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The objective: To conduct a comparative assessment of efficacy of Cytoflavin and Cellex for management of cognitive disorders after videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy performed under general inhalation anesthesia with sevoflurane.Results. In three representative groups (n = 30) of patients, markers of inflammation (CRP and IL-6), levels of brain-specific proteins (S-100 and NSE) were studied. Neuropsychological testing were performed by using the MoCA test, frontal dysfunction test battery (FAB) by two stages (stage I ‒ on the eve of the operation, stage II ‒ on the 7th day of the postoperative period). In patients of Group I (n = 30), disorders of higher mental functions of the early postoperative period persisted, which served as the basis for finding ways to eliminate and manage the identified disorders. For this purpose, Cytoflavin was used in Group II (n = 30), and Cellex was used in Group III (n = 30).Comparative characteristics of the level of brain-specific proteins revealed a statistically significant decrease at stage I in Groups II and III versus Group I. The lowest level of both NSE (by 1.45 μg/l, p = 0.041) and S-100 (by 10.1 ng/l, p = 0.044) was observed in Group III versus Group II. In addition, at the second stage of the study, the greatest severity of the inflammatory response was noted in Groups II and III of patients compared to Group I and this degree of severity could be potentiated by the ongoing drug therapy. If in Group I, disorders of higher mental functions persisted on the 7th day of the postoperative period, then as a result of the ongoing drug therapy in Groups II and III, it was possible to achieve significantly better results of neuropsychological testing.Conclusion. Administration of drug therapy contributed to the improvement of higher mental function eliminating cognitive deficit in the early postoperative period.

The problem of developing a computational model of an active vibration damping system of a high-rise building during an earthquake using a simple and suitable calculation scheme for high-rise buildings is considered. An approximate finite element model is presented that adequately describes the dynamic characteristics of a high-rise building. A mathematical model of a steel lattice tower is considered as an example. The ratio equations and displacement difference equations describing the behavior of reactive dampers installed in the tower are presented. An approach to optimizing the parameters of relative motion is presented. The calculation of vibration damping of a tower with reactive dampers installed on one and two levels is shown. The classification of forces with different physical properties and affecting the movement of mechanical systems is presented.

A new binuclear "paddle-wheel" complex, [Co2(bhbz)4(EtOH)2]·4EtOH (1, Hbhbz-3,5-di(tert-butyl)-4-hydroxybenzoic acid); an isostructural zinc complex (2); a and magnetically diluted sample of [Zn1.93Co0.07(bhbz)4(EtOH)2]·4EtOH (3) were obtained. Molecular structures of 1 and 2 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. DFT calculations for 1 indicate strong Co-Co antiferromagnetic exchange interactions in the binuclear fragment. It was shown that when one paramagnetic ion in the binuclear molecule is replaced by a diamagnetic zinc(II) ion, the remaining cobalt(II) ion can be considered as an isolated center with magnetic anisotropy, the parameters of which are determined by ab initio calculations. Magnetic properties for samples 1 and 3 were investigated and analyzed in detail.

Introduction The risk of the femoral neck fracture nonunion is 48 % with avascular necrosis of the femoral head being reported in 42 % of cases. There are many classifications of acute intra-articular fractures of the proximal femur and there are no grading systems for femoral neck nonunions that would allow prediction of outcomes of total hip arthroplasty (THA). The objective was to evaluate mid-term results of THA in patients with femoral neck nonunion and develop a new classification of nonunions. Material and methods A prospective cohort single-center comparative study included 78 elderly patients with atrophic femoral neck nonunions treated with primary THA. The mean follow-up period was 24.2 months. Three prospective groups were identified. Separation criteria included shortening of the lower limb and femoral offset, changes in the Barnett-Nordin index, the Hounsfield bone density index, the presence of metal constructs and bone defects. Groups A and B were divided into 2 subgroups depending on the presence/absence of fixation metal constructs for a femoral neck fracture. Group C was divided into 2 subgroups: type C1, acetabular defect and type C2, proximal femur defect. Results Mean operating time was 81.1 minutes in group A, 102.9 minutes in group B and 145.2 minutes in group C. The minimum blood loss was recorded in group A measuring on average 429.25 mL in both subgroups. The maximum blood loss was seen in patients of groups B and C measuring 606.62 mL and 631.5 mL. Overall revision rate was 7.7 %. Conclusion A classification for femoral neck nonunions was developed suggesting grading patients into 3 types: type A, type B and type C which were further divided into 2 subtypes. The grading system was based on lower limb shortening and femoral offset, severity of osteoporosis, presence of metal constructs and acetabulum or proximal femur bone defect which prognostically affected the outcome of THA.

