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A study of structural changes in lung tissue during the formation of organ edema due to inhalation of a lipotropic poison, carbonic acid dichloride, showed the peculiarities of the formation of acute respiratory distress syndrome. The point of application of the poison is the distal bronchioles, whose epithelium is subject to dystrophic and necrotic changes followed by goblet metaplasia. The absorbed poison causes pronounced changes in blood microcirculation, steroid-resistant NO-mediated endothelial dysfunction with blood deposition in dilated capillaries, aggregation, and lysis of erythrocytes. Changes in the vascular bed in the interalveolar septa precede the formation of an acute inflammatory reaction with the accumulation of alveolar effusion and dystrophic changes in the alveolar epithelium with cell desquamation. Among the cells of the alveolar lining, type II alveolocytes are the most vulnerable. Plasma permeation of the connective tissue of the interalveolar septa interstitium is accompanied by their infiltration with polymorphonuclear leukocytes and activation of macrophages. Desquamation of epithelial cells of the distal bronchioles leads to obstruction of their lumens and, through the valve mechanism, contributes to overextension of the alveoli with the formation of emphysema and reduction of capillary blood circulation in the alveolar septa. The observed changes determined the directions for improving the treatment of poisoning by asphyxiating poisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of selective laser melting (SLM) process parameters on the porosity, microstructure, phase and chemical composition, texture, and physical-mechanical properties of orthorhombic titanium aluminide Ti2AlNb (O-alloy) powder was studied using a range of methods, including hydrostatic weighing, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X‑ray diffraction analysis, energy-dispersive X‑ray spectroscopy, microindentation, and compression testing. It was demonstrated that an increase in the volumetric energy density within the range of 28 to 139 J/mm3 led to the following effects: 1) increase in the relative density of the obtained O‑alloy from 97 to 99.9%, 2) intensification of axial texture with a pronounced 001 direction in the detected β/B2-solid solution, and 3) reduction in the Al content, increase in the Nb content, and lower enrichment with oxygen in the obtained samples. It was demonstrated that detachment from the build platform and longitudinal cutting of the O‑alloy results in the imbalance of residual stresses in samples synthesized on a platform, pre-heated at 200 °C, which is accompanied by the formation of cracks. This study considers the typical structural defects of the alloy, including pores, lack of fusion, and chemical heterogeneity, which are observed following SLM. A series of physical-mechanical properties of the synthesized O‑alloy samples were determined, including Vickers hardness (390–430 HV), elastic modulus (91–98 GPa), compressive yield strength (1060–1080 MPa), and compressive strain (of at least 30%). The relationship between these properties and the structural-textural state of the obtained O‑alloy samples is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Highly Granular Neutron Time-of-Flight Detector (HGND) at the BM@N experiment is under development for measuring the energy of neutrons produced in nucleus-nucleus collisions. For the first time, small prototype of the HGND was used in Xe + CsI at 3.0 and 3.8 A GeV run at the BM@N. The online real-time monitoring system recently developed and used for the HGND prototype is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrode-induction gas atomization (EIGA) is a promising and cost-effective method for producing spherical intermetallic titanium powders used in additive manufacturing. The present study investigates the morphology, microstructure, chemical and phase compositions, nanoindentation properties of a commercial pre-alloyed TiAl-based EIGA alloy powder. The Ti – 48Al – 2Cr – 2Nb powder is characterized by a spherical shape and dendritic structure with the dendrites enriched with Nb and the interdendritic areas enriched with aluminum and chromium. The temperature ranges of the phase transformations in the powder with precipitation/dissolution of phases α2 , α, γ, B2, (TiNb)Cr2 are determined using thermal analysis during heating and cooling in an inert atmosphere of argon at a rate of 50 K/min. Development of an oxidation process at the temperatures above 500°C and significant increase in its rate at the temperatures above 900°C is detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the design of the HGND detector (High Granular Neutron Detector) for measuring azimuthal neutron fluxes in the range from 300 to 4000 MeV as well as heavy ions formed in nucleus-nucleus collisions at energies up to 4 AGeV in the BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) experiment on the extracted beam of the JINR Nuclotron, Dubna. The detector consists of 16 layers of plastic scintillation detectors having a cellular structure with copper absorption plates between the layers. The results of measuring the time resolution of scintillation cells using silicon photodetectors are presented. The proposed electronics circuit for reading signals from scintillation cells is described. The results of modeling the acceptance of a neutron detector, the efficiency of neutron detection, the neutron energy resolution, and an estimate of the neutron count rates for the Bi + Bi reaction at an energy of 3 AGeV are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical characteristics of a two-dimensional electron gas located in the GaN layer near the AlN/GaN interface of AlGaN/AlN/GaN heterostructures have been studied for decades. According to the currently accepted concepts, its symmetry coincides with that of the nonsymmorphic space group C in the bulk of GaN. However, this is incorrect. Indeed, the only nonsymmorphic element of this group—the rotation of the system about the [0001] axis normal to the interface plane, with a simultaneous shift along this axis by half a period of the GaN crystal lattice—is forbidden for a two-dimensional gas owing to the confinement potential, which, therefore, reduces its symmetry to the symmetry of the trigonal point group C . This fact has been confirmed in this work by ab initio density functional calculations and by electrophysical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transfer