Basic Principles of Improving the Functional Organization of Student Housing

Nowadays higher education programs quality in Belarus allows the republic to prepare well-competent specialists in various fields. The curriculum and whole atmosphere in community and at the university campus are making great influence on efficiency of studying. Furthermore, living environment, where non-resident students hold most of their time, is important, because it is where basic human needs for food, rest and communication are being fulfilled

Relative body mass index as a new tool for nutritional status assessment in children and adolescents with bronchial asthma

© 2017, Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy. All rights reserved.The aim of the investigation was to estimate the possibilities of using relative body mass index (RBMI) for determining age- and gender-specific aspects of nutritional status in children and adolescents with bronchial asthma (BA) of different severity degrees. Materials and Methods. The study involved 887 children and adolescents with BA of different severities, aged 5–17 years (61– 215 months), of them 655 were boys. Their body mass index (BMI) was evaluated based on the Z-score criterion and nutritional status was determined as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). To unify nutritional status assessment in patients of different age and gender groups, there was introduced RBMI representing the ratio of the patient’s BMI to gender- and age-specific median BMI value presented in the WHO reference data. Results. Nutritional status and its relation to BA were studied in children and adolescents using two parameters: the standard nutritional status indicator based on BMI Z-scores as recommended by WHO, and a new parameter, RBMI, representing the ratio of the patient’s BMI to gender- and age-specific median BMI value recommended by WHO. No significant nutritional status differences were found in the studied sample of patients with various degrees of BA severity. There was revealed a tendency to a decrease in the proportion of children with normal body weight and an increase in the proportion of overweight children as BA severity increased, χ2=26.82; р=0.08. Conclusion. Using RBMI for assessment of BA patients makes it possible to significantly facilitate clinical data analysis and obtain new data unavailable when standard parameters are applied

Endonasal infrared thermometry for the diagnosis of allergic inflammation of the nasal mucosa in patients with bronchial asthma

© 2017, Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy. All rights reserved. Bronchial asthma (BA) is often associated with chronic inflammatory processes in the nasal mucosa; these processes give rise to allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, adenoiditis, and polypous rhinosinusitis. Due to their multiple symptoms, these diseases of the upper respiratory tract, especially allergic rhinitis, are often difficult to verify in patients with asthma. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of endonasal IR thermometry in BA patients suspected of allergic rhinitis. Materials and Methods. Fifty children diagnosed with both BA and allergic rhinitis and 15 healthy children, matched by gender and age, participated in the study. The endonasal temperature determined with contactless IR thermometry was confronted with the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and sinusitis assessed with the TNSS and SNOT-20 questionnaires. The results were compared with the severity of nasal obstruction as determined through the anterior active rhinomanometry. Results. The nasal temperature in patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis was 33.77 [33.37; 34.17]°С, which was significantly lower than that in the group of healthy children (34.98 [34.57; 35.39] °С; p=0.0006); the body temperature did not differ between the groups (36.55 [36.45; 36.65] and 36.58 [36.40; 36.76] °С, respectively; p=0.5). We found a negative correlation between the values of nasal temperature and the sinusitis symptom scores in patients with BA and allergic rhinitis (R=–0.32; p=0.02). Conclusion. Patients with both BA and allergic rhinitis showed a decreased endonasal temperature in comparison with healthy children; the endonasal temperature can serve an indicator of allergic inflammation of the nasal mucosa

Metal organic framework nanosheets in polymer composite materials for gas separation

[EN] Composites incorporating two-dimensional nanostructures within polymeric matrices have potential as functional components for several technologies, including gas separation. Prospectively, employing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as versatile nanofillers would notably broaden the scope of functionalities. However, synthesizing MOFs in the form of freestanding nanosheets has proved challenging. We present a bottom-up synthesis strategy for dispersible copper 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate MOF lamellae of micrometre lateral dimensions and nanometre thickness. Incorporating MOF nanosheets into polymer matrices endows the resultant composites with outstanding CO2 separation performance from CO2/CH4 gas mixtures, together with an unusual and highly desired increase in the separation selectivity with pressure. As revealed by tomographic focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, the unique separation behaviour stems from a superior occupation of the membrane cross-section by the MOF nanosheets as compared with isotropic crystals, which improves the efficiency of molecular discrimination and eliminates unselective permeation pathways. This approach opens the door to ultrathin MOF-polymer composites for various applications.The research leading to these results has received funding (J.G., B.S.) from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement no. 335746, CrystEng-MOF-MMM. T.R. is grateful to TUDelft for funding. G.P. acknowledges the A. von Humboldt Foundation for a research grant. A.C., I.L. and F.X.L.i.X. thank Consolider-Ingenio 2010 (project MULTICAT) and the ‘Severo Ochoa’ programme for support. 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Intestinal micro biota and its role in the pathogenesis of secondary hyperoxaluria in children

