The forensic-medical expertise of injuries in elderly patients

The analysis of the literature data demonstrates that trauma often occur in elderly patients with underlying pathology. Preexisting diseases impact on the degree of bodily injuries and, conversely, bodily injury affects the progression of disease and complications. This problem requires further investigation

Genome-wide signatures of population bottlenecks and diversifying selection in European wolves

Genomic resources developed for domesticated species provide powerful tools for studying the evolutionary history of their wild relatives. Here we use 61K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) evenly spaced throughout the canine nuclear genome to analyse evolutionary relationships among the three largest European populations of grey wolves in comparison with other populations worldwide, and investigate genome-wide effects of demographic bottlenecks and signatures of selection. European wolves have a discontinuous range, with large and connected populations in Eastern Europe and relatively smaller, isolated populations in Italy and the Iberian Peninsula. Our results suggest a continuous decline in wolf numbers in Europe since the Late Pleistocene, and long-term isolation and bottlenecks in the Italian and Iberian populations following their divergence from the Eastern European population. The Italian and Iberian populations have low genetic variability and high linkage disequilibrium, but relatively few autozygous segments across the genome. This last characteristic clearly distinguishes them from populations that underwent recent drastic demographic declines or founder events, and implies long-term bottlenecks in these two populations. Although genetic drift due to spatial isolation and bottlenecks seems to be a major evolutionary force diversifying the European populations, we detected 35 loci that are putatively under diversifying selection. Two of these loci flank the canine platelet-derived growth factor gene, which affects bone growth and may influence differences in body size between wolf populations. This study demonstrates the power of population genomics for identifying genetic signals of demographic bottlenecks and detecting signatures of directional selection in bottlenecked populations, despite their low background variability.Heredity advance online publication, 18 December 2013; doi:10.1038/hdy.2013.122

Изучение социально-перцептивных способностей студентов технического университета

The paper gives insight into social and perceptive abilities of a personality that are a part of professional competence of an engineer-to-be. These abilities ensure efficient interrelation with colleagues, administration, subordinates and assist to establish and support necessary business relations. They also make it possible to interpret and forecast correctly behaviour of partners in communication and successfully work in a team. The paper contains results of the investigations pertaining to social and perceptive abilities of the Belarussian National Technical University students.Рассматривается понятие социально-перцептивных способностей личности, которые являются частью профессиональной компетентности будущего инженера. Они обеспечивают организацию эффективного взаимодействия с коллегами, администрацией, подчиненными; помогают устанавливать и поддерживать необходимые деловые контакты; правильно истолковывать и прогнозировать поведение партнеров по общению, успешно работать в команде. Приводятся результаты исследования социально-перцептивных способностей студентов БНТУ

Повышение эффективности и использования информационных ресурсов

The article is about improving the efficiency of the use of information resources. The problem is solved by the example of the largest bank in the Republic of Belarus - the Belarusbank. In the current environment, attention must be paid directly to the use of information resources. One of the directions of this application should be centralization based on modern computer technologies of accounting and management accounting in the head units of domestic large economic entities, which should lead to the elimination of intermediate links in their organizational structure and a significant reduction in the number of their administrative and managerial personnel. Статья посвящена повышению эффективности использования информационных ресурсов. Задача решается на примере крупнейшего банка в Республике Беларусь - Беларусбанк. В нынешних условиях необходимо уделять внимание непосредственно применению информационных ресурсов. Одним из направлений данного процесса должна стать централизация на базе современных компьютерных технологий бухгалтерского и управленческого учета в головных подразделениях отечественных крупных хозяйствующих субъектов, что должно привести к ликвидации промежуточных звеньев в их организационной структуре и существенному сокращению численности их административно-управленческого персонала

North-south differentiation and a region of high diversity in European wolves (Canis lupus)

European wolves (Canis lupus) show population genetic structure in the absence of geographic barriers, and across relatively short distances for this highly mobile species. Additional information on the location of and divergence between population clusters is required, particularly because wolves are currently recolonizing parts of Europe. We evaluated genetic structure in 177 wolves from 11 countries using over 67K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci. The results supported previous findings of an isolated Italian population with lower genetic diversity than that observed across other areas of Europe. Wolves from the remaining countries were primarily structured in a north-south axis, with Croatia, Bulgaria, and Greece (Dinaric-Balkan) differentiated from northcentral wolves that included individuals from Finland, Latvia, Belarus, Poland and Russia. Carpathian Mountain wolves in central Europe had genotypes intermediate between those identified in northcentral Europe and the Dinaric-Balkan cluster. Overall, individual genotypes from northcentral Europe suggested high levels of admixture. We observed high diversity within Belarus, with wolves from western and northern Belarus representing the two most differentiated groups within northcentral Europe. Our results support the presence of at least three major clusters (Italy, Carpathians, Dinaric-Balkan) in southern and central Europe. Individuals from Croatia also appeared differentiated from wolves in Greece and Bulgaria. Expansion from glacial refugia, adaptation to local environments, and human-related factors such as landscape fragmentation and frequent killing of wolves in some areas may have contributed to the observed patterns. Our findings can help inform conservation management of these apex predators and the ecosystems of which they are part

