Additional Sections Research Articles

Physics of mechanotransduction by Piezo ion channels.

Piezo ion channels are sensors of mechanical forces and mediate a wide range of physiological mechanotransduction processes. More than a decade of intense research has elucidated much of the structural and mechanistic principles underlying Piezo gating and its roles in physiology, although wide gaps of knowledge continue to exist. Here, we review the forces and energies involved in mechanical activation of Piezo ion channels and their functional modulation by other chemical and physical stimuli including lipids, voltage, and temperature. We compare the three predominant mechanisms likely to explain Piezo activation-the force-from-lipids mechanism, the tether model, and the membrane footprint theory. Additional sections shine light on how Piezo ion channels may affect each other through spatial clustering and functional cooperativity, and how substantial functional heterogeneity of Piezo ion channels arises as a byproduct of the precise physical environment each channel experiences. Finally, our review concludes by pointing out major research questions and technological limitations that future research can address.

Modeling, Planning Allow Successful Implementation of South Texas U-Turn Lateral

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 208801, “Successful Planning and Implementation of First South Texas U-Turn Lateral,” by Riley Schultz and Joe Kiefner, Chesapeake Energy. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Legacy fields require innovative solutions for developing capitally efficient projects within highly developed acreage blocks. As another tool to improve well economics, a U-turn lateral strategy was implemented in the Eagle Ford Shale. This wellbore trajectory resulted in capturing a 9,200-ft equivalent lateral length well in a 5,000-ft-wide lease space. This successful U-turn trajectory test has created new economic project opportunities for the company and has increased optionality within challenged lease spaces across the field. Well Overview In a single U-turn well, the horizontal wellbore turns 180° to create two parallel laterals in a map-view U shape. The successful U-turn project detailed in the complete paper was the first drilled in south Texas (Fig. 1). This resulted in significantly improved economics by using a horizontal turn as a hydrocarbon pathway, rather than an additional vertical section from a new well to gain the equivalent treatable lateral length. This well followed operator standards for south Texas Eagle Ford two-casing-string well design. A 9⅝-in. casing was set to protect shallow water zones, and an 8¾-in. production section was drilled for the remainder of the well (using 5½-in. drillpipe). 5½-in. production casing was then run to total depth (TD). 8¼-in. centralizers were placed on each joint of the casing, freely floating between the collars. The production section was drilled with oil-based mud, and a standard cement job was pumped. Conventional directional tools were used for the entirety of the drilling phase. The decision was made early in the planning phase of the well to forgo fracturing the turn portion of the wellbore and instead drill into the adjacent unit to conduct the turn to maximize the amount of optimally oriented lateral footage in the unit to be produced.

Immunohistochemical localization of receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase γ in mouse renal proximal tubule, thick ascending limb and distal convoluted tubule

