Analysis of Some Physiological and Biochemical Indices in Patients with Covid-19 Pneumonia Using Mathematical Methods.

The aim of the work was to conduct a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of patients with pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and to determine via mathematical methods the significance of some physiological and biochemical indices as predictive markers of an unfavorable outcome of the disease. A random cohort of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia numbered 209 people. Mathematical analysis addressed the physiological characteristics of patients recorded at the time of hospital admission, as well as blood coagulation parameters and those reflecting the development of an inflammatory reaction. The analyzed parameters were categorized relative to the reference ranges of physiologically normal values. Correlation analysis was carried out using categorical data on the disease outcome. The algorithms for calculating statistical characteristics, as well as results visualization, were programmed in Python. When comparing patient groups, the significance of differences between the determined parameters was assessed using the Pearson's χ2 test with Yates' correction. The study showed that the age over 50 and male sex can be considered risk factors for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (p < 0.05). The disease outcome was found to be significantly affected by cardiovascular pathologies (p < 0.01) and to a lesser extent by diabetes mellitus (p < 0.10). There were revealed maximal correlation coefficients between the oxygen saturation level (-0.43), as well as the breathing rate (0.43), and a fatal outcome of the disease. For patients over 50 years of age, oxygen saturation below 80% at the time of hospital admission turned out to be a marker of mortality. It was shown that D-dimer blood levels above 625 ng/mL in patients over 80 years of age correlated with mortal outcomes. No correlation was found between the C-reactive protein (CRP) level and the disease outcome. The effect of corticosteroids on the disease outcome was analyzed in patients with different CRP levels. It was found that, while using corticosteroids, the mortality rate in patients with CRP ≤ 12.5 mg/L is 2.7 times higher than in those with CRP > 12.5 mg/L (p < 0.01). Thus, the use of adequate mathematical methods made it possible to define more precisely some mortality-associated physiological and biochemical indices in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Risk factors associated with portal vein thrombosis in liver cirrhosis: A case-control study.

AIM: To build a predictive model for PVT in cirrhotic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single centre case-control study was carried out. From the database of 1512 cirrhotic patients 94 with newly diagnosed PVT based on contrast-enhanced computed tomography were referred to the Case group. Malignant PVT was an exclusion criterion. Patients without PVT were stratified and matched according to sex, age and etiology of cirrhosis; case-control ratio was 1 : 3-4. The prevalence of PVT in the database, clinical, laboratory, instrumental parameters of the groups were evaluated. Logistic regression model was used to estimate association between variables and PVT. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of PVT was 6.2% with the highest rates among the patients with HBV infection - 16.7%, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis - 15.6%, alcohol abuse in combination with HCV infection - 11.7%. The best predictive model included variables: Child-Pugh classes B-C (coefficient of regression ß=1.853, р=0.001), ascites (ß=0.460, р=0.003), hepatocellular carcinoma without vascular invasion (ß=2.126, р=0.0001), endoscopic band ligation (ß=0.774, р=0.003), azygoportal disconnection (ß=2.734, р=0.001), portal hypertensive gastropathy (ß=0.793, р=0.017), portal vein diameter (ß=0.203, р=0.004), and local factors - ulcerative colitis flare, Clostridium difficile enterocolitis, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, colorectal cancer, splenectomy, cholecystectomy (ß=2.075, р=0.017). The model had accuracy 85.8% (95% CI 81.7-89.4%), sensitivity - 55.1% (95% CI 43.4-66.4%), specificity - 95% (95% CI 91.6-97.3%), and AUC - 0.871 (95% CI 0.826-0.916). CONCLUSION: Child-Pugh classes B-C, severe portal hypertension, hepatocellular carcinoma without vascular invasion, and local factors were estimated as risk factors of PVT in cirrhotic patients.

Pharmaceutical Composition for Improving Physical Working Capacity.

For development of a pharmaceutical composition improving physical performance, effects of various drugs and their combinations on forced swimming test performance were studied on laboratory rats. Maximum increase in animal performance was produced by a 3-component composition asparcam+mildronate+metaprote in proportion of 5.0, 10.7, and 14.3 mg/kg, respectively. No changes in blood serum biochemistry and morphological composition of the peripheral blood were detected after single intragastric administration of the composition.

