Semiotics of the 20th century

Semiotic and linguistic studies of the 20th century have been important mostly in two senses — (1) they have opened a road for comparative research on the origin and development of language and other systems of signs adding a new dimension to the history of culture; (2) they have shown a possibility of uniting different fields of humanities around semiotics suggesting a way to trespass separation and atomisation of different trends in investigating culture. In the 21st century one may hope for closer integration of semiotics and exact and natural sciences. The points of intersection with the mathematical logic, computer science and information theory that already exist might lead to restructuring theoretical semiotics making it a coherent and methodologically rigid discipline. At the same time, the continuation of neurosemiotic studies promises a breakthrough in understanding those parts of the work of the brain that are most intimately connected to culture. From this point of view semiotics may play an outstanding role in the synthesis of biological science and humanities. In my mind that makes it a particularly important field of future research

Assessment of physiological status of felids as indicator of their welfare in the wild

One of the main approaches to monitoring the welfare of wild mammal populations in the wild is animal health estimation based on an analysis of their physiological parameters. To assess that for the natural felid populations, we analyzed adrenal activity level, white blood cells (WBC) counts and occurrence of seropositive reactions to different diseases. The first study was conducted in the Southwest Primorye, in natural habitats of Far Eastern leopard. Unevenly cold and snowy winters in 2010 and 2011 provided extreme natural conditions for overwintering mammals across the Russian Far East. Adrenocortical activity of leopards was significantly higher in 2011 (fecal cortisol level was 712.7 ± 92.4  ng g-1) than in 2010 (361.4 ± 80.5 ng g-1). We suggest that abundance and availability of weakened deer and carcasses could facilitate hunting for leopards and help them to avoid starvation. In the second study we used WBC counts as a health index for three felid species: Pallas cat (Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, 2010), Far Eastern leopard (Southwestern Prymorie, 2011), Siberian tiger (Ussuriskii Reserve, 2010-2011). The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (N:L) was used as an indicator of stress and/or disease state. Occurrence of seropositive reactions to 12 different pathogens was analyzed in all the animals after the hematological analysis. Pallas cats had the lowest N:L ratio (1.0 ± 0.1), significantly differing from leopards (42.8 ± 16.0) and tigers (24.5 ± 9.2). The N:L ratio correlated with the occurrence of seropositive reactions but not with the pathogen diversity. Pallas cats had the lowest occurrence of positive reactions to 4 pathogens: Toxoplasma gondii (12.5%), Mycoplasma sp. (12.5%), influenza A (7.1%), and feline leukemia virus (8.3%). Leopards had the highest N:L and occurrence of seropositive reactions only to 2 infections: T. gondii (16.6%) and Candida sp. (100%). On the contrary, tigers had positive responses to 6 pathogens, including canine distemper (7.7%), feline immunodeficiency virus (8.3%) and Aujeszky’s disease (31%), which were not found in other cats. Values of N:L depended also on the time spent to get blood samples. In the big felid species effects of glucocorticoids on the WBC ratio (neutrophilia) were obtained in blood samples from anesthetized animals, taken more than 2 hours after capture. In Pallas cats blood samples were collected within 13 ± 2 min without anesthesia. Thus the high N:L ratio in big felids can be explained by several reasons: stress of capture, immunosuppression and a high diversity of detected infections. The present findings may have important implications for creation of effective conservation strategies of rare felid species in the wild

The study of spectral changes in THz range in normal and pathological skin in vivo depending on the dehydration methods used

The terahertz (THz) attenuated total reflectance (ATR) imaging of normal and pathological skin under the action of various dehydration agents was carried out in vivo. Studies were conducted on animal models (the mouse), patients with diabetes, and healthy volunteers. For measurements, each animal was leaned against the ATR prism of the skin surface, and several locations in the skin of each animal were analyzed. Places on the skin for analysis were chosen so that the intensity spectra of the THz signal were practically the same for selected points. THz spectra measurements were carried out every 10 minutes within 45 minutes interval under the action of a dehydration agent. 40% glucose was shown to provide the most effective improving tissue optical clearing effect in the THz range

ОТДАЛЁННЫЕ РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ КОМБИНИРОВАННОГО ЛЕЧЕНИЯ МЕТАСТАЗОВ САРКОМ ОПОРНО-ДВИГАТЕЛЬНОГО АППАРАТА В ЛЁГКИХ

