[Russian version of the neurogenic bladder symptom score (NBSS)].

AIM: The Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Score (NBSS) is widely used now for the bladder symptoms assessment in neurogenic low urinary tract dysfunction. It is suitable for all patients, regardless of a bladder management method. NBSS contains 24 questions, which focus on incontinence, storage and voiding symptoms, urinary complicationsand life quality.With the permission of the authors (Dr.Welk et al.), NBSS had been translated into Russian according to the cultural and lingual adaptation algorithm. OBJECTIVES: Validate the Russian version of NBSS for multiple sclerosis patients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The study included 80respondents: group A - 40 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with neurogenic bladder, group B - 40 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients without bladder dysfunction, group C - healthy controls. All participants filled out the NBSS two times with an interval of two weeks. They also completed other measurement tools (IPSS,OAB Awareness Tool, WHOQOL BREF).Data were used to determine the internal consistency (Cronbachs alfa), external validity (Pearson correlation), and test-re-test reliability with interclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The mean of the NBSS total in the group A was 22.56+/-12.6, which significantly (p<0.001) exceeded score in comparable groups B (6.42+/-2.3) and C (5.31+/-1.9). The Cronbachs alfa of the total and the in continence, storage/voiding, and consequences domains was 0.939, 0,965, 0,801 and 0.712 respectively, which confirms the high internal consistency of the Russian version of the NBSS. External validity was verified by the relevant correlations with other questionnaires. Test-retest reliability was excellent. The interclass correlation coefficients were >0.85 (p<0.001) for all subdomains and the overall score. CONCLUSION: The Russian version of the NBSS demonstrated good validity and reliability and may be recommended for use in clinical practice.

Impact of Clinical Factors on the Achievement of Target Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients from Ivanovo Region of Russia: Data of 2015.

INTRODUCTION: In Russia, blood pressure (BP) control is below the optimal. The little is known about regional features and barriers to adequate BP control in Russian primary care. AIM: To evaluate the impact of clinical factors on achieving the target BP in hypertensive patients in one region of Russia. METHODS: Retrospective medical data of 2015 on 11,129 patients (31.4% male) with hypertension (Htn) from Ivanovo region of Russia were examined. Achievement of target BP was assessed in all patients. We study association between BP control and clinical factors. RESULTS: 45.9% of studied patients with Htn had controlled BP. The frequency of achieving the target BP in subsets of hypertensive patients was 37.8% in patients with diabetes, 39.5% in patients with coronary artery disease, and 29.9% in patients with chronic heart failure. The main clinical factors associated with achieving the target BP in studied hypertensive patients were the advice on alcohol consumption, advice on smoking cessation, and advice on weight reduction. Therapy with main antihypertensive drugs (in particular, beta-blockers and thiazide diuretics) were also factors of optimal BP control in these patients. Comorbidities (chronic heart failure and cardiovascular diseases requiring the prescription of aspirin and statins) and family history of coronary artery disease were associated with inadequate BP control. A negative effect of some antihypertensive drugs (potassium sparing diuretics, ARBs, ACE-Is, and dihydropyridine CCBs) on BP control that was found out in our study requires further investigation. Other studied factors had no influence on BP control in patients with Htn from Ivanovo region. CONCLUSION: We identified regional factors of BP control in hypertensive patients from Ivanovo region of Russia. It is shown that individual medical education (in particular, medical advices) is the most important factor of optimal BP control. The intervention with antihypertensive therapy (beta-blockers and thiazide diuretics) facilitates the achievement of target BP. Comorbidity and age reduce the frequency of achieving the target BP.

Description and benefits of dynamic collimation in digital breast tomosynthesis.

X-ray field to image receptor active area alignment is usually tested in mammographic QC. In digital breast tomosynthesis (dBT), the source moves during the acquisition, generating a displacement of the X-ray beam edges relative to the detector, in or out of the detector active area. To minimise unnecessary radiation while maximising the useful field of view, a solution consisting in adjusting the collimation with the source rotation was implemented on the GE SenoClaire dBT system. This solution is described and tested using three different methods based on: (1) images from the detector, (2) a non-screen film and (3) a semi-conductor tool providing the X-ray intensity profile. Method 1 demonstrated a maximum positioning error of 0.3 mm. Method 2 was found non-applicable; Method 3 provided measurements within 1.5 mm. Dynamic collimation enables maintaining an X-ray field to detector congruence comparable with 2D. Measuring the position of the X-ray field edges using a dedicated tool makes routine QC possible.

TIMES-SS--recent refinements resulting from an industrial skin sensitisation consortium.

The TImes MEtabolism Simulator platform for predicting Skin Sensitisation (TIMES-SS) is a hybrid expert system, first developed at Bourgas University using funding and data from a consortium of industry and regulators. TIMES-SS encodes structure-toxicity and structure-skin metabolism relationships through a number of transformations, some of which are underpinned by mechanistic 3D QSARs. The model estimates semi-quantitative skin sensitisation potency classes and has been developed with the aim of minimising animal testing, and also to be scientifically valid in accordance with the OECD principles for (Q)SAR validation. In 2007 an external validation exercise was undertaken to fully address these principles. In 2010, a new industry consortium was established to coordinate research efforts in three specific areas: refinement of abiotic reactions in the skin (namely autoxidation) in the skin, refinement of the manner in which chemical reactivity was captured in terms of structure-toxicity rules (inclusion of alert reliability parameters) and defining the domain based on the underlying experimental data (study of discrepancies between local lymph node assay Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA) and Guinea Pig Maximisation Test (GPMT)). The present paper summarises the progress of these activities and explains how the insights derived have been translated into refinements, resulting in increased confidence and transparency in the robustness of the TIMES-SS predictions.