Most normal physiological processes require that both intracellular (i) and extracellular (o) pH be maintained within a tight range. pHo is contingent on arterial (a) pH, which is determined by the ratio of the arterial carbon dioxide to the arterial bicarbonate concentration, [CO2]a/[HCO3−]a. Pulmonary ventilation controls [CO2]a. The kidney controls [HCO3−]a by adjusting HCO3− transport rates (JHCO3) across the basal membranes of particular nephron epithelia into the blood to maintain normal pHa, or compensate for an acid‐base insult. In an effort to identify the sensor proteins for pHa, [CO2]a, or [HCO3−]a, our laboratory previously reported that, in isolated proximal tubules (PTs) from receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase γ (RPTPγ) knockout (KO) mice, JHCO3 is insensitive to changes in the basolateral [CO2] or [HCO3−]. Furthermore, RPTPγ‐KO mice have a deficiency in defending against a whole‐body metabolic acidosis. These data implicate RPTPγ as a major [CO2] or [HCO3−] sensor. RPTPγ possesses an extracellular catalytically inactive carbonic‐anhydrase‐like domain (CALD) and fibronectin type III (FNIII) domain, a single transmembrane helix, and intracellular domains D1 and D2. Dimerization of RPTPγ presumably allows the inhibitory D2 of one monomer to inhibit the otherwise catalytically active D1 of the other monomer. Thus, the dimerization/monomerization state controls downstream signaling. We hypothesize that the binding of CO2 or HCO3− to the CALD alters the CALD conformation, thereby transmitting signals that control the dimerization status of RPTPγ and thereby regulate downstream effects on JHCO3. We hypothesize that RPTPγ is localized in nephron segments important for regulating HCO3− transport/reabsorption, in the basal membranes that face the blood. To determine the location of RPTPγ in wild‐type mouse kidney cryosections, we use a chicken IgY anti‐RPTPγ antibody (Ab) raised against an epitope within the FNIII domain, and co‐stain with rabbit polyclonal Abs against the Na/HCO3 cotransporter (NBCe1‐A) as a PT marker, the Na/K/Cl cotransporter 2 (NKCC2) as a thick ascending limb (TAL) marker, and the Na/Cl cotransporter (NCC) as a distal convoluted tubule (DCT) marker. Imaging sections by confocal microscopy, we observe in 3 WT mice that RPTPγ localizes primarily to the PT basal membrane. However, 54% of PTs (NBCe1‐A positive) also exhibit apical RPTPγ staining of comparable intensity to the RPTPγ staining observed in the basal membrane. We also observe both apical and basal RPTPγ staining in Bowman’s capsules. We stained additional sections from the same animals with a rabbit polyclonal primary Ab that targets the RPTPγ CALD domain. In these sections, co‐stained with the anti‐FNIII Ab, we similarly observe both apical and basal staining in PTs. We observe RPTPγ staining in a minority of TALs, and at much lower intensity than observed in the PT. We observe minimal to no RPTPγ staining in the DCT. We validated the specificity of the RPTPγ Abs on RPTPγ‐KO kidney sections, which exhibit low background levels of fluorescence for both the anti‐FNIII and anti‐CALD Abs. In conclusion, these data confirm RPTPγ expression in PT basal membranes, but also describe the first examples of apical RPTPγ expression in renal epithelia.

Automated Segmentation of Olivine Phenocrysts in a Volcanic Rock Thin Section Using a Fully Convolutional Neural Network

An example of automated characterization and interpretation of the textural and compositional characteristics of solids phases in thin sections using machine learning (ML) is presented. In our study, we focus on the characterization of olivine in volcanic rocks, which is a phase that is often chemically zoned with variable Mg/(Mg + Fe) ratios, so-called magnesian number or mg#. As the olivine crystals represent only less than 10 vol% of the volcanic rock, a pre-processing step is necessary to automatically detect the phases of interest in the images on a pixel level, which is achieved using Deep Learning. A major contribution of the presented approach is to use backscattered electron (BSE) images to: 1) automatically segment all olivine crystals present in the thin section; 2) determine quantitatively their mg#; and 3) identify different populations depending on zoning type (e.g., normal vs reversal zoning) and textural characteristics (e.g., microlites vs phenocrysts). The segmentation of the olivine crystals is implemented with a pretrained fully convolutional neural network model with DeepLabV3 architecture. The model is trained to identify olivine crystals in backscattered electron images using automatically generated training data. The training data are generated automatically from images which can easily be created from X-Ray element maps. Once the olivines are identified in the BSE images, the relationship between BSE intensity value and mg# is determined using a simple regression based on a set of microprobe measurements. This learned functional relationship can then be applied to all olivine pixels of the thin section. If the highest possible map resolution (1 micron per 1 pixel) is selected for the data acquisition, the full processing time of an entire thin section of ∼3×4cm containing more than 1,500 phenocrysts and 20.000 microliths required 140 h of data acquisition (BSE + X-Ray element maps), 8 h of training and 16 h of segmentation and classification. Our further tests demonstrated that the 140 h of data acquisition can be reduced at least by a factor of 4 since only a part of the thin section area (25% or even less) needs to be used for training. The characterization of each additional thin section would only require the BSE data acquisition time (less than 48 h for a whole thin section), without an additional training step. The paper describes the training and processing in detail, shows analytical results and outlines the potential of this Deep Learning approach for petrological applications, resulting in the automatic characterization and interpretation of mineral textures and compositions with an unprecedented high resolution.