The objectives of the article are (1) to show the nuclear and physical causes of hard γ-quanta in the U-232 decay chain, (2) to propose tactics for handling uranium containing U-232, and (3) to assess the efficiency of its protective γ-barrier against uncontrolled proliferation. The authors show the general picture of the decay chains of U-232 nuclide transformations, on which the protection of uranium from its uncontrolled proliferation is based. During the decay of nuclei, their emission of α- or β-particles is only the first stage of the most complex process of rearrangement of both the internal structure of the nucleus itself, which consists in the rearrangement of the neutron and proton shells and the levels of its excitation, and in the rearrangement of the electron shells of the atom. As a rule, the daughter nucleus is in a highly excited state, which is removed by the emission of hard γ-quanta and internal conversion electrons. After the second case, the remaining excitation of the atom is removed by the emission of characteristic γ-quanta and Auger-electrons with characteristic γ-quanta. In addition, explanations are given for the quantum-mechanical reasons for the hard γ-radiation of Tl-208 and Bi-212, which complete the U-232 decay chain. The authors also proposed a tactic for handling uranium containing uranium-232. Since the hard γ-quanta of Tl-208 and Bi-212 appear only at the end of the U-232 decay chain, after its chemical purification from its decay products, U-232 itself does not pose a radiation hazard; therefore, at this time it is advisable to conduct all necessary operations for transporting the material to the plant, fabricating uranium-based fuel containing U-232, and transporting this fuel to the nuclear facility where it will be used.

A combination of factors, including Western European eating habits, physical inactivity and genetic predisposition, lead to a dramatic increase in adipose tissue mass. A special place is occupied by abdominal obesity, in which there is an accumulation of adipose tissue in the mesentery of the small intestine and the omentum. Developing in conditions of visceral obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and systemic inflammation are one of the key components of the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver and pancreas disease, polycystic ovary disease, some forms of cancer (breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colonic and direct intestines). At the same time, the pathogenetic role of adipose tissue is not limited to its participation in the formation of the cardiometabolic continuum and oncogenesis. The most important role of metabolically active fat in the pathogenesis of many respiratory diseases is known, including bronchial asthma, obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension. This paper presents an overview of current data on immunological, pathophysiological and clinical features of the phenotype of the combination of respiratory diseases with overweight and obesity.

Using (bis)diethoxyphosphoryl ferrocene [Fc(O＝P(OEt)2)2] and transition metal carboxylates – [M2(μ-OOCR)4(CH3CN)2], M = CuII, R = tBu, (C5H4)Mn(CO)3 (Cym) or [M3(μ-OOCR)6(CH3CN)2], M = NiII, CoII, R = Cym, a series of heterometallic polymers with metal cores {Cu2Fe}n (1), {Cu2Mn4Fe}n (2) {Ni2Mn4Fe}n (3), and {Co2Mn4Fe}n (4) were obtained under mild conditions. Compounds 1 and 2 showed antibacterial activity against a Mycobacterium smegmatis strain in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare earth (RE)-doped micro/nano-crystals have become a focus of attention due to their potential use as microscopic probes for monitoring local environment parameters, super-resolution imaging and precision tracking, particularly for biological applications. However, the polarization state of upconversion luminescence, especially that of single particles, has been rarely discussed. Here we report a distinct luminescence anisotropy in NaYbF4:Er(2%) microrods, which can be considered as a case of maximal Yb concentration in a series of well-known upconversion systems, NaYF4:Yb(x%),Er(2%). In addition to considerable dominance of the red band in the Er3+ emission spectrum, we have shown that upconversion luminescence is highly sensitive to the polarization state of the laser source. It is worth noting that the high-resolved polarization response provided by the Stark effect and consequent transitions between Stark-split levels, makes NaYbF4:Er micro-rods promising as efficient upconversion probes for orientation tracking. We demonstrate the ability to measure both the rod position with 0.7 μm resolution and its orientation by means of confocal luminescence microscopy. These findings reveal a fundamental insight into the anisotropic character of upconversion luminescence of RE-doped single particles and provide great opportunities for various applications as individual anisotropic probes, especially in biological tissues where dominant red emission is highly desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural immunology is critical in understanding the interplay between the immune response and the infective agent but such studies in T cells and SARS-CoV-2 lag behind those of antibodies and B-cell receptors. Here the authors assess recognition of SARS-CoV-2 spike epitopes and their natural variants by public and private T cell receptors.

In cases when there is a need to visualize the posterior part of the tibia and talus, the subtalar joint and the possibility of performing osteosynthesis or arthrodesis, the most optimal is the posterior surgical approach. The article presents a demonstration of successful arthrodesis of the ankle joint using an LCP plate with angular stability of screws from the posterior surgical approach in a patient with renal osteodystrophy receiving renal replacement therapy. The result of treatment according to the AOFAS scale 4 months after the operation was 70 points, the severity of pain according to the VAS was 1/2 point. Clinical and radiological characteristics were assessed as satisfactory, taking into account the severity of the deformity and the severity of osteoporosis against the background of concomitant pathology.