Nonlinear Calculations of the Strength of Cross-sections of Bending Reinforced Concrete Elements and Their Practical Realization

Calculation methodology of reinforced concrete elements based on the calculated resistance of reinforced concrete is presented. The basic depending which allows setting the strength of bending sections and elements is obtained. The reliability of the dependencies is experimentally confirmed. There are calculation examples of bending elements by the developed methodology. According to the given method, tables have been developed, which depending on the accepted parameters allow determining the resistance of the concrete, the stresses in the reinforced concrete and reinforcement, and the total relative deformation of the cross section. Using the calculated resistances of reinforced concrete allowed to reduce the calculation of reinforced concrete elements according to the nonlinear deformation model to the application of the formulas of the classical resistance of materials and to significantly simplifies the process of their calculation

Calculation methodology of reinforced concrete elements based on calculated resistance of reinforced concrete

Calculation methodology of reinforced concrete elements based on the calculated resistance of reinforced concrete is presented. The basic dependence which allows setting the strength of bending sections and non-central compressed elements is obtained. The proposed method for calculating reinforced concrete elements is based on the use of nonlinear diagrams of material deformation, the hypothesis of flat sections and deformation criteria for the destruction of materials. The basic equations of strength are reduced to dimensionless quantities and are tabulated. When compiling the tables, the formula proposed in Euroсode 2 was adopted as the diagram of concrete deformation, and for the reinforcement two linear Prandtl diagram was used. The calculated formulas of the proposed method fully correspond to the formulas of the classical resistance of materials, and make it possible to solve the most frequently encountered problems in the practice of modern construction. The reliability of the dependencies is experimentally confirmed. There are calculation examples of bending and non-central compressed elements by the developed methodology

Application of non-invasive methods of assessment of steatosis and fibrosis in chronic diffuse liver diseases of various etiologies

Background. The aim of the study is to analyze the parameters of liver steatosis and fibrosis based on shear wave elastography (SWE) and steatometry data in patients with chronic diffuse liver diseases, taking into account the etiological factor, and determine the diagnostic accuracy of SWE in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis. ­Materials and methods. Three hundred and sixty-four patients with chronic diffuse liver disease aged (48.00 ± 1.84) years were examined, 159 (43.7 %) were male, and 205 (56.3 %) female. The patients were divided into groups: 108 people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), 143 with chronic hepatitis C (HCV), 56 with alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and 57 with drug-induced toxic hepatitis. In all patients, SWE and steatometry were performed by Soneus P7 device (Kharkiv, Ukraine) with the liver stiffness and ultrasound attenuation coefficient measurement. Results. According to SWE data, 270 (74.2 %) patients with chronic liver disease had fibrotic changes in the liver. A significant increase in liver stiffness by 1.9 times (p < 0.05) according to Young’s modulus was found in HCV patients and by 1.4 times (p < 0.05) in ALD patients compared to the control group, by 1.7 (p < 0.05) and 1.3 times (p < 0.05), respectively, compared to the group of patients with NAFLD. According to steatometry data, an increase in ultrasound attenuation coefficient by 30.2 % (p < 0.05) in patients with NAFLD, by 27.5 % (p < 0.05) in those with ALD and by 22 % (p < 0.05) in people with toxic hepatitis was found compared to the control group. In patients with liver fibrosis, the median liver stiffness was 6.70 kPa (6.35, 7.56), while in those without liver fibrosis, this parameter was 1.2 times lower (p < 0.01). Histological evaluation of liver samples obtained through percutaneous biopsy in 75 patients with chronic liver disease demonstrated the absence of fibrosis in 14 (18.7 %) cases. According to the results of the ROC analysis, the cut-off value of the liver stiffness determined by SWE was 5.79 kPa, confirming the presence of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease regardless of etiology (AUC = 0.901, p < 0.001). Conclusions. The liver stiffness determined by SWE in HCV and ALD patients was higher than in NAFLD patients (p < 0.05), as well as the frequency of F3–4 stages of liver fibrosis (p < 0.05). The threshold value of the liver stiffness for liver fibrosis diagnosis in chronic liver disease regardless of etiology was 5.79 kPa (sensitivity 100.0 %, specificity 85.7 %), which allows the family doctor to form a risk group of patients who needed dynamic monitoring with a further investigation of the etiological factor of liver fibrosis

