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Introduction. Analysis of locomotor activity is essential in a number of biomedical and pharmacological research designs, as well as environmental monitoring. The movement trajectories of biological objects can be represented by time series exhibiting a complex multicomponent structure and non-stationary dynamics, thus limiting the effectiveness of conventional correlation and spectral time series analysis methods. Recordings obtained using markerless technologies are typically characterized by enhanced noise levels, including both instrumental noise and anomalous errors associated with false estimates of the location of the points of interest, as well as gaps in the trajectories, promoting an urgent need in the development of robust methods to assess the characteristics of locomotor activity.Aim. Development of robust methods for assessing the characteristics of locomotor activity capable of efficient processing of noisy recordings obtained by markerless video-based motion capture systems.Materials and methods. In order to assess the characteristics of locomotor activity, the relative movements of body parts of laboratory animals were analyzed using the stability metrics of the mutual dynamics of their trajectories, their relative delays, as well as the relative duration of the recording fragments when relatively stable mutual dynamics could be observed. The local maxima of the cross-correlation function of two body fragments, the minima of the standard deviation of the difference between their Hilbert phases, as well as their relative delays, were used as the metrics of mutual dynamics.Results. The considered phase metrics were shown to explicitly reflect changes in locomotor activity, while the assessment of time delays using phase metric was shown to be prone to periodic error. The above limitation could be largely overcome using the correlation metrics, assuming that phase and correlation metrics could be combined.Conclusion. The proposed robust methods provide stable estimates of the characteristics of locomotor activity based on markerless video capture recordings, altogether increasing the efficiency of diagnostic procedures and assessment of the therapeutic effect during rehabilitation.

Summary: Background: Transportation noise has been linked with cardiometabolic outcomes, yet whether it is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) remains inconclusive. We aimed to assess whether transportation noise was associated with AF in a large, pooled Nordic cohort. Methods: We pooled data from 11 Nordic cohorts, totaling 161,115 participants. Based on address history from five years before baseline until end of follow-up, road, railway, and aircraft noise was estimated at a residential level. Incident AF was ascertained via linkage to nationwide patient registries. Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to estimate associations between running 5-year time-weighted mean transportation noise (Lden) and AF after adjusting for sociodemographics, lifestyle, and air pollution. Findings: We identified 18,939 incident AF cases over a median follow-up of 19.6 years. Road traffic noise was associated with AF, with a hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.02 (1.00–1.04) per 10-dB of 5-year mean time-weighted exposure, which changed to 1.03 (1.01–1.06) when implementing a 53-dB cut-off. In effect modification analyses, the association for road traffic noise and AF appeared strongest in women and overweight and obese participants. Compared to exposures ≤40 dB, aircraft noise of 40.1–50 and > 50 dB were associated with HRs of 1.04 (0.93–1.16) and 1.12 (0.98–1.27), respectively. Railway noise was not associated with AF. We found a HR of 1.19 (1.02–1.40) among people exposed to noise from road (≥45 dB), railway (>40 dB), and aircraft (>40 dB) combined. Interpretation: Road traffic noise, and possibly aircraft noise, may be associated with elevated risk of AF. Funding: NordForsk.