Graphene-based flat microstrip patch antenna with circular polarization controllability

In this paper, an antenna designed based on chemical potential by changing fermi energy for DC orientation. In addition, the effect of gaps in the antenna have been investigated to provide circular polarization. It was concluded that the number of gaps had no effect on the polarization of RHCP and LHCP. It also examines how to add extra two sections at the edges of the proposed antenna to create polarization. According to this study, adding two diagonal edges in one direction in the patch antenna does not create circular polarization. But these additional sections, with the phase difference ± 90 with each other, construct two components of the orthogonal field to create a circular polarization. The theoretical relationship between chemical potential and axial ratio has also been investigated, which has not been mentioned in recent articles. Thus, in this paper, only the possibility of achieving an antenna with optimal compatibility in the frequency range of 1.58–1.63 THz at the resonance frequency has been investigated. Also, ideal conditions in RHCP and LHCP modes, antenna axial ratio of less than 3 dB in the frequency range of 1.58–1.63 THz in the resonant frequency is obtained. Finally, efficiency is 58% at the frequency of 1.6 THz.

Identifying content to improve risk assessment communications within the Risk Profile: Literature reviews and focus groups with expert and non-expert stakeholders.

To improve consumer decision making, the results of risk assessments on food, feed, consumer products or chemicals need to be communicated not only to experts but also to non-expert audiences. The present study draws on evidence from literature reviews and focus groups with diverse stakeholders to identify content to integrate into an existing risk assessment communication (Risk Profile). A combination of rapid literature reviews and focus groups with experts (risk assessors (n = 15), risk managers (n = 8)), and non-experts (general public (n = 18)) were used to identify content and strategies for including information about risk assessment results in the "Risk Profile" from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. Feedback from initial focus groups was used to develop communication prototypes that informed subsequent feedback rounds in an iterative process. A final prototype was validated in usability tests with experts. Focus group feedback and suggestions from risk assessors were largely in line with findings from the literature. Risk managers and lay persons offered similar suggestions on how to improve the existing communication of risk assessment results (e.g., including more explanatory detail, reporting probabilities for individual health impairments, and specifying risks for subgroups in additional sections). Risk managers found information about quality of evidence important to communicate, whereas people from the general public found this information less relevant. Participants from lower educational backgrounds had difficulties understanding the purpose of risk assessments. User tests found that the final prototype was appropriate and feasible to implement by risk assessors. An iterative and evidence-based process was used to develop content to improve the communication of risk assessments to the general public while being feasible to use by risk assessors. Remaining challenges include how to communicate dose-response relationships and standardise quality of evidence ratings across disciplines.

Bringing the Dead Sea to Life: Art and Nature at the Lowest Place on Earth

Bringing the Dead Sea to Life: Art and Nature at the Lowest Place on Earth

Agarose-paraffin double embedding assisted with 3D printing for high throughput rice root sectioning

Anatomical analysis of the plant tissues is an important technique used in plant research for studying the process of plant growth, development, adaptation to environmental stress as well as for characterizing gene localization. In Vietnam, most anatomical analysis for plant material was manually conducted which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this report, we present an innovative method that can deliver high-quality rice root sectioning. To optimize the efficiency of the conventional paraffin sectioning technique, the agarose-paraffin double embedding was assisted with 3D-printing technique for designing the specific mold which allow to fix from 3 to 12 rice roots in agarose. Molds consist of a lower section with grooves for firmly holding the rice roots in the right place, the additional middle sections allowing up to 3 layers of root samples to be inserted and an upper section to hold the samples before pouring the embedding. The agarose blocks obtained from the molds were then fixed in the formalin solution, then dehydrated through a gradient concentration of ethanol before being impregnated through a series of mixtures of paraffin/xylene and finally embedded in the paraffin. Anatomical sections of 10 μm of thickness were cut with a microtome, spread on glass slides, and then used for staining and collecting the images. As a result, the agarose-paraffin double embedded tissue blocks were more easily orientated and better solidified for rapid and high-quality sectioning. The sections also showed no interference of agarose with staining, as result, the tissues were much clear. In conclusion, this method represents an innovative technique for high throughput plant sectioning which could be applied to different types of plant tissues.

