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Gardner-Diamond syndrome is an extremely rare autoimmune disorder characterized by sensitization to phosphatidylserine of erythrocyte stroma leading to ecchymoses triggered by stressful events. Diagnostic criteria include typical history, typical skin lesions, normal parameters of blood count and blood coagulation and a positive test with intracutaneous injections of 1 ml of autoerythrocytes. Most patients with Gardner-Diamond syndrome have co-morbid mental disorders. Psychotherapy and psychopharmacotherapy (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants) seem to be most pathogenetically supported treatment modalities.

The magnetoresonance properties of a composite film system based on alsifer nanoparticles in a polymer matrix are studied. It is shown that the system has uniaxial anisotropy of magnetic properties in a sample’s plane. The magnitude and orientation of the field of anisotropy upon varying the alsifer concentration do not change appreciably.

The characteristics of a cylindrical magnetron, such as the dependences of the discharge voltage, chamber pressure, and plasma radiation intensity on the reactive gas flow rate and discharge current, are studied. In this magnetron, titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) films are obtained by reactive magnetron sputtering. The transmission and reflection spectra of the films in the visual range are taken. From the transmission data for the TiO2 films, their refractive index and absorption factor in the wavelength range 350–800 nm, as well as the porosity, are found by the Valeev method. The variation of the fundamental absorption edge with film thickness is determined with the Urbach formula.

Detected are several differences in biochemical properties of V. cholerae 569 B Inaba and V. cholerae M41 Ogawa productive strains. The differences are in the protein content in culture liquid, in the dynamics of enzyme activity in the process of reactor strain growth, and in the protease, phospholipase A2 and C activity. Demonstrated is the diverse resistance of enzymes of both of the strains to formaldehyde detoxification effect. Identified is the difference in enzyme activity of fractions, which are obtained by means of isoelectric precipitation of culture liquid proteins within the limits of pH 3,5-4,4.

Free radicals are molecules that have an unpaired electron and are usually unstable species with short lifetimes; however, radicals stabilized by resonance and steric protection can have long lifetimes. These stable radicals are utilized as polarizing agents for dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), an NMR spectroscopic technique which provides tremendous improvements in signal-to-noise ratios. DNP is also used for in vivo cancer detection by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI). This technique is often done by monitoring the metabolism of hyper-polarized 13C1-pyruvate. Novel radical polarizing agents with improved properties are needed to optimize DNP methods. Tetrabenzofluorenyl (Tbf) radicals have been designed for this purpose.The synthesis of stable Tbf radicals is discussed. The synthesis involved five steps from 9-bromophenthrene. Novel steps from known tetrabenzofluorene were bromination (88%), Friedel-Crafts alkylation (42%), and oxidation (87%) to the trimethoxy alcohol precursor in 19% overall yield for five steps. Attempts to prepare the radical from the hydrocarbon and alcohol precursors and characterization of synthetic intermediates by NMR, IR, and mass spectral analysis are described. Future work will include testing the EPR and DNP properties of the Tbf radicals by collaborators at MIT / DyNuPol.

Long, cylindrical cathodic arc evaporators (500 and 1550 mm long) with an external side-wall working surface are considered. The evaporators run in pulsed or continuous mode and allow deposition of functional coatings of pure metals, multi- component alloys, and refractory compounds on long and large items in order to increase their wear-, corrosion- or erosion-resistance. The surface microstructure and microhardness of corrosion-resistant FeCrA1 coatings on high-temperature strengthened steel substrates, heat-resistant NiCrA1Y coatings on high-temperature strengthened ЖC6Y nickel alloy, copper coatings for brazing on 65Г steel, and erosion-resistant TiN coatings on B-95 aluminum alloy and BT6 titanium alloy are described and discussed. It is shown that vacuum-arc deposition of functional coatings using long evaporators provides the possibility of increasing significantly the working characteristics of critical machinery parts in modern engineering industry.

The cholinergic system enables adaptation to environmental and endogenous stressors via neuroimmune responses. Self-environment borders such as skin are in great need of effective adaptation. We here compared skin if mice exposed to noise stress with unstressed and mice and humans with allergic/atopic dermatitis (AlD/AD) exposed to noise or Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Microarray analysis revealed specific regulation of cytokines depending on muscarinergic and nicotinergic acetylcholine receptor (m- and n-AChR) activation. Downregulation of TNF α receptor 1 (TNFR1) and upregulation of TNFR5 in stressed mouse skin hints at downregulation of TH1 and upregulation of TH2 immune responses. Immunohistomorphometry revealed that mast cells in AlD downregulate the acetylcholine synthesizing enzyme ChAT while upregulating α 7nAChR and TNF α , which was reversed after AlD-worsening additional noise stress. In AD patients SP-cleaving tryptase + mast cells were lowest in lesional skin while epidermal thickness was highest. TSST increased mast cell numbers in healthy and decreased them in lesional skin, while epidermal thickness was increased in nonlesional skin. qRT-PCR showed lowest α 7nAchR levels in AD skin and after TSST slightly increased levels solely in lesional AD skin. SLURP1 (endogenous α 7nAchR ligand) was lowest in non-lesional AD skin and TSST decreased it in healthy skin. We conclude that stress affects cutaneous NNCS both in mice and humans facilitating AlD/AD. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and functional relevance.