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In patients with high risk of ventricular tachycardia (VT) the proven beneficial therapy is the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). It has been shown that the coronary artery disease (CAD) and VT development are accompanied by a persistent change of the sympathoadrenal system activity. This leads to a decrease in the total density of the erythrocyte membrane β-adrenergic receptors. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of the erythrocyte membranes β-adrenoreactivity (EMA) with VT development in patients with CAD and ICD.Sixty-three patients (male - 53, age - 66.6 ± 9.2 years) with CAD and ICD were included to the study. EMA was studied using a method for assessing erythrocyte osmoresistance increase as a result of β-adrenergic receptors blockade by a selective β-adrenergic blocker. VT and ventricular fibrillation (VF) events recorded by ICD were evaluated.The 1In patients with CAD and ICD erythrocyte membranes β-adrenoreactivity indicator 51.26% or lower is the predictor of VT episodes.

The incidence of food addiction (FA) and associations between FA and anthropometric and psycho-emotional characteristics of young Russian adults were studied. In this study, 1,237 students (age, M = 20.6, SD = 4.6 years; 79% females) of universities located in four cities of Russia were attended. They provided demographics and filled in the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Data were analysed via Chi-squared tests, logistic regression analysis, and an analysis of covariance. 13.2% of participants met diagnostic criteria for FA based on the YFAS. On average, the participants reported 2.6 FA symptoms (SD = 1.5). FA was more commonly detected in females (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.10, 3.15, p = .021). No relationship was found between age and the incidence of FA. Significant positive associations between FA, the severity of depression (OR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.91, 2.80, p = .000), and an emotional eating behaviour (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.20, 1.76, p = .000) were found. The waist-to-height ratio was found to be the anthropometric indicator most closely associated with FA (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.27, 1.76, p = .000). HIGHLIGHTS: The prevalence of food addiction in the current sample was 13.2%. In young Russian adults, emotional eating behaviour and depression are associated with food addiction. In young Russian adults, the waist-to-height ratio is the anthropometric indicator most closely associated with food addiction.

We studied the influence of the mechanical properties of pectin hydrogels on acute inflammation and tissue repair after subcutaneous implantation. We used hard and soft pectin hydrogels. The results of histology and the analysis of serum-level cytokines demonstrated that the intensity of acute inflammation increased with increasing hardness of the pectin hydrogels. We also showed that the pectin hydrogels did not inhibit tissue repair. The results of the morphometric and texture analysis of the pectin hydrogels showed that the in vivo biodegradation kinetics of hard hydrogels were greater than those of soft pectin hydrogels. We also observed that on the surface of the hard and soft pectin hydrogels, a network of collagen fibers was formed. The surface of the pectin hydrogel was shown to prevent the adhesion of infiltrating inflammatory cells. The results of the in vitro experiments demonstrated that pectin hydrogels inhibited the functional activity of macrophages and minimally activated the complement system. Therefore, we showed that soft pectin hydrogels have low proinflammatory potential and can be used in surgery as a barrier material as prevention of adhesions in the abdominal cavity. The hard pectin hydrogel can be used in tissue engineering. The hard pectin hydrogels can be used in the reconstruction of skin because are overpopulated with collagen fibers and contribute to the formation of new connective tissue, their elasticity is comparable to the skin and can be adjusted. They are biodegradable, and no additional manipulation is required to remove them.

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the widest spread forms of arrhythmia, which is associated with the increased mortality and thromboembolic complications. To date, the involvement of renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system and immunomediators of inflammation into the mechanisms of development and maintenance of isolated AF is not clear. Specificity of their changes with respect to the latent myocarditis at AF is not proved. Methods In 96 patients with persistent isolated atrial fibrillation (IsAF), scheduled for radiofrequency ablation and endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), and in 20 healthy volunteers (HVT), levels of plasma tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, fatty acid‐binding protein (FABP), neopterin, C‐reactive protein (CRP) were determined by ELISA, level of aldosterone and the renin activity were determined by radioimmunoassay. Results were compared between the study and HVT groups and related to the EMB data. Results Endomyocardial biopsy revealed lymphocytic myocarditis in 29%, immunohistochemical signs of viruses' persistence in the myocardium—in 43.8% of patient. We formed 4 subgroups: «myocarditis», «fibrosis», «virus positive», «virus negative». In the group «myocarditis», level of IL‐6 was significantly higher than in group «fibrosis» (P 1.6 pg/mL, P 13.2 nmol/L, P

The surface structure, biocompatibility, textural, and adhesive properties of calcium hydrogels derived from 1, 2, and 4% solutions of apple pectin were examined in this study. An increase in the pectin concentration in hydrogels was shown to improve their stability toward elastic and plastic deformation. The elasticity of pectin hydrogels, measured as Young's modulus, ranged from 6 to 100 kPa. The mechanical properties of the pectin hydrogels were shown to correspond to those of soft tissues. The characterization of surface roughness in terms of the roughness profile (Ra) and the root-mean-square deviation of the roughness profile (Rq) indicated an increased roughness profile for hydrogels depending on their pectin concentration. The adhesion of AU2% and AU4% hydrogels to the serosa abdominal wall, liver, and colon was higher than that of the AU1% hydrogel. The adhesion of macrophages and the non-specific adsorption of blood plasma proteins were found to increase as the pectin concentration in the hydrogels increased. The rate of degradation of all hydrogels was higher in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) than that in DMEM and a fibroblast cell monolayer. The pectin hydrogel was also found to have a low cytotoxicity. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2572-2581, 2017.

