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The single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) provides a large amount of detailed information in the form of fine-grained drifted ionization charge from particle traces. To fully utilize this information, the deposited charge must be accurately extracted from the raw digitized waveforms via a robust signal processing chain. Enabled by the ultra-low noise levels associated with cryogenic electronics in the MicroBooNE detector, the precise extraction of ionization charge from the induction wire planes in a single-phase LArTPC is qualitatively demonstrated on MicroBooNE data with event display images, and quantitatively demonstrated via waveform-level and track-level metrics. Improved performance of induction plane calorimetry is demonstrated through the agreement of extracted ionization charge measurements across different wire planes for various event topologies. In addition to the comprehensive waveform-level comparison of data and simulation, a calibration of the cryogenic electronics response is presented and solutions to various MicroBooNE-specific TPC issues are discussed. This work presents an important improvement in LArTPC signal processing, the foundation of reconstruction and therefore physics analyses in MicroBooNE.

We describe the concept and procedure of drifted-charge extraction developed in the MicroBooNE experiment, a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC). This technique converts the raw digitized TPC waveform to the number of ionization electrons passing through a wire plane at a given time. A robust recovery of the number of ionization electrons from both induction and collection anode wire planes will augment the 3D reconstruction, and is particularly important for tomographic reconstruction algorithms. A number of building blocks of the overall procedure are described. The performance of the signal processing is quantitatively evaluated by comparing extracted charge with the true charge through a detailed TPC detector simulation taking into account position-dependent induced current inside a single wire region and across multiple wires. Some areas for further improvement of the performance of the charge extraction procedure are also discussed.

The development and operation of liquid-argon time-projection chambers for neutrino physics has created a need for new approaches to pattern recognition in order to fully exploit the imaging capabilities offered by this technology. Whereas the human brain can excel at identifying features in the recorded events, it is a significant challenge to develop an automated, algorithmic solution. The Pandora Software Development Kit provides functionality to aid the design and implementation of pattern-recognition algorithms. It promotes the use of a multi-algorithm approach to pattern recognition, in which individual algorithms each address a specific task in a particular topology. Many tens of algorithms then carefully build up a picture of the event and, together, provide a robust automated pattern-recognition solution. This paper describes details of the chain of over one hundred Pandora algorithms and tools used to reconstruct cosmic-ray muon and neutrino events in the MicroBooNE detector. Metrics that assess the current pattern-recognition performance are presented for simulated MicroBooNE events, using a selection of final-state event topologies.

The article presents results of a regional project to prevent and reduce the prevalence of alcohol consumption among women in the Republic of Khakassia (Eastern Siberia, Russian Federation). In addition to the main preventive goal of reducing alcohol consumption among groups of women covered by the project, there was an objective to conduct screening using the AUDIT test and provide motivational counseling in case of identifying alcohol-related problems. 691 women took part in screening, among them 202 at enterprises of the Republic of Khakassia, and 489 when seeking social/psychological support to the Khakass Republican Branch of the Russian Red Cross, as well as to local branches of the Red Cross in other cities of the Republic of Khakassia. Levels of risk related to alcohol use were identified, based on the results of the screening the studied groups of women. Depending on the risk level, three types of socio-psychological interventions were carried out: informing about harmful consequences of alcohol use and the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle; motivational counseling; motivating women for treatment of dependency.Majority of women who were screened at workplaces were more likely to use alcohol with low risk (78.2%), much smaller proportion of women had risky alcohol consumption (14.4%), alcohol consumption with harmful consequences (2.5%) or signs of alcohol dependency (2.0%). Among women who applied for social and psychological support to branches of the Russian Red Cross, prevalence of low-risk use was lower (43.4%), and risky alcohol use (31.3%), alcohol use with harmful consequences (10.6%) or signs of alcohol dependency (14.5%) were significantly higher.