Nutrient sensing systems for rapid activation of the protein kinase A pathway in yeast.

The cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) pathway in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae controls a variety of properties that depend on the nutrient composition of the medium. High activity of the pathway occurs in the presence of rapidly fermented sugars like glucose or sucrose, but only as long as growth is maintained. Growth arrest of fermenting cells or growth on a respiratory carbon source, like glycerol or ethanol, is associated with low activity of the PKA pathway. We have studied how different nutrients trigger rapid activation of the pathway. Glucose and sucrose activate cAMP synthesis through a G-protein-coupled receptor system, consisting of the GPCR Gpr1, the Galpha protein Gpa2 and its RGS protein Rgs2. Glucose is also sensed intracellularly through its phosphorylation. Specific mutations in Gpr1 abolish glucose but not sucrose signalling. Activation of the PKA pathway by addition of a nitrogen source or phosphate to nitrogen- or phosphate-starved cells, respectively, is not mediated by an increase in cAMP. Activation by amino acids is triggered by the general amino acid permease Gap1, which functions as a transporter/receptor. Short truncation of the C-terminus results in constitutively activating alleles. Activation by ammonium uses the ammonium permeases Mep1 and Mep2 as receptor. Specific point mutations in Mep2 uncouple signalling from transport. Activation by phosphate is triggered a.o. by the Pho84 phosphate permease. Several mutations in Pho84 separating transport and signalling or triggering constitutive activation have been obtained.

Lack of direct interaction of metamyzole with the brain opiate receptors of rats.

In earlier studies (Ivanov, Staneva-Stoycheva, 1984) we have found an inhibitory effect of metamyzole (Analgin-Pharmachim) on the contractile responses of electrically stimulated guinea-pig ileum and mouse vas deferens, which is antagonized by naloxone. In the present study an attempt is made to clarify whether these presynaptic effects of metamyzole are due to direct interaction with presynaptic opiate receptors. The method of radioligand binding of /3H/-naloxone to the opiate receptors in a crude membrane fraction of rat brain was used. It was found that in the wide concentration range used (10(-5)-10(-9) M), metamyzole does not compete with /3H/-naloxone for binding to the receptor sites. The biochemical study has shown that the presynaptic opiate receptors do not participate in the mechanism of the presynaptic effects of metamyzole, established in earlier studies.

Changes in the serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline levels in the cerebral cortex of rats trained for active and passive avoidance.

Male Wistar rats were trained for active (shuttle-box) and passive (step-down) conditioned avoidance through negative reinforcement. The memory tests carried out on the 24th hour and on the 7th day after the training revealed that the rats trained for active avoidance demonstrated a considerably higher number of avoidance in both tests, compared with the avoidance shown during the training session. The memory tests on the 24th hour and on the 7th day after training for passive avoidance showed that the rats had mastered the task lastingly. The levels of serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) in the frontal cortex were determined on the 24th hour and on the 7th day after the training, both for active and for passive avoidance. The 5-HT content was considerably increased on the 24th hour after both active and passive avoidance training, whereas on the 7th day its level was unchanged for both types of training. The DA content was slightly increased on the 24th hour and on the 7th day after active avoidance training, though it was considerably reduced on the 24th hour after passive training. The NA level was insignificantly raised on the 24th hour after active avoidance training, being considerably reduced after passive avoidance training. The observed changes in the cortical levels of 5-HT, DA and NA are probably caused to a certain extent by the different stressors used as unconditioned-reflex stimuli during the training for active or passive avoidance.

Chemiluminescence of luminol caused by interaction of cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome C with cumene hydroperoxide: comparative studies.

A comparative study of the interaction of cumene hydroperoxide with cytochrome P-450LM2 and with cytochrome C has been undertaken using the chemiluminescence method in the presence of luminol. Considerable differences in the mechanisms of action of both hemoproteins have been revealed with various inhibitors of radical stages, i.e. superoxide dismutase, mannitol, sodium azide, and alpha-tocopherol. It is shown that molecular oxygen participates in the process of hemoprotein-catalyzed hydroperoxide oxidation of luminol.

Cross modal transfer of a conditional flexion response in dogs.

Two experiments investigated cross modal transfer of a conditional flexion response. In the first experiment, two dogs with extensive experimental past histories transferred a discrimination based on the pattern of presentation of auditory stimuli to a comparable pattern of visual stimuli. A second experiment with a naive dog demonstrated that such stimulus patterning also occurred from visual to auditory modalities. Additional tests showed that transfer was based on the relationship between discriminative stimuli and that the negative stimulus in the second modality was actively inhibitory. The data were discussed with reference to general attentiveness and rudimentary concept learning.