From 2004 to 2014 forty-six patients with sarcomas of the musculoskeletal system with metastatic lesions in the lungs were operated in MRRC. In 22 patients with a primary bone sarcoma metastases were detected in 27% cases, and in 29% of 24 patients with soft tissue sarcomas  metastases were identified at the time of diagnosis. Twenty women and twenty-six men aged 16 to 72 years  (mean age was 39 years) were operated. In most cases metastases were located subpleurally. Solitary metastases were observed in 8 patients (17%), single in 11 (24%) and multiple in 27 (68%) and 18 patients of them had bilateral disease. In all cases, chemotherapy was conducted at the first stage of treatment, according to histology of the tumor. In cases of large metastases or close location to the root of the lung (27 patients) preoperative distal radiotherapy was conducted in hyperfraction regimen with a daily dividing of the dose (2 times a day with an interval of 4 h every other day with single dose of 3 Gy and the total dose of 30 Gy that was isoefficiency to 42 Gy), after that the removal of pulmonary metastases was performed. A total of 73 surgical interventions performed in 46 patients. Most often precision resection of the lung using a neodymium YAG surgical laser MY 40 (wavelength 1318 nm) was performed. One patient underwent pneumonectomy. Videothoracoscopy was used in 6 cases. From 1 to 103 metastases were excised during one intervention. Pneumonia with abscesses were diagnosed in 3 patients, persistent pneumothorax in 5 patients, all complications were treated conservatively. There was no postoperative mortality. Fourteen patients underwent 2 procedures, two patients – 3 procedures, two patients – 4 procedures and one patient had 6 procedures. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 126 months. Twenty-six patients died due to progression of the disease. 3-year and 5-year survival was 46% and 41% respectively. Median survival was 32 months. Thus, the combined treatment of generalized forms of sarcomas of the musculoskeletal system can achieve long-term remission and significantly prolong life. Surgical resection should be applied in patients with solitary and with multiple metastases in the lungs and should be combined with systemic treatment (PCT) and, if indicated, with additional local treatment (distant radiotherapy) of metastases. Precision resection is adequate and well-tolerated method of surgical treatment of metastases in the lungs and does not correlate with severe postoperative complications.С 2004 по 2014 годы в МРНЦ оперировано 46 больных саркомами опорно-двигательного аппарата с метастатическими поражениями легких.  У 22 больных с саркомами костей первично метастазы  были выявлено у 27%, а у 24 больных с саркомами  мягких тканей у 29% метастазы были выявлены в момент установления  диагноза.  Оперированы  20 женщин и 26 мужчин в возрасте от 16 до 72 лет, средний возраст составил 39 лет. Метастазы располагались в большинстве случаев субплеврально. Солитарные метастазы наблюдались у 8 больных (17%), единичные у 11 (24%) и множественные у 27 (68%), из них у 18 больных было двустороннее  поражение.  Во всех случаях на первом этапе лечения проводилась полихимиотерапия согласно гистологическому варианту опухоли. В случае больших размеров  метастаза  и в случае близкого прилежания к корню лёгкого (27 больным),   проводился  предоперационный  курс ДЛТ в режиме гиперфракционирования с дневным дроблением дозы (2 раза в день с интервалом 4 часа через  день РОД 3Гр до СОД 30Гр (изоэффективно  42Гр)), после которой выполнялось удаление легочных метастазов.  Всего выполнено 73 оперативных вмешательства  у 46 больных. Чаще выполнялась прецизионная резекция легких с помощью хирургического неодимового ИАГ лазера MY 40 (длина волны 1318 нм). Одному больному выполнена пневмонэктомия. Видеоторакоскопическая техника применялась в 6 случаях. Одномоментно удалялось от 1 до 103 метастазов. пневмонии с абсцедированием – у 3 больных, стойкий пневмоторакс – у 5 больных, все осложнения купированы консервативно. Послеоперационной летальности не было. Дважды оперированы 14 больных, трижды – 2, четыре вмешательства у 2 больных, шесть раз оперирован 1 пациент. Срок наблюдения  за больными составляет  от 3 месяцев до 126 месяцев. 26 больных умерло  от прогрессирования  заболевания. Трёхлетняя и пятилетняя выживаемость после комбинированного лечения составила   46 и 41 % соответственно.  Медиана выживаемости 32 мес. Таким образом,  комбинированное лечение генерализованных форм сарком опорно-двигательного аппарата позволяет в ряде случаев добиться длительной ремиссии  и существенно  продлить жизнь. Хирургический метод показан  как при солитарных  так и при множественных метастазах в лёгких и должен сочетаться с системным воздействием (ПХТ) и, по показаниям, с дополнительным локальным воздействием (ДЛТ) на метастазы. Прецизионная резекция является адекватным и функционально щадящим методом хирургического лечения метастазов в легких и не сопровождается тяжелыми послеоперационными осложнениями

