[Characteristics of student response to pandemic in cross-cultural context]. / Osobennosti reagirovaniya studentov pri pandemii v krosskul'tural'nom kontekste.

OBJECTIVE: Of the work is a cross-cultural analysis of the characteristics of student response in a pandemic situation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of students of NSMU and the Kazakh National University. Al-Farabi in the amount of 37 people aged 20 to 23; The battery of psychological methods was compiled by Spielberger and Khanina; Mississippi Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (civil version) and PSM-25 Psychological Stress Scale. RESULTS: 52.7% of respondents showed an average level of stress, 47.3% - a low level, which indicates insufficient psychological adaptation to psychological stress. High rates of personal and situational anxiety were diagnosed in 67.57% of cases; the average level of reactive anxiety - in 29.73% of cases and personal - in 27.03% of respondents. The majority of respondents showed average levels of post-traumatic stress reactions (50%, n=37), while a low level of post-traumatic stress reactions occurs in 11 (14.87%) people, a low level - in 17 (22.97%) people and increased - in 9 (12.16%) people. Stress level indicators tend to have significant differences: the frequency of occurrence of average stress indicators in the sample of students from Kazakhstan is higher (75.6%) compared to Russian students (24.32%) (p<0.05).Adapting to changing academic workloads in a pandemic situation does not contribute to the psychological well-being of students, as evidenced by the results of diagnosing anxiety and post-traumatic stress reactions. The results obtained emphasize the importance of taking into account cultural factors in stressful situations. CONCLUSION: Cross-cultural differences in the level of emotional response of students in a pandemic situation were revealed.

Influence of Surgical Treatment and Neoadjuvant Therapy of Chemically Induced Breast Cancer on Correlation of Cytokine Concentrations in the Lymph with Structural Transformations in the Mesenteric Lymph Nodes.

We performed a correlation analysis of the morphometry of mesenteric lymph nodes and cytokines of the thoracic duct lymph in chemically induced breast cancer (BC) and after surgical treatment of BC and neoadjuvant chemotherapy for BC according to the CMF scheme. After surgical treatment, correlations were found between the level of cytokines in the thoracic duct lymph and morphological changes in the mesenteric lymph nodes. The observed correlations can be a result of total resection of the tumor and increased immunomodulatory and antitumor action of cytokines. Comparison of the effect of chemotherapy and surgical treatment revealed correlations between cytokine concentrations in the lymph and structural changes in the lymph nodes, which can be related to weakening of local immunity and antitumor effect of cytokines.

[Dynamics of personality characteristics in the process of psychocorrective intervention in drug addicts]. / Lichnostnye osobennosti patsientov s narkozavisimost'yu i ikh izmeneniya v protsesse psikhokorrektsionnogo vmeshatel'stva.

OBJECTIVE: To study the dynamics of personality features and features of self-release in drug addicts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 10 drug-dependent patients with whom psycho-correctional work was carried out, 10 drug-dependent patients with whom correctional work was not carried out, and 20 healthy young people. All participants were men aged 20 to 24 years. Personality characteristics were determined by Cattell's 16PF questionnaire and a set of psychological tests. Correction work was carried out by a psychologist (7 sessions, one hour each). In these cases, the patients were examined before and after psychocorrectional intervention. RESULTS: The high levels of sociability, self-esteem and expressiveness combined with low intelligence were identified in drug addicts compared with healthy people. Drug addicts are willing to accept themselves and are interested in their own personality. CONCLUSION: This study is of practical importance and can be used as a material for dealing with people with addictive behavior.

[The severity of neurotic disorders and social masochism in chemical addicts]. / Vyrazhennost' nevroticheskikh rasstroistv i sotsial'nogo mazokhizma u bol'nykh s khimicheskoi addiktsiei.

OBJECTIVE: To study symptoms of neurotic disorders and social masochism in chemical addicts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty outpatients of the Novosibirsk Regional Clinical Addiction Dispensary were studied. Corresponding scales and questionnaires, along with a social masochism questionnaire developed by the authors, were used. Results were compared to those of 25 healthy people. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A significantly higher level (p≤0.05) of the following neurotic disorders: sleep disturbances, hysterical neurotic disorder, anxious neurotic disorder, social maladaptation and depressive neurotic disorder as well as a subclinical level of anxiety and depression were observed in chemical addicts. Moreover, patients with chemical dependence revealed significantly higher (p≤0.05) indicators of aggression, victim behavior and social masochism (different types of aggression, victimization, irritability, negativism, resentment, guilt, self-harming behavior, hypersocial behavior, provoking and uncritical behavior, the role of the victim, negative perception and a general indicator of social masochism). The correlations between indicators of the affective sphere, manifestations of social masochism and neurotic disorders in individuals with chemical dependence were identified.

