Ozone and nitrogen dioxide above the northern Tien Shan

The results of systematic perennial measurements of the total ozone (since 1979) and nitrogen dioxide column (since 1983) in the atmosphere in the European-Asian continent center above the mountainmass of the Tien Shan are given. This region is distinguished by a great number of sunny days during a year. The observation station is at the Northern shore of Issyk Kul Lake (42.56 N 77.04 E 1650 m above the sea level). The measurement results are presented as the monthly averaged atmospheric total ozone and NO2 stratospheric column abundances (morning and evening). The peculiarities of seasonal variations of ozone and nitrogen dioxide atmospheric contents, their regular variances with a quasi-biennial cycles and trends have been noticed. Irregular variances of ozone and nitrogen dioxide atmospheric contents, i.e. their positive and negative anomalies in the monthly averaged contents relative to the perennial averaged monthly means, have been analyzed. The synchronous and opposite in phase anomalies in variations of ozone and nitrogen dioxide atmospheric contents were explained by the transport and zonal circulation in the stratosphere (Kamenogradsky et al., 1990)

Direct observation of Levy flight of holes in bulk n-InP

We study the photoluminescence spectra excited at an edge side of n-InP slabs and observed from the broadside. In a moderately doped sample the intensity drops off as a power-law function of the distance from the excitation - up to several millimeters - with no change in the spectral shape.The hole distribution is described by a stationary Levy-flight process over more than two orders of magnitude in both the distance and hole concentration. For heavily-doped samples, the power law is truncated by free-carrier absorption. Our experiments are near-perfectly described by the Biberman-Holstein transport equation with parameters found from independent optical experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Validation of a questionnaire for young women to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviors towards cervical screening and vaccination against HPV in Italy

Background: Despite knowledge about HPV may be an important determinant for vaccine acceptance and uptake, only few studies have assessed HPV-related knowledge in young females. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, in Italian women ≥18 years old, as a tool to examine knowledge, attitudes and behaviors towards screening and vaccination against HPV and reliable source of information. Methods: The questionnaire was administered to 30 girls in anonymous, voluntary and self -administered form with close-ended type of questions, except for the socio-demographic characteristics. It was composed in 3 sections for a total of 69 items. Participation in the study was entirely voluntary and anonymous. Descriptive analyses were performed using frequencies, percentages, and frequency table for categorical variables. Reliability analysis was tested and content validity was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha to check internal consistency and avoid misinterpretation of the results. The study was conducted in 4 Italian cities: Ferrara, Rome, Cassino and Palermo, to represent the different Italian geographical areas and knowledge, attitudes and behaviors towards screening and vaccination against HPV and reliable source of information. Data were collected in October 2010. Statistical analysis was performed with the statistical software for Windows SPSS, version 19.0. Results: The highest value of Cronbach's alpha resulted on 24 items (alpha= 0,774); the addition of other items, one at a time, decreased the value. Cronbach's alpha on all the 3 sections together resulted in a value of 0, 059. Young women generally knew that HPV can cause cervical cancer (93.3%) and genital warts (16.7%) and 76.7% of them recognized Pap-test as a screening tool. The main sources of information about HPV vaccination are represented by magazines / books (33.3%), TV (26.7%), and gynecologists (23.3%). Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated that a short version of the questionnaire has very good reliability properties in the study and this needs to be taken into account for future studies

PGI12 Organizational and Economic Issues Related to the Introduction of Boceprevir in the Treatment of Patients with Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C in Italy

n/

Liquid Sensor Based on a Piezoelectric Resonator with a Lateral Electric Field Made of Piezo-Ceramics PZT

