Class C1 Research Articles

Characteristics of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec and lugdunin operon genes in the complete genome of Staphylococcus lugdunensis.

Characteristics of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec and lugdunin operon genes in the complete genome of Staphylococcus lugdunensis.

Development of chronic venous disease.

Chronic venous disease is known to gradually worsen in the course of years. However, little clinical data is available. The patient group and methods: We used the set of our patients with completed clinical examination, duplex sonography and photoplethysmography and selected 160 patients examined at our office after 10 and more years. Females represented 79% in the group. The mean age was 54 years (range 18-82 years). Venous varices in lower limbs in the family were reported by 49% patients. Venous sclerotization had been undergone by 6.3% and venous surgery by 10.6% patients. The mean body mass index was 27. We used CEAP classification. The clinical class C1 included 50 patients, C2 included 81, C3 included 15 and C4 included 14 patients. Regurgitation in superficial veins was found in 43%. The mean venous return time after physical activity was 24.5 s. The last examination was performed after 13 years on average (range 10-28 years). Deterioration of the clinical condition and progression to a higher class were observed in 36% patients in class C1, in 23.5% patients in C2, in 13% patients in C3 and in 7% patients in C4. We did not demonstrate any statistically significant effect of the followed parameters on the progression of the disease. The progression rate of the disease in our patient group followed at the vascular office for 10 and more years is lower compared to population studies.

The global regularity of vortex patches revisited

We prove persistence of the regularity of the boundary of vortex patches for a large class of transport equations in the plane. The velocity field is given by convolution of the vorticity with an odd kernel, homogeneous of degree −1 and of class C2 off the origin.

Problem-Based Learning Method for Improving the Learning Achievement of Students

The issue with this study is the low levels of student learning outcomes and learning activities in the sample IPS2 individuals. The objective of this project is to raise student learning outcomes and active learning achievement in social studies. PTK, or classroom action research, is the term used to describe this sort of study. Planning, action implementation, observation, and reflection are all phases of research. The information used in this study came from watching student learning outcomes and activities in Social Sciences 2 courses. According to the recapitulation data, the first cycle's average percentage of learning activities was 63.8%, and the second cycle's average percentage was 89.34%. This demonstrates an increase in student learning activities. In cycles I and II, respectively, the average student learning outcome was 42.22% and 71.04%. This demonstrates that social studies 2 student learning outcomes have improved. The minimum completeness score (71.04%) is obtained, according to the recapitulation of learning activities and student learning outcomes using problem-based learning techniques. Thus, applying the problem-based learning method can improve learning outcomes and learning activities of class C1 IPS2 students of the PGMI FAI-UMI Makassar Study Program.

Iliac vein stent failure in community practice and results of corrective reinterventions

ObjectiveThe goal of endovenous stenting is to relieve venous obstruction and reduce peripheral venous hypertension by using large caliber venous stents in the presence of adequate venous inflow and outflow for the stented conduit. The aim of this report is to describe the technical reasons and outcomes for reinterventions in a subset of patients who had a history of iliac vein stenting and were now referred to us at a specialty venous clinic for further care. MethodsFrom January 2016 to December 2021, records of all patients who were referred to us with a history of iliac vein stenting performed at an outside facility and who had a reoperation performed at our center were retrospectively analyzed. ResultsA total of 149 limbs underwent a deep venous reintervention after a failure of a trial of conservative therapy. The mean age of the sample was 57 ± 16 years. The ratio of non-thrombotic iliac vein lesions to post-thrombotic lesions was 1:2.5. The majority of the patients (84%) were CEAP class C4 or higher. The most common reason for reintervention was stent occlusion (74%), followed by iatrogenic stenosis (53%) and in-stent restenosis/shelving (38%). There was a trend for improvement in all clinical parameters (venous clinical severity score, visual analog scale for pain, and edema grade) after the reintervention. Poor inflow was present in 70% of limbs with stent occlusion. The median diameters of stented common femoral vein, external iliac vein, and common iliac vein prior to reintervention were 12, 12, and 13 mm, respectively. The median diameters of stented common femoral vein, external iliac vein, and common iliac vein after reintervention were 14, 15, and 16 mm, respectively. Eighty-eight percent of limbs required at least one further reintervention after initial reoperation. ConclusionsVenous reoperations are generally infrequent and required in a small number of patients. Poor inflow appeared to be a common cause of stent occlusion. Iatrogenic stenosis is another common reason for venous reoperation and is difficult to fully rectify through current endovascular techniques and tools. Use of intravascular ultrasound planimetry routinely in every deep venous intervention and thorough knowledge of the principles of venous stenting outlined in this report may help forestall the need for reoperative deep venous surgery in some cases.

