On the T-Odd Quark Fragmentation Function and on Transversal Handedness

The first probe of the correlation of the T-odd one-particle fragmentation function responsible for the left--right asymmetry of fragmentation of a transversely polarized quark is done by using the 1991-95 DELPHI data for $Z\to 2$-jet decay. Integrated over the fraction of longitudinal and transversal momenta, this correlation is of 1.5% order, which means order of 13% for the analyzing power. A rather large ($\approx 10$) handedness transversal to the production plane was observed in the diffractive production of ($\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-$) triples from nuclei by the $40 GeV/c \pi^-$--beam. It was shown that the phenomenon has a clear dynamic origin and resembles the single spin asymmetry behavior. All this makes us hope to use this effects in polarized DIS experiments for transversity measurement.Comment: 10 pp, 5 epsfig, Latex 2e, szjp.cls, epsfig.sty, wrapfig.sty included. Talk in "Spin and Symmetry - Praha98". To be published in Czechoslovak Journal of Physics, Supp

CHRONIC MYELOID LEUKEMIA - CLINICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES IN ADULT PATIENTS

A study of the peculiarities of clinical manifestations and immunity in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, depending on the stage of disease was made. In patients at admission were more prevalen t shortness of breath, palpitations, lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, hemorrhagic manifestations. Patients diagnosed at any stage had immune disturbances, with the greatest change — in the terminal stage. In patients in an expanded and in the terminal stages T-cell immunodeficiency developed. The peculiarity of the terminal stage was the reduction of NK-cells and B-lymphocytes

Lamellar structure and nanomechanical properties of quasicrystalline Al-Cu-Fe alloys

The kinetics of structural phase transformations in quasicrystal-forming Al-Cu-Fe alloys with compositions in the region of stability of the icosahedral (i) phase has been investigated. It has been shown that, depending on the development of metastable transformations i → pentagonal phases P1 and P2, a homogeneous lamellar structure (i + P1 + P2) or a polygrain i-phase is formed in the alloys. The P-h diagrams obtained upon nanoindentation, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy of indentations have demonstrated signs of elasto-plastic deformation of the alloys with lamellar and polygrain icosahedral structures. It has been found that, in contrast to the polygrain icosahedral alloys with a normal size effect of nanoindentation, the alloys with a lamellar structure are characterized by a nonmonotonic dependence of the hardness (H) on the maximum load (P max) and exhibit the effect of strain hardening in the range of loads 50 mN ≤ P max < 500 mN. The strain hardening is considered as the result of resistance exerted by boundaries of the lamellar structure to the development of plastic deformation. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

СКІЛЬКИ МАЮТЬ ТА ХОЧУТЬ МАТИ ДІТЕЙ ЖІНКИ ДІТОРОДНОГО ВІКУ В УКРАЇНІ

Purpose: to study and analyze number of children born by women of childbearing age.Materials and Methods. Statistical data on birth rate of population, data from sociological surveys of women in the Khmelnytskyi region were used.Results. Study of causes of decline in birth rate of children in modern conditions shows that many factors contribute to this: decrease in living standard of the population due to socioeconomic crisis, labor emigration of women, state child support payments and subsidies that come short of covering child-rearing expenses. Due to low living standards, unemployment and other social and economic problems caused by crisis in all spheres of life, Ukrainian families do not have the opportunity now to ensure the appropriate level of spending on children, which is becoming one of the main reasons why birth rate has plummeted. Furthermore, a modern woman wishes more and more to have time to self-actualize in career growth and not only in her role as a mother, and wants to be just a housewife less and less. The spread of choosing not to have children or give birth to only one child among a large number of women is facilitated by the fact that women have to earn money and raise children, and the state does not support much.Conclusion. The results we have obtained confirm that, under favorable socioeconomic conditions, women of childbearing age would have 2.02 children on average per woman, which would correspond to a stationary type of reproduction of the population.Мета: вивчити та проаналізувати народжуваність дітей жінками дітородного віку.Матеріали і методи. Використано дані галузевої статистики щодо народжуваності населення, дані соціологічного опитування жінок Хмельницької області.Результати. Вивчення причин зниження народжуваності дітей в сучасних умовах показує, що цьому сприяють багато таких чинників, як зниження життєвого рівня населення, зумовлене соціально-економічною кризою, трудова еміграція жінок, державні виплати грошової допомоги при народженні дитини та субсидії, які далеко не компенсують витрати на дитину.Висновки. Отримані результати підтвердили те, що при сприятливих соціально-економічних умовах жінки дітородного віку мали б 2,02 дитини пересічно на одну жінку, що відповідало б стаціонарному типу відтворення населення

Роль цитокинов в патогенезе инфекционных осложнений при хирургическом лечении механической желтухи желчнокаменного генеза

