Search

Abstract The frozen mummy of the large felid cub was found in the Upper Pleistocene permafrost on the Badyarikha River (Indigirka River basin) in the northeast of Yakutia, Russia. The study of the specimen appearance showed its significant differences from a modern lion cub of similar age (three weeks) in the unusual shape of the muzzle with a large mouth opening and small ears, the very massive neck region, the elongated forelimbs, and the dark coat color. Tomographic analysis of the mummy skull revealed the features characteristic of Machairodontinae and of the genus Homotherium. For the first time in the history of paleontology, the appearance of an extinct mammal that has no analogues in the modern fauna has been studied.

The paper is devoted to the polemics on the ways of development of Russian literature in emigration, in which Mark Slonim, Zinaida Gippius, Alfred Bem, Vladislav Khodasevich, and Georgii Adamovich all took part. The article considers the critical views of Khodasevich and Adamovich in relation to the position of Slonim, whose article “Living Literature and Dead Critics” made these polemics central to the emigrant critical literature of the 1920–1930s. Slonim thought that emigrant literature was only a branch of the common trunk of Russian literature that remained in Soviet Russia. According to Khodasevich, any literary tradition representing Russian literature in emigration never developed, and the array of different works of individual authors could not form the unity called emigrant literature. Adamovich, even though he denied the possible development of Russian literature, believed that the problem could be solved by the artistic expression of an individual’s self in simple forms of language devoid of any beauty.

The shortage of organs for transplant remains a major challenge in transplantology. Transporting donor organs over long distances increases cold ischemia time, which is a risk factor for ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). In the face of critical shortages, the method and timing of organ preservation are crucial in increasing the donor pool. This paper examines the approaches, benefits, and drawbacks of organ preservation techniques used around the world.

Background. Prolonged inactivity of skeletal muscles is accompanied by the development of oxidative stress and changes in sphingolipid metabolism. The relationship of sphingolipid mechanisms with generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in muscles subjected to functional unloading has not been studied.The aim. To identify the relationship between changes in sphingomyelinase and ceramide abundance and ROS production in rat soleus muscle during functional unloading.Methods. Male Wistar rats were subjected to hindlimb suspension for 12 hours or 14 days with the acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) inhibitor amitriptyline (AMI). The levels of ASM, ceramide and ROS were determined by fluorescence microscopy on histological sections. Pro-oxidant enzymes (NADPH oxidases 2 and 4 (NOX2 and NOX4)), cytochrome c oxidase (COX IV), the regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis PGC-1α (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha) in muscle homogenates were studied by Western blotting, which also was used for assessment of ceramide and ASM in the isolated mitochondrial fraction. The effects of sphingomyelinase and prooxidants on ceramide, ASM, ROS and NOX2 levels were studied in an ex vivo model by incubating the muscle with exogenous sphingomyelinase or H2O2.Results. 12-hour hindlimb suspension was accompanied by an increase in the level of ASM and ceramide in rat soleus muscle. Unloading for 14 days was characterized by an increase in ASM, ceramide, ROS, NOX2, NOX4 and a decrease in COX IV and PGC-1α levels. ASM and ceramide were also increased in the mitochondrial fraction of muscle. The ASM inhibitor amitriptyline partially or completely prevented the changes caused by the unloading. In the ex vivo model, the stimulating effect of exogenous sphingomyelinase on the ROS and NOX2 levels in rat soleus muscle was found, whereas H2O2 stimulated muscle ASM and ceramide production.Conclusion. A close relationship has been established between the sphingomyeli-nase pathway of ceramide formation and ROS production in skeletal muscle under conditions of functional unloading.

