The gene expression of mTOR, autophagy-related ULK1, caspase 3, CDK-inhibitor p21, and TNF α was measured in the peripheral blood of osteoarthritic (OA) patients at different stages of the disease aiming to establish a gene expression profile that might indicate the activity of the disease and joint destruction. Whole blood of 65 OA outpatients, 27 end-stage OA patients, 27 healthy volunteers, and knee articular cartilages of 28 end-stage OA patients and 26 healthy subjects were examined. OA outpatients were subjected to clinical testing, ultrasonography, and radiographic and WOMAC scoring. Protein levels of p70-S6K, p21, and caspase 3 were quantified by ELISA. Gene expression was measured using real-time RT-PCR. Upregulation of mTOR gene expression was observed in PBMCs of 42 OA outpatients (“High mTOR expression subset”) and in PBMCs and articular cartilages of all end-stage OA patients. A positive correlation between mTOR gene expression in PBMCs and cartilage was observed in the end-stage OA patients. 23 OA outpatients in the “Low mTOR expression subset” exhibited significantly lower mTOR gene expression in PBMCs compared to healthy controls. These “Low mTOR” subset subjects experienced significantly more pain upon walking, and standing and increased total joint stiffness versus “High mTOR” subset, while the latter more often exhibited synovitis. The protein concentrations of p70-S6K, p21, and caspase 3 in PBMCs were significantly lower in the “Low” subset versus “High” subset and end-stage subjects. Increases in the expression of mTOR in PBMCs of OA patients are related to disease activity, being associated with synovitis more than with pain.

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Infinite permutations of use in this article were introduced in [1]. Here we distinguish the class of infinite permutations that are generated by the Sturmian words and inherit their properties. We find the combinatorial complexity of these permutations, describe their Rauzy graphs, frequencies of subpermutations, and recurrence functions. We also find their arithmetic complexity and Kamae complexity.

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The power of electromagnetic emission near the plasma frequency during collective electron beamplasma interaction is found to be significantly increased in a plasma with preformed large-amplitude density perturbations. Laboratory experiments at the GOL-PET facility show that injection of a kiloampere relativistic electron beam into a magnetized plasma with strong radial density gradients is accompanied with an order of magnitude more intense generation of sub-millimeter waves than in the case of smooth density profile. As a possible mechanism for the enhanced generation of the longitudinal radiation flux observed in these experiments, we discuss the direct beam pumping of longitudinally propagating electromagnetic plasma modes due to their coupling with the Doppler shifted beam branch in the presence of oblique modulation of plasma density.

Investigation results for electromagnetic radiation emission induced by strong Langmuir turbulence driven by a microsecond relativistic electron beam are presented. The radiation is associated with a plasmonplasmon merging process, which generates photons at a double plasma frequency in the range of few hundredsGHz. An original radiometric system for radiation spectrum and power measurements is described.

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