Deeper sections reveal residual tumor cells in rectal cancer specimens diagnosed with pathological complete response following neoadjuvant treatment.

Guidelines and requirements for diagnosing pathological complete response (pCR) in rectal adenocarcinoma following neoadjuvant treatment vary, and there is currently no consensus on the appropriate number of sections to examine per formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue block. The consequences of systematic use of deeper sections on the diagnostic accuracy and prognosis for patients classified as ypT0 rectal cancer were investigated. In this retrospective study, 23 out of 155 patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy and surgical resection between 2015 and 2020 were diagnosed with ypT0 rectal cancer. Three additional deeper sections were cut from each FFPE block from the primary tumor site and reviewed for presence of residual tumor cells. Additional sections revealed residual viable tumor cells in seven patients (30.4%), reducing the rate of pCR in the cohort from 14.8 to 10.3%. Of the seven patients, three patients later had local recurrence or distant metastasis during the follow-up period, compared with one patient with no residual tumor cells in deeper sections (p = 0.07). A nonsignificant reduction in disease-free survival (p = 0.08) was observed in the patients with residual tumor. Systematic use of deeper sections in evaluation of tumor regression in rectal cancer reveals the presence of residual tumor cells in a subset of patients originally diagnosed with pCR based on a single section per FFPE block. Although the results are not statistically significant, it cannot be excluded that accurately distinguishing complete from near-complete response may be clinically relevant for prognostic prediction.

History of EISCAT – Part 5: Operation and development of the system during the first 2 decades

Abstract. This paper gives an inside view of the first 20 years of operation of the Kiruna–Sodankylä–Tromsø (KST) part of EISCAT as experienced and remembered by myself. The paper is subdivided into an Introduction and 14 additional sections. Sections 2 to 7 describe the organisation, staffing and responsibilities of the sites, with particular emphasis on the transmitter-related work at Tromsø and the commuting of staff and equipment between the sites. The headquarters operation is treated in Sect. 8. The UHF radar system is treated in Sect. 9. Section 10 is a review of the VHF system, including a summary of transmitter and antenna problems not available elsewhere in easily accessed media. Section 11 treats the computer system and the proprietary control languages EROS, TARLAN and CORLAN. Section 12 describes the signal processing hardware, with special emphasis on the Alker correlator, its idiosyncrasies and the gradual unlocking of its capabilities through UNIPROG, the GEN system and the G2 system, culminating in the ability to run alternating code experiments routinely. Section 13 presents the time and frequency keeping, a non-trivial task in the early 1980s. Finally, Sect. 14 discusses the UHF spectrum problem and relates how the UHF system had to be constantly upgraded in order to be able to co-exist with the emerging mobile phone networks until the final closure of UHF reception at Kiruna and Sodankylä in 2012. The paper ends with some personal reflections (Sect. 15).

