Minor Form Research Articles

Understanding and Managing Trauma-Induced Vestibular Deficits.

Objectives: Traumatic brain injury occurs frequently worldwide. Half of traumatic brain injuries are related to falls or motor vehicle accidents. The term “concussion” is often used to describe a minor form of traumatic brain injury. These often involve decelerative events to the head (e.g., flexion/extension injury) and can also cause damage to the vestibular system of the inner ear. Materials and Methods: The European Society for Clinical Evaluation of Balance Disorders meets yearly and has proposed an investigation and analysis of the vestibular consequences of traumatic brain injury. This review paper outlines these discussions.Results: The Society discussed all aspects of trauma-induced vestibular disorders along with diagnosis and management. They also assessed the diagnostic tests available to investigate these disorders.Conclusion: Trauma-induced vestibular disorders are difficult to manage, as our level of understanding of the pathology can be poor and anatomical localization can also be difficult. Accordingly, a definitive diagnosis cannot be pinpointed in many patients, but an extensive history taking is crucial to determine the nature and extent of vestibular involvement. Trauma can not only result in microtrauma to the central nervous system but can also significantly affect peripheral vestibular structures, particularly the otolith organs. The committee hopes that better understanding of trauma to the vestibular system, along with improvements in the field of radiology and vestibular assessments, will aid in more precise techniques of pinpointing pathology in order to develop an adapted treatment plan.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tubes Can Be Considered Safe in Children: A Single-Center 11-Year Retrospective Analysis.

Background and Objectives: When the human body is disabled to naturally ingest food through the mouth, enteral or parenteral nutritional support should be started. Percutaneous gastrostomy (PEG) is a flexible feeding tube that is inserted into the stomach through the abdominal wall in patients who will need long-term enteral nutrient intake. The aim of this study is to analyze clinical characteristic of children at the time of PEG placement as well as to determine indications, complications and outcomes associated with PEG at the Department of Pediatrics of the University Hospital of Split. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients treated from 2010 to 2020 was performed. The following data were collected from medical records: age, gender, information about nasogastric feeding before PEG placement, indication for PEG insertion, duration of PEG, procedure-related complications and treatment outcomes. Malnutrition was determined according to the z-score range for BMI for age and sex. According to the indication for PEG placement, patients were divided into five categories: central nervous system (CNS) diseases, neuromuscular diseases, genetic disorders, metabolic diseases, and group of children with polytrauma. Results: A total of 40 patients with median age of 110 months were included in study. At the time of PEG placement, most patients had deviations in body weight and height compared to expected values for age and sex. The most common underlying diagnoses were diseases of the central nervous system. Minor complications were found in 13 (35%) of patients. One patient (2.7%) developed major complication (gastrocolic fistula) and consequently underwent reoperation. The median duration of PEG in patients with complications before the need for replacement was 27 months, and in patients without complications, 43 months. Conclusions: Negative deviations of z-score body weight, body height, and body mass index could indicate the need for possible earlier placement of PEG. PEG can be considered as a safe therapeutic option in children since PEG-related complications, mostly in minor forms, were found in a small number of patients.

