Depleted nitrite and enhanced oxidative stress in urolithiasis

Crystal aggregation and retention are critical events for the formation of kidney stones. There is a close association between crystal development and free radical activity in vivo. In the present study 30 subjects presenting with urolithiasis were included. Serum levels of total lipid peroxides, nitric oxide (as nitrite), α-tocopherol, plasma ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity were measured. These findings were compared with 30 age matched control subjects irrespective of sex. Student's ‘t’ test was applied for statistical analysis. There was a significant increase in lipid peroxides (p<0.001), where as significant decrease in nitrite (p<0.01) and α-tocopherol (p<0.001) levels were observed. Plasma ascorbate (p>0.05) and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity (p>0.05) was also found to be decreased but the difference was not statistically significant which suggests that oxidative stress is evident in urolithiasis with depletion in antioxidant status where as decrease in nitric oxide may be less abetting in disease condition.     

Knowledge spaces in the Internet and Semantic Web (Part 2)

This paper is the second part of the article with the same title. In the first part, the general aspects of a new field known as the Semantic Web and the history of the issue, the basic challenges for the establishment of knowledge spaces in the Internet, and problems in the extraction of knowledge from texts in natural languages (NLs) that arise in this context were discussed; as well, a review of designs and systems developed by foreign teams and organizations was presented. The aim of this article is to make a science metric analysis of publications on the subject in the proceedings of key Russian conferences. Based on this analysis, which was conducted with the use of special means for extraction of information from texts, research groups and lines of investigation in the field of interest in Russia and the member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States are discovered; it is inteded to complete their consideration in the third part of this study.     

State analytics of innovation development in Russia: Content,trends, and crucial tasks

This paper presents one of the definitions of the state analytics concept, which is used in the innovation infrastructure of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The rationality factors of analytical activities are outlined; interrelations of analysts, public officials, and business agents are classified, and the responsibility of decision making at the public level is highlighted.