Lower Eocene sedimentary succession and microfossil biostratigraphy in the central northern Caucasus basin

The lower Eocene sediments from the classical Paleogene section exposed along the Kheu River, northern Caucasus, southern Russia are here studied. This ca. 50m thick succession is lithologically contrasting: the lower and upper parts are composed by soft marls separated by a thick Radiolaria-rich unit of non-calcareous and low-calcareous mudstones with intercalations of compact cherty layers. According to nannofossil and dinocyst biostratigraphy, the unique intercalation of Total Organic Carbon (TOC)-rich sediment (sapropelitic bed) in the lower part of the lower Eocene correspond to the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and a series of sapropelitic interlayers in the upper marly part of the lower Eocene succession correlates with the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO). The study of nannofossil and dinocyst assemblages enabled detailed zonal subdivision and first-order calibration of nannofossil and dinocyst bio-events during this time-span. The studied interval of the section embraces the complete succession of nannofossil zones NP9-NP13 of Martini, 1971, CP8-CP11 of Okada and Bukry, 1980 and CNP11-CNE5 of Agnini et al., 2014. By means of dinocyst stratigraphy, the succession of Apectodinium hyperacanthum, Axiodinium augustum, Deflandrea oebisfeldensis, Dracodinium astra, Stenodinium meckelfeldense, Dracodinium varielongitudum, Ochetodinium romanum/Samlandia chlamydophora and Areosphaeridium diktyoplokum zones are identified in the Ypresian part of the Kheu section

Lower Eocene sedimentary succession and microfossil biostratigraphy in the central northern Caucasus basin

The lower Eocene sediments from the classical Paleogene section exposed along the Kheu River, northern Caucasus, southern Russia are here studied. This ca. 50m thick succession is lithologically contrasting: the lower and upper parts are composed by soft marls separated by a thick Radiolaria-rich unit of non-calcareous and low-calcareous mudstones with intercalations of compact cherty layers. According to nannofossil and dinocyst biostratigraphy, the unique intercalation of Total Organic Carbon (TOC)-rich sediment (sapropelitic bed) in the lower part of the lower Eocene correspond to the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and a series of sapropelitic interlayers in the upper marly part of the lower Eocene succession correlates with the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO). The study of nannofossil and dinocyst assemblages enabled detailed zonal subdivision and first-order calibration of nannofossil and dinocyst bio-events during this time-span. The studied interval of the section embraces the complete succession of nannofossil zones NP9-NP13 of Martini, 1971, CP8-CP11 of Okada and Bukry, 1980 and CNP11-CNE5 of Agnini et al., 2014. By means of dinocyst stratigraphy, the succession of Apectodinium hyperacanthum, Axiodinium augustum, Deflandrea oebisfeldensis, Dracodinium astra, Stenodinium meckelfeldense, Dracodinium varielongitudum, Ochetodinium romanum/Samlandia chlamydophora and Areosphaeridium diktyoplokum zones are identified in the Ypresian part of the Kheu section

Вплив субстрату кріоконсервованої шкіри свині на імунну відповідь щурів з нормальним гомеостазом

