Rezultatele testării bolnavilor şi colaboratorilor din secția de hemodializă a SCR la unii markeri ai virusurilor hepatitelor virale В şi C

Summary. It is, that patients and medical staff haemodialysis department are group of risk hepatitis contaminations serum on tokens of a virus hepatitis of 80 patiens (from them 42 - men, and 38 - women) and 29 - medical staff of haemodialysis section was investigated. The results of investigation show, that during the process of haemodialysis the contamination by a virus hepatitis C take place in 81,3% and HBsAg-in 16,3% of cases. A considerable part of them are infected by mixt-infection. Medical staff during their professional work infected with the virus hepatitis C in 20,7% of cases, and by virus hepatitis В in 65,5 % of cases. It is recommended the realization of the non-specific guidelines and also bacterination against the hepatitis В as patients, and medical staff

Associations of recreational and non-recreational physical activity with coronary artery calcium density vs. volume and cardiovascular disease events: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

AimsThe benefits of physical activity (PA) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) are well known. However, studies suggest PA is associated with coronary artery calcium (CAC), a subclinical marker of CVD. In this study, we evaluated the associations of self-reported recreational and non-recreational PA with CAC composition and incident CVD events. Prior studies suggest high CAC density may be protective for CVD events.Methods and resultsWe evaluated 3393 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis with prevalent CAC. After adjusting for demographics, the highest quintile of recreational PA was associated with 0.07 (95% confidence interval 0.01-0.13) units greater CAC density but was not associated with CAC volume. In contrast, the highest quintile of non-recreational PA was associated with 0.08 (0.02-0.14) units lower CAC density and a trend toward 0.13 (-0.01 to 0.27) log-units higher CAC volume. There were 520 CVD events over a 13.7-year median follow-up. Recreational PA was associated with lower CVD risk (hazard ratio 0.88, 0.79-0.98, per standard deviation), with an effect size that was not changed with adjustment for CAC composition or across levels of prevalent CAC.ConclusionRecreational PA may be associated with a higher density but not a higher volume of CAC. Non-recreational PA may be associated with lower CAC density, suggesting these forms of PA may not have equivalent associations with this subclinical marker of CVD. While PA may affect the composition of CAC, the associations of PA with CVD risk appear to be independent of CAC

Extraction-controlled terahertz frequency quantum cascade lasers with a diagonal LO-phonon extraction and injection stage

We report an extraction-controlled terahertz (THz)-frequency quantum cascade laser design in which a diagonal LO-phonon scattering process is used to achieve efficient current injection into the upper laser level of each period and simultaneously extract electrons from the adjacent period. The effects of the diagonality of the radiative transition are investigated, and a design with a scaled oscillator strength of 0.45 is shown experimentally to provide the highest temperature performance. A 3.3 THz device processed into a double-metal waveguide configuration operated up to 123 K in pulsed mode, with a threshold current density of 1.3 kA/cm2 at 10 K. The QCL structures are modeled using an extended density matrix approach, and the large threshold current is attributed to parasitic current paths associated with the upper laser levels. The simplicity of this design makes it an ideal platform to investigate the scattering injection process

Electronic temperatures, densities and plasma X-ray emission of a 14.5 GHz Electron-Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source

We have performed a systematic study of the Bremsstrahlung emission from the electrons in the plasma of a commercial 14.5 GHz Electron-Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source. The electronic spectral temperature and the product of ionic and electronic densities of the plasma are measured by analyzing the Bremsstrahlung spectra recorded for several rare gases (Ar, Kr, Xe) as a function of the injected power. Within our uncertainty, we find an average temperature of ? 48 keV above 100W, with a weak dependency on the injected power and gas composition. Charge state distributions of extracted ion beams have been determined as well, providing a way to disentangle the ionic density from the electronic density. Moreover X-ray emission from highly charged argon ions in the plasma has been observed with a high-resolution mosaic crystal spectrometer, demonstrating the feasibility for high-precision measurements of transition energies of highly charged ions, in particular of the magnetic dipole (M1) transition of He-like of argon ions

Ultrafast Hole Trapping and Relaxation Dynamics in p-Type CuS Nanodisks

CuS nanocrystals are potential materials for developing low-cost solar energy conversion devices. Understanding the underlying dynamics of photoinduced carriers in CuS nanocrystals is essential to improve their performance in these devices. In this work, we investigated the photoinduced hole dynamics in CuS nanodisks (NDs) using the combination of transient optical (OTA) and X-ray (XTA) absorption spectroscopy. OTA results show that the broad transient absorption in the visible region is attributed to the photoinduced hot and trapped holes. The hole trapping process occurs on a subpicosecond time scale, followed by carrier recombination (~100 ps). The nature of the hole trapping sites, revealed by XTA, is characteristic of S or organic ligands on the surface of CuS NDs. These results not only suggest the possibility to control the hole dynamics by tuning the surface chemistry of CuS but also represent the first time observation of hole dynamics in semiconductor nanocrystals using XTA