Prosthetic heart valves are widely used biomedical devices. The need for these prostheses is increasing due to the increasing life expectancy of the general population and the consequent incidence of age-related degenerative valvular defects. However, even though mechanical prosthetic valves have been significantly modernized over the last decades, they are still associated with several life-threatening complications, the main one being thrombosis. Addressing this problem is challenging and requires collaboration between bioengineering and cardiothoracic surgery. Thus, the problem of creating the most adapted model of prosthetic heart valve (PHV) turns out to be at the confluence of sciences – medicine, biology, applied mechanics, mathematical modeling, etc. Today, it seems clear that the engineering ideas for hemodynamic adaptation of PHV models have been fully developed. However, research in the field of materials science, as well as a search for surface modification methods, remain a pressing bioengineering challenge.

BACKGROUND: Considering the high cardiovascular risk in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), early diagnosis and treatment are the basis for the prevention of vascular accidents. In the absence of universal screening, the results of more targeted diagnostics are of interest — the search for lipid metabolism disorders in young relatives of patients with atherosclerotic vascular diseases. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of targeted screening for identifying patients with FH, which will justify its widespread use in clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: At the start of the observational study, 584 patients were identified from the vascular centers of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Hospital, Krasnoyarsk Interdistrict Clinical Hospital No. 20 named after. I.S. Berzon, who had lipid profile data and early cardiovascular events (all forms of coronary heart diseases), including reconstructive vascular interventions up to 55 years in men and up to 60 years in women in the case of first-degree relatives and up to 50 years in second-degree relatives. The study examined patients’ relatives aged 44 years. To diagnose FH in participants aged 16 years, the scale developed by a network of Dutch lipid clinics was used; in participants aged 16 years, the S. Broome criteria were used. Targeted screening and lipid parameters in individuals with probable, possible, and definite FH were analyzed. Data processing was performed using Microsoft Excel and Statistica v. 12.0 (USA). Parametric (calculation of the median and 25th and 75th quartiles) and nonparametric (statistical significance of differences was determined using the Mann–Whitney and χ2 tests) methods were used. RESULTS: The study examined 70 children and 104 adults aged 44 years whose first- and/or second-degree relatives suffered premature vascular events. In the general group of participants, 42 (24.14%) patients had FH (of which 18 were 17 years old) and 37 (21.2%) had hyperlipoproteinemia (a). Definite FH was documented in 16 (9.1%) patients, probable in another 16, and possible in 9. Hyperlipoproteinemia (a) was found in 37 (21.2% of general group) patients, including 12 children (17.1% of pediatric group). CONCLUSION: Not more than 30% of the population are aware of the hereditary nature of lipid metabolism disorders and atherosclerotic diseases. Targeted screening is the least expensive and most effective tool for identifying patients with FH and hyperdipoproteinemia (a).

The history and palaeoecology of the steppe bison (Bison priscus) remain incompletely understood despite its widespread distribution. Using dental microwear textural analysis (DMTA) and vegetation modelling, we reconstructed the diet and assessed the habitat of steppe bison inhabiting Eurasia and Alaska since the Middle Pleistocene. During the Late Pleistocene, steppe bison occupied a variety of biome types: from the mosaic of temperate summergreen forest and steppe/temperate grassland (Serbia) to the tundra biomes (Siberia and Alaska). Despite the differences in the identified biome types, the diet of steppe bison did not differ significantly among populations in Eurasia. DMTA classified it as a mixed forager in all populations studied. The DMTA of Bb1 bison—a recently identified genetically extinct sister-clade of Bison bonasus—was typical of a highly grazing bovid species and differed from all B. priscus populations. The results of the study temper the common perception that steppe bison were grazers in steppe habitats. The dietary plasticity of the steppe bison was lower when compared with modern European bison and may have played an important role in its extinction, even in the stable tundra biome of eastern Siberia, where it has survived the longest in all of Eurasia.

