Correction of shape distortions in laser beams apodized with circular serrated apertures.

Flat-top laser beams produced with apodizers comprising a circular serrated aperture and spatial filter are not optimal for propagation over long distances. Residual intensity fluctuations across the overall smooth profile at the apodizer exit significantly accelerate degradation of the beam at small Fresnel numbers. By solving the parabolic equation for uniform and Gaussian beams propagating through a serrated aperture apodizer, we show that a narrow opaque ring installed inside the serrated aperture can largely suppress unwanted diffraction effects and bring the output amplitude profile close to the flattened Gaussian function. With this correction, the usable propagation distance of the apodized beam can be extended to Fresnel numbers ${N_{F}} \approx 2\ldots 5$.

Prognostic Model of Typical Complications Caused by Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

The aim of the study was to develop a prognostic model based on statistical discriminant analysis to assess the risk of postoperative disturbance of cardiac conduction and paraprosthetic regurgitation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data of 10 patients implanted with CoreValveTM prostheses (Medtronic Inc., USA) were used to develop prognostic models. To that end, we analyzed changes in hemodynamic and functional parameters provided by echocardiography in the pre- and postoperative periods. RESULTS: We observed significant positive changes in the severity of left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy; on the contrary, volume indicators did not significantly change, which might be associated with the concentric type of left ventricular hypertrophy. The discriminant analysis made it possible to determine major (preoperative) morphological and functional indicators associated with the two most common complications of the procedure: left bundle branch block and paraprosthetic regurgitation. Left ventricular posterior wall thickness, interventricular septal thickness, left atrium dimension, and myocardial mass are the critical factors that determine the development of these complications. CONCLUSION: In the prognostic model, the proposed weighting coefficients allow one to assess the risk of postoperative complications; however, the presence of false-positive results requires further refinement of these coefficients within the linear equation.

[Symbolic struggle for policy implementation of «active aging¼ in the Russian social and labor sphere.]

The article examines the social processes accompanying implementation of the policy «active aging¼ in the Russian social and labor spheres. The basic concepts of «active aging¼ are briefly introduced and possible social mechanisms of its application are discussed in the first section of the article. Special importance is given to the analysis of social rights which form the basis for different models of the development of public welfare and the population's quality of life. In the second section, author's version of studying the perception and assessment structures by the population of the implemented reforms of the State are proposed on the basis of the paradigm of constructivism in the social sciences and the theory of symbolic power by P. Bourdieu. In the third section the results of an empirical analysis of a set of semi-structured interviews with the main subjects of the social and labor spheres and the texts of citizens' appeals to government bodies are presented. In conclusion, the symbolic struggle around the perception of the «active aging¼ policy in Russia is interpreted. The authors conclude that a new surge in social assistance programs for the elderly and an increase in passivity in their work behavior are expected.

[NON-CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS PROGRESSION AFTER MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN PATIENTS OF DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS].

The initial rate of non-coronary atherosclerosis progression in patients of different age groups before and after myocardial infarction (MI) was studied. 168 patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were enrolled in the study; the age of 60 was a criterion for patients distribution into the study groups. It is established that one year after MI the patients younger than 60 years of age had recurrent acute coronary syndromes (ACS), and older patients had cerebral vascular accidents. Thus in both younger and older patients a correlation, between the presence and intensity of atherosclerosis progression and the rates of cardiovascular events was observed; however, in older patients atherosclerosis progression is associated not only with higher coronary but also cerebrovascular events rates.

[The role of subclinical inflammation in progression of multifocal atherosclerosis during one year after myocardial infarction].

AIM: To elucidate role of subclinical inflammation in progression of atherosclerotic process in magistral noncoronary arteries in patients during one year after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 168 men with MI (mean age 59.5 years). All patients during hospitalization underwent coronary angiography and color duplex scanning of brachiocephalic arteries. In a year ultrasound study of noncoronary vessels was repeated and progression of atherosclerosis assessed. Parameters of inflammation in blood serum were measured on days 10-14 of MI and after one year. RESULTS: At repeat study most patients demonstrated progression of noncoronary atherosclerosis. Some biomarkers measured during inhospital phase of MI (low concentration of anti-inflammatory interleukin 10 - IL-10, elevated N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide) allowed to distinguish group of patients with subsequent progression of noncoronary atherosclerosis. Elevated concentrations of C-reactive protein and 11-10 registered in a year after MI were also associated with more severe progression of atherosclerosis. Serum levels of neopterin and IL-12 remained stable in patients with and decreased in patients without pronounced progression of atherosclerosis.