[Social-psychological characteristics of different types addictive behavior]. / Sotsial'no-psikhologicheskie kharakteristiki pri formirovanii addiktivnogo povedeniia.

AIM: To study social-psychological predictors of different types of addictive behavior. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-six patients, aged 22-50 years, with different addictions (nicotine dependence, alcohol dependence, drug dependence, Internet addiction, extreme sports addiction) were studied. A questionnaire for assessment of personality accentuation, the Life Style Index, The world assumptions scale and the Rokeach Value Survey were administered. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Social-psychological predictors of the types of addictive behavior were identified.

[The relationship between the family structure and characteristics of the stress reaction in adolescent addicts]. / Sviaz' semeinoi struktury i osobennostei reagirovaniia na stress u podrostkov-addiktov.

AIM: To study the relationship between the family structure and characteristics of the response to stress in adolescent addicts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 65 patients who used psychoactive substances and 42 healthy controls. A set of psychological methods was used. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the group of adolescent addicts, a low result was revealed on the scale 'family cohesion'. A high level of development of such mechanisms of psychological defense as denial, suppression, repression, compensation, substitution, intellectualization and reactive education was diagnosed in both groups. Significant differences were revealed only in repression. Such stress coping strategies as self-control, escape-avoidance and problem-solving were more often used in the main group while confrontational coping, distancing, seeking social support, accepting responsibility and positive reassessment were used in the control group. Lower indices of resilience in adolescent addicts compared to the control group.

Association of active human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection with autoimmune thyroid gland diseases.

OBJECTIVES: Viral infections frequently have been cited as important environmental factors implicated in the onset of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). The aim of this study was to determine the involvement of HHV-6 infection in the development of autoimmune thyroiditis. METHODS: This study included 45 patients (42 female and 3 male; median age 47.00 IQR 38.50-57.00) with histologically, laboratory, and clinically confirmed autoimmune thyroiditis, as well as 30 autopsied subjects (26 female and 4 male; median age 58.50, IQR 51.50-67.00) without thyroid pathologies and 30 healthy blood donors (25 female and 5 male; median age 33.50, IQR 27.75-44.25) as controls. Results were obtained by applying molecular virology and immunohistochemistry techniques. RESULTS: The presence of persistent HHV-6 infection in AIT patients was significantly higher (p 0.0058) than in the control group (44/45 (98%) vs. 23/30 (77%), respectively). Also, a significantly higher frequency of HHV-6 activation marker (U79/80 mRNA) was found in patients' thyroid gland tissue samples with AIT in comparison with the control group (18/44 (41%) vs. 1/17 (6%), respectively; p 0.0118). The median HHV-6 load was found to be higher in patients with active viral infection than in patients without it (2147, IQR 971-4188 vs. 551, IQR 145-1589 copies/1×106 cells; p 0.003). The presence of HHV-6 antigen expression was demonstrated in intrafollicular cellular clusters and immunohistochemistry indicated thyrocytes in the follicle wall. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence of strong HHV-6 infection association with AIT development.

[Riboflavin photoprotection with cross-linking effect in photorefractive ablation of the cornea]. / Fotoprotektsiya riboflavinom s effektom krosslinkinga pri fotorefraktsionnoi ablyatsii rogovitsy.