Effects of drugs on exercise performance.

The effects of 15 preparations with general tonic, antioxidant, and antihypoxant activities on exercise performance of laboratory rats were studied in the forced swimming test. The best recovery and improvement of exercise performance was recorded after a single intragastric dose of schizandrin and acyzol. These drugs stimulated an increase in the parameters in control animals by 86 and 72% (exercise performance recovery) and by 33 and 51% (exercise performance improvement).

[Biological effects of electromagnetic radiation of extremely high frequencies combined with physiologically active compounds].

The study of the action of the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) of low intensity (10 microW/cm2) in the range of frequencies 120-170 GHz at the test-reaction of Infusoria Paramecium caudatum was carried out. The resonant character of the effects was established. The EMR action at 156.6 and 161.3 GHz caused the increase of infusorians mobility, the action at frequencies 151.8, 155.7, 167.1 GHz caused the mobility reduction. Isolated and combined with EMR effects of nicotine (10(-4)-10(-15) mol/l) and antimicrobial drug metronidazole (10(-5), 10(-8), 10(-9) mol/l) were investigated. The radiation at the frequency 167.1 GHz was shown to reduce the effect of nicotine (10(-9) mol/l) and to enhance the effect of metronidazole (10(-9) mol/l). This phenomenon may be explained by different effects of the substances in low concentration at the water hydrogen bonds net structure.

[The influence of the 1-(2'-hydroxiethyl)-2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole on the state of erythrocyte membranes and their models].

Metronidazolum decreased diffusion mobility of membrane surface water. It is possible, that Wuks's effect represents the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon. We suppose, that protective action of the derivatives of the nitroimidazole on cell lysis is related to changes of the diffusion mobility of the surface water.

[Nonspecific effect of morphine on the erythrocyte membrane]. / Nespetsificheskoe deistvie morfina na membrany éritrotsitov.

The effect of low morphine concentrations on the plasmatic membranes of erythrocytes without opiate receptors was investigated. It was shown that the ATPase activity and hemolytic stability of erythrocytes, which characterize the state of cell membranes and the mobility of the near-membrane water phase, depend on the concentration of morphine, and this dependence is wave-like. The nonmonotonous dependence of the biological response was suggested to be due to changes in the structure of water hydrogen links near the membrane surface, induced by opiate molecules. The hypothesis was confirmed by the results of studies of morphine water solutions using the methods of fluorescent probe and light scattering. It was found that the intensity of light scattering by water and the mobility of its molecules considerably increase in the presence of strictly specified concentrations of morphine.

[The respiratory activity of Rhodococcus rhodochrous M8 cells producing nitrile-hydrolyzing enzymes]. / Respiratornaia aktivnost' mikrobnykh kletok Rhodococcus rhodochrous M8, produtsiruiushchikh nitrilgidrolizuiushchie fermenty.

The respiratory activity of Rhodococcus rhodochrous M8 cells containing nitrile hydratase and amidase was studied in the presence of nitriles and amides of carbonic acids. Culturing of cells with acrylonitrile and acrylamide yielding their maximum respiratory activity was studied. The optimum conditions for measurements and maintenance of respiratory activity were found. Curves for the linear concentration dependence of cell respiratory activity on 0.01-0.5 mM acrylonitrile, 0.025-1.0 mM acetonitrile, and 0.01-0.1 mM acrylamide were plotted. The selectivity of cell respiratory activity for some substrates was analyzed.

Transfer of aroma compounds in water-lipid systems: binding tendency of beta-lactoglobulin.

Interactions of volatile aroma compounds with protein in aqueous solutions, especially whey proteins, have received significant attention in recent years. This work attempts to improve our understanding of the mass transfer in multiphasic systems, such as emulsions at the lipid-water interface, and to reveal the role of beta-lactoglobulin in the release rate of solutes. For this purpose the rotating diffusion cell has been used. From a practical point of view it enables evaluation of the transfer through the aqueous phase, through the oil and the interfacial transfer. The effect of beta-lactoglobulin, medium pH, and solute concentration has been investigated. Benzaldehyde and 2-nonanone have been studied, and miglyol has been chosen as an oil phase. It has been demonstrated that mass transfer has a rate-limiting step, which depends on physicochemical parameters such as hydrophobicity of the volatile, diffusion and partition coefficients, and rheological properties of the aqueous phase.

