Preliminary assessment of the radiological consequences of the hostile military occupation of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces on 24 February 2022 put the radiological well-being of the people in Ukraine under unprecedented threat. Apart from the risks linked to operating nuclear power plants, there was substantial evidence of looting of facilities of all kinds, including those holding radioactive materials, as well as the scope for physical disturbance of radioactively contaminated areas and waste storage facilities. The actions of Russian military personnel invading Ukraine through the territory of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (the ChEZ) were of serious concern. Before its shutdown a few days after the beginning of the occupation, the automated radiation monitoring system of the ChEZ recorded sharp increases in the gamma-background in several areas which indicated some non-typical processes taking place on its territory. The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) and its technical support organisation, the Scientific and Technical Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS), as well as the rest of the professional nuclear community in Ukraine and worldwide, recognised the potential for movement of the radioactive contamination (reaching 101-104kBq m-2Cs-137 in the most of the territory) by the Russian military machinery and personnel to areas outside the ChEZ, creating locally contaminated spots along the routes taken by the invaders towards Kyiv. Certain apprehensions were caused by the inventory carried out after the liberation of the ChEZ which revealed the theft of calibration sources and radioactive samples from laboratories located in Chornobyl. As soon as this information became available to the public, it caused a wide response and anxiety, as a result of which SNRIU made a decision to conduct a radiation survey of the liberated territories in the Kyiv region. The survey was conducted between June and December 2022 by SSTC NRS specialists with the support of DSA. The scope of the survey was limited by available time and resources; however, the total route of the survey was about 840 km, and covered more than 50 settlements and a limited part of the ChEZ. The radiation survey combined the continuous gamma-dose rate measurements by the detectors installed in the laboratory vehicle and additional manual measurements at specified points. As a result of the radiation survey, no deterioration of the radiation situation was observed in the liberated territories. No contaminated objects, radiation sources, or other radioactive material removed from the ChEZ were found either. Measurements of the Cs-137 soil contamination in the ChEZ, although limited, corresponded to the results which had been obtained before the war. It can be concluded that in the surveyed territories, the direct impact on the public in the form of additional radioactive contamination removed from the ChEZ in February-March 2022 was negligible. The same applies to the radiation consequences of forest fires that occurred in the ChEZ during its occupation. However, due to the damage of the radiation monitoring system, explosive hazard, and destruction of transport infrastructure, the consequences of the occupation of the ChEZ by Russian troops will be long-term.

[Alternative approaches to the diagnosis of African swine fever in the Russian Federation in 2017-2021].

INTRODUCTION: Prevention and control of African swine fever (ASF) transmission on the territory of the Russian Federation requires monitoring based on testing of samples from pigs and wild boars. Specific anti-ASFV antibodies are rarely detected in samples during routine serological diagnostics. Although, ASF isolates with weakened virulence were confirmed in Russia and neighboring countries.The aim of this work was to determine the possibility of using alternative samples for ASF diagnosis and evaluate the effectiveness of the diagnostic methods used on the territory of Russia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Biological materials obtained from experimentally infected animals and samples collected in the "field" conditions were used in this study. RESULTS: Complex testing (RT-PCR and ELISA) is a more effective approach to diagnose chronic and asymptomatic forms of ASF compared to the separate use of these techniques. The possibility and efficiency of using alternative samples in diagnostics are demonstrated. It was confirmed that IPT method overcomes ELISA by high diagnostic sensitivity and detection of antibodies on earlier stages in extended range of samples. Anti-ASFV antibodies were detected in domestic and wild pigs in five regions of Russia. Samples from infected pigs that are negative in RT-PCR can be positive for anti-ASFV antibodies. The detection of antibodies in samples from shot wild boars (negative or uncertain in RT-PCR test) suggests the existence of animals surviving ASF infection. CONCLUSION: The data obtained suggest a revision of the ASF surveillance strategy, by introducing complex diagnostic methods aimed at detection of both the virus genome and anti-ASFV antibodies simultaneously.