NucPosDB: a database of nucleosome positioning in vivo and nucleosomics of cell-free DNA

Nucleosome positioning is involved in many gene regulatory processes happening in the cell, and it may change as cells differentiate or respond to the changing microenvironment in a healthy or diseased organism. One important implication of nucleosome positioning in clinical epigenetics is its use in the “nucleosomics” analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for the purpose of patient diagnostics in liquid biopsies. The rationale for this is that the apoptotic nucleases that digest chromatin of the dying cells mostly cut DNA between nucleosomes. Thus, the short pieces of DNA in body fluids reflect the positions of nucleosomes in the cells of origin. Here, we report a systematic nucleosomics database — NucPosDB — curating published nucleosome positioning datasets in vivo as well as datasets of sequenced cell-free DNA (cfDNA) that reflect nucleosome positioning in situ in the cells of origin. Users can select subsets of the database by a number of criteria and then obtain raw or processed data. NucPosDB also reports the originally determined regions with stable nucleosome occupancy across several individuals with a given condition. An additional section provides a catalogue of computational tools for the analysis of nucleosome positioning or cfDNA experiments and theoretical algorithms for the prediction of nucleosome positioning preferences from DNA sequence. We provide an overview of the field, describe the structure of the database in this context, and demonstrate data variability using examples of different medical conditions. NucPosDB is useful both for the analysis of fundamental gene regulation processes and the training of computational models for patient diagnostics based on cfDNA. The database currently curates ~ 400 publications on nucleosome positioning in cell lines and in situ as well as cfDNA from > 10,000 patients and healthy volunteers. For open-access cfDNA datasets as well as key MNase-seq datasets in human cells, NucPosDB allows downloading processed mapped data in addition to the regions with stable nucleosome occupancy. NucPosDB is available at https://generegulation.org/nucposdb/.

Sport during the COVID-19 bio-bubble: Wellness and opinions in South African elite football.

COVID-19 imposed challenges on professional sport, with restrictions leading to the delay in the completion of the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL). Creating a biologically safe environment (BSE) provided a solution enabling the 2019/2020 season to be completed. Evaluating the impact that the BSE had on player wellness and what coping mechanisms were used in the BSE. A questionnaire was distributed to PSL teams on the final weekend in the BSE. It consisted of three validated psychology questionnaires. An additional section focused on the impact and coping strategies during the PSL's BSE. A total of 37 completed questionnaires were analysed. General anxiety (4.7±4.2) and depression levels (4.8±3.9) were at an overall low. The health of the players, as well as separation from and concerns about family, were the greatest contributors to anxiety. Electronic communication with family and friends, social interactions with others in the BSE and time spent on self-reflection were important coping mechanisms for players. As time progressed, they adapted to the BSE. The BSE did not have a negative impact on the anxiety and depression levels of the respondents, with a variety of coping mechanisms key helping them adapt in the BSE.

Qatar 2021 National Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour: A descriptive review

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is an effective preventative measure for diverse health risks among all age groups 1. Global PA guidelines provide recommendations on the required levels for active lifestyle based on evidence-based behavioral benchmarks to increase awareness and reduce overall morbidity and mortality rates 2. The Qatar National Physical Activity Guidelines (QNPAG) were first developed in 2014. The recently released QNPAG-2021 provides an updated evidence-based practical guide on PA prescription for practitioners, physicians, educators, and individuals who wish to engage in regular PA. This review aims to provide a summary of how the second QNPAG was developed. Methods: QNPAG was developed by Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in collaboration with key stakeholders in Qatar; such as the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar University, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, Naufar and others. The steering committee formed a technical advisory group of local and international sport medicine scientists, epidemiologists, and public health experts. Recent literature and global guidelines were evaluated and synthesized. Specific health outcomes and population groups were then proposed taking into consideration the prevalence of diseases, culture, and geographical location. Results: Three main chapters were added on PA benefits and sedentary behavior-associated risks for healthy population; people with medical conditions; and people with special challenging conditions. QNPAG 2021 included additional sections on pandemics, outbreaks and quarantine; humidity and air pollution; substance use; and locations for PA in Qatar. Other topics were added targeting obesity, osteoporosis, cancer, disabilities, mental health disorders, and down's syndrome. Detailed exercise prescription (Frequency/Intensity/Time/Type), and relevant examples were provided together with safety tips. Conclusion: The updated QNPAG is expected to raise awareness and help increase PA levels in Qatar. However, more emphasis on PA recommendations and strategical implementation is required through promotion, practice, and policies within the different sectors in the country.

