Electron-phonon interaction via Pekar mechanism in nanostructures

We consider an electron-acoustic phonon coupling mechanism associated with the dependence of crystal dielectric permittivity on the strain (the so-called Pekar mechanism) in nanostructures characterized by strong confining electric fields. The efficiency of Pekar coupling is a function of both the absolute value and the spatial distribution of the electric field. It is demonstrated that this mechanism exhibits a phonon wavevector dependence similar to that of piezoelectricity and must be taken into account for electron transport calculations in an extended field distribution. In particular, we analyze the role of Pekar coupling in energy relaxation in silicon inversion layers. Comparison with the recent experimental results is provided to illustrate its potential significance

The Concept of Ecologically Oriented Progress and Natural Resource Preservation

The most important issue of scientific and technological progress is considering the environment challenges of industrial development. It means that the progress must be ecologically oriented and environmentally friendly. The most adequate concept for the approach to the issue of "man - society – nature" relations is the ontology of the noosphere - the idea of a common space for human beings and nature. It presents an ideal example of an optimistic attitude towards the coordination between accelerating the scientific and technological development and natural resource saving. However, to maintain the balance between human needs and environmental processes determined by this concept, it is essential to include the lean production training into technological development of society

A vine copula mixed effect model for trivariate meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies accounting for disease prevalence

A bivariate copula mixed model has been recently proposed to synthesize diagnostic test accuracy studies and it has been shown that it is superior to the standard generalized linear mixed model in this context. Here, we call trivariate vine copulas to extend the bivariate meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies by accounting for disease prevalence. Our vine copula mixed model includes the trivariate generalized linear mixed model as a special case and can also operate on the original scale of sensitivity, specificity, and disease prevalence. Our general methodology is illustrated by re-analyzing the data of two published meta-analyses. Our study suggests that there can be an improvement on trivariate generalized linear mixed model in fit to data and makes the argument for moving to vine copula random effects models especially because of their richness, including reflection asymmetric tail dependence, and computational feasibility despite their three dimensionality

Clinical course, costs and predictive factors for response to treatment in carpal tunnel syndrome: The PALMS study protocol

Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common neuropathy of the upper limb and a significant contributor to hand functional impairment and disability. Effective treatment options include conservative and surgical interventions, however it is not possible at present to predict the outcome of treatment. The primary aim of this study is to identify which baseline clinical factors predict a good outcome from conservative treatment (by injection) or surgery in patients diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. Secondary aims are to describe the clinical course and progression of CTS, and to describe and predict the UK cost of CTS to the individual, National Health Service (NHS) and society over a two year period. Methods/Design In this prospective observational cohort study patients presenting with clinical signs and symptoms typical of CTS and in whom the diagnosis is confirmed by nerve conduction studies are invited to participate. Data on putative predictive factors are collected at baseline and follow-up through patient questionnaires and include standardised measures of symptom severity, hand function, psychological and physical health, comorbidity and quality of life. Resource use and cost over the 2 year period such as prescribed medications, NHS and private healthcare contacts are also collected through patient self-report at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. The primary outcome used to classify treatment success or failures will be a 5-point global assessment of change. Secondary outcomes include changes in clinical symptoms, functioning, psychological health, quality of life and resource use. A multivariable model of factors which predict outcome and cost will be developed. Discussion This prospective cohort study will provide important data on the clinical course and UK costs of CTS over a two-year period and begin to identify predictive factors for treatment success from conservative and surgical interventions

What factors influence training opportunities for older workers? Three factorial surveys exploring the attitudes of HR professionals

The core research questions addressed in this paper are: what factors influence HR professionals in deciding whether to approve training proposals for older workers? What kind of training are they more likely to recommend for older employees and in which organizational contexts? We administered three factorial surveys to 66 HR professionals in Italy. Participants made specific training decisions based on profiles of hypothetical older workers. Multilevel analyses indicated that access to training decreases strongly with age, while highly-skilled older employees with low absenteeism rates are more likely to enjoy training opportunities. In addition, older workers displaying positive performance are more likely to receive training than older workers who perform poorly, suggesting that training late in working life may serve as a reward for good performance rather than as a means of enhancing productivity. The older the HR professional evaluating training proposals, the higher the probability that older workers will be recommended for training. keywords: training; older workers; HR professionals; factorial survey; multilevel model

