Clinical, Anamnestic, and Demographic Characteristics of Patients with Myocardial Infarction in Russian Federation According to the Russian Registry of Acute Myocardial Infarction - REGION-IM.

AIM: Based on data from the Russian REGION-MI registry, to characterize patients with myocardial infarction (MI) hospitalized in Russian hospitals, describe their historical, demographic, and clinical characteristics, and compare the results with the data of previous Russian and international registries of acute coronary syndrome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: REGION-MI is a multicenter prospective observational study. The follow-up period was divided into three stages: during the hospital stay, at 6 and 12 months after the inclusion in the registry. Demographic and historic data and information about the present case of MI were entered into the patient's individual record card. RESULTS: The median age of all patients was 63 years; 68% of patients were men. The mean age of women was older than that of men. Among all MI cases, 70% were ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) were older and had more comorbidities than patients with STEMI. The median time from the first symptoms to ECG recording was two hours, and from the first symptoms to CAG 7 hours. CAG was performed in 91% of patients with STEMI and 84% of patients with NSTEMI. Stenting was performed in 69% of patients. Although many patients had a complicated cardiovascular history, at the time of admission only 31.5% of patients were taking at least one drug from the groups of antiplatelets, oral anticoagulants, statins, and beta-blockers. CONCLUSION: Patients with MI in the Russian Federation are younger than patients with MI in European countries. Among the clinical and historical characteristics, conspicuous is the presence of modifiable risk factors in many patients, as well as the presence of a previous diagnosis of ischemic heart disease. Furthermore, a small proportion of patients took statins, antiplatelet agents or anticoagulants at the outpatient stage, which indicates a great reserve of both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in the Russian Federation. The delayed seeking medical help is also noticeable, which indicates the need for increasing the public awareness of the symptoms of MI and the importance of timely hospitalization.

[Energy distribution and ionic selectivity of the bacterial potassium channel].

An explanation for the ionic selectivity of the bacterial potassium channel K(CS)A is offered, which is based on a comparison of energy interactions of lithium, sodium, and potassium cations with the atoms of the selective filter of an protein pore. Using quantum-chemical calculations, the presence of a deeper potential hole for potassium ions was discovered, which explains the energy preferableness in their permeability. It has been shown that the traditional methods of force field AMBER, CHARMM, OPLS in reference parametrization and also at their partial reparametrization give incorrect ratings of energy distribution of ions in the channel.

[Hydrolysis of the bovine insulin B-chain in bidistilled modified water]. / Gidroliz B-tsepi insulina byka v bidistillirovannoi modifitsirovannoi vode.

It was shown that bidistilled modified water substantially enhances the hydrolysis of the peptide the bovine insulin B-chain. The exposure of the peptide to bidistilled modified water for 20 hours at room temperature leads to an almost complete hydrolysis of its molecule into fragments that differ from the initial molecule in elution time from a column in high-performance liquid chromatography.

[Immunomodulating properties of bidistilled modified water]. / Immunomoduliruiushchie svoistva bidistillirovannoi vody.

The effect of bidistilled modified water obtained by treating bidistilled water with static electric field in the cathode compartment of a diaphragm electrolyzer on the production of tumor necrosis factor and activity of natural killer cells of mice was studied. It was found that bidistilled modified water added to cultured murine macrophages increases the tumor necrosis factor production 2.5-3-fold. A similar degree of stimulation of tumor necrosis factor production was observed after peroral administration of bidistilled modified water for 10-25 days. The activity of natural killer cells under these conditions increased by 150%. The stimulation of these immunity system components responsible for the resistance of the organism to tumors led to a suppression of tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice receiving bidistilled modified water.

[Decrease in RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity of recombinant human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase in bidistilled modified water]. / Snizhenie RNK-zavisimoi DNK-polimeraznoi aktivnosti rekombinantnoi obratnoi transkriptazy virusa immunodefitsita cheloveka v bistillirovannoi modifitsirovannoi vode.