P053 The place of ASLOs in the diagnosis of RAA in Morocco

Abstract Background The assay of antistreptolysin O antibodies “ASLO” can provide evidence of infection of streptococcal origin, but it cannot confirm the presence of rheumatic fever “RAA” or the degree of severity of the disease. However, it is widely prescribed in daily practice by pediatricians and general practitioners to diagnose RAA. Unfortunately, the only finding of a high rate of ASLO in front of recurrent tonsillitis in children is considered by some practitioners as sufficient evidence to support the diagnosis of RAA, especially in its minor form, without taking into account the Jones criteria. The objective of this study is to put the ASLO assay in its place in the diagnosis of RAA in children in the region of Fez in Morocco. Methods This is a prospective study carried out from January 2016 to July 2019 in the cardiopediatric unit of CHU Hassan II in Fez. Patients below 18 years of age were included in this study. The children are classified into 4 groups: group 1: RAA with cardiac involvement, group 2: RAA without cardiac involvement, group 3: recurrent pharyngitis and group 4: control. Children with RAA are diagnosed according to the modified Jones criteria. The repetitive angina group includes any child who has tonsillitis >5 times a year. The control group presents healthy children. The ASLO assay was carried out in the central analysis laboratory of the CHU Hassan II in Fez. Patient data is collected on operating sheets. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v 21 software. Results These are 153 children with RAA: 119 cases of RAA with cardiac involvement and 34 cases of RAA without cardiac involvement, 86 children with recurrent pharyngitis and 157 children controls. The most common age group in the four groups is the age group between 5 and 15 years old. The frequency of children of urban origin is greater than that of rural origin in all the groups studied. The average ASLO rates in each group are as follows: RAA with carditis: 281.1 IU/ml RAA without carditis: 331.9 IU/ml Repeated angina: 397.7 IU/ml Control: 208.8 IU/ml Monitoring the change in ASLO, every 3 months for a year, in the groups studied showed that the ASLO level is stable at high rates in the case of recurrent pharyngitis and it tends to decrease in the case of AAR. Regarding the relationship between ASLO means and gender, there is a high ASLO mean in boys more than girls in all groups. Also, the mean ASLO is high in children from urban areas for the recurrent angina group. In addition, the average rate of ASLO is high during cold seasons in all groups. Finally, our study shows that the increase in ASLO is related to age. There is a significant difference between ASLO rates and age in all groups. Conclusion ASLO levels do not correlate with cardiac involvement but rather with infection and the child's individual immunity. The evidence is that ASLO levels> 200 IU/ml are more common with recurrent pharyngitis than with rheumatic heart disease. So a high ASLO is not necessarily related to an RAA. Keywords ASLO, children, RAA, recurrent tonsillitis

Complete 1H and 13C NMR spectral assignment of d-glucofuranose

Although d-glucose is the most common sugar in nature, only a few NMR studies have focused on its minor furanose forms, and they have been limited to the anomeric position. Here, complete 1H and 13C NMR spectral analysis of α- and β-d-glucofuranose was performed, including signal assignment, chemical shifts, and coupling constants. Selective and non-selective 1D and 2D NMR experiments were used for the analysis, complemented by spin simulations and iterative spectral analysis.

Drag folds in sedimentary rocks hosting kimberlites, West Yakutia

Drag folds were revealed in Lower Paleozoic sedimentary strata of Mirny, Nakyn and Syuldyukar diamondiferous fields, West Yakutia. They consist of minor anticlinal forms (3-5 to 15-20 cm thick) and cut marl, clayey limestone and dolomite bands located between monolith seams of carbonate rocks. Some folds as monocline, flexures and S- or Z-shaped folds reflect the degree of shearrelated interlayer offset. Drag folds are among shear zone occurrences including microfaults, slickensides with slip groove horizontal planes, and schistosity zones. Drag folds reflect local extension points while schistosity zones indicate compression points. For Syuldyukar field, detailed mapping results for drag folds and schistosity zones are provided at 3 scales: across 20 × 20 m observation grid within a local 2 km2 site; across 200 × 200 m grid within 20 km2 area; across 500 × 500 m grid within ~100 km2 territory. For all scales, drag fold halos are restricted to schistosity zones. Within a local site adjacent to kimberlites, drag folds mark ore-hosting fault controlling long axes of kimberlite areal projections. Within large areas, drag fold halos are 1,2-2 km, which compares with kimberlite group areal parameters. Drag fold halos reflect shear junctions, with some of them hosting kimberlites. Local occurrences of drag folds mark a major shear hosting a kimberlite body. Drag fold analysis combined with other evidence should be used as an indirect prospecting indicator of concealed shears and local extension areas controlling kimberlites.

