A radiocarbon and tephra-dated sediment core from Lifebuoy Lake, located on the north-east coast of Kamchatka Peninsula, was analysed for pollen, spores, diatoms, chironomids and tephra in order to ...uncover regional environmental history.
The 6500-year environmental history of Lifebuoy Lake correlates with the broad regional patterns of vegetation development and climate dynamics with both diatoms and chironomids showing near-synchronous changes.
Between ca. 6300 and 3900calyrBP, the lake ecosystem was naturally enriched, with several Stephanodiscus species dominating the diatom plankton. This natural eutrophication state is likely to be due to a combination of the base-rich catchment geology, the fertilisation effect of several fires in the catchment, silica input from tephra layers and, possibly, nitrogen input from seabirds. The substantial tephra deposit at about 3850calyrBP might have stopped sedimentary phosphorus from entering the lake water thus decreasing the trophic state of the lake and facilitating the shift in diatom composition to a benthic Fragiliariaceae complex.
Both diatoms and chironomids showed simultaneous compositional changes, which are also reflected by statistically significant changes in their rates of change 300–400years after the arrival of Pinus pumila in the lake catchment. The rapid increase in both total diatom concentration and the percentage abundance of the large heavy species, Aulacoseira subarctica might be a response to the change in timing and intensity of lake spring turn-over due to the changes in the patterns of North Pacific atmospheric circulation, most notably westward shift of the Aleutian Low.
The two highest peaks in A. subarctica abundance at Lifebouy Lake occurred during opposite summer temperature inferences: the earlier peak (3500–2900calyrBP) coincided with warm summers and the latter peak (300calyrBP–present) occurred during the cold summer period. These imply that A. subarctica shows no direct response to the changes of summer air temperature. Instead, it appears to thrive during the periods of increased winter precipitation, thicker ice and late spring turn-over periods, i.e., shows indirect response to climate.
The clearest effect of tephra deposition on the lake ecosystem is above 908cm (ca. 3800calyrBP) where the tephra deposit might have caused the shift from Stephanodiscus-dominated planktonic assemblages to the Fragilariaceae complex of benthic species. Tephra deposits might have also contributed towards the development of eutrophic plankton from about 6300calyrBP. It is not certain if several tephra deposits influenced diatom and chironomid changes during the last 300years.
•6500years of environmental history from north-east Kamchatka examined.•Diatoms and chironomids show near synchronous compositional changes.•Natural eutrophication occurred between 6300 and 3900calyrBP.•A tephra deposit might have caused a shift from Stephanodiscus plankton to benthic Fragilariaceae.•Aulacoseira subarctica shows no direct response to summer air temperature.
The interest in functional supramolecular systems for the design of innovative materials and technologies, able to fundamentally change the world, is growing at a high pace. The huge array of ...publications that appeared in recent years in the global literature calls for systematization of the structural trends inherent in the formation of these systems revealed at different molecular platforms and practically useful properties they exhibit. The attention is concentrated on the topics related to functional supramolecular systems that are actively explored in institutes and universities of Russia in the last 10–15 years, such as the chemistry of host–guest complexes, crystal engineering, self-assembly and self-organization in solutions and at interfaces, biomimetics and molecular machines and devices.
The bibliography includes 1714 references.
Objective
: to identify potentially reversible clinical and socio-demographic factors influencing the social adaptation of patients with gender incongruence (GI).
Materials and methods
: a ...retrospective analysis of 926 patient records with MtF and FtM GI was performed.
Results
: among the patients who applied, 44.38% were MtF, 55.62% were FtM. The mean age was 24.0 years (from 13 to 65 years). The educational level of patients is mainly represented by higher (44.2%) and specialized (22.3%) education, 43% of persons lived in the village, 57% - in urban areas. The majority of those who applied grew up in a complete family (82.02%). The first manifestations of GI started mainly in the prepubertal (26.4%) and parapubertal (61.6%) period (up to 13 years). The average age of accepting oneself as a transgender person was 17.0 years. Steps to reduce dysphoria and receive specialized care are usually taken after the age of 20. 83.1% of transgender patients had depressive episodes, and a third (38.5%) had autoaggression. Additional psychiatric diagnoses were present in 24.5% of patients and are represented by 3 groups of diseases: group 1 (6.2%) — potentially reversible neurotic disorders; group 2 (14.1%) — background mental illnesses that are not the cause of GI; group 3 (4.3%) — other mental states with “ideas of sex change”.
Conclusions
: improvement of social adaptation and prevention of emotional and psychological experiences in persons with GI, assistance is possible at several levels: family, educational institutions, medical community, patient organizations.
BACKGROUND.
