Posturographic study of the human body vibrations for clinical diagnos-tics of the spine and joint pathology

Body sway at different stances can be detected in every individual and it is peculiar to normal healthy state. The most accessible and common method of detection of the sway parameters is the measurement of the position of the centre of mass (COM) using the force platform. Com-puterized posturography is widely used as a convenient test for diagnostics of different musculoskeletal, vestibular, nervous, auditory and visual pathology, age-related changes and even the emotional state of the individual. The posturographic data can be used for elaboration novel types and control systems of mobile robots

Wartość powtórnego badania stanu mutacji genu BRAF V600E w diagnostyce raka brodawkowatego tarczycy

  Introduction: Nodular thyroid disease is one of the most frequently diagnosed pathologies of the adult population in iodine-deficient regions. Approximately 30% of thyroid aspirates are classified as nondiagnostic/unsatisfactory or indeterminate. However, patients with indeterminate cytology still undergo surgery. The object of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of re-examining the BRAF V600E mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients. Material and methods: All patients underwent ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration of a thyroid nodule. They were assigned to one of the four groups (indeterminate or positive for malignant cells) of the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology. Genetic investigation of the BRAF V600E mutation was performed for all of the fine-needle aspiration cytology specimens. All of the patients underwent surgery. Subsequently, histological investigation of the removed tissues was performed. Additional analysis of the BRAF V600E mutation from the histology specimen was then performed for the initially BRAF-negative cases. Results: Two hundred and fourteen patients were involved in the study. One hundred and six (49.53%) patients were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Of these 106 patients, 95 (89.62%) patients were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. The BRAF V600E mutation was positive in 62 (65.26%) and negative in 33 (34.74%) histologically confirmed papillary thyroid cancer cases. After the genetic investigation, a total of 74 (77.89%) papillary thyroid cancer cases were positive for the BRAF V600E mutation and 21 (22.11%) were negative. Conclusions: Repeated examination of the BRAF V600E mutation status in the fine-needle aspiration may potentially increase the sensitivity of papillary thyroid cancer diagnostics. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (1): 35–40)    Wstęp: Choroba guzkowa tarczycy to jedna z najczęściej wykrywanych patologii w populacji osób dorosłych w regionach z deficytem jodu. Około 30% aspiratów tarczycy jest klasyfikowanych jako nie do zdiagnozowania/niesatysfakcjonujące lub nieokreślone. Jednakże, pacjenci z nieokreślonym wynikiem cytologii nadal poddawani są operacjom. Celem niniejszego badania było ustalenie wartości diagnostycznej powtórnego badania mutacji genu BRAF V600E wśród pacjentów z rakiem brodawkowatym tarczycy. Materiał i metody: Wszystkich pacjentów poddano biopsji aspiracyjnej cienkoigłowej guzka tarczycy pod kontrolą USG. Przydzielono ich do jednej z czterech grup (nieokreślona lub dodatnia dla komórek złośliwych) klasyfikacji Bethesda do klasy obrazów cytologicznych. Badanie genetyczne mutacji genu BRAF V600E przeprowadzono dla wszystkich próbek uzyskanych z aspiracyjnej cytologii cienkoigłowej. Wszystkich pacjentów zoperowano. Jednocześnie przeprowadzono badanie histologiczne usuniętych tkanek. Dodatkowa analiza mutacji BRAF V600E z próbki histologicznej została przeprowadzona dla przypadków początkowo BRAF ujemnych. Wyniki: Dwustu czternastu pacjentów poddano badaniu. U 106 pacjentów (49,53%) zdiagnozowano raka tarczycy. Z tychże pacjentów, u 95 (89,62%) zdiagnozowano raka brodawkowatego tarczycy. U 62 pacjentów (65,26%) mutacja BRAF V600E była dodatnia, u 33 (34,74%) histologicznie potwierdzonych przypadków raka brodawkowatego tarczycy była ona ujemna. Po badaniu genetycznym stwierdzono 74 (77,89%) przypadki raka brodawkowatego tarczycy dodatnich dla mutacji BRAF V600E i 21 (22,11%) ujemnych. Wnioski: Powtórne badanie mutacji genu BRAF V600E za pomocą aspiracji cienkoigłowej może potencjalnie przyczynić się do zwiększenia czujności w wykrywaniu raka brodawkowatego tarczycy. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (1): 35–40)

