TRENDS IN DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND ASEAN COUNTRIES

The perspective of development of trade relations between the Russian Federation and the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been considered. The following projects: transport (“Russian Railways” OJSC with Indonesia; PJSC “Gazprom” projects, the South China Sea; “Petros” company projects), as well as the “East Siberia-Pacific Ocean” oil pipeline project have been considered. The import and export of Russia with some of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries for today and over the past ten years have been analysed. The prospect of a comprehensive association between Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Eurasian Economic Union has been proposed. The most substantial and significant moments in maintaining the data of trade relations between countries have been highlighted. The possible reasons for the lack of large-scale and strong ties in some areas of activity between the Russian Federation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have been revealed, various options for creating and supporting mutually beneficial trade relations also have been offered

Identification of Etiologic Agents of the Pertussis-like Syndrome in Children by Real-time PCR Method

The aim of this study was to recognize the identity and frequency of etiologic agents of the pertussis-like syndrome in children < 2 years of age. A cross-sectional hospital-based study conducted from August 2014 to August 2015. All children < 2 years of age (n=100) who were suspected as pertussis infected were enrolled in this study and tested for Bordetella pertussis, adenovirus (Adv), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), and influenza virus A (INF-A) by real-time PCR technique. RSV was the most detected pathogen (20), followed by B. pertussis (18), Adv (16), INF-A (11), and hMPV (10). Co-infection was observed in 8 patients (11) and the combinations of RSV/INF-A (n=3, 4), and AdV/B. pertussis (n=3, 4) were more frequent. RSV, B. pertussis, and hMPV were more frequent pathogens among infants < 4 months of age. However, Adv and INF-A were more frequent pathogens among children > 6 months of age. In this study, RSV was the most frequent identified pathogen (n=20, 20), followed by B. pertussis (n=18, 18) and AdV (n=16, 16). Pertussis was more frequent in spring (8) and summer (6). In addition, clinical symptoms of pertussis were the same as some viral pathogens, which can lead to misdiagnosis of infection. Therefore, diagnosis of pertussis should be established on the bases of both the clinical symptoms and the laboratory methods

Independent measurement of the total active B8 solar neutrino flux using an array of He3 proportional counters at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) used an array of 3He proportional counters to measure the rate of neutral-current interactions in heavy water and precisely determined the total active (νx) 8B solar neutrino flux. This technique is independent of previous methods employed by SNO. The total flux is found to be 5.54-0.31+0.33(stat)-0.34+0.36(syst)×106  cm-2 s-1, in agreement with previous measurements and standard solar models. A global analysis of solar and reactor neutrino results yields Δm2=7.59-0.21+0.19×10-5  eV2 and θ=34.4-1.2+1.3 degrees. The uncertainty on the mixing angle has been reduced from SNO’s previous results

Measurement of the νe and total 8B solar neutrino fluxes with the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory phase-III data set

This paper details the solar neutrino analysis of the 385.17-day phase-III data set acquired by the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO). An array of 3He proportional counters was installed in the heavy-water target to measure precisely the rate of neutrino-deuteron neutral-current interactions. This technique to determine the total active 8B solar neutrino flux was largely independent of the methods employed in previous phases. The total flux of active neutrinos was measured to be 5.54-0.31+0.33(stat.)-0.34+0.36(syst.)×106 cm-2 s-1, consistent with previous measurements and standard solar models. A global analysis of solar and reactor neutrino mixing parameters yielded the best-fit values of Δm2=7.59-0.21+0.19×10 -5eV2 and θ=34.4-1.2+1.3degrees. © 2013 American Physical Society

An array of low-background 3He proportional counters for theSudbury Neutrino Observatory

An array of Neutral-Current Detectors (NCDs) has been builtin order to make a unique measurement of the total active ux of solarneutrinos in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO). Data in the thirdphase of the SNO experiment were collected between November 2004 andNovember 2006, after the NCD array was added to improve theneutral-current sensitivity of the SNO detector. This array consisted of36 strings of proportional counters lled with a mixture of 3He and CF4gas capable of detecting the neutrons liberated by the neutrino-deuteronneutral current reaction in the D2O, and four strings lled with a mixtureof 4He and CF4 gas for background measurements. The proportional counterdiameter is 5 cm. The total deployed array length was 398 m. The SNO NCDarray is the lowest-radioactivity large array of proportional countersever produced. This article describes the design, construction,deployment, and characterization of the NCD array, discusses theelectronics and data acquisition system, and considers event signaturesand backgrounds

Measurement of the νe and total 8B solar neutrino fluxes with the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory phase-III data set

This paper details the solar neutrino analysis of the 385.17-day phase-III data set acquired by the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO). An array of 3He proportional counters was installed in the heavy-water target to measure precisely the rate of neutrino-deuteron neutral-current interactions. This technique to determine the total active 8B solar neutrino flux was largely independent of the methods employed in previous phases. The total flux of active neutrinos was measured to be 5.54-0.31+0.33(stat.)-0.34+0.36(syst.)×106 cm-2 s-1, consistent with previous measurements and standard solar models. A global analysis of solar and reactor neutrino mixing parameters yielded the best-fit values of Δm2=7.59-0.21+0.19×10 -5eV2 and θ=34.4-1.2+1.3degrees

Phenotypic and genotypic determinants of mupirocin resistance among Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered from clinical samples of children: an Iranian hospital-based study

Shima Mahmoudi,1 Setareh Mamishi,1,2 Mohsen Mohammadi,2 Maryam Banar,1 Mohammad Taghi Haghi Ashtiani,3 Masoumeh Mahzari,2 Abbas Bahador,4 Babak Pourakbari1 1Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2Department of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 3Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 4Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Backgrounds: The aim of this study was to evaluate both phenotypic and genotypic determinants of mupirocin resistance among methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains recovered from different clinical samples of children who were admitted to the Children’s Medical Center (CMC) Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Materials and methods: A total of 120 clinical isolates of S. aureus were collected from the microbiology laboratory of CMC Hospital. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates to different antimicrobial agents was determined by disk diffusion method. The methicillin resistance phenotype (MRSA) was identified using a 30 µg cefoxitin disk. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of mupirocin was determined by broth microdilution method. Strains with mupirocin MIC between 8 and 256 µg/mL were considered as low-level mupirocin resistant (LLMR), and strains with an MIC≥512 µg/mL were considered as high-level mupirocin resistant (HLMR). The presence of genes encoding HLMR (ie, mupA and mupB genes) was evaluated by PCR method. Results: Four out of 120 isolates (3%) had mupirocin MIC≥512 µg/mL and were HLMR; however, no LLMR isolate was detected. Fifty-two isolates (43%) were MRSA, and there were no differences in the distribution of mupirocin resistance among MRSA and MSSA isolates (P>0.05). The PCR method identified mupA gene in two out of four HLMR isolates, and mupB gene was not detected in any HLMR isolates. Conclusion: Because of discrepancies between the phenotypic and genotypic patterns of mupirocin resistance and due to the avoidance of false-negative results, it is better to determine the mupirocin resistance by both antibiotic susceptibility tests and PCR method. Considering the increasing need of mupirocin for the control of S. aureus infections, continuous checking of its susceptibility status is necessary. Keywords: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, mupirocin, PCR, childre