There is enough evidence of the negative impact of excess weight on the formation and progression of res piratory pathology. Given the continuing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is relevant to ...determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the clinical features of the novel coronavirus infection (NCI).
AIM.
To study the effect of BMI on the course of the acute SARS-COV-2 infection and the post-covid period.
MATERIALS AND METHODS.
AKTIV and AKTIV 2 are multicenter non-interventional real-world registers. The АКТИВ registry (n=6396) includes non-overlapping outpatient and inpatient arms with 6 visits in each. The АКТИВ 2 registry (n=2968) collected the data of hospitalized patients and included 3 visits. All subjects were divided into 3 groups: not overweight (n=2139), overweight (n=2931) and obese (n=2666).
RESULTS.
A higher BMI was significantly associated with a more severe course of the infection in the form of acute kidney injury (p=0.018), cytokine storm (p<0.001), serum C-reactive protein over 100 mg/l (p<0.001), and the need for targeted therapy (p<0.001) in the hospitalized patients. Obesity increased the odds of myocarditis by 1,84 times (95% confidence interval CI: 1,13–3,00) and the need for anticytokine therapy by 1,7 times (95% CI: 1,30–2,30).The patients with the 1st and 2nd degree obesity, undergoing the inpatient treatment, tended to have a higher probability of a mortality rate. While in case of morbid obesity patients this tendency is the most significant (odds ratio — 1,78; 95% CI: 1,13-2,70). At the same time, the patients whose chronical diseases first appeared after the convalescence period, and those who had certain complaints missing before SARS-CoV-2 infection, more often had BMI of more than 30 kg/m2 (p<0,001).Additionally, the odds of death increased by 2,23 times (95% CI: 1,05-4,72) within 3 months after recovery in obese people over the age of 60 years
CONCLUSION.
Overweight and/or obesity is a significant risk factor for severe course of the new coronavirus infection and the associated cardiovascular and kidney damage Overweight people and patients with the 1st and 2nd degree obesity tend to have a high risk of death of SARS-CoV-2 infection in both acute and post-covid periods. On top of that, in case of morbid obesity patients this tendency is statistically significant. Normalization of body weight is a strategic objective of modern medicine and can contribute to prevention of respiratory conditions, severe course and complications of the new coronavirus infection.
BACKGROUND
: In recent years, the demand for feminizing and masculinizing hormone therapy has increased significantly among transgender people around the world. There are no such studies in Russia ...and the amount of medical information on the transgender population is limited.
AIM
: to assess the number of transgender patients who take hormone therapy without a doctor’s prescription and to characterize the medicines they use.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
: data from 1117 transgender patients were included in to analysis: 44.01% (n=515) of them were trans women, 55.99% (n=630) were trans men. Patients applied to the “Scientific Center for Personalized Medicine” in order to receive medical care.
RESULTS
: Half of transgender people (53.6%) are already taking hormonal drugs. More often transgender women (76.7%), less often transgender men (32.3%). In this case, only 8.6% turned to endocrinologists for the therapy prescription. Many patients used unlicensed drugs, use irrational schemes and combinations, often overdose.
CONCLUSION
: A significant number of transgender people start using hormone replacement therapy on their own initiative, without the doctor’s supervision. The solution to this problem could be incensement of knowledge level in doctors and patients to create a friendly environment and productive interaction between therapists, endocrinologists and transgender people, as well as the organization of consulting centers within public medical institutions.
The work is aimed at the development of biodegradable porous frame materials that combine high biocompatibility and possess pro-angiogenic properties, that is, the ability to ensure the active ...germination of the vessels of the recipient tissue and, possibly, the formation of the de novo vascular bed. Approaches have been developed to create a two-layer matrix structure based on biopolymers - sodium alginate and collagen. The two-layer structure provides the functions of the skin - protective (from external environmental factors) and regenerative - restoration of epithelial tissues of the dermis. The article shows the functionalization of the polymer framework by growth factors - enriched and depleted human blood plasma in different concentrations from 5 to 25 masses. % Methods of functionalizing the polymer matrix were studied and the influence of the inclusion of growth factors on cyto- and biocompatibility, angiogenic properties was established.