[Experimental substantiation of the use of cytokines in acute radiation disease]. / Eksperimental'noe obosnovanie primeneniia tsitokinov pri ostroi luchevoi bolezni.

In review of literature on experimental material the advantage of recombinant cytokine use is shown in acute radiation illness treatment. In review a number of tactical questions of cytokine therapy are interpreted: period and timing of medicines application, synergism and others.

[Isolation of nitrile hydratase from Rhodococcus rhodochrous M8 cells and determination of the N-terminal amino acid sequence of its subunits]. / Vydelenie nitrilgidrazazy iz kletok Rhodococcus rhodochrous M8 i opredelenie N-kontsevoi aminokislotnoi posledovatel'nosti sub''edinits.

Nitrile hydratase was isolated and purified to homogeneity from cells of Rhodococcus rhodochrous M8. This enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of acrylic acid nitrile to acrylamide. Nitrile hydratase content in the cell was shown to be 17% of total soluble protein. The molecular weight of the native enzyme was 510 kDa. The enzyme consisted of two subunits with molecular weights of 23.5 kDa and 28.0 kDa. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of these subunits were estimated.

[The use of recombinant human interleukin-1 alpha and -1 beta as agents in the early treatment of acute radiation sickness in an experiment]. / Primenenie rekombinantnykh interleikinov-1 al'fa i -1 beta cheloveka v kachestve sredstv rannego lecheniia ostroi luchevoi bolezni v éksperimente.

Human recombinant interleukins 1 alpha and 1 beta (IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta) have a good dose-dependent therapeutic effect for an acute radiation damage. For mice, the optimum therapy dose of IL-1 is 100.0 micrograms/kg-1 (survival rates: CD70--50%, CD100--17%; p < 0.05). For dogs, the dose is 1.0 microgram/kg-1 (survival rate: CD100 in combination with antibacterial therapy-up to 80%; p < 0.05).

[The therapeutic action of recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) in experimental acute radiation sickness]. / Lechebnoe deistvie rekombinantnogo interleikina-2 (IL-2) cheloveka pri ostroi luchevoi bolezni v éksperimente.

In experiments with CBA mice and non-purebred dogs the pronounced medicinal effect was found. Injections of IL-2 had been going 3 times per day for 5 days beginning with 6 h after exposure. The optimum doses of IL-2 were 20.10(3) U/kg day for mice and 3.10(3) U/kg day for dogs. By this scheme of IL-2 application the survival of mice exposed to LD75 and LD90 and dogs exposed to LD86 raised up to 100%, 70% and 70%, respectively.

L-ascorbic acid in nonenzymatic reactions. I. Reaction with glycine.

The influence of the water content, molar ratio, time and temperature on the formation of nondialysable melanoidins produced by the interaction of L-ascorbic acid and glycine has been studied. The isolated polymers have been characterized by spectrum analysis and fractionated using gel chromatography. The rate constants of the reaction for temperatures of 90 degrees C, 100 degrees C and 110 degrees C have been calculated and are (0.84 +/- 0.29) x 10(-5) x s-1, (1.33 +/- 0.14) x 10(-5) x s-1 and (5.30 +/- 0.37) x 10(-5) x s-1, respectively. The activation energy of the reaction has been determined to be 106.07 +/- 32.47 kJ/mol.

[Experimental study of anti-radiation effects of interleukin-1 beta]. / Izuchenie protivoluchevogo deistviia interleikina-1 beta v éksperimente.

Therapeutical effect of human recombinant IL-1 beta on exposed CBA mice was shown. Single injection of IL-1 beta into mice exposed to LD70, LD80 and LD100 raised their 30-day survival by 60, 40 and 35%, respectively. Therapeutically effective doses of IL-1 beta were 100-200 micrograms/kg. Multiple injections of the preparation were ineffective.