Start of the 2014/15 influenza season in Europe: drifted influenza A(H3N2) viruses circulate as dominant subtype

Members of the WHO European Region and European Influenza Surveillance Network: Portugal: Raquel Guiomar, Pedro Pechirra, Paula Cristovão, Inês Costa, Baltazar Nunes, Ana Rodrigues.The influenza season 2014/15 started in Europe in week 50 2014 with influenza A(H3N2) viruses predominating. The majority of the A(H3N2) viruses characterised antigenically and/or genetically differ from the northern hemisphere vaccine component which may result in reduced vaccine effectiveness for the season. We therefore anticipate that this season may be more severe than the 2013/14 season. Treating influenza with antivirals in addition to prevention with vaccination will be important

An evaluation of common markers of muscle denervation in denervated young-adult and old rat gastrocnemius muscle.

A large part of age-related muscle wasting is due to incomplete reinnervation of fibres that have become denervated following motoneuron loss. Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and sodium channel NaV1.5 are considered markers for denervation, but the time course of changes in their expression following denervation has never been systematically evaluated in young-adult and old muscle. To assess the time course of denervation-induced changes in their expression, the left gastrocnemius muscle in 15 young-adult (5-month) and 10 old (25-month) male Wistar rats was denervated for 1, 2 or 4 weeks, while the right muscle served as an internal control. Sections were stained for α-bungarotoxin, to visualise the neuromuscular junctions, combined with NCAM, polysialylated NCAM (PSA-NCAM) or NaV1.5. In young-adult animals, denervation induced a transient decrease in junctional and cytoplasmic NCAM expression, while in the old NCAM expression was increased after 2 weeks. Cytoplasmic PSA-NCAM was increased in both young-adult and old fibres after 2 weeks denervation with a further increase after 4 weeks in the young only. The junctional PSA-NCAM was transiently increased or decreased in the young and old muscles, respectively. NaV1.5 expression decreased after 1 and 2 weeks of denervation in NaV1.5 in young muscle fibres before returning to control levels, whereas old muscle fibres displayed a transient increase after 1 week followed by a decrease and a return to control levels after 2 and 4 weeks respectively. In conclusion, NCAM and NaV1.5 are not unequivocally elevated with denervation and consequently are not adequate markers of fibre denervation

Nectin-like proteins mediate axon–Schwann cell interactions along the internode and are essential for myelination

Axon–glial interactions are critical for the induction of myelination and the domain organization of myelinated fibers. Although molecular complexes that mediate these interactions in the nodal region are known, their counterparts along the internode are poorly defined. We report that neurons and Schwann cells express distinct sets of nectin-like (Necl) proteins: axons highly express Necl-1 and -2, whereas Schwann cells express Necl-4 and lower amounts of Necl-2. These proteins are strikingly localized to the internode, where Necl-1 and -2 on the axon are directly apposed by Necl-4 on the Schwann cell; all three proteins are also enriched at Schmidt-Lanterman incisures. Binding experiments demonstrate that the Necl proteins preferentially mediate heterophilic rather than homophilic interactions. In particular, Necl-1 on axons binds specifically to Necl-4 on Schwann cells. Knockdown of Necl-4 by short hairpin RNA inhibits Schwann cell differentiation and subsequent myelination in cocultures. These results demonstrate a key role for Necl-4 in initiating peripheral nervous system myelination and implicate the Necl proteins as mediators of axo–glial interactions along the internode

Non-antibacterial effects of macrolide antibiotics and their role in the treatment of bronchial asthma. review of the literature and the results of own research