Seismic risk analysis on masonry buildings damaged by L'Aquila 2009 and Emilia 2012 earthquakes

Earthquakes in the recent past continue to provide more and more information on the seismic behavior of existing buildings and on the related economic losses. For the reason it is interesting to compare the damage of buildings stocks archived after earthquakes survey activities.In this paper a study of the damage occurred on masonry buildings after L'Aquila 2009 and Emilia 2012 earthquakes is carried out, by considering the data available in the web-gis Da.D.O platform.Firstly, fragility curves are illustrated and compared by considering the vulnerability classes of Da.D.O. (Class A, Class B and Class C1). Then, an approach is proposed in order to evaluate the total Expected Annual Loss (EALtot) and its contributions due to the several damage level (D1, …, D5). The preliminary obtained results show that, with reference to the two masonry buildings stocks considered, the higher contribution to the (EALtot) is given by the damage level D3, that may be considered as the life safety limit state. In the case analyzed, the corresponding EALD3 results almost equal to 1/3 of EALtot.

The Application of Thermomechanical Dynamics (TMD) to the Analysis of Nonequilibrium Irreversible Motion and a Low-Temperature Stirling Engine

We applied the method of Thermomechanical Dynamics (TMD) to a low-temperature Stirling engine, and the dissipative equation of motion and time-evolving physical quantities are self-consistently calculated for the first time in this field. The thermomechanical states of the heat engine are in Nonequilibrium Irreversible States (NISs), and time-dependent thermodynamic work W(t), internal energy E(t), energy dissipation or entropy Qd(t), and temperature T(t), are precisely studied and computed in TMD. We also introduced the new formalism, Q(t)-picture of thermodynamic heat-energy flows, for consistent analyses of NISs. Thermal flows in a long-time uniform heat flow and in a short-time heat flow are numerically studied as examples. In addition to the analysis of time-dependent physical quantities, the TMD analysis suggests that the concept of force and acceleration in Newtonian mechanics should be modified. The acceleration is defined as a continuously differentiable function of Class C2 in Newtonian mechanics, but the thermomechanical dynamics demands piecewise continuity for acceleration and thermal force, required from physical reasons caused by frictional variations and thermal fluctuations. The acceleration has no direct physical meaning associated with force in TMD. The physical implications are fundamental for the concept of the macroscopic phenomena in NISs composed of systems in thermal and mechanical motion.

ПРОБЛЕМНІ ПИТАННЯ СТВОРЕННЯ ТА ВПРОВАДЖЕННЯ АВТОМАТИЗОВАНОГО НАВЧАЛЬНОГО КОМАНДНОГО ПУНКТУ У НАВЧАЛЬНИЙ ПРОЦЕС ВИЩОГО ВІЙСЬКОВОГО НАВЧАЛЬНОГО ЗАКЛАДУ