L.A. Fadeeva is the author of numerous publications and key co-author of fundamental encyclopedias published by the Russian Academy of Sciences (Identity: The Individual, Society and Politics. An Encyclopedia, 2017) and the Russian Political Science Association (Trends and problems of the development of Russian political science in the global context: Tradition, reception and innovation, 2018), representing the leading scientific school for identity studies in Russia (see: Perm School of Political Science: Sources, Development, Content, 2019), who has served multiple times as guest editor for the thematic issues of the best Russian political science journals on this topic (Political science (RU), 2020, No. 4). In this introductory article, our guest editor L.A. Fadeeva presents the materials of the current issue of our journal, interpreting their cross-cutting themes as the politicization of the non-political through the prism of identity processes at the macro-regional, regional and national levels.

In the article, identity politics is understood as an intentional policy towards forcing and maintaining a macro-political identity. The authors also refer to the traditional understanding of identity politics as a political course focused on protecting the rights of oppressed (deprived) minorities. The object of the research is the European countries of the post-Soviet space. The authors emphasize the dominance of the international (European) vector of political identity, based on the position declared in official speeches and confirmed in the media and history textbooks. The authors identify several stages that determine the algorithm of identity politics in the Baltic countries, the Ukraine and Belarus. They give examples of how in modern conditions the reference to value orientations actualizes the classical understanding of identity politics, at the same time exacerbating the confrontation between the countries that have chosen the European vector and those who hesitate or do not have such a chance.

Caspy et al. report the structure of PSI from a temperature-sensitive photoautotrophic PSII mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (TSP4), and report the distribution of conserved water molecules in the structure from cyanobacterial to higher plant PSI. They suggest that the asymmetric distribution of water molecules near the electron transfer chain modulates the electron transfer from quinones to FX.

The study of parental burnout of fathers as well as mothers is relevant, since it may be the source of family trouble in general. The purpose of the study is to identify the factors of parental burnout of fathers and mothers. It is assumed that there are multidirectional correlations between the intensity of parental burnout components and parental sets, the attitude of spouses to the family role, and the consistency of the family functions of fathers and mothers. The study was carried out on a sample of parents of full families in Saratov, raising biological children (N = 61, 40 women (aged M = 32), 21 men (M = 33.9)). The applied methods include the questionnaires "Parental Burnout" (I. N. Efimova); "Role Expectations and Claims in Marriage" (N. A. Volkova), "Parental Attitude Research Instrument " (E. S. Schaefer and R. K. Bell, adapted by T. V. Nescheret and T. V. Arkhireeva), the questionnaire on marital satisfaction (V. V. Stolin, T. L. Romanova, G. P. Butenko). The largest number of correlations between the parameters of parental burnout and parental sets, the attitude of spouses to the family role and family functions have been revealed in the sample of mothers. It has been found out that in both samples the leve of "emotional exhaustion" is interrelated with the parental predisposition to excessive strictness towards the child. However, the emotional exhaustion of mothers is more mediated by their dependence on the family and low self-assessment as a parent, whereas fathers’ burnout is due to the focus on the child and the desire to accelerate their development. The level of "depersonalization" in the sample of mothers correlates with the level of their concentration on the child, the consistency of family functions ("emotional and psychotherapeutic", "social activity", "physical attractiveness of the partner"), and marital satisfaction. In the sample of fathers, it correlates with the scales related to the sphere of marital relations (physical attractiveness of the partner, the degree of the father’s involvement in family affairs and marital satisfaction). The degree of the "parental achievements reduction" in the sample of mothers is associated with the balance of "intimacyseparateness" or its lack in the family system; in the sample of fathers it is connected with the availability or lack of verbal contact with the child and the father's acceptance of the child’s natural development. The applied aspect of the problem under study consists of the possibility of using the results in the practice of advisory services.