Introduction. Generalized extreme value (GEV) distributions represent a universal description of the limiting distribution of the normalized local maxima statistics for independent and identically distributed data series. Extreme value distributions are commonly classified into three different types representing different functional forms and thus varying in shape, also known as types I, II, and III. Thus, attribution of some observational data series to a particular type of its local maxima distribution, as well as fitting of the distribution parameters, provides certain information about the laws governing the underlying natural or technogenic process. Radar-based remote sensing techniques represent a ubiquitous tool for analyzing large patterns of the sea surface and determining the parameters of the waves. In turn, understanding the laws governing the extreme values in the rough sea surface obtained from their radar images followed by evaluation of their distribution parameters, depending on the wind speed and direction, as well as the presence of surface currents and swells, can be useful for predicting wave height. Aim. Analysis of the functional forms governing the local extreme value distributions in a rough sea surface for the given wind and swell parameters based on computer simulations. Materials and methods. For the rough sea surface simulated by an additive harmonic synthesis procedure, the local extreme value distribution was fitted using the least-mean-squares technique. The fitted parameters were then used for their classification according to the three predetermined types. Results. Computer simulations of a rough sea surface with combined wind and swell waves were performed. It is shown that the distribution of local maxima in the absence of swell waves could be well approximated by theWeibull (type III GEV) distribution, with the parameters explicitly depending on the wind speed. At the same time, no significant dependence on the sea depth was observed. On the contrary, in the presence of additional swell waves, the distribution of local extrema could be rather attributed to the Fréchet (type II GEV) distribution, with the parameters additionally depending on the angle between the wind and swell waves. Conclusion. The laws governing the distributions of local wave extrema in rough seas are in a good agreement with the theoretical GEV approximations, with the distribution parameters being deductible from the key features of the waves. This indicates the predictability of wave height extrema from sea surface measurements, which can be performed based on remote radar observations.

Introduction. Nonparametric Bayesian networks are a promising tool for analyzing, visualizing, interpreting and predicting the structural and dynamic characteristics of complex systems. Modern interdisciplinary research involves the complex processing of heterogeneous data obtained using sensors of various physical nature. In the study of the forest fund, both methods of direct dendrological measurements and methods of remote observation using unmanned aerial vehicles are widely used. Information obtained using these methods must be analyzed in conjunction with hydrometeorological monitoring data.Aim. Investigation of the possibility of automating the monitoring of the well-being of the forest fund based on the integration of ground survey data, remote multispectral measurements and hydrometeorological observations using the mathematical apparatus of nonparametric Bayesian networks.Materials and methods. To assess the long-term joint dynamics of natural and climatic indicators and the radial growth of trees, a modified method of multiscale cross-correlation analysis was used with the removal of the background trend described by the moving average model. Relationships between various indicators were estimated based on the unconditional and conditional nonparametric Spearman correlation coefficients, which were used to reconstruct and parameterize the nonparametric Bayesian network.Results. A multiscale nonparametric Bayesian network was constructed to characterize both unconditional and conditional statistical relationships between parameters obtained from remote sensing, hydroclimatic and dendrological measurements. The proposed model showed a good quality of the plant fund state forecasting. The correlation coefficients between the observed and predicted indicators exceed 0.6, with the correlation coefficient comprising 0.77 when predicting the growth trend of annual tree rings.Conclusion. The proposed nonparametric Bayesian network model reflects the relationship between various factors that affect the forest ecosystem. The Bayesian network can be used to assess risks and improve environmental management planning.

The objective was to study the clinical features of symptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) depending on the age of onset and the presence of cardiometabolic risk factors.Methods and materials. From 2014 to 2020, 250 patients were examined, 100 patients with symptomatic HCM aged 18 to 86 years were included in the study.Results. The incidence of arterial hypertension (AH), obesity, and angina syndrome was significantly higher in patients with HCM aged 45 years and older. The patients with HCM and associated obesity had greater left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and left antero-posterior size regardless of the age of onset of clinical manifestations. The young patients with HCM and associated obesity had more often AH. Patients with HCM with the disease onset ≥ 45 years of age and associated obesity had greater left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension index. In this group of patients, pulmonary hypertension was more often diagnosed.Conclusion. Obesity and other cardiometabolic risk factors are predictors of the progressive course of HCM, which points the need for their prevention and timely correction.

