Special Scale Research Articles

Effect of Remote Control Augmented Reality Multimedia Technology for Postoperative Rehabilitation of Knee Joint Injury.

This study was aimed at exploring the application value of augmented reality (AR) in postoperative rehabilitation training for patients with knee joint injury. 40 patients who underwent knee joint injury surgery were selected as the research objects, and the patients were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (20 cases) and a control group (20 cases). Patients in the experimental group were treated with AR-based rehabilitation methods, while those in the control group were treated with traditional rehabilitation methods. Afterwards, the two groups of patients were compared with various indicators such as pain value, swelling, structural and functional recovery, time to complete weight bearing, time to return to work, and X-ray examination results. The main evaluation tools used were Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score. The results showed that after six weeks, the HSS score of the control group was 82.88 ± 3.07, and the HSS score of the experimental group was 85.46 ± 3.21. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After three months, the HSS score of the control group was 89.96 ± 3.76, and that of the experimental group was 93.21 ± 4.33. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in pain scores between the two groups at 7 days (3.81 ± 0.48 vs. 5.06 ± 0.66) and 14 days (2.03 ± 0.45 vs. 3.61 ± 0.63) after surgery, with statistical significances (P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of time to complete weight bearing (7 ± 0.87 weeks vs. 8.82 ± 0.88 weeks) and time to return to work (8.69 ± 0.94 vs. 9.93 ± 0.88 weeks) (P < 0.05). One month after surgery, the X-ray examination results of both groups showed recovery. The AR-based rehabilitation training system showed a good application effect and prospect in the postoperative structural and functional recovery of patients with knee joint injury.

Grit After Acl Reconstruction: Sex Differences and Association with Knee Outcomes Among Adolescent Athletes

Background: Grit reflects perseverance for pursuing long-term goals. Recovery from ACL reconstruction requires a long and challenging rehabilitation process. While grit has previously been used to predict success in education and military settings, little is known about the association between grit and the rehabilitation process among adolescent athletes after ACL reconstruction. Purpose: The primary aim of the study was to determine differences in GRIT-S scores between male and female athletes pre-operatively to 6 months post-ACL reconstruction. The second aim of the study was to assess the relationship between pre-operative GRIT-S scores and knee outcome measures 6 months post-operatively. Methods: All participants completed the GRIT-S questionnaire, the Pediatric International Knee Documentation Committee (Pedi-IKDC) subjective knee form, and the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS) at a pre-operative appointment and then again approximately 6 months after ACL reconstruction. We conducted a linear mixed model analysis to assess the effects of sex and time on GRIT-S scores. We then conducted a linear regression analysis to determine if pre-operative GRIT-S scores predicted IKDC and HSS Pedi-FABS scores at 6 months post-operatively. We defined statistical significance as p &lt; 0.05. Results: We included 83 participants (mean age 16.0 +/- 2.3 years, 70% female) from a prospective registry of pediatric athletes undergoing ACL reconstruction by one surgeon at a single institution. For the entire study population, there was no statistically significant change in GRIT-S scores from the pre-operative assessment to 6 months post-operatively. However, there was a statistically significant effect of sex (p=0.03) on GRIT-S scores from pre-operative assessment to 6 months post-operatively, with female athletes demonstrating more grit than male athletes across both assessments (Figure 1). Additionally, there was no significant association between pre-operative GRIT-S scores and Pedi-IKDC and HSS Pedi-FABS scores 6 months post-operatively for the entire group (Figure 2). Conclusion: In our study population, female athletes reported higher GRIT-S scores than male athletes across the first 6 months of rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction. Pre-operative GRIT-S scores do not appear to be significantly associated with knee outcome measures 6 months post-operatively, which could suggest that grit may not necessarily predict success in the rehabilitation process after ACL reconstruction. However, future studies will examine how grit is associated with return-to-sport outcomes to determine if grit is a useful marker in predicting successful return-to-sport after ACL reconstruction in adolescent athletes. [Figure: see text][Figure: see text]

An Examination of Youth Sport Specialization Patterns and Perceptions Between Developmental Stages and Competitive Contexts