Summary. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a severe chronic childhood disease that affects not only the joints but is also accompanied by various comorbid conditions, among which eye damage (uveitis) is the most common. In addition to a significant impact on the general condition of the child, this disease also affects the main indicators of quality of life: physical activity, emotional activity, activity in educational institutions, and the social sphere. During the period of active study of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients quality of life, a decrease in its overall level is noted due to almost all components, but physical activity shows the lowest values in some studies, which is associated with joint damage, activity, and duration of the disease. Objective. To determine the state of physical functioning and assess the overall level of quality of life in patients with JIA, considering the subtype of the disease duration and the therapy complex. Materials and Methods. The study was carried out at SI "Institute for Children and Adolescents Health Care of the NAMS of Ukraine", Kharkiv, from November 2020 till November 2021. There 118 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis were examined, including 47 with polyarticular, 43 with oligoarticular, 28 with uveitis-associated subtypes. The investigation involved 77 girls and 41 boys in age from 2 till 18 years old. The therapy by methotrexate was provided in 111 patients, among them 30 had methotrexate with immunobiological therapy (29 adalimumab, 1 – tocilizumab), 6 – sulfasalazine. The disease duration due to disease subtype was in children with polyarthritis – (49,2±6,7), oligoarthritis – (35,4±4,2), uveitis-associated subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis – (76,8±10,2) months. Disease activity was assessed using the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score 27-joint reduced count questionnaire, functional state according to he Child Health Assessment Questionnaire and quality of life according to PedsQLTM 4.0 Generic Core Scales. Results. It was found that high juvenile idiopathic arthritis activity was observed in 31 (26.2%) patients, equally often in all subgroups of children. Index functional state did not show a significant decrease either in the whole group or in each of the arthritis subgroups. The overall indicator of quality of life in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis was reduced in the whole group (71.2±1.4 and 72.9±1.4 per week and month). There was no significant difference between the quality of life indicators of boys and girls. at the same time, physical activity indicators were the lowest in the group with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, regardless of gender and age of children, and especially low in children with polyarthritis in the first year of the disease. They also turned out to be worse in children with uveitis-associated subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis with the disease from one to three years. The highest level of the physical component of quality of life was observed in children with oligoarthritis older than 14 years and in children under 8 years of age in the uveitis-associated subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis group. There was no significant effect on the physical indicators of quality of life of the start treatment timing. (р≤0,05). Conclusions. A decrease in quality of life and its physical component is typical for children with different types of juvenile idiopathic arthriti (oligoarticular, polyarticular, and uveitis-associated subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis). It has been established that children with polyarticular subtype of arthritis have the greatest decrease in quality of life and physical functioning.

Aim. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of long-term continuous use of Avegra BIOCAD (international nonproprietary name INN: bevacizumab) as a targeted therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in real-world practice. Materials and methods. The paper presents the interim results of a multicenter prospective observational post-approval study of the safety and efficacy of Avegra BIOCAD (INN: bevacizumab) combined with chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Inclusion criteria: histology verified diagnosis of metastatic colorectal cancer; therapy with bevacizumab (by JSC BIOCAD, Russia) to all patients included in the study, as part of real-world clinical practice, at a dose of 5 mg/kg every 2 weeks or 7.5 mg/kg every 3 weeks in combination with standard cytotoxic regimens (FOLFOX 6, XELOX, etc.). The main safety criteria are the incidence of adverse reactions to bevacizumab and the rate of treatment withdrawal due to the development of adverse reactions to bevacizumab. Additional criteria are objective response rate (complete and partial response to therapy), disease control rate (ORR and stable disease), and rate of disease progression. Results. At the time of the interim analysis, 441 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in 28 research centers of the Russian Federation (Moscow, Saint Petersburg and regional clinics) were included in the study. Median age of patients is 62 (2887) years. Patients had an ECOG performance status of 01, with a median follow-up of 7.3 months. After the therapy, the disease control rate was 79.5%. The median PFS was 8 months (95% CI 7.04 to 9.00). The median OS was not reached. Toxicity associated with bevacizumab manifested predominantly as arterial hypertension (3%), diarrhea (1,1%) and asthenia (0.9%). Nine (2.1%) SARs were observed; three (0.6%) of them (COVID-19, intestinal obstruction, multiple organ failure) resulted in mortality. The obtained results are well consistent with the previously known bevacizumab safety profile characteristics. Conclusion. The interim analysis results confirm the favorable safety profile and high efficacy of Avegra BIOCAD (INN: bevacizumab) combined with standard cytotoxic regimens (FOLFOX, XELOX, etc.) as first-line therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The real-world data for ORR and PFS are comparable with clinical trials results. At the time of the interim analysis publication, the study is ongoing. Final conclusions on the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab (by JSC BIOCAD, Russia), will be made after the study is completed.