UNLABELLED: Photorefractive ablation is inevitably accompanied by oxidative stress of the cornea and weakening of its biomechanical and photoprotective properties. AIM: To validate the expediency of riboflavin use in photorefractive ablation for photoprotection of the cornea and cross-linking. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The effects of riboflavin use in photorefractive ablation was first studied in a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments performed on 56 eyes of 28 rabbits, and then on 232 eyes of 142 patients with different degrees of myopia. Biomechanical testing of corneal samples was performed with Zwick/RoellВZ 2.5/TN1S tensile-testing machine. Transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (TransPRK) and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (Femto-LASIK) were performed on Wavelight-Allegretto200, MEL-80, and WaveLight-EX500 excimer laser systems and also VisuMax and WaveLight-FS200 femtosecond lasers. For preliminary examinations, an appropriate set of diagnostic tools was used. RESULTS: In vivo experiments have proved that, in the absence of conservative therapy, riboflavin is able to produce both photoprotective and cross-linking effects to the cornea. Corneal syndrome was thus reduced and re-epithelialization after TransPRK accelerated. Biomechanical testing of corneal samples revealed an increase in tolerated load from 12.9±1.4 N to 18.3±1.2 N (p=0.0002) and tensile strength from 8.6±1.7 MPa to 12.4±1.7 MPa (p=0.007). Clinical studies conducted in a group of patients with mild to moderate myopia have also confirmed the photoprotective effect of riboflavin at months 1-12 after TransPRK. There were no significant differences in uncorrected visual acuity (ranged from 0.80±0.16 to 0.85±0.15) and corrected visual acuity at baseline (0.83±0.14). Evaluation of the optical and refractive effect achieved after Femto-LASIK with riboflavin photoprotection in the fellow eye has shown that this technique is not inferior to the traditional one as to its refractive accuracy, but provides better maintenance of biomechanical and photoprotective properties of the cornea. CONCLUSION: Photorefractive ablation of the cornea with preliminary saturation of the stroma with riboflavin solution ensures its photoprotection and provides an additional cross-linking effect.

Possible interference of human beta-herpesviruses-6 and -7 in gastrointestinal cancer development.

AIM: The high incidence of gastrointestinal cancer combined with high mortality from the disease if diagnosed at a late stage, signifies the need for better diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tools. Human beta-herpesviruses have been suggested as possible cofactors in the development of gastrointestinal cancer. METHODS: Sixty five patients with gastrointestinal cancer before surgery and without any treatment were enrolled in this study and divided into two groups depending on lymphocytes' count: I group (n = 35) -- lymphocytes > 1400x10(6)/L and II group (n = 30) -- lymphocytes < 1400x10(6)/L. Nested polymerase chain reaction was used to detect latent and active stage of persistent human herpesvirus-6 and -7 infection, laser flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies -- to determine immunological parameters. RESULTS: Activation of herpesvirus-6 and -7 was more frequently observed in the patients' group with lymphopenia (HHV-6 1/1 (100%), HHV-7 4/8 (50%) and HHV-6 + HHV-7 6/9 (66%); p < 0.05). Cellular immune parameters were analysed in immunocompromised II group's patients dependently on beta-herpevirus infection. Although number of leukocytes was higher in patients with active HHV-6/-7 infection (p = 0.01), number of lymphocytes CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD38(+) in patients with active HHV-6/-7 infection tended to decrease (p < 0.0001, P = 0.0002, p = 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively). However, number of CD19(+) had tendency to increase (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Activation of herpesvirus-6 and -7 may lead to decrease of lymphocytes total count and develop immunosuppression in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Feasibility test results of the Practical Approach to Lung Health in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

SETTING: Ambulatory health centres in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. OBJECTIVE: To assess the results of training family doctors in Practical Approach to Lung Health (PAL) techniques. DESIGN: Comparison of the results of two surveys, before (baseline) and after (impact) training on PAL guidelines. Both surveys were carried out according to the same protocol. RESULTS: A total of 86 family physicians working in three ambulatory health centres participated in both surveys. Respectively 893 and 992 respiratory patients were registered in the baseline and impact surveys. Baseline survey patients had longer duration of symptoms, were older and had more concomitant health conditions than impact survey patients. Findings suggest that PAL training has resulted in a decrease by one third in referrals to hospital or specialists or for diagnostic tests. Data do not show any improvement in tuberculosis case detection. However, in the impact survey, the number of drugs prescribed per patient decreased by 13.6% and the average cost of prescription of any drug per patient was reduced by 32.2%. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that training in standardised PAL guidelines is likely to reduce referral as well as drug prescription costs for respiratory patients. These findings need to be confirmed by further studies.

Reactivation of BK Virus in the Early Period After Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Typically, polyoma BK virus (BKV) remains latent in the urogenital tract after primary infection. Reactivation of BKV in recipients of kidney allografts can cause progressive graft dysfunction known as BK virus nephropathy (BKVN). The cornerstone of treatment for BKVN is prevention; therefore, it is important to detect BKV reactivation early and reduce immunosuppression. We sought to identify the BKV reactivation rate and associated factors in a prospective study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 37 consecutive unselected adult recipients who underwent deceased donor kidney transplantation in 2007 and completed at least 3 months of observation. Qualitative nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was performed to detect BKV DNA in urine and plasma specimens. RESULTS: In all cases, BK viremia or viruria was not detected on the postoperative day or 2 weeks thereafter. At 3 months, BKV reactivation developed in 6 (16%) of 37 recipients. Simultaneous viremia and viruria were present on 5 patients and viremia only in 1 patient. Significant risk factors for BK viremia were body mass index >30 kg/m(2) (P = .02), retransplantation (P =.04), and use of tacrolimus (P = .02). Serum creatinine values at 3 months after transplantation were significantly higher among patients with active BKV infection (P = .008). CONCLUSIONS: Early BKV reactivation is associated with worse graft function as early as 3 months after transplantation. Obesity, retransplantation, and use of tacrolimus were factors promoting early development of BKV viremia.

