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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global public health problem. Studies in immunological features and their correlations with clinical course of COPD are of importance. The aim of this study was to elucidate clinical and immunological features in COPD of different severity grade, concerning Th1- and Тh17-dependent types of immune response.The study included 132 COPD patients and 32 healthy individuals. According to clinical and functional patterns, the patients with COPD were divided into 3 groups, i.e., 36 cases (28%) of mild severity; 62 individuals (48%), of moderate severity, and 30 patients (23%) of severe clinical grade. We have performed both clinical and immunological evaluation of the patients. The Th1- and Th17-specific lymphocyte subpopulations were assessed according to the serum levels of cytokines, i.e. tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), IL-4, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-21, IFNγ, as well as transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). We have also determined expression of IL-6R receptor (CD126+) on mature T lymphocytes (CD3+) and T helper cells (CD4+) from peripheral blood. We have obtained the following results: the patients with mild-grade COPD exhibited three different T cell phenotypes were determined, with a prevalence of Th1-dependent immune response. The IL-6R were mostly expressed on CD3+CD126+ cells for the Th1/Th17 phenotype, and CD4+CD126+ cells in cases of Th17-dependent type immune response. In patients with COPD of moderate severity, the Th1, Th17, or Th1/Th17 types of immune response was revealed at similar rates. The level of IL-6R expression on mature T lymphocytes and T-helper cells increased to the greatest extent in cases of Th17-dependent immune response. In severe COPD patients, we have found a dominance of Th17 and Th1/Th17 type immune response. The levels of IL-6R expressionwere increased in Th17- and Th1/Th17-dependent types of immune response, the most significant increase was observed for CD4+ cells in Th17 phenotype. Clinical features of COPD proved to be associated with the phenotypes of immune response. These results allow of specifying the inflammatory phenotype, predicting the course of chronic disease, and selecting appropriate therapy.

Objective: to study the features of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of whooping cough in children in the Samara region.Materials and methods: 389 cases of pertussis in the Samara region for 2015–2016 were analyzed.Results: it is shown that in spite of 95–98% vaccination coverage, in recent years there has been an increase in the incidence of whooping cough. Seasonality of morbidity remains. Among the children observed, the youngest children were not vaccinated against pertussis. The clinical picture of the disease remains typical with the classic course of catarrhal and spasmodic periods. Moderately severe forms of the disease predominate. Complications were noted mainly in unvaccinated children of the first year of life. The most frequent complications were pneumonia and apnea. There is a hypodiagnosis of pertussis in outpatient conditions. Infection often occurs under the mask of ARVI, while the sensitivity of the bacteriological method of diagnosis is zero. Of the methods for confirming the diagnosis, the most reliable is ELISA and PCR.Conclusion: these epidemiological and clinical features of pertussis current testify to the need to further improve methods of early diagnosis, especially express methods, etiopathagenetic treatment, specific prevention, antiepidemic measures in the foci of infection.

In addition to the classic Coats’ disease characterized by retinal vascular telangiectasias and aneurysmal dilatations surrounded by yellowish intra- and subretinal exudates and developing in somatically healthy children, Coats’-like retinal changes can occur in a number of systemic diseases and complicate the course of other eye pathologies. One of the diseases that occur with Coats’-like exudative vasculopathy is facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, or Landouzy - Dejerine disease. Systemic manifestations of this pathology are the myodystrophic process, which usually affects muscles of the face and arms and distal muscles of the legs, as well as sensorineural hearing loss, respiratory failure, cardiac arrhythmia, in the infantile form - mental retardation and episyndrome. The paper describes two clinical cases involving children with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, presents the results of treatment, and discusses the importance of a systematic approach in examining patients with Coats’-like retinal changes. For citation: Denisova E.V., Katargina L.A., Kogoleva L.V., Belova M.V., Osipova N.A., Fedoseeva E.V. Eye pathologies in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (case report and literary analysis). Russian ophthalmological journal. 2018; 11 (3): 50-4 (In Russian). doi: 10.21516/2072-0076-2018-11-3-50-54

The article presents the results of the research of the possibility of determining the acid number of sunflower lecithins using the method of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The application of the NMR method will greatly simplify the process of determining the acid number of lecithins and eliminate the influence of a human factor on the results of analyzes.

Objectives. In practice, the process of loose material flowing from hoppers in different technological processes is often disrupted, resulting in reduced processing efficiency of contained loose materials. One of the most common reasons for the interruption of flows is the formation of dynamic arches in the hopper. From this perspective, the aim of the study is to assess the effect of static arches on the efficiency of technological processes in the hopper.Methods. The study was based on a system of differential equations describing the stationary and equilibrium state of the loose medium, which is integrated in the boundary conditions corresponding to round silos and hoppers. In this case, the analytical expressions for the pressure components of loose material in different directions are derived.Results. The obtained solutions are checked for logical consistency and illustrated with the help of graphs constructed in the area of symbolic mathematics for modeled and real parameters of silos and hoppers. The results of mathematical modeling are compared with experimental data for typical silos. The scatter of the experimental values is related to the processes of compacting the loose material, the time of its storage in the silo, as well as the microvibrational directions of a seismic or technogenic nature. The loose material in the silo resides in an intermediate position between stationary and equilibrium states at all times. The parameters of the loose material (bulk density, external and internal friction angles) represent some generalised values that do not correspond to a specific loose material, which, in addition, can vary over time.Conclusion. It is confirmed that arches formed in the hopper during the static state acquire a dynamic character during material flow, hampering the flow process and consequently reducing the efficiency of the hoppers.