Background:Youth sport specialization remains a concerning trend for developing young people, as early and intensive specialization has linked to harmful physical and psychosocial outcomes. Further research is merited to determine how participants’ perceptions of sport specialization may be driving their decision of whether to specialize, as well as how these perceptions and specialization patterns may differ based on their developmental level (ie., elementary, middle, or high school), and their competitive context (ie., recreational/community-based, club/travel, or interscholastic).Purpose:To compare youth athletes’ degree of sport specialization and their perceptions of sport specialization based on their developmental level and competitive context.Methods:Athletes completed a self-administered survey comprised of 1) Demographic characteristics and sport participation history; 2) The 3-item Jayanthi “degree” of sport specialization scale; 3) The Youth Sport Specialization Perceptions Survey, which quantifies athletes’ sport specialization attitudes on a continuum from extremely unfavorable (low scores) to extremely favorable (high scores). Descriptive analyses were conducted for demographic and sport participation characteristics. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to examine group differences based on developmental stage and competitive context. To examine group differences in the athletes’ degree of specialization classification, chi-squared tests were performed for both developmental stage and competitive context.Results:559 participants (n = 209 (37.39%) were female) completed this survey. The results of the one-way ANOVA for developmental stage indicated that the groups did not significantly differ in their perceptions of sport specialization (F = .191; p = .826). Similarly, no significant group differences emerged in perceptions of sport specialization based on competitive context (F = 1.43; p = .239). However, the athletes’ degree of specialization significantly differed both by their developmental stage (χ 2 (6, N = 559) = 103.41, p<.001) and by competitive context (χ 2 (6, N = 559) = 124.51, p<.001).Conclusion:Though athletes’ perceptions of sport specialization were similar across developmental stage and competitive context, adopted patterns of specialization differed by group. Our results suggest that athletes are more likely to adopt a specialized pathway as they develop, and athletes in the club and interscholastic contexts tend to be more specialized than those in recreational/community-based programs. In sum, our findings indicate that participant’s attitudes toward specialization are less salient in their decision of whether to specialize when compared to their developmental stage and competitive context. This underscores the importance of not only promoting healthy specialization attitudes, but also in creating environments that are conducive to non-specialized participation.Table 1:Demographic and Sport Participation Descriptive Results of Total SampleTable 2:Participant Frequencies by Developmental Stage and Competitive ContextTable 3:Degree of Specialization*Developmental Stage CrosstabulationTable 4:Degree of Specialization*Competitive Context Crosstabulation

Risk factors for the occurrence and protraction of patellar and patellar tendon pain in children and adolescents: a prospective cohort study of 3\u2009years

BackgroundPatellar and patellar tendon pain is a common limitation to children’s participation in social and physical activities. Some factors have been implicated in the occurrence and protraction of knee pain, but the causal relationship is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether participants’ physical characteristics and activity level are risk factors for the occurrence and protraction of patellar and patellar tendon pain in children and adolescents.MethodsA three-year prospective cohort study was conducted with healthy students who were aged 8–14 years old, in Japan. Height, weight, heel-buttock distance, straight leg raising angle, and dorsiflexion angle of the ankle joint were collected as individual physical factors at the beginning of each year. The presence of self-reported patellar and patellar tendon pain and the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (HSS Pedi-FABS) was collected every month. Protraction was defined as either (1) pain lasting for more than three continuous months or (2) recurrent pain after more than three months of complete recovery. Participants who did not have any pain at the beginning of the observation period were included in the analysis. We analyzed the odds ratio (OR) of pain occurrence within a year of registration and protraction throughout the study period for all physical factors and HSS Pedi-FABS.ResultsWe included 1133 participants in the analysis and 252 participants developed knee pain within a year. 34.8% of participants with pain experienced protraction during the follow-up period. A high HSS Pedi-FABS significantly predicted knee pain occurrence (OR 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.05) and protraction (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.05). In addition, younger children and girls were at a significantly higher risk of patellar and patellar tendon pain protraction (age, OR 0.81, 95% CI, 0.73–0.90; sex, OR 1.69, 95% CI, 1.09–2.64). Other physical factors did not significantly predict the occurrence or protraction of knee pain.ConclusionsThis study showed that a greater physical activity level was a risk factor for the occurrence and protraction of patellar and patellar tendon pain in childhood. In addition, younger age and female sex predicted higher risk of protraction of pain.