Computer-aided design of the human aortic root.

The development of computer-based 3D models of the aortic root is one of the most important problems in constructing the prostheses for transcatheter aortic valve implantation. In the current study, we analyzed data from 117 patients with and without aortic valve disease and computed tomography data from 20 patients without aortic valvular diseases in order to estimate the average values of the diameter of the aortic annulus and other aortic root parameters. Based on these data, we developed a 3D model of human aortic root with unique geometry. Furthermore, in this study we show that by applying different material properties to the aortic annulus zone in our model, we can significantly improve the quality of the results of finite element analysis. To summarize, here we present four 3D models of human aortic root with unique geometry based on computational analysis of ECHO and CT data. We suggest that our models can be utilized for the development of better prostheses for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

[Strategy of sinus rhythm restoration after single stage correction of mitral valve defect and maze procedure for improvement of efficacy and safety of anticoagulant therapy].

We analyzed clinical efficacy of a strategy of sinus rhythm (SR) restoration after single stage correction of mitral valve defect and failed radiofrequency maze procedure elaborated and realized in the Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, and assessed its value for increase of efficacy and safety of anticoagulant therapy. First stage of this strategy--cardiosurgical treatment with maze procedure--resulted in restoration of SR in 61.8% of cases. In case of persistence of tachyarrhythmia external elelectro-impulse therapy was used in 1-1.5 months after cardiac surgery as a second stage of our strategy. Third stage--catheter radiofrequency ablation--was applied to patients with implanted biological cardiac valves. Second and third stages facilitated restoration of SR in 84.8 and 93.2% of patients, respectively, and provided 100% SR restoration in patients with biological valve prostheses. The suggested strategy allowed to withdraw anticoagulant therapy in patients with biological valves and to reduce level of hypocoagulation to lower limit of target range in patients with mechanical prostheses.

[Factors determining progression of atherosclerosis in extracoronary arteries after myocardial infarction].

UNLABELLED: Aim of the study was to determine association between clinical-anamnestic factors and degree of progression of atherosclerotic process in magistral noncocronary arteries during one year after ST-elevation (STE) myocardial infarction (MI). MATERIAL: We included into this study 168 men (mean age 59.5 years) with STEMI subjected during hospitalization to coronary angiography and duplex color scanning of brachiocephalic arteries and main arteries of lower extremities. In a year we performed repeat ultrasound examination of same noncoronary arteries and assessed development of vascular complications. RESULTS: Greatest degree of atherosclerosis progression in noncoronary arteries was registered in patients older than 60 years, with hypertension, presence of atherosclerotic stenoses in noncoronary vascular beds at initial examination, those who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting, and patients with higher levels of total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol at examination after 12 months post MI.

[Relationship between endothelial and erectile functions in patients with coronary heart disease].

The study included 92 men with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) aged 39-61 (mean 55 +/- 5.3) years. Groups 1 and 2 were comprised of 63 patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) and 29 ones without it respectively. It was shown that most patients with CHD suffer ED (68.5%). The probability of ED increases in the presence of such risk factors as diabetes mellitus, multifocal atherosclerosis, disturbances of lipid metabolism. Severity of ED grows with CHD duration and body mass. Parameters of endothelium-dependent dilation of brachial and cavernous arteries were impaired in ED patients which suggests the compromised ability of these vessels to respond to mechanical deformation. ED is a marker not only of functional disturbances of the vascular tone but also of severity of atherosclerotic lesions. Correlation analysis revealed the relationship between mean endothelium-dependent dilation of brachial artery and severity of ED; the latter also correlated with such markers of cardiovascular risk as multifactor atherosclerosis, obesity, and disturbances of lipid metabolism.

[Metabolic and surgical predictors of restenoses and thromboses of biological grafts in the infrainguinal position].