of calcium ions through the cell membrane of a cardiomyocyte is associated with overcoming a high energy barrier and can be impaired by vibration. Since drugs of the calcium channel blocker group are able to reduce damage to mitochondria and cell membranes, the effect of the calcium channel blocker nifedipine (adalat) at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg on the energy metabolism of cardiomyocytes in a vibration-mediated (56 sessions of vibration with a frequency of 44 Hz and an amplitude of 0.5 mm) model of cellular hypoxia was evaluated. The functional states of mitochondria in the composition of 30% homogenate of the myocardial tissue of the left ventricle of the rabbit heart were studied using the polarographic method with a closed galvanic oxygen sensor in a thermostatically controlled 1 mL cuvette with a protein content of 2.4 ± 0.5 mg, measured by a modified microbiuretic assay. In animals subjected to vibration in the presence of calcium channel blockers, the rate of endogenous respiration (Ve) remained at the level of intact animals and was 16.4 ± 4.1 [ng-atom O] min–1 mg–1 protein; sensitivity to amytal increased by 39% and sensitivity to malonate decreased by 40% compared with the indicators in animals subjected to vibration without pharmacological protection. The indicators of the ratio of the activity of mitochondrial enzyme complexes I and II and the processes of regulation in different metabolic states of mitochondria confirmed the restoration of the activity of mitochondrial enzyme complex I suppressed by vibration and the regulatory restriction of mitochondrial enzyme complex II. The revealed energy-protective effect of calcium channel blockers increased the vibration resistance of the tissue, preventing the development of necrotic changes in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The features of the spatial distribution of the long-term average ice-free period (IFP) characteristics and their trends in the Laptev Sea are calculated and described quantitatively based on the microwave remote sensing data for 1979–2021. The spatial distribution of the long-term average duration of the IFP mainly follows the spatial distribution of the long-term average IFP start dates. The highest value of the long-term average duration of the IFP is observed in the areas where the Anabar–Lena and Western New Siberian stationary flaw polynyas are formed. It is shown that south of 78° N, the duration of the IFP increased statistically significantly by +17 ± 7 days/10 year on average. The areas of the Laptev Sea north of 80° N are characterized by statistically insignificant changes in IFP characteristics. The duration of the IFP extends due to both the shift of the IFP start dates to the earlier time (an average rate of changes is –10 ± 4 days/10 year) and the shift of the IFP end dates to a later time (an average rate of changes is +8 ± 4 days/10 year). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—Differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and microindentation are used to study changes in the structure, phase composition, microhardness, and contact modulus of elasticity of a heat-resistant alloy based on the Ti2AlNb titanium intermetallic compound, depending on the rate of colling (10–80°/min) from heating temperatures of 950 and 970°С. Using the results obtained, thermokinetic diagrams of high-temperature decomposition of the β(B2) solid solution are constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The features of the spatial distribution of the long-term average ice-free period (IFP) characteristics and their trends in the Laptev Sea are calculated and described quantitatively based on the microwave remote sensing data for 1979–2021. The spatial distribution of the long-term average duration of the IFP mainly follows the spatial distribution of the long-term average IFP start dates. The highest value of the long-term average duration of the IFP is observed in the areas where the Anabar–Lena and Western New Siberian stationary flaw polynyas are formed. It is shown that south of 78° N, the duration of the IFP increased statistically significantly by +17 ± 7 days/10 year on average. The areas of the Laptev Sea north of 80° N are characterized by statistically insignificant changes in IFP characteristics. The duration of the IFP extends due to both the shift of the IFP start dates to the earlier time (an average rate of changes is –10 ± 4 days/10 year) and the shift of the IFP end dates to a later time (an average rate of changes is +8 ± 4 days/10 year). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When constructing a high-performance computing cluster, one of the most pressing issues is ensuring efficient organization of the external storage systems. Such systems consist of both hardware and software components. The software component is a parallel file system, and consists of server and client parts. The article explores the principles of operating parallel file systems: mechanisms of data sharing between clients; metadata and data maintenance methods; as well as aspects of selecting a parallel file system for a high performance cluster computing cluster. We have had the opportunity to test some solutions on the large supercomputers of Joint Supercomputer Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (JSCC RAS) and develop a basic model for file data flow in HPC cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for processing spectral-domain optical coherence tomography signals, which is designed to effectively suppress motion artifacts under conditions of large probing depths, is described. The features of this method made it possible to use it as part of an otoscopic system of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, which ensured high quality of real-time imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution of waters by azo dyes is a major global issue because some azo dyes have carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. Therefore, advanced methods are required to remove those pollutants from wastewater. For instance, electrochemical oxidation processes have been developed using various approaches to remove azo dyes from wastewater. Here, we review electrochemical processes for the oxidative degradation of azo dyes. Processes include anodic oxidation, electro-Fenton, photo-electro-Fenton, and solar photo-electro-Fenton. The influence of various parameters including process design, design of reactors, and the