Вирусные гепатиты В, С и D в Республике Молдова: достижения и проблемы

Agenția Națională pentru Sănătate Publică, IP Universitatea de Stat de Medicină și Farmacie Nicolae Testemițanu, IMSP Centrul Republican de Diagnosticare MedicalăRealizarea primelor trei Programe Naționale de combatere a hepatitelor virale B, C și D în Republica Moldova, începând cu anul 1997, au condus la reducerea semnificativă a morbidității prin hepatitele virale B, C și D acute, dar pe fundalul incidenței sporite a hepatitelor virale cronice, unde indicatorii îi depășesc vădit pe cei din țările Comunității Europene. Studiile realizate demonstrează că contingentele de populație cu risc sporit de infectare continuă să prezinte un potențial înalt ca sursă reală de infectare cu virusurile hepatice nominalizate pentru alte categorii de populație. Ca urmare a utilizării tehnicilor de biologie moleculară, au fost evidențiate genotipurile și subgenotipurile virusurilor hepatitelor B, C și D în special la contingentele de populație cu risc sporit de infectare, demonstrând că unele posedă un potențial înalt de cronicizare, cu evoluție spre ciroză și cancer hepatocelular. Utilizarea produselor antivirale de ultimă generație recomandate de OMS pentru tratamentul hepatitelor virale B și C a demonstrat o eficacitate înaltă nu numai terapeutică, ci și profi lactică, manifestată prin reducerea numărului de bolnavi purtători de virusuri și a noilor focare. Este important de menționat că prejudiciul economic prevenit ca urmare a realizării Programelor Naționale de combatere a hepatitelor virale în perioada 1997-2015 a constituit 822.453 mii lei, pe când cheltuielile din bugetul de stat pentru realizarea acestor programe au alcătuit 84.618,5 mii lei. Realizarea integrală a prezentului Program de combatere a hepatitelor virale B, C și D în contextul Planului Strategic al OMS de eliminare a hepatitelor virale parenterale până în anul 2030 va avea un beneficiu socioeconomic extrem de important pentru Republica Moldova.The implementation of the first three National Programs against viral hepatitis B, C and D in the Republic of Moldova since 1997 has allowed to significantly reduce morbidity of acute viral hepatitis B, C and D, but on the increased background of incidence of chronic viral hepatitis the indicators clearly outweigh those in the European Community. Studies have shown that the contingent of population at high risk of infection continues to show a high potential as a real source of infection with viral hepatitis viruses for other population categories. As a result of the use of molecular biology techniques, the genotypes and subgenotypes of hepatitis B, C and D viruses have been highlighted, particularly in contingent of population at high risk of infection, demonstrating that some have a high potential for chronicization with progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. Using of next-generation antiviral drugs in the treatment of viral hepatitis B and C recommended by the WHO has shown a high, not only therapeutic but also prophylactic efficacy manifested by reducing the number of virus-bearing patients, and new outbreaks. It is important to note that the economic prejudice prevented by the implementation of the National Programs against viral hepatitis during the period 1997-2015 amounted to 822.453 thousand lei, while the spending from the State Budget for the implementation of the nominated programs amounted to 84.618.5 thousand lei. The full implementation of the current Program for combating viral hepatitis B, C and D in the context of the WHO Strategic Plan for the elimination of parenteral viral hepatitis by 2030 will have a very important socio-economic benefit for the Republic of Moldova.Реализация первых трех Национальных программ по борьбе с вирусными гепатитами B, C и D в Республике Молдова с 1997 года позволила значительно снизить заболеваемость острыми вирусными гепатитами B, C и D, но на фоне высокого уровня заболеваемости хроническими вирусными гепатитами, показатели явно перевешивают показатели стран Европейского Cоюза. Исследования показали, что среди групп населения с высоким риском инфицирования все еще присутствует высокий потенциал в качестве реального источника заражения вирусами гепатитов для других категорий населения. В результате использования методов молекулярной биологии были выделены генотипы и субгенотипы вирусов гепатитов B, C и D, особенно среди групп с высоким риском инфицирования, демонстрируя, что некоторые имеют высокий потенциал к хронизации и прогрессированию к циррозу и гепатоцеллюлярного рака. Использование противовирусных препаратов последнего поколения для лечения вирусных гепатитов В, C и D, рекомендованных ВОЗ, продемонстрировало не только высокую терапевтическую, но и профилактическую эффективность за счет сокращения числа вирусоносителей и новых очагов инфекции. Важно отметить, что предотвращённый экономический ущерб в результате реализации Национальных программ по борьбе с вирусными гепатитами в период 1997–2015 годов составил 822.453 тысяч леев, а расходы государственного бюд-жета на реализацию указанных программ составили 84.618,5 тысяч леев. Полная реализация текущей Программы по борьбе с вирусными гепатитами B, C и D в контексте Стратегического плана ВОЗ по элиминации парентеральных вирусных гепатитов к 2030 году будет иметь важное социально-экономическое значение для Республики Молдова

A cross-sectional survey exploring HIV and HCV prevalence among men who purchase sex in Dnipro, Ukraine