Aim. To study the content of cytokines in the blood serum of patients with obstructive jaundice of gallstone origin before and after surgical treatment, depending on the development of postoperative complications.Materials and methods. The treatment group consisted of 70 patients with the diagnosis of obstructive jaundice of gallstone origin, verified following a comprehensive clinical and instrumental examination. In 54 patients, the postoperative period was uncomplicated, and in 16 patients, various infectious complications in the postoperative period were revealed. The control group consisted of 125 healthy volunteers. The concentration of six cytokines (interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-18, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), and interferon gamma (INF γ)) was determined using reagent kits manufactured by Vector-Best LLC (Novosibirsk, Russian Federation) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on the Thermo Scientific analyzer (BioMerieux, France).Results. We identified significantly high concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines in the blood serum of patients with obstructive jaundice of gallstone origin upon admission, compared with the data obtained in the study of blood serum in the control group and in patients with obstructive jaundice after surgery. In the postoperative period in patients with obstructive jaundice without complications, the proinflammatory cytokines are significantly reduced and IL-4 is increased, whereas with the development of infectious complications, the level of proinflammatory cytokines is significantly elevated.Conclusion. In the pathogenesis of obstructive jaundice, a local inflammatory process plays an essential role. This is confirmed by statistically significant changes in the studied cytokines. The established increase in the concentration of IL-4, which has anti-inflammatory activity, indicates its importance in the mechanisms underlying the absence of infectious complications in the postoperative period of obstructive jaundice of gallstone origin. The revealed increase in the levels of IL-18, TNFα, and INFγ in the blood serum of patients suggests their role in the pathogenesis of infectious complications in the postoperative period of obstructive jaundice of gallstone origin. Цель. Изучить содержание цитокинов в сыворотке крови пациентов с механической желтухой желчнокаменного генеза до и после хирургического лечения в зависимости от развития послеоперационных осложнений.Материалы и методы. Основная группа состояла из 70 пациентов с верифицированным на основании комплексного клинико-инструментального обследования диагнозом «механическая желтуха желчнокаменного генеза». У 54 больных послеоперационный период был без осложнений и у 16 больных выявлялись различные инфекционные осложнения в послеоперационном периоде. Контрольную группу составили 125 практически здоровых добровольцев. Концентрацию шести цитокинов (интерлейкина (IL) 2, IL-4, IL-18, IL-10, фактора некроза опухоли α (TNFα), интерферона γ (INFγ)) определяли с использованием набора реагентов производства ЗАО «Вектор-Бест» (г. Новосибирск) методом иммуноферментного анализа на иммуноферментном анализаторе Thermo Scientific (BioMerieux, Франция).Результаты. Установлено наличие статистически значимо высоких концентраций провоспалительных цитокинов в сыворотке крови пациентов с механической желтухой желчнокаменного генеза при поступлении относительно данных, полученных при исследовании сыворотки крови контрольной группы и больных с механической желтухой после операции. В послеоперационном периоде у пациентов с механической желтухой без осложнений статистически значимо снижаются показатели провоспалительных цитокинов и увеличивается IL-4, а при развитии инфекционных осложнений – статистически значимо увеличивается уровень провоспалительных цитокинов.Заключение. В патогенезе механической желтухи важную роль играет локальный воспалительный процесс. Это подтверждается статистически значимыми изменениями изучаемых цитокинов. Установленное нарастание концентрации IL-4, обладающего противовоспалительной активностью, свидетельствует о его значимости в механизмах отсутствия развития инфекционных осложнений в послеоперационном периоде механической желтухи желчнокаменного генеза. Выявленное повышение в сыворотке крови уровня IL-18, TNFα, INFγ позволяет предположить их участие в патогенезе инфекционных осложнений в послеоперационном периоде у пациентов с механической желтухой желчнокаменного генеза