Hypoxia-inducible factor: basic biology and involvement in cardiovascular pathology

Molecular epidemiological studies conducted to date reveal a close relationship between the polymorphism of the HIF system genes with a wide range of cardiovascular, inflammatory, and oncological diseases. The study of the HIF system can contribute to the discovery of new targets and methods of pharmacological effects for the treatment of cardiovascular, oncological, rheumatological, and endocrinological patholog

Уровни представления вычислительного процесса и рабочей нагрузки на ЛВС

The article considers the computational process in local area network at four levels of interaction referring to their possible decomposition into parts and the connection between these parts. Classification of types of workload is presented. A solution to the problem of the rigid dependence of the research results on the features of the architecture of the applied equipment is proposed. В статье рассматривается вычислительный процесс в локальных вычислительных сетях на четырех уровнях взаимодействия по их возможности декомпозиции на части и по связям между этими частями. Представлена классификация видов рабочей нагрузки. Предложено решение проблемы жесткой зависимости получаемых результатов исследований от особенностей архитектуры применяемого оборудования.

Stimulation of reparation in a linear wound model in rats by Bischofit gel

The article is to evaluate Bischofit gel reparative activity in a linear wound model in rat

Genetic determinants of lipid aberrations in patents with essential hypertension

Aim. To reveal the relationship between apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism and lipid spectrum modification in patients with essential hypertension. Materials and methods. The lipid spectrum components and apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism were analyzed in 310 patients with essential hypertension. Results. The mean plasma levels of total cholesterol, high and low density lipoproteins, triglycerides and the atherogenic index were 5.18 ± 0.08 mmol/l, 1.32 ± 0.03 mmol/l, 3.06 ± 0.07 mmol/l, 1.74 ± 0.05 mmol/l and 3.21 ± 0.08, respectively. In patients with essential hypertension, the genetic polymorphism of apolipoprotein E was characterized by the alleles E2 (13.26 %), E3 (93.87 %) and E4 (30.65 %) presence. Based on single nucleotide polymorphism identification, there were defined the following genotypes: E2/E2 (0.65 %), E2/E3 (10.97 %), E2/E4 (1.61 %), E3/E3 (57.74 %), E3/E4 (25.16 %) and E4/E4 (3.87 %). Individuals with E2/E4 genotype had higher levels of total cholesterol (+17.56 %, P < 0.05) and low density lipoproteins (+25.7 %, P < 0.01), and atherogenic index was increased (+38.18 %, P < 0.05) in E4/E4 carriers in comparison with E2/E3. Hypertonic E4/E4 carriers were found to have elevated plasma triglycerides (+20.23 %, P < 0.05) in comparison with E3/E3, as well as increased triglycerides (+25.3 %, p < 0.05) and very low density lipoproteins (+25.33 %, P < 0.05) in comparison with E3/E4 carriers. E3/E3 and E3/E4 carriers demonstrated decrease in total cholesterol (-12.9 %, P < 0.05) and (-11.04 %, P < 0.05), respectively, as well as low density lipoproteins (-15.69 %, P < 0.001) and (-11.48 %, P < 0.05), respectively, as compared to E2/E4. The plasma content of high density lipoproteins was not dependent on ApoE genotype. Conclusions. In patients with essential hypertension, the most common allele is E3 (93.87 %) and the E3/E3 genotype (57.74 %), while the E3/E4 genotype is 25.16 %. Presence of the E2/E4 genotype is significantly associated with the elevated total cholesterol and low density lipoproteins plasma levels, whereas the E4/E4 genotype is accompanied by the increased triglycerides, low density lipoproteins levels and atherogenic index