The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns in Germany on Mood, Attention Control, Immune Fitness, and Quality of Life of Young Adults with Self-Reported Impaired Wound Healing

Background: Previous studies in Dutch young adults revealed that individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing reported poorer mood, increased inattention and impulsivity, poorer quality of life, and poorer immune fitness compared to healthy controls. Another study revealed that the negative impact of lockdowns during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was significantly more profound among the impaired wound healing group than the control group. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend these findings among young adults living in Germany. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional survey was conducted among N = 317 young adults living in Germany, 18–35 years old. They were allocated to the IWH group (N = 66) or the control group (N-251). Participants completed the Attention Control Scale, and mood, quality of life, and immune fitness were assessed with single-item ratings. All assessments were made for (1) the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) the first lockdown period, March–May 2020, (3) the first no-lockdown period, summer 2020, (4) the second lockdown, November 2020 to May 2021, and (5) the second no-lockdown period, summer 2021. Results: The impaired wound healing group reported significantly poorer mood, quality of life, and immune fitness. The effects were evident before the pandemic. The impaired wound healing group scored significantly poorer on attention focusing, but no significant differences between the groups were found for attention shifting. During the pandemic, negative lockdown effects (i.e., further aggravation of mood and immune fitness and lower quality of life) were evident in both groups but significantly more profound in the impaired wound healing group. No differences between the groups were found for the no-lockdown periods. Conclusion: Individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing have significantly poorer mood, attention focusing, and immune fitness and report a poorer quality of life than healthy controls. The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns was significantly more profound in the impaired wound-healing group

Mutation analysis of 18 nephronophthisis associated ciliopathy disease genes using a DNA pooling and next generation sequencing strategy

Background Nephronophthisis associated ciliopathies (NPHP-AC) comprise a group of autosomal recessive cystic kidney diseases that includes nephronophthisis (NPHP), Senior-Loken syndrome (SLS), Joubert syndrome (JBTS), and Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS). To date, causative mutations in NPHP-AC have been described for 18 different genes, rendering mutation analysis tedious and expensive. To overcome the broad genetic locus heterogeneity, a strategy of DNA pooling with consecutive massively parallel resequencing (MPR) was devised.Methods In 120 patients with severe NPHP-AC phenotypes, five pools of genomic DNA with 24 patients each were prepared which were used as templates in order to PCR amplify all 376 exons of 18 NPHP-AC genes (NPHP1, INVS, NPHP3, NPHP4, IQCB1, CEP290, GLIS2, RPGRIP1L, NEK8, TMEM67, INPP5E, TMEM216, AHI1, ARL13B, CC2D2A, TTC21B, MKS1, and XPNPEP3). PCR products were then subjected to MPR on an Illumina Genome-Analyser and mutations were subsequently assigned to their respective mutation carrier via CEL I endonuclease based heteroduplex screening and confirmed by Sanger sequencing.Results For proof of principle, DNA from patients with known mutations was used and detection of 22 out of 24 different alleles (92% sensitivity) was demonstrated. MPR led to the molecular diagnosis in 30/120 patients (25%) and 54 pathogenic mutations (27 novel) were identified in seven different NPHP-AC genes. Additionally, in 24 patients only single heterozygous variants of unknown significance were found.Conclusions The combined approach of DNA pooling followed by MPR strongly facilitates mutation analysis in broadly heterogeneous single gene disorders. The lack of mutations in 75% of patients in this cohort indicates further extensive heterogeneity in NPHP-AC

