How to Observe the Vacuum Decay in Low-Energy Heavy-Ion Collisions.

In slow collisions of two bare nuclei with the total charge larger than the critical value Z_{cr}≈173, the initially neutral vacuum can spontaneously decay into the charged vacuum and two positrons. The detection of the spontaneous emission of positrons would be direct evidence of this fundamental phenomenon. However, the spontaneously produced particles are indistinguishable from the dynamical background in the positron spectra. We show that the vacuum decay can nevertheless be observed via impact-sensitive measurements of pair-production probabilities. The possibility of such an observation is demonstrated using numerical calculations of pair production in low-energy collisions of heavy nuclei.

[Clinical effectiveness of cytoflavin inclusion in intensive care of patients with combined traumatic brain injury].

Autors determine the clinical effectiveness of including cytoflavin in intensive care of patients with severe combined traumatic brain injury. A prospective blind randomized controlled study was conducted on two groups involving 101 participants. In group I (58 patients), the intensive care was standard. In group II (43 patients), the intensive care included cytoflavin which was added beginning with the second day of the post-traumatic period. For this purpose, 10 ml of cytoflavin was dissolved in 200 ml of 10% aqueous solution of glucose and was administered intravenously at a speed of 140 drops (7 ml) per minute within 7 days. The use of cytoflavin in complex intensive care of severe combined traumatic brain injury within two days after injury (with the proper correction of blood circulation and respiration) reduced the number of multiple organ dysfunctions, the number is purulent-septic complications, the time of regress in multiple organ dysfunctions, and the reanimation period in intensive care department on the average by a factor of 1.4 - 1.6 (p < 0.005).

[Efficiency of intensive care with cytoflavin in patients of advanced age in combined traumatic brain injury].

Research objective--determination of efficiency of intensive care with inclusion Cytoflavin in patients of old age in combined traumatic brain injury. A prospective controlled blind randomized study was conducted. In 1st group (21 people) the patients received a standard intensive care, in 2nd group (18 persons) Cytoflavin was included in complex intensive care. Using Cytoflavin starting from 2 days post-traumatic period (with the correction of blood circulation and respiration) had antioxidant and detoxification effects, contributed to the recovery rate of free radical and metabolic processes, reduced the degree of impairment in the structural-functional state of membranes and restored the conformational structure of membrane proteins in the earlier periods. Reduction in reactions of disadaptation led to regression of multiple organ dysfunctions, restoration the level of consciousness at an earlier date. The number of cases of severe respiratory distress syndrome decreased.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of synapses and dendritic spines in the rat and ground squirrel hippocampus: new structural-functional paradigms for synaptic function.

Published data are reviewed along with our own data on synaptic plasticity and rearrangements of synaptic organelles in the central nervous system. Contemporary laser scanning and confocal microscopy techniques are discussed, along with the use of serial ultrathin sections for in vivo and in vitro studies of dendritic spines, including those addressing relationships between morphological changes and the efficiency of synaptic transmission, especially in conditions of the long-term potentiation model. Different categories of dendritic spines and postsynaptic densities are analyzed, as are the roles of filopodia in originating spines. The role of serial ultrathin sections for unbiased quantitative stereological analysis and three-dimensional reconstruction is assessed. The authors' data on the formation of more than two synapses on single mushroom spines on neurons in hippocampal field CA1 are discussed. Analysis of these data provides evidence for new paradigms in both the organization and functioning of synapses.

[Three-dimensional reconstruction of synapse and dendritic spines in the hippocampus of rats and ground squirrels: new paradigms of the structure and function of a synapse]. / Trekhmernye rekonstruktsii sinapsov i dendritnykh shipikov v gippokampe krys i suslikov: novye strukturno-funktsional'nye paradigmy raboty sinapsa.

The article reviews the literature data and results obtained by the authors concerning synaptic plasticity and remodeling of synaptic organelles in the central nervous system. Modern techniques of laser scanning confocal microscopy and serial thin sectioning for in vivo and in vitro studies of dendritic spines including a correlation between morphological changes and synaptic transmission efficiency are discussed, particularly, in relation to long-term potentiation. Organization of different types of dendritic spines and involvement of filopodia in spine genesis are examined. Significance of serial ultrathin sections for unbiased quantitative stereological analysis and three-dimensional reconstructions is discussed. The contact of one dendritic spine with two presynaptic boutons (multiple synapses) on both CA1 mushroom dendritic spines is discussed. The analyzed findings suggest new ideas for organization and functioning of synapses.