with time constant ~ 20 ns was also observed. The main excitation band of the UV luminescence is at 7.1 eV (~ 170 nm) and that for blue band is at 6.3 eV (~ 195 nm). These bands belong to two different luminescence centers, however, both are associated with the presence of phosphorus. The UV band is similar to the one observed in many different oxide materials containing phosphorus and is ascribed to PO43- complex ion. The blue band is ascribed to a twofold coordinated phosphorus. Both the blue and the UV luminescences participate in the recombination process due to electron trapping. These luminescences appear due to thermal stimulation upon recombination of liberated self-trapped holes. Other than the detected phosphorus-related oxygen-hole-centers, there is no other recombination luminescence.IMIS2; Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Center of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART

Optical properties of Ge-oxygen defect center embedded in silica films

The photo-luminescence features of Ge-oxygen defect centers in a 100nm thick Ge-doped silica film on a pure silica substrate were investigated by looking at the emission spectra and time decay detected under synchrotron radiation excitation in the 10-300 K temperature range. This center exhibits two luminescence bands centered at 4.3eV and 3.2eV associated with its de-excitation from singlet (S1) and triplet (T1) states, respectively, that are linked by an intersystem crossing process. The comparison with results obtained from a bulk Ge-doped silica sample evidences that the efficiency of the intersystem crossing rate depends on the properties of the matrix embedding the Ge-oxygen defect centers, being more effective in the film than in the bulk counterpart.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, in press on J. Non cryst. solids (2007

Development and research characteristics of digital shortwave transceiver

The results of research and development on the SDR (software defined radio) transceiver using direct analogue-digital conversion in the receiver and digital signal conditioning at the transmitter. Algorithms for signal generation and processing them at the receiving end are implemented in FPGA type XC7k325T (Xilinx).Experimental research has shown high quality transceiver sensitivity characteristics of selectivity for all types of noise and spurious. It found a number of features in the noise performance of the main elements of the transceiver: an analog- digital converter (LTC 2208) and a digital signal generator (AD9957).Представлены результаты разработки и исследования трансивера по технологии SDR (программно определяемое радио) с прямым аналого-цифровым преобразованием в приемнике и цифровым формированием сигналов в передатчике. Алгоритмы формирования сигналов и обработки их на приемной стороне реализованы в ПЛИС типа XC7k325T (Xilinx). Экспериментальное исследование трансивера показало высокое качество характеристик по чувствительности, избирательности по всем видам помех и побочным излучениям. Обнаружен ряд особенностей в шумовых характеристиках основных элементов трансивера: аналого-цифрового преобразователя (LTC 2208) и цифрового формирователя сигналов (AD9957)

Chikungunya vaccines: advances in the development and prospects for marketing approval

Chikungunya fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). In the last decades, cases of the disease have been reported in more than 100 countries; therefore, CHIKV presents a global public health problem. CHIKV genotypes have limited antigenic diversity, and documented reinfection is very rare. Hence, a vaccine could prevent infection and potential disability, as well as reduce the epidemic spread of CHIKV in the population.The aim of the study was to review approaches to the development of preventive vaccines against CHIKV, evaluate promising vaccine candidates in preclinical or clinical development stages, and analyse perspectives and challenges of bringing these vaccines to the pharmaceutical market.According to the literature reviewed, both traditional and modern platforms are used in the development of CHIKV vaccines, which has been ongoing for several decades. Each platform has its advantages and limitations. The most popular platforms are live attenuated vaccines and vaccines with viral vector constructs. To date, about 25 vaccine candidates have successfully passed through preclinical studies, and more than 7 vaccine candidates have progressed to various phases of clinical studies. The preventive medicinal products that have reached the clinical development stage include 4 live attenuated vaccines, 1 inactivated vaccine, 1 vaccine containing virus-like particles, and 1 mRNA vaccine. All 7 candidates have demonstrated cross-protection against multiple genotypes of CHIKV at the level of either preclinical in vivo studies and/or clinical in vitro studies. The research continues, and this shows that not only the scientific community but also health systems are interested in bringing effective CHIKV vaccines to the pharmaceutical market

Estimated Inpatient Hospital Stay in Individual Wards: Guidelines on Radiation Safety after Radioiodine Therapy