Проанализированы литературные источники о целесообразности рутинного долгосрочного использования макролидов при астме. Проведен сравнительный анализ группоспецифической и видоспецифической тест-систем и доказано, что видоспецифическая тест-система имеет преимущества в диагностике инфицирования Chlamydia pneumoniae при астме. При исследовании сыворотки крови руппоспецифической тест-системой выявлено 14 (35 %) сероположительных больных с тяжелой бронхиальной астмой и 2 (10,52 %) — с легкой астмой. Видоспецифической тест-системой положительный титр антител IgG к Chlamydia рneumoniae выделен у 6 (18,75 %) лиц с тяжелым течением БА, в группе с легким течением заболевания таких пациентов было 9 (30 %). В случае положительного результата этой категории пациентов рекомендовано лечение препаратами, которые активны по отношению к Chlamydia pneumoniae, в частности макролидами

Алгоритм оценивания спирограмм пульмонологического пациента с учетом последних согласовательных документов европейского респираторного общества

Цель данной работы — попытка обобщить подход к оценке данных спирометрии у пульмонологического пациента с последующим диагностированием и верификацией патологии для назначения соответствующей терапии с учетом последних рекомендаций GOLD 2018 и GINA 2018. Интeрпретация рeзультатов спирoметрических тeстов стрoится на расчетах отклoнений измeренных вeличин от дoлжных, вырaженных в прoцентах и сoпоставленных с грaдациями вoзможных знaчений по oпределенному aлгоритму. Исслeдование функции внешнего дыхания помoгает вeрифицировать диaгноз хронической обструктивной болезни легких и бронхиальной астмы, провести диффeренциальную диагностику заболеваний легких, мониторить ход заболевания и ответ на проводимое лечение. Согласно GОLD 2018 и GINA 2018, спирометрия является «золотым стандартом» верификации этих нозологий и по последним рекомендациям Европейского респираторного общества (2018) отражает целесообразность и необходимость проведения спирометрии у пациентов с патологией дыхательной системы.The aim of this work is an attempt to generalize the approach to the evaluation of spirometry data in a pulmonological patient with subsequent diagnosis and verification of pathology for the purpose of appropriate therapy, taking into account the latest recommendations of GOLD 2018 and GINA 2018. Interpretation of the results of spirometric tests is based on the calculation of the deviations of the measured values from the required expressed in percent and compared with the gradations of possible values according to a certain algorithm, which involves a responsible choice of the indicators taken for consideration. The PFT helps to verify the diagnosis of COPD and asthma, to conduct differential diagnostics of lung diseases, to monitor the course of the disease and the response to ongoing treatment. According to GOLD 2018 and GINA 2018 spirometry is a “gold standard” for verifying these nosologies, and according to the latest recommendations of the European respiratory society, 2018 reflects the feasibility and necessity of performing spirometry in patients with respiratory system pathology

Актуальні аспекти організації самостійної роботи студентів вищих медичних навчальних закладів: сучасний стан проблеми та власний досвід

Метою даної статті стало узагальнення сучасних поглядів на організацію самостійної роботи студентів (СРС) та її імплементацію в реальні умови, а також аналіз власного досвіду організації СРС, зокрема ефективності впровадження «Робочого зошита» (РЗ) студента. Для оцінки прихильності студентів до СРС з використанням РЗ було проведене анонімне опитування 63 студентів, які завершили програмний курс навчання з постійним використанням РЗ для СРС. Після аналізу результатів опитування розроблені на кафедрі РЗ у цілому можна вважати зручним і корисним інструментом СРС.The purpose of this article is generalization of the independent student’s work (ISW) organization current views and its implementation in real conditions as well as the analysis of own experience, including the efficacy of introducing student’s “Workbook” (SW). Anonymous survey was carried out among 63 students who completed the training program with constantly usage of SW. Analysis of the survey results showed that designed at the Department SW can be considered as a convenient and useful tool of ISW