[A neurochemical analysis of the substance P-induced reordering of the feeding behavior evoked by electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus]. / Neirokhimicheskii analiz perestroiki veshchestvom P pishchevogo povedeniia, vyzvannogo élektricheskim razdrazheniem lateral'nogo gipotalamusa.

The substance P when administered intracerebroventricularly (15 nmol) led to a transformation of feeding elicited by threshold electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus into an escape reaction in rabbits. Obsidan, Inderal (0.25 and 0.5 mg) and droperidol (0.3 mg) injected intravenously were found to restore the functional properties of the hypothalamic feeding centre. No changes in the escape reaction were observed after kalipsol (ketaminum) administration. The data obtained suggest the important role of the catecholaminergic brain structures in the mechanisms of the transformation of the functional properties of the hypothalamic feeding centre under the influence of the substance P.

[Substance P and the resistance of biological motivations to ethanol]. / Substantsiia P i ustoichivost' biologicheskikh motivatsii k étanolu.

Ability of the substance P to enhance the tolerance of feeding and defence motivations of ethanol was studied in rabbits. Ethanol led to disintegration of central mechanisms of both feeding and escape responses elicited by a threshold electrical stimulation of lateral and ventromedial hypothalamic centres. Subsequent i.v. administration of the substance P restored the effects of midbrain RF on the motivational centres. The inhibitory effect of the dorsal hippocampus and the facilitatory effect of the midbrain RF on excitability of the lateral hypothalamus, are also restored. The data obtained suggest that the substance P is able to increase a tolerance of the central mechanisms of biological motivations of ethanol.

[Beta-adrenoblockers in the reorganizing of the food center of the hypothalamus under the influence of substance P]. / Beta-adrenoblokatory v perestroike pishchevogo tsentra gipotalamusa pod vliianiem veshchestva P.

An ability of substance P (15 nmol intracerebroventricularly) to transform functional properties of the hypothalamic feeding center manifested in escape reaction in response to threshold electrical stimulation of this motivation center in rabbits. Beta-adrenergic antagonists inderal and obsidan (0.25, 0.5 mg, respectively) injected intravenously were found to restore feeding elicited by electrostimulation of the hypothalamic feeding center. However, escape reaction, elicited from the feeding center under substance P was found unchanged after intravenous administration of 0.25 mg kalipsol. The data obtained suggested an important role of beta-adrenergic mechanisms in substance P transformation of the functional properties of the hypothalamic feeding centre.

[Enhancement of the resistance of the escape reaction to ethanol after substance P]. / Povyshenie ustoichivosti reaktsii izbeganiia k étanolu na fone veshchestva P.

An ability of substance P (30 micrograms/kg intravenously) to prevent deleterious effects of ethanol (E) (0.5 g/kg intravenously) on central mechanisms of escape reaction elicited by threshold electrical stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus was investigated in chronic experiments upon rabbits. Substance P was found to prevent E effects on excitability of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and on facilitatory influences of the midbrain reticular formation on this emotional centre which were observed in intact animals. Inhibitory effects of the dorsal hippocampus on the VMH could not be evaluated due to its alterations in response to previous substance P administration. The authors suggest that substance P can be considered to be a possible endogenous factor to increase a tolerance of emotional behavioural reactions of an organism to alcohol.

[The effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on hemopoiesis recovery and the survival of irradiated mice]. / Vliianie rekombinantnogo granulotsitarno-makrofagal'nogo koloniestimuliruiushchego faktora na vosstanovlenie krovetvoreniia i vyzhivaemost' obluchennykh myshei.

A human recombinant granulocytic-and-macrophagic colony-stimulating factor (rGM-CSF) administered repeatedly to irradiated (10 Gy) CBA mice increased CFUs and CFU-GM content, the number of bone marrow granulocytes and erythronormoblasts, and spleen and peripheral blood cellularity. The survival rate of exposed (9.7 Gy) mice repeatedly injected with rGM-CSF increased from 25% (control) to 90%.