The spread of strains of microorganisms that are multidrug resistant to modern antimicrobial drugs is still an urgent problem in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases and public health in general.Currently, the possibility of using metal nanopreparations in various fields of medicine is being actively studied. Nanoparticles of metals and metal oxides are promising antimicrobial agents and are attracting growing interest due to their effectiveness. Nanoscale copper metal particles have shown high antimicrobial activity againstvarious types of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungi. Taking into account the potential of copper nanoparticles in antimicrobial therapy, we present an overview of the current state of research related to their antimicrobial properties, consideration of the mechanisms of action, key factors affecting antimicrobial activity, including the polymer matrix. The issues of toxicity and resistance to copper are considered. The advantage of copper nanoparticles over other metal nanoparticles is shown.The studies summarized in this review have shown the promise of copper nanoparticles in the creation of new antimicrobial drugs that can be used in the future to control, prevent, and treat various diseases.

Abstract The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is one of the most frequently used screening instrument for hazardous and harmful use of alcohol and potential alcohol dependence in primary health care (PHC) and other settings worldwide. It has been translated into many languages and adapted and modified for use in some countries, following formal adaptation procedures and validation studies. In the Russian Federation, the AUDIT has been used in different settings and by different health professionals, including addiction specialists (narcologists). In 2017, it was included as a screening instrument in the national guidelines of routine preventive health checks at the population-level (dispanserization). However, various Russian translations of the AUDIT are known to be in use in different settings and, so far, little is known about the empirical basis and validation of the instrument in Russia—a country, which is known for its distinct drinking patterns and their detrimental impact on health. The present contribution is the summary of two systematic reviews that were carried out to inform a planned national validation study of the AUDIT in Russia. Two systematic searches were carried out to 1) identify all validation efforts of the AUDIT in Russia and to document all reported problems encountered, and 2) identify all globally existing Russian translations of the AUDIT and document their differences and any reported issues in their application. The qualitative narrative synthesis of all studies that met the inclusion criteria of the first search highlighted the absence of any large-scale rigorous validation study of the AUDIT in primary health care in Russia, while a document analysis of all of the 122 Russian translations has revealed 61 unique versions, most of which contained inconsistencies and signaled obvious application challenges of the test. The results clearly signal the need for a validation study of the Russian AUDIT.

The uninterrupted phenological monitoring has been carried out at Peter the Great Botanic Garden of the Komarov Botanical Institute (Saint-Petersburg, Russia) since 1980. The analysis of the dates of seasons beginning and duration during 42 years of observations (1980-2021) has shown that the duration of winter period has decreased from 32 % to 29 % comparing with 1953-1981, if we compare the period of the past 20 years - from 32 % to 26 %. The summer season has enlarged since 19 % till 24 %. The spring season has the tendency to shortening (from 23 % till 22 %). In condition of the warming of the climate of Saint-Petersburg at the 21 century there is the tendency of enlarging of the autumn season, especially of its second half. In such conditions those woody plants which had the forced end of vegetation, nowadays have the possibility to finish it successfully and to prepare for wintering. Warm winters promote to widen the cultural habitat of warm-loving exotic trees and shrubs. The observations on indicators of the Calendar of Nature let us give the phenological estimation of short periodically oscillations of climate and of its modern warming, using the long years dendrophenological and meteorological information.