Radionuclide therapy safety requirements are regulated by the Russian Radiation Safety Standards (RRSS), which state the maximum allowed radionuclide activity in the body and the equivalent dose rate (EDR) of gamma radiation. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the time of an inpatient hospital stay in specially designed radionuclide therapy wards. The article presents the findings of individual 131I biokinetics studies in 64 patients admitted to radioiodine therapy of thyrotoxicosis and differentiated thyroid cancer. We developed a method to calculate the time interval to reach the EDR of 20μSv/h and the recommended EDR of 3 and 0.3μSv/h for adults and children, respectively. It is based on the measurement of the 131I excretion constant. Keywords: Radioiodine therapy, Radiation safety, Guidelin

Heart failure and diabetes mellitus: insight into comorbidity

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and heart failure (HF) are frequent comorbidities with a bidirectional relationship. Patients with HF have increased risk of developing DM, and those with DM are at greater risk of developing HF. HF does not fit clearly into the microangiopathy and macroangiopathy groups. It is known that coronary artery disease and arterial hypertension are the major causes of HF; however, it has been shown that DM can trigger functional and structural abnormalities in the myocardium via diabetic cardiomyopathy, a condition with either restrictive or dilated phenotype. While HF treatment is equally effective and safe in patients with and without DM, this statement is not applicable for antidiabetic treatment. Several antidiabetic drugs, such as rosiglitazone, pioglitazone and saxagliptin increase the risk of hospitalisation for HF, therefore these antidiabetic drugs are contraindicated in patients with DM and HF or patients at risk of developing HF. Despite a large number of clinical evidence, uncertainty about the safety of antidiabetic drugs in patients with HF always exists. In this review, the issues of DM treatment in patients with HF are addressed in detail

Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction Secondary to Radioactive Iodine-131 Therapy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Deterministic effects of medical exposure to ionising radiation can be associated with both the effectiveness of treatment and adverse drug reactions to it. The latter may drastically deteriorate the quality of life of a patient after radionuclide therapy. In addition, the regulations of the Russian Federation require indicating the effective dose of radiation as a measure of damage (risk), but the presence of a deterministic effect in individual organs and tissues complicates monitoring and recording patient exposure doses. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of radiopharmaceuticals containing 131I on the development of secondary nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO). Materials and methods: the study of secondary NLDO predictors analysed medical history data, post-therapy head-and-neck scintigrams, and methods to prepare patients for treatment. It involved sodium iodide, 131I, formulated as a solution (marketing authorisation number: FS-002065) by the FSUE Federal Center of Nuclear Medicine Projects Design and Development of the FMBA of Russia. Results: the authors unambiguously localised the lacrimal ducts in post-therapy 131I scintigrams of the head and neck and quantified 131I uptake ratios for the lacrimal duct area. Also, they identified a set of NLDO predictors: the age of a patient, the administered activity, the administration of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone, the 131I uptake ratio, etc. The article describes a method for identifying the groups at risk of NLDO following radioiodine therapy for differentiated thyroid cancer. Conclusions: secondary NLDO is a deterministic effect of 131I exposure. The authors have developed a new method for predicting secondary NLDO by a combination of the patient’s individual parameters and treatment plan; the identified predictors help to personalise radioiodine therapy. The authors suggest the following: to include information on secondary NLDO as a complication of therapy to the SmPC section on undesirable effects; to develop approaches to secondary NLDO prevention; and to improve the algorithms for reporting adverse events in case of delayed manifestation and those for following patients up in the medical organisations having administered the radiopharmaceutical or in other medical organisations being applied to for medical care afterwards

Polymorphism of apolipoprotein A1 gene and lipid profile of blood serum in the Evenki and Buryat populations

The prevalence of genotypes and alleles of polymorphic markers (-75)G>A and (+83)C>T apolipoprotein A1 gene (ApOAl) in samples of ethnic groups from Eastern Siberia (the Evenkis and Buryats) were studied. In the Evenki population allele (-75)A was registered in 22,7 % cases, in the Buryat population - in 22,4 % cases. In the Evenki population allele (+83)T was found in 6,3 % cases, in the Buryat population - in 5,9 % cases. Statistically significant differences of genotypes and alleles APOA1 prevalence between the Evenkis and the Buryats was not found. The prevalence of alleles (-75)G>A and (+83)C>T of gene APOA1 obtained in the study were compared with the prevalence in different populations around the world. For each teenager in the study group we conducted a biochemical analysis of serum lipid profile. Also a comparative analysis of blood lipid profile in carriers of different genotypes was carried out. Comparative analysis of blood lipid profile in carriers of different genotypes was conducted