A Multiyear Assessment of the Effect of Sport Participation on the Health of Adolescent Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Sport cancellations early in the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative effect on the health of US adolescents. The effect of restarting sports during the pandemic has not been described. To identify the effect of sport participation on the health of adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional study. Sample recruited via social media. Wisconsin adolescent athletes. Participants provided information regarding their age, sex, and sport(s) involvement and completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item to assess depression symptoms, the Hospital for Special Surgery Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale to measure physical activity, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 to measure quality of life (QoL). Data were collected in spring 2021 (Spring21; n = 1906, age = 16.0 ± 1.2 years, females = 48.8%), when interscholastic sports had fully resumed, and were compared with similar cohorts of adolescent athletes at 2 time points: (1) spring 2020 (Spring20; n = 3243, age = 16.2 ± 1.2 years, females = 57.9%) when sports were cancelled and (2) 2016-2018 (PreCOVID-19) before the pandemic (n = 5231, age = 15.7 ± 1.1 years, females = 65.0%). Comparisons were conducted via analysis-of-variance models and ordinal regressions with age and sex as covariates. The prevalence of moderate to severe depression was lower in Spring21 than in Spring20 but higher than in PreCOVID-19 (PreCOVID-19 = 5.3%, Spring20 = 37.8%, Spring21 = 22.8%; P < .001). Physical activity scores (mean [95% CI]) were higher in Spring21 than in Spring20 but lower than in PreCOVID-19 (PreCOVID-19 = 23.1 [22.7, 23.5], Spring20 = 13.5 [13.3, 13.7], Spring21 = 21.9 [21.6, 22.2]). Similarly, QoL scores were higher in Spring21 than in Spring20 but lower than in PreCOVID-19 (PreCOVID-19 = 92.8 [92.5, 93.1], Spring20 = 80.7 [80.3, 81.1], Spring21 = 84.3 [83.8, 84.8]). Although sports have restarted, clinicians should be aware that physical activity, mental health, and QoL are still significantly affected in adolescent athletes by the ongoing pandemic.

Research and application of large size measurement calibration technology

Abstract Indoor large-length standard device is an integrated large-size measurement and calibration device, which plays an important role in large-size measurement and calibration technology. In this paper, an indoor standard device for large length based on linear guide is introduced. The uncertainty of the measurement result is 0.14 μm+1×10-7L. The device can be used to calibrate the laser interferometer and laser tracker located inside the triangle, the standard steel tape measure, special length scale and ground scanner located outside the triangle. Taking the calibration of ground scanner as an example, the application of large size measurement calibration technology is described in detail.

De Sitter space as a BRST invariant coherent state of gravitons

The $S$-matrix formulation indicates that a consistent embedding of the de Sitter state in quantum gravity is possible exclusively as an excited quantum state constructed on top of a valid $S$-matrix vacuum such as the Minkowski vacuum. In the present paper we offer such a construction of the de Sitter state in the form of a coherent state of gravitons. Unlike previous realizations of this idea, we focus on BRST invariance as the guiding principle for physicality. In order to establish the universal rules of gauge consistency, we study the BRST-invariant construction of coherent states created by classical and quantum sources in QED and in linearized gravity. Introduction of $N$ copies of scalar matter coupled to gravity allows us to take a special double scaling limit, a so-called species limit, in which our construction of the de Sitter state becomes exact. In this limit, the irrelevant quantum gravitational effects vanish, whereas the collective phenomena, such as Gibbons-Hawking radiation, are calculable.