The aim of this work was to determine the immunotropic properties of the cryopreserved swine skin substrate (CSSS) in animals with normal homeostasis. The study was conducted in male mice weighing 18.0-20.0 g and male rats weighing 180.0-200.0 g. The effect of prophylactic oral CSSS doses of 200 and 500 mg/kg on the phagocytic activity of neutrophils, the state of oxygen-dependent antimicrobial neutrophil systems was evaluated in the test of nitroblue tetrazolium reduction (NBT-test), the antibody response (the number of antibody-forming cells and the level of hemagglutinin and hemolysin in the serum) and development of the reaction of the delayed type hypersensitivity have been studied. A significant immune-modulating activity of CSSS has been found, the oppositely directed character of this activity when the drug is used in two doses of 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg has been determined. In low doses CSSS induces activation of the nonspecific link of the immunity and suppressive processes of the cell-mediated immune response. When it is used in high doses, the stimulation of serogenesis processes is observed. The results obtained justify feasibility and prospects of further study of the mechanisms of the CSSS action in order to create a highly effective anti allergic drug.Целью представленной работы стало определение иммунотропных свойств субстрата криоконсервированной кожи свиньи (СКШС) на животных с нормальным гомеостазом. Исследование проведено на нелинейных мышах самцах массой 18,0-20,0 г и крысах самцах массой 180,0-200,0 г. Изучали влияние профилактического перорального введения СКШС в дозах 200 и 500 мг/кг на фагоцитарную активность нейтрофилов, состояние кислородзависимых бактерицидных систем в тесте восстановления нитросинего тетразолия (НСТ-тест), на антителогенез (по количеству антителообразующих клеток и уровня гемагглютининов и гемолизинов в сыворотке крови) и развитие реакции гиперчувствительности замедленного типа. Установлено, что введение СКШС в двух дозах 200 мг/кг и 500 мг/кг оказывает выраженное иммунотропное действие разнонаправленного характера на первичный иммунный ответ животных с нормальным иммунным статусом. В низкой дозе СКШС вызывает активацию неспецифического звена иммунитета и супрессивных процессов клеточного иммунного ответа. При применении СКШС в высокой дозе наблюдается стимуляция процессов антителогенеза. Полученные результаты обосновывают целесообразность и перспективность дальнейшего изучения механизмов действия СКШС с целью создания высокоэффективного противоаллергического средства.Метою представленої роботи стало визначення імунотропних властивостей субстрату з кріоконсервованої шкіри свині (СКШС) на тваринах з нормальним гомеостазом. Дослідження проведено на нелінійних тваринах: мишах самцях масою 18,0-20,0 г та щурах самцях масою 180,0-200,0 г. Вивчали вплив профілактичного перорального введення СКШС у дозах 200 і 500 мг/кг на фагоцитарну активність нейтрофілів, стан киснезалежних бактерицидних систем у тесті відновлення нітросинього тетразолію (НСТ-тест), на антитілогенез (за кількістю антитілоутворюючих клітин та рівнем гемаглютинінів і гемолізинів у сироватці крові) та розвиток реакції гіперчутливості повільного типу. Встановлено виразну імунотропну дію СКШС, визначено різнонаправлений характер цієї дії при застосуванні засобу у двох дозах 200 мг/кг та 500 мг/кг. У низькій дозі СКШС викликає активацію неспецифічної ланки імунітету та супресивних процесів клітинної імунної відповіді. При застосуванні СКШС у високій дозі спостерігається стимуляція процесів антитілогенезу. Отримані результати обґрунтовують доцільність та перспективність подальшого вивчення механізмів дії СКШС з метою створення високоефективного протиалергічного засобу

Entrepreneurial-intention constraint model: A comparative analysis among post-graduate management students in India, Singapore and Malaysia

YesAlthough literature on entrepreneurship has increasingly focused on intention-based models, not much emphasis has been laid on understanding the combined effect of contextual and situational factors along with support of university environment on the formation of entrepreneurial intention among students. In an effort to make up for this shortfall, by taking Theory of Planned Behavior as basic framework, the present study seeks to understand the influence of three of the most important factors, viz. (a) endogenous barriers, (b) exogenous environment, and (c) university environment and support on the entrepreneurial intention among management students. The study sample consisted of 1,097 students, wherein 526 students were from India, 252 from Singapore, and 319 were from Malaysia. The results indicates that along with positive attitude and perceived behavioral control that directly influences entrepreneurial intention, university environment and support and exogenous environment also have an indirect but significant impact on shaping of entrepreneurial intention among students. With this, it was found that exogenous environment was found to have a negative relationship with both attitude towards behavior and perceived behavioral control for all three countries.The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 2 Jun 2018

Combined Xenon and Epidural Anesthesia During Surgical Correction of Joint Deformities in the Lower Extremities of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Objectives. The objective of this study is to compare different methods of combination general and regional anesthesia based on xenon.Materials and methods. Xenon anesthesia combined with epidural block was performed in 50 children with cerebral palsy aged 3–17 years. In 30 patients xenon was used to maintain anesthesia, in 20 children xenon was combined with sevoflurane. We compared the process of anesthesia, the intraoperative hemodynamic parameters and cognitive status before surgery and after it.Results. The use of xenon in all studied anesthesia methods increased the cardiac performance and was associated with a stable hemodynamic profile at all stages of anesthesia despite the depressive effect of epidural blockade on hemodynamics. Psychological testing revealed that xenon anesthesia has no negative effect on cognitive functions in children with cerebral palsy.Conclusion. Xenon anesthesia is a promising trend in anesthesia care for children with cerebral palsy. Xenon can compensate the hemodynamic depression caused by epidural anesthesia due to its cardiac stimulant property, with no neurotoxicity being a significant benefit for children with initial damage of CNS. However, anesthesia with xenon turned out to have some disadvantages. In our study, xenon showed insufficient analgesic properties, had emetic properties and was associated with spirometric abnormalities. It was more difficult to maintain normal ventilation parameters in young children when using xenon. Several adverse events were noted in the recovery period. These disadvantages can be partially reduced by using a combination of xenon and sevoflurane

Psychological adaptation and quality of life of patients who underwent lower limb amputation due to cancer