[Analysis of the whole-genome sequence of an ASF virus (Asfarviridae: Asfivirus: African swine fever virus) isolated from a wild boar (Sus scrofa) at the border between Russian Federation and Mongolia].

INTRODUCTION: The causative agent of African swine fever (Asfarviridae: Asfivirus: African swine fever virus) (ASF) is a double-stranded DNA virus of 175-215 nm. To date, 24 of its genotypes are known. Clustering of ASF genotype II isolates is carried out by examining a limited number of selected genome markers. Despite the relatively high rate of mutations in the genome of this infectious agent compared to other DNA viruses, the number of known genome molecular markers for genotype II isolates is still insufficient for detailed subclustering. The aims of this work were the comparative analysis of ASFV/Zabaykali/WB-5314/2020 virus isolate and determination of additional molecular markers which can be used for clustering of viral genotype II sequences. MATERIAL AND METHODS: ASF virus isolate ASFV/Zabaykali/WB-5314/2020 was used to extract genomic DNA (gDNA). Sequencing libraries were constructed using the Nextera XT DNA library prepare kit (Illumina, USA) using the methodology of the next generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: The genome length was 189,380 bp, and the number of open reading frames (ORFs) was 189. In comparison with the genome of reference isolate Georgia 2007/1, 33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, of which 13 were localized in the intergenic region, 10 resulted to the changes in the amino acid sequences of the encoded proteins, and 10 affected the ORF of ASF virus genes. DISCUSSION: When analyzing intergenic regions, the ASFV/Zabaykali/WB-5314/2020 isolate is grouped separately from a number of isolates from Poland and three isolates from People's Republic of China (PRC), since it does not harbor additional tandem repeat sequence (TRS). At the same time, the construction of a phylogenetic tree based on DP60R gene sequencing relates ASFV/Zabaykali/WB-5314/2020 to isolates from PRC and Poland. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis of full-genome sequences confirmed previous studies on the grouping of viruses of genotype II, and as for the studied isolate, it was grouped with the variants from China. CONCLUSION: A new variable region was identified, the DP60R gene, clustering for which gave a result similar to the analysis of full-length genomes. Probably, further study of the distribution of ASF virus isolates by groups based on the analysis of this gene sequences will reveal its significance for studying the evolution of the virus and its spread.

The analysis of methylation of DNA promoter of SFRP2 gene in patients with hyperplastic processes of the endometrium.

The hyperplastic processes of the endometrium can arise not only against the background of excessive influence of estrogen, but also against the background of epigenetic damages that affect apoptosis, cell proliferation, differentiation, and adhesion, and DNA reparation. The aim of our study was to investigate and analyze the status of methylation of the promoter of SFRP2 gene in patients with hyperplastic processes of the endometrium. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study groups were the following: I - patients with endometrial hyperplasia (EH, n = 9); II - patients with endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN, n = 10), III - control groups: 1) with endometrial cancer (EC, n = 4), and 2) healthy women (n = 4). Determination of promoter methylation of SFRP2 gene was carried out by the semiquantitative method of methylation-specific PCR assay. RESULTS: The maximum level of methylation of SFRP2 gene promoter had been revealed in patients with EC - 42.80 ± 3.55% (р < 0.05). The patients of the I group had the lowest values of methylation of SFRP2 gene promoter - 10.66 ± 0.85%, while in patients of the II group this indicator was higher - 20.60 ± 0.95% (р < 0.05). In healthy women of the control group, methylation of SFRP2 gene promoter was detected in none of the samples. CONCLUSION: The content of the methylated SFRP2 gene in endometrial tissue of patients with hyperplastic processes higher than 20-25% allows relate these women to the risk group of EC development and dictates the need of intensive observation of such patients.

Soft spherical nanostructures with a dodecagonal quasicrystal-like order.