Поступила: 30.09.2019. Принята в печать: 10.10.2019.Статья является расширенной версией доклада, представленного на 29-й Международной Крымской конференции «СВЧ-техника и телекоммуникационные технологии» — КрыМиКо’2019 (Севастополь, РФ, 8–14 сентября 2019 г.).Received: 30.09.2019. Accepted: 10.10.2019.Экспериментально и теоретически исследовано влияние проводимости жидкости, контактирующей с пьезоэлектрическим резонатором с поперечным электрическим полем на основе пластины пьезокерамики ЦТС-19. В данном резонаторе поперечная компонента механического смещения, не приводящая к радиационным потерям при контакте с жидкостью, является превалирующей. Частотные зависимости реальной и мнимой частей электрического импеданса резонатора показали наличие трех резонансов на частотах 68,7, 97,8 и 264 кГц со значениями коэффициента электромеханической связи 12,2, 14,7 и 6,5 % соответственно. Добротность каждого резонанса при контакте с жидкостью оказалась существенно выше добротности резонатора c продольной акустической волной на основе ниобата лития. Были получены зависимости максимального значения действительной части электрического импеданса такого резонатора от проводимости жидкости. Проведен теоретический анализ влияния проводимости жидкости на характеристики резонатора.This paper demonstrates the results of the study of the sensor based on the resonator with the lateral electric field made of the ceramic PZT for measuring the conductivity of the contacting liquid. This sensor is made of the PZT ceramic plate of 3.54 mm thickness with shear dimension of 20×18 mm2.Two electrodes with the gap width of 4 mm are deposited on one side of the plate. The sensor features the 4 ml plexiglass container, the bottom of which is a resonator. The measured frequency dependences of the real and imaginary parts of the electrical impedance shows three resonances at frequencies of 68.7, 97.8, and 264 kHz. Aqueous solutions of sodium chloride are prepared with different conductivities in the range 3.2 – 9000 μS/cm. We have measured the frequency dependences of the real and imaginary parts of the sensor electric impedance with the liquid of different conductivity. The maximum value of the real part of the electric impedance monotonically decreases and reaches saturation for each resonance peak with increasing liquid conductivity. Theoretical analysis of influence of liquid conductivity on resonator impedance was also performed using equivalent circuit with two parallel branches. First branch included active and reactive resistors that corresponded to excitation of acoustic wave. The second branch includes the static capacitance of the resonator. We describe the presence of the conductive liquid by means of the leakage resistance connected with the capacitance in parallel. We underline that theoretical and experimental dependences are in a good agreement. Therefore the resonator with the lateral electric field based on the ceramic PZT shows high sensitivity to the changes in the conductivity of the liquid due to the high value of the coefficient of the electromechanical coupling. The sensor with liquid presence compared to the sensor made of lithium niobate with a longitudinal acoustic wave has a higher quality factor. We conclude that in the resonator made of piezoceramics, the shear component of the mechanical displacement is prevailing and does not lead to radiation losses.Работа выполнена при частичной финансовой поддержке грантов РФФИ № 19-07-00300, № 19-07-00304.This research is supported by grant No. 19-07-00300, No. 19-07-00304 from the Russian Foundation for basic research

A comparative study on the health and well-being of adolescent immigrants in Spain and Portugal

The terms on which the integration of new generations of immigrants into Portuguese and Spanish societies happens will have a decisive influence in the future of both countries. Therefore, promoting their health, well-being, and psychosocial adaptation is a matter of strategic interest. This paper analyses psychosocial factors associated with well-being and psychological adjustment on a sample of 108 adolescents (55 males and 53 females), children of immigrants from Huelva (Spain) and Algarve (Portugal), aged between 10 and 17 years. Adolescents were assessed for demographic characteristics and perceived well-being. We used the "KIDSCREEN-5", a self-report questionnaire that yields detailed profile information for children aged 8 to 18 years for the following ten dimensions: Physical well-being, Psychological well-being, Moods and emotions, Self-perception, Autonomy, Parental relationships and home life, Financial resources, Social support and peers, School environment, and Social acceptance (Bullying). Overall, significant differences were found between the Spanish and Portuguese samples on physical well-being, psychological well-being, mood, financial resources and social acceptance (bullying). Boys perceived themselves as having a better physical well-being than girls. Mothers' educational level was associated with psychological well-being and mood. Also, results suggested that residence location and other socio-demographical variables were not associated with the adolescents' well-being and psychological adjustment

