John Enderby: a passion for physics and publishing

Michael Banks joins the tributes to Sir John Enderby, the physicist and former chief scientific adviser to IOP Publishing, who died last month aged 90

History and activities of the Kourovka astronomical observatory of the Ural university

The history of origin and scientific activities of the suburban Astronomical Observatory of the Ural University are associated with K.A. Barkhatova’s life and work, among her achievements were restoration of the Department of Astronomy and Geodesy in 1960, and the resumption of the training of specialists in astronomy and geodesy. The First satellite launch on October 4, 1957 was great stimulus for the opening of department. A station for optical observations of satellites was organized in Sverdlovsk. Successful scientific and academic work of the department required a modern, properly equipped suburban observatory. Yu.A. Gagarin flight around the Earth on April 12, 1961 aroused unprecedented interest in astronomy and space among people and accelerated the resolution of the issue of an observatory construction. K.A. Barkhatova, with the support of colleagues from the Astronomical Council of the USSR Academy of Sciences, other observatories of the country, rector of the Ural University, and the public took up the construction. In 1963 the observatory near Kourovka station was founded. January 12, 1965 is considered to be the birthday of the new observatory. K.A. Barkhatova was it’s scientific adviser; at present, the observatory is named after her. The observatory performs observations on modern equipment, conducts excursions for students, teachers and public. Each year, the observatory hosts a student scientific conference "Physics of Space" – a unique astronomical school for young students and graduate students.

POS0883 DETECTION OF AUTOANTIBODIES AGAINST MUSCLE-SPECIFIC FOUR-AND-A-HALF-LIM DOMAIN 1 (FHL1) IN INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHIES: RESULTS FROM A SINGLE-CENTER COHORT

Background:Autoantibodies targeting a muscle-specific autoantigen, four-and-a-half-LIM-domain 1 (FHL1), have been previously identified in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) (1).Objectives:The aim of this project was to determine the prevalence and associations of anti-FHL antibody in South Australian patients with histologically-confirmed IIM and in an autoimmune disease control (systemic sclerosis (SSc)).Methods:Sera from patients with IIM (n=267) from the South Australian Myositis Database (SAMD), and SSc (n=174) from the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study (ASCS) followed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and healthy controls (HC, n=100) were analyzed for anti-FHL1 autoantibodies by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). Clinical, serological and histological details were retrieved from the SAMD and the ASCS.Results:Autoantibodies to FHL1 were more frequent in patients with IIM (55/267, 20.5%) compared with SSc (18/174, 10%) (p<0.001) and HC (4/100, 4%) (p<0.001). Muscular vessel inflammation and atrophy were seen more frequently in IIM anti-FHL1+ patients compared with anti-FHL1- (p<0.01 and p<0.05). Dysphagia, marked muscle atrophy, and high CK levels were frequent in anti-FHL1+ patients with inclusion body myositis (IBM) and immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM). In 35/54 anti-FHL1+ patients, there were no other myositis-specific autoantibodies present. Anti-FHL1 autoantibodies in patients with SSc were associated with gastric antral vascular ectasia.Conclusion:Anti-FHL1 autoantibodies were detected in 20.5% of IIM patients. In IBM and IMNM, the presence of anti-FHL1-autoantibodies was associated with a severe myopathy as suggested by presence of dysphagia and muscle atrophy.References:[1]Albrecht I, Wick C, Hallgren A, Tjarnlund A, Nagaraju K, Andrade F, et al. Development of autoantibodies against muscle-specific FHL1 in severe inflammatory myopathies. J Clin Invest. 2015;125(12):4612-24.Disclosure of Interests:Angeles Shunashy Galindo-Feria: None declared, Begum Horuluoglu: None declared, Jessica Day: None declared, Catia Cerqueira: None declared, Susanna Proudman: None declared, Ingrid E. Lundberg Consultant of: Consulting fees from Corbus Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Grant/research support from: Research grants from Bristol Myers Squibb and Astra Zeneca, Vidya Limaye Consultant of: Scientific adviser for Actelion and Boehringer-Ingelheim, Grant/research support from: PI for clinical trials for Bayer, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Corbus, and CSL

Pofessor B.S. Uvarov - a patriot and defender of the Fatherland, founder of domestic military anesthesiology and resuscitation (to the 100th anniversary of the birth and to the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War)

The main stages of the life and work of a military surgeon and anesthesiologist, Professor Boris Stepanovich Uvarov are presented. Professor B.S. Uvarov made an invaluable contribution to the formation and development of domestic military anesthesiology and resuscitation. After working for 12 years with his teacher, academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics P.A. Kupriyanov, on whose initiative the first department of anesthesiology in our country was created, becoming his successor, B.S. Uvarov made every effort to establish domestic military anesthesiology and resuscitation. For 23 years he was the head of the department of anesthesiology and intensive care at the S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, non-staff assistant to the chief surgeon (1964-1968) and deputy chief surgeon for anesthesiology and intensive care (1976-1986) of the Ministry of Defense of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. As a dissertation, scientific adviser or consultant, B.S. Uvarov completed 24 candidate and 7 doctoral dissertations in three main areas: 1) express diagnostics and monitoring of the condition of a patient in critical condition; 2) improving anesthetic and resuscitation care; and 3) organizing anesthetic and resuscitation care in the Armed Forces. He realized the problem of organizing anesthetic care in the light of the demands of military medicine. The implementation proposed by B.S. Uvarov, systems of anesthesiological and resuscitation care in the Armed Forces in peacetime, is reflected in the textbook «Anesthesiology and Resuscitation» (1979) and other published materials. Boris Stepanovich took an active part in the public life of the country, showing remarkable human qualities. Confirmation of the merits of B.S. Uvarov to his 100th birthday is the assignment to the B.S. Uvarov Department of Military Anesthesiology and Intensive Care of the S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy.

CELEBRATING THE 80TH JUBILEE OF ACADEMICIAN ROBERT NIGMATULIN

The article is devoted to the anniversary of Robert Nigmatulin – Professor, DSc, Academician of Russian Academy of Sciences, Member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific adviser of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of RAS. The article describes the contribution of Academician R.I. Nigmatulin in the development of National Science and its socio-political activities.

Textiles Sustainability and Communications

The Industrial Revolution paved the way for industrialisation, economic growth and innovation, and resulted in the availability of an increased range of goods and services, improved life expectancy, and many other benefits. However, the rapid development has come at a cost which has not yet been settled. The earth’s natural resources are being used at a rate that cannot be sustained by the natural ecosystem and, according to the Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK government in 2009, we are heading for a “perfect storm” where a growing world population will demand yet more resources from an earth which simply cannot sustain demand.