Objectives Radiography and MRI of the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) are relevant for the diagnosis and classification of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of clinical information (CI) on the accuracy of imaging interpretation.Methods Out of 109 patients referred because of suspicion of axSpA with complete imaging sets (radiographs and MRI of SIJ), 61 were diagnosed with axSpA (56%). Images were independently evaluated by three radiologists in four consecutive reading campaigns: radiographs and radiographs+MRI without and with CI including demographic data, SpA features, physical activity and pregnancy. Radiographs were scored according to the modified New York criteria, and MRIs for inflammatory and structural changes compatible with axSpA (yes/no). The clinical diagnosis was taken as reference standard. The compatibility of imaging findings with a diagnosis of axSpA (precision) before and after the provision of CI and radiologists’ confidence with their findings (0–10) were evaluated.Results The precision of radiographs evaluation without versus with CI increased from 70% to 78% (p=0.008), and for radiographs+MRI from 81% to 82% (p=1.0), respectively. For CR alone, the sensitivity and specificity of radiologic findings were 51% and 94% without and 60% and 100% with CI, while, for radiographs+MRI, they were 74% and 90% vs 71% and 98%, respectively. The diagnostic confidence of radiologists increased from 5.2±1.9 to 6.0±1.7 with CI for radiographs, and from 6.7±1.6 to 7.2±1.6 for radiographs+MRI, respectively.Conclusion The precision, specificity and diagnostic confidence of radiologic evaluation increased when CI was provided.

Objective To evaluate progression from nonradiographic (nr‐) to radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r‐axSpA) over 5 years in patients with recently diagnosed (≤1 year) axSpA fulfilling the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) classification criteria. Methods A prospsective, observational study (Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis: Multi‐Country Registry of Clinical Characteristics) was conducted in rheumatology practices in 29 countries. Baseline and follow‐up radiographs of sacroiliac joints were centrally evaluated by three readers according to the grading system of the modified New York criteria for patients initially classified as nr‐axSpA. Radiographic progression from nr‐axSpA to r‐axSpA was evaluated by Kaplan‐Meier analysis. Cox proportional regression analyses for progression from nr‐axSpA to r‐axSpA were also conducted. Results Among 2,165 patients with axSpA, 1,612 (74%) were classified as having r‐axSpA (1,050 [65%]) or nr‐axSpA (562 [35%]) by central reading. Of 246 patients with nr‐axSpA (mean [SD] symptom duration: 4.4 [6.2] years) who had at least one follow‐up sacroiliac joint radiograph, progression from nr‐axSpA to r‐axSpA at any follow‐up visit was observed in 40 patients (16%) over 5 years. Mean time to radiographic progression was 2.4 years (ranging from 0.9 to 5.1 years). Progression to r‐axSpA was associated with male sex (hazard ratio [HR] 3.16 [95% CI 1.22–8.17]), fulfillment of the imaging arm of the ASAS classification criteria (HR 6.64 [1.37–32.25]), and good response to nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (HR 4.66 [1.23–17.71]). Conclusion 16% of patients with nr‐axSpA progressed to r‐axSpA within 5 years. Male sex, fulfillment of the imaging arm of the ASAS criteria, and good response to nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs were predictors of radiographic progression in patients with recently diagnosed axSpA.

Objective: to carry out a comparative study of the efficacy of a 6-hour normothermic ex vivo heart and lung autoperfusion and cold cardioplegia using Bretschneider’s solution (Custodiol®, Germany).Materials and methods. Landrace pigs weighing 50 ± 5 kg at the age of 4–5 months (n = 10) were used as a model for a series of acute experiments. In the experimental group (n = 5), the cardiopulmonary complex was conditioned by autoperfusion for 6 hours. In the control group, the heart pumping function was restored after 6-hour cold cardioplegia using Bretschneider’s solution. The efficiency of graft preservation was assessed by measuring hemodynamic parameters, myocardial contractile function, and myocardial oxygen consumption.Results. After reperfusion and repeated isolation of the working cardiopulmonary complex, cardiac output was 0.63 [0.37; 0.8] L/min and 0.37 [0.23; 0.37] L/min in the experimental and control groups, respectively (p < 0.05). Indicators – global left ventricular stroke work index and preload recruitable stroke work – were significantly higher in the experimental group (p < 0.05).Conclusion. Normothermic autoperfusion is significantly more effective in preserving the morphofunctional status of a donor heart than static cold storage with Bretschneider solution for 6 hours.