Patients who face a stressful situation related to cancer and loss of a limb have not been thoroughly studied form a psychological perspective, what limits the possibilities of targeted psychological assistance and social rehabilitation. In this regard, the aim of the research was to study the clinical and psychological status, strategies and personal resources for coping with the stress of the disease, as well as the main parameters of the quality of life (QoL) of patients who underwent lower limb amputation due to cancer (group 1, n = 24, men — 62.5%, average age 47.25 ± 3.17), in comparison with patients amputated due to other somatic diseases not accompanied by an actual vital threat (group 2, n = 15, men — 93.3%, average age 59.67 ± 2.27), as well as with normative psychodiagnostic data. Methods of clinical and psychological diagnostics were used, including “Ways of Coping Questionnaire”, “Big V Questionnaire”, “Purpose in Life Test”, EORTC “Quality of Life of Cancer Patients Questionnaire” (QLQ-C30). It was found that functional capability (p<0.01), objective (p<0.001) and subjective (p<0.001) severity of pain syndrome, as well as employment (p=0.05) have the lowest indicators in group 1 compared with group 2; at the same time, the levels of QoL in both groups of patients do not differ and do not correspond the expert assessment, exceeding it; patients rate their cognitive and emotional activity most highly; the lowest, physical and role activity, and financial impact. In the structure of coping of group 1, the strategy “Seeking for social support” predominates; the values of the scales “Distancing” (p=0.05), “Escape–avoidance” (0.1<p<0.05), “Positive reappraisal” (p<0.05) are higher than in group 2, but lower than average normative values. In the personality of patients in group 1, “Conscientiousness” (p=0.01) and “Openness” (0.1<p<0.05) prevail in comparison with patients in group 2, as well as “Extraversion” (0.1<p<0.05), “Conscientiousness” (p<0.001) and “Emotional stability / Neuroticism” (p<0.05) — compared with the mean values of the test. The indicators of the scales “Meaning of life” (p<0.01), “Fullness of life” (p<0.01), “Life satisfaction” (p<0.01) in group 1 are higher than in group 2; patients’ internality is higher than in the control sample of men (0.1<p<0.05) and women (p<0.01). The results obtained can be used in the process of rehabilitation of orthopedic cancer patients

On the development of new cancer quality of life questionnaires

The article is devoted to summarizing the authors’ experience in the development of Russian-language versions of foreign quality of life questionnaires for cancer patients as well as their own questionnaires for studying various aspects of the quality of life in bone and soft tissue tumors of the musculoskeletal system. We briefly presented the results of the validation and testing of the modules of the «Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire - Core 30» (EORTC QLQ-C30) developed by the Quality of Life Assessment Group at the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) – «Fatigue» module (FA12), «Spiritual wellbeing» module (SWB32), «Bone Metastases» module (BM22), as well as the specialized Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire (SOSG-OQ). We also presented the diagnostic tools developed by the authors’ themselves for studying the quality of life of patients with pelvic bone tumors and lower limb amputations due to cancer. The main objective of the article was to inform the scientific community, as well as practicing psycho-oncologists and oncologists about the existence of new diagnostic tools for assessing the quality of life of cancer patients. The article also outlines the prospects for development of diagnostic tools for quality of life of cancer patients

On the development of a systemic (biopsychosocial) prediction model for cardiovascular disease. Part I

The authors have attempted to design and verify by means of mathematical modelling methods a model of comprehensive (medical, social and psychological) prognosis in cardiovascular disease, which would cover different aspects of patients’ disease, treatment and life functioning and would be relevant to the objectives of the treatment and rehabilitation process. A multidisciplinary set of methods was used to accomplish the aim: clinical and psychological. The study included 437  patients with coronary heart disease and/or chronic heart failure undergoing surgical treatment.Part  I of the article presents the results of the first 4 stages of the study. 1) A theoretical prediction model based on existing data was developed and empirically tested on different patient populations at various stages of surgical treatment. 2) An overall information database was compiled on the basis of our own research. A total of 245  indicators were taken into account; they were expertly divided into five groups: clinical, socio-behavioural, personality characteristics, emotional state indicators, and cognitive functioning indicators. 3)  The missing cells in the sampling matrix were filled in by means of mathematical modelling and neural networks. 4) An exploratory factor analysis of all characteristics in the allocated groups was performed, resulting in 24  factors: 3  in the group of clinical characteristics (“Coronary heart disease”, “Transplantation”, “Patient’s age and duration of heart failure”), 6  in the group of socio-behavioural (“Social and occupational orientation”, “Keeping a habitual lifestyle in spite of illness”, “Occupational strain”, “Lifestyle”, “Non-adherent behaviour”, “Occupational stress”), 5  in the group of personality characteristics (“Attitude towards illness”, “Motivational orientation”, “Decreased resilience”, “Irrational beliefs”, “Coping strategies and coping resources”), 4 in the group of emotional state characteristics (“Dominant emotional state and feelings”, “Quality of life and mood”, “Absence of anxiety at the moment of the study”, “Functioning in conditions of illness”), 6  in the group of characteristics of cognitive functioning (“Neuropsychological characteristics”, “Spatial–constructive thinking and pace of mental activity”, “Visual memory”, “Attention and verbal–logical thinking”, “Verbal memory”, “No significant decrease in IQ”)