BACKGROUND: HIV programming in Ukraine largely targets "key population" groups. Men who purchase sex are not directly reached. The aim of our study was to explore the prevalence of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) among men who purchase sex from female sex workers. METHODS: Following geographic mapping and population size estimation at each "hotspot", we conducted a cross-sectional bio-behavioural survey with men who purchase sex between September 2017 and March 2018 in Dnipro, Ukraine. Eligibility criteria included purchasing sex services at a "hotspot" and being ≥ 18 years. Participants completed a structured questionnaire, followed by HIV/HCV rapid testing and a dried blood spot (DBS) sample collection for confirmatory serology. RESULTS: The study enrolled 370 participants. The median age was 32 (interquartile range [IQR] = 27-38) and the median age of first purchase of sexual services was 22 (IQR = 19-27). Over half (56%) of participants reported ever testing for HIV; four participants (2%, N = 206) reported having tested positive for HIV, with three out of the four reporting being on ART. Forty percent of participants had ever tested for HCV, with three (2%, N = 142) having ever tested positive for HCV. In DBS testing, nine participants (2.4%) tested positive for HIV and 24 (6.5%) tested positive for ever having an HCV infection. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of HIV and HCV in this population was high. Given high rates of study enrolment and testing, efforts should be made to reach men who purchase sex with expanded STBBI programming

First narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in advanced detector data

Spinning neutron stars asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis are potential sources of continuous gravitational waves for ground-based interferometric detectors. In the case of known pulsars a fully coherent search, based on matched filtering, which uses the position and rotational parameters obtained from electromagnetic observations, can be carried out. Matched filtering maximizes the signalto- noise (SNR) ratio, but a large sensitivity loss is expected in case of even a very small mismatch between the assumed and the true signal parameters. For this reason, narrow-band analysis methods have been developed, allowing a fully coherent search for gravitational waves from known pulsars over a fraction of a hertz and several spin-down values. In this paper we describe a narrow-band search of 11 pulsars using data from Advanced LIGO’s first observing run. Although we have found several initial outliers, further studies show no significant evidence for the presence of a gravitational wave signal. Finally, we have placed upper limits on the signal strain amplitude lower than the spin-down limit for 5 of the 11 targets over the bands searched; in the case of J1813-1749 the spin-down limit has been beaten for the first time. For an additional 3 targets, the median upper limit across the search bands is below the spin-down limit. This is the most sensitive narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves carried out so far

Subacute toxicology studies on the aqueous fraction of the ethanol extract of the leaves of Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl. (Menispermaceae) in dogs

Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl. (Menispermaceae) has been investigated about its botanical, chemical, pharmacological and toxicological aspects in our laboratory. Previous acute toxicology studies demonstrated that in dogs as well as in Wistar rats, 5 g/kg, p.o., and 2 g/kg, i.p. of the aqueous fraction of the ethanol extract of the leaves of Cissampelos sympodialis (AFL), induced a significant increase in the phosphatase alkaline and gama glutamil tranferase (GGT) levels, that were completely reversed in 15 days after interruption of AFL treatment. The aim of the present work was to investigate the subacute toxicology effects induced by AFL in dogs. We used the methods proposed by Portaria 116/96 of the Secretaria Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, which regulates studies of toxicity for phytomedicines in Brazil. Daily administration (p.o.) of AFL, 45 mg/kg/day (5 times the dose used by human beings), during 4 weeks, was devoid of any effect on haematological (haemogram and platelets) and on blood biochemical parametes. In conclusion, the present study, using dogs, demonstrated that AFL, in a popularly used dose, by human beings, was devoid of any toxicological effect

Comprehensive analysis of the major histocompatibility complex in systemic sclerosis identifies differential HLA associations by clinical and serological subtypes

Objective: The greatest genetic effect reported for systemic sclerosis (SSc) lies in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus. Leveraging the largest SSc genome-wide association study, we aimed to fine-map this region to identify novel human leucocyte antigen (HLA) genetic variants associated with SSc susceptibility and its main clinical and serological subtypes. Methods: 9095 patients with SSc and 17 584 controls genome-wide genotyped were used to impute and test single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the MHC, classical HLA alleles and their composite amino acid residues. Additionally, patients were stratified according to their clinical and serological status, namely, limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc), diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc), anticentromere (ACA), antitopoisomerase (ATA) and anti-RNApolIII autoantibodies (ARA). Results: Sequential conditional analyses showed nine SNPs, nine classical alleles and seven amino acids that modelled the observed associations with SSc. This confirmed previously reported associations with HLA-DRB1∗11:04 and HLA-DPB1∗13:01, and revealed a novel association of HLA-B∗08:01. Stratified analyses showed specific associations of HLA-DQA1∗02:01 with lcSSc, and an exclusive association of HLA-DQA1∗05:01 with dcSSc. Similarly, private associations were detected in HLA-DRB1∗08:01 and confirmed the previously reported association of HLA-DRB1∗07:01 with ACA-positive patients, as opposed to the HLA-DPA1∗02:01 and HLA-DQB1∗03:01 alleles associated with ATA presentation. Conclusions: This study confirms the contribution of HLA class II and reveals a novel association of HLA class I with SSc, suggesting novel pathways of disease pathogenesis. Furthermore, we describe specific HLA associations with SSc clinical and serological subtypes that could serve as biomarkers of disease severity and progression