The grey wolf (Canis lupus) was the first species to give rise to a domestic population, and they remained widespread throughout the last Ice Age when many other large mammal species went extinct. Little is known, however, about the history and possible extinction of past wolf populations or when and where the wolf progenitors of the present-day dog lineage (Canis familiaris) lived1-8. Here we analysed 72 ancient wolf genomes spanning the last 100,000 years from Europe, Siberia and North America. We found that wolf populations were highly connected throughout the Late Pleistocene, with levels of differentiation an order of magnitude lower than they are today. This population connectivity allowed us to detect natural selection across the time series, including rapid fixation of mutations in the gene IFT88 40,000-30,000 years ago. We show that dogs are overall more closely related to ancient wolves from eastern Eurasia than to those from western Eurasia, suggesting a domestication process in the east. However, we also found that dogs in the Near East and Africa derive up to half of their ancestry from a distinct population related to modern southwest Eurasian wolves, reflecting either an independent domestication process or admixture from local wolves. None of the analysed ancient wolf genomes is a direct match for either of these dog ancestries, meaning that the exact progenitor populations remain to be located.

Objectives To investigate lectin pathway proteins (LPPs) as biomarkers for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in a cross-sectional cohort with a suspicion of axSpA, comprising newly diagnosed axSpA and chronic low back pain (cLBP) individuals.Methods Serum samples from 515 participants within the OptiRef cohort, including 151 axSpA patients and 364 cLBP patients, were measured using immunoassays for LPPs (mannan-binding lectin (MBL), collectin liver-1 (CL-L1), M-ficolin, H-ficolin and L-ficolin, MBL-associated serine proteases (MASP)−1, –2 and –3, MBL-associated proteins (MAp19 and MAp44) and the complement activation product C3dg).Results Serum levels of L-ficolin, MASP-2 and C3dg were elevated in axSpA patients, whereas levels of MASP-3 and CL-L1 were decreased, and this remained significant for C3dg and MASP-3 after adjustment for C reactive protein (CRP). A univariate regression analysis showed serum levels of CL-L1, MASP-2, MASP-3 and C3dg to predict the diagnosis of axSpA, and MASP-3 and C3dg remained significant in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Assessment of the diagnostic potential showed that a combination of human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) and measurements of L-ficolin, MASP-3 and C3dg increased the diagnostic specificity for axSpA, however, with a concomitant loss of sensitivity.Conclusions Serum levels of complement activation, that is, C3dg, and MASP-3 differed significantly between axSpA and cLBP patients after adjustment for CRP. Although combining HLA-B27 with measurements of L-ficolin, MASP-3 and C3dg increased the diagnostic specificity for axSpA, this seems unjustified due to the concomitant loss of sensitivity. However, both C3dg and MASP-3 were associated with axSpA diagnosis in multivariate logistic regression, suggesting an involvement of complement in the inflammatory processes and possibly pathogenesis in axSpA.