Introduction: The veteran population in the UK has been decreasing, however, there remains a proportion of veterans and their families who continue to experience multiple and complex health, financial, and social needs. The complex problems tend to exacerbate each other and deepen over time if appropriate support is not provided. Identifying the veterans with complex needs is crucial for effective support by military charities and health and social care services. The present research aims to develop a complex needs indicator for the veteran population (CNIV) that will quantify complexity and help to identify the risk of having or developing complex needs. Methods: The development of the CNIV will be informed by the guidance for constructing composite indicators. The data on grant support received by veterans’ beneficiaries from the UK Royal Marine and SSFA charities will be used for designing the indicator and evaluating its robustness. The crucial step in constructing the indicator is assigning weights to different needs and risk factors associated with complex cases. Factor analysis (FA) and analytical network process (ANP) will be used as weighting methods for the analysed variables. Conclusion: The development of CNIV has important implications for research and practice, such as the potential to be used as a screening tool for identifying complex cases, improved provision of the targeted support to veterans, assessing the scope of complex problems among veterans within the country and informing policy makers and a more general audience of the complexity of need within the sector.

Pathological aseptic calcification is the most common form of structural valvular degeneration (SVD), leading to premature failure of heart valve bioprostheses (BHVs). The processing methods used to obtain GA-fixed pericardium-based biomaterials determine the hemodynamic characteristics and durability of BHVs. This article presents a comparative study of the effects of several processing methods on the degree of damage to the ECM of GA-fixed pericardium-based biomaterials as well as on their biostability, biocompatibility, and resistance to calcification. Based on the assumption that preservation of the native ECM structure will enable the creation of calcinosis-resistant materials, this study provides a soft biomimetic approach for the manufacture of GA-fixed biomaterials using gentle decellularization and washing methods. It has been shown that the use of soft methods for preimplantation processing of materials, ensuring maximum preservation of the intactness of the pericardial ECM, radically increases the resistance of biomaterials to calcification. These obtained data are of interest for the development of new calcinosis-resistant biomaterials for the manufacture of BHVs.

According to the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases that do not spread from person to person, are one of the major burdens on public health and cause approximately 28 premature deaths worldwide every minute and close to 74% of deaths globally each year [...]

Green alga Chlorella ohadii is known for its ability to carry out photosynthesis under harsh conditions. Using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM), we obtained a high-resolution structure of PSII at 2.72 Å. This structure revealed 64 subunits, which encompassed 386 chlorophylls, 86 carotenoids, four plastoquinones, and several structural lipids. At the luminal side of PSII, a unique subunit arrangement was observed to protect the oxygen-evolving complex. This arrangement involved PsbO (OEE1), PsbP (OEE2), PsbB, and PsbU (a homolog of plant OEE3). PsbU interacted with PsbO, PsbC, and PsbP, thereby stabilizing the shield of the oxygen-evolving complex. Significant changes were also observed at the stromal electron acceptor side. PsbY, identified as a transmembrane helix, was situated alongside PsbF and PsbE, which enclosed cytochrome b559. Supported by the adjacent C-terminal helix of Psb10, these four transmembrane helices formed a bundle that shielded cytochrome b559 from the surrounding solvent. Moreover, the bulk of Psb10 formed a protective cap, which safeguarded the quinone site and likely contributed to the stacking of PSII complexes. Based on our findings, we propose a protective mechanism that prevents QB (plastoquinone B) from becoming fully reduced. This mechanism offers insights into the regulation of electron transfer within PSII.