[Cell phenotypes of a mutant in the gene encoding a Rad51 paralog in fission yeast].

The discovery of three Rad51 paralogs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Rad55, Rad57, and Dmc1), four in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Rhp55, Rhp57, Rlp 1, and Dmc 1), and six in human (Rad51 B, Rad51 C, Rad51 D, Xrcc2, Xrcc3, and Dmcl) indicate the functional diversity and specialization of RecA-like proteins in the line from the lower to higher organisms. This paper reports characterization of a number of mitotic and meiotic phenotypes of the cells mutant in rlpl gene, encoding a paralog of Rad5 1, in fission yeasts. No evident role of Rlp I protein in the repair of spontaneous lesions emerging during mating type switching was found. Rlpl does not interact physically with Dmcl. An elevated expression of rhp51 has a dominant negative effect on the cell survivability of rlpl mutant exposed to a DNA-damaging agent. We assume that Rlp 1 acts at the stages of recombination connected with disassembling of the nucleoprotein filament formed by Rhp51 protein.

Activation of human herpesviruses 6 and 7 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and 7 (HHV-7) have been suggested as possible triggering agents for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). OBJECTIVES: To determine the possible association of HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections with CFS. STUDY DESIGN: The prevalence of latent/persistent and active viral infections by nPCR, characteristic of HHV-6 variants using restriction endonuclease analysis and changes of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood by laser flow-cytometry in 17 CFS patients was examined. In addition, 12 patients with unexplained chronic fatigue and 20 blood donors (BD) were studied. RESULTS: No difference in prevalence of latent/persistent single viral infections between the patients and BD was found but dual infection rate was significantly higher in CFS patients. Active HHV-6 and dual (HHV-6 + HHV-7) infections were detected in CFS patients only and frequency of HHV-7 reactivation was also significantly higher in these patients. HHV-6 variant B was predominant in CFS patients (12/13). The changes of immunological parameters in CFS patients with active dual infection were characterized by significant decrease of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells, significant increase of CD95+ cells and decrease of CD4+/CD8+ ratio. CONCLUSIONS: HHV-6 and HHV-7 may be involved in the pathogenesis of CFS and reactivation of both viruses may provoke changes in the phenotype of circulating lymphocytes.

[The activity of natural killer cells in healthy and tumor-bearing mice after treatment with low-intensity laser light].

The effect of low-intensity laser light on the activity of natural killer cells from healthy and tumor-bearing mice was studied. Skin in the zone of the thymus or hind limb was illuminated, the remaining body surface being screened. The illumination was carried out for 30 days, with the duration of a single exposure being 1 min and intervals between the exposures being 48 h. The effect of laser light depended on the location of the illuminated area. It was shown that the exposure of the thymus of healthy animals for 20 and 30 days leads to a significant decrease in the activity of natural killer cells. On the contrary, the illumination of the limb for 10 or 20 days increased the activity of natural killer cells; but when hind limbs were treated for 30 days, the activity of natural killer cells decreased. Whereas tumor growth increased the natural killer cell activity, the illumination of tumor-bearing mice lowered the adaptive antitumoral resistance by decreasing the activity of natural killer cells.

[New approaches to prognosis of risk of development of gastropathies induced by nonsteroid anti-inflammatory agents]. / Novye podkhody k prognozirovaniiu riska razvitiia gastropatii, indutsirovannykh nesteroidnymi protivovospalitel'nymi sredstvami.

A pharmacological test with indomethacin is suggested for predicting the risk of NSAID-induced gastropathy. It is shown that patients with diagnoses of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis can be divided into two groups with respect to the indomethacin test--"vulnerable" and "resistant", characterized by a high and low risk of NAIDS-induced gastropathy development, respectively. The proposed index of resistance to this disorder, together with the glutathione redox buffer test index, can be used as reliable criteria for predicting the NSAID-induced gastropathy.