Цель. Провести сравнительное исследование эффективности 6-часовой нормотермической аутоперфузии сердечного трансплантата ex vivo и фармакохолодовой консервации кустодиолом (Custodiol HTK, Dr Franz Köhler Chemie GmbH, Бенсхайм, Германия). Методы. В качестве модели для проведения серии острых экспериментов использовали свиней породы ландрас весом 50 ± 5 кг в возрасте 4–5 мес. (n = 10). В экспериментальной группе (n = 5) кондиционирование сердечно-легочного комплекса проводили методом аутоперфузии в течение 6 ч. В контрольной группе восстановление насосной функции сердца осуществляли после 6-часовой фармакохолодовой консервации кустодиолом. Оценивали эффективность консервации трансплантата путем измерения параметров гемодинамики, ударной работы сердца, концентрации маркеров ишемии миокарда. Результаты. После реперфузии и изоляции работающего сердечно-легочного комплекса сердечный выброс составил 0,63 [0,37; 0,80] и 0,37 [0,23; 0,37] л/мин в экспериментальной и контрольной группах соответственно (р < 0,05). Концентрация креатинфосфокиназы-МВ, лактатдегидрогеназы, тропонина I и лактата в оттекающей из коронарного синуса крови была в 2 раза выше в группе контроля. Заключение. Нормотермическая аутоперфузия показала значительное преимущество в сохранении морфофункционального статуса донорского сердца по сравнению с фармакохолодовой консервацией кустодиолом в течение 6 ч кондиционирования трансплантата ex vivo. Поступила в редакцию 16 июля 2023 г. Исправлена 8 сентября 2023 г. Принята к печати 11 сентября 2023 г. Финансирование Исследование выполнено в рамках проекта № 23-25-10013 (соглашение № 23-25-10013 от 20.04.2023 г. с Российским научным фондом, соглашение № р-52 от 03.04.2023 г. с Министерством науки и инновационной политики Новосибирской области). Конфликт интересов Авторы заявляют об отсутствии конфликта интересов. Вклад авторов Концепция и дизайн работы: М.О. Жульков, Д.А. Сирота, И.С. Зыков Сбор и анализ данных: все авторы Статистическая обработка данных: М.О. Жульков Написание статьи: М.О. Жульков Исправление статьи: М.О. Жульков, Д.А. Сирота, И.С. Зыков Утверждение окончательного варианта статьи: все авторы

The understanding of the ways of development of Russian emigrant literature was reflected in the discussion between V.G. Fyodorov, D.V. Filosofov and D.S. Merezhkovsky in the Warsaw journal "Mech" ("Sword") and further in the polemic between V.F. Khodasevich and G.V. Adamovich. Should national literature in emigration be connected both with the native language and with national traditions and culture, or should it be based on the Western cultural tradition? For Khodasevich, the possibility of the development of literature was connected with the creation of new poetic artistic forms based on the national tradition, while Adamovich believed that it needed an artistic expression that was a documentary record of life, which was linked to an orientation towards Western European literary models.

The seasonal patterns of changes in the content of lipophilic antioxidants β-carotene (β-Car), zeaxanthin (Zx), α-tocopherol (α-Toc), plastoquinone (PQ)/plastoquinol (PQH2) were studied in the assimilating shoots of evergreen shrub Ephedra monosperma J.G. Gmel ex C.A. Mey under natural conditions of Central Yakutia. The shortening of the photoperiod and the seasonal decrease in temperature induced a 1.4-fold increase in α-Toc content. The fall in the average daily temperature from 0.1 to -8.1°C in October led to a decrease in the content of β-Car as a result of the accumulation of rhodoxanthin (Rhd). In this period a sharp increase in the content of Zx retained overnight was also detected. In winter, elevated content of Zx and α-Toc persisted. During September, the content of PQH2 increased by 2.5 times and PQ by 1.4 times (compared to July). The beginning of exposure to freezing average daily temperatures from -3 to -5°C led to the depletion of the total PQ pool by 18%. However, the content of PQtot in the winter months was 1.5 times higher than at the end of July. The results revealed different timing and temperature ranges of variation for individual antioxidants during the development of frost resistance in ephedra.

Objective: to develop and approve the surgical technique for explantation of a functioning cardiopulmonary complex under normothermic autoperfusion.Materials and methods. Landrace pigs were used as the experimental model for a series of acute experiments (n = 10). During the experiment, invasive pressure in the cavities of the heart and main arteries, blood gas composition, and myocardial contractility were monitored. The functioning cardiopulmonary complex was explanted through a median sternotomy. The explanted complex was conditioned at 37–38 °C for 6 hours.Results. In the course of a series of experiments, it was shown that stable operation of the isolated heart-lung complex ex vivo for 6 hours was fundamentally possible provided that the parameters of the basic homeostasis constants are maintained. The technological solutions used made it possible to ensure safe hemodynamic and anatomical isolation of the working cardiopulmonary complex.Conclusion. The developed protocol for isolating a functioning cardiopulmonary complex allows to provide stable graft function for 6 hours under normothermic autoperfusion. Implementation of this concept in the development of transport systems would significantly facilitate their design and eliminate the use of expensive components. This would contribute to widespread introduction into clinical practice.