Introduction: the article investigates theoretical, legal and organizational foundations for participation of volunteers in the social adaptation of individuals convicted to noncustodial punishments. Aim: we review theoretical, legal and organizational foundations of the work of volunteers in the field of execution of sentences in Russia and foreign countries and show the prospects for their participation in the social adaptation of individuals convicted without isolation from society in our country. Methods: comparative legal, empirical methods of description, interpretation, theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic, private scientific methods: legal-dogmatic and method of interpretation of legal norms. Results: in the life of those convicted to non-custodial punishments, volunteerism performs mobilization, regulatory, stimulating, communicative functions, as well as the functions of socialization and self-affirmation. Conclusions: we propose to supplement the list of activities in respect of which the federal executive authorities, executive authorities of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and local government bodies approve the procedure for interaction between state and municipal institutions and volunteers, with one more type of activity such as assistance in the work of institutions and bodies executing sentences, participation in the reformation of convicts and their social adaptation. We substantiate the proposals on assigning the state authorities of the Russian Federation, constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and local government bodies the obligation to provide organizational, informational, methodological and other support to the subjects of voluntary (volunteer) activities that promote the work of institutions and bodies executing sentences, to take into account the voluntary (volunteer) activity of the convicted person when determining the degree of their reformation, recognition of the active participation of the person convicted to noncustodial punishment in voluntary (volunteer) activities as the basis for applying incentive measures to such convicts.

The article presents the results of a comparative analysis of the original and secondary texts of media discourse aimed at identifying the ways to localize and internationalize the verbal content of news websites. The study has been conducted on the material of news hypertexts in four languages – Russian, English, German and French, posted on the international Internet resource rt.com, Business Insider news portal, National Review newspaper, RTD Documentary Channel, L'Express journal. The authors substantiate the importance of using the terms 'localization' and 'internationalization' in translation studies to name inter-language transformations used in creating news messages, and analyze the definitions of these concepts in the frameworks of linguistics. The analysis shows that in many cases the standard translation model "source text – translation text", which presupposes a certain level of semantic equivalence, loses its relevance, since the secondary text is a new verbal product. It has been shown that the localized verbal space of the analyzed international media websites is created through the use of the following translation techniques: addition / omission of information in accordance with the pragmatic characteristics of readers, inclusion of culture-specific vocabulary in the secondary text, explication of toponyms and proper names, neutralization of imagery, omission of precision vocabulary, indication of a personal viewpoint of a secondary text's author, historical reference to allusions. It has also been revealed that internationalization of texts is performed through omission of cultural markers, addition of phrases emphasizing the view on the country "from outside", explication of toponyms, replacing proper names with generalized lexemes, as well as by indicating the positions of English-speaking countries on topical issues.

Diagnosis of disorders that determine the clinical manifestations of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) can cause certain difficulties: children with intrauterine alcohol exposure have a fairly wide range of physical, cognitive and behavioral features. The severity of disorders varies, which is determined mainly by the period when mother consumed alcohol (1st, 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy), as well as frequency and amount of alcohol consumed. This article presents results of the second stage of the study among school students 7-10 year of age to identify and assess dysmorphological disorders that have arisen due to prenatal exposure to ethanol. During the first stage of the study, 77 students with delayed physical development (height and weight at the level of the 10th centile and less) were identified with anamnestic data about their mothers’ drinking alcohol during pregnancy. All children were included in the second stage of the study for detailed dysmorphological assessment. Diagnostics was carried out in two directions: criterial, including determining presence or absence of disorders, and if any, determining the severity of facial phenotype of FAS (short palpebral fissure lengths, smooth philtrum, thin upper lip); and descriptive, including determining presence or absence of disorders, and if any, determining severity of other dysmorphological disorders associated with FAS (face shape, features of the eyes, shape of the ears, features of the nostrils and lips, features of the structure of the hands). According to the results of the criteria-based diagnostics, 11 (14.3%) out of 77 children had typical facial anomalies or facial phenotype typical for FAS. 4 children had full correspondence of facial anomalies to severe, and 7 children to moderate. According to results of syndromic diagnosis, all children had from 1 to 6 signs of dysmorphological manifestations of FAS, represented by: upper palmar fold in the form of a «hockey stick» in 42.9%; altered ear configurations in the form of a «railway track» in 42.9%; short palpebral fissure lengths in 41.6%; smooth philtrum in 41.6%; thin upper lip in 41.6%; strabismus in 37.7%; clinodactyly of the 5th finger in 37.7%; small midface in 23.4%.