Global prognostic impact of driver genetic alterations in patients with lung adenocarcinoma: a real-life study

BackgroundAdvanced lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the global survival in a real-life cohort of patients with LAC harboring driver genetic alterations.MethodsA series of 1282 consecutive Sardinian LAC patients who underwent genetic testing from January 2011 through July 2016 was collected. Molecular tests were based on the clinical needs of each single case (EGFR-exon18/19/21, ALK, and, more recently, BRAF-exon15), and the availability of tissue (KRAS, MET, and presence of low-frequency EGFR-T790M mutated alleles at baseline).ResultsThe mean follow-up time of the patients was 46 months. EGFR, KRAS, and BRAF mutations were detected in 13.7%, 21.3%, and 3% of tested cases, respectively; ALK rearrangements and MET amplifications were found respectively in 4.7% and 2% of tested cases. As expected, cases with mutations in exons 18–21 of EGFR, sensitizing to anti-EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) agents, had a significantly longer survival in comparison to those without (p < 0.0001); conversely, KRAS mutations were associated with a significantly lower survival (p = 0.0058). Among LAC patients with additional tissue section available for next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based analysis, 26/193 (13.5%) patients found positive for even low-rate EGFR-T790M mutated alleles at baseline were associated with a highly significant lower survival in comparison to those without (8.7 vs. 47.4 months, p < 0.0001).ConclusionsIn addition to its predictive value for addressing targeted therapy approaches, the assessment of as more inclusive mutation analysis at baseline may provide clues about factors significantly impacting on global survival in advanced LAC patients.

Preservice Teachers’ Abilities and Confidence with Constructing Scientific Explanations as Scaffolds are Faded in a Physics Course for Educators

ABSTRACT A mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design was employed to explore how the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) framework along with written, verbal, and peer scaffolds would influence early childhood/elementary and elementary/middle childhood preservice teachers’ (PSTs) abilities to formulate scientific explanations within a physical science course for educators. Two sections served as the intervention group and learned how to construct scientific explanations with the supports described above. Two additional sections served as the comparison group and received no additional support for how to construct explanations in science. Five pre/post scientific explanations, five scientific explanation quiz questions, five scientific explanation journal entries, and five self-reflections were collected and analyzed to address the research questions. From our results, we can conclude that the CER framework along with the fading of scaffolds can assist PSTs with learning how to construct scientific explanations. There was a statistically significant difference between the intervention and the comparison groups’ abilities to provide sufficient evidence to support their claim and justify their claim and evidence with scientific reasoning across all data sources. The results also show the intervention groups’ ability to form a scientific explanation was not influenced by the fading of the scaffolds; rather certain content areas were more challenging than others. Providing evidence that required mathematical and computational thinking was more challenging for both groups. Reasoning continued to be the most difficult component of an explanation for PSTs to construct. These findings have important implications for the design of science content courses for PSTs.

Correlation of Bladder Wall Endometriosis Histological Location, To Infertility Patients’ Clinical Characteristics and Severity of Peritoneal Endometriosis

