Research Institute Ekran

The results of aerosol scattering indicatrices calculations performed according to MaexPro model of the marine and coastal atmosphere surface layer are presented. The variability of indicatrices, including the halo part, from the relative humidity, wind regime, fetch, altitude and meteorological visibility range is considered. A strong dependence of the indicatrix on acceleration and wind speed is shown. At low fetch, the indicatrixes have a relatively steeper appearance, characteristic of coastal aerosol. With increasing fetch, the type of indicatrix becomes characteristic of marine aerosol. The data obtained show a strong dependence of the indicatrix on height and relative humidity.

A special optoelectronic measuring and recording instrument with fully developed procedural and metrological base for use in determining the optical characteristics of standard moving and stationary objects that emit and reflect light in the ultraviolet and down to the far-infrared regions of the spectrum is considered. Results of experimental studies of the background-target characteristics of different objects for the spectral range 0.2–15 μm are presented.

Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate virulent properties of the genus Candida spp. in patients with persistent bronchial asthma and long-term treatment with inhaled steroids. Methods. In this study, virulent properties of the genus Candida spp. were investigated in oropharyngeal smears of 30 patients with persistent asthma treated with moderate-to-high dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for at least 1 year. A control group included 15 steroid-naive asthmatic patients. Fungi were identified by conventional methods (morphology, presence of germination tubes, chlamydospores, fermentation of carbohydrates). Sensitivity to antibiotics was determined by disk method on the Saburo agar medium. Adhesion was assessed in a model with nitrocellulose film and immobilized hemoglobin. Proteinase activity was measured by the ELISA method in supernatant at two pH values: acidic (pH = 4.5) or weakly alkaline (pH = 7.8). CD cell leukocyte receptor proteolysis was evaluated by the cytofluorometrics method. Results. An incidence of fungal colonization of the pharynx in ICS-treated patients with bronchial asthma was 76.7 %. Most strains were highly virulent as they had significantly higher adhesive and enzymatic activity and multi-drug resistance to antifungals compared to control group. Conclusion. The ability of these strains to secrete proteolytic enzymes against CD4+ T-lymphocyte surface receptors could provide an additional immunomodulatory mechanism in Candida albicans invasion.