It was shown that the exposure of a recombinant reverse transcriptase of human immunodeficiency virus HIV-1 to bidistilled modified water substantially decreases the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity of this enzyme.

[Effect of the bidistilled modified water on bovine serum albumin conformation. Fluorescent spectroscopy data]. / Deistvie bidistillirovannoi modifitsirovannoi vody na konformatsionnoe sostoianie bych'ego syvorotochnogo al'bumina. Otsenka metodami fluorestsentnoi spektroskopii.

It was shown that bidistilled modified water induces a marked decrease in the intensity of intrinsic fluorescence of bovine serum albumin and increases the binding of this protein to the fluorescent probe 1.8 ANS. These effects can be interpreted as a denaturing action of bidistilled modified water on the protein and a change in its conformational state, which is probably caused by changes in the microenvironment of the protein molecule. In addition, a substantial increase in the intrinsic fluorescence of bidistilled modified water, as compared with that of distilled water, was found.

3-D Golgi and image analysis of the olfactory tubercle in schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine morphologic changes in the olfactory tubercle (OT) spiny neurons and astrocytes in schizophrenia (Sch) by means of quantitative 3-D Golgi and immunocytochemical studies. STUDY DESIGN: Free-floating vibrotome sections of postmortem brain tissue from 10 controls and 12 Sch cases were used for Golgi study and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunocytochemistry. A gray level image analysis was applied for quantitative estimation of GFAP-positive astrocytes on uniform, randomly sampled sections. This method is effective for low-contrast objects on an uneven background. Golgi-impregnated OT spiny neurons were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively in three dimensions with a semiautomated microscope-computer system. From digitized image of the neurons, various metric parameters were estimated to characterize the dendritic tree. RESULTS: In cases of Sch, degenerative changes in the dendrites of OT spiny neurons were revealed. A decrease in the maximal radius of the dendritic tree and total length of dendrites were accompanied by an increase in the length density of dendrites. Hypertrophy and a more-intensive GFAP reaction of astrocytes were found in OT of Sch. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, one can hypothesize that OT spiny neurons in Sch are involved in the process of dendritic reorganization, including degenerative changes in dendrites.

[Prestarium treatment of essential hypertension]. / Ispol'zovaniie prestariuma u bol'nykh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu.

The aim of the study was to assess prestarium effects on central and renal hemodynamics, blood lipids in hypertensive subjects. Prestarium was given in a daily dose 4-6 mg to 30 patients with essential hypertension stage II free of cardiac decompensation and renal failure. Echocardiography, tetrapolar chest rheoplethysmography with assessment of hemodynamics, radionuclide tracing of renal blood flow, tests for cholesterol and blood electrolytes were made before treatment, on treatment weeks 2-3 and 12. It was found that prestarium lowers blood pressure and total peripheral vascular resistance. Myocardial conductivity was not affected, whereas renal circulation activated. Low-density lipoproteins cholesterol fell. No significant changes in electrolytes were seen. The drug was well tolerated. In view of good clinical effect and tolerance prestarium is recommended for treatment of essential hypertension stage II in the absence of cardiac decompensation and renal dysfunction.

[Changes in the immunocompetent cell system of the peripheral blood in HIV carriage]. / Izmeneniia v sisteme immunokompetentnykh kletok perifericheskoi krovi pri nositel'stve VICh.

HIV-carriage is characterized by hematological signs such as normocytosis of the general leucocyte count and deviations within normal range of values for myeloid series cells (neutrophiles, eosinophiles, basophiles). A peculiar hematological sign seen in HIV-infection is a finding of a raised content of cellular elements of mononuclear type on a hemogramme of peripheral blood and consistent decrease in the level of small T-lymphocytes against the background of substantial growth of suppressor-killer populations (large lymphocytes and lymphocyte-like mononuclears) as evidenced by a mononucleorogramme of peripheral blood, which fact provide a mechanism of antiviral protection at early stages of HIV-infection. Such changes in hemogrammes of peripheral blood, consistently found in all virus carriers, may be used in clinical settings as an early diagnostic sign of HIV-infection.