The present study was aimed at revealing metabolic and surgical predictors of restenoses and thromboses of biological grafts "KemAngioprosthesis" in the infrainguinal position in the remote postoperative period. A total of 65patients (54.2% of the whole group) with primarily functioning bioprostheses underwent dispensary follow-up (consisting of comprehensive analysis of the haemostasis system, blood plasma lipid spectrum, findings of duplex scanning of the prosthesis and anastomosis zones). Based on the laboratory findings (fibrinogen, index of atherogenicity, cholesterol), the patients were subdivided into two groups: Group One (n=27) consisted ofpatients with normal values, and Group Two (n=38) was composed of those with one or more parameters exceeding the norm. Fifteen Group Two patients were found to have stenoses of the anastomosis zones. Based on the results ofthe study we determined a clear relationship between the development of complications and impairments in the system of haemostasis and lipid metabolism. All patients from Group Two whose the remote postoperative period was complicated by stenoses of anastomoses showed hypercholesterolemia, dyslipidemia, and platelet hyperaggregation, regardless of the terms of the development of the complication. Once stenoses developed within 3-to-18 months postoperatively, the levels offibrinogen and soluble fibrin monomeric complexes were elevated. Analysing surgical predictors of restenoses showed that the technique of establishing either an "end-to-end-" or "end-to-side" anastomosis exerted no influence on the incidence rate of restenoses in the remote postoperative period.

[Dependence of aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase VIII activity on protein serine/threonine kinases in Streptomyces rimosus].

In Streptomyces rimosus, selection with aminoglycoside kanamycin triggers "silent" aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase (aph) VIII gene. Expression of aphVIII was accompanied by amplification of a chromosomal DNA fragment, which contained aphVIII. Earlier, S. rimosus aphVIII gene was isolated, sequenced, and deduced APHVIII protein sequence was reported. Using in vitro labeling and immunoprecipitation with anti-APHVIII antibody, we demonstrate that one of the abundant proteins phosphorylated by endogenous protein kinases (PKs) in extracts of S. rimosus strain S683 is APHVIII. Phosphoamino acid assay has shown phosphorylation of two seryl residues in APH molecule. The amount of phosphate incorporated into APHVIII in the presence of Ca2+ was 1.84-fold as much as that detected without Ca2+. As shown by in the gel self-phosphorylation and in the substrate-containing gel phosphorylation analyses, two serine PKs with molecular masses of 74 kDa and 55 kDa were active against APHVIII. The 55-kDa PK showed a clear Ca2+ and calmodulin dependency in activity. The specific kanamycin phosphotransferase activity of exhaustedly phosphorylated APHVIII was 3.72-fold as much as that detected in the preparation of nonphosphorylated enzyme. These results suggest involvement of PKs under study in the modulation of APHVIII aminoglycoside phosphorylating activity and in the generation of kanamycin resistance in S. rimosus.

[Identification of Rad51 protein from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: recombinational characteristics].

The unicellular green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a perspective model object for basic and applied research. However, its homologous recombination (HR) system which lies in the basis of double-strand DNA break repair have still not been studied. Last years the program of C. reinhardtii nuclear genome sequence is realized and different nucleotide repeats in the genome structure have been revealed that can explain a low level of HR relative to nonhomologous recombination events. Analyses of the C. reinhardtii EST (Expressed Sequence Tag)--and genome libraries permitted us to reconstruct and clone cDNA of the RAD51 gene. In present work, the cDNA was expressed, its product was purified and some basal biochemical activities were studied. The results show that Rad51C protein from lower eukaryote C. reinhardtii is identified as typical representative of the Rad51C-like subfamily of higher eukaryotes.

[Streptomyces rimosus aminoglycoside-3'-phosphotransferase VIII: comparisons with aminoglycoside-3'-phosphotransferases of aminoglycoside-producing strains with eukaryotic protein kinases]. / Aminoglikozid-3'-fosfotransferaza VIII iz Streptomyces rimosus: sravnenie s aminoglikozid-3'-fosfotransferazami iz shtammov-produtsentov aminoglikozidov i s éukarioticheskimi proteinkinazami.

The nucleotide sequence was established for the aphVIII aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene of an oxytetracycline-producing Streptomyces rimosus strain. The gene is 804 bp in size and possibly codes for APHVIII of 267 residues. Heterologous expression of aphVIII was studied in Escherichia coli and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The deduced APHVIII sequence was compared with known sequences of aminoglycoside phosphotransferases of aminoglycoside-producing actinomycete strains and of eukaryotic protein kinases. A local homology of 38 residues was found between APHVIII and actinomycete serine-threonine protein kinases in the conserved region possibly involved in ATP binding. APHVIII differed from aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferases of aminoglycoside-producing actinomycete strains and of clinical isolates, and can be classed to a separate group.