Фактори ризику лакунарних ішемічних мозкових інсультів

Гострий мозковий інсульт є однією з основних причин інвалідності та смертності у світі. Щорічно близько 16 млн людей уперше переносять мозковий інсульт, а близько 7 млн помирають унаслідок нього. В Україні 100–110 тисяч жителів щороку переносять мозковий інсульт, вмирає приблизно 40 тисяч жителів України. Стратегія профілактики інсульту базується на виявленні та корекції факторів ризику мозкового інсульту. Існує 5 підтипів ішемічного інсульту (атеротромботичний, кардіоемболічний, лакунарний, гемодинамічний, гемореологічний). На сьогодні ще не вирішено багато питань, пов’язаних з етіологією, патогенезом, особливостями клінічного перебігу лакунарного інсульту. Аналіз патогенезу лакунарного інсульту показав, що провідними внутрішніми факторами ризику є артеріальна гіпертензія, цукровий діабет, вік, гіперхолестеринемія та кардіальна патологія. Проте зовнішні (або соціальні) фактори ризику, що модифікуються, є недостатньо вивченими, хоча вони відіграють значну роль у формуванні авторегуляції мозкового кровообігу. Метою дослідження було вивчення спектра та оцінка впливів соціальних факторів ризику на частоту виникнення лакунарного мозкового ішемічного інсульту. Було обстежено 140 пацієнтів, які перенесли ішемічний інсульт, віком від 42 до 84 років (середній вік — 65,2 ± 8,7 року), використовувалися клініко-інструментальні методи, зокрема нейровізуалізація (комп’ютерна та магнітно-резонансна томографія), ультразвукова допплерографія магістральних артерій голови, електрокардіографія, лабораторне підтвердження цукрового діабету та детальне клініко-анамнестичне опитування. Оцінка зовнішніх факторів ризику здійснювалася за допомогою спеціалізованої шкали соціального ризику інсульту. Проведена статистична обробка матеріалу. У результаті дослідження встановлено, що найбільш значимими внутрішніми факторами з високим ступенем вірогідності виникнення лакунарного інсульту була артеріальна гіпертензія (100 %) та атеросклероз судин (96,1 %), хоча ступінь стенозу судин був гемодинамічно незначимим. Серед соціальних факторів ризику основними предикторами, що впливають на розвиток церебральної ішемії за механізмом лакунарного інсульту, були надмірна стресогенність оточення (100 %), надмірна нічна активність (73,1 %), тривала робота з моніторами (76,9 %) та нерегулярне харчування (65,3 %). Отримана комбінація зовнішніх та внутрішніх факторів ризику ішемії головного мозку дозволить клініцистам своєчасно виявити пацієнтів, які знаходяться в групі ризику щодо виникнення лакунарного інсульту, та розробити відповідну індивідуальну стратегію профілактики.

Pattern and features of mental changes in dermatological and gastroenterological patients

Objective. To conduct a comparative analysis of mental disorders in dermatological and gastroenterological patients.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The study involved 84 persons who formed two groups: group I included 42 patients with dermatoses without concomitant diseases of internal organs; group II consisted of 42 gastroenterological patients without a history of skin pathology. The groups were comparable by age, gender and social status; all were residents of Perm. The examination, in addition to general clinical and standard laboratory techniques, included a psychological study using special scales to determine personal characteristics, cognitive functions, and emotional disorders. Methods of parametric and nonparametric statistics were used to account for and analyze the results.&#x0D; Results. Mental changes were found in the majority of dermatological and gastroenterological patients, mainly emotional disorders were observed. According to the indications of the hospital anxiety and depression scale HADS, Hamilton scale, Tsung self-assessment scale, anxiety was more often detected in dermatological patients, and depression in gastroenterological patients.&#x0D; Conclusions. The majority of dermatological and gastroenterological patients have mental disorders, which are characterized by disorders of the emotional sphere. A significant difference was revealed in the structure of emotional disorders in dermatological and gastroenterological patients: anxiety was mainly determined in dermatological patients, and depressive symptoms prevailed in gastroenterological patients. The data obtained will help to use a comprehensive approach to the treatment of comorbid mental disorders, which will improve the quality of medical care.

The use of distance learning technologies in preparing students (future biology teachers)

The current stage in the development of pedagogical education in the world is characterized by a special intensity and scale of transformations due not only to the urgent tasks of forming a young personality, but also to the involvement of the education system in the world integration processes taking place in the context of informatization and globalization. The purposeful acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities by future biology teachers, an orientation towards the development, development and implementation of effective mechanisms for its formation is an important component of education. The global educational community is faced in 2020 with a global challenge caused by the pandemic caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The governments of most countries were not ready for such a large-scale pandemic; their practical measures were formed on a situational basis. To counter the spread of COVID-19, educational institutions have been temporarily closed almost all over the world. The purpose of the article is to study the features of the implementation of the distance education system in the process of teaching students - future biology teachers, including the study of the main advantages and disadvantages of this process. For this, the methods of theoretical research of specialized literature were used.