characteristic degradation products and their toxicity, are discussed. Low molecular weight carboxylic acids are mainly formed as by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the structure of the set of panchromatic 3-colorings of a random hypergraph in the uniform model . It is well known that panchromatic colorability with a given number of colors r has a sharp threshold, i.e., there exists a threshold value such that, for any , if , then the random hypergraph admits such a coloring with probability tending to 1 as , but, if , then, vice versa, it does not admit such a coloring with probability tending to 1. We study the algorithmic threshold for panchromatic colorability with three colors and prove that, if the parameter m is slightly less than , then the set of panchromatic 3-colorings of , though nonempty with probability tending to 1, undergoes shattering, which was first described by D. Achlioptas and A. Coja-Oghlan in 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal approach for prevention of cardiovascular events and reduction of bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) is still controversial. The aim of our study is to asses our single-center experience with concomitant left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). 50 patients with ACS without ST elevation and history of AF were randomized after successful PCI to LAAO or conventional medical therapy. The primary endpoints were safety and length of hospitalization. The follow-up period was 30 days. The mean procedural times were 113 ± 23 min PCI + LAAO implantation and 39 ± 19 min of PCI only (p < 0.001), while mean fluoroscopy times were 18 ± 8 min and 12 ± 8 min (p < 0.001), respectively. No procedure-related complications were observed. There was no difference observed for length of hospitalization between two groups. LAAO in patients with ACS and AF undergoing PCI appears safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyses data for chemical composition, manufacturing and processing methods for promising heat-resistant alloys based upon orthorhombic titanium intermetallic Ti2AlNb (O-alloys) developed within Russia and abroad. Phase diagrams typical for alloys based upon Ti–Al–Nb and general data for the phases formed in these alloys are provided. Concepts of aluminum and niobium equivalents used for multicomponent alloys are considered. The effect of alloying elements on a combination of mechanical properties of O-alloys, alloying principles, and compositions of the alloys developed are summarized. Characteristics of phase transformations occurring within alloys during heat treatment, including continuous heating and isothermal treatment, are provided. Typical microstructures of the alloys are presented; processing methods for their production and the influence of structural parameters on a combination of properties are described. Methods for manufacturing and processing routes of O-alloys are presented, which provide a good set of properties at room and elevated temperatures, as well as possible operating temperatures for refractory use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the role of ghrelin and its receptors in the manifestation of gambling addiction elements in rats exposed to early psychogenic stress. Rearing in conditions of social isolation or maternal deprivation in early ontogeny increased risk behavior and impulsivity in the Iowa Gambling Task test: animals sought more food reinforcement, but with a low probability. Maternal deprivation or rearing in social isolation increased expression of Ghsr in the amygdala and hypothalamus respectively. The level of expression of the gene under study in the prefrontal cortex did not change. It is concluded that early psychogenic stress causes an imbalance in the brain ghrelin regulatory system, which manifests itself in increased of Ghsr level as well as elements of gambling addiction. The scheme of the effect of chronic stress on the hypothalamic ghrelin system and on the extrahypothalamic regulation of ghrelin is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The concept of nootropics was introduced into pharmacology in the early 1970s by Corneliu Giurgea, a Belgian pharmacologist of Romanian origin, based on the study of 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine derivatives, which later became known as racetams. This paper substantiates the idea that the emergence of modern ideas about nootropics and similar compounds (psychoenergizers, antihypoxants, and actoprotectors) in a certain sense was preceded by the concept of adaptogens by N.V. Lazarev (1953–1958), whose theoretical development went towards concretization of certain provisions of this concept. The formation of the problem of nootropics, their place in modern pharmacology, the origins and prospects for the development of the concept, and the search for new pharmacological agents with nootropic properties are considered. Nootropic activity is analyzed from the standpoint of the mechanisms of action of racetams, neuropeptides, GABA derivatives, and benzimidadols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limit distribution of the j-chromatic numbers of a random k-uniform hypergraph in the binomial model is studied. We consider the sparse case when the expected number of edges is a linear function of the number of vertices n, i.e., is equal to cn for independent of n. We prove that, for all large enough values of c, the j-chromatic number of is concentrated in one or two consecutive values with probability tending to 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocalization in anurans is mainly studied in the context of male-specific advertisement calls, while release calls – characteristic of both sexes – usually attract less attention. Here we compare release calls of both sexes of hybrid Pelophylax esculentus (considering triploid hybrids) and its parental species P. ridibundus in Ukrainian population systems. The principal component analysis resulted in 83.3% of total variance explained by the first three components, while discriminant analysis correctly differentiated 69.6% of frogs only. Triploid male hybrids had intermediate positions between diploid hybrids and parental species. Triploid females had intermediate positions only in terms of temporal parameters because frequency parameters mainly depended on their body size. A significant correlation between peak frequency and body size was shown for females of both taxonomical groups and P. ridibundus males. Although we identified