Gas Sensor Based on the Piezoelectric Lateral Electric Field Resonator and a Gas-Sensitive Chitosan Film

Поступила: 27.09.2019. Принята в печать: 10.10.2019.Статья является расширенной версией доклада, представленного на 29-й Международной Крымской конференции «СВЧ-техника и телекоммуникационные технологии» — КрыМиКо’2019 (Севастополь, РФ, 8–14 сентября 2019 г.).Received: 27.09.2019. Accepted: 10.10.2019.В работе исследованы сенсорные свойства датчика, представляющего собой структуру «стеклянная подложка – пленка хитозана – воздушный зазор – резонатор с поперечным возбуждающим электрическим полем (ПЭП)». Резонатор изготовлен из пластины пьезокерамики ЦТС-19 толщиной 2,54 мм и поперечными размерами 20×18 мм2 с двумя прямоугольными алюминиевыми электродами с размерами 20×7 мм2 и зазором между ними 4 мм. Полярная ось была ориентирована перпендикулярно зазору между электродами. В качестве газочувствительных пленок использовались пленки лактата хитозана и гликолята хитозана, сорбционные свойства которых изучались по отношению к парам воды, этанола и водного раствора аммиака (10 %). Установлено, что для обоих типов пленок в присутствии паров указанных жидкостей резонансная частота параллельного резонанса и максимальное значение реальной части электрического импеданса исследуемой структуры существенно уменьшаются и полностью восстанавливаются после удаления паров из камеры.We investigate the gas-sensitive properties of the sensor comprising “glass substrate – chitosan film – air gap – the lateral exciting electric field resonator (LFE)”. The resonator is made using a PZT-19 piezoceramic plate with a thickness of 2.54 mm and shear dimensions of 20×18 mm2 with two rectangular aluminum electrodes with dimensions of 20×7 mm2 and a 4 mm gap between them. The polar axis is oriented perpendicular to the gap between the electrodes. We use films of chitosan lactate and chitosan glycolate, as gas-sensitive films, whose sorption properties are studied in regard to water vapor, ethanol, and aqueous solution of ammonia (10%-wt.). It has been established that the resonance frequency of the parallel resonance and maximum value of the real part of the electrical impedance of the studied structures substantially have decreased for both types of films in the presence of vapors of the test analytes and have been completely restored after removing the vapor from the chamber.Работа выполнена при частичной финансовой поддержке гранта РФФИ № 19-07-00300.The research is completed with partial financial support of the RFBR grant No. 19-07-00300

GPCR Genes Are Preferentially Retained after Whole Genome Duplication

One of the most interesting questions in biology is whether certain pathways have been favored during evolution, and if so, what properties could cause such a preference. Due to the lack of experimental evidence, whether select gene families have been preferentially retained over time after duplication in metazoan organisms remains unclear. Here, by syntenic mapping of nonchemosensory G protein-coupled receptor genes (nGPCRs which represent half the receptome for transmembrane signaling) in the vertebrate genomes, we found that, as opposed to the 8–15% retention rate for whole genome duplication (WGD)-derived gene duplicates in the entire genome of pufferfish, greater than 27.8% of WGD-derived nGPCRs which interact with a nonpeptide ligand were retained after WGD in pufferfish Tetraodon nigroviridis. In addition, we show that concurrent duplication of cognate ligand genes by WGD could impose selection of nGPCRs that interact with a polypeptide ligand. Against less than 2.25% probability for parallel retention of a pair of WGD-derived ligands and a pair of cognate receptor duplicates, we found a more than 8.9% retention of WGD-derived ligand-nGPCR pairs–threefold greater than one would surmise. These results demonstrate that gene retention is not uniform after WGD in vertebrates, and suggest a Darwinian selection of GPCR-mediated intercellular communication in metazoan organisms