ПОСТКОВИДНЫЙ СИНДРОМ: ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ И МЕДИЦИНСКАЯ АКТИВНОСТЬ ПАЦИЕНТОВ, ПЕРЕНЕСШИХ COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced massive and drastic changes into healthcare. A significant part of the population has suffered a new coronavirus infection of varying severity and they need attention and follow-up at the outpatient level. Assessment and monitoring over functional status of the COVID-19 survivors is one of the important objectives of organizing medical rehabilitation in primary health and developing preventive measures. The purpose of the study is to analyze changes in functional status and assess rehabilitation potential of the COVID-19 survivors. Material and methods used include questionnaire survey, analytical and statistical analysis. Results. Based on the questionnaire, assessment of functional status of the COVID-19 survivors was carried out using a special scale, presence and degree of functional limitations were determined. According to the survey, 65.5% of the COVID-19 survivors did not feel any limitations in everyday life. Minor functional limitations were reported by 26.5% of the respondents, while an equal number of the respondents, 4% each, noted mild and moderate limitations of body functions. The COVID-19 survivors indicated the following symptoms: easy fatiguability - 33.3%, fatigue - 26%, shortness of breath on exertion (unusual) - 15%, “smell disorder” - 13%, and headache and joint pain - 12.4%; however, 36.7% of the respondents did not report any symptoms. After the disease, 50.8% of the respondents returned to their usual state, while 35% of the respondents chose the answer “rather yes than no”. 14.2% did not return to their usual state, choosing the answer “rather not” (8.5%) and “no” (5.7%). Rehabilitation measures in the first three months after the disease were carried out by 49.2% of the respondents (327 patients). Conclusion. Functional status of the COVID-19 survivors is largely determined by the initial state of somatic health, peculiar features of the biological and psychophysiological characteristics of a person, and a complex of external factors that allow the person to realize potential abilities to compensate for the existing functional limitations. Compliance with rehabilitation measures requires active participation of medical specialists in terms of quality control and correctness of their implementation. The data obtained can be used to organize primary care delivery both at the stage of rehabilitation and development of rehabilitation programs, as well as for the purpose of timely prevention of post-COVID conditions.

機構解析による新型式FOWT 浮体の波浪中動揺及び弾性体応答の評価に関する研究

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) have been attracting a lot of attention as a main energy source for a carbon-neutral society. Although it is said that the costs of commercialization of FOWTs are still high, many studies have been conducted to rationalize costs. The main cost is construction of the floating structure, and now many novel FOWTs concepts have been proposed to reduce it. The unique shape and structure of one of those FOWTs, which consist of a steel tower and concrete lower hulls with wires holding them rigid, make it difficult to evaluate their safety using existing numerical analysis methods. In this study, we investigated a multi body dynamics analysis method for the novel floater. The analysis method was employed to reproduce the behavior in regular waves, considering the elastic response of the floating body. A model test was also carried out to verify the accuracy of the analysis method. In the model test, a special large-size scale model was used, which was manufactured in the same way as the actual model. Comparison of both results, i.e., the analysis and the model test, showed good agreement in floater motions, mooring tensions, and wire tensions. On the other hand, differences were also observed between them for some wave period conditions. It is possible that the asymmetry of the floating structure and its columns that penetrate the water surface at an angle caused the differences in the estimation of the fluid force acting on the columns. Through the analysis, the effectiveness of the FOWTs concept on reduction its tower base load was also confirmed.

Fredholm property of regular hypoelliptic operators on the scales of multianisotropic spaces

This paper studies the Fredholm properties for a class of regular hypoelliptic operators. We establish necessary and sufficient conditions for a priori estimates for differential operators acting in multianisotropic Sobolev spaces in Rn. Fredholm criteria and index invariance are obtained for a wide class of regular hypoelliptic operators on the special scales of multianisotropic weighted spaces.

Global existence for equivalent nonlinear special scale invariant damped wave equations

&lt;p style='text-indent:20px;'&gt;In this paper we give the notion of equivalent damped wave equations. As an application we study global in time existence for the solution of special scale invariant damped wave equation with small data. To gain such results, without radial assumption, we deal with Klainerman vector fields. In particular we can treat some potential behind the forcing term.&lt;/p&gt;

Analysis of Flow Factor Control Strategy in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Optimization of the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) is closely related to flow rate control: a proper flow rate adjustment reduces the losses and extends the battery lifetime. In this regard, the so-called flow factor control strategy of VRFBs has been recently proposed in the literature and some numerical/experimental validations have been performed. The strategy is a generalization of Faraday's frst law of electrolysis as it uses a special scaling parameter referred to as the flow factor. In our paper, we show how this factor is related to the conversion rate (fraction conversion per pass) and geometrical properties of the battery. Finally, we investigate the flow factor as a function of the fraction conversion per pass and stack/tank volumes, and perform numerical simulations to confrm the theoretical results.