Increased anthropogenic pressure including intensification of agricultural activities leads to long-term decline of natural biotopes, with planted forests often considered as promising compensatory response, although reduced biodiversity and ecosystem stability represent their common drawbacks. Here we present a complex investigation of the impact of a large Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea L.) colony on soil biogeochemistry and vegetation in a planted Scots pine forest representing a natural in situ experiment on an engineered ecosystem. After settling around 2006, the colony expanded for 15 years, leading to the intensive deposition of nutrients with feces, food remains and feather thereby considerably altering the local soil biogeochemistry. Thus, lower pH levels around 4.5, 10- and 2-fold higher concentrations of phosphorous and nitrogen, as well as 1.2-fold discrepancies in K, Li, Mn, Zn and Co., respectively, compared to the surrounding control forest area could be observed. Unaltered total organic carbon (Corg) suggests repressed vegetation, as also reflected in the vegetation indices obtained by remote sensing. Moreover, reduced soil microbial diversity with considerable alternations in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, Verrucomicrobiota, Gemmatimonadota, Chujaibacter, Rhodanobacter, and Bacillus has been detected. The above alterations to the ecosystem also affected climate stress resilience of the trees indicated by their limited recovery from the major 2010 drought stress, in marked contrast to the surrounding forest (p = 3∙10−5). The complex interplay between geographical, geochemical, microbiological and dendrological characteristics, as well as their manifestation in the vegetation indices is explicitly reflected in the Bayesian network model. Using the Bayesian inference approach, we have confirmed the predictability of biodiversity patterns and trees growth dynamics given the concentrations of keynote soil biogeochemical alternations with correlations R > 0.8 between observations and predictions, indicating the capability of risk assessment that could be further employed for an informed forest management.

The objective of this study was to determine the association of polymorphic variants rs2305619 and rs3816527 of the PTX3 gene with clinical profile and outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients.Methods and materials. The study population consisted of 153 patients ≥18 years old with a confirmed diagnosis of HCM. The control group included 200 healthy donors. Duration of follow-up was 11 years (2008–2019 yrs.). The study design included a new model for determining variants of the clinical profile and outcomes of HCM. Polymorphic variants rs2305619 and rs3816527 of the PTX3 gene were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction.Results. The mortality rate in patients ≥18 years old with 1, 2 and 3 adverse pathways of HCM progression was significantly higher, compared with those without adverse pathways (р

Abstract There is an increasing number of studies reporting microplastic (MP) contamination in the Arctic environment. We analysed MP abundance in samples from a marine Arctic ecosystem that has not been investigated in this context and that features a high biodiversity: hollow rhodoliths gouged by the bivalve Hiatella arctica. This bivalve is a filter feeder that potentially accumulates MPs and may therefore reflect MP contamination of the rhodolith ecosystem at northern Svalbard. Our analyses revealed that 100% of the examined specimens were contaminated with MP, ranging between one and 184 MP particles per bivalve in samples from two water depths. Polymer composition and abundance differed strongly between both water depths: samples from 40 m water depth showed a generally higher concentration of MPs and were clearly dominated by polystyrene, samples from 27 m water depth were more balanced in composition, mainly consisting of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene. Long-term consequences of MP contamination in the investigated bivalve species and for the rhodolith bed ecosystem are yet unclear. However, the uptake of MPs may potentially impact H. arctica and consequently its functioning as ecosystem engineers in Arctic rhodolith beds.