The article presents data on variant X-ray anatomy of the superior rectal artery and types of arterial architectonics of the rectum. The causes of recurrent hemorrhoidal disease after traditional transanal surgical interventions are highlighted. The possibilities of endovascular occlusion of rectal arteries in the treatment of relapses of chronic hemorrhoids are shown. Its technical variants are given depending on the number of hemorrhoidal arteries and types of arterial architectonics of the rectum.Over a 2-year period, clinical results of endovascular occlusion of hemorrhoidal arteries were evaluated in 11 patients with relapse of the disease after various transanal interventions: after latex ligation of internal hemorrhoids – in 5, transanal desarterization of internal hemorrhoids with mucopexia – in 4, hemorrhoidectomy – in 2. The average age of patients was 44.2 ± 12.5 years. Men – 5, women – 6. Superselective occlusion of the target hemorrhoidal branches of the upper rectal artery was performed with EmboGold (Merit Medical) microparticles, 500–700/300–500 mkm in size. Immediate results: cessation of bleeding on the first day – in 4 patients, after 3 days – in 5, after 7 days – in 2. Terms of hospitalization – 1 day, disability – 4.3 ± 0.7 days. Long-term results (from 1 to 2 years) were observed in all 11 patients. The course is relapse-free.As an illustration, a clinical case is presented – successful treatment of a patient with recurrent hemorrhoidal disease by endovascular occlusion of hemorrhoidal arteries after five traditional transanal surgical interventions: sclerosing, ligation, dearterization of internal hemorrhoids, dearterization of internal hemorrhoids with mucopexia, removal of external hemorrhoids. Within 3 months after endovascular occlusion – complete regression of all symptoms of hemorrhoidal disease. According to the questionnaire (after 1 and 2 years) there is no relapse of the disease, the patient is subjectively satisfied with the endovascular treatment.

Objective Reliable interpretation of imaging findings is essential for the diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and requires a high level of experience. We investigated experience-dependent differences in diagnostic accuracies using X-ray (XR), MRI and CT.Methods This post hoc analysis included 163 subjects with low back pain. Eighty-nine patients had axSpA, and 74 patients had other conditions (mechanical, degenerative or non-specific low back pain). Final diagnoses were established by an experienced rheumatologist before the reading sessions. Nine blinded readers (divided into three groups with different levels of experience) scored the XR, CT and MRI of the sacroiliac joints for the presence versus absence of axSpA. Parameters for diagnostic performance were calculated using contingency tables. Differences in diagnostic performance between the reader groups were assessed using the McNemar test. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Fleiss kappa.Results Diagnostic performance was highest for the most experienced reader group, except for XR. In the inexperienced and semi-experienced group, diagnostic performance was highest for CT&MRI (78.5% and 85.3%, respectively). In the experienced group, MRI showed the highest performance (85.9%). The greatest difference in diagnostic performance was found for MRI between the inexperienced and experienced group (76.1% vs 85.9%, p=0.001). Inter-rater agreement was best for CT in the experienced group with κ=0.87.Conclusion Differences exist in the learnability of the imaging modalities for axSpA diagnosis. MRI requires more experience, while CT is more suitable for inexperienced radiologists. However, diagnosis relies on both clinical and imaging information.