We develop a theory which predicts curvature-related structural peculiarities of soft spherical nanostructures with a dodecagonal local arrangement of subunits. Spherical templates coated with a thin film of a soft quasicrystal (QC)-forming material constitute the most promising direction to realize these nanostructures. Disordered and perfect spherical nanostructures are simulated using two approaches. The first of them models a random QC-like spherical nanostructure with extended curvature-induced topological defects similar to scars in colloidal spherical crystals. The second approach is inspired by the physics of viral capsids. It deals with the most regular spherical nanostructures with a local QC-like order derived from three well-known planar dodecagonal tilings. We explain how the additional QC-like degrees of freedom assist the nanostructure stabilization and determine the point defect number and location without extended scar formation. Unusual for nanoassemblies snub cube geometry is shown to be the most energetically favorable global organization of these spherical QC nanostructures.

Detection of African Swine Fever Antibodies in Experimental and Field Samples from the Russian Federation: Implications for Control.

African swine fever (ASF) re-entered in Europe in 2007 by Georgia rapidly affecting neighbouring countries. Since then, ASF has caused severe problems to the Russian Federation (RF) and spread to Northern and Western regions, including Ukraine (2012 and 2014) and Belarus (2013). At the beginning of 2014, dead wild boars were found in Lithuania and Poland. Several outbreaks have been later notified in the European Union(EU), affecting domestic pigs and wild boar of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, and also wild boar in Estonia, causing major problems for the EU pig sector. Some studies have been performed with this ASFV isolate, revealing that it belongs to genotype II and causes an acute form of the disease. However, few data are available about the presence of antibodies in field and experimental samples from the affected area. This study analysed samples from experimental infections with ASFV isolated from the RF in 2013 (74 sera and 3 tissue exudates), and field samples from the RF from 2013 to 2014 (266 samples, including 32 and 7 tissue exudates from domestic pigs and wild boar, respectively). All samples were tested by a commercial ELISA and, some of them (79), also by immunochromatographic tests. Positive and doubtful samples were confirmed by immunoblotting test. Positive results were found in experimental and field samples, which confirm the presence of antibodies against ASFV in the RF. Antibodies were detected in animals inoculated with three different ASFV isolates, with some differences found among them. Only a small percentage of field samples was positive for ASF antibodies (3.7%), in agreement with other observations that reported a high virulence for the ASFV isolates in the area. These results confirm the potential presence of survivor animals that should be considered in affected areas to help design effective control and eradication plans against ASF.

[Comparison of data from registries of acute coronary syndromes RECORD and RECORD-2: management of patients and its results in noninvasive hospitals].

Positive changes are declared to occur during recent years in management of hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in Russia. Most of these changes are related to availability of invasive treatment. But considerable portion of patients (pts) are still treated in hospitals without facilities for invasive myocardial revascularization (noninvasive hospitals - NIHs). Aim of this study was to compare some characteristics of management of ACS in NIHs which participated in ACS registries RECORD (2007-2008, 8 NIHs from 6 cities; n=381) and RECORD-2 (2009-2011, 3 NIHs from 3 cities, n=680). Results. Groups of pts recruited in these NIHs had similar mean age and portion of women (67.6 and 66.5 years, 51.1 and 53.1 % in RECORD-2 and RECORD, respectively, p=0.64). Time from symptoms onset to hospitalization was shorter in RECORD-2 (3.2 vs 4.1 hours for ST-elevation [STE], =0.03; 4.0 vs 6.5 hours for non ST elevation [NSTE] ACS, <0.0001). Among RECORD-2 NSTEACS pts more had ST depressions (50.6 vs 28.7%, <0.0001), high risk of death according to GRACE score (39.1 vs 20.9 %, <0.0001), but less Killip class >II (15.0 vs 21.6%, p=0.025). No such differences existed among STEACS pts. Thrombolysis was more often used in RECORD-2 (62.6 vs 34.1%, <0.0001). Both STEACS and NSTEACS RECORD-2 pts more often received clopidogrel (63.5 vs 18.8%, p<0.0001, and 41.6 vs 11.1%, <0.0001, respectively). More NSTEACS RECORD-2 pts were given parenteral anticoagulants (93.4 vs 80.4%, <0.0001), low molecular weight heparins (23.4 vs. 3.4%, <0.0001) and fondaparinux (10.4 vs 0.7%, <0.0001), but still in 20% of NSTEACS RECORD-2 pts unfractionated heparin was given subcutaneously. Twenty RECORD-2 pts (2.9%) were transferred to invasive hospital but none during first 24 hours. There were no significant differences between registers in hospital mortality (20.0 vs 21.2%, =0.84; 4.2 vs 2.7%, =0.24 in STE and NSTE ACS pts of RECORD-2 and RECORD, respectively). Conclusions. Despite some improvement in management of pts occurring in 2-3 years NIHs mortality in STEACS remained very high. Numerically higher mortality in NSTEACS could be partially attributed to higher risk of RECORD-2 pts.