The regulator of the canonical Wnt pathway, leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5), is expressed in the stem cell compartment of several tissues and overexpressed in different human carcinomas. The isoform of the stem cell marker LGR5, named LGR5Δ5 and first described by our group, is associated with prognosis and metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and soft tissue sarcoma (STS). In a proof-of-principle analysis, the function of LGR5Δ5 was investigated in HEK293T cells, a model cell line of the Wnt pathway, compared to full-length LGR5 (FL) expression. The CRISPR/CAS knockout of LGR5 and LGR4 (thereby avoiding the side effects of LGR4) resulted in a loss of Wnt activity that cannot be restored by LGR5Δ5 but by LGR5FL rescue. The ability to migrate was not affected by LGR5Δ5, but was reduced by LGR5FL overexpression. The CRISPR/CAS of LGR4 and 5 induced radiosensitization, which was enhanced by the overexpression of LGR5FL or LGR5Δ5. RNA sequencing analysis revealed a significant increase in the ligand R-spondin 1 (RSPO1) level by LGR5Δ5. Furthermore, LGR5Δ5 appears to be involved in the regulation of genes related to the cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix stiffness, and angiogenesis, while LGR5FL is associated with the regulation of collagens and histone proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Among the goals of pathogenetic therapy in patients with multifocal atherosclerosis, not only control of the intensity of atherogenesis, but also the elastic properties of the arterial system is becoming increasingly important, which opens up additional ways to reduce overall and cardiovascular mortality in this category of patients. Aim. To evaluate effectiveness of medication Vazosponin (ZAO Vifitekh, Russia), which is a source of plant saponins in a dosage 400 mg per day, on the indicators of the elasticity of the great arteries. Materials and methods. The study included 100 patients with multifocal atherosclerosis: those who had had myocardial infarction or percutaneous coronary intervention during the previous 2 1 2 months and who had stenosing atherosclerosis of peripheral arteries brachiocephalic arteries and/or arteries of the lower extremities. The main group MG (n=50) consisted of patients who received combined hypolipidemic treatment: atorvastatin in dosage 40 mg/day + Vazosponin 400 mg/day along with baseline treatment. The control group (CG) included 50 patients who received only atorvastatin in dosage 40 mg/day along with baseline treatment. The observation period for each patient was 90 days with 3 control points (on the 1st, 10th and 90th days of therapy), in which were evaluated the elasticity indicators of the main arteries pulse wave velocity, linear blood flow velocity, total peripheral vascular resistance, actual specific vascular resistance. Results. There was a decrease in pulse wave velocity in both groups by the 90th day of the study, with a significant advantage in the group of patients who received Vazosponin: in the CG the indicator decreased by 7.3% (p0.05), in the MG by 19.3% (p0.05). The decrease in linear blood flow velocity was 14.3% (p0.05), in the CG the indicator decreased by 5.7% (p0.05). The dynamics of peripheral vascular resistance indicators showed an obvious advantage in the group of patients who received plant saponins: in the MG of patients, a decrease in total peripheral vascular resistance was detected by an average of 11.0% (p=0.006) and actual specific vascular resistance by 39.3% (p=0.0008), while in the CG by 4.5% and 5.0%, respectively. Conclusion. The addition of Vazosponin to the basic therapy of patients with multifocal atherosclerosis made it possible to achieve an additional increase in the elasticity of the arterial system, a significant decrease in peripheral vascular resistance, and the elimination of the escape effect of basic therapy. The data presented make it possible to consider the possibility of using preparations of plant saponins in combination therapy of patients with multifocal atherosclerosis who have instrumentally verified violations of the elastic properties of the arterial system.

Introduction Exposure to traffic noise is increasing because of ongoing urbanization, densification of urban settlements, and growth of the transport sector. In 2017, 113 million Europeans were estimated to be [...], Background: Transportation noise may induce cardiovascular disease, but the public health implications are unclear. Objectives: The study aimed to assess exposure-response relationships for different transportation noise sources and ischemic heart disease (IHD), including subtypes. Methods: Pooled analyses were performed of nine cohorts from Denmark and Sweden, together including 132,801 subjects. Time-weighted longterm exposure to road, railway, and aircraft noise, as well as air pollution, was estimated based on residential histories. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models following adjustment for lifestyle and socioeconomic risk factors. Results: A total of 22,459 incident cases of IHD were identified during follow-up from national patient and mortality registers, including 7,682 cases of myocardial infarction. The adjusted HR for IHD was 1.03 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00, 1.05] per 10 dB [L.sub.den] for both road and railway noise exposure during 5 y prior to the event. Higher risks were indicated for IHD excluding angina pectoris cases, with HRs of 1.06 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.08) and 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.08) per 10 dB [L.sub.den] for road and railway noise, respectively. Corresponding HRs for myocardial infarction were 1.02 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.05) and 1.04 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.08). Increased risks were observed for aircraft noise but without clear exposure-response relations. A threshold at around 55 dB [L.sub.den] was suggested in the exposure-response relation for road traffic noise and IHD. Discussion: Exposure to road, railway, and aircraft noise in the prior 5 y was associated with an increased risk of IHD, particularly after exclusion of angina pectoris cases, which are less well identified in the registries. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10745