The most important reserve for increasing the effectiveness of the military management activities of the commander and headquarters of the unit in the preparation of combined arms combat is to provide the command and control body with more complete, reliable and operational information about the situation and conditions of hostilities and, on this basis, conduct high-quality and quick analysis to form a plan of action, get ahead of the enemy and achieving surprise. A promising way to improve the process of military decision-making by command and control units is the introduction of a decision support system. The decision support system is the central component of the automated command and control system that adequately reflects the real conditions, means of armed struggle and takes into account the laws of their functioning and mutual relations between them. The article deals with the issues of creating and introducing into the educational process an automated training command post for command and control of troops and subunits. On the basis of the simulation class of the academy, a project of an automated TCP control unit (subdivision) was developed, which makes it possible to automatically reproduce the process of making a military decision by G/S-structural units of the headquarters of a military formation according to NATO standards in an automated mode using a PC-based workstation. It is proposed to build a local network using a mixed type topology: "ring" and "passive star". Such a network structure simplifies the procedure for increasing the number of workstations and facilitates the maintenance and operation of the TCP. The composition of the tactical control unit includes a server, workstations of officers of the structural divisions of the headquarters, multi-channel communication consoles and an interactive whiteboard. The minimum requirements for the proposed network architecture are substantiated. It is shown that a geographic information system is a necessary component of the automated workplace, which implements a full set of functions for working with geodata necessary for a military command and control body. This was done on the basis of the Arc View GIS software package version 3.3. The list of capabilities of the proposed hardware-software complex of the TCP allows us to assert that this complex meets the requirements of at least a class C2 automated control system. The benefits of the implementation of the TCP are in the growth of the volume of information that the staff officers analyze, the high quality and reliability of the data, the comprehensive validity of the conclusions and proposals made, the reduction in the time spent on assessing the situation and making informed rational decisions throughout all seven stages of the standardized MDMP process.

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON DEMOCRATIC CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IN TERTIARY EDUCATION CONTEXT

This study focused on university students’ perceptions on democratic classroom management. This research investigated the effectiveness of democratic classroom management. The population of this study were the fifth semester students of class C1 of Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatera majoring in Primary School Teacher Education (PGSD). They consisted of 35 students. This research was conducted with qualitative method. The writer used questionnaire as the instrument of interview. The research findings indicated some important things. To begin with, students responded positive about democratic classroom management practices that have been implemented in the classroom for about 9 meetings. It means, the teacher has successfully practiced the democratic classroom management in her class. Next, knowing democratic classroom management helps university students to be more courageous, active and responsible for their own learning. They can express their ideas and opinions without being afraid to be judged. Lastly, for teachers, the student survey provides information to evaluate their own teaching practices, to improve the democratic classroom management style. Developing a democratic classroom management requires significant and consistent effort and in the joint work of teachers and active students through all stages of the teaching-learning process.

The Role of Genetic Polymorphism in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Chronic venous diseases (CVD), including varicose veins, are among the most common diseases in developed countries in Europe and the United States and affect one third to one half of the population, especially women. Among many achievements in the knowledge of the pathogenesis of achievements, it should be noted the identification of the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as important mediators of the degenerative process associated with the onset and progression of venous insufficiency. The study included 98 patients aged 20 to 78 years with chronic venous insufficiency, including, in accordance with the CEAP classification, 45 patients with moderate CVI (class C3–C4) and 53 patients with severe CVI (class C5–C6). The results obtained in the course of the study reliably indicate the presence of an association between the carriage of the Arg allele and the Gln/Arg and Arg/Arg genotypes of the Gln279Arg polymorphism in the MMP9 gene with the risk of developing complicated forms of CVI.

Prevention of relapses of varicose veins in patients with true doubling of the great saphenous vein

Introduction. True doubling of great saphenous vein is observed in 1.6–2.1% of patients with varicose veins and may be one of the reasons for the development of postoperative relapse of the disease. Performing endovasal laser coagulation (EVLC) of both great saphenous vein trunks makes it possible to increase the radicality of the intervention and reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of varicose veins.Aim. Based on the study of immediate and long-term results, to substantiate the expediency of using EVLC of the main and true additional stem of great saphenous vein in patients with varicose veins.Materials and methods. From 2014 to 2020, 24 patients with a true doubling of great saphenous vein were treated. Among the applicants there were 12 women and 12 men aged 23 to 62 years with clinical class C2–C4 according to the CEAP (Clinical, Etiologic, Anatomic, Pathophysiologic) classification. All patients under tumescent anesthesia underwent simultaneous EVLC of the main and accessory trunk of the BPV, followed by miniflebectomy or sclerobliteration of varicose tributaries.Results and discussion. The use of simultaneous coagulation of both trunks was performed by all patients, thus the technical success of the operation was observed in 100% of cases. There were no intraoperative complications. The use of such a volume of intervention is accompanied by an increase in the duration of the operation by 29.3%. Hyperpigmentation in the projection of the coagulated trunk was observed in 2 (8.3%) patients, neurological disorders – in 1 (4.2%) patient. During the examination of patients 1–2 years after the operation, no relapses of the disease were detected, and the cosmetic result of the intervention on a ten-point scale, patients on average estimated at 7.6 points.Conclusions. True doubling of the great saphenous vein is rare and may increase the likelihood of relapses of the disease. EVLC of the main and additional BPV trunks is accompanied by an increase in the duration of surgery by an average of 29.3%, and the number of patients with hyperpigmentation by 1.5 times. Simultaneous EVLC of both tables with true duplication of BPV makes it possible to reliably block a potential source of varicose disease recurrence and reduce the likelihood of recurrent veins.