[Adherence to guidelines on management of acute coronary syndrome in Russian hospitals and outcomes of hospitalization (data from the RECORD-2 Registry)].

BACKGROUND: Complete following existing guidelines for management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is known to be associated with better outcomes. Partly this is explained by lesser adherence to recommendations in high risk patients. Aim of our study was to assess relationship between degree of following current guidelines and in hospital outcomes independently from initial assessment of risk. METHODS: Each key recommendation from guidelines issued between 2008 and 2011 (13 for STE ACS, 12 for NSTE ACS) was given weight of 1. Sum of these units constituted index of guideline adherence (IGA). IGA was retrospectively calculated for 1656 patients included in Russian independent ACS registry RECORD-2 (7 hospitals, duration 04.2009 to 04.2011). The patients were divided into 2 groups according to quartiles of IGA distribution: 1) low adherence group (quartiles I-II); 2) high adherence group (quartiles III-IV). RESULTS: In low adherence compared with high adherence group there were significantly more patients more or equal 65 years (=0.0007), with chronic heart failure [CHF] (<0.0001), previous stroke (<0.0001), atrial fibrillation [AF] (=0.0002), Killip class more or equal II (=0.0065), high risk of death by GRACE score (=0.035). Inhospital mortality was 9.3 and 2.4% in low and high adherence group, respectively (p<0.0001). The following independent predictors of inhospital death were identified: IGA quartiles I-II (odds ratio [OR] 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3-7.1; <0.0001), high GRACE score (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.8-6.0; <0.0001), admission systolic BP less or equal 100 mm Hg (OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.8-5.4; <0.0001), admission serum glucose more or equal 8 mmol/l (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.8-4.7; <0.0001), age more or equal 65 years (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.3-4.0; =0.005), ST elevation more or equal 1 mm on first ECG (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1-2.5; =0.013). From groups with low and high adherence to guidelines we selected pairs of patients (n=588) with similar (or close) age, type of ACS, GRACE score, Killip class, presence of other important risk factors (CHF, AF, previous stroke), and formed 2 equal subgroups without significant differences in important demographic, anamnestic, clinical and laboratory data. Hospital mortality was 7.8 and 2.7% in low and high adherence subgroup, respectively (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In RECORD-2 ACS registry low adherence to guidelines was more frequent among high risk patients and was independent predictor of inhospital death. Association between degree of guidelines adherence and outcomes persisted after equalizing groups by some factors of risk of mortality.

[Electrocardiographic predictors of in-hospital outcomes of acute coronary syndrome].

AIM: To estimate the time course of changes in basic electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) as possible predictors of in-hospital outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of 277 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) were used; QT-interval duration was studied by means of an EC12C-01 cardioanalyzer; ST-segment deviation (sigmaST), elevation (sigmaST-E), and depression (sigmaST-D) sums, and corrected QT-interval dispersion (DQTc) were calculated. RESULTS: There were highly significant differences of sigmaST in all the patients groups at admission and differences of DQTc in ACS patients with and without ST-segment elevation. The survival rates were significantly different depending on the value of ECG parameters, such as sigmaST, sigmaST-D, and DQTc. CONCLUSION: The cardioanalyzer can automatically improve the estimation of in-hospital ECG changes and to determine predictors of an ACS outcome.