Predictive risk scales for development of pressure ulcers in pediatric patients admitted to general ward and intensive care unit

BACKGROUNDMore than ten special scales are available to predict the risk of pressure ulcers in children. However, the performances of those scales have not yet been compared in China. AIMTo compare the Waterlow, Braden Q, and Glamorgan scales, and identify more suitable pressure ulcer evaluation scale for the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).METHODSTrained nurses used the Waterlow, Braden Q, and Glamorgan scales to assess pediatric patients at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital (China) within 24 h of admission from May 2017 to December 2020 in two stages. Skin examination was carried out to identify pressure ulcers every 3 d for 3 wk. RESULTSThe incidence of pressure ulcers was 3/28 (10.7%) in the PICU and 5/314 (1.6%) in the general pediatric ward. For children in the general ward, the Waterlow, Braden Q, and Glamorgan scales had comparable area under the operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.870, 0.924, and 0.923, respectively, and optimal cut-off values of 14, 14, and 29 points. For PICU, the Waterlow, Braden Q, and Glamorgan scales had slightly lower AUC of 0.833, 0.733, and 0.800, respectively, and optimal cut-off values of 13, 16, and 27 points. Braden Q demonstrated a satisfactory specificity, and during the second stage of the study for PICU patients, the AUC of the Braden Q scale was 0.810, with an optimal cut-off value of 18.35 points.CONCLUSIONThe Waterlow, Braden Q, and Glamorgan scales have comparable performance, while the Braden Q scale demonstrates a better specificity and can be successfully used by pediatric nurses to identify patients at high risk of pressure ulcers in PICU.

Comparative diagnostic sensitivity of the substantia nigra transcranial sonography and salivary gland biopsy in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Parkinsons disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease, the diagnosis of which remains challenging at the early stages, although clinical diagnostic criteria are developed. The diagnostic accuracy is only 58% for patients at early Parkinsons disease stages. The sensitivity and specificity of transcranial sonography of the substantia nigra used for Parkinsons disease verification is about 85% and 71%, respectively. It has been shown that the aggregates of -synuclein in the nerve fibers in major salivary glands may be seen in Parkinsons disease patients. The availability of the salivary glands for morphological study made it possible to investigate the approaches of the in vivo histological diagnosis of Parkinsons disease based on the detection of -synuclein aggregates in the nerve fibers innervating the glands.&#x0D; Aim: To evaluate and compare the sensitivity of transcranial sonography of the substantia nigra and sublingual salivary gland biopsy.&#x0D; Materials and methods: Six patients with clinically verified Parkinsons disease were enrolled. Evaluation of the neurological state using special scales, transcranial sonography of the substantia nigra and sublingual salivary gland biopsy was performed.&#x0D; Results: Mean age of patients was 59 [58; 60.7] years, mean disease duration period was 5 [3; 7.75] years and the mean HoehnYahr stage was 2.25 [2; 2.5]. Hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra was found in 3 of 6 patients and the substantia nigra sensitivity was shown to be 50%. Sublingual salivary gland biopsy was positive for -synuclein in 6 of 6 patients and the sensitivity of method was shown to be 100%. No adverse events after biopsy were registered.&#x0D; Conclusion: The sensitivity of sublingual salivary gland biopsy was higher than those of transcranial sonography of the substantia nigra, which indicates the prospect of using the biopsy method as a more sensitive diagnostic tool in Parkinsons disease (1 table, bibliography: 19 refs)

Do Differences in Latitudinal Distributions of Species and Organelle Haplotypes Reflect Thermal Reaction Norms Within the Emiliania/Gephyrocapsa Complex?