Producing Knowledge in the Alps. Collaborative Research in Dairy Microbiology, 1960–Present

Mountain environments have long been the site and target of partner-oriented research policies which favour approaches based on the co-construction of research problems between development actors, professionals and scientists. Research on the French dairy sectors in the Alps and the Jura is an example of this situation. Taking the example of dairy microbiology and the emergence of the notion of “microbial terroir” in the Alps and the Jura, I propose in this article to answer the following question: how does one produce knowledge in an Alpine context? In the first part, I will present the different forms that this collaborative research has taken since the 1960s. In the second part, I will show how the notion of "microbial terroir” has emerged within these research systems and I will develop the idea that this participatory research remains a minority form of knowledge production in microbiology. I will base this work on an analysis of the reflexive literature published by these different research projects as well as on scientometric analyses and archival work carried out between 2016 and 2020 in the Northern Alps.

Diagenetic Barite-Pyrite-Wurtzite Formation and Redox Signatures in Triassic Mudstone, Brooks Range, Northern Alaska

Mineralogical and geochemical studies of interbedded black and gray mudstones in the Triassic part of the Triassic-Jurassic Otuk Formation (northern Alaska) document locally abundant barite and pyrite plus diverse redox signatures. These strata, deposited in an outer shelf setting at paleolatitudes of ~45 to 60°N, show widespread sedimentological evidence for bioturbation. Barite occurs preferentially in black mudstones (TOC = 0.93–6.46 wt%), forming displacive euhedral crystals with pyrite inclusions and rims, and late albite inclusions or intergrowths. Pyrite also occurs as small (3–20 μm) framboids, discontinuous laminae, euhedral and anhedral crystals, and replacements of barite and fossils (mainly radiolarians). Paragenetically early wurtzite is present as clusters of very small (1–3 μm) aggregates of radiating crystals 0.5 to 1.0 μm long with cores of organic matter that overgrow framboidal pyrite; later wurtzite forms 10- to 30-μm bladed crystals. Equant grains (3–30 μm) and small (20 μm) angular clusters of zinc sulfide that include <1-μm-long, comb-like structures are sphalerite or wurtzite, or both. Minor siderite forms euhedral crystals intergrown with albite that enclose wurtzite and barite. Illite shows intergrowths with sphalerite; rare K-feldspar is intergrown with barite. Formation of these minerals and assemblages is attributed to early diagenetic processes.Whole-rock geochemical data for 15 samples show large ranges in redox proxies including Post Archean Average Shale (PAAS)-normalized enrichment factors (EFs) for V, U, Mo, and Re, and Al-normalized ratios for V, U, and Mo. Results for most black mudstones, with or without abundant barite and/or pyrite, suggest deposition within an oxygen minimum zone. Cerium anomalies, PAAS-normalized and calculated on a detrital-free basis, range widely from 0.49 to 0.96 and may reflect diagenetic overprinting by Ce-depleted fluids. Considering data for both black and gray mudstones, the overall geochemical pattern together with evidence from pyrite framboid sizes suggest that redox conditions fluctuated greatly from euxinic to oxic, like the redox profiles reported for modern shelf sediments offshore Peru and Namibia. The euxinic redox signatures in some Otuk black mudstones may correlate with widespread Early to Middle Triassic ocean anoxic events proposed for other regions.Calculations of median EFs for trace elements in Otuk black mudstones reveal both enrichments and depletions. Normalizations to the median composition of the three least-mineralized black mudstones show that barite- and/or pyrite-rich samples display large (>50%) positive changes for Li (+80.4%), V (+75.6%), Sr (+75.9%), Ba (+790%), Cu (+92.1%), Ni (+169%), Ag (+156%), Au (+3091%), As (+109%), Sb (+476%), and Se (+205%); Zn shows a moderate positive change of +42.1%. Moderate negative changes are evident only for Ge (−47.2%) and W (−30.6%). The local enrichments may reflect one or more factors including redox variations in bottom waters and pore fluids, element mobility during diagenesis, and selective fractionation into minerals such as barite, pyrite, and wurtzite. Anomalously low U/Al and UEF values, compared to those for other modern and ancient organic-rich sediments and sedimentary rocks, are attributed to increased solubility and loss of U during bioturbation-related oxygenation in the subsurface.Physicochemical constraints on barite, pyrite, and wurtzite formation are informed by use of a pH-fO2 plot constructed at 10 °C. Based on paragenetic evidence for multistage deposition of these three minerals, together with the presence of illite intergrown with ZnS and K-feldspar with barite, proposed diagenetic trends involve an increase in pH and fO2 related to the ingress of sulfate-rich pore fluids during bioturbation, followed by a return to lower then higher pH and fO2 conditions linked to carbon, sulfur, barium, and iron cycling during diagenesis. Labile Ba of marine pelagic origin was mobilized from organic-rich sediment upward to the sulfate-methane transition zone where barite precipitated during the interaction of reduced Ba- and CH4-rich fluids with sulfate-bearing pore fluids. The formation of paragenetically early wurtzite (ZnS) crystals, as well as locally high EF values for Cu, Ni, Ag, and Au, is attributed to metal enrichment of pore fluids, with sources being derived in part from water-column deposition from hydrothermal plumes related to coeval Triassic seafloor vent systems including a volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit in British Columbia and the Wrangellia Large Igneous Province in Alaska.