Today, there is a need for the development of biomaterials with novel properties for biomedical purposes. The biocompatibility of materials is a key factor in determining its possible use in biomedicine. In this study, composite cryogels were obtained based on pectin and chitosan using ionic cryotropic gelation. For cryogel preparation, apple pectin (AP), Heracleum L. pectin (HP), and chitosan samples with different physical and chemical characteristics were used. The properties of pectin-chitosan cryogels were found to depend on the structural features and physicochemical characteristics of the pectin and chitosan within them. The addition of chitosan to cryogels can increase their mechanical strength, cause change in surface morphology, increase the degradation time, and enhance adhesion to biological tissues. Cryogels based on AP were less immunogenic when compared with cryogels from HP. Cryogels based on AP and HP were hemocompatible and the percentage of red blood cells hemolysis was less than 5%. Unlike cryogels based on HP, which exhibited moderate cytotoxicity, cryogels based on AP exhibited light cytotoxicity. Based on the results of low immunogenicity, light cytotoxicity data as well as a low level of hemolysis of composite cryogels based on AP and chitosan are biocompatible and can potentially be used in biomedicine. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 547-556, 2017.

Background The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia and premature ventricular beats on cardiac function and dyssynchrony and to elucidate relationships between data of scintigraphic and intracardiac electrophysiology studies (EPSs). Methods The study comprised 64 patients with idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (VAs; median age of 14 years ranging from 8 to 18 years). The control group comprised 20 patients (median age of 12 ranging from 7 to 16 years) without cardiac arrhythmias. EPS and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) procedure for VA were performed in 21 children according to indications. The functional state of both ventricles was assessed by gated blood pool single photon emission computer tomography (GBP-SPECT) before and after RFA in all patients. Results Patients with VA had local areas of asynchronous myocardial contraction (AMC). Compared with the control group, VA patients had significantly higher values of end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and lower contractility indices. Negative association was found between total numbers of AMC areas and cardiac contractility indices. Ectopic foci localization, determined based on EPS data, was associated with AMC areas topography based on GBP-SPECT. RFA procedure significantly improved cardiac contractility indices; AMC areas completely disappeared or decreased compared with the preoperative conditions. Conclusion In VA patients, AMC areas were localized mostly in the right ventricle. Comparison of the results of GBP-SPECT and EPS studies showed a relationship between AMC localizations and ectopic foci topography. The fact that AMC areas disappeared after RFA supports the hypothesis stating that the presence of AMC areas is a scintigraphic symptom of ectopic focus.

We present a model for academia with heterogeneous author types and endogenous effort to evaluate recent changes in the publication process in Economics. We analyze the implications of these developments on research output. Lowering the precision of refereeing signals lowers the effort choices of intermediate ability authors, but invites more submissions from less able authors. Increasing the number of journals stimulates less able authors to submit their papers. The editor can improve the journal’s quality pool of submitted manuscripts by improving the precision of refereeing, but not by lowering acceptance standards. The submission strategy of an author is informative of his ability.

I propose a bribery model that examines decentralized bureaucratic decision-making. There are multiple stable equilibria. High levels of bribery reduce an economy's productivity because corruption suppresses small business, and reduces the total graft, even though the size of an individual bribe might increase. Decentralization prevents movement towards a Pareto-dominant equilibrium. Anticorruption efforts, even temporary ones, might be useful to improve participation, if they lower the bribe levels demanded and thus encourage small businesses to participate.

Background: The aim of our study was to determine if ablation and pacing improved brain perfusion (BP) and cognitive function (CF) in patients with medically refractory rapidly conducted atrial fibrillation (Med Refr RCAF). Methods and Results: The study included 17 patients with Med Refr RCAF (average age 55.3 ± 4.5 years). All patients underwent brain single photon emission computed tomography scanning with 99mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime and comprehensive neuropsychological testing before and after 3 months following pacemaker implantation. The BP was significantly lower in all regions in patients with Med Refr RCAF compared with the control group. The greatest BP decrease was revealed in the inferior frontal (P = 0.002) and posterior parietal (P = 0.024) brain regions. These patients showed cognitive deficit in 94%. There was a direct correlation between BP and CF parameters. Ablation followed by pacemaker implantation had a positive effect on BP and CF in all patients with Med Refr RCAF. Thus, BP increased in the right inferior frontal (P = 0.01), in the left superior frontal (P = 0.007), and in the left temporal (P = 0.005) cortex. These patients demonstrated improvements in immediate and delayed verbal memory, immediate and delayed visual memory, abstract mentation, attention, psychomotor speed, as well as in learning. Conclusions: Patients with atrial fibrillation and rapid ventricular rates refractory to medical treatment have marked signs of brain hypoperfusion and impaired CF. Ablation and pacing improve left ventricular systolic function, thereby increasing BP and improving CF. (PACE 2011;1–7)

