Proceedings of the First Workshop Organized by the IAFSS Working Group on Measurement and Computation of Fire Phenomena (MaCFP).

This paper provides a report of the discussions held at the first workshop on Measurement and Computation of Fire Phenomena (MaCFP) on June 10-11 2017. The first MaCFP work-shop was both a technical meeting for the gas phase subgroup and a planning meeting for the condensed phase subgroup. The gas phase subgroup reported on a first suite of experimental- computational comparisons corresponding to an initial list of target experiments. The initial list of target experiments identifies a series of benchmark configurations with databases deemed suitable for validation of fire models based on a Computational Fluid Dynamics approach. The simulations presented at the first MaCFP workshop feature fine grid resolution at the millimeter- or centimeter- scale: these simulations allow an evaluation of the performance of fire models under high-resolution conditions in which the impact of numerical errors is reduced and many of the discrepancies between experimental data and computational results may be attributed to modeling errors. The experimental-computational comparisons are archived on the MaCFP repository [1]. Furthermore, the condensed phase subgroup presented a review of the main issues associated with measurements and modeling of pyrolysis phenomena. Overall, the first workshop provided an illustration of the potential of MaCFP in providing a response to the general need for greater levels of integration and coordination in fire research, and specifically to the particular needs of model validation.

[Immunological monitoring of endogenous attack-like psychoses].

To analyze the possibility of using immunological parameters for the assessment of the activity of the process and prediction of the quality and completion of remission, we compared the dynamics of clinical and immunological parameters in 76 patients with endogenous attack-like psychoses during pharmacotherapy of a psychotic episode. Authors confirmed evidence for the activation of innate and adaptive immunity in the acute stage of psychosis as well as the correlation between immunological parameters (leukocyte elastase (LE) activity, alpha(1)-proteinase inhibitor (alpha(1)-PI), the level of autoantibodies to nerve growth factor (Aab-NGF)) and clinical symptoms assessed with the PANSS. The improvement of the clinical state assessed by the reduction in PANSS total score was noted in all patients though there were variations in the dynamics of immunological parameters. The increase of immunological parameters, along with the absence of changes at the discharge from the hospital, suggests that the remission was of low quality and the pathological process did not attenuate. Outpatient examination revealed the different dynamics of psychopathological disorders: stable state in 50% patients, moderate worsening of psychological state in 50% patients. Worsening of clinical symptoms after the discharge and in the outpatient stage was correlated with the elevation of the activity/level of immunological parameters. The changes in LE activity and Aab-NGF level precede the changes in mental state of patients in the following 1-2 months. These parameters may be used for monitoring of patients and prediction of quality and completion of remission.

[EEG-correlates of frontal dysfunction as predictors of relative pharmacoresistance in treatment of endogenous affective disorders].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze background EEG parameters correlated with frontal lobe dysfunction, that might be considered, prospectively, as individual predictors of relative pharmacoresistance (or relatively lower treatment efficacy) in different forms of endogenous affective disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An analysis of a set of several EEG parameters and quantitative clinical assessments has been carried out during the treatment in patients with endogenous depression (group 1), depressive-delusional conditions in the frames of attack-like schizophrenia (group 2), and manic-delusional conditions in the frames of attack-like schizophrenia (group 3). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Statistically significant correlations have been revealed between initial (before treatment course) values of narrow-band EEG spectral power (mainly of beta activity reflected the frontal lobe dysfunction and hyper-activation of brain stem structures) and quantitative clinical assessments of patient's conditions at remission stage. The data obtained allow to justify the basic considerations on the brain mechanisms of different affective disorders, and to reveal possible neurophysiologic predictors of relative pharmacoresistance (or relatively lower treatment efficacy) in patients with endogenous affective disorders.

[Auditory event-related evoked potentials in dynamics of treatment of affective-delusional conditions].

With the aim to study neurophysiologic correlates and to search for some possible predictors of therapeutic response correlation analysis has been carried out of links between temporal parameters of components of auditory event-related potentials (AERPs) and dynamics of quantitative clinical assessments of mental state conditions in two groups of patients--with depressive-delusional conditions (group 1) and with manic-delusional conditions (group 2) in the frames of attack-like schizophrenia. Statistically significant correlations have been revealed between values of peak latencies of main AERPs components and severity of psychopathologic symptoms before beginning of treatment course, as well as between initial (before treatment course) AERPs temporal parameters and quantitative clinical assessments at the stage of remission establishment. Larger severity of residual positive, negative and common psychopathologic symptoms of schizophrenia (and also of depression and anxiety in group 1) after course of treatment was associated with smaller initial (before treatment course) values of peak latencies of "early" (P1 and N1) and with larger initial values of "late" (P2, N2 and P3) AERPs components in both groups of patients. The data obtained allow to justify basic views on brain mechanisms of affective-delusional disorders, and to reveal possible neurophysiologic predictors of treatment efficacy in such disorders.

[Formation of immune proteasomes and development of the immune system in mammalian ontogenesis].

Current concepts of the structure of immune proteasomes and their role in immune response have been considered. The main attention has been paid to the formation of immune proteasomes in secondary lymphoid and nonlymphoid organs during ontogenesis of mammals. The causes of ineffective formation of immune system in early postnatal development have been discussed.

[Oxidative stress as a criterion in environmental assessment]. / Okislitel'nyi stress kak kriterii otsenki okruzhaiushchei sredy.

Environmental changes affect the active oxygen generation and thereby involve the oxidative stress. Estimation of the active oxygen metabolism as a method of biotesting is discussed. The results of measurement of specific superoxide dismutase suggest that this approach may be used for environmental assessment.

[Phleboscintigraphy in the diagnosis of diseases of leg veins]. / Flebostsintigrafiia v diagnostike zabolevanii ven nizhnikh konechnostei.

The authors worked out the methods of staged radionuclide phleboscintigraphy and defined its clinical importance for examination of patients with chronic venous insufficiency of the lower limbs using a gamma-chamber without an image synchronized with a moving table. Altogether 26 patients with various forms of lower limb venous insufficiency were examined. A normal phleboscintigram and radionuclide semiotics of the main lesions of the lower limb veins were described. The method of staged radionuclide phleboscintigraphy permits one to obtain a good image of the iliofemoral venous segment and vena cava inferior in minimum radiation exposure and traumatism.

[Karyosphere and nuclear envelope ultrastructure of oocytes of the common frog Rana temporaria after nuclease treatment and extraction of chromatin and alkali-soluble proteins]. / Ul'trastruktura kariosfery i iadernoi obolochki ootsitov travianoi liagushki Rana temporaria posle obrabotki nukleazami i ékstraktsii khromatina i shchelocherastvorimykh belkov.

The late oocyte karyosphere of Rana temporaria consists mainly of fibrillar nucleoli and micronucleoli, Fibrillar material containing the pore complexes (pseudomembranes) and modified synaptonemal complexes. Nuclease treatment of the karyosphere reveals regularly repeating bands in the nuclei and micronuclei, the fibrillar material associated with the nuclei being attenuated. After a subsequent treatment with DNase-1, RNase A and 1.5 M Nacl and karyosphere is disintegrated to involve remains of extracted nucleoli and fibrillar material containing pore complexes. 0.025 N NaOH extracted the bulk of the karyosphere and left only the islets if fibrillar material. The nuclear envelope proved to be far more stable to the above treatments. It retained its structure and was loosened partly only after 1.5 M NaCl or 0.025 N NaOH extraction, the pore complexes disappearing only after alkaline extraction. It is assumed that the karyosphere represents a skeletal structure (matrix) of the oocyte nucleus.