The cosmopolitan phytoplankterEmiliania huxleyicontrasts with its closest relatives that are restricted to narrower latitudinal bands, making it interesting for exploring how alternative outcomes in phytoplankton range distributions arise. Mitochondrial and chloroplast haplogroups withinE. huxleyiare shared with their closest relatives: SomeE. huxleyishare organelle haplogroups withGephyrocapsa parvulaandG. ericsoniiwhich inhabit lower latitudes, while otherE. huxleyishare organelle haplogroups withG. muellerae, which inhabit high latitudes. We investigated whether the phylogeny ofE. huxleyiorganelles reflects environmental gradients, focusing on the Southeast Pacific where the different haplogroups and species co-occur. There was a high congruence between mitochondrial and chloroplast haplogroups withinE. huxleyi. Haplogroup II ofE. huxleyiis negatively associated with cooler less saline waters, compared to haplogroup I, both when analyzed globally and across temporal variability at the small special scale of a center of coastal upwelling at 30° S. A new mitochondrial haplogroup Ib detected in coastal Chile was associated with warmer waters. In an experiment focused on inter-species comparisons, laboratory-determined thermal reaction norms were consistent with latitudinal/thermal distributions of species, withG. oceanicaexhibiting warm thermal optima and tolerance andG. muelleraeexhibiting cooler thermal optima and tolerances.Emiliania huxleyihaplogroups I and II tended to exhibit a wider thermal niche compared to the otherGephyrocapsa, but no differences among haplogroups withinE. huxleyiwere found. A second experiment, controlling for local adaptation and time in culture, found a significant difference betweenE. huxleyihaplogroups. The difference between I and II was of the expected sign, but not the difference between I and Ib. The differences were small (≤1°C) compared to differences reported previously withinE. huxleyiby local adaptation and even in-culture evolution. Haplogroup Ib showed a narrower thermal niche. The cosmopolitanism ofE. huxleyimight result from both wide-spread generalist phenotypes and specialist phenotypes, as well as a capacity for local adaptation. Thermal reaction norm differences can well explain the species distributions but poorly explain distributions among mitochondrial haplogroups withinE. huxleyi. Perhaps organelle haplogroup distributions reflect historical rather than selective processes.

Basic principles of combination therapy: focus on drug-drug interaction

The article is devoted to the issue of drug interactions in the combination regimens. Today, when drug therapy is the first-line approach for patients with noncommunicable diseases, and the world population ageing leads to an increase in the number of patients with severe comorbidity and polypharmacy, the problem of drug-drug interaction is especially relevant. The article discusses the main types of drug interactions — pharmacokinetic (related to absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs) and pharmacodynamic ones, leading to synergy or antagonism of the pharmacological effects. The consequences of drug interactions can be desirable and undesirable, while the latter are much more common. Attention should be directed precisely to preventing such interactions. Also, using data from special scales and lists (Beers criteria, STOPP/START criteria), the options for various adverse drugdrug interactions are briefly described. In addition, the article provides a number of Internet resources that allow assessing the drug interaction risk when prescribing combination therapy.

Психодинамические личностные предикторы склонности к алкогольной аддикции сотрудников органов внутренних дел

The article is devoted to the study of personality predictors of alcohol addiction propensity of internal affairs bodies employees within innovative psychodynamic G. Ammon’s (psychoanalytic) approach and structural-dynamic concept of personality. The novelty of the research is the original author’s psychodiagnostic toolkit – Psychodynamically oriented personality questionnaire (POLO) «Resource» and an expert psychodiagnostic system for assessing and predicting the professional psychological health of lawenforcers based on the assessment of central self-functions of the individual rooted in the unconscious.&#x0D; The relevance of the study is due to a significant number of violations of job discipline and legality. That includes accidents committed by employees while intoxicated, often with serious consequences and criminal prosecution, as well as the fairly widespread and concealed cases of alcohol addictions among lawenforcement officers. Another important factor is lack of effective methods of psychodiagnostics, psychocorrection and psychoprophylaxis. The study is based on a comparative analysis of 2 representative polar groups of internal affairs officers: the one verified prone and another of not prone to alcohol abuse. The study revealed that employees prone to alcohol addiction demonstrate a number of reliable psychodynamic personality characteristics that can be viewed as predictors: destructive aggression, deficit fear, deficient internal self-delimitation, as well as the general predominance of destructive-deficient components of the personal self-structure; indicators of psychosomatic, behavioral and neurotic maladaptation, and the integral scale of the general socio-psycho-somatic problem of POLO «Resource».&#x0D; The practical significance of the study is determined by the development of psychodynamic predictors and a special psychodiagnostic scale of propensity for alcohol addiction based on the Resource POLO, which can be used as an effective psychodiagnostic tool when conducting screening and monitoring psychoprophylactic examinations of employees and individual psychocorrectional work within the framework of the psychological support system of employees.