A Chromatic Correction Scheme for the Antisymmetric RHIC Lattice. The First Approximation

This report describes the Chromatic Correction Scheme for the Antisymmetric RHIC Lattice. The First Approximation

Smanjeni omjer mineralnog ulja poboljšava prinos blastocista u sustavu mikrojažica i jednozametnim kulturama u poliesterskim mrežama - kratko priopćenje.

It is common to apply a mineral oil (MO) overlay to in vitro embryo cultures, even though the use of MO may be harmful to embryo development. To examine whether the volume of MO used in overlays for well-of-the-well (WOW) and polyester mesh (PM) single-embryo culture systems can be reduced, two sets of experiments were performed and the resulting blastocyst formation rates were compared with a conventional group (CG) embryo culture system. In Experiment 1, groups of 20 embryos in 100 μL microdrops of CDM-2 medium were plated in Petri dishes and then were covered with 3.5 mL of MO (resulting in a 1:35 ratio of medium to MO). Groups of 20 embryos were also placed in four-well plates in 400 μL CDM-2 medium per well, and the wells were covered with 400 μL MO (resulting in a 1:1 ratio of medium to MO). In Experiment 2, groups of 20 embryos were plated in four-well plates with 400 μL CDM-2 medium per well, and 1 mL of purified water was added to the center hole of the plate. Two sets of these plates were set up in parallel, and only one of the plates received an additional 400 μL of MO per well (resulting in a 1:1 ratio of medium to MO). A greater percentage of embryos reached the blastocyst stage when they were cultured in a 1:1 ratio of medium to MO, compared with embryos that were cultured in a 1:35 ratio of medium to MO (55 % vs. 41 %, respectively; P<0.01). In addition, a greater percentage of embryos reached the blastocyst stage in the WOW and PM systems that included a 1:1 ratio of medium to MO overlay than the embryos that were cultured in the presence of water in the central hole of a four-well plate without MO (48 % vs. 39 %, respectively; P<0.01). Therefore, a 1:1 ratio of medium to MO was found to improve blastocyst rates in both WOW and PM embryo culture systems.U in vitro kulturama zametaka uobičajeno je primjenjivati sloj mineralnog ulja (MU), iako to može biti štetno za razvoj embrija. U radu su provedeni pokusi s ciljem da se istraži može li se smanjiti količina primijenjenog MU u sustavu mikrojažica i u poliesterskim mrežama za uzgoj pojedinačnog zametka. Pri tome je stopa nastalih blastocista bila uspoređena s konvencionalnim načinom uzgoja zametaka. U prvom pokusu su skupine od 20 zametaka u mikrokapi od 100 μL CDM-2 medija bile stavljene na podlogu u Petrijeve zdjelice i nakon toga prekrivene s 3,5 mL MU (omjer između medija i MU iznosio je 1:35). Skupine od 20 zametaka također su bile smještene u četverodijelne plitice s 400 μL CDM-2 medija po jažici i prekrivene s 400 μL MU (omjer između medija i MU iznosio je 1:1). U drugom pokusu, skupine od 20 zametaka bile su smještene u četverodijelne plitice s 400 μL CDM-2 medija po jažici, u čiji je središnji otvor dodan 1 mL pročišćene vode. Dvije skupine tih plitica bile su istodobno postavljene, a samo u jednu pliticu dodano je 400 μL MU po jažici (omjer između medija i MU iznosio je 1:1). Veći postotak embrija dosegao je stadij blastociste kada je u kulturi bio primijenjen omjer 1:1 između medija i MU. U usporedbi sa zametcima kod kojih je u kulturi bio primijenjen omjer između medija i MU 1:35, razlika je iznosila 55 % prema 41 %, P<0,01. Osim toga, veći postotak zametaka dosegnuo je stadij blastociste u sustavu mikrojažica i poliesterskih mrežica u kojima je omjer između medija i MU bio 1:1, nego što je to bio slučaj kad je kulturi zametaka u središnjoj jažici plitice bila dodana voda (48 % prema 39 %, P<0,01). Utvrđeno je da omjer 1:1 između medija i MU poboljšava stopu razvijenih blastocista u oba sustava

From public health policy to impact for COVID-19: a multi-country case study in Switzerland, Spain, Iran and Pakistan

Objectives: With the application of a systems thinking lens, we aimed to assess the national COVID-19 response across health systems components in Switzerland, Spain, Iran, and Pakistan. Methods: We conducted four case studies on the policy response of national health systems to the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Selected countries include different health system typologies. We collected data prospectively for the period of January-July 2020 on 17 measures of the COVID-19 response recommended by the WHO that encompassed all health systems domains (governance, financing, health workforce, information, medicine and technology and service delivery). We further monitored contextual factors influencing their adoption or deployment. Results: The policies enacted coincided with a decrease in the COVID-19 transmission. However, there was inadequate communication and a perception that the measures were adverse to the economy, weakening political support for their continuation and leading to a rapid resurgence in transmission. Conclusion: Social pressure, religious beliefs, governance structure and level of administrative decentralization or global economic sanctions played a major role in how countries' health systems could respond to the pandemic

