Hard Spectra of X-Ray Pulsars from INTEGRAL Data

We present spectra for 34 accretion-powered X-ray and one millisecond pulsars that were within the field of view of the INTEGRAL observatory over two years (December 2002 - January 2005) of its in-orbit operation and that were detected by its instruments at a statistically significant level (> 8 sigma in the energy range 18--60 keV). There are seven recently discovered objects of this class among the pulsars studied: 2RXP J130159.6-635806, IGR/AX J16320-4751, IGR J16358-4726, AX J163904-4642, IGR J16465-4507, SAX/IGR J18027-2017 and AX J1841.0-0535. We have also obtained hard X-ray (> 20 keV) spectra for the accretion-powered pulsars A 0114+650, RX J0146.9+6121, AX J1820.5-1434, AX J1841.0-0535 and the millisecond pulsar XTE J1807-294 for the first time. We analyze the evolution of spectral parameters as a function of the intensity of the sources and compare these with the results of previous studies.Comment: 33 pages, 2 figures Astronomy Letters, 31, pp. 729 (2005

ACTIVATION OF T. GONDII INFECTION AFTER ALLOGENEIC TRANSPLANTATION OF HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS: DEPENDENCE ON TIME OF TRANSPLANTATION AND SEROLOGICAL STATUS OF THE PATIENTS

The article focuses on aspects of T. gondii reactivation/reinfection in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). We have observed 297 patients who received conditioning therapy and allogeneic grafts due to different oncohematological or lymphoproliferative diseases (1 to 60 years old, at a mediane of 19 years). Conditioning regimens were either myeloablative (35%), or non-myeloablative (65%). DNA diagnostics of T. gondii was performed on a regular basis at 0 to 6 months post-HSCT. IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii were determined in 78 patients before HSCT, as well as in their donors. T. gondii DNA post-transplant proved to be positive in 13% of blood specimens, 9% of cerebrospinal liquor samples, 11% of bronchoalveolar cell lavages, and in 5% of urine sediments. In adolescent patients (10 to 14 years old), an increased prevalence of T. gondii was found in patients who received myeloablative treatment (p = 0.01). When assessing posttransplant dynamics of T. gondii, we have revealed distinct increase in the pathogen excretion within 1st month after HSCT (p = 0.03). Finally, initial presence of IgG antibodies against T. gondii in the patients was associated with lower incidence of the pathogen reactivation post-transplant

Identification of Genetic Risk Factors of Severe COVID-19 Using Extensive Phenotypic Data: A Proof-of-Concept Study in a Cohort of Russian Patients

The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn the attention of many researchers to the interaction between pathogen and host genomes. Over the last two years, numerous studies have been conducted to identify the genetic risk factors that predict COVID-19 severity and outcome. However, such an analysis might be complicated in cohorts of limited size and/or in case of limited breadth of genome coverage. In this work, we tried to circumvent these challenges by searching for candidate genes and genetic variants associated with a variety of quantitative and binary traits in a cohort of 840 COVID-19 patients from Russia. While we found no gene- or pathway-level associations with the disease severity and outcome, we discovered eleven independent candidate loci associated with quantitative traits in COVID-19 patients. Out of these, the most significant associations correspond to rs1651553 in MYH14p = 1.4 × 10−7), rs11243705 in SETX (p = 8.2 × 10−6), and rs16885 in ATXN1 (p = 1.3 × 10−5). One of the identified variants, rs33985936 in SCN11A, was successfully replicated in an independent study, and three of the variants were found to be associated with blood-related quantitative traits according to the UK Biobank data (rs33985936 in SCN11A, rs16885 in ATXN1, and rs4747194 in CDH23). Moreover, we show that a risk score based on these variants can predict the severity and outcome of hospitalization in our cohort of patients. Given these findings, we believe that our work may serve as proof-of-concept study demonstrating the utility of quantitative traits and extensive phenotyping for identification of genetic risk factors of severe COVID-19

Диагностические маркеры бета-герпес-вирусной инфекции 6 А и В типов у детей с респираторными заболеваниями