The Prevalence of Supracondyloid Process in the Living: A Radiographic Study

Objective: The spur or the supracondyloid process of the humerus has been of special interest to anatomists, anthropologists and clinicians. Apart from the anthropological research by ancient authors and clinical studies carried out half a century ago, no study of this variation appear in the literature. The aim of the present work is to investigate this variation in the living subjects. Methods: The present information was performed on direct radiograms of the elbow obtained from the volunteer individuals. This study was carried out over a 3-year period from 2005–2008. Results: The spur was found in 9 cases among the 903 persons examined. Bilateral occurrence of the process was higher than that reported in the literature. The cases with the spur reported mild pain in the forearm over a long period. Conclusion: This study showed a higher occurrence of bilateral supracondyloid process than previously reported. It is also suggested that the cases reported as asymptomatic may not be fully free of the complaint of pain which might assist the clinician in their diagnosis. Keywords: Brachial artery, median nerve, struthers ligament, supracondylar spur, variation "Prevalencia del Proceso Supracondileo en los Vivos: un Estudio Radiográfico" AAydinlioglu, FN Gumrukcuoglu, N Koyun RESUMEN Objetivo: El espolón o proceso supracondileo del húmero ha sido de interés especial para anatomistas, antropólogos y médicos. Aparte de la investigación antropológica por autores en la antigüedad, y los estudios clínicos llevados a cabo tan sólo hace medio siglo, no hay un estudio de esta variación en la literatura. El objetivo del trabajo presente es investigar esta variación en los sujetos vivos. Métodos: La información presente procede directamente de radiogramas del codo hechos a individuos voluntarios. Este estudio se llevó a cabo por un periodo de 3 años, desde el 2005 al 2008. Resultados: Se encontró el espolón en 9 casos entre las 903 personas examinadas. La ocurrencia bilateral del proceso fue más alta que la reportada en la literatura. Los casos con espolón reportaron un dolor ligero en el antebrazo por un periodo largo. Conclusión: Este estudio mostró una ocurrencia más alta del proceso supracondileo bilateral que la reportada anteriormente en la literatura. También sugiere que los casos reportados como asintomáticos pueden no estar totalmente libres de quejas de dolor, las cuales podrían ayudar al médico en su diagnóstico. Palabras claves: Arteria braquial o humeral, nervio medio, nervio mediano, ligamento de Struthers, espolón supracondileo, variació

Bezpieczeństwo systemów zasilania w przemyśle kolejowym

Within its structure railway transportation systems contain very critical subsystems that can seriously harm the system itself, people or the environment if not properly controlled. Therefore, these critical subsystems are analysed according to the related standards and necessary safety functions are implemented, verified and operated. On the other hand, railway power supply system, which is a critical subsystems, is generally properly analysed from a reliability perspective whereas the corresponding safety related functions are roughly examined. This paper proposes that the railway power supply systems should be considered as safety critical systems and justifies this proposal using risk analysis as presented in the standard IEC 61508. The safety related functions of the system are examined and each function is modelled in detail using Markov modelling method. These models are implemented over a power supply system of Istanbul Transportation Co. and SIL values of the safety functions are calculated using these modular and easily adaptable Markov models. Furthermore the obtained results are compared with simplistic Fault Tree analysis (FTA) and the significance of accurate calculation is demonstrated.W skład struktury kolejowych systemów transportowych wchodzą krytyczne podsystemy, które, nieodpowiednio monitorowane, mogą narażać sam system, a także ludzi oraz środowisko na poważne szkody. Dlatego też, podsystemy krytyczne analizuje się zgodnie z odpowiednimi normami oraz wdraża w nich, weryfikuje i realizuje niezbędne funkcje bezpieczeństwa. W przypadku systemów zasilania kolei, które należą do grupy podsystemów krytycznych, system na ogół analizuje się dokładnie z punktu widzenia niezawodności, natomiast funkcje bezpieczeństwa bada się jedynie pobieżnie. W prezentowanej pracy postuluje się że systemy zasilania kolei powinny być traktowane jako krytyczne dla bezpieczeństwa, co autorzy uzasadniają z wykorzystaniem analizy ryzyka przedstawionej w normie IEC 61508. W proponowanym rozwiązaniu, bada się funkcje bezpieczeństwa systemu, przy czym każda funkcja zostaje szczegółowo zamodelowana za pomocą metody modelowania Markowa. Modele tego typu wdrożono w systemie zasilania firmy Istanbul Transportation Co. Wartości poziomu nienaruszalności bezpieczeństwa (SIL) badanych funkcji bezpieczeństwa obliczano za pomocą wspomnianych modularnych modeli Markowa charakteryzujących się łatwością adaptacji. Ponadto, uzyskane wyniki porównano z symplistyczną analizą drzewa błędów (FTA), a także wykazano znaczenie prowadzenia dokładnych obliczeń

