The Certification of a European Reference Plasma for Factor VIII, BCR-629.

Abstract not availableJRC.D-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Geel

The presence of fractures in association with a reduced bone mass is essential for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in children

WSTĘP. W ostatnich latach obserwuje się rosnącą liczbę dzieci i młodzieży kierowanych do diagnostyki z podejrzeniem osteoporozy. Celem niniejszej pracy było ustalenie, jaki odsetek stanowią wśród nich pacjenci, u których potwierdzono rozpoznanie osteoporozy i co jest przyczyną jej "nadrozpoznawalności". MATERIAŁ I METODY. Przeanalizowano dane 41 pacjentów, 20 dziewcząt i 21 chłopców w średnim wieku 12,52 ± 2,65 roku. Diagnostyka obejmowała wykonanie badania densytometrycznego, oznaczenie stężeń wapnia całkowitego oraz fosforanów, magnezu, parathormonu, fosfatazy alkalicznej, metabolitu witaminy D3 (25OHD3) w surowicy krwi oraz wydalania Ca i P w moczu. O ostatecznym rozpoznaniu osteoporozy decydowała obecność w wywiadzie złamań współistniejących z niską masą kostną. WYNIKI. Wśród badanych 65,85% stanowili pacjenci, u których wstępne rozpoznanie lub podejrzenie osteoporozy wynikało z informacji o powtarzających się złamaniach, 24,4% pacjenci z bólami kończyn i/lub kręgosłupa, 4,88% pacjenci jedynie z obciążonym wywiadem rodzinnym i 4,88% z wadą postawy. Na podstawie przeprowadzonej diagnostyki obecność osteoporozy potwierdzono u 5 (12,2%) pacjentów - 4 dziewcząt i 1 chłopca. WNIOSKI. Nieumiejętnie zebrany wywiad oraz zła interpretacja wyników badań dodatkowych, w tym szczególnie coraz dostępniejszego badania densytometrycznego, wydają się być główną przyczyną "nadrozpoznawalności" osteoporozy w poradniach rejonowych.INTRODUCTION. An increasing number of referrals of paediatric patients for osteoporosis diagnostics are recently noted. The aim of our study was to determine the percentage of children with confirmed diagnosis of osteoporosis and the reasons of it’s "over diagnosing". MATERIAL AND METHODS. The data of 41 patients, 20 girls and 21 boys, were analysed. The average age of the study group was 12.52 ± 2.65 years. Diagnostics involved the determination of the levels of serum Ca, P, Mg, PTH, FA, vitamin D3 metabolite (25OHD3), urine Ca and P excretion, and bone densitometry. The diagnosis of osteoporosis was based on the presence of factures in anamnesis with association of reduced bone mass. RESULTS. Among patients 65.85% had a history of repeated fractures, 24.4% presented upper and lower limb pain and/or lumbar pain, 4.9% had a family history of osteoporosis and 4.88% were diagnosed with postural defects. Osteoporosis was confirmed in 5 (12.2%) patients - 4 girls and one boy. CONCLUSIONS. The incompetent history taking and the misinterpretation of diagnostic results, particularly densitometry, which is nowadays widely available, seem to be the main reason for the "over diagnosis" of osteoporosis in community health centres

Method-specific Certification of Free Sugars and Starch/Glucose in Two Artificial Food Materials - BCR-644, BCR-645.

Abstract not availableJRC.D-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Geel

On the Origin of the -4.4 eV Band in CdTe(100)"

We calculate the bulk- (infinite system), (100)-bulk-projected- and (100)-Surface-projected Green's functions using the Surface Green's Function Matching method (SGFM) and an empirical tight-binding hamiltonian with tight-binding parameters (TBP) that describe well the bulk band structure of CdTe. In particular, we analyze the band (B--4) arising at --4.4 eV from the top of the valence band at $\Gamma$ according to the results of Niles and H\"ochst and at -4.6 eV according to Gawlik {\it et al.} both obtained by Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES). We give the first theoretical description of this band.Comment: 17 pages, Rev-TEX, CIEA-Phys. 02/9

31/Palliative effectiveness and tolerance of endobronchial HDR brachytherapy in patients with lung cancer -the preliminary experience of Oncology Centre in Gliwice, Department of Brachytherapy

AlmEndobronchial HDR brachytherapy (E-HDR-BT) is a well-established method of palliative treatment in patients with lung cancer. There is, however, no consensus on optimal radiation and the rate of complications. The aim of the work is to evaluate early effectiveness and tolerance of E-HDR-BT in palliative treatment of patients with lung cancer treated in Oncology Centre in Gliwice.Material and methodsSince 2000 in Oncology Centre in Gliwice HDR (Ir192) E-HDR-BT is used in palliative treatment of patients with bronchial obturation due to lung cancer. Regression of bronchial obturation and improvement in dyspnoea, cough and haemoptysis after therapy was analyzed for the first thirty patients. The total dose was 18 Gy, calculated at 1cm from the source, in 3 fraction (of 6 Gy) given everyweek.ResultsTwenty-five patients finished therapy as planned. Five patients didn’t complete treatment: two of them (6.6%) died because of massive haemoptysis; one patients suffered from exaggeration of angina pectoris, one patients developed high hectic fever not responding for antibacterial treatment, one suffered from exaggeration of their symptoms prohibiting continuation of the treatment. Changes in obturation of the bronchi and in patient's symptoms are shown in Table 1.Table 1Changes in obturation of the bronchi and in patient's symptom.SymptomsImprovementNochangesExaggerationObturation #/%22/88%3/12%0Dyspnoea #/%15/54%11/40%2/7%Cough #/%4/27%10/67%2/7%Haemoptysis #/%2/14%10/72%2/14%More detailed analysis of improvements in symptoms has been carried out according to own scoring system for dyspnoea, cough and haemoptysis. Mean duration of palliative response was 55 days (1–405). Mean survival time was 114 days (2–406).ConclusionE-HOR-BT is an effective method of palliation of symptoms related to bronchial obturation in course of lung cancer. The most frequent serious treatment complication of E-HOR-BTwas massive haemoptysis

Turner syndrome: skin, liver, eyes, dental and ENT evaluation should be improved.

