On the suitability of baked clay for archaeomagnetic studies as deduced from detailed rock-magnetic studies

Extensive rock-magnetic investigations have been carried out on baked clays from four kilns (two from Bulgaria and two from Switzerland) found in archaeological sites of different age. Knowledge of the magnetic characteristics of the grains responsible for the archaeomagnetic signal enables us to determine which baked clays have the stablest magnetization and why this is so. This is important in directional studies, but even more so in painstaking palaeointensity studies that require a very careful evaluation of the suitability of the burnt clay material. The proposed rock-magnetic experiments enable the identification of the carriers responsible for the remanence and an adequate interpretation of the experimental results connected with the palaeointensity evaluation. The experimental methods employed are illustrated with the particular results obtained from each of the four kilns studied. The preliminary elucidation of the magnetic mineralogy of the archaeological samples helps first by obtaining a more reliable palaeointensity result, and secondly by explaining some of the discrepancies in the palaeodirectional results. Examples of successful and failed palaeointensity experiments are given in relation to the magnetic properties previously established for each oven. The burnt-clay materials in this present study satisfy the essential condition of carrying a thermoremanence. In spite of that, it is shown that there are many factors that can produce undesirable magnetic properties and thus restrict the suitability of these materials for archaeomagnetic analysis. The most important factors influencing the magnetic behaviour during magneto-diagnostic experiments are: the degree of heating in antiquity, the initial composition of the unbaked material and the burial conditions. The large difference in heating temperatures within a particular archaeological feature is a major cause of variation in magnetic behaviour amongst individual specimens, and so preventing a successful pre-selection of specimens for palaeointensity experiments. Nevertheless, the study has shown a very good coincidence between the determined rock-magnetic characteristics and the success rate in palaeointensity evaluatio

Extra-Adrenal Glucocorticoid Synthesis in Mucosal Tissues and Its Implication in Mucosal Immune Homeostasis and Tumor Development

While glucocorticoids (GC) exert broad effects on metabolism, behavior and immunity, local production of even small amounts of GC, which may act in a paracrine or even autocrine manner, enable a specific site of the body to regulate their exposure to GC according to their specific needs. Mucosal tissues, for example, are at the borderline to the outside world, and are therefore in constant contact with either harmless foreign particles or potentially pathogenic microorganisms, which might provoke devastating inflammatory disorders due to chronic stimulation of the mucosal immune system. Increasing the local concentration of immunoregulatory GC by extra-adrenal de novo GC synthesis or local reactivation of inactive serum metabolites provides a protective mechanism to either restore homeostasis after clearance of infection or to regulate the critical balance between immunity and tolerance

ANALYSIS OF THE ABORTIONS IN BULGARIA FOR 2014

Every year, in Bulgaria nearly half of the pregnancies end up with an abortion. It is well known that every abortion hides a risk for every woman that had this kind of medical intervention. Also lowers the ability of having another pregnancy, having a healthy carrying and giving a natural childbirth. On other side, abortions are associated with being a significant factor which regulates the demografic features of the population. There is a tendency that most of the Bulgarian women use the abortion like alternative method for contraception. This is due to the fact that since 1956 there isn`t a law that prohibit the performing of abortion by choice of the pregnant woman. For the period from 1967 to 1998, many statistics show that the number of the abortions is significantly higher than the number of the actual childbirths. However, through out the next few years there is a stable tendency of dropping the number of abortions. Overall, in 2014 there is a solid tendency for the decreasing numbers of the abortions in Bulgaria between the period of 2000-2013.Every year, in Bulgaria nearly half of the pregnancies end up with an abortion. It is well known that every abortion hides a risk for every woman that had this kind of medical intervention. Also lowers the ability of having another pregnancy, having a healthy carrying and giving a natural childbirth. On other side, abortions are associated with being a significant factor which regulates the demografic features of the population. There is a tendency that most of the Bulgarian women use the abortion like alternative method for contraception. This is due to the fact that since 1956 there isn`t a law that prohibit the performing of abortion by choice of the pregnant woman. For the period from 1967 to 1998, many statistics show that the number of the abortions is significantly higher than the number of the actual childbirths. However, through out the next few years there is a stable tendency of dropping the number of abortions. Overall, in 2014 there is a solid tendency for the decreasing numbers of the abortions in Bulgaria between the period of 2000-2013

Crucial Involvement of the CCR2/CCL2 Interactions in Azoxymethane/Dextran Sodium Sulfate-induced Colon Carcinogenesis in Mice

Azoxymethane (AOM) administration followed by repetitive dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) ingestion causes chronic colonic inflammation with macrophage infiltration and enhanced expression of a macrophage-tropic chemokine, CCL2, in wild-type (WT) mice. These mice eventually develop multiple colon tumors. In contrast, mice deficient in CCR2, a specific receptor for CCL2, exhibited less macrophage infiltration and attenuated tumor formation. WT mice transplanted with CCR2-deficient bone marrow developed fewer tumors after AOM and DSS treatment than either WT or CCR2-deficient mice transplanted with WT bone marrow. Furthermore, when injected to WT mice with multiple colon tumors, a CCL2 antagonist expression vector attenuated macrophage and granulocyte infiltration, and eventually reduced the numbers and sizes of tumors. These results implied the crucial involvement of the CCL2-CCR2 interactions in the development and progression of colon carcinoma associated with chronic inflammation