Tensile, compressive and flexural strength reduction of timber in fire

The present research was dedicated to investigation into the strength of timber structures under fire conditions. Two kinds of timber specimens including oak and pine were used. The carried out investigation covered static tests on tensile strength, compressive strength along the grain, compressive strength perpendicular to the grain and flexural strength. The specimens were tested under the temperatures of 50°C, 100°C, 150°C, 200°C and 230°C. The obtained results show that pine specimens have better properties over the entire temperature range in case of tests on tensile and flexural strength. Also, as for these types of strength, oak specimens show a higher strength reduction rate than those of pine specimens, whereas oak specimens have better properties over the entire temperature ranges in case of compressive strength perpendicular to the grain. Based on statistical analysis, a linear expression of the strength reduction coefficient was proposed. Medienos tempiamojo, gniuždomojo ir lenkiamojo stiprio mažėjimas gaisro sąlygomis Santrauka Straipsnyje nagrinėjami dviejų rūšių medienos stiprumo tyrinėjimo, veikiant aukštai temperatūrai, rezultatai. Tyrimams buvo naudojama ąžuolo ir pušies mediena. Ištirtas aukštos temperatūros poveikis šių medienos rūšių stiprio rodikliams. Tyrimų metu buvo taikyti tokie bandinių bandymo būdai: medienos tempimas išilgai pluošto, gniuždymas išilgai pluošto, gniuždymas skersai pluošto bei lenkimas. Statiniai tyrimai atlikti tokiose temperatūrose: 20°C, 50°C, 100°C, 150°C, 200°C ir 230°C. Tyrimų rezultatai rodo, kad tempiant ir lenkiant pušies mediena pasižymi geresnėmis stiprumo savybėmis visame temperatūrų diapazone. Taikant šiuos bandymo būdus ąžuolo bandinių atspario mažėjimo koeficientai yra didesni negu pušies bandinių. Kalbant apie gniuždymą išilgai pluošto, tai ąžuolo medienos atsparis visame temperatūrų diapazone yra didesnis už pušies. Remiantis statistine analize buvo pateiktas medienos stiprio mažėjimo koeficiento ir temperatūros sąryšis. First Published Online: 16 May 2013 Reikšminiai žodžiai: mediena, gniuždymas, tempimas, lenkimas, gaisras, temperatūra, stiprio mažėjimas

An objective evaluation of healthy human upper extremity motions

This paper presents an investigation of quality evaluation of human upper extremity motions by introducing a new methodology. The VICON motion capturing system was applied to evaluate the kinematics of the upper extremity. The created 3D 5 DOF dynamical model in MATLAB allowed calculating additional movement’s quantitative parameters: the work done and power used during the appropriate motion. Finally, least squares method was applied to define torques by using a 3rd degrees polynomial approximation of mean torque values in the angle domain. The calculated parameters of 23 healthy participants’ motions as well as the investigated method could be used in the future in rehabilitation field to evaluate the quality of upper extremity motion of patients. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient between motion angle and angular velocity amplitudes is 0.49-0.82 and between work done and power of the movement is 0.61-0.99

Application of data from the cone calorimeter for analyses of the impact of a flame retardant applied on polymer material subjected to combustion on changes in smoke logging within a confined space

The paper makes an analysis of the impact of flame retardants on parameters of thermal energy emission and smoke from polymer materials specified with the use of a cone calorimeter and on parameters of the smoke logging zones in a model scheme of compartments. Polymer construction materials modified and without modification by flame retardants, such as oak wood, epoxy resins based on Epidian 5 as well as such equipping materials as polyurethane foams were selected as research materials. On the basis of the conducted analyses, a positive correlation was achieved between the parameters obtained with the use of a cone calorimeter and parameters of smoke logging based on bi-zonal modelling for a simple model scheme of two compartments

Behaviour of vertical cylindrical tank with local wall imperfections

Design of modern thin-walled metal structures is widely used around the world. In recent decades, more comprehensive research is carried out to investigate the behaviour of various thin-walled structures. Generally, the structure with regular geometry is investigated. In various countries such as USA, Russia, and the European Union issued the standards on regulation of the construction, design and maintenance of thin-walled structures. The actually used period of tanks usually is longer than recommendatory period. Recommendatory maintenance period of metal tanks is 15–20 years. Therefore, for such structures one of the most considerable questions is the residual load bearing capacity beyond the end of the maintenance period. This phase of using of structures is associated with complex investigation and numerical analysis of thin-walled structures. In this paper the load bearing capacity of the steel wall of the existing over-ground vertical cylindrical tank in volume of 5,000 m3 with a single defect and with a few contiguous local defects of the shape is analyzed. Calculations carried out are taking into account all the imperfections of the wall geometry. A major goal of the research – developing a realistic numerical model of the object analyzed, taking into account all the imperfections, determining the wall stress and strain state, exploring the places of extreme points, calculating the residual load bearing capacity of the tank and scrutinizing possible strengthening schemes for defective areas

Analysis of the current logistics and transport challenges in the context of the changing environment

The rapidly changing world determines changes in the business processes. Logistics and transport are the areas facing constant changes. Therefore, an important point is to analyse the current problems of logistics and transport within the context of the changing environment. For many years, the experts of the Dept of Logistics and Transport Management of the Faculty of Transport Engineering from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University have been pursuing research both, in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) in Lithuania and foreign countries. This research has been directed toward improvements to logistics and the entire supply chain in pursuit of economic, social and ecological competitiveness, an increase in the competitiveness and attractiveness of the transport system in the context of sustainable development, the impact of this system on the economic and social welfare of society, an increase in the competitiveness and attractiveness of the transport sector of improving the legal framework and the application of innovative technologies (including IT) in the transport sector aimed at implementing economic and social cohesion goals. The article deals with some of the key issues of the above introduced research