SOME THEMATIC GROUPS OF MINOR GENRE FORMS OF INFORMATION. SYNTACTIC FEATURES

The tendency to increase the speed of transmission of relevant information in specific genre information units is growing nowadays. The article attempts to identify and describe the main syntactic features of some thematic groups of minor genre forms of information (hereinafter referred to as MGFI). It is noted that, acting as only one part of the intonation structure in the sentence, vocative structures of minor genre forms mostly do not require additional disclosure of their content in the context. We single out non-textual existing vocatives belonging to the MGFI of the modern Ukrainian language, which are used in order to attract the attention of an addressee of speech, to encourage them to perceive speech. Syntactic features of genre forms of information related to the communicative component of the information message: announcements, appeals, prohibitions, information distribution and encouragement to perform an action or a requirement not to perform it in any case. The study deals with the structure and functions of announcements of different types as one of the types of minor genre forms of information, their features as syntactic structures. The structural and morphological features of vocative addresses in minor genre forms of periodical information are also analysed.

Differentiated Approaches to Chemotherapy of Respiratory Tuberculosis in Children Exposed to Isoniazid Resistant Tuberculosis

The objective of the study: evaluation of the results of differentiated approaches to chemotherapy of respiratory tuberculosis in children exposed to isoniazid resistant tuberculosis. Subjects and Methods. 57 children aged 2-12 years were enrolled in the study (the median age made 8 years) all children suffered from active respiratory tuberculosis and received conservative therapy only All children were exposed to isoniazid resistant tuberculosis. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 received standard chemotherapy regimen 2: 5 anti-tuberculosis drugs (TB drugs) in the intensive phase and 4 TB drugs in the continuation phase (5 TB drugs/4 TB drugs) for disseminated processes (25 patients); Group 2 - 32 patients who received individualized regimens: 4 TB drugs/3 TB drugs for the limited disease (14 patients); 3 TB drugs for the whole course of chemotherapy for minor forms (18 patients). The combination of TB drugs was based on the susceptibility of the index case. Results. Treatment outcomes in all children were classified as effective treatment. The intensive phase of chemotherapy made 4.2 ± 0.3 months in Group 1 and 2.8 ± 0.2 months in Group 2, p t < 0.05. The total duration of chemotherapy in Group 1 made 9.9 ± 0.3 months, and in Group 2 was 6.8 ± 0.2 months, p t < 0.05. Conclusion. The use of individual regimens of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy consisting of the fewer number of drugs and with a shorter duration of treatment, does not impair effectiveness of chemotherapy of respiratory tuberculosis in case of the limited disease and minor lesions in children exposed to isoniazid resistant tuberculosis.