Study question: What is the correlation of bladder wall endometriosis histological location, to the severity of peritoneal endometriosis in infertility patients? Summary answer: Secondary infertility, back pain, micturition problems, history of ectopic pregnancy and number of abortions can probably be considered as high-risk factors for bladder wall endometriosis for infertility patients. What is known already: Bladder and/or ureter endometriosis occur in 70–85% among patients with deep infiltrating endometriosis. The knowledge regarding the bladder wall involvement with endometriosis in association to peritoneal endometriosis and infertility patients’ clinical characteristics is limited. Study design, size, duration: Retrospective, longitudinal cohort, Sixty-six, primary and secondary infertility patients, collection of surgical and clinical data between 2010 to 2018. Participants/materials, setting, and methods: An experienced histopathologist on endometriosis was asked to review all the patients’ histopathological results. The histopathological reported findings were reviewed prior to the study to reassure the bladder wall depth of endometriosis involvement. The operation and tissue macroscopic description reports before processing were also reviewed. Attention was paid for possible discrepancies or missed important data that could influence the histopathological results. In cases where results were equivocal, the paraffin blocks were available for additional sections for reassuring the diagnosis. An extra effort was made to meticulously observe and identify the involvement of the bladder serosa, muscularis and mucosa with endometriotic cells and glands. Main results and the role of chance: Primary infertility was the indication for the current laparoscopic surgeries in 32 out of 66 (48.5%) patients and secondary infertility for the rest of the group. The highest incidence of bladder endometriosis (BE) was detected on the serosa of 12 patients and in the detrusor muscle (DM) of 11 cases. Bladder serosa endometriosis (BSE) was significantly more prominent among patients with history of ectopic pregnancy (p=0.004) and among patients with secondary infertility (p=0.029). Destrusor muscle endometriosis (DME) was significantly more frequent (p=0.012) in patients with increasing number of abortions. DME highest rates of 37.7% were observed among the severe spread of abdominal endometriosis as compared to 19% of the cases with bladder serosa endometriosis. No statistically significant difference found between serosa and detrusor muscle endometriosis involvement, when compared to severity and spread of endometriosis within the abdominal cavity. Back pain was most prominent with statistical significant difference (p=0.007) in 8 patients with BSE + DME as compared with other groups of patients (4 BSE, 3 DME and 3 BME+DME patients). Among 30 cases with an ovarian endometrioma detected by TVU, DME was diagnosed in 13 patients, in serosa of 10, and in serosa and DM of 6 patients. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson chi-square, Fisher’s exact tests and the Kruskal-Wallis test by STATA version 15 SE (StataCorp. 2017). Limitations, reasons for caution: This is a cohort retrospective study. There is a possibility that other areas with endometriosis were also involved in the BW other than those diagnosed and treated. The mixture of patients with primary and secondary infertility could also affect the results, although statistical analysis did not show any significance in BWE, clinical symptoms and surgical findings. BE is rarely an isolated condition, and other forms of endometriosis are frequently concomitant Wider implications of the findings: Detrusor muscle endometriosis involvement was in 68% and bladder serosa in 32% of all cases with bladder endometriosis and infertility investigated. The severity of the peritoneal endometriosis can probably direct to meticulous intraoperative investigation for bladder endometriosis.

Substantiation of the necessity of creating three-drum road rollers

The technical and economic feasibility of creating three-drum tandem-type road rollers is considered and substantiated. As a result of the analysis of the formula for the performance of a road roller, the possibility of reducing the number of passes of the roller by increasing the number of drums and gradually increasing their vertical loading has been established. A consistent increase in the vertical loading of the drums of the roller as the strength of the compacted surface increases over a wide range is carried out due to the use of an additional controlled section, while the maximum vertical load on the drum exceeds the own weight of the base two-drum road roller due to the installation of an additional controlled section. These innovations provide a significant increase in the productivity of the new three-drum tandem rollers. The technical possibility of creating new three-drum rollers based on modules of standard rollers of less weight is substantiated. At the same time, the dimension along the length of the new three-drum roller increases slightly compared to the length of the standard replacement roller, and the weight decreases quite significantly. The design of the transition plate for connecting an additional controlled section of the roller is simple, its manufacture does not create structural and technological difficulties. Preliminary feasibility studies have shown the feasibility of creating three-drum road rollers based on standard two-drum machines, which is caused by an increase in the productivity of new three-drum rollers while reducing the operating weight of the machine and engine power.