Aim. To study the levels of circulating microRNA-21 in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) of different ages. Materials and methods. The study included 49 patients with HCM. The proportion of females was 55.1%, males 44.9%. The average age was 50 [32; 65] (from 19 to 86 years). The control group for microRNA-21 included 44 healthy individuals, respectively, matched by the age and sex with the studied patients. Patients was made in accordance with the recommendations of the European society of cardiology. Plasma microRNA expression was determined by PCR with reverse transcription and real-time detection of results. The relative level of gene expression was calculated in accordance with the standard procedure 2-Ct. Results. Septal wall thickness at end diastole has a significant negative correlation with age in patients with HCM (r=-0.56; р0.001). PWTd (posterior wall thickness at end diastole) has a significant positive correlation with age in patients with HCM (r=0.67, р0.001). The level of circulating microRNA-21 in plasma is higher in patients with HCM compared to healthy individuals (5.28 [2.64; 13.96] and 0.84 [0.55; 1.23], respectively; p0.001). Significantly higher levels of microRNA-21 were found in young patients aged from 19 to 45 years with the symptomatic course of HCM (36.76 [5.66; 42.22]) compared to patients with asymptomatic course 45 years of age (2.81 [1.45; 5.28]; p0.002) and symptomatic patients 45 years (3.88 [2.16; 8.63]; p0.002).) The calculated risk of SCD was significantly higher in young symptomatic patients with HCM (6.01 [3.64; 9.67]) compared to patients with asymptomatic course 45 years (2.41 [1.21; 3.89]; p0.001) and symptomatic patients 45 years (2.56 [1.67; 4.41]; p0.001). Conclusion. The level of circulating microRNA-21 is significantly in patients with HCM compared to control group. The maximum level of circulating microRNA-21 was detected in patients with symptomatic course of HCM at the age of 45 years.

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Aim. To determine the impact of polymorphic variant rs1739843 of the HSPB7 gene on clinical profile and outcomes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).Material and methods. The study population consisted of 108 patients with HCM ≥45 years old. The control group included 192 healthy donors. The design of the study included an assessment of the clinical course, determining the outcome of HCM using a new methodological approach proposed by Rowin EJ, et al. (2017). Polymorphic variant rs1739843 of the HSPB7 gene was genotyped by allele-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay.Results. It was found a significant increase in frequency of TT genotype of rs1739843 of the HSPB7 gene in patients with HCM — 20,4%, compared with control group — 4,2% (ТТ: ТС+СС, odds ratio (OR) =5,88, 95% confidence interval (CI) =2,52-13,75, p

The joint analysis of several signals is essential for better understanding of the principles underlying the complex systems dynamics. We consider three methods for estimating the stability of the relative dynamics of two surrogate processes. The first one is based on calculation of the phase synchronization coefficient S and the second one on estimation of the cross-conditional entropy CE. The third approach uses the average value of the coherence function of the two processes - the coherence coefficient C. We study the sensitivity of these methods in relation to the amplitude randomization between test processes. All methods are applied to analyze two types of normally distributed random stochastic processes, with either short-term correlations characterized by finite correlation time or long-term correlations with theoretically infinite correlation time characterized by Hurst exponents. In our research, we generate two copies of the surrogate process with either short-term or long-term correlations. Then we attribute the additive white noise to one of these copies at first with the uniform distribution and then with the Gaussian distribution and the same variance. Next, we calculate the coefficients that characterize the mutual behavior of the two test processes and estimate their statistical characteristics. It is found that the sensitivity of all methods to Gaussian additive noise is higher than that of uniform one. We show that processes with long-term correlation react more actively to the additive amplitude noise then processes with short-term correlation. The influence of Hurst exponent value for the processes with long-term correlation is expressed for the coefficients S and C. The influence of correlation time is demonstrated for the coefficients S and СЕ. Our results may be useful in investigations of the mutual dynamics of two processes belonging to the considered types.