Evaluation of chelating agents based on pyridine-azacrown compounds HPATA, PATAM, and HPATPA for Ga and Lu.

In this article, we present the synthesis and characterization of three macrocyclic chelators, HPATA, PATAM, and HPATPA, based on a pyridine-azacrown compound. Their complexation with Ga and Lu has been thoroughly investigated using MALDI TOF MS, H NMR spectroscopy, radiolabeling studies, and experiments in vitro with fetal bovine serum and a 1000-fold molar excess of HEDTA. Our studies have shown that the chelators HPATA and HPATPA form complexes at room temperature with both radionuclides (RCY > 80 % and > 90 % for complexes with HPATA and HPATPA after 30 min, respectively).

IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis with acute kidney injury: a case report and literature review.

IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare cause of renal dysfunction that usually manifests as obstructive nephropathy (sometimes with extrarenal manifestations). Due to the non-specific symptoms at the onset of the disease and often latent course, special laboratory and instrumental examination methods are usually needed to establish a diagnosis. The article describes a clinical case of a relapse of IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis in a 53-year-old patient, who developed bilateral ureterohydronephrosis with postrenal acute kidney injury after the withdrawal of glucocorticoid therapy.

Prenatal Detection of Trisomy 2: Considerations for Genetic Counseling and Testing.

We report on the case of prenatal detection of trisomy 2 in placental biopsy and further algorithm of genetic counseling and testing. A 29-year-old woman with first-trimester biochemical markers refused chorionic villus sampling and preferred targeted non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which showed low risk for aneuploidies 13, 18, 21, and X. A series of ultrasound examinations revealed increased chorion thickness at 13/14 weeks of gestation and fetal growth retardation, a hyperechoic bowel, challenging visualization of the kidneys, dolichocephaly, ventriculomegaly, increase in placental thickness, and pronounced oligohydramnios at 16/17 weeks of gestation.

Optical poling by means of electrical corona discharge.

Electrical corona discharge is employed in this work to deposit ions on the surface of an optical fiber, creating a strong electric field that is used for poling. Green laser light propagating in the core frees photocarriers that are displaced by the poling field. The technique presented can induce a higher optical nonlinearity than previously obtained in traditional optical poling with internal metal electrodes.

[FEATURES OF THE COMPLICATED COURSE OF NON-HOSPITAL VIRAL COVID-19 PNEUMONIA].

The purpose of this work was to demonstrate clinical observations of the features of the complicated course of community-based viral COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients were referred for treatment with a complicated course of pneumonia from other medical institutions, where they were treated 2-3 months ago. The most serious complications are given - the formation of bullosa pulmonary emphysema ("disappearing lung syndrome"), which can occur at different periods of the disease.

Pilot Screening of Cell-Free mtDNA in NIPT: Quality Control, Variant Calling, and Haplogroup Determination.

Clinical tests based on whole-genome sequencing are generally focused on a single task approach, testing one or several parameters, although whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides us with large data sets that can be used for many supportive analyses. In spite of low genome coverage, data of WGS-based non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) contain fully sequenced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). This mtDNA can be used for variant calling, ancestry analysis, population studies and other approaches that extend NIPT functionality.

Impact of the Synbiotics and Urate-Lowering Therapy on Gut Microbiota and Cytokine Profile in Patients with Chronic Gouty Arthritis.

The main goal of our study is the impact evaluation of complex urate-lowering therapy with the synbiotic addition on fecal microbiota and cytokine profile in patients with primary gout. During our study, 130 men (mean age 55.5 ± 9.

[; THE EFFECT OF COMPLEX REDUCING THERAPY WITH THE ADDITION OF A SYNBIOTIC ON THE DYNAMICS OF CLINICAL AND LABORATORY PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC GOUTY ARTHRITIS].

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of complex urate-lowering therapy with the addition of a synbiotic on the level of cytokines in the blood and the quality of life of patients with chronic gouty arthritis.; The results of treatment of 68 patients (main group) and 62 patients (comparison group) with chronic gouty arthritis are presented. Patients of the main group took allopurinol at a dose of 300 mg per day with titration of the dose in the direction of increasing it by 100 mg once a month and additionally received a synbiotic 1 capsule three times a day.

Towards Distributed Measurements of Electric Fields Using Optical Fibers: Proposal and Proof-Of-Concept Experiment.

Nowadays there is an increasing demand for the cost-effective monitoring of potential threats to the integrity of high-voltage networks and electric power infrastructures. Optical fiber sensors are a particularly interesting solution for applications in these environments, due to their low cost and positive intrinsic features, including small size and weight, dielectric properties, and invulnerability to electromagnetic interference (EMI). However, due precisely to their intrinsic EMI-immune nature, the development of a distributed optical fiber sensing solution for the detection of partial discharges and external electrical fields is in principle very challenging.

Unusual properties of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ion channels in B lymphocyte-derived SP-2/0 cells.

This study demonstrates the presence of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in B lymphocyte-derived SP-2/0 cells by means of flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. According to lectin and sandwich ELISA, the α7 subunits expressed in SP-2/0 cells are more glycosylated compared to those expressed in the brain or normal B lymphocytes and are combined with β2 subunits. At zero and negative pipette potentials, either acetylcholine or α7-specific agonist PNU282987 stimulated the ion channel activity in SP-2/0 cells revealed by single channel patch-clamp recordings.