Quality Evaluation of Gilts and Sow’s Oocytes During In Vitro Maturation Based on Mitochondria Distribution


 Mitochondria is the most frequently studied cell organelle in relation to development competence of the oocytes both in vivo and in vitro. Developmental competence of oocyte is crucial for embryonic development, the molecular activity until the activation of the embryonic genome being based on the maternal reserves stored in the oocyte. Study was designed to qualitatively evaluate 133 COC class C1 and class C2 gilts and sow’s oocytes according to the distribution of mitochondria after IVM, based on Rhodamine 123 stain solution. Regarding mitochondrial distribution, the percentage of oocytes that had a homogeneous distribution around the germinal vesicle was higher in group C1 than C2 and also higher in sow oocytes than in gilts oocytes. For class 1, the difference was 10.58% in favor of sows, the same trend is maintained for C2, the difference being 4.37%. The results are confirmed by morphological examination, where C1 sow’s oocytes matured 26.09% more, compared to gilts oocytes, a difference maintained for C2 oocytes, being 27.4% more sow’s oocytes IVM compared to gilts. Based on mitochondrial distribution we observed that the stage of sexual development of females influences the IVM of oocytes. For pig’s IVF it’s recommended to use C1 sow oocytes.

Stripping vs endovenous thermal ablation in varicose veins: 5 year clinical and hemodynamic results of a randomized study

The aim of the study was to analyze the five-year clinical and hemodynamic results after minimally invasive phlebectomy and endovenous thermal ablation in patients with СVD class C2. The study included three groups of patients that differed in the technique of elimination of vertical GSV reflux within the thigh. The patients were stratified according to a certain hemodynamic profile: 1st group (stripping) included 63 patients; 2nd group (EVLC) — 61 patients; 3rd group (RFA) — 61 patients. A number of ultrasound hemodynamic parameters was studied in each group. The comparative study of the course of the late postoperative period was carried out; it included clinical examination, calculation of the total VCSS score, and ultrasound of the veins of lower extremities. As a result, it was found that in certain VV patients, after the removal of the GSV trunk within the thigh, a significant restructuring of the venous bed was observed in 1 year. It developed according to various scenarios. In the 1st group, medial and lateral overflows appeared on the thigh with drainage into the residual trunk; in the 2nd and 3rd group it was not observed, but the perforating reflux to the residual GSV trunk was gradually increasing. The restructuring of the venous bed caused valvular insufficiency of the trunk in 29 % of patients in the 1st group, 17.2 % in the 2nd group, and in 19.3 % of patients in the 3rd group by the 5th year of follow-up. As the pathological process was developing, the diameter of the GSV trunk on the shin was progressively increasing, and the summarized diameter of the PV of the lower leg was also increasing. By the 5th year of follow-up, perforant insufficiency was registered in 32.2 % of patients in the 1st group, 37.9 % in the 2nd group, and in 38.7 % of patients in the 3rd group. The changes detected during ultrasound had no significant effect on the clinic. The overall VCSS score decreased by the 1st year of follow-up after all interventions, and then remained consistently low in all groups over the years.