Objective. To present modern data on the role of intestinal micro flora in the development of secondary hyperoxaluria in children.Material and method. To analyze literature data and generalize the available results of original studies on intestinal micro flora Oxalobacterformigenes, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bacteria and their role in the prevention and reduction of clinical manifestations of secondary hyperoxaluria.Results. The authors have presented the current data on the risk factors for the development and pathogenesis of secondary hyperoxaluria. They have described the intestinal micro biota and its role in prevention of secondary hyperoxaluria.Conclusions. The study of the intestinal micro biota (especially O. formigenes, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bacteria) and its role in the prevention of secondary hyperoxaluria will help to rationalize the management of patients and to develop new approaches to the prevention of secondary hyperoxaluria

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF IMPROVING THE FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF STUDENT HOUSING

Анализируется функционально-планировочная организация студенческих общежитий, реализованная во второй половине ХХ века. Изучаются современные тенденции проектирования общежитий на примере студенческой деревни в городе Минске. В ходе данного исследования путем он-лайн анкетирования и очного группового опроса рассмотрены аспекты оптимизации жилой и общественной среды в общежитиях для студентов. Сформулированы требования и предпосылки к организации внутреннего пространства студенческих общежитий, обоснована необходимость разработки перспективной модели общежития для студентов с учетом их потребностей.= This article analyzes the functional planning organization of student dormitories: dormitories for students implemented in the second half of the 20th century are examined, modern trends in designing dormitories are studied using the example of a student village in the city of Minsk. As a result of this study, through online questionnaires and face-to-face group interviews, aspects of optimizing the residential and public environment in student dormitories are considered. The requirements and prerequisites for the organization of the internal space of student hostels are formulated, and the need to develop a promising model of hostel for students based on their needs is justified

Relative body mass index as a new tool for nutritional status assessment in children and adolescents with bronchial asthma

© 2017, Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy. All rights reserved.The aim of the investigation was to estimate the possibilities of using relative body mass index (RBMI) for determining age- and gender-specific aspects of nutritional status in children and adolescents with bronchial asthma (BA) of different severity degrees. Materials and Methods. The study involved 887 children and adolescents with BA of different severities, aged 5–17 years (61– 215 months), of them 655 were boys. Their body mass index (BMI) was evaluated based on the Z-score criterion and nutritional status was determined as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). To unify nutritional status assessment in patients of different age and gender groups, there was introduced RBMI representing the ratio of the patient’s BMI to gender- and age-specific median BMI value presented in the WHO reference data. Results. Nutritional status and its relation to BA were studied in children and adolescents using two parameters: the standard nutritional status indicator based on BMI Z-scores as recommended by WHO, and a new parameter, RBMI, representing the ratio of the patient’s BMI to gender- and age-specific median BMI value recommended by WHO. No significant nutritional status differences were found in the studied sample of patients with various degrees of BA severity. There was revealed a tendency to a decrease in the proportion of children with normal body weight and an increase in the proportion of overweight children as BA severity increased, χ2=26.82; р=0.08. Conclusion. Using RBMI for assessment of BA patients makes it possible to significantly facilitate clinical data analysis and obtain new data unavailable when standard parameters are applied

Endonasal infrared thermometry for the diagnosis of allergic inflammation of the nasal mucosa in patients with bronchial asthma

© 2017, Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy. All rights reserved. Bronchial asthma (BA) is often associated with chronic inflammatory processes in the nasal mucosa; these processes give rise to allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, adenoiditis, and polypous rhinosinusitis. Due to their multiple symptoms, these diseases of the upper respiratory tract, especially allergic rhinitis, are often difficult to verify in patients with asthma. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of endonasal IR thermometry in BA patients suspected of allergic rhinitis. Materials and Methods. Fifty children diagnosed with both BA and allergic rhinitis and 15 healthy children, matched by gender and age, participated in the study. The endonasal temperature determined with contactless IR thermometry was confronted with the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and sinusitis assessed with the TNSS and SNOT-20 questionnaires. The results were compared with the severity of nasal obstruction as determined through the anterior active rhinomanometry. Results. The nasal temperature in patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis was 33.77 [33.37; 34.17]°С, which was significantly lower than that in the group of healthy children (34.98 [34.57; 35.39] °С; p=0.0006); the body temperature did not differ between the groups (36.55 [36.45; 36.65] and 36.58 [36.40; 36.76] °С, respectively; p=0.5). We found a negative correlation between the values of nasal temperature and the sinusitis symptom scores in patients with BA and allergic rhinitis (R=–0.32; p=0.02). Conclusion. Patients with both BA and allergic rhinitis showed a decreased endonasal temperature in comparison with healthy children; the endonasal temperature can serve an indicator of allergic inflammation of the nasal mucosa