Comparison of Properties of Hydroxyapatite Powders Synthesized by Chemical and Biomimetic Techniques

Hydroxyapatite $[HA; Ca_{10}(PO_4)_6(OH)_2]$ which composes inorganic phase of bones and teeth is one of the biomedical materials for artificial bone, reconstruction of broken or disordered bones, coating of metallic biomedical materials and dental surgery with its great biocompatibility. In this study, HA powders were synthesized from aqueous suspensions containing $H_3PO_4$ and $Ca(OH)_2$ with 1.67 Ca/P ratios (chemical HA, CHA) and second process is carried out in simulated body fluids consisting of $(NH_4)_2HPO_4$ and $Ca(NO_3)_2 \cdot 4H_2O$ as biomimetic hydroxyapatite (BHA). Moreover, properties of bovine HA (BoHA) and commercial HA (CoHA) were compared with properties of synthesized HA powders. Chemical structures of synthesized powders have been examined by the Fourier transform infrared technique and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that BHA powders have a pure HA content and no secondary phase, CHA also has monetite phase as secondary phase with HA in its structure. Particle size analysis was carried out with laser particle sizer and zeta-sizer, surface area of powders has been analyzed by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller technique. Powder morphology is determined using scanning electron microscopy. As a result two different synthesis methods affected properties of HA powders

Detection of Architectural Drawings Errors in 3 Dimension

Creative Construction Conference, CCC 2017 -- 19 June 2017 through 22 June 2017 -- -- 137308In construction projects architectural drawings are the main documents which show how a structure has to be built. In this sense, most of the data necessary for project management are prepared based on these drawings. Therefore, architectural drawing errors will adversely affect the constructability and hence, the time and cost of a construction project. On the other hand, although the structures are built 3D, architectural drawings are prepared 2D. This circumstance complicates the detection of drawing errors during the design phase. In other words, drawing errors are mostly encountered during the construction phase. In fact, drawing errors are risks which can be detected during the planning phase in nature. In this study, it was argued that to detect drawing errors in planning phase architectural and engineering drawings should be prepared 3D instead of 2D. In this context, drawings of an official approved hotel project were redrawn by means of BIM to determine whether there exists drawing errors. The results of the study revealed that drawings involved many errors and 3D drawings enable early detection of them. © 2017 The Authors

Preparation of Surface Plasmon Resonance Aptasensor for Human Activated Protein C Sensing

Nucleic acid aptamers are an emerging class of artificial ligands and have recently gained attention in several areas. Here we report the design of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) aptasensor for highly sensitive and selective sensing of human activated protein C (APC). First, DNA aptamer (DNA-Apt) specific for APC is complexed with N-methacryloyl-L-cysteine (MAC) monomer. Then, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and cyanamide are mixed with the DNA-Apt/MAC complex. The SPR aptasensor is characterized by atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, and contact angle measurements. Selectivity of SPR aptasensor is carried out in the presence of myoglobin (Myb), hemoglobin (Hb), and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values are 1.5 ng mL?1 and 5.2 ng mL?1, respectively. DNA-Apt SPR aptasensor performance for APC detection is also examined in artificial plasma. © 2022, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Transport properties of shell-ferromagnetic Heusler precipitates in decomposed Ni49.8Mn45.1Sn5.1 and decomposition limit for Ni50Mn50−xSnx alloys

Shell-ferromagnetism is observed in Mn-rich NiMn-based Heusler alloys as a result of phase-separation. Off-stoichiometric NiMn-based Heusler alloys decompose into a dual-phase composite when annealed under a magnetic field. As a result of this process, an initially anti-ferromagnetic Heusler alloy gains hard-ferromagnetic properties with a nearly 10 Tesla coercive field of a core/shell structured precipitate. In the present study, Ni50.1Mn42.1Sn7.8 and Ni50.4Mn36.6Sn13.0 alloys are investigated for magnetic and structural instabilities and shell-ferromagnetic decomposition to obtain information on the compositional limits of the decomposition. Furthermore, we investigate the magneto-transport properties of shell-ferromagnets obtained by annealing Ni49.8Mn45.1Sn5.1 in a magnetic-field. © 2019 Elsevier B.V