Social inequalities in multimorbidity patterns in southern Spain: findings from the DEMMOCAD survey

Abstract Background Multimorbidity (MM) is associated with lower quality of life, greater disability, and higher use of health services. It is a complex problem that is difficult to capture due to the broad spectrum of concurrent chronic diseases involved. There is a need to identify and characterize patterns of chronic conditions in the local context of specific population groups. The DEMMOCAD project aims to respond to this knowledge gap by detecting patterns of MM and their inequalities in the province of Cadiz (Spain). Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out by means of telephone interviews with people over 50 years of age. The final sample was 1592 individuals with MM. A latent class analysis was carried out to identify patterns of MM from 31 chronic conditions. First, the appropriate number of classes was established, considering model fit indices, class size, and clinical interpretability. Subsequently, covariates were introduced into the model using the three-step approach, a technique that minimizes biases in the multinomial regression model. Results Preliminary analyses of the goodness-of-fit indices of the model derived five MM patterns (entropy = 0.727): (C1) mild MM; (C2) cardiovascular; (C3) musculoskeletal; (C4) musculoskeletal plus mental; and (C5) complex MM. Compared with class C1, persons in class C5 were significantly older and less educated, class C4 had a lower income, class C3 was smokers and disabled, and class C2 was characteristic among older males. All four classes also showed lower scores on mental and physical dimensions of the SF12 scale compared to class C1. Conclusions In addition to providing an adjusted characterization of the population of the area analyzed, these initial findings highlight the existence of social inequalities in multimorbidity at the local level that should be addressed by implementing policies targeting the most vulnerable groups in Cadiz (low socioeconomic status groups, people with disabilities, and the elderly). Key messages

English

The Macruz Index is a simple electrocardiographic methodology indicated in the evaluation of possible left atrial remodeling in human medicine. In dogs, the main cause of left atrial remodeling is mitral valve myxomatous degeneration, a degenerative valvulopathy with high occurrence in the routine of the veterinary clinic. Thus, the objective was to determine the values of the Macruz Index and correlate them with the echocardiographic variable left atrium/aorta ratio in dogs with valvulopathy. For this, 11 healthy dogs, male and female, aged between 2 and 8 years, weighing up to 10 kg were selected; together with 60 dogs with mitral valve myxomatous degeneration, small breed and ages 7 to 17 years, which were subdivided into groups according to the class of congestive heart failure - B1 (n=20), B2 (n=20) and C (n=20). All dogs in the present study underwent clinical cardiological, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluation in order to obtain the values of the Macruz Index and the left atrium/aorta ratio. The results showed a significant difference (p<0.05) between the values of the Macruz Index of healthy dogs compared to the groups of dogs with the studied valvular disease (class B2 and C1). However, its correlation with the values of the left atrium/aorta ratio obtained in dogs with mitral valve myxomatous degeneration according to the congestive heart failure classes was low, positive and not statistically significant. Thus, we can conclude that the Macruz Index suggests left atrial remodeling in dogs with mitral valve myxomatous degeneration compared to healthy dogs. However, it does not correlate or evidence progressive left atrial remodeling between classes of congestive heart failure. Key words: Atrium, endocardiosis, macruz index, echocardiography.

C1–regularity for degenerate diffusion equations

We prove that any solution of a degenerate elliptic PDE is of class C1 provided the inverse of the equation's degeneracy law satisfies an integrability criterium, viz. σ−1∈L1(1λdλ). The proof is based upon the construction of a sequence of converging tangent hyperplanes that approximate u(x), near x0, by an error of order o(|x−x0|). Explicit control of such hyperplanes is carried over through the construction, yielding universal estimates upon the C1–regularity of solutions. Among the main new ingredients required in the proof, we develop an alternative recursive algorithm for renormalization of approximating solutions. This new method is based on a technique tailored to prevent the sequence of degeneracy laws constructed through the process from being, itself, degenerate.

Irrigation water quality in the Salinas-MG region, Brazil

This study aimed to evaluate the risk of salinity and sodicity of surface and underground water used for irrigation purposes on rural properties in the municipality of Salinas/MG, Brazil. The water samples were collected at a catchment point used by irrigators, and the physical-chemical parameters evaluated were: pH, sodium (Na) content, calcium (Ca) content, magnesium (Mg) content, electrical conductivity (CE), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). The latter was calculated to classify water as a function of risk of salinity and soil sodification. Groundwater was rated as class C3 (high salinity) while surface water as C1 (low salinity). As for soil sodification risk, groundwater was moderate, while the other samples were severe.