Emergent Modality

Among Brahms’s solo Lieder that depict a piece-spanning shift between parallel minor and major tonics, “Todessehnen” (op. 86, no. 6), “Schwermut” (op. 58, no. 5), and “Dämmrung senkte sich von oben” (op. 59, no. 1) stand out for setting poetry that portrays a duality between burdensome life and transcendent death, or darkness versus light. This article explores how Brahms’s paradoxical treatment of the life-versus-death theme (associating death with an escape from suffering and the major mode, as noted in related analyses by ".fn_cite($platt_1992)." and ".fn_cite($suurpaa_2003).") correlates with a “tragic-to-transcendent” expressive genre (".fn_cite($hatten_1994).", 69) and enacts a series of poetic “turning points” (".fn_cite($huhn_2005).") that reflect the protagonist’s changing perception of temporality. I argue that the major mode emerges gradually in each song, first as an “implicit” (or “nascent”) tonic, then as a cadentially confirmed (or “realized”) key at the structural cadence. Close Schenkerian analyses of all songs show that their minor-to-major progressions are neither immediate nor direct. Rather, the songs share four tonal features that facilitate the modal change, enact a shift from “tragic” to “transcendent” expression, and actualize “poetic turning points:” 1) the parallel major emerges as a cadentially unconfirmed, nascent tonic; 2) prolongations of ".fn_flat('')."VI or IV delay a cadence in the parallel major key and convey the speaker’s entrance into new temporalities and perceptions; 3) the structural cadence confirms the major key and lays the modal conflict to rest; and 4) the postlude echoes the minor form of ".fn_scaledegree("6").", as if recalling the protagonist’s earlier struggles. The elevated expression of cadential ".fn_figbass("",64)." chords near the structural cadence—treated in the manner of “arrival six-four” chords (".fn_cite($hatten_1994).", 15)—suggests the actualization of a “transcendent” expression and either a future or intensified present temporality that the poem implies but does not realize.

Molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis sensu stricto in the soil of Niger

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex is comprising of pathogenic mycobacteria responsible for human and animal tuberculosis, a major public health problem in Niger. Although infected individuals are paramount sources of contamination, nevertheless alternative, neglected sources may play some role in minority forms of the infection. Accordingly, we investigated the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in soil samples in Niger. A total of 103 soil samples were collected in six different areas in Niger in October and November 2018 and April and May 2020 from residential areas of tuberculosis patients. Screening PCR targeting M. tuberculosis complex CRISPR-Csm4 and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay were applied to detect the M. tuberculosis complex. M. tuberculosis DNA was positively detected in five of 103 (5/103; 4.8%) soil samples (Dosso: one sample, Zinder: one sample and Niamey: three samples) using the CRISPR-Csm4 system. CRISPR-Csm4 gene sequence identified four M. tuberculosis sensu stricto (may be lineages 1, 3 or 4) and one M. tuberculosis L2 lineage (Beijing). Moreover, the five positive samples were confirmed by Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay as rifampicin-susceptible M. tuberculosis complex strains. However, culture remained negative after 42 days. In this study, we announced for the first time the presence of M. tuberculosis sensu stricto in the soil of Niger. Moreover, these detected lineages were identical to the dominant M. tuberculosis lineages in patients. The presence of common lineages of M. tuberculosis between the soil and human highlight the risk of transmission from the soil to human.

Two crystallographic forms and the absolute structure of 5α,14α-androstane.

5α,14α-Androstane (C19H32) crystallizes in two different polymorphic forms in the same vapor diffusion experiment. The major form (Form I) crystallizes as thin plates in the space group P21, with Z= 4. These plates are twinned along a long c axis of length 43 Å and readily suffer from radiation damage when diffracted. The minor form (Form II) crystallizes as fine needles in the space group P212121, Z= 3. In the minor form, 5α,14α-androstane cocrystallizes with 5α,14α-androstan-17-one, an oxidation product of 5α,14α-androstane. The presence of 5α,14α-androstan-17-one in the minor form of the crystals was confirmed by HR-MS. Form II can be crystallized as a pure form without the ketone impurity using a different solvent system. High level density functional theory (DFT) lattice free energy calculations were performed and show that both pure forms are isoergic within the estimated error of the calculations.