[Processes of phragmoplast centrifugal movement in cereal meiosis].

A group of new meiotic division abnormalities affecting processes of phragmoplast centrifugal movement in successive cytokinesis in cereal pollen mother cells is described. These phenotypes present new information about motile phragmoplast formation and operation and confirm our model of centrifugal movements as B-ana-phase modification.

[Dietary iodine provision of the population in the Krasnoyarsk Territory].

The paper analyzes the time course of changes in the intake of staple foods in the Krasnoyarsk Territory in 1998-2005. It is shown that the ingestion of iodine-rich foods has not increased greatly and it is low and does not provide the population with this essential micronutrient. The actual content of iodine in the study samples of food and its raw material is several times less than the tabulated values. The contribution of the staple foods to the provision of the Krasnoyarsk Territory's population with iodine is assessed. The total level of dietary iodine deficiency is estimated. Iodine-fortified salt and foods should be widely used under special conditions providing the transportation and storage of biologically value foods, during which there are inevitable losses of the trace element occur.

[Schooling conditions and children's morbidity at schools of small towns of the Krasnoyarsk Territory].

The paper gives a brief analysis of the prevalence and trends of childhood morbidity in small towns of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Morbidity in small towns is shown to be greater than the average territorial rate. The increase in overall morbidity in children is affected by the schooling environment where a child stay 6-8 hours daily and that ensures no conditions for keeping and promoting the child's health at school at the present stage. Monitoring of material resources yields a special territorial program whose major task is to increase the sanitary-and-epidemiological well-being at general educational establishments.

[The complex hygienic characteristics preventive iodine deficiency in population of Siberia].

In the research we used hygienic, social-hygienic and statistical methods. The study showed that 58,3-88,1% of examined children in Siberia, in the north, south and in the center of Krasnoyarsk territory suffer from iodine deficiency. There was no difference iodine content medians between boys and girls. Preventive iodine deficiency which arise at absence or decrease in food and are the reason of many illness, is important and till now a unresolved problem of Krasnoyarsk areas.

[A model for indication of DNA functional and structural changes at low-dose radiation].

The work offers an "in vivo-in vitro" model which allows to identify DNA's both structural and functional damages caused by gamma-irradiation in doses from 0.02 to 0.25 Gy. As a donor the authors used an irradiated pTTQ 19 plasmide which had two marker genes: the ampicilline-resistant gene (amp(r)) and beta-galactosidase structural gene (lacZ alpha). E. coli GM 109 bacterial stamm transformed by the irradiated plasmide was used as a recipient. The structural damages of the irradiated plasmide were registered by DNA electrophoretic analysis in agarose gel. The plasmide DNA dysfunctions were assessed by its ability to pass on ampicilline resistance to E. coli bacterial cells as well as by beta-galactosidase level. The irradiated plasmide was found to have a tendency to decrease beta-galactosidase activity and number of E. coli ampicilline-resistant transformants depending on the received radiation dose: by 24.5% (0.05 Gy), 30.9% (0.19 Gy), and by 40.2% (0.25 Gy).

[Cardioversion and central hemodynamics in patients with arrhythmic and genuine cardiogenic shock].

Arrhythmic shock (AS) results primarily from many types of tachyarrhythmias: atrial fibrillation and flutter, supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, ventricular paroxysmal tachycardias. AS is distinguished from the stable course of the above arrhythmias by pronounced changes in central hemodynamics (CH) and by rapid and frequently negative manifestations. The status of CH is an important criterion when whether electrical cardioversion is performed is decided. CH was studied in 306 patients with genuine cardiogenic shock and in 32 patients with AS. In case of effective cardioversion, central hemodynamics in patients with AS underwent rapid changes: first of all, stroke volume and cardiac index increased and end systolic volume decreased. In case of effective of antishock measures, CH in patients with cardiogenic shock normalized only within 3-4 weeks of their stay at an intensive care unit, but ejection fraction also remained decreased at their discharge from hospital.