Turner syndrome association with multi-organ system comorbidities highlights the need for effective implementation of follow-up guidelines. We aimed to assess the adequacy of care with international guidelines published in 2007 and 2017 and to describe the phenotype of patients. In this multicenter retrospective descriptive cohort study, we collected growth and pubertal parameters, associated comorbidities, treatment, and karyotype in patients diagnosed at age <18 years between 1993 and 2022. We assessed age-appropriate recommendation follow-up (children, adolescents and adults) according to the 2007 guidelines if the last visit was before 2017 (18 recommendations) and the 2017 guidelines if the last visit was after 2017 (19 recommendations). We included 68 patients followed at Lausanne University Hospital (n=64) and at Neuchatel Regional Hospital (RHNe) (n=4). 2.9% of patients underwent all recommended investigations.Overall, 68.9 ± 22.5% and 78.5 ± 20.6% of the recommendations were followed, before and after 2017 respectively. High implementation rates were found for height, weight and BMI (100%), cardiac (80 to 100%) and renal (90 to 100%) imaging. Low implementation rates were found for Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) (56.5%), skin (38.5%), dental (23.1%), ophthalmological (10%) and cholestasis (0 to 29%) assessments, depending on age and time of visit. In adults (n=33), the mean proportion of followed recommendations was lower before than after 2017: 63.5 ± 25.8% vs. 78.7 ± 23.4%, p=0.039. Growth parameters, cardiac and renal imaging are well followed. However, efforts should be made for dental, ENT, ophthalmological, skin and cholestasis assessments. Adequacy of follow-up improved with the quality of transition to adult care

Markers of Antioxidant Defense in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Aims. Diabetes is considered a state of increased oxidative stress. This study evaluates blood concentrations of selected markers of antioxidant defense in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods. The study included 80 type 2 diabetes patients and 79 apparently healthy controls. Measured markers included ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), -glutamyltransferase (GGT) and uric acid serum, and plasma and/or hemolysate levels. Results. FRAP, uric acid, CRP, and GGT levels were significantly higher in patients with diabetes. Plasma and hemolysate GR was significantly higher whereas GPx activity was significantly lower in patients with diabetes. There were no significant differences in antioxidant defense markers between patients with and without chronic diabetes complications. Fasting serum glucose correlated with plasma GPx, plasma and hemolysate GR, FRAP, and serum GGT, and HbA1c correlated with serum GGT. Only FRAP and serum uric acid were significantly higher in obese (BMI > 30 kg/m 2 ) patients with diabetes than in nonobese patients. Conclusions. Some components of antioxidant defense such as GR, uric acid, and GGT are increased in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the whole system cannot compensate for an enhanced production of ROS as reflected by the trend toward decreased erythrocytes GSH

Resonant nonlinear magneto-optical effects in atoms

In this article, we review the history, current status, physical mechanisms, experimental methods, and applications of nonlinear magneto-optical effects in atomic vapors. We begin by describing the pioneering work of Macaluso and Corbino over a century ago on linear magneto-optical effects (in which the properties of the medium do not depend on the light power) in the vicinity of atomic resonances, and contrast these effects with various nonlinear magneto-optical phenomena that have been studied both theoretically and experimentally since the late 1960s. In recent years, the field of nonlinear magneto-optics has experienced a revival of interest that has led to a number of developments, including the observation of ultra-narrow (1-Hz) magneto-optical resonances, applications in sensitive magnetometry, nonlinear magneto-optical tomography, and the possibility of a search for parity- and time-reversal-invariance violation in atoms.Comment: 51 pages, 23 figures, to appear in Rev. Mod. Phys. in Oct. 2002, Figure added, typos corrected, text edited for clarit

The 33S(n,α)30Si cross section measurement at n-TOF-EAR2 (CERN) : From 0.01 eV to the resonance region

The 33S(n,α)30Si cross section measurement, using 10B(n,α) as reference, at the n-TOF Experimental Area 2 (EAR2) facility at CERN is presented. Data from 0.01 eV to 100 keV are provided and, for the first time, the cross section is measured in the range from 0.01 eV to 10 keV. These data may be used for a future evaluation of the cross section because present evaluations exhibit large discrepancies. The 33S(n,α)30Si reaction is of interest in medical physics because of its possible use as a cooperative target to boron in Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT)

Measurement of 73 Ge(n,γ) cross sections and implications for stellar nucleosynthesis

© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.73 Ge(n,γ) cross sections were measured at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN up to neutron energies of 300 keV, providing for the first time experimental data above 8 keV. Results indicate that the stellar cross section at kT=30 keV is 1.5 to 1.7 times higher than most theoretical predictions. The new cross sections result in a substantial decrease of 73 Ge produced in stars, which would explain the low isotopic abundance of 73 Ge in the solar system.Peer reviewe