Causes of visual hallucinations in Parkinson's disease

HintergrundVisuelle Halluzinationen (VH) werden zumeist als Spätsymptome der Parkinson-Krankheit (PK) angesehen. Sie kommen jedoch in leichterer Form auch in Frühstadien der Erkrankung vor. Ursächlich wurden VH anfänglich als Folge einer dopaminergen Überstimulation gesehen, später ebenso im Rahmen einer demenziellen Entwicklung der PK.FragestellungDie vorliegende Arbeit untersucht, ob sich das Entstehungsmodell der VH in den letzten Jahren erweitert hat.Material und MethodikBasierend auf klinischen, pharmakologischen und neuropathologischen Arbeiten sowie funktioneller Magnetresonanzgraphie erfolgt eine systematische Aufgliederung in monomodale und multimodale Entstehungsmodelle der VH. Die Anwendbarkeit auf unterschiedliche VH-Formen und -Auslösungsmomente wird jeweils kritisch beleuchtet.ErgebnisseEinbußen bei der visuellen Informationsaufnahme und -verarbeitung, Defizite der Aufmerksamkeit und fehlerhafte Konnektivität zwischen kortikalen Netzwerken werden herausgearbeitet. Es bestehen z. T. Überlappungen mit dem Lhermitte-Syndrom und dem Charles-Bonnet-Syndrom. Kein Modell erklärt jedoch befriedigend alle Spielarten der VH. Nicht alle VH weisen die gleiche Pathogenese und stets eine schlechte Prognose auf.SchlussfolgerungDie Ursachenkette visueller Halluzinationen ist komplex und individuell unterschiedlich. Inwieweit dies therapeutisch einsetzbar ist, ist bisher wenig erforscht. Es gibt erste Hinweise, dass neben einer Änderung der Medikation auch Visusverbesserung, die Einbindung des Partners/der Partnerin und vielleicht individuell anpassbare Copingstrategien erfolgreich eingesetzt werden könnten.

Sociodemographic Differences in Intimate Partner Violence Prevalence, Chronicity, and Severity Among Young Sexual and Gender Minorities Assigned Male at Birth: The P18 Cohort Study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent among young sexual and gender minorities assigned male at birth (YSGM-AMAB). However, few studies have examined the chronicity or distinguished between minor and severe forms of IPV among YSGM-AMAB. Furthermore, while past research has documented differences in IPV by race/ethnicity, sexual identity, gender identity, income, and education in other populations, few studies have examined these sociodemographic characteristics in relation to IPV in YSGM-AMAB. Thus, the present study aims to: (1) estimate past year prevalence and chronicity of minor and severe forms of IPV victimization and perpetration in a diverse sample of (N = 665) YSGM-AMAB in New York City, and (2) examine differences in IPV prevalence and chronicity by the aforementioned sociodemographic characteristics. Cross-sectional data from [BLINDED] informed these descriptive and inferential analyses. Nearly half of all participants reported past year IPV victimization and approximately 40% reported perpetration. Psychological violence was the most common form of victimization, followed by sexual, physical, and injury victimization. Psychological violence was the most common form of perpetration, followed by physical, sexual, and injury perpetration. Regarding sociodemographic differences in last year IPV prevalence, bisexual, transgender, and lower income YSGM-AMAB were more likely to report several subtypes of IPV victimization. Whereas Asian/API, bisexual, transgender, and lower income participants were more likely to report several subtypes of IPV perpetration. Regarding last year IPV chronicity, non-graduate YSGM-AMAB reported more instances of two subtypes of IPV victimization, while Black, White, cisgender, upper income, non-graduate participants reported more instances of several subtypes of IPV perpetration. These findings may be used to develop IPV prevention and intervention programs, inform future research endeavors, and develop and strengthen policies that reduce sociodemographic inequalities and promote more favorable sociopolitical conditions for YSGM-AMAB.

The entry geometry and velocity of planetary debris into the Roche sphere of a white dwarf

ABSTRACT Our knowledge of white dwarf planetary systems predominately arises from the region within a few Solar radii of the white dwarfs, where minor planets breakup, form rings and discs, and accrete on to the star. The entry location, angle, and speed into this Roche sphere has rarely been explored but crucially determines the initial geometry of the debris, accretion rates on to the photosphere, and ultimately the composition of the minor planet. Here, we evolve a total of over 105 asteroids with single-planet N-body simulations across the giant branch and white dwarf stellar evolution phases to quantify the geometry of asteroid injection into the white dwarf Roche sphere as a function of planetary mass and eccentricity. We find that lower planetary masses increase the extent of anisotropic injection and decrease the probability of head-on (normal to the Roche sphere) encounters. Our results suggest that one can use dynamical activity within the Roche sphere to make inferences about the hidden architectures of these planetary systems.