Intraoperative radiotherapy in the multidisciplinary treatment of bone sarcomas in children and adolescents

From September 1984 to December 1989, 38 patients of pediatric age with localized bone sarcomas received intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) as part of a multidisciplinary treatment program. The age ranged from 6 to 21 years. The tumor histologies were 22 osteosarcomas and 16 Ewing's sarcomas. Thirty-four had initial primary disease (90%) and 4 were treated for local recurrence (10%). IORT was used on 32 untreated patients and in 6 previously treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBR). The IORT field included the surgically exposed tumor bed area. Single radiation doses ranging from 10 to 20 Gy were delivered, using 6-20 MeV electron beams. The median follow-up time for the entire group is 25 months (2-65+ months). The projected 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates are 65% and 69%, respectively. One patient developed a local recurrence in each histological group: one chondroblastic osteosarcoma and one cervical Ewing's sarcoma. Six patients died from metastatic progression: 3 initially recurrent tumors and three primary disease cases. Severe neuropathy and soft tissue necrosis were seen in some patients as IORT related complications. IORT is a feasible technique to be integrated in multidisciplinary programs that may promote local control in pediatric and adolescent patients with bone sarcomas. Peripheral nerves are dose-limiting tissue structures for IORT

Repurposing Know-how for Drug Development: Case Studies from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute

In pursuing novel therapeutic solutions, drug discovery and development rely on efficiently utilising existing knowledge and resources. Repurposing know-how, a strategy that capitalises on previously acquired information and expertise, has emerged as a powerful approach to accelerate drug discovery and development processes, often at a fraction of the costs of de novo developments. For 80 years, collaborating within a network of partnerships, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) has been working along a value chain from innovation to validation and application to combat poverty-related diseases. This article presents an overview of selected know-how repurposing initiatives conducted at Swiss TPH with a particular emphasis on the exploration of drug development pathways in the context of neglected tropical diseases and other infectious diseases of poverty, such as schistosomiasis, malaria and human African trypanosomiasis

Nonadiabatic Dynamics of Atoms in Nonuniform Magnetic Fields

Dynamics of neutral atoms in nonuniform magnetic fields, typical of quadrupole magnetic traps, is considered by applying an accurate method for solving nonlinear systems of differential equations. This method is more general than the adiabatic approximation and, thus, permits to check the limits of the latter and also to analyze nonadiabatic regimes of motion. An unusual nonadiabatic regime is found when atoms are confined from one side of the z-axis but are not confined from another side. The lifetime of atoms in a trap in this semi-confining regime can be sufficiently long for accomplishing experiments with a cloud of such atoms. At low temperature, the cloud is ellipsoidal being stretched in the axial direction and moving along the z-axis. The possibility of employing the semi-confining regime for studying the relative motion of one component through another, in a binary mixture of gases is discussed.Comment: 1 file, 17 pages, RevTex, 2 table

Mapping Pediatric Oncology Clinical Trial Collaborative Groups on the Global Stage

The global pediatric oncology clinical research landscape, particularly in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia, which bear the highest burden of global childhood cancer cases, is less characterized in the literature. Review of how existing pediatric cancer clinical trial groups internationally have been formed and how their research goals have been pursued is critical for building global collaborative research and data-sharing efforts, in line with the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. METHODS: A narrative literature review of collaborative groups performing pediatric cancer clinical research in each continent was conducted. An inventory of research groups was assembled and reviewed by current pediatric cancer regional and continental leaders. Each group was narratively described with identification of common structural and research themes among consortia. RESULTS: There is wide variability in the structure, history, and goals of pediatric cancer clinical trial collaborative groups internationally. Several continental regions have longstanding endogenously-formed clinical trial groups that have developed and published numerous adapted treatment regimens to improve outcomes, whereas other regions have consortia focused on developing foundational database registry infrastructure supported by large multinational organizations or twinning relationships. CONCLUSION: There cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach to increasing collaboration between international pediatric cancer clinical trial groups, as this requires a nuanced understanding of local stakeholders and resources necessary to form partnerships. Needs assessments, performed either by local consortia or in conjunction with international partners, have generated productive clinical trial infrastructure. To achieve the goals of the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, global partnerships must be sufficiently granular to account for the distinct needs of each collaborating group and should incorporate grassroots approaches, robust twinning relationships, and implementation science

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Performance and Operation of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The operation and general performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter using cosmic-ray muons are described. These muons were recorded after the closure of the CMS detector in late 2008. The calorimeter is made of lead tungstate crystals and the overall status of the 75848 channels corresponding to the barrel and endcap detectors is reported. The stability of crucial operational parameters, such as high voltage, temperature and electronic noise, is summarised and the performance of the light monitoring system is presented