A Streptomyces rimosus aphVIII gene coding for a new type phosphotransferase provides stable antibiotic resistance to Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Although Chlamydomonas reinhardtii serves as the most popular algal model system, no efficient enzymatic selection marker for the nuclear transformation of wild-type cells is available. We sequenced an aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase gene (aph) from Streptomyces rimosus. Though the derived protein sequence is homologous to members of APH type V, it constitutes a new type, named APHVIII. Since the aphVIII gene has a codon bias similar to that of the nuclear genome of green algae, the aphVIII coding sequence was fused to the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions of the C. reinhardtii rbcS2 gene. C. reinhardtii transformants were capable of inactivating the antibiotics paromomycin, kanamycin, and neomycin, to which wild-type cells are sensitive. After addition of the 5'-region of hsp70A as a second promoter and insertion of the rbcS2 intron I, the transformation rate increased to two transformants per 1 x 10(5) cells, which is close to the efficiency of transforming auxotrophic strains with the homologous marker arg7. Transformation with the promoter-less aphVIII led to random gene fusion at high frequency. In an aphVIII-based reporter gene assay we have found a so far unknown promoter activity of the 3'-untranslated region of rbcS2, that may promote antisense RNA synthesis from the rbcS2 gene in vivo. We conclude that the aphVIII gene is a useful marker for nuclear transformation and promoter tagging of C. reinhardtii wild-type and probably other green algae.

[The role of intracardiac hemodynamic parameters in prognosis of cardiac failure in myocardial infarction patients]. / Znachenie pokazatelei vnutriserdechnoi gemodinamiki u bol'nykh infarktom miokarda v prognozirovanii razvitiia serdechnoi nedostatochnosti.

Two-dimensional echocardiography was used to study intracardiac hemodynamics (end systolic, end diastolic volumes and left atrial ejection fraction; end systolic, end diastolic volumes and left ventricular fraction; mean pressure in the pulmonary artery; myocardial mass of the left ventricle) in 49 patients 2, 10 and 30 days after onset of macrofocal myocardial infarction (MI). It was found that patients with and without cardiac failure after one year of the diseases significantly differed by volume and function of the left ventricle and atrium registered since MI day 2. Probability of cardiac failure in the postinfarction period may be estimated since the disease day 2 by an increase in the end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes and left ventricular ejection fraction. A restrictive type of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is one of the early prognostic criteria of cardiac failure in postinfarction period.

[Determination of the nucleotide sequence of the silent aminoglycoside phosphotransferase gene in Streptomyces rimosus P3]. / Opredelenie nukleotidnoi posledovatel'nosti "molchashchego" gena aminoglikozidfosfotransferazy Streptomyces rimosus P3.

The nucleotide sequence BgIII-Pstl of the DNA fragment containing the aph gene cloned from Streptomyces rimosus P3 not producing aminoglycoside antibiotics was determined. The aph gene was shown to encode neomycin phosphotransferase differing by the substrate specificity from the enzyme encoded by the aph genes from the organisms producing aminoglycoside antibiotics. Comparison of the cloned aph VIII gene and its product with the aph genes and their products from the antibiotic-producing actinomycetes and clinical microbial strains permitted to consider it as a representative of the third group genes which are likely widely distributed in soil microorganisms not producing aminoglycoside antibiotics. The gene length was 777 nucleotide pairs at the average GC content of 67 per cent. Comparison of the nucleotide and protein sequences of the S.rimosus gene with those of the genes cloned from the aminoglycoside-producing organisms (S.fradiae and Micromonospora chalcea) revealed high homology in the 3'-end region of the genes. However, the homology percentage by DNA for the S.rimosus gene was lower than that for the genes from the other organisms on their comparison with each other: 56-67 and 82-86 per cent respectively. Comparison of the profiles of the protein hydrophilic properties revealed differences in the region of the first 110 amino acids of the gene under the investigation. The amino acid sequence contained all the highly conservative regions characteristics of aminoglycoside phosphotransferases but had several amino acid substitutes detected for the first time including those in the region responsible for the antibiotic binding.