Orthopedic infections pose severe societal and economic burden and interfere with the capability of the implanted devices to integrate in the host bone, thus significantly increasing implants failure rate. To address infection and promote integration, here nanostructured antibacterial and bioactive thin films are proposed, obtained, for the first time, by Ionized Jet Deposition (IJD) of silver-substituted tricalcium phosphate (Ag-TCP) targets on titanium. Coatings morphology, composition and mechanical properties are characterized and proof-of-concept of biocompatibility is shown. Antimicrobial efficacy is investigated against four Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains and against C. albicans fungus, by investigating the modifications in planktonic bacterial growth in the absence and presence of silver. Then, for all bacterial strains, the capability of the film to inhibit bacterial adhesion is also tested. Results indicate that IJD permits a fine control over films composition and morphology and deposition of films with suitable mechanical properties. Biological studies show a good efficacy against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and against fungus Candida albicans, with evidences of efficacy against planktonic growth and significant reduction of bacterial cell adhesion. No cytotoxic effects are evidenced for equine adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs), as no reductions are caused to cells viability and no interference is assessed in cells differentiation towards osteogenic lineage, in the presence of silver. Instead, thanks to nanostructuration and biomimetic composition, tricalcium phosphate (TCP) coatings favor cells viability, also when silver-substituted. These findings show that silver-substituted nanostructured coatings are promising for orthopedic implant applications.

Abstract For bone replacement materials, osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and osteogenic properties are desired. The bacterial resistance and the need for new antibacterial strategies stand among the most challenging tasks of the modern medicine. In this work, brushite cements based on powders of Zinc (Zn) (1.4 wt%) substituted tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and non-substituted β-TCP were prepared and investigated. Their initial and final phase composition, time of setting, morphology, pH evolution, and compressive strength are reported. After soaking for 60 days in physiological solution, the cements transformed into a mixture of brushite and hydroxyapatite. Antibacterial activity of the cements against Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria strains was attested. The absence of cytotoxicity of cements was proved for murine fibroblast NCTC L929 cells. Moreover, the cell viability on the β-TCP cement containing Zn2+ ions was 10% higher compared to the β-TCP cement without zinc. The developed cements are perspective for applications in orthopedics and traumatology.

Aim: to identify the risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDМ) and predictors of perinatal lesions of central nervous system (CNS) combined with GDМ and maternal obesity.Materials and Methods. А retrospective observational case-control non-combined study was conducted to determine GDМ risk factors and their effect on perinatal pathology in 250 women divided into 2 groups. The main group included 150 pregnant women diagnosed with GDМ, the control group – 100 pregnant women without carbohydrate metabolism disorders. An assessment of hereditary, obstetric and gynecological history, as well as somatic health was carried out. Patients from the main group were subdivided into smaller groups: 1А (n = 77) – mothers whose newborns postnatally exerted adverse perinatal outcomes associated with impacting maternal hyperglycemia, and 1В (n = 73) – mothers whose newborns were born healthy. CHAID method (Chi Squared Automatic Interaction Detection) was used to create an algorithm for predicting adverse perinatal outcomes in GDМ. Аt the second stage, a single-center prospective observational non-combined cohort study was conducted to assess an effect of maternal hyperglycemia on formation of perinatal CNS lesions. Pre-labor concentration of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was measured in the amniotic fluid of full-term fetuses in the group of pregnant women with GDM (n = 33) and in the group of pregnant women lacking carbohydrate metabolism disorders (n = 42).Results. Obesity, late reproductive age, family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, abortions, early reproductive losses, macrosomic delivery in history are the main risk factors for GDM development. An algorithm was developed that allowed to predict a risk of newborn perinatal pathology in mother with GDM with an overall percentage of correct predictions of 68.7 ± 3.8 %. Pre-labor concentration of NSE in the amniotic fluid of full-term fetuses was elevated by 1.68 times (p = 0.006) in women with combined GDM and obesity (5.56 [3.37–6.24] ng/ml) compared to pregnant women with normal weight lacking carbohydrate metabolism disorders (3.29 [1.49–4.89] ng/ml).Conclusion. Pregnant women with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus familial history were featured with most prominent potential of developing perinatal complications. Rise in amniotic fluid NSE level in patients with GDМ corroborates damage of fetal CNS during antenatal period. The maximum NSE level was found in women comorbid with GDM and obesity.