Инвестиционные и маркетинговые изменения на рынке мобильной связи Украины

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Despite reaching high percentages of desensitization using allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in patients with food allergy, recent studies suggest only a low number of patients to reach persistent clinical tolerance. This review describes current developments in strategies to improve safety and long-term efficacy of SIT. RECENT FINDINGS: Modified allergens or tolerogenic peptides, ultimately optimized for human leukocyte antigen background of the patient, are explored for tolerance induction, whereas anti-IgE antibody (Omalizumab) may be used to facilitate SIT safety. Adjunct therapies to enhance efficacy may make use of TH1 polarizing agents, for example, CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides combined with modified allergen packaged in nanoparticles. Preclinical studies showed insulin-like growth factor-2, intravenous immunoglobulin, Tregitopes or allergen encased oligomannose-coated liposomes capable of inducing regulatory T-cells, recognized for their importance in clinical tolerance induction. Dietary intervention strategies utilizing herbal formula 2, VSL#3, nondigestible short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scGOS/lcFOS) plus Bifidobacterium breve M-16V or n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids may facilitate safety and/or a favourable milieu for tolerance induction. SUMMARY: Combining SIT using (adapted) allergens or tolerogenic peptides with adjunct therapy may be essential to improve safety and/or efficacy. Beyond using targeted approaches, specific dietary components may be explored to reduce side-effects and support clinical tolerance induction by SIT

Postharvest quality and safety of fresh-cut melon fruits coated with water soluble chitosan films

The research presents the effect of novel edible coatings based on low molecular weight chitosan on some properties of fresh-cut melon fruits – weight loss, total soluble solids, total acidity, mechanical strength and bacteria growth. Three different compositions were used as coatings – pure chitosan, chitosan and Ca lactate and alginate/chitosan multilayers. It was shown that the additional alginate layer substantially improves the protective properties of pure chitosan coating, resulting in preservation of cell structure. Negligible negative effect on the antibacterial activity of pure chitosan is demonstrated

Complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ribosomal RNA operons of two species of Diplostomum (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda): a molecular resource for taxonomy and molecular epidemiology of important fish pathogens

© 2015 Brabec et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. The attached file is the published version of the article

Physics and applications of dusty plasmas: The Perspectives 2023

Dusty plasmas are electrically quasi-neutral media that, along with electrons, ions, neutral gas, radiation, and electric and/or magnetic fields, also contain solid or liquid particles with sizes ranging from a few nanometers to a few micrometers. These media can be found in many natural environments as well as in various laboratory setups and industrial applications. As a separate branch of plasma physics, the field of dusty plasma physics was born in the beginning of 1990s at the intersection of the interests of the communities investigating astrophysical and technological plasmas. An additional boost to the development of the field was given by the discovery of plasma crystals leading to a series of microgravity experiments of which the purpose was to investigate generic phenomena in condensed matter physics using strongly coupled complex (dusty) plasmas as model systems. Finally, the field has gained an increasing amount of attention due to its inevitable connection to the development of novel applications ranging from the synthesis of functional nanoparticles to nuclear fusion and from particle sensing and diagnostics to nano-contamination control. The purpose of the present perspectives paper is to identify promising new developments and research directions for the field. As such, dusty plasmas are considered in their entire variety: from classical low-pressure noble-gas dusty discharges to atmospheric pressure plasmas with aerosols and from rarefied astrophysical plasmas to dense plasmas in nuclear fusion devices. Both fundamental and application aspects are covered

Harmonizing and improving European education in prescribing: An overview of digital educational resources used in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics

Aim: Improvement and harmonization of European clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) education is urgently required. Because digital educational resources can be easily shared, adapted to local situations and re-used widely across a variety of educational systems, they may be ideally suited for this purpose. Methods: With a cross-sectional survey among principal CPT teachers in 279 out of 304 European medical schools, an overview and classification of digital resources was compiled. Results: Teachers from 95 (34%) medical schools in 26 of 28 EU countries responded, 66 (70%) of whom used digital educational resources in their CPT curriculum. A total of 89 of such resources were described in detail, including e-learning (24%), simulators to teach pharmacokinetics and/or pharmacodynamics (10%), virtual patients (8%), and serious games (5%). Together, these resources covered 235 knowledge-based learning objectives, 88 skills, and 13 attitudes. Only one third (27) of the resources were in-part or totally free and only two were licensed open educational resources (free to use, distribute and adapt). A narrative overview of the largest, free and most novel resources is given. Conclusion: Digital educational resources, ranging from e-learning to virtual patients and games, are widely used for CPT education in EU medical schools. Learning objectives are based largely on knowledge rather than skills or attitudes. This may be improved by including more real-life clinical case scenarios. Moreover, the majority of resources are neither free nor open. Therefore, with a view to harmonizing international CPT education, more needs to be learned about why CPT teachers are not currently sharing their educational materials