differences between the studied groups, these differences were not unambiguous, with overlapping frequency parameters in males. Including more triploids and the other parental species is important for further analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the role of cytokines in various pathological conditions of the body is a topical area in modern biomedicine. Understanding the physiological roles played by cytokines will aid in finding applications for them as pharmacological agents in clinical practice. Interleukin 11 (IL-11) was discovered in 1990 in fibrocyte-like bone marrow stromal cells, but there has been increased interest in this cytokine in recent years. IL-11 has been shown to correct inflammatory pathways in the epithelial tissues of the respiratory system, where the main events occur during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further research in this direction will probably support the use of this cytokine in clinical practice. The cytokine plays a significant role in the central nervous system; local expression by nerve cells has been shown. Studies show the involvement of IL-11 in the mechanisms of development of a number of pathologies of the nervous system, and therefore it seems relevant to generalize and analyze the experimental data obtained in this direction. This review summarizes information that shows the involvement of IL-11 in the mechanisms of development of brain pathologies. In the near future this cytokine will likely find clinical application for the correction of mechanisms that are involved in the formation of pathological conditions of the nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been interest in the study of platelets, the functions of which, as it turned out, are not limited to their involvement in the mechanism of blood coagulation. Many works are devoted to the study of the functional state of platelets under conditions of acute and chronic alcohol exposure. The results of such studies can be useful in the development of new markers of the degree of alcohol intoxication of the body for the subsequent choice of a method for drug correction of disorders caused by acute or chronic alcohol effects. The review summarizes the results of studies on the effect of ethanol on the platelet biogenesis, abundance, morphology, and biochemistry. An analysis of studies performed both in vitro and in experimental animals in vivo, as well as the results of clinical observations, is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown that taking account of radiation from a material particle with negative relative permittivity εp that is in a dielectric medium with permittivity εm and experiences the action of an electromagnetic field prevents unlimited growth of particle's electric dipole moment and its related electric fields if 2εm + εp → 0 and the medium and particle are lossless. Calculated radiation losses are embodied in a correction to the dielectric losses of a real particle. Using polystyrene with a silver nanoparticle showing negative permittivity in the optical range as an example, the behavior of the particle versus particle size has been studied for the permittivity varying in the interval –16 < εp < 16. It has been found that even if the permittivity of the nanoparticle is positive, taking the particle radiation into account considerably improves the accuracy of quasistatic calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of continuous cooling at a rate of 1.1 K/min and combined cooling with an isothermal hold at 860 – 940°C on the structure, phase composition and properties of titanium alloy VTI-4 is studied. It is shown that introduction of an isothermal hold into the cooling mode lowers the hardness and elevates the content of untransformed β-phase in the structure of the alloy. The structure of the alloy is shown to be the most homogeneous without a feature of secondary decomposition yielding fine precipitates and with a maximum content of β-phase after an isothermal hold at 800°C for 1 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Usage of multiprocessor and multicore computers implies parallel programming. Tools for preparing parallel programs include parallel languages and libraries as well as parallelizing compilers and convertors that can perform automatic parallelization. The basic approach for parallelism detection is analysis of data dependencies and properties of program components, including data use and predicates. In this article a suite of used data and predicates sets for program components is proposed and an algorithm for computing these sets is suggested. The algorithm is based on wave propagation on graphs with cycles and labelling. This method allows analysing complex program components, improving data localization and thus providing enhanced data parallelism detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of supercomputer depends on the quality of resource manager, one of its functions is assignment of jobs to the nodes of clusters or MPP computers. Parts of parallel programs interact with each other with different intensity, and mapping of program to supercomputer nodes influence efficiency of the run. At each program run graph representing application program is to be mapped onto graph of nodes representing a subset of computer system. The both graphs are not known beforehand, hence the mapping must be done in reasonable time while scheduling resources. Three mapping algorithms were explored: parallel versions of simulated annealing, genetic and composite algorithms. A set of experimental runs with different algorithms parameters was performed, comparison of mapping quality and runtime was made, and suggestions on applicability of algorithms for resource managers were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the work was to establish the possibility of using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) method of recording of dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens in response to electrical stimulation of that zone of ventral tegmental area (VTA) which used to study the possibility of forming a self-stimulation response in rats. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in vivo was used to record the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens in response to electrical stimulation of the VTA, and then the self-stimulation reaction of the same VTA zones was worked out in these animals. At the first stage, the anesthetized animals were stimulated (240 µA) with a burst of pulses with self-stimulation parameters (100 Hz), lasting 0.5 s every 3 min for 1 h. Then phenamine (1 mg/kg) was injected, and recording was continued for 1 hour. VTA electrical stimulation caused an increase in the content of extracellular dopamine for 1.45 ± 0.03 seconds with maximum amplitude of 4.6 ± 0.3 nA. The administration of phenamine during stimulation of the zone of positive reinforcement increased both the duration of the phasic dopamine reaction to 5.2 ± 0.1 seconds and the amplitude of this up to 20.8 ± 0.9 nA, which corresponds to a proportional increase in the amount of DA. This response was maximally expressed at the 45th minute after injection of phenamine. The investigated VTA zones were also tested for the suitability for a self-stimulation response formation in the "rise" test, when the instrumental reaction for intracerebral reinforcement consisted in raising the head by 38 degrees in a wireless telemetry unit. The self-stimulation response was tested before the administration of phenamine and after that for 1 hour. It was found that the number of rises to receive intracerebral reinforcement increased by 45 minutes after the administration of phenamine. Thus, the present study showed that stimulation of zones of positive reinforcement in the VTA in anesthetized animals causes persistent, long-lasting effects of phasic dopamine release. Activation of dopamine release after phenamine administration corresponds in time to changes in self-stimulation. In addition, the combination of the FSCV method and the self-stimulation makes it possible to localize the stimulating electrode in the VTA more clearly and reliably, under the control of dopamine release registration. This gives grounds for the application of this method, in the form of two experiments: (1) registration of dopamine release using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in anesthetized animals, and (2) study of the self-stimulation response. This approach holds promise for standardizing protocols for evaluating the effects of sensory and pharmacological agents on dopamine-dependent behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid Arctic Sea ice shrinkage in the 21st century leads to an increase in the duration of the ice-free period in the Arctic Ocean seas. The ice-free period duration is an important indicator of climate processes for coastal dynamics monitoring in the Russian Arctic zone. The considerable changes in the ice-free period duration significantly affect the functioning of coastal infrastructure, navigation, and coastal ecosystems. Recent satellite microwave sensing data covering the period of more than 40 years of observations make it possible to analyze the state and dynamics of the sea ice cover in the coastal zone of the Russian Arctic. Based on the gradient-threshold method, which was adapted for coastal data, the annual estimates of the ice-free period characteristics for the Kara Sea coastal zone over the period of 1979–2019 are obtained using satellite sea ice concentration data available from different scientific centers (JAXA, OSI SAF, and NSIDC). According to the analyzed satellite data sources, the ice-free period duration in the Kara Sea coastal zone has increased statistically significantly almost everywhere over the past decades. The ice-free period duration has increased due to both earlier melt onset (the average rate of changes is –8 days/decade), and later freeze-up (the average rate of changes is +4 days/decade). The average rates of changes in the total ice-free period duration are +12 days/decade for the period of 1979–2019. The main contribution to the formation of the total ice-free period duration is made by the dynamics of the starting dates of the period, which has high inter-annual variability and a large spatial diversity. The estimates of the ice-free period duration trends allowed for the detection of the most intensely changing areas within the Kara Sea coastal zone: the Yugorsky Peninsula, the western and northern coasts of the Yamal Peninsula. The study specifies the regional features of manifestation of sea ice climate changes within the framework of monitoring of the Russian Arctic coastal dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of cellular structures in fluorescence microscopy data is a key means of understanding cellular function. Unfortunately, numerous cellular structures present unique challenges in their ability to be unbiasedly and accurately detected and quantified. In our studies on stress granules in yeast, users displayed a striking variation of up to 3.7-fold in foci calls and were only able to replicate their results with 62–78% accuracy, when re-quantifying the same images. To facilitate consistent results we developed HARLEY (Human Augmented Recognition of LLPS Ensembles in Yeast), a customizable software for detection and quantification of stress granules in S. cerevisiae. After a brief model training on ~ 20 cells the detection and quantification of foci is fully automated and based on closed loops in intensity contours, constrained only by the a priori known size of the features of interest. Since no shape is implied, this method is not limited to round features, as is often the case with other algorithms. Candidate features are annotated with a set of geometrical and intensity-based properties to train a kernel Support Vector Machine to recognize features of interest. The trained classifier is then used to create consistent results across datasets. For less ambiguous foci datasets, a parametric selection is available. HARLEY is an intuitive tool aimed at yeast microscopy users without much technical expertise. It allows batch processing of foci detection and quantification, and the ability to run various geometry-based and pixel-based colocalization analyses to uncover trends or correlations in foci-related data. HARLEY is open source and can be downloaded from https://github.com/lnilya/harley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinetics of the reaction of triphenylphosphine with methyl vinyl ketone has been studied using the stopped flow technique. The experimental data have indicated that the reactions of alkenes activated by different electron withdrawing groups belong to the same reaction series and follow the identical mechanism involving the rate-determining proton transfer step. The effect of the electron withdrawing groups has been quantitatively analyzed using various relationships, and no correlation between the electrophilicity and the alkene reactivity has been found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to developmental disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) and mental retardation. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 plays an important role in the development of defects in the nervous system caused by PAE. However, how PAE affects the TLR4 response in the brain remains unclear. Using the model of semi-forced alcoholization of pregnant rats, we have investigated TLR4-mediated signaling on the 30th day of postnatal development in their offspring. Rats exposed to PAE showed a higher expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the prefrontal cortex, but TLR4-mediated signaling in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was weakened. These data suggest that PAE can lead to neuroinflammation and suppression of the TLR4-mediated response to LPS in the prefrontal cortex of young rats. Since innate immunity plays an important role in brain development, PAE-induced suppression of the TLR4-mediated response may be one of the mechanisms for the development of CNS pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coal waste from power stations in the north and south of the Kuznetsk Basin are compared in terms of their suitability for concrete production and as a source of valuable components. The mean aggregate content of rare and rare-earth metals in ash and slag waste in the Kemerovo region is 0.02–0.04%; the content of matrix elements is up to 65%. Such waste is promising for the extraction of matrix, rare, and rare-earth metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with a problem concerning equitable vertex colorings of uniform hypergraphs, i.e., colorings under which there are no monochromatic edges and simultaneously all the color classes have almost the same cardinalities. We obtain a new bound on the edge number of an n-uniform hypergraph that guarantees the existence of an equitable vertex coloring with r colors for this hypergraph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the threshold probability for the property of existence of a special-form ⁠-⁠coloring for a random ⁠-⁠uniform hypergraph in the binomial model. A parametric set of ⁠-⁠chromatic numbers of a random hypergraph is considered. A coloring of hypergraph vertices is said to be ⁠-⁠proper if every edge in it contains no more than vertices of each color. We analyze the question of finding the sharp threshold probability of existence of a ⁠-⁠proper ⁠-⁠coloring for . Using the second moment method, we obtain rather tight bounds for this probability provided that and are large as compared to . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal sacral colpopexy/hysteropexy is the gold standard for the treatment of vaginal apex support. However, dissection of the promontory may expose to potentially life-threatening complications. To avoid this risk, laparoscopic lateral suspension with mesh is an alternative. Robotic assistance may be helpful in both techniques. The objective of our study was to evaluate outcomes of robotically assisted laparoscopic lateral suspension (RALLS) with mesh for anterior and apical pelvic organ prolapse (POP). From March 2012 to January 2018, 59 consecutive patients underwent RALLS using titanized polypropylene mesh. Between August 2017 and September 2019, all patients were contacted to assess outcome. We performed a clinical exam and asked them to complete the patient global impression of improvement (PGI-I) questionnaire. Fifty-four patients (91.5%) were available for follow-up. Mean age was 58.5 years (28.8–79.8). There were no perioperative complications. The mean follow-up was 33.6 months (11.2–74.1).The objective cure rate (no prolapse beyond hymen) and the subjective cure rate (PGI-I ≤ 2) were 83.3% and 77.2%, respectively. Five women (9.3%) were reoperated for POP recurrence. There was no erosion. Of the 20 women complaining of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) preoperatively, 12 (60%) were cured without any additional SUI procedure. Only two women (10%) required TVT for persistent grade 2 SUI. Two women (5.9%) developed de novo SUI, but none of them required an operation. RALLS repair for POP with mesh is safe and effective and may represent an alternative to sacral colpopexy/hysteropexy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using an electrochemical method based on the use of an optically transparent working electrode, it was shown that, under conditions of hypothermic (4°C) storage of erythrocytes, the degree of reversibility of changes in their shape decreases when exposed to direct electric current. With cathodic polarization of an optically transparent working electrode (–0.5 V), the proportion of erythrocytes converted to spheroechinocytes decreased from 99.6 ± 0.4 (day 1) to 42.8 ± 14.5% (day 42) (p < 0.05), and with anodic polarization (1.2 V), the proportion of erythrocytes converted to stomatocytes decreased from 80.6 ± 6.7 (day 1) to 35.4 ± 5.6% (day 42) (p < 0.05). At a later storage period, an increase in the number of cells that underwent destruction under the influence of direct electric current was observed in the samples, the presence of which in the transfused erythrocyte suspension can lead to an increase in free hemoglobin in the recipient's blood after transfusion. The results obtained can form the basis for the development of new methods for assessing the quality of blood components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of whole-body vertical vibration on succinate dehydrogenase activity in rabbit peripheral blood lymphocytes at 0.5 mm amplitude and different exposure frequencies (8 and 44 Hz) performed daily for 7, 21 and 56 days (60 min). As an additive effect of the vibration, after 21 and 56 days of exposure, depression in the specific activity of the enzyme was 20–30% (p < 0.05), and the variation coefficient increased by 20–60% (p < 0.01). The asymmetry coefficient of the population distribution largely depended on the vibration frequency and was 0.86 ± 0.1 and 0.7 ± 0.1 after 56 sections of vibration exposure at frequencies of 8 and 44 Hz, respectively. The cells with normal activity remained in the store after exposure to 8 Hz frequency and were depleted after exposure to 44 Hz frequency thereby reflecting the process of reduction of the adaptive capabilities of the energy status of the lymphocyte population and the whole body, presumably due to vibration-mediated tissue hypoxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research