The present studies were conducted to address cellular mechanisms responsible for regulating steroidogenic acute regulatory
protein (StAR) expression and progesterone synthesis at maturational stages ...corresponding to both the time of hen follicle
selection, as well as before and after the LH surge in preovulatory follicle granulosa cells. A recently published report
has established that mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling induced by transforming growth factor α (TGFα) treatment
blocks FSH-induced differentiation and StAR expression in cultured hen granulosa cells, whereas inhibitors of MAP kinase signaling
enhance FSH-induced differentiation. The present in vitro studies demonstrate that in addition to MAP kinase signaling, activation
of protein kinase C (PKC) blocks both FSH-induced StAR expression and the initiation of progesterone production in prehierarchal
follicle granulosa cells, whereas the pharmacologic inhibitor of PKC, GF109203X, potentiates FSH-induced StAR expression and,
as a consequence, the initiation of progesterone synthesis. Moreover, we demonstrate in granulosa cells collected from preovulatory
follicles that although an acute increase in progesterone production in response to LH treatment requires rapid transcription
and translation of StAR, the magnitude of progesterone production is rate-limited by one or more factors other than StAR (e.g.,
the P450 cholesterol side-chain enzyme). Finally, the rapid turnover of StAR protein, such as occurs following the withdrawal
of LH, provides an additional mechanism for the tight regulation of progesterone production that occurs during the hen ovulatory
cycle, and explains the rapid loss of steroidogenesis in the postovulatory follicle. In summary, data reported herein support
the proposal that paracrine/autocrine factors (including but not necessarily limited to TGFα) prevent premature expression
of StAR in prehierarchal follicle granulosa cells by more than one receptor-mediated signaling pathway. Furthermore, subsequent
to follicle selection into the preovulatory hierarchy, StAR transcription and translation is necessary but not sufficient
for the full potentiation of the preovulatory surge of serum progesterone.
According to foreign publications, 58% of patients with gender disorders had additional psychiatric diagnosis, 39.3% had at least one suicide attempt. The data of suicidal activity and mental ...comorbidity in Russian population of transgenders are absent.Purpose of the study is to assess suicidal activity and mental comorbidity in persons with gender disorders.The retrospective analysis of records of patients applied with complains on gender disorders from January 2014 to April 2021 was applied. The demographic characteristics, life anamnesis, comorbid mental pathology at time of appliance, frequency of suicidal attempts, suicidal thoughts and auto-aggressive behavior were examined. The data of 926 patients with gender disorders were included: FtM 515 (55.7%), MtF 411 (44.3%). The median age of patients applied for care appliance was 24 years (13-65 years). In group of transgender patients 75.2% had no mental illness, except gender disorders. At that, there was high prevalence of comorbid mental pathology (24.8% on average). Usually, it was background mental illnesses and reversible mental disorders, which were not causes of gender disorders. The suicide rate in transgender group was 12.5%. For 1 patient with suicidal experience, there were 1.3 suicidal attempts (from 1 to 5). The significant dependence of increased suicidal activity, depression, auto-aggressive behavior and rate of comorbid mental pathology on age of debut of gender disorders was established. The transgender patients with debut of gender dysphoria in puberty age are most vulnerable to development of any mental pathology. The suicidal activity of patients with gender disorders depends on both social causes and presence of comorbid mental pathology. A number of modifiable risk factors for suicidal behavior were identified: support of relatives, external correspondence to associated gender, early steps to "change gender", earlier apply for medical care, background compensated mental illnesses.
In Murmansk oblast, the first molecular-genetic studies of circulating strains of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
were carried out during the years of an increase in the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) ...(2003–2006). The study’s aim was to carry out a genotypic characterization of the
M. tuberculosis
population in Murmansk oblast and analysis of changes in its structure over 15 years. Sixty-seven
M. tuberculosis
strains from patients with TB newly diagnosed in 2017 were studied. The strains were assigned to the Beijing genotype and its major clusters based on analysis of specific markers. The Beijing strains were typed by 24 MIRU–VNTR loci. All non-Beijing strains were subjected to spoligotyping. Genotypes of
M. tuberculosis
were identified: Beijing (52.2%), Ural (19.4%), T (9.0%), LAM (7.5%), Haarlem (3.0%), and X (1.5%). Among Beijing strains, the Central Asian/Russian cluster with heterogeneous MIRU–VNTR profiles was predominant—34.3% (23/67). Multiple drug resistance (MDR)—resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid caused by mutations
rpoB
Ser-531Leu (TCG → TTG) and
katG
Ser315Thr (AGC → ACC)—was detected in 26.9% of the strains; the largest proportion of MDR strains were found in the Beijing B0/W148 cluster (85.7%), represented mainly by the MIRU–VNTR profile 100-32. High levels of clustering of Beijing Central Asian/Russian (CR = 0.68) and B0/W148 (CR = 0.71) strains reflect their current dissemination. In 2003–2017, a steady dominance of the Beijing genotype with a tendency to an increase from 44.0 to 52.2% was observed. The proportion of MDR strains in the cluster B0/W148 Beijing increased by 3.5 times, which indicates the selection and accumulation of this epidemiologically and clinically unfavorable variant of the tuberculosis pathogen in Murmansk oblast.
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