Cell morphogenesis requires dynamic communication between actin filaments and microtubules which is mediated, at least in part, by direct structural links between the two cytoskeletal systems. Here, we examined interaction between the CLIP-associated proteins (CLASP) CLASP1 and CLASP2, and actin filaments. We demonstrate that, in addition to a well-established association with the distal ends of microtubules, CLASP2a co-localizes with stress fibers, and that both CLASP1a and CLASP2a co-immunoprecipitate with actin. GFP-CLASP2a exhibits retrograde flow in the lamellipodia of Xenopus primary fibroblasts and in the filopodia of Xenopus spinal cord neurons. A deletion mapping analysis reveals that both the microtubule-binding domain of CLASP2 (which is homologous between all CLASPs) and the N-terminal dis1/TOG domain of CLASP2a (which is homologous between a isoforms) possess actin-binding activity. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments demonstrate significant energy transfer between YFP-CLASP2a and CFP-actin. Our results indicate that CLASPs function as actin/microtubule crosslinkers in interphase cells. We propose that CLASPs facilitate recognition of actin filaments by the plus ends of growing microtubules at the initial stages of actin-microtubule interaction. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 64: 519‐530, 2007. ' 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The pectic polysaccharide named potamogetonan (PN) was obtained using extraction of the leaves and stems of the common pondweed Potamogeton natans L. by an aqueous ammonium oxalate. The purified potamogetonan PN-300 was obtained using membrane ultrafiltration of PN and proved to be pectin with a molecular weight of 300 kDa. The capacity of potamogetonan PN-300 to prevent inflammation was assessed using a carrageenan paw edema test in mice. Oral administration of PN-300 24 h prior to induction of inflammation was found to reduce edema formation in a dose-related manner. The maximal effect of PN-300 was observed at 1 h after carrageenan injection (60% reduction of footpad swelling) and was comparable to that of indomethacin. The delayed edema (5 h) was less affected by pre-administration of PN-300 (33% reduction). PN-300 was found to improve the survival of mice subjected to a lethal dose of LPS. The anti-endotoxemic effect of PN-300 was shown to be mediated by decreased TNF-α and IL-1β and increased IL-10 production. Thus, a pectin named potamogetonan PN-300 was isolated from P. natans and was shown to possess a preventive antiinflammatory effect following oral administration. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An effect of apiogalacturonanic pectin of duckweed Lemna minor L. (lemnan LM) was studied on the inflammatory response to ovalbumin injected intradermally into the footpad of control and ovalbumin-fed mice. Lemnan LM (1–2 mg per mouse) was found to enhance by as much as 50–60% the footpad swelling in control mice. Oral administration of ovalbumin was shown to result in sensitization that increased inflammation. Ovalbumin admixed with lemnan was found to increase by two-fold footpad edema in comparison with the mice receiving ovalbumin alone. Apple pectin used as a reference compound failed to influence the inflammatory reaction. Degradation of lemnan was performed to elucidate the active region of the polysaccharide macromolecule. The apiogalacturonanic fragment (LMP) obtained using a digestion of lemnan LM with pectinase was shown to increase the footpad response in both control and ovalbumin-fed mice. Fragment LMPH deprived of some terminal apiose residues as a result of partial acidic hydrolysis failed to have an effect on the inflammatory response. Thus, the data obtained reveal an enhancement by lemnan of the inflammatory response. The ramified apiogalacturonan seemed to be the active region of the lemnan macromolecule. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The pectic polysaccharide named bergenan BC was obtained using extraction of the green leaves of Siberian tea Bergenia crassifolia (L.) Fritsch. by an aqueous ammonium oxalate. The polysaccharide obtained was proved to comprise mainly d-galacturonic acid, galactose, rhamnose, arabinose and glucose residues and appeared to be pectin. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to aggregated ovalbumin (agOVA) was found to increase in mice that received bergenan solution (2 mg/mL) for 3 weeks. Bergenan BC was observed to enhance the uptake capacity of human neutrophils at a concentration 100 microg/mL and to stimulate the generation of oxygen radicals by mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro. Bergenan BC was found to increase the spontaneous adhesion of peritoneal leukocytes and failed to influence adhesion stimulated by PMA or adhesion of peritoneal leukocytes incubated in the presence of 5 mm EDTA. Bergenan failed to show cytotoxic action. The viability of peritoneal leukocytes was estimated to be equal to 91% +/- 8% and 90% +/- 7%% in the control and in the pectin solution at a concentration of 1 mg/mL.Thus, bergenan was shown to possess immunostimulating activity in relation to DTH response in vivo and phagocytic activity in vitro.