The results of the research on the effect of “Pear Powder” food additive on the quality and properties of first grade wheat flour are presented. It’s been determined that adding of the investigated food additive to the first grade wheat flour has a strengthening effect on gluten flour, which converts the gluten flour from quality group II to quality group I. It is shown that adding food additive to wheat flour provides an increase in its gas-forming ability, that is due to the presence of sugars, minerals and organic acids in the additive, that contribute to the intensification of the gassing process.

The article presents data on the effect of the method of application of "Tomato Powder" and "Topinambur Powder" food additives on technological modes of production and quality of sweet bakery products. On the basis of studies technological modes of production of sweet bakery products enriched with "Topinambur Powder" and "Tomato Powder" food additives have been developed. Рroduction recipe of "Topitam" bun enriched with functional ingredients contained in "Topinambur Powder" and "Tomato Powder" food additives has been developed.

The article presents the results of the study of the effect of "Pear powder" food additive on baking pressed yeast activation. It is established that the use of the studied food additive in the process of activating baking pressed yeast has a positive effect on their lifting power. It is revealed that the introduction of the studied "Pear powder" food additive in the amount of 1.5% to the mass of flour at the stage of activation of baking pressed yeast reduces the duration of the activation process by 1 hour.

Objectives. During the design of different types of devices it is important to obtain reliable information concerning both the pressure distribution along the device's walls and the pressure at the level of the eduction gear. Differential equations for the equilibrium and stationary states of the loose medium accounting for the forces of dry friction between its particles are provided in the article.Methods. Both the vertical pressure component z P and its gradient along axis OZ are assumed to depend on the respective radius. Consequently, different forces will act vertically on the neighbouring elementary rings. This leads to the neighbouring outer ring being shifted downwards relative to the one under consideration; conversely the neighbouring inner ring, relative to the latter, will be shifted upwards. Therefore, the forces of dry friction acting on the inner and outer lateral surfaces of the elementary ring under consideration will be directed in opposite directions. The resultant force will be determined by the gradient of the pressure component along the coordinate P . The assumption that the components of the pressure acting on the loose material depend on the coordinates leads to the need to take this force into account.Results. The resulting differential equations are integrated by successive approximation in the boundary conditions corresponding to an extended track hopper; the derived analytical expressions for the pressure components of loose material in the hopper are illustrated with the help of graphs for the actual parameters of the hoppers; the distribution of loose material pressure along the walls of track hoppers is analysed on the basis of loose material concepts as an easily deformed anisotropic medium, which differs in its properties from a liquid and does not obey Pascal's law.Conclusion. The walls of the hopper take on all the load. To save the wall's material, its thickness can be considered not as a constant, but rather as a variable, providing maximum strength at a level of 2/3rds of the height at which vibrators are to be positioned to ensure a continuous flow of loose material from the hopper.

Metal–organic framework (MOF)‐derived carbon composites have been considered as the promising materials for energy storage. However, the construction of MOF‐based composites with highly controllable mode via the liquid–liquid synthesis method has a great challenge because of the simultaneous heterogeneous nucleation on substrates and the self‐nucleation of individual MOF nanocrystals in the liquid phase. Herein, we report a bidirectional electrostatic generated self‐assembly strategy to achieve the precisely controlled coatings of single‐layer nanoscale MOFs on a range of substrates, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene oxide (GO), MXene, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), MOFs, and SiO2. The obtained MOF‐based nanostructured carbon composite exhibits the hierarchical porosity (Vmeso/Vmicro: 2.4), ultrahigh N content of 12.4 at.% and "dual electrical conductive networks." The assembled aqueous zinc‐ion hybrid capacitor (ZIC) with the prepared nanocarbon composite as a cathode shows a high specific capacitance of 236 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, great rate performance of 98 F g−1 at 100 A g−1, and especially, an ultralong cycling stability up to 230 000 cycles with the capacitance retention of 90.1%. This work develops a repeatable and general method for the controlled construction of MOF coatings on various functional substrates and further fabricates carbon composites for ZICs with ultrastability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is characterized by degeneration of retinal ganglion cells associated with an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) due to hindered aqueous humor (AH) drainage through the trabecular meshwork and uveoscleral pathway. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and oxylipins are signaling lipids regulating neuroinflammation, neuronal survival and AH outflow. Among them, prostaglandins have been previously implicated in glaucoma and employed for its treatment. This study addressed the role of signaling lipids in glaucoma by determining their changes in AH accompanying IOP growth and progression of the disease. Eye liquids were collected from patients with POAG of different stages and cataract patients without glaucoma. Lipids were identified and quantified by UPLC-MS/MS. The compounds discriminating glaucoma groups were recognized using ANCOVA and PLS-DA statistic approaches and their biosynthetic pathways were predicted by bioinformatics. Among 22 signaling lipids identified in AH, stage/IOP-dependent alterations in glaucoma were provided by a small set of mediators, including 12,13-DiHOME, 9- and 13-HODE/KODE, arachidonic acid and lyso-PAF. These observations correlated with the expression of cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and phospholipases A2 in the ocular tissues. Interestingly, tear fluid exhibited similar lipidomic alterations in POAG. Overall, POAG may involve arachidonic acid/PAF-dependent pathways and oxidative stress as evidenced from an increase in its markers, KODEs and 12,13-DiHOME. The latter is a product of CYPs, one of which, CYP1B1, is known as POAG and primary congenital glaucoma-associated gene. These data provide novel targets for glaucoma treatment. Oxylipin content of tear fluid may have diagnostic value in POAG.