Regional Aspects of Nosocomial Infection As a Medical and Social Problem

Prevention of nosocomial infection (NI) is an important medical and socioeconomic problem. And though certain organizational and practical measures are implemented in Russia every year to reduce NIs, the problem is still relevant from medical and social points of view. The risk of infection are both for patients and medical workers. In Russia, the minimum economic damage caused by NIs is 2.5–5 billion rubles annually. According to the Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare in the Republic of Mordovia, the total incidence of NI in the region is at a low level. The incidence rate was 0.01 per 1000 patients in hospitals. The dynamics of the last five years demonstrates a decrease in hospital-acquired infections. In the dynamics of the last five years, incidence rates of purulent-septic infections of newborns and postpartum women, postoperative purulent-septic complications and post-injection complications had an unstable downward trend. Thus, purulent-septic infections of newborns and postpartum women and postoperative infections are dominated in the structure of nosocomial infections. Analysis of dynamics of morbidity in recent years in the Republic of Mordovia suggests that the measures taken to prevent NI are quite effective and are manifested with consistently low rates

Biphoton compression in standard optical fiber: exact numerical calculation

Generation of two-photon wavepackets, produced by spontaneous parametric down conversion in crystals with linearly chirped quasi-phase matching grating, is analyzed. Although being spectrally broad, two-photon wavepackets produced this way are not Fourier transform limited. In the paper we discuss the temporal compression of the wavepackets, exploiting the insertion of a standard optical fiber in the path of one of the two photons. The effect is analyzed by means of full numerical calculation and the exact dispersion dependencies in both the crystal and the fiber are considered. The study opens the way to the practical realization of this idea.Comment: 10 pages, 16 figure

Analysis of clothing elements reflecting fashion trends in the collection of fashion shows

The aim of the work is to study fashion trends, to establish a set of elements through which changes are expressed in models (samples) of collections of fashion shows of clothes, and how these changes are introduced into mass production and are repeated over time. The theoretical significance of the work lies in the development of a methodology for studying clothing samples, identifying fashion trends and making forecasts. The results obtained can be used in training for the formation of competencies among specialists in the field of fashion technology, modeling and clothing design, at industry enterprises for the development of promising collections. The proposed technique was tested, elements of models and materials were identified, the use and combination of which ensures the relative novelty and integrity of the collections, forms a promising trend, which is further implemented in the mass production of clothing

Perturbative regime of terahertz high-harmonics generation in topological insulators

In this Letter, terahertz high harmonic generation processes in topological insulators of the bismuth and antimony chalcogenides family are investigated. Field conversion efficiencies are determined and clean cubic and quintic power-law scaling is observed for third and fifth harmonics, up to driving terahertz fields of 140 kV/cm. This is in contrast to all previous experiments on terahertz harmonics generation in Dirac materials where a non-perturbative regime has been observed already at few 10s kV/cm driving fields. Our nonlinear THz spectroscopy experiments are complemented by THz pump - optical probe measurements showing distinctly different relaxation dynamics of the carriers in the topologically-protected Dirac states at the surfaces and the bulk. The THz-induced dynamics of surface states reveal ultrafast relaxation that prevents accumulation effects, and results in a clear perturbative regime of THz harmonics generation that is different to graphene or Dirac semimetals with their slower relaxation times in the few ps regime

Establishment and characterisation of six human biliary tract cancer cell lines

Human cell lines established from biliary tract cancers are rare, and only five have been reported previously. We report the characterisation of six new six biliary tract cancer cell lines (designated SNU-245, SNU-308, SNU-478, SNU-869, SNU-1079 and SNU-1196) established from primary tumour samples of Korean patients. The cell lines were isolated from two extrahepatic bile duct cancers (one adenocarcinoma of common bile duct, one hilar bile duct cancer), two adenocarcinomas of ampulla of Vater, one intrahepatic bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), and one adenocarcinoma of the gall bladder. The cell phenotypes, including the histopathology of the primary tumours and in vitro growth characteristics, were determined. We also performed molecular characterisation, including DNA fingerprinting analysis and abnormalities of K-ras, p15, p16, p53, hMLH1, hMSH2, DPC4, β-catenin, E-cadherin, hOGG1, STK11, and TGF-βRII genes by PCR–SSCP and sequencing analysis. In addition, we compared the genetic alterations in tumour cell lines and their corresponding tumour tissues. All lines grew as adherent cells. Population doubling times varied from 48–72 h. The culture success rate was 20% (six out of 30 attempts). All cell lines showed (i) relatively high viability; (ii) absence of mycoplasma or bacteria contamination; and (iii) genetic heterogeneity by DNA fingerprinting analysis. Among the lines, three lines had p53 mutations; and homozygous deletions in both p16 and p15 genes were found three and three lines, respectively; one line had a heterozygous missense mutation in hMLH1; E-cadherin gene was hypermethylated in two lines. Since the establishment of biliary tract cancer cell lines has been rarely reported in the literature, these newly established and well characterised biliary tract cancer cell lines would be very useful for studying the biology of biliary tract cancers, particularly those related to hypermethylation of E-cadherin gene in biliary tract cancer

