High-Power-Density Thermoelectrochemical Cell Based on Ni/NiO Nanostructured Microsphere Electrodes with Alkaline Electrolyte.

Effective low-grade waste heat harvesting and its conversion into electric energy by the means of thermoelectrochemical cells (TECs) are a strong theme in the field of renewable energy investigation. Despite considerable scientific research, TECs have not yet been practically applied due to the high cost of electrode materials and low effectiveness levels. A large hypothetical Seebeck coefficient allow the harvest of the low-grade waste heat and, particularly, to use TECs for collecting human body heat. This paper demonstrates the investigation of estimated hypothetical Seebeck coefficient dependency on KOH electrolyte concentration for TECs with hollow nanostructured Ni/NiO microsphere electrodes. It proposes a thermoelectrochemical cell with power density of 1.72 W·m-2 and describes the chemistry of electrodes and near-electrode space. Also, the paper demonstrates a decrease in charge transfer resistance from 3.5 to 0.52 Ω and a decrease in capacitive behavior with increasing electrolyte concentration due to diffusion effects.

Clinical application of chromosome 9p21.3 genotyping in patients with coronary artery disease.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the susceptibility of two coronary artery disease (CAD)-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms on 9p21 (rs1333049 and rs10757278) to myocardial infarction (MI) in a primary (stratification of high risk group for MI) and secondary prevention setting. The prospective observational study included 500 patients with MI [411 males (82.2%) and 89 females (17.8%)] under 65 years. The risk of MI for carriers of the homozygous CC genotype of rs1333049 and homozygous GG genotype of rs10757278 was 1.77 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36-2.37], and 1.70 (95% CI: 1.24-2.32) respectively. The risk of MI for heterozygous allele carriers was slightly lower. Specifically, the risk of MI was 1.58 (95% CI: 1.18-2.11) for both heterozygous and homozygous carriers of the rs1333049 C allele, and 1.36 (95% CI: 1.01-1.83) for the carriers of the rs10757278 G allele. A logistic regression model including sex, age, presence of excess weight or obesity, abdominal obesity, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, positive family history and smoking status parameters revealed that rs1333049 CC genotype was an independent predictive factor of myocardial infraction [OR=1.71 (95% CI: 1.16-2.52), P=0.006]. Patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) during index hospitalization and patients who did not receive PCI were followed up for two years after discharge. Compared with patients with MI who underwent PCI, the risk of recurrent acute coronary syndrome (re-ACS) was higher among rs1333049 C allele carriers who did not receive PCI during index hospitalization. One year after MI, the OR of re-ACS was 4.91 (95% CI: 1.45-16.66), while two years after MI, OR was 3.77 (95% CI: 1.50-9.52) in those patients who did not receive PCI during index hospitalization. There was no statistically significant association between polymorphic variants of rs1333049 and MI follow-up outcomes in patients who underwent PCI. The present study indicated clinical utility of 9p21.3 genotyping to predict the outcomes for patients with MI without PCI. Due to the small sample size, this association study forms basis for larger, nationwide studies investigating clinical applications of genetic data.

Melanoma Screening Day in Krasnoyarsk Krai of the Russian Federation: Results from 2015-2016

Objective: The Melanoma Screening Day Campaign started in the Russian Federation in 2006. In the present study, we analyzed the 2015-2016 survey questionnaire data acquired from screened individuals in the city of Krasnoyarsk in eastern Siberia, which has a population of one million, in order to understand the level of awareness regarding melanoma/ skin cancer prevention and early diagnosis. Methods: Individuals were enrolled in the screening campaign by mass media advertising. Free whole-body examinations were provided by the doctors, and the standardized questionnaire forms (n=444) were completed to obtain relevant demographic, epidemiological, and clinical data. Descriptive and univariate analyses were conducted to elucidate the main characteristics of the screened population. Percentage frequency was used to characterize the population. Result: A substantial proportion of the screened individuals were female (80%). The most common reasons for participating in the screening were a high number of moles, or a change in the appearance of the moles. Internet recourses were the main channel for obtaining the information about the Melanoma Day Screening Campaign. 5% of screened individuals had a family history of melanoma/skin cancer. The mean age of the participants was 36.63±16.31 years. The percentage of screened individuals who took part in this program increased in 2016 (18%) versus 2015 (8%). In total, 5 individuals with suspected melanoma/skin cancer were identified during the two-year Campaign, all of whom were referred to the regional oncology center. Conclusion: The analysis of data from the Melanoma Screening Day Campaign in Krasnoyarsk Krai revealed the necessity to use the media to attract older subjects with potential melanoma/skin cancer risk to undergo screening. Individuals with suspected malignancies should be monitored up until the time when a final diagnosis is determined. Moreover, such events are an appropriate way to inform and educate the public about cutaneous cancer prevention.

Genetic analysis of melanocortin 1 receptor red hair color variants in a Russian population of Eastern Siberia.