Nephroprotective effect of N-acetylglucosamine in rats with acute kidney injury.

The article presents the results of the study of the nephroprotective effect of N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) under the development of experimental acute kidney injury (AKI). The study was conducted on a model of acute glycerol nephrosis in rats. NAG was studied at a dose of 50 mg/kg at daily parenteral administration during 1 week compared to quercetin, which was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 34 mg/kg.

Linear electro-optical effect in silica fibers poled with ultraviolet lamp.

A second-order nonlinearity was induced in silica fibers poled by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and simultaneous high voltage applied to internal electrodes. The UV light source was a tubular lamp with spectral peak at 254 nm. The highest second-order nonlinear coefficient measured through the linear electro-optic effect was 0.

Instrumental improvements and sample preparations that enable reproducible, reliable acquisition of mass spectra from whole bacterial cells.

Rationale: Rapid sub-species characterization of pathogens is required for timely responses in outbreak situations. Pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PyMS) has the potential to be used for this purpose.

Methods: However, in order to make PyMS practical for traceback applications, certain improvements related to spectrum reproducibility and data acquisition speed were required.

Optical creation and erasure of the linear electrooptical effect in silica fiber.

We study the creation and erasure of the linear electrooptical effect in silicate fibers by optical poling. Carriers are released by exposure to green light and displaced with simultaneous application of an internal dc field. The second order nonlinear coefficient induced grows with poling bias.

Study of thermally poled fibers with a two-dimensional model.

A two-dimensional (2D) numerical model is implemented to describe the movement of ions under thermal poling for the specific case of optical fibers. Three types of cations are considered (representing Na(+), Li(+) and H3O(+)) of different mobility values. A cross-sectional map of the carrier concentration is obtained as a function of time.

2014 European Guideline on HIV testing.

Testing for HIV is one of the cornerstones in the fight against HIV spread. The 2014 European Guideline on HIV Testing provides advice on testing for HIV infection in individuals aged 16 years and older who present to sexually transmitted infection, genito-urinary or dermato-venereology clinics across Europe. It may also be applied in other clinical settings where HIV testing is required, particularly in primary care settings.

Temperature characteristics of the birefringence properties of filled side-hole fibers.

The temperature characteristics of the birefringence of side-hole fibers filled with liquids or metal are investigated, aiming at providing a basis for on/off temperature sensing. Short pieces of fiber are filled and the change in birefringence is registered using measurements in reflective mode of the transmitted power through a linear polarizer at 1550 nm. The rapid change in the birefringence behavior of the fiber at the temperature of the phase transition of the filler substance is shown, and from the measurement data the phase transition temperatures can be determined as well as an estimation of the birefringence change with temperature.

Nanosecond monolithic Mach-Zehnder fiber switch.

An electrically controlled high-speed all-fiber switch is investigated. It is based on a monolithic Mach-Zehnder interferometer using a Gemini fiber. The fiber is provided with internal electrodes for active control of the phase using high-voltage electrical pulses.

Neutralization of B. anthracis toxins during ex vivo phagocytosis.

Glycoconjugates (GCs) are recognized as stimulation and signaling agents, affecting cell adhesion, activation, and growth of living organisms. Among GC targets, macrophages are considered ideal since they play a central role in inflammation and immune responses against foreign agents. In this context, we studied the effects of highly selective GCs in neutralizing toxin factors produced by B.

All-fiber Kerr cell.

An all-fiber nanosecond Kerr light gate is described that was constructed using microstructured fibers. The switching voltage for a 20 cm long device is as low as Vπ~85 V at a 1.06 μm wavelength.

Pulse selection at 1 MHz with electrooptic fiber switch.

Two 78-cm long electrooptic fibers with nonlinear coefficient χ((2)) ~0.26 pm/V are used in a Sagnac loop for pulse selection at up to 1 MHz repetition rate. Laser pulses of 1.

Soliton generation from an actively mode-locked fiber laser incorporating an electro-optic fiber modulator.

This work demonstrates an actively mode-locked fiber laser operating in soliton regime and employing an all-fiber electro-optic modulator. Nonlinear polarization rotation is utilized for femtosecond pulse generation. Stable operation of the all-fiber ring laser is readily achieved at a fundamental repetition rate of 2.

Glycoconjugates prevent B. anthracis toxin-induced cell death through binding while activating macrophages.

Bacillus anthracis toxins may be attenuated if macrophages could neutralize toxins upon contact or exposure. Glycoconjugate-bearing polymers, which have been shown to bind to Bacillus spores, were tested for recognition and binding of protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and edema factor (EF) toxins. We have demonstrated modulation of macrophage activity following exposure to these toxins.

Dynamics of long-period gratings tuned with internal fiber electrodes.

The physics of electrically switched long-period grating in a twin-hole fiber with internal electrodes is studied. Dynamic measurements for the two polarizations show how the grating spectra shift in time due to the mechanical stress and heat transfer in the core and the cladding.

Actively Q-switched all-fiber laser with an electrically controlled microstructured fiber.

Actively Q-switching of an all-fiber laser system is demonstrated. The active element is a polarization switch with nanosecond risetime based on a microstructured fiber with electrically driven internal electrodes. Optical feedback between two 100% reflectors is inhibited until a nanosecond current pulse Q-switches the laser.