Objective To evaluate the association of nociplastic (NoP) and neuropathic pain (NP) components with residual symptoms in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) receiving biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).Methods 78 patients with r-axSpA from the GErman SPondyloarthritis Inception Cohort receiving a bDMARD for at least 3 months were included in this analysis. The Widespread Pain Index (WPI) and the PainDETECT (PD) questionnaire were used to quantify the NoP and the NP components, respectively. Axial Spondyloarthritis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) were used as measures of residual symptoms. C reactive protein (CRP) was used as a measure of systemic inflammatory activity. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses of disease activity were performed. The regions of the WPI score and items of the PD score were used for cluster analyses.Results Linear multivariable regression analysis showed that WPI and PD were independently associated with ASDAS (b=0.1, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.17, and b=0.05, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.08, respectively) and BASDAI (b=0.24, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.39, and b=0.17, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.25, respectively) in r-axSpA patients receiving stable treatment with bDMARDs. Furthermore, WPI and PD were found to be significantly associated with the presence of relevant residual symptoms as defined by BASDAI ≥4 (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.09 to 4.15, and OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.85, respectively). The effects were present also in patients with normal level of CRP. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct pain distribution profiles and four specific sensory symptom constellations allowing differentiation of different pain subtypes.Conclusion Both NoP and NP components seem to be associated with residual symptoms in patients with r-axSpA receiving treatment with bDMARDs.

Objective: comparative analysis of long-term outcomes following heart transplantation (HT) with prolonged and short cold ischemia.Materials and methods. We analyzed the data of 29 orthotopic HT with >4 hours of cold ischemia. The transplant surgery was performed at Meshalkin National Medical Research Center between 2013 and the present time. Organs were obtained from donors from other regions. The control group consisted of 29 HTs with cold ischemia 4 hours did not have worse outcomes than in short graft ischemia. This provides grounds for further accumulation of experience in the use of heart donors from remote locations.

Oats are one of the most useful and widespread cereal crops in the world. In permafrost conditions (Central Yakutia), based on metabolic changes in late summer-sown oat plants (Avena sativa L.), the key processes involved in the cold acclimation of a valuable cereal species were identified. During the onset of low ambient temperatures, metabolites from leaf samples were profiled using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 41 metabolites were identified in oat leaves. It was found that acclimation to suboptimal temperatures during the fall period leads to biochemical (accumulation of mono- and disaccharides and decrease in fatty acids and polyols) as well as physiological and biophysical changes (decrease in leaf PRI reflectance indices and chlorophyll a fluorescence). Therefore, the study contributes to a more holistic understanding of oat metabolism under low-temperature cryolithozone stress. It is believed that the analysis of changes in leaf reflection properties and JIP-test parameters of chlorophyll a fluorescence using leaf metabolomic profiling can be used in the selection of valuable varieties of cereal crops to obtain plant fodders with high nutrient contents under conditions of a sharply continental climate.

Objectives Sex-specific differences in the presentation of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) may contribute to a diagnostic delay in women. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of MRI findings comparing men and women.Methods Patients with back pain from six different prospective cohorts (n=1194) were screened for inclusion in this post hoc analysis. Two blinded readers scored the MRI data sets independently for the presence of ankylosis, erosion, sclerosis, fat metaplasia and bone marrow oedema. Χ2 tests were performed to compare lesion frequencies. Contingency tables were used to calculate markers for diagnostic performance, with clinical diagnosis as the standard of reference. The positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+/LR–) were used to calculate the diagnostic OR (DOR) to assess the diagnostic performance.Results After application of exclusion criteria, 526 patients (379 axSpA (136 women and 243 men) and 147 controls with chronic low back pain) were included. No major sex-specific differences in the diagnostic performance were shown for bone marrow oedema (DOR m: 3.0; f: 3.9). Fat metaplasia showed a better diagnostic performance in men (DOR 37.9) than in women (DOR 5.0). Lower specificity was seen in women for erosions (77% vs 87%), sclerosis (44% vs 66%), fat metaplasia (87% vs 96%).Conclusion The diagnostic performance of structural MRI markers is substantially lower in female patients with axSpA; active inflammatory lesions show comparable performance in both sexes, while still overall inferior to structural markers. This leads to a comparably higher risk of false positive findings in women.