offers a method of estimating human biological age based on the spectral analysis of the bioelectric activity of the brain for the first time. We have developed an IDC decentralization index, which is calculated by taking the total reduction of the background neurotrophic influences of the brain activating system on the peripheral tissues and organs into account. The obtained dependence of the IDC index on the age of healthy people at ages of 10 to 90, as well as on the degree of differentiation G1–G4 of cancer cells, was close to linear. The accumulation of cell malfunctions and mutations with age could be detected by the growth in the IDC index from 100 to 900 units. An even greater number of cell mutations in cancer patients with the G1 to G4 degree of cell differentiation resulted in the IDC index increasing to 3000 units or more. These data allowed us to estimate a person's biological age after a 10-minute registration of the bioelectric activity of the brain. The estimation accuracy increased when averaged data were obtained for several trials of each subject. The technology is applicable in scientific research in the field of gerontology, monitoring healthy people, revealing risk groups, and controlling treatment process in cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orexin and its receptors (OXR) are involved in the mechanisms of pathological craving for alcohol and psychoactive drugs. The orexin system is also involved in the mechanisms of non-chemical forms of addiction: binge eating and gambling. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of orexin receptor mRNA in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex of rats prone to impulsivity in behavior in a model for studying the elements of gambling addiction (a variant of the Iowa Gambling Task test). Brain structures were isolated on the 22nd day of the experiment. The OX1R gene expression was higher in the hypothalamus by 122% and in the hippocampus—by 149% in rats preferring to receive a high reward, but with a low probability as compared with a group of animals that preferred a low level of reinforcement, but with a 100% probability. On the contrary, no significant changes were observed in the level of OX1R mRNA in the prefrontal cortex. The level of OX2R mRNA insignificantly changed in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex of rats prone to impulsivity in behavior. The data obtained suggest involvement of OX1R in the hypothalamus and hippocampus in the mechanisms mediating impulsive behavior and the choice of the significance of positive reinforcement in terms of its varying strength and probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the ghrelin receptor antagonist [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 on elements of gambling behavior and monoamine metabolism in the brain in rats were studied. A feeding reflex was developed in male rats over 21 days in a three-arm maze. The reward consisted of sunflower seeds. During the first five days, the animal received one seed at the end of arm 1, two seeds at the end of arm 2, and three seeds at the end of arm 3. The reinforcement delivery regime was then altered: in arm 1, each entry by the rat continued to yield one seed, while only every second entry into arm 2 yielded two seeds and only every third entry into arm 3 yielded three seeds. Thus, reward size on visiting arm 1 was minimal and while the probability of receiving it was maximal. Visiting arm 3 produced the maximal reward but with the lowest probability. Rats acquiring the stable skill of entering the maze were given intranasal 0.9% NaCl solution or [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 and their behavior was evaluated. Three days after behavioral testing on the background of drug, animals were given 0.9% NaCl or [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6. Rats were decapitated 80 min later and the hypothalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and olfactory bulb (a component of the ventral striatum) were harvested from brains and HPLC assays were used to estimate contents of dopamine, serotonin, and their metabolites. The ghrelin receptor antagonist [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 (20 μl, 1 mg/ml, intranasally) increased the number of excursions into maze arm 1 (with the highest probability but smallest reward). The substance had no effect on measures of dopamine and serotonin metabolism in the hypothalamus. [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 significantly increased serotonin content in the left hippocampus. Measures of monoamine metabolism in the olfactory bulb and striatum changed only in the right hemisphere, with increases in 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid: serotonin ratio in both structures. In the right striatum, these changes were also accompanied by increases in serotonin and dopamine metabolite contents. Thus, the ability of [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 to change selection strategy in favor of the highest probability but smallest reinforcement is based on age-related activity of the dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems in the dorsal and ventral striatum of the right hemisphere of the brain and serotonin content in the left hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of the Gatchina discharge, which is mainly used for producing an analog of the ball lightning in the conventional laboratory atmosphere, in magnetic and electric fields is analyzed. It is shown that the sign of the uncompensated electric charge both in the active discharge phase and in long-lived luminous formations can be determined in such experiments. It is also shown that electric and magnetic fields can change the direction of motion of the luminous formation being generated and can even block its formation completely. The form and the mechanism of existence of firework ball lightnings, the photographs of which are given in well-known monographs devoted to ball lightning, are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the probability threshold for the property of strong colorability with a given number of colors of a random -uniform hypergraph in the binomial model . A vertex coloring of a hypergraph is said to be strong if any edge does not have two vertices of the same color under it. The problem of finding a sharp probability threshold for the existence of a strong coloring with q colors for is studied. By using the second moment method, we obtain fairly tight bounds for this quantity, provided that q is large enough in comparison with k. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the problem of finding the max-cut for random hypergraphs. We consider the classical binomial model of a random k-uniform hypergraph on n vertices with probability . The main results generalize previously known facts for the graph case and show that in the sparse case (when for some fixed independent of n) there exists such that the ratio of the maximal cut of to the number of vertices converges in probability to . Moreover, we obtain some bounds for the value of . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When solving complex problems of numerical modeling, computational meshes, containing hundreds millions of cells are quite often. Modern tasks even cross the line of billion cells. Workstations are unable to cope with such volume of data and computation. To perform computations of this volume we need to use supercomputer clusters consisting of many computational nodes interconnected by a high-speed communication network. In this case, it is necessary to perform the decomposition of the computational mesh into separate domains in order to ensure its parallel processing on all nodes of the cluster. These domains are distributed among the computational nodes of the supercomputer and are processed independently of each other. To efficiently perform calculations and scale them to a large number of computational nodes, it is necessary to develop efficient algorithms for decomposition of computational meshes that generate many domains with imposed requirements. We consider an hierarchical decomposition algorithm with the choice of the optimal criterion for dividing mesh into domains. As such a mesh we study an unstructured surface mesh used to calculate the processes of interaction of a volumetric body with the environment. Using this decomposition algorithm, supercomputer calculations are performed on the computing resources of JSCC RAS in order to measure the practical indicators of scalability of highly loaded applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of high-performance computing is associated with the growth of energy consumption. Performance of cluster computes (CC) is increased via rise in performance and the number of used processors, GPUs and coprocessors. Increment in the number of computing elements results significant growth of energy consumption. Power grids limits for supercomputer centers (SCC) are driving the transition to more energy efficient solutions. Often upgrade of computing resources is done step-by-step, i.e. parts of older supercomputers are removed from service and replaced with newer ones. A single SCC at any time can operate several computing systems with different performance and power consumption. That's why the problem of scheduling parallel programs execution on SCC resources to optimize energy consumption and minimize the increase in execution time (energy efficient scheduling) is important. An algorithm for energy efficient scheduling for a set of CCs was implemented. Experiments on NPB benchmarks allowed to achieve significant reduction in energy consumption with minor increase of runtime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents methods of studying profiles of parallel programs interaction with external memory of supercomputers, based on open source software, which are monitoring resources, and the execution protocols of the parallel job management system. In the article there are provided the results of the research of users' programs executed on supercomputer complex at the Joint Supercomputer Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (JSCC RAS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenetic mechanisms associated with alcohol use include dysregulation of the innate immune system mechanisms in the brain. Increased TLR3 expression was found in the postmortem material of the prefrontal cortex of humans. An increase in the TLR3 signaling activity leads to the induction of interferons (IFNs). IFNs are associated with depressive symptoms and, therefore, may play a role in the pathogenesis of alcoholism; however, the exact mechanisms of the ethanol effects on intracellular signaling pathways are not fully elucidated and their study was the purpose of this work. The experimental results showed that ethanol and the TLR3 agonist Poly (I:C) increased the content of TLR3, IFNβ, and IFNγ mRNA in the prefrontal cortex. In addition, expression of the TRAIL encoding gene also increased, and this increase positively correlated with the mRNA content of TLR3, IFNβ and IFNγ both under alcoholization conditions and after injections of the TLR3 agonist. The data obtained may indicate that alcoholization is able to activate TLR3-TRAIL-IFN-signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the rat brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and distribution and the parameters of global cardiac and regional left atrial (LA) sympathetic activity in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results: The data of the 45 consecutive patients scheduled for an index catheter ablation (CA) for AF were analyzed. Total and peri-atrial EAT volumes were measured by cardiac CT. Parameters of global cardiac sympathetic activity and discrete sympathetic regions around LA were assessed by 123I-mIBG SPECT/CT. The patients were followed up for AF recurrences assessment during 12 months after CA. A total of 133 (mean per patient 2.96 ± 1.07) discrete 123I-mIBG uptake areas (DUAs), corresponding to typical anatomical locations of LA ganglionated plexi (GP), were identified. Peri-atrial EAT volume was associated with the number of DUAs (regression estimate, 5.1 [95% CI, 0.3–9.9], p = 0.03). There was no statistically significant association between either total or peri-atrial EAT volumes and risks of AF recurrence. The washout rate (WR) was associated with reduced risk of AF recurrence (HR = 0.95; 95% CI 0.92–0.99; p = 0.01), while left ventricular (LV) myocardium 123I-mIBG summed defect score (SDS) was linked to increased hazards of AF recurrence (HR = 1.04; 95% CI 1.01–1.08; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Peri-atrial EAT volume is associated with regions of sympathetic activity corresponding to typical anatomical locations of LA GP. The WR was associated with reduced risk of AF recurrence while LV myocardial SDS was linked to increased hazards of AF recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]