Turnover and Inactivation Mechanisms for (S)-3-Amino-4,4-difluorocyclopent-1-enecarboxylic Acid, a Selective Mechanism-Based Inactivator of Human Ornithine Aminotransferase.

The inhibition of human ornithine δ-aminotransferase (hOAT) is a potential therapeutic approach to treat hepatocellular carcinoma. In this work, (S)-3-amino-4,4-difluorocyclopent-1-enecarboxylic acid (SS-1-148, 6) was identified as a potent mechanism-based inactivator of hOAT while showing excellent selectivity over other related aminotransferases (e.g., GABA-AT). An integrated mechanistic study was performed to investigate the turnover and inactivation mechanisms of 6. A monofluorinated ketone (M10) was identified as the primary metabolite of 6 in hOAT. By soaking hOAT holoenzyme crystals with 6, a precursor to M10 was successfully captured. This gem-diamine intermediate, covalently bound to Lys292, observed for the first time in hOAT/ligand crystals, validates the turnover mechanism proposed for 6. Co-crystallization yielded hOAT in complex with 6 and revealed a novel noncovalent inactivation mechanism in hOAT. Native protein mass spectrometry was utilized for the first time in a study of an aminotransferase inactivator to validate the noncovalent interactions between the ligand and the enzyme; a covalently bonded complex was also identified as a minor form observed in the denaturing intact protein mass spectrum. Spectral and stopped-flow kinetic experiments supported a lysine-assisted E2 fluoride ion elimination, which has never been observed experimentally in other studies of related aminotransferase inactivators. This elimination generated the second external aldimine directly from the initial external aldimine, rather than the typical E1cB elimination mechanism, forming a quinonoid transient state between the two external aldimines. The use of native protein mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography employing both soaking and co-crystallization methods, and stopped-flow kinetics allowed for the detailed elucidation of unusual turnover and inactivation pathways.

Innovation in emerging economies: How do university-industry linkages and public procurement matter for small businesses?

Small businesses face major challenges to becoming more innovative. These challenges are particularly prevalent in emerging economies where high uncertainties are a barrier to innovation. We know from previous studies that linkages to universities, on the one hand, and public procurement, on the other, support large and innovative firms in their efforts to become more innovative. However, we do not know whether these positive effects also hold true for small businesses. In this paper, we focus on how policy strategies reducing information, market and financial uncertainties shape small businesses’ innovation in China. Based on a sample of 926 small businesses derived from the World Bank Enterprises Survey in China (2012), we find that university-industry linkages enhance innovation, though only when it comes to minor forms of innovation. In line with the resource-based view of the firm, this effect is stronger for small businesses with higher capabilities. Moreover, we show that bidding for or delivering contracts to public sector clients has a positive effect on innovation, and in particular of major forms of innovation. In the bidding selection process, private firms and firms with higher capabilities are selected. Our findings show that both policy strategies have enhanced innovation, though with different effects on the degree of novelty. We attribute this finding to the different degrees of uncertainties they address.

Incidence rate and structure of external genital endometriosis in hospital patients

