The pathogenesis of neuronal dysfunction was evaluated from the viewpoint of cellular disturbances in NAD⁺ metabolism and changes in activity of NAD⁺-utilizing enzymes (e.g., ADP-ribosyl ...cyclase/CD38). S-100B concentration and CD38 expression on peripheral blood lymphocytes were altered in patients after surgery for coronary heart disease with extracorporeal circulation. These changes in patients during the early postoperative period correlated with variations in CD38 expression on neuronal cells from postischemic rats with cognitive dysfunction.
By the early 1980s, unique devices appeared in the USSR: a series of benchtop specialized EPR spectrometers. This equipment was quickly accepted not only in science but also in medicine and in many ...technical and economic areas including chemical industries and geologic exploration. The appearance of these devices was perceived as a salvation for the Soviet magnetic resonance (MR) scientific instrumentation by those who worked in the field of EPR spectroscopy in the USSR. (However, the program of MR scientific instrumentation ceased to exist along with the USSR a few years later). The Belarusian State University in Minsk was the center of these developments. At that moment and for many years afterwards, these devices were unique with no analogues in the worldwide EPR industry. They remained the only mass-produced MR spectrometers on the territory of the former USSR after its collapse. For the first time, based on archival materials, patents, and our personal memoirs, we describe the development of these EPR spectrometers and discuss the most original technical solutions and the scientific tasks solved with this equipment We also remember the participants of the work, showing the historical context of these events.
A 64-channel readout and data-acquisition module is described in detail. It consists of an H12700 multianode photomultiplier tube, four PADIWA preamplifier boards, and a TRB v3 card that perform the ...functions of a time-to-digital converter and a data concentrator. The software modules that are necessary for operation of the prototype are described. The inter-channel delays are calibrated. The drift of individual delays does not exceed 0.5 ns for the entire measurement time. The spectra of the “time over threshold” (ToT) are investigated. The influence of periodic noise pickups and the need to improve circuit designs are revealed. The timing properties of the wavelength shifter and its effect on the detection efficiency for Cherenkov rings are investigated. The most intense component is characterized by a decay time of 1.1 ns and there are components with characteristic times of 3.8 and 45 ns. The influence of single-electron spectrum features on the detection efficiency for photoelectrons and the probability of false hits are determined. The total time resolution of 131 channels is 1.1 ns (FWHM). The results make it possible to use the investigated system of readout and data acquisition in the CBM experiment. Nevertheless, the elimination of the revealed shortcomings will provide the efficiency margin and improve the reliability of the system during long-term operation.
Objective: to optimize the diagnosis of a systemic inflammatory reaction (SIR) after aortocoronary bypass surgery (ACBS) under extracorporeal circulation (EC), by examining the reaction of the ...peripheral blood lymphocytic plasma membrane to surgery. Subjects and methods. Eighty-three patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) who had undergone ACBS were examined. The lymphocytic plasma membrane was studied before and 1, 2, 3, and 7 days after surgery. Lymphocytes were derived on the ficoll-verografin (Pharmacia Chemical, Uppsala, Sweden) density gradient (p=1.077). The isolated cells were investigated by phase contrast microscopy (900X). Results. The patients with CHD were found to have perioperative peripheral lymphocytic plasma membrane changes (blebbing), the genesis of which was determined by impaired membrane-cytoskeleton interactions. More plasma membrane changes occurred throughout the postoperative period, with their maximum being recorded on day 1, which corresponded to the increase peak in the concentrations of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-а. Conclusion. The follow-up cell membrane changes appearing as peripheral lymphocytic blebbing reflect the development of SIR during ACBS under EC. In patients with CHD, the lymphocytic plasma membrane blebbing is of varying degrees: from early to terminal. The determination of peripheral lymphocytic blebbing allows one not only to record SIR, but also to assess its time course of changes. Key words: lymphocytic blebbing, systemic inflammatory reaction, aortocoronary bypass surgery, extracorporeal circulation.