The aim of the study was a comprehensive analysis of the phenotypic and genetic properties of Yersinia pestis strains isolated in the Sarydzhaz and Upper-Naryn high-mountain foci of the Tien Shan in 2019–2020; determination of the present-day population structure and areal of these highly virulent strains of the plague pathogen.Materials and methods. Studies of biochemical properties (fermentation of carbohydrates, nutritional requirements), virulence (in vitro and in laboratory animals), molecular-genetic analysis and whole genome sequencing of Y. pestis strains isolated in the Sarydzhaz and Upper-Naryn high-mountain foci in 2019–2020 have been carried out. We used Y. pestis strains from the foci of the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alai dated 1928–2016 for the comparison. Whole genome sequencing was performed using the Ion S5 XL System. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the basis of 1443 identified core SNPs in 36 Y. pestis strains of various phylogenetic lines included in the analysis. The construction of dendrograms was carried out using the Maximum Likelihood algorithm, PHYML program, HKY85 model.Results and discussion. It is established that all Y. pestis strains isolated in the Sarydzhaz and Upper-Naryn high-mountain foci in 2019–2020 belong to the 0.ANT5 phylogenetic branch of the ancient biovar of the main subspecies. Genome-wide sequencing revealed the presence of two 0.ANT5 clones, the first of which consists of strains from the basin of the river Kooylu in the Sarydzhaz focus, dated 2020. The second powerful clone includes the strains of 2012–2020 isolated in the Sarydzhaz and Upper-Naryn foci. The high virulence of the isolated strains has been shown. It was concluded that further study of the territories of the highmountain foci of the Tien Shan and Pamir-Alai is necessary to establish the current boundaries of the 0.ANT5 areal, as well as to identify the circulation areas of Y. pestis of other phylogenetic lineages.

The MicroBooNE detector is a liquid argon time projection chamber at Fermilab designed to study short-baseline neutrino oscillations and neutrino-argon interaction cross-section. Due to its location near the surface, a good understanding of cosmic muons as a source of backgrounds is of fundamental importance for the experiment. We present a method of using an external 0.5 m (L) × 0.5 m (W) muon counter stack, installed above the main detector, to determine the cosmic-ray reconstruction efficiency in MicroBooNE. Data are acquired with this external muon counter stack placed in three different positions, corresponding to cosmic rays intersecting different parts of the detector. The data reconstruction efficiency of tracks in the detector is found to be ϵdata=(97.1±0.1 (stat) ± 1.4 (sys))%, in good agreement with the Monte Carlo reconstruction efficiency ϵMC = (97.4±0.1)%. This analysis represents a small-scale demonstration of the method that can be used with future data coming from a recently installed cosmic-ray tagger system, which will be able to tag ≈80% of the cosmic rays passing through the MicroBooNE detector.

The low-noise operation of readout electronics in a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) is critical to properly extract the distribution of ionization charge deposited on the wire planes of the TPC, especially for the induction planes. This paper describes the characteristics and mitigation of the observed noise in the MicroBooNE detector. The MicroBooNE's single-phase LArTPC comprises two induction planes and one collection sense wire plane with a total of 8256 wires. Current induced on each TPC wire is amplified and shaped by custom low-power, low-noise ASICs immersed in the liquid argon. The digitization of the signal waveform occurs outside the cryostat. Using data from the first year of MicroBooNE operations, several excess noise sources in the TPC were identified and mitigated. The residual equivalent noise charge (ENC) after noise filtering varies with wire length and is found to be below 400 electrons for the longest wires (4.7 m). The response is consistent with the cold electronics design expectations and is found to be stable with time and uniform over the functioning channels. This noise level is significantly lower than previous experiments utilizing warm front-end electronics.