Aim. To assess the frequency of genital endometriosis and its various forms based on the analysis of hospitalized morbidity.&#x0D; Materials and methods. Analysis of the medical data base of the gynecological clinic of the Gorodkov Ivanovo Research Institute of Maternity and Childhood for the period 20002019. The unit of observation is a case of endometriosis in a patient who left the gynecological clinic of a 24-hour hospital. The clinical characteristics of the prevalence of genital endometriosis are given based on the analysis of 9.378 surgery protocols for the period 20002019. The stages of spread of the endometrioid process were assessed according to the 1985 R-AFS classification.&#x0D; Results. The total number of patients diagnosed with endometriosis was 17% of the total number of gynecological patients. The proportion of hospitalized with endometriosis in 20002019 increased by 2 times from 4.5 to 9.2%. Over 20 years, the proportion of patients with endometriosis of the uterus (N80.0) from 36.2 to 9.0% (p0.001), with endometriosis of the rectovaginal septum and vagina (N80.4) decreased from 2.6 to 0% (p0.01). The proportion of patients with ovarian endometriosis (N80.1) increased from 12.1 to 34.6% (p0.001), pelvic peritoneal endometriosis (N80.3) from 16.5 to 51.1% (p0.001). The proportion of patients with endometriosis of two or more localizations increased from 1.6 to 40.2% (p0.001). Over the 20-year period, there was a decrease in the average age of patients with endometriosis from 37.80.43 years in 2000 to 36.20.34 years in 2009 and 33.80.29 years in 2019 (p0.001). The range of fluctuations in age characteristics ranged from 13 to 55 years. The overwhelming majority of observations are minor forms (I and II stages of the disease) 57.6%. Retrocervical endometriosis was diagnosed in 20.1%. Endometrioid ovarian cysts were in 11.7% of cases. In most cases, endometriotic lesions were combined with adhesions of the small pelvis.&#x0D; Conclusion. Thus, genital endometriosis is a common gynecological pathology, which is often the reason for hospitalization for surgical intervention in women of different age groups. However in most cases affects in most important period in a womans life reproductive. The given data emphasize the need to study and develop therapeutic measures to improve the system of organizing medical care, to find the most optimal and effective forms of diagnosis, approaches to the treatment and rehabilitation of women with endometrisis, which would significantly reduce the volume of surgical interventions, thus reducing financial costs, including overcoming infertility.

Correlations Between Covid 19 Symptoms and Risk of Pulmonary Embolism

Abstract The World Health Organization (WHO) declares COVID 19 pandemic in March 2020. Each pandemic wave had different clinical and biological characteristics, the expression of the disease being correlated with the dominant viral variant. Patients with COVID 19 have a pro-coagulant status, which predisposes them to thromboembolic complications. The current study aims to systematize the symptoms of COVID 19 and to highlight its relationship with the suspicion and confirmation of the diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism. We performed a descriptive retrospective study on patients with COVID 19 for a period of 4 months (September-December 2021). During this period, 183 were hospitalized with COVID 19 and 53 were enrolled in the study. Incidence of COVID 19 was 63% (33) in men and 37% for women. The average age of women was 68 years compared to men where the average age was 61 years. We observed a higher incidence of the disease in men in the 41–60 age group (39% of all men), while, in women, the most affected age group was 61–80 years (60% of all women). Pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) was diagnosed by pulmonary artery angiography, with an incidence of 57% in the study group affecting 60% of women and 55% of men. The symptoms are dominated by fever, cough and dyspnea. Fever was present in 65% of women and 55% of men, cough was present in 65% of women and 79% of men, while dyspnea involved 40% of women and 42% of men. In conclusion, PE was a common complication in COVID patients that contributed to adverse outcome and higher mortality. The symptoms were not specific to minor forms of the disease.

The omega-loop of cobra cytotoxins tolerates multiple amino acid substitutions

Cobra cytotoxins (CTs), the three-fingered proteins, feature high amino acid sequence homology in the beta-strands and variations in the loop regions. We selected a pair of cytotoxins from Naja kaouthia crude venom to clarify the sequence-structure relationships. Using chromatography and mass spectroscopy, we separated and identified the mixture of cytotoxins 2 and 3, differentiated by the only Val 41/Ala 41 substitution. Here, using natural abundance 13C, 15N NMR-spectroscopy we performed chemical shift assignments of the signals of the both toxins in aqueous solution in the major and minor forms. Combining NOE and chemical shift data, the toxins’ spatial structure was determined. Finally, we proved that the tip of the “finger”-2, or the loop-2 of cytotoxins adopts the shape of an omega-loop with a tightly-bound water molecule in its cavity. Comparison with other NMR and X-ray structures of cytotoxins possessing different amino acid sequences reveals spatial similarity in this family of proteins, including the loop-2 region, previously considered to be flexible.