The aim of this work was to evaluate contribution of released membrane particles (RMP) to the development of systemic inflammatory response (SIR) after aortocoronary bypass grafting (ACBG). The ...number of RMP carrying surface adhesion molecules, CD62L, CD62P, CD62E, was shown to increase in the early postoperative period in parallel with the enhancement of lymphocyte plasma membrane blebbing and elevation of cytokine levels in peripheral blood. It is concluded that (1) activation of plasma membrane blebbing in peripheral blood cells underlies the appearance of RMP in circulation; (2) increased number of RMP expressing CD62L, CD62P, CD62E is a marker of intercellular communication associated with the development of SIR and suggests new mechanisms of RMP involvement in the reaction of organism to massive surgical injury.
Intellectual disability is affecting 3.0-4.0% of the general population. Copy number variants (CNVs) are a significant cause leading to neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disability, ...epilepsy, autism spectrum disorders and developmental delay. The use of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-array and array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) as diagnostic tools has led to the recognition of new microdeletion/microduplication syndromes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. It is also useful for further characterization of marker chromosomes. Here, we report a girl with mild intellectual disability and mild facial dysmorphisms. Cytogenetic analysis showed a marker chromosome in some percent of the cells and was followed by SNP-array karyotyping that detected, in addition, a 9655 Mb
interstitial deletion at 9q21.1-9q21.2.
IMPORTANCE Secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) generates bioactive phospholipid products implicated in atherosclerosis. The sPLA2 inhibitor varespladib has favorable effects on lipid and inflammatory ...markers; however, its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of sPLA2 inhibition with varespladib on cardiovascular outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial at 362 academic and community hospitals in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, and North America of 5145 patients randomized within 96 hours of presentation of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) to either varespladib (n = 2572) or placebo (n = 2573) with enrollment between June 1, 2010, and March 7, 2012 (study termination on March 9, 2012). INTERVENTIONS Participants were randomized to receive varespladib (500 mg) or placebo daily for 16 weeks, in addition to atorvastatin and other established therapies. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary efficacy measure was a composite of cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke, or unstable angina with evidence of ischemia requiring hospitalization at 16 weeks. Six-month survival status was also evaluated. RESULTS At a prespecified interim analysis, including 212 primary end point events, the independent data and safety monitoring board recommended termination of the trial for futility and possible harm. The primary end point occurred in 136 patients (6.1%) treated with varespladib compared with 109 patients (5.1%) treated with placebo (hazard ratio HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.97-1.61; log-rank P = .08). Varespladib was associated with a greater risk of MI (78 3.4% vs 47 2.2%; HR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.16-2.39; log-rank P = .005). The composite secondary end point of cardiovascular mortality, MI, and stroke was observed in 107 patients (4.6%) in the varespladib group and 79 patients (3.8%) in the placebo group (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02-1.82; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In patients with recent ACS, varespladib did not reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and significantly increased the risk of MI. The sPLA2 inhibition with varespladib may be harmful and is not a useful strategy to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes after ACS. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01130246
The Reactions with Relativistic Radioactive Beams (R3B) collaboration of the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Darmstadt, Germany, has constructed an experimental setup to perform ...fundamental studies of nuclear matter, using as a probe reactions with exotic nuclei at relativistic energies. Among the various detection systems, one of the most recent upgrades consists of the installation of a large area, around 2 m2, multi-gap Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC). The chamber is equipped with twelve 0.3mm gaps and readout by 30mm pitch strips, exhibiting a timing precision down to 50 ps and efficiencies above 98% for minimum ionizing particles in a previous characterization of the detector. The RPC was part of the setup of the FAIR Phase 0 experiment that focused on measuring for the first time, in spring 2022, nucleon–nucleon short-range correlations (SRC) inside an exotic nucleus (16C). The excellent timing precision of this detector will allow the measurement of the forward emitted proton momentum with a resolution of around 1%. In beam measurements show an RPC efficiency above 95% and a time precision better than 100 ps (including the contribution of a reference scintillator and the momentum spread of the particles) for forward emitted particles.
Low Gain Avalanche Detector (LGAD) technology has been used to design and construct prototypes of time-zero detector for experiments utilizing proton and pion beams with High Acceptance Di-Electron ...Spectrometer (HADES) at GSI Darmstadt, Germany. LGAD properties have been studied with proton beams at the COoler SYnchrotron facility in Jülich, Germany. We have demonstrated that systems based on a prototype LGAD operated at room temperature and equipped with leading-edge discriminators reach a time precision below 50 ps. The application in the HADES, experimental conditions, as well as the test results obtained with proton beams are presented.
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