Relationship of the incoming testing results and the final exam assesment of students

Incoming testing is very important for the assessment of knowledge and for the improvement of the exam results on subject of propaedeutic of internal diseases. The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between the results of incoming testing and the final assessment of knowledge. Data were obtained that students were not received unsatisfactory marks for the exam on propaedeutic of internal diseases who passed the incoming test for "excellent" and "good" marks. It is shown a positive correlation relationship between the final rating for the exam and the percentage of correct answers to the incoming test.Проведение входящего тестирования является важным для диагностики знаний и в дальнейшем — для улучшения результатов экзамена студентов по пропедевтике внутренних болезней. Целью настоящего исследования явилось изучение взаимосвязи между результатами входящего тестирования и итоговой оценкой знаний по предмету. Были получены данные, что у студентов, которые сдали входящий тест на отлично и хорошо, неудовлетворительных оценок за экзамен по пропедевтике внутренних болезней получено не было. Показана положительная взаимосвязь между итоговым рейтингом за экзамен и процентом правильных ответов на входящий тес

Role of student scientific society in forming professional motivation of students

The article presents the activities of the student scientific society of the department of propaedeutics of internal diseases. It is shown the contribution of student scientific society to the formation of professional motivation of students during 10 years, besides, some problems are identified, and it is shown the ways to improve the effectiveness of scientific activities for professional and personal growth of students.В статье представлена работа студенческого научного общества (СНО) кафедры пропедевтики внутренних болезней. На основании анализа деятельности СНО кафедры за 10 лет показан его вклад в формирование профессиональной мотивации студентов, выявлены проблемы и определены пути повышения эффективности работы СНО для профессионального и личностного роста студентов

Cancer effects of formaldehyde: a proposal for an indoor air guideline value

Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous indoor air pollutant that is classified as “Carcinogenic to humans (Group 1)” (IARC, Formaldehyde, 2-butoxyethanol and 1-tert-butoxypropanol-2-ol. IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans, vol 88. World Health Organization, Lyon, pp 39–325, 2006). For nasal cancer in rats, the exposure–response relationship is highly non-linear, supporting a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) that allows setting a guideline value. Epidemiological studies reported no increased incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer in humans below a mean level of 1 ppm and peak levels below 4 ppm, consistent with results from rat studies. Rat studies indicate that cytotoxicity-induced cell proliferation (NOAEL at 1 ppm) is a key mechanism in development of nasal cancer. However, the linear unit risk approach that is based on conservative (“worst-case”) considerations is also used for risk characterization of formaldehyde exposures. Lymphohematopoietic malignancies are not observed consistently in animal studies and if caused by formaldehyde in humans, they are high-dose phenomenons with non-linear exposure–response relationships. Apparently, these diseases are not reported in epidemiological studies at peak exposures below 2 ppm and average exposures below 0.5 ppm. At the similar airborne exposure levels in rodents, the nasal cancer effect is much more prominent than lymphohematopoietic malignancies. Thus, prevention of nasal cancer is considered to prevent lymphohematopoietic malignancies. Departing from the rat studies, the guideline value of the WHO (Air quality guidelines for Europe, 2nd edn. World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, pp 87–91, 2000), 0.08 ppm (0.1 mg m−3) formaldehyde, is considered preventive of carcinogenic effects in compliance with epidemiological findings

Is exposure to formaldehyde in air causally associated with leukemia?—A hypothesis-based weight-of-evidence analysis

Recent scientific debate has focused on the potential for inhaled formaldehyde to cause lymphohematopoietic cancers, particularly leukemias, in humans. The concern stems from certain epidemiology studies reporting an association, although particulars of endpoints and dosimetry are inconsistent across studies and several other studies show no such effects. Animal studies generally report neither hematotoxicity nor leukemia associated with formaldehyde inhalation, and hematotoxicity studies in humans are inconsistent. Formaldehyde's reactivity has been thought to preclude systemic exposure following inhalation, and its apparent inability to reach and affect the target tissues attacked by known leukemogens has, heretofore, led to skepticism regarding its potential to cause human lymphohematopoietic cancers. Recently, however, potential modes of action for formaldehyde leukemogenesis have been hypothesized, and it has been suggested that formaldehyde be identified as a known human leukemogen. In this article, we apply our hypothesis-based weight-of-evidence (HBWoE) approach to evaluate the large body of evidence regarding formaldehyde and leukemogenesis, attending to how human, animal, and mode-of-action results inform one another. We trace the logic of inference within and across all studies, and articulate how one could account for the suite of available observations under the various proposed hypotheses. Upon comparison of alternative proposals regarding what causal processes may have led to the array of observations as we see them, we conclude that the case fora causal association is weak and strains biological plausibility. Instead, apparent association between formaldehyde inhalation and leukemia in some human studies is better interpreted as due to chance or confounding