НОВЫЕ ДАННЫЕ О ЛИШАЙНИКАХ РОДА CETRELIA (LECANORALES, ASCOMYCOTA) В БЕЛАРУСИ

Two hundred and ten lichen specimens of Cetrelia collected in Belarus during 1954–2012 were examined based on morphological and chemical characters. Three species of Cetrelia (C. cetrarioides, C. monachorum, and C. olivetorum) have been identified in this study. The occurrence of detected species in Belarus is reviewed and distribution maps are provided.Ревизия гербарного материала по роду Cetrelia в Беларуси выявила неполноту опубликованных флористических данных по рассматриваемому роду. Установлено, что большинство гербарных образцов, определенных ранее как C. cetrarioides, относится к другому виду – C. monachorum. Таким образом, в настоящее время в состав рода Cetrelia на территории Беларуси входит три вида: C. cetrarioides, C. monachorum и C. olivetorum. Полученные в ходе исследования данные уточняют представления о таксономических особенностях и ареалах лишайников рода Cetrelia в Европе и, кроме того, могут быть использованы при составлении Красной книги Республики Беларусь, а также фундаментального многотомного издания "Флора БеларусиЙ"

Atom-optics hologram in the time domain

The temporal evolution of an atomic wave packet interacting with object and reference electromagnetic waves is investigated beyond the weak perturbation of the initial state. It is shown that the diffraction of an ultracold atomic beam by the inhomogeneous laser field can be interpreted as if the beam passes through a three-dimensional hologram, whose thickness is proportional to the interaction time. It is found that the diffraction efficiency of such a hologram may reach 100% and is determined by the duration of laser pulses. On this basis a method for reconstruction of the object image with matter waves is offered.Comment: RevTeX, 13 pages, 8 figures; minor grammatical change

Базисная терапия неконтролируемой и частично контролируемой бронхиальной астмы: сравнительный опыт применения отечественного и зарубежного комбинированных препаратов

The aim. This study was aimed at assessment of clinical efficacy, tolerability and safety of two fixed combinations: Salticasone Aeronativ (salmeterol + fluticasone) 25/125 µg(Russia) compared to Seretide® 25/125 3 µg (GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals C.A., Poland) in patients with uncontrolled and partly controlled asthma. Methods. This was a multicenter open randomized clinical trial involving two groups of patients at 1 : 1 ratio: patients treated with Salticasone Aeronativ or Seretide®, two doses b.i.d. during 12 weeks. The primary endpoints were change in FEV1 from the baseline to the end of the study and proportion of patients achieving good asthma control to the end of the study according to ACT questionnaire. The secondary endpoints were change in the peak expiratory flow rate from the baseline to the end of the study; the average daily number of inhalations of short-acting beta-agonists as needed according to the patient’s dairy; time to the first exacerbation of asthma; asthma control level according to ACT questionnaire; change in asthma control according to ACQ questionnaire; change in quality of life according to AQLQ questionnaire; number of asthma exacerbations or seek for emergency care during the study. Results. One hundred and sixteen patients were included in the study, 58 patients in each group. The maximal length of the therapy was 98 days. Two groups did not differ significantly in all the primary and secondary end-points at baseline or in 12 weeks of therapy. The peak expiratory flow rate, asthma control level and quality of life improved equally in both the groups to the end of the study. Conclusion. The Russian combined aerosol inhaler Salticasone Aeronativ (salmeterol + fluticasone), 25/125 µg is equally effective as Seretide® 25/125 µg (GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals C.A., Poland) in patients with uncontrolled and partly controlled asthma. Salticasone Aeronativ has the similar safety profile and tolerability as Seretide®.Целью данного исследования явилась оценка клинической эффективности, переносимости и безопасности 2 фиксированных комбинаций – Салтиказон®-аэронатив (ООО «Натива», Россия) и препарата сравнения Серетид® («ГлаксоСмитКляйн Фармасьютикалз С.А.», Польша). Материалы и методы. Для оценки эффективности и безопасности на базе нескольких российских клинических центров у пациентов (n = 116) с неконтролируемой и частично контролируемой бронхиальной астмой (БА) в течение 12 нед. проводилось клиническое исследование эффективности и безопасности применения препарата Салтиказон®-аэронатив, аэрозоль для ингаляций дозированный, 25 мкг (салметерол) + 125 мкг (флутиказон), в сравнении с разрешенным к медицинскому применению препаратом Серетид®, аэрозоль для ингаляций дозированный, 25 мкг (салметерол) + 125 мкг (флутиказон). Результаты. У пациентов 2 групп (исследования и контрольной) с неконтролируемой и частично контролируемой БА продемонстрирована сходная динамика изменения первичного показателя эффективности (объем форсированного выдоха за 1-ю секунду) и его сопоставимые конечные значения, что подтверждает неменьшую эффективность препарата Салтиказон®-аэронатив в сравнении с препаратом Серетид® по данному показателю. К концу исследования в обеих группах показатели пиковой скорости выдоха, уровня контроля над БА и качества жизни также улучшились. Заключение. Показана эквивалентная эффективность в сочетании с хорошим профилем безопасности препарата Салтиказон®-аэронатив, сравнимые с таковыми препарата Серетид®

IMMUNOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES SIMILAR TO ACTUAL HIV ANTIGEN DETERMINANTS

The development of HIV vaccine remains an important goal in prophylaxis and therapy of HIV/ AIDS epidemics. There are various approaches for development of а candidate vaccine based on induction of neutralizing antibodies and cell-mediated immunity. Synthetic peptides are considered promising vaccine antigens since they are capable of activating both humoral and cellular immune response. HIV-1 envelope gp120 is the target for neutralizing antiviral antibodies. The V3 region of the HIV-1 gp120 is highly immunogenic and important for the virus-coreceptor interaction. In a RV144 vaccine trial, the levels of vaccine-induced IgG antibodies recognizing V1V2 regions from multiple HIV-1 subtypes show inverse correlations with a risk for HIV-1 infection. Meanwhile, HIV is characterized by high diversity. The consensus and mosaic immunogens are complete but artificial proteins, which are computationally designed to elicit immune responses with improved cross-reactive broadness. We have been studied immunogenic properties of synthetic peptides derived from V1, V2, V3 loop regions of the consensus M HIV1 (CON-S) sequence group of the gp 120 envelope protein and V3 loop derived from a Russian RUA022a2 isolate. These peptides specifically reacted to HIV-positive sera in ELISA, thus indicating their similarity to appropriate HIV proteins. The peptides proved to be weakly immunogenic. Therefore, Freund complete adjuvant was used to enhance peptide immunogenicity. To assess the immunogenicity, the mice were immunized with a peptide mixture. Antibodies have been developed to every peptide from the mixture, being, predominantly, of IgG isotype. The antibody titers depended on the length of peptide sequences. However, the sera from immunized mice did not have a HIV neutralizing activity. The serum neutralization was assessed by pseudovirus-based assay, using a molecular clone of virus isolates CAP 45.2.00.G3 and QH.209.14.M.EnvA2. The virus neutralization is a complex process and may be influenced by several factors, such as antibody titer, isotype, or antibody structure. Probably, to induce neutralizing antibodies by this peptide mixture, it is necessary to choose appropriate adjutants and immunization schedule. Moreover, it was shown that peptides could increase in vitro virus infectivity in pseudovirus-based model, using the CAP 45.2.00.G3, QH209.14M.ENV.A2, QD435.100M.ENV.E1 molecular clone. These viral isolates belong to different HIV-1 subtypes

ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ КОЛЬМАТАЦИИ ВЫСОКОДИСПЕРСНЫХ ЧАСТИЦ ИЗ ГАЗОВЫХ ПОТОКОВ В ВЫСОКОПОРИСТЫХ МАТЕРИАЛАХ ПОД ВОЗДЕЙСТВИЕМ ЭЛЕКТРИЧЕСКОГО ПОЛЯ

The paper reveals that the highest colmatation efficiency of charged and neutral particles is achieved in a polarizing electrostatic filter with a dielectric filter material which is placed in an electric field of high intensity created by surrounding metal electrodes.  Due to polarization of dielectric jumpers (dipole formation) strong electric charges are initiated on their surface and in consequence of these charges forces of Coulombic and induction particle settling are dominating there. These forces are considered as the most efficient mechanisms for settling of dielectric and electrically-conductive finely-dispersed particles.Установлено, что наиболее высокая эффективность кольматации заряженных и нейтральных частиц достигается в поляризационном электростатическом фильтре,  содержащем диэлектрический фильтрующий материал, помещенный в электрическое поле большой напряженности, создаваемое окружающими металлическими электродами. В результате поляризации перемычек диэлектрика (образование диполей) на их поверхности возникают сильные электрические заряды, благодаря которым доминируют силы кулоновского и индукционного осаждения частиц, являющиеся наиболее эффективными механизмами осаждения как диэлектрических, так и электропроводных высокодисперсных частиц.