Prognostic significance of mast cells and vascular density in prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Though mast cells infiltrate solid tumors, the exact role of mast cells in tumor biology is controversial. Mast cell density (MCD) may vary depending on its location in the tumor and tumor vascularity. MCD may influence the tumor aggressiveness. This study evaluates MCD and tumor vascularity in different histopathological grades of adenocarcinoma prostate. Descriptive study with purposive sampling. The subjects of study were 42 adenocarcinoma patients. 20 cases were of intermediate grade (Gleason score 2-7) and 22 were of high-grade (Gleason score 8-10). Histological diagnosis was made by examining sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Additional sections from the same block were stained for mast cells using Giemsa stains as per standard protocol. Mast cell count was done in minimum six random high-power microscopy fields in four different regions- intratumoral, peritumoral, stromal and perivascular regions. SSPS software version 13.0. Descriptive statistics, Student's t test and ANOVA test. In high-grade adenocarcinoma, mast cell counts were higher in perilesional, stromal and perivascular regions, whereas it was lower in intralesional areas as compared to the intermediate grade. However, statistical significance was observed only for the perivascular region. There was significantly higher number of blood vessels in high-grade adenocarcinoma as compared to intermediate grade adenocarcinoma. In this study, perilesional mast cells and vascularity increased with increased severity of adenocarcinoma. These findings suggest a possible influence of mast cells on the tumor microenvironment such as vessel density and aggressiveness of tumor. However, further studies are required to substantiate results of this study.

КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНІ ЗАСАДИ ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЇ ФІНАНСОВОЇ ЗВІТНОСТІ: ІНФОРМАЦІЙНО-УПРАВЛІНСЬКИЙ АСПЕКТ

The role of financial reporting in formalizing the individual «corporate profile» of the company is defined, special emphasis is placed on the notes to financial statements and information they disclose in the field of corporate governance for certain stakeholders – owners, managers, auditors, other external controllers and stakeholders. To increase the information capacity of the Notes to the Annual Financial Statements and to harmonize the provisions of national and international accounting standards, it is proposed to increase the frequency of their formation (quarterly, semi-annually, nine months) in the interim financial statements. It has been proven that its availability will contribute to more objective assessments of the financial condition and financial results of the quarterly financial statements; will make the information of the Management Report clearer; eliminate duplication of financial and non-financial reporting data. To improve the content of the Notes to the annual financial statements in additional sections it is advisable to present the results of accounting policies, professional judgments of accountants and internal auditors, transactions with related parties, which will allow stakeholders to understand: critical professional judgments and assumptions financial condition and financial results of the enterprise. The principles of information display in financial and non-financial reporting are systematized, which will contribute to the fullest satisfaction of the needs of its users – the subjects of corporate governance: maximum usefulness, relevance, reliability, relevance, timeliness of reporting. The role of electronic systems for the formation and dissemination of financial statements, the activities of the Supervisory Board, internal audit services, their communications with external auditors in ensuring the quality of financial and non-financial reporting. The content of information asymmetry, the reasons for its occurrence in corporate governance and measures to reduce: the use of Internet technologies, the formation of Value Reporting; conducting an analysis based on a balanced scorecard; dissemination of integrated reporting.

Dolnoserbske mjenja | Niedersorbische Namen – serwis internetowy poświęcony dolnołużyckim nazwom własnym: Popularyzacja wiedzy na temat języka mniejszościowego w dwujęzycznym środowisku

In 2020, a decision was made at the Sorbian Institute to upgrade the dolnoserbski.de | niedersorbisch.de website with an additional section dedicated to the study of proper names in the Lower Sorbian language. Based on the former studies conducted at the Institute, the new section organises the onomastic material in a highly convenient, hypertextual form. Bearing in mind the multicultural context of the project, the Institute had to address several issues concerning, for example, the functional relationship between the Sorbian and German variants of a proper name, spelling standardisation (e.g. surnames), the lack of compatible word-formation processes, or a multilingual user interface. Additionally, the Institute intends to upgrade the resources of the section with exonyms and other types of onyms. However, due to the geopolitical conditions in Lusatia and the complicated nature of the relationship between the Lower Sorbian language with German and the Upper Sorbian language, this is a highly challenging task. Name research in the Lower Sorbian text corpus is also planned.