The melanocortin 1 receptor is a Gs protein-coupled receptor implicated in melanogenesis regulation. The receptor gene is highly polymorphic, which accounts for the association of several of its single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with an increased risk of melanoma. The present study aimed to evaluate the distribution of melanocortin 1 receptor gene variants R151C, R160W, and D294H within the Russian population of Eastern Siberia and its association with melanoma development. Melanoma patients (n=95) admitted to Krasnoyarsk Territorial Oncological Center and healthy controls (n=334) were enrolled in the study. A clinical examination of patients was performed to evaluate the phenotypic features of melanoma patients. SNPs were analyzed by real-time PCR. Clinical examination indicated a more frequent occurrence of fair skin type, blue eyes, blonde and red hair, and more frequent localization of freckles on the neck, trunk, and extremities in the melanoma group of patients. The R151C melanocortin 1 receptor gene variant was found in 18% of melanoma patients and associated with an increased likelihood of melanoma development (odds ratio=6.4; 95% confidence interval: 2.8-14.3; P=0.0001). The two remaining variant alleles of the melanocortin 1 receptor gene occurred with low frequency both in controls and in the melanoma group. The R160W SNP was identified neither in controls nor in melanoma patients. The D294H heterozygous variant was observed in 0.3% of individuals in the control group and in 1.1% of the patients in the melanoma group. Such an asymmetric distribution of the melanocortin 1 receptor within red hair color genotypes in the population under study compared with other populations may be because of Russian genetic homogeneity. Carriers of the mutant R151C allele should exercise caution in terms of exposure to the sun to avoid the risk of melanoma development.

Electrochemical aptasensor for lung cancer-related protein detection in crude blood plasma samples.

The development of an aptamer-based electrochemical sensor for lung cancer detection is presented in this work. A highly specific DNA-aptamer, LC-18, selected to postoperative lung cancer tissues was immobilized onto a gold microelectrode and electrochemical measurements were performed in a solution containing the redox marker ferrocyanide/ferricyanide. The aptamer protein targets were harvested from blood plasma of lung cancer patients by using streptavidin paramagnetic beads and square wave voltammetry of the samples was performed at various concentrations. In order to enhance the sensitivity of the aptasensor, silica-coated iron oxide magnetic beads grafted with hydrophobic C8 and C4 alkyl groups were used in a sandwich detection approach. Addition of hydrophobic beads increased the detection limit by 100 times. The detection limit of the LC-18 aptasensor was enhanced by the beads to 0.023 ng/mL. The formation of the aptamer - protein - bead sandwich on the electrode surface was visualized by electron microcopy. As a result, the electrochemical aptasensor was able to detect cancer-related targets in crude blood plasma of lung cancer patients.

Mortality and economic burden of Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, caused by regular tobacco usage.

BACKGROUND: This study assesses mortality and economic burden due to the regular tobacco usage among the population of the Krasnoyarsk region of the Russian Federation. This territory was chosen for the analysis because of two factors: high smoking prevalence in the Krasnoyarsk region (46% among the adult population) and premature mortality of the working-age population, which leads to a significant burden to the federal budget of the Russian Federation. DATA SOURCES: In our work, three main causes of smoking-related deaths were considered: cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and COPD. The working-age population was investigated (20-72 years old). The databases of mortality and population size of the territorial body of state statistics of the Krasnoyarsk region (data for 2013) were used as the information sources. METHODS: Joint application of population-attributable risk and disability-adjusted life years method allowed us to estimate medico-demographic and economic burden due to the tobacco-attributable premature mortality in the investigated population. RESULTS: We found that tobacco use-related economic burden is at least equal to 2% of the gross regional product of the Krasnoyarsk region in 2013. CONCLUSION: An assessment of economic tobacco use-related burden is important for determining the volume of necessary funding for development of smoking prevention programs, proper estimation of tobacco companies' taxation, and other measures for controlling tobacco use. Smoking cessation is a priority for prevention of the tobacco-related diseases and reduction of their burden on local economy.

Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a population-based study in Krasnoyarsk region, Russia.

BACKGROUND: Krasnoyarsk region is a territory with the widespread risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) such as tobacco smoke, air pollution, and occupational exposure. An assessment of COPD prevalence based on medical diagnosis statistics underestimates the true COPD prevalence. This study aims to evaluate how medical examinations may increase the accuracy of estimates of COPD prevalence. METHODS: True COPD prevalence was estimated as a number of patients with the established disease diagnosis supplemented by the additional disease cases detected during medical examinations per 1,000 inhabitants of the region. Official medical statistics data and the data collected from the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases program 2011 among 15,000 inhabitants of the region aged 18 years and older were analyzed. RESULTS: This study revealed the COPD cases without official medical diagnosis. The true prevalence of COPD is estimated to be two times higher than the prevalence estimates based on medical diagnosis statistics. CONCLUSION: Undiagnosed and untreated cases of COPD result in severe COPD forms as well as addition of severe comorbidities. Because of this, there is an increase in the index of potential years of life lost. Conducting special medical examinations may increase the number of COPD cases detected at the early stages of the disease. This, in turn, may reduce the overall burden of the disease for the population of the region.

Melanoma incidence mortality rates and clinico-pathological types in the Siberian area of the Russian Federation.

Russian rates for melanoma incidence and mortality are relatively low as compared to some other white populations but the tumor is of increasing importance. In this paper, data are based on a retrospective descriptive analysis of melanoma epidemiology and clinicopathological characteristics in Krasnoyarsk Territory belonging to the Siberian Federal District of the Russian Federation. The age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates for the period 1996-2009 were determined with subsequent retrospective analysis of clinicopathological data of 103 primary melanoma cases. Our results showed that incidence and mortality rates in the region under consideration match the Russian national trends and correspond to epidemiological data of the countries of Eastern Europe. Stratification of melanoma cases by age, sex, clinicopathological state and localization revealed a prevalence of lesions on the trunk and lower extremities. Most melanomas diagnosed were of superficial spreading type and the third Clark's level of tumor invasion and stage II according to AJCC. In spite of comparatively low rates of incidence and mortality the trend to increase of melanoma cases in the region under consideration obviously calls for more attention and further investigation.