Objective: to reveal the prevalence of infection by various variants of betaherpesvirus 6 А/В types in children with clinical manifestations of acute respiratory disease in case of betaherpesvirus 6 type DNA identification in the blood and to specify the features of diagnostic markers during mono- and mixed herpesvirus infection.Materials and methods: there was made the analysis of clinical and laboratory data of 71 patients with the medical history of recurrent respiratory diseases or suspicion about exanthem subitum, hospitalized to Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases with the symptoms of acute respiratory disease and betaherpesvirus 6 type DNA identification in the blood. Laboratory investigation included molecular and biological methods of respiratory group and herpesviruses identification, as well as serological methods of antiviral antibodies identification.Results: among the patients hospitalized with clinical manifestations of acute respiratory infection or exanthem subitum and presence of betaherpesvirus 6 DNA in the blood, 24, 0% of the patients had the markers of respiratory viruses in swabs taken from nasopharynx, 21,1% of the cases were diagnosed as viral-bacterial infection in the patients with a complicated course of the disease. 40,8% of the cases were registered as a mixed infection caused by betaherpesvirus 6 and Epstein-Barr virus. In 99% of the cases the patients were infected by human betaherpesvirus 6В; and in 1% of the cases - by human betaherpesvirus 6 А. One patient was characterized by a constant isolation of betaherpesvirus 6 А from his blood and oropharynx scrape in invariable concentration without any dependence on the administered treatment and the disease acuity.Conclusions: betaherpesvirus 6 В was isolated in the blood of the patients in 99% of the cases, and 6 A – in 1% of the cases. The infection caused by Epstein-Barr virus was revealed more often in case of mixed infection by herpesviruses, with the markers of acute period or reactivation. The patient with confirmed betaherpesvirus 6 А had invariable virus load in his blood and oropharynx scrape that is likely to be connected with the virus genome integration in human cell DNA without provoking pathology.Цель: выявить частоту инфицирования различными вариантами бета-герпес-вируса 6 типа А/В у детей с клиникой острого респираторного заболевания при тестировании в крови ДНК бета-герпес-вируса 6 типа и уточнить особенности диагностических маркеров при моно- и сочетанном герпес-вирусном инфицировании.Материалы и методы: проведен анализ клинико-лабораторных данных 71 пациента с анамнезом рекуррентных респираторных заболеваний или подозрением на внезапную экзантему. Дети были госпитализированы в Детский научно-клинический центр инфекционных болезней с симптомами острого респираторного заболевания и выявлением в крови ДНК бета-герпес-вируса 6 типа. Лабораторное обследование включало молекулярно-биологические методы тестирования на группу респираторных и герпес-вирусов, а также серологические методы определения противовирусных антител.Результаты: у пациентов, госпитализированных с клиническими проявлениями острой респираторной инфекции или внезапной экзантемой и наличием ДНК бета-герпес-вируса 6 в крови, маркеры респираторных вирусов в мазках из носоглотки выявлены у 24% больных, вирусно-бактериальная инфекция была диагностирована в 21,1% случаев у больных с осложненным течением заболевания. В 40,8% случаев регистрировалась сочетанная инфекция, вызванная бета-герпес-вирусом 6 типа и вирусом Эпштейна – Барр. В 99% случаев пациенты были инфицированы бета-герпес-вирусом человека 6В; в 1% случаев – бета-герпес-вирусом человека 6А. 1 пациент характеризовался постоянным выделением бета-герпес-вируса 6А из крови и соскоба ротоглотки в неизменных концентрациях вне зависимости от полученного лечения и остроты заболевания.Выводы: в 99% случаев в крови пациентов выявляли бета-герпес-вирус человека 6В и в 1% случаев – 6А. При сочетанном инфицировании герпес-вирусами чаще выявлялась инфекция, вызванная вирусом Эпштейна – Барр, с маркерами острого периода или реактивации. У пациента с подтвержденным бета-герпес-вирусом 6А вирусная нагрузка в крови и соскобах ротоглотки была неизменной, что, вероятно, связано с интеграцией генома вируса в ДНК клеток человека, не вызывающей патологии

Emerging Approaches to the Surgical Management of Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

Traumatic, spinal cord injury (SCI) is a potentially catastrophic event causing major impact at both a personal and societal level. To date, virtually all therapies that have shown promise at the preclinical stage of study have failed to translate into clinically effective treatments. Surgery is performed in the setting of SCI, with the goals of decompressing the spinal cord and restoring spinal stability. Although a consensus regarding the optimal timing of surgical decompression for SCI has not been reached, much of the preclinical and clinical evidence, as well as a recent international survey of spine surgeons, support performing early surgery (<24 hours). Results of the multicenter, Surgical Trial in Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study (STASCIS), expected later this year, should further clarify this important management issue. The overall goal of this review is to provide an update regarding the current status of surgical therapy for traumatic SCI by reviewing relevant pathophysiology, laboratory, and clinical evidence, as well as to introduce radiologic and clinical tools that aid in the surgical decision-making process