[Determination of the nucleotide sequence and characterization of the novel aminoglycoside phosphotransferase aphVIII gene from the Streptomyces rimosus strain]. / Opredelenie nukleotidnoi posledovatel'nosti i kharakteristika novogo aminoglikozidfosfotransferaznogo gena aphVIII ia shtamma Streptomyces rimosus]

The nucleotide sequence of a BglII-PstI DNA fragment that contains the cloned aphVIII gene from the Streptomyces rimosus P3 strain, the producer of oxytetracycline, was determined. It was established that the aph gene encodes neomycin phosphotransferase that differs by substrate specificity from neomycin phosphotransferases encoded by aph genes in producers of aminoglycoside antibiotics and clinical bacterial strains. The gene was shown to be 777 bp in length with the mean GC content equal to 67%. The amino acid sequence possesses all highly conserved regions typical for aminoglycoside phosphotransferases; however, this sequence contained several amino acid substitutions that have been detected for the first time, including those in the domain responsible for the association with antibiotics.

Stable nuclear transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with a Streptomyces rimosus gene as the selective marker.

The aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase type VIII (APHVIII) encoding gene (aphVIII) from Streptomyces rimosus was introduced by glass-bead high-efficiency transformation into the nuclear genome of green unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for induction of transformants resistant to aminoglycoside antibiotics. The aphVIII structural sequence was flanked by S. rimosus regulatory sequences which failed to direct expression in C. reinhardtii. The pSU937 plasmid containing these sequences was able to transform C. reinhardtii strain cw15 arg7-8 mt+ for paromomycin resistance (PmR) at a frequency (1.3-1.9) x 10(-7), probably as a result of in vivo gene fusion and expression of the aphVIII gene from regulatory elements of nuclear DNA. Evidence for the real C. reinhardtii transformation includes blot-hybridization with a probe specific for aphVIII and demonstration of APHVIII enzyme activity in crude cell extracts of transformants. Integrated Streptomyces DNA sequences, APHVIII enzyme activity and the aminoglycoside-resistance phenotype were stable through mitosis in the presence and absence of selection. The PmR phenotype was inherited by the meiotic progeny of transformants from crosses with wild-type strains.

[Analysis of a chromosomal DNA fragment isolated from a hybrid autonomous plasmid of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii]. / Analiz fragmenta khromosomnoi DNK, izolirovannogo iz gibridnoi avtonomnoi plazmidy Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

The ability of a previously cloned fragment of nuclear DNA of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (a 2.4-kb BamH 1-EcoR I fragment) to function as the origin of replication of plasmid pARG7.8.2.4, carrying the homologous arg7 marker gene of prototrophy or arginine in cells of C. reinhardtii transformants, was studied. As shown by Southern blotting, plasmid pARG7.8.2.4 integrates at several sites of chromosomal DNA of chlamydomonas without autonomous maintenance in cells. Results obtained using Southern blotting and plasmid rescue techniques demonstrated that plasmid pARG7.8, containing only the arg7 gene, is able both to integrate into the chromosome and to be maintained, in some cases, in the autonomous state in Arg+ transformants of alga. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the DNA fragment under study revealed several types of GC-enriched repeats that manifested homology with the nucleotide sequence of the arg7 gene in introns 10 and 12.

Approximate scaling relationships of light diffraction by apertures with complicated shapes.

Numerical and analytical simulations of Fraunhofer diffraction by oddly shaped apertures and exponential light amplitudes show that within an accuracy of 20-40%, the dependencies of the normalized encircled energy epsilon on ?, the fraction of the energy transmitted by the aperture within a given polar angle ? are similar in shape when ? is normalized by lambda/rho. Here rho is the size parameter of the aperture geometry (its shape and size) and of the light-amplitude profile. For a small ?, rho = rho(l,eff) = (Sigma(eff)/pi)((1/2)) depends on the effective aperture area Sigma(eff), which is calculated through the axial light intensity. For a large ?, rho = rho(2,eff) = 2Sigma(eff)/Rho(eff) depends on Sigma(eff) and the corresponding perimeter Rho(eff). In the case of a uniform light-amplitude distribution the normalization of rho(1) and rho(2) corresponds to the well-known expansion of epsilon(?) for small and large ?.