Plant cell wall and the mechanisms of resistance to pathogens

A huge variety of phytopathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi) are potentially able to infect plant tissues and cause diseases. Numerous plant genes control a complex network of defense mechanisms based on both constitutive and inducible processes. The cell wall is a primary barrier the pathogens have to penetrate to start the infection process. However,it is able to block invasion by most non-specific potential pathogens. The cell wall structure may differ in various plant species. It is based on the net of cellulose microfibrils linked by hemicellulose molecules. Pectin and lignin are the other important cell wall constituents. Dozens of proteins inside the cell wall are involved in structural and metabolic processes as well as in signal transduction and regulatory circuits (more information is available in W allProtDB database). Each of these components contributes to resistance to pathogens. At the points of contact with potential pathogens cell wall structural changes and accumulation of metabolites with antimicrobial, antifungal or antiviral activities occur. Some pathogens could produce hydrolytic enzymes able to degrade cellulose and pectin to counteract these non-specific plant resistance mechanisms. In turn, plants developed the inhibitors of pathogen-related enzymes and this “arms race” is an important part of plant evolution and host-pathogen interaction mechanisms. Plants also can evaluate the cell wall state to compensate for imbalances and deficiencies. For instance, mutants with cellulose deficiency may have a higher lignification rate and a stronger stress response. The cell wall is also a source of signal molecules triggering the initiation of response mechanisms. In total, the plan cell wall is a complex dynamic structure able to prevent infection by most potential (non-specific) pathogens and switch on the mechanisms of plant immune response. The reconstruction of gene networks controlling the cell wall structural and functional organization during the growth, and under normal and stressful conditions is vitally important for understanding the basic molecular mechanisms of development and stress resistance. The mechanisms of specific and non- specific plant resistance to various phytopathogens connected to the cell wall structure are reviewed. The roles of the cell wall constituents in pathogen detection and the induction of defense mechanism are discusse

Role of insulin-like growth factor, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, transcription factors and adipokines in development of hepatocellular carcinoma in metabolic syndrome

Conflicting data on the role of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) require studies on the influence of molecular factors that are important in the development of HCC in MS, which was the goal of our review. Publications (scientific articles and reviews) over the past 10 years were studied and analyzed using the databases Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, RSCI. The terms used for the search were “metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”, “metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis”, “metabolic syndrome and hepatocellular carcinoma”. The total number of publications studied in all databases exceeded 570 units, while the review presents the most significant results at the present stage. Insulin resistance and obesity, through the development of a systemic chronic inflammatory state, lead to increased inflammation and fibrosis in the liver, which are prodromal signs of hepatocarcinogenesis, increase the production of insulin-like growth factor-1 and disrupt the regulation of the insulin-like growth factor pathway. People with HCC have been shown to overexpress IGF-2. IGF-binding proteins, due to the reduced bioavailability of free IGF-1 and IGF-2 in the circulation, are able to inhibit the growth of HCC. In MS, a pro-inflammatory state is detected, which is caused by the production of cytokines by adipocytes (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), VEGF and chemokine ligands 2 and 5), which recruit immune cells, promoting angiogenesis and enhancing chronic inflammation. Transcription factors (PPAR) are involved in hepatocarcinogenesis, the significance of different factors is not fully understood. Leptin has a positive prognostic value in HCC, improving overall survival, and visfatin has a negative effect on hepatocarcinogenesis. Activation of PAI-1 inhibits the progression of HCC through PPARγ stimulation. Adiponectin may be a prognostic marker in HCC, with a lower serum concentration positively correlated with worse prognosis

Comparative characteristics of cytokine regulation in patients with gastric diseases associated with <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> infection

When the body is infected with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, a cytokine cascade is launched, which plays a key role in the progression of chronic inflammatory and destructive processes in the gastric mucosa. Thus, the secretion of a number of cytokines is stimulated, which in turn contribute to the attraction of immunocompetent cells and the development of inflammatory changes. However, hyperproduction of cytokines can lead to atrophic changes in the gastric mucosa and, as a result, degeneration into gastric cancer. Thus, the role of cytokines in precancerous conditions is ambiguous. On the one hand, they activate the immune response aimed at eliminating the pathogen. On the other hand, they themselves contribute to the progression of the disease.The complex clinical and laboratory study included patients: 60 with chronic gastritis (CG), 55 with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), 50 with gastric cancer (GC, stage I-II, morphological variant – adenocarcinoma) and 60 – control group. The diagnoses were verified according to international and Russian recommendations and confirmed by laboratory and instrumental studies. All patients were comparable in terms of gender and age characteristics (p &gt; 0.05). All patients had specific IgG to H. pylori. The study was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the FRC KSC SB RAS (protocol No. 11 dated November 11, 2013). All ethical requirements were observed, and the patients signed the informed consent form for participation. Patients and persons of the control group underwent a single blood sampling from the cubital vein upon admission to vacutainers with heparin.The levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-8, TNFα, interferon-γ in the blood serum of patients and healthy individuals were determined using the enzyme immunoassay method using reagent kits manufactured by JSC “VectorBest”. Statistical data processing was carried out using the Statistica for Windows 8.0 application package.All patients with H. pylori-associated diseases (CG, CAG, GC) showed an increase in pro-inflammatory (IL-2, IL-8, IFNγ) with a significant increase in IL-8 in all patients and IFNγ in gastric cancer and antiinflammatory cytokine (IL-4) with a maximum value in gastric cancer. A combined Th1 and Th2 is found – a mediated immune response with a maximum violation of cytokine regulation in gastric cancer