[The antibacterial and immunocorrective action of ozone therapy in peritonitis]. / Antibakterial'noe i immunokorrigiruiushchee deistvie ozonoterapii pri peritonite.

Ozone therapy was used in 74 patients with diffuse forms of purulent peritonitis. It allowed to make postoperative lethality 1.7 times less and the amount of complications 1.8 times less as compared with a group of 62 patients where ozone was not used.

[Use of UV-irradiated donor plasma in the treatment of destructive pancreatitis]. / Primenenie obluchennoi UF-luchami donorskoi plazmy v terapii destruktivnogo pankreatita.

Donor plasma exposed to UV rays was included in the complex of measures for the treatment of diffuse pancreonecrosis with marked signs of enzyme toxemia and endogenous intoxication in 14 patients. The irradiation was conducted on an original device in which a [symbol: see text] lamp with a wave length of 253.6 nm was used as the source of radiation. Study of the dynamics of changes in the level of lipid peroxidation, alpha-tocopherol, trypsin, and lipase allows the conclusion that infusion of donor plasma exposed to UV radiation has a favorable effect on processes of detoxification of the organism.

An evaluation of seismic serviceability of water supply networks with application to the San Francisco auxiliary supply system

A nes method is presented for estimating a serviceability of water networks damaged during earthquakes. Several measures are developed for evaluating the serviceability. These seismic serviceability measures are random variables that depend on uncertain parameters such as seismic intensity, water supply, system damage state, and water demand. The determination of the proposed serviceability measures involves hydraulic analyses of water supply systems in various damage states. Commercially available softwares for hydraulic analysis are configured for intact networks and can not be used reliably for heavily damaged and leaking systems. A computer code is developed for the hydraulic analysis of damaged water supply systems. The code eliminates those portions of the network which have negative pressures, and predicts the available flow and pressure at the demand nodes. The hydraulic analysis also accounts for the dependence of C-factors, which represents internal pipe roughness, on the pipe diameter. This dependence is validated by fire flow tests perfomed in San Francisco. The code has capabilities of simulating a seismic network perfomance with the uncertain parameters. The serviceability measures and the proposed algorithm for hydraulic analysis are applied to evaluate the seismic serviceability of the Auxiliary Water Supply System in San Francisco. Numerical results of deterministic and stochastic parametric studies show that the algorithm for calculating serviceability measures is robust and efficient.(AU)

Time history analysis of seismic serviceability of a water supply system

A new method is presented for estimating the time-dependent serviceability of water networks damaged during earthquakes. The method accounts for the uncertainty in seismic ground motion, soil conditions, current system damage state, required water demand and the finite supply of water in reservoirs and tanks. The analysis is based on the Monte-Carlo simulation method and involves a large number of hydraulic analyses of a water supply system in various damage states. The hydraulic analysis uses an algorithm that eliminates the portions of the network experiencing negative pressures. A computer code with graphic capabilities, GISALLE, developed at Cornell University is modified for calculating the time-dependent seismic serviceability measures. The Auxiliary Water Supply Syatem in San Francisco and an earthquake of the similar intensity as the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake are used to demonstrate the proposed mothod of analysis.(AU)

Seismic serviceability of water supply systems

Several measures are developed for evaluating the serviceability of water supply systems following seismic events. These seismic serviceability measures are random variables that depend on uncertain parameters such as seismic intensity, system damage state, and water demand. The determination of the proposed serviceability measures involves hydraulic analyses of water supply systems in various damage states. Commercially available softwares for hydraulic analysis are configured for intact networks and can not be used reliably for heavily damaged and leaking systems.(AU)