Main-group-element calix[4]arenes: variable coordination and conformational isomerism at phosphorus and silicon.

Treatment of calix[4]arene (1b) with trichloromethylsilane yields two conformers of calix[4]SiMe(OH), the cone 2b-C and the partial cone 2b-PC. These are isolated and structurally characterized, and their thermodynamic activation parameters are determined in solution [Ea = 117(3) kJ/mol, delta H = 5(4) kJ/mol]. Similar parameters are found for the p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene analogues 2a-C and 2a-PC. Deprotonation of 2b with butyllithium yields calix[4]SiMe(OLi) (8b). The structure of 8b is solvent dependent: 8b contains a five-coordinate silicon in THF and a four-coordinate silicon in benzene. Similar behavior is found for the p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene analogues. The five-coordinate phosphorus analogue of the anion in 8, p-tert-butylcalix[4]PMe (11a), is synthesized from the phosphonium triflate salt p-tert-butylcalix[4]PMe(OH)OTf (10a(OTf)) via treatment with butyllithium. The structure of 11a shows the geometry around phosphorus to be very close to a pure trigonal bipyramid. The X-ray structure of 10a(OTf) cannot be obtained, but its iodide analogue 10a(T) is synthesized and structurally characterized. The cation in 10a(I) adopts the partial cone conformation in the solid state, similar to 2b-PC. Treatment of 8b with methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate yields the methyl phenyl ether calix[4]SiMe(OMe) (3b). This species and its p-tert-butyl analogue 3a are structurally characterized. Both adopt the partial cone conformation. The SiMe group in 3b can be removed via treatment with fluoride to yield the monomethylated calix[4]arene 4b in 50-60% overall yield based on 1b.

A strategy for statistical Master Person Index linking.

A linking program used by Connecticut Healthcare Information Management and Exchange to maintain the Master Person Index for its large, state-wide patient data repository is being stretched beyond its limits by the growing size and complexity of the database. This paper presents the early work into developing a second-generation linking program. Like the original program, the new linker will use a unique multi-step process to allow effective linking of data from a large number of dissimilar data sources. The new linker will use parallel multi-processing to allow improved performance and scalability. These changes will also make possible more sophisticated statistical methods of defining link confidence. The system is implemented using a scalable collection of inexpensive, PC based systems running the Linux operating system, a freely available database engine, and the Java programming language.

Hospital charges for terminal care of cancer patients dying before age 65.

Cancers are common causes of death before age 65 years, but health care costs have rarely been examined. Data from the statewide population-based Connecticut Tumor Registry were linked with the statewide hospital-discharge database, for cancer patients who died in 1992 before age 65 years. Average cancer-related charges for stays at Connecticut hospitals during the last year of life for lung and breast cancer were $31,000-$37,000 per patient, and total charges were $9 million-$12 million. Trends in the health care system and in patient preferences may affect future hospital charges for terminal care of cancer patients.

Estimating breast cancer treatment charges in Connecticut.

Previous studies of estimated costs for cancer treatment have been limited to elderly patients or to specific health maintenance organizations. Data from the statewide population-based Connecticut Tumor Registry on a random sample of 407 breast cancer patients diagnosed in 1991 were linked with a statewide hospital-discharge database, to estimate charges (through September 1993) for inpatient and ambulatory surgery care. For the 377 cases (92.6% of 407) successfully linked, average charges attributed to breast cancer care declined with age, increased with extent of disease (stage at diagnosis), and increased with extent of surgery; these associations persisted in multivariate analyses. Total hospital-related charges for comorbid conditions (during 1991-93) were considerable by age 45 to 64 years. The merged database should be most useful in estimating charges for: cancers treated mainly by surgery (including ambulatory surgery at hospitals); comorbid conditions; and terminal care.