Cohomology of the moduli stack of algebraic vector bundles

Let Vectn be the moduli stack of vector bundles of rank n on derived schemes. We prove that, if E is a Zariski sheaf of ring spectra which is equipped with finite quasi-smooth transfers and satisfies projective bundle formula, then E⁎(Vectn,S) is freely generated by Chern classes c1,…,cn over E⁎(S) for any qcqs derived scheme S. Examples include all multiplicative localizing invariants.

Geometry of some moduli of bundles over a very general sextic surface for small second Chern classes and Mestrano-Simpson conjecture

Let S⊂P3 be a very general sextic surface over complex numbers. Let M(H,c2) be the moduli space of rank 2 stable bundles on S with fixed first Chern class H and second Chern class c2. In this article we study the configuration of certain locally complete intersection zero-dimensional subschemes on S satisfying Cayley-Bacharach property, which leads to the existence of non-trivial sections of a general member of each component of the moduli space for small c2. Using this study we will make an attempt to prove Mestrano-Simpson conjecture on the number of irreducible components of M(H,11) and prove the conjecture partially. We will also show that M(H,c2) is irreducible for c2≤10.

Novel Organization of the Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec Composite Island in Clinical Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Staphylococcus hominis Subspecies hominis Isolates from Dogs.

ABSTRACTStaphylococcus haemolyticus and Staphylococcus hominis subsp. hominis are common coagulase-negative staphylococcus opportunistic pathogens. In Thailand, the clinical strains S. haemolyticus 1864 and 48 and S. hominis subsp. hominis 384 and 371 have been recovered from sick dogs. These strains were methicillin resistant with the nontypeable staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (NT-SCCmec). The SCCmec element distribution in the clinical isolates from dogs was analyzed using whole-genome sequencing, which revealed the presence of different SCCmec composite islands (CIs) and gene structure. The SCCmec-CIs of ψSCCmec1864 (13 kb) and ψSCC1864 (11 kb) with a class C1 mec complex but no ccr gene were discovered in S. haemolyticus 1864. The CIs of ψSCCmec48 with a C1 mec complex (28 kb), SCC48 with ccrA4B4 (23 kb), and ψSCC48 (2.6 kb) were discovered in S. haemolyticus 48. In SCC48, insertion sequence IS256 contained an aminoglycoside-resistant gene [aph(2″)-Ia]. Two copies of IS431 containing the tetracycline-resistant gene tet(K) were found downstream of ψSCC48. In S. hominis subsp. hominis, the SCCmec-CI in strain 384 had two separate sections: ψSCCmec384 (20 kb) and SCCars (23 kb). ψSCCmec384 lacked the ccr gene complex but carried the class A mec complex. Trimethoprim-resistant dihydrofolate reductase (dfrC) was discovered on ψSCCmec384 between two copies of IS257. In strain 371, SCCmec VIII (4A) (37 kb) lacking a direct repeat at the chromosomal end was identified. This study found SCCmec elements in clinical isolates from dogs that were structurally complex and varied in their genetic content, with novel organization.IMPORTANCE In Thailand, the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) element, which causes methicillin resistance through acquisition of the mec gene, has been studied in clinical coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolates from various companion animals, and Staphylococcus haemolyticus and Staphylococcus hominis subsp. hominis were found to have the most nontypeable (NT)-SCCmec elements. These species are more prone to causing illness and more resistant to a variety of antimicrobials than other coagulase-negative staphylococci. However, full characterization of NT-SCCmec in clinical S. haemolyticus and S. hominis subsp. hominis isolates from such animals has been limited. Our findings support the use of full nucleotide sequencing rather than PCR designed for Staphylococcus aureus in further research of novel SCCmec elements. Moreover, several antimicrobial resistance and heavy metal resistance genes were identified on the SCCmec elements; these are important as they could limit the therapeutic options available in veterinary medicine.