Erratum to: "Double volume reflection of a proton beam by a sequence of two bent crystals" [Phys. Lett. B 658 (2008) 109]

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Strong reduction of the off-momentum halo in crystal assisted collimation of the SPS beam

A study of crystal assisted collimation has been continued at the CERN SPS for different energies of stored beams using 120 GeV/. c and 270 GeV/. c protons and Pb ions with 270 GeV/. c per charge. A bent silicon crystal used as a primary collimator deflected halo particles using channeling and directing them into the tungsten absorber. A strong correlation of the beam losses in the crystal and off-momentum halo intensity measured in the first high dispersion (HD) area downstream was observed. In channeling conditions, the beam loss rate induced by inelastic interactions of particles with nuclei is significantly reduced in comparison with the non-oriented crystal. A maximal reduction of beam losses in the crystal larger than 20 was observed with 270 GeV/. c protons. The off-momentum halo intensity measured in the HD area was also strongly reduced in channeling conditions. The reduction coefficient was larger than 7 for the case of Pb ions. A strong loss reduction was also detected in regions of the SPS ring far from the collimation area. It was shown by simulations that the miscut angle between the crystal surface and its crystallographic planes doubled the beam losses in the aligned crystal.peer-reviewe

Comparative results on collimation of the SPS beam of protons and Pb ions with bent crystals

New experiments on crystal assisted collimation have been carried out at the CERN SPS with stored beams of 120 GeV/. c protons and Pb ions. Bent silicon crystals of 2 mm long with about 170 μrad bend angle and a small residual torsion were used as primary collimators. In channeling conditions, the beam loss rate induced by inelastic interactions of particles with the crystal nuclei is minimal. The loss reduction was about 6 for protons and about 3 for Pb ions. Lower reduction value for Pb ions can be explained by their considerably larger ionization losses in the crystal. In one of the crystals, the measured fraction of the Pb ion beam halo deflected in channeling conditions was 74%, a value very close to that for protons. The intensity of the off-momentum halo leaking out from the collimation station was measured in the first high dispersion area downstream. The particle population in the shadow of the secondary collimator-absorber was considerably smaller in channeling conditions than for amorphous orientations of the crystal. The corresponding reduction was in the range of 2-5 for both protons and Pb ions.peer-reviewe

Observation of parametric X-rays produced by 400 GeV/c protons in bent crystals

Spectral maxima of parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) produced by 400 GeV/c protons in bent silicon crystals aligned with the beam have been observed in an experiment at the H8 external beam of the CERN SPS. The total yield of PXR photons was about 10-6 per proton. Agreement between calculations and the experimental data shows that the PXR kinematic theory is valid for bent crystals with sufficiently small curvature as used in the experiment. The intensity of PXR emitted from halo protons in a bent crystal used as a primary collimator in a circular accelerator may be considered as a possible tool to control its crystal structure, which is slowly damaged because of irradiation. The intensity distribution of PXR peaks depends on the crystal thickness intersected by the beam, which changes for different orientations of a crystal collimator. This dependence may be used to control crystal collimator alignment by analyzing PXR spectra produced by halo protons.peer-reviewe

Efficiency of Finding Muon Track Trigger Primitives in CMS Cathode Strip Chambers

In the CMS Experiment, muon detection in the forward direction is accomplished by cathode strip chambers~(CSC). These detectors identify muons, provide a fast muon trigger, and give a precise measurement of the muon trajectory. There are 468 six-plane CSCs in the system. The efficiency of finding muon trigger primitives (muon track segments) was studied using~36 CMS CSCs and cosmic ray muons during the Magnet Test and Cosmic Challenge~(MTCC) exercise conducted by the~CMS experiment in~2006. In contrast to earlier studies that used muon beams to illuminate a very small chamber area ($< \! 0.01$~m$^2$), results presented in this paper were obtained by many installed CSCs operating {\em in situ} over an area of $\approx \! 23$~m$^2$ as a part of the~CMS experiment. The efficiency of finding 2-dimensional trigger primitives within 6-layer chambers was found to be~$99.93 \pm 0.03\%$. These segments, found by the CSC electronics within $800$~ns after the passing of a muon through the chambers, are the input information for the Level-1 muon trigger and, also, are a necessary condition for chambers to be read out by the Data Acquisition System