SOIL ORGANIC MATTER STATUS IN AGRICULTURAL SOIL SEQUENCE OF FORMER SHORELINE OF DISAPPEARING SUMOWSKIE LAKES, NORTH-EASTERN POLAND

The aim of the study has been to define the stocks and the basic properties of soil organic matter in agricultural-used soil sequence located in the former shoreline of disappearing lakes. The study area is located in the catchment of the Sumowskie Lakes, the Brodnica Lake District, North-Eastern Poland. The investigations involved preparation of five soil pits located in the south-western part of the former Sumowskie Lake bottom and on the southern slope of the adjacent kame hill. The greatest soil transformation is reflected in the quality and quantity of the soil organic matter. Indexes of organic matter quality and TOC stocks are significantly changing along the studied transect. The strongly humidified organic matter is found in mursh horizons. Gyttja layers above the groundwater level have a medium humification index. Horizons saturated with water are very low humidified. TOC stocks drop along the analysed soil sequence from the biogenic plain to the top of the kame hill. Celem badań było określenie zasobów i podstawowych właściwości materii organicznej sekwencji rolniczo użytkowanych gleb dawnej strefy brzegowej zanikających jezior. Obszar badań był zlokalizowany w zlewni jezior Sumowskich na Pojezierzu Brodnickim w Polsce północno-wschodniej. Analizowano transekt składający się z pięciu profili glebowych znajdujących się w pd.-zach. części dawnego Jeziora Sumowskiego. Obejmował on dno dawnego jeziora oraz przylegające wzgórze kemowe. Największe zróżnicowanie gleb dotyczyło ilości i jakości glebowej materii organicznej. Zarówno właściwości materii organicznej, jak i jej zasoby wyraźnie różnicują się w analizowanym transekcie. Materia organiczna poziomów murszowych gleb pojeziornych odznacza się najwyższym stopniem humifikacji, warstwy gytii, powyżej poziomu wód gruntowych, pośrednim, a poziomy nasycone wodą najniższym spośród analizowanych. Zasoby węgla organicznego zmniejszają się wzdłuż transektu od gleb pojeziornych do szczytu pagórka kemowego (pararędziny)

Network impact score is an independent predictor of post-stroke cognitive impairment: A multicenter cohort study in 2341 patients with acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a common consequence of stroke. Accurate prediction of PSCI risk is challenging. The recently developed network impact score, which integrates information on infarct location and size with brain network topology, may improve PSCI risk prediction. AIMS: To determine if the network impact score is an independent predictor of PSCI, and of cognitive recovery or decline. METHODS: We pooled data from patients with acute ischemic stroke from 12 cohorts through the Meta VCI Map consortium. PSCI was defined as impairment in ≥ 1 cognitive domain on neuropsychological examination, or abnormal Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Cognitive recovery was defined as conversion from PSCI 24 months) and cognitive recovery or decline using logistic regression. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, prior stroke, infarct volume, and study site. RESULTS: We included 2341 patients with 4657 cognitive assessments. PSCI was present in 398/844 patients (47%) 24 months. Cognitive recovery occurred in 64/181 (35%) patients and cognitive decline in 26/287 (9%). The network impact score predicted PSCI in the univariable (OR 1.50, 95%CI 1.34-1.68) and multivariable (OR 1.27, 95%CI 1.10-1.46) GEE model, with similar ORs in the logistic regression models for specified post-stroke intervals. The network impact score was not associated with cognitive recovery or decline. CONCLUSIONS: The network impact score is an independent predictor of PSCI. As such, the network impact score may contribute to a more precise and individualized cognitive prognostication in patients with ischemic stroke. Future studies should address if multimodal prediction models, combining the network impact score with demographics, clinical characteristics and other advanced brain imaging biomarkers, will provide accurate individualized prediction of PSCI. A tool for calculating the network impact score is freely available at https://metavcimap.org/features/software-tools/lsm-viewer/

Problematic Facebook use and problematic video gaming as mediators of relationship between impulsivity and life satisfaction among female and male gamers

Over the past few decades, many new technologies have emerged, such as portable computers, the internet and smartphones, which have contributed to improving the lives of individuals. While the benefits of these new technologies are overwhelmingly positive, negative consequences are experienced by a minority of individuals. One possible negative aspect of new technologies is their problematic use due to impulsive use which may lead to lower life satisfaction. The present study investigated the mediating role of problematic video gaming (PVG) and problematic Facebook use (PFU) in the relationship between impulsivity dimensions and life satisfaction as well as the relationship between impulsivity dimensions and problematic behaviors. Additionally, the potential impact of gender differences was also examined. The study comprised 673 gamers (391 females) aged 17–38 years (M = 21.25 years, SD = 2.67) selected from 1365 individuals who completed an offline survey. PFU was assessed using the Facebook Intrusion Scale, and PVG was assessed using the nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale–Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). Impulsivity dimensions such as attention, cognitive instability, motor, perseverance, self-control, and cognitive complexity were assessed using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and life satisfaction was assessed using the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Depending on the specific impulsivity dimension, findings showed both positive and negative relationships between impulsivity and life satisfaction. Attention and perseverance subtypes of impulsivity were primarily associated with problematic behaviors. Additionally, cognitive complexity was associated with PFU among female gamers, whereas cognitive instability was associated with PVG among male gamers. Additionally, PVG was primarily associated with lower life satisfaction. However, there was no mediation effects between impulsivity dimensions and life satisfaction via PFU or PVG. These findings provide a better understanding of the relationship between problematic behaviors, life satisfaction, and impulsivity among gamers and the differences between male and female gamers

Cerebral microbleeds and stroke risk after ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack: a pooled analysis of individual patient data from cohort studies

BACKGROUND: Cerebral microbleeds are a neuroimaging biomarker of stroke risk. A crucial clinical question is whether cerebral microbleeds indicate patients with recent ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack in whom the rate of future intracranial haemorrhage is likely to exceed that of recurrent ischaemic stroke when treated with antithrombotic drugs. We therefore aimed to establish whether a large burden of cerebral microbleeds or particular anatomical patterns of cerebral microbleeds can identify ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack patients at higher absolute risk of intracranial haemorrhage than ischaemic stroke. METHODS: We did a pooled analysis of individual patient data from cohort studies in adults with recent ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack. Cohorts were eligible for inclusion if they prospectively recruited adult participants with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack; included at least 50 participants; collected data on stroke events over at least 3 months follow-up; used an appropriate MRI sequence that is sensitive to magnetic susceptibility; and documented the number and anatomical distribution of cerebral microbleeds reliably using consensus criteria and validated scales. Our prespecified primary outcomes were a composite of any symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage or ischaemic stroke, symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage, and symptomatic ischaemic stroke. We registered this study with the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews, number CRD42016036602. FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 1996, and Dec 1, 2018, we identified 344 studies. After exclusions for ineligibility or declined requests for inclusion, 20 322 patients from 38 cohorts (over 35 225 patient-years of follow-up; median 1·34 years [IQR 0·19-2·44]) were included in our analyses. The adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] comparing patients with cerebral microbleeds to those without was 1·35 (95% CI 1·20-1·50) for the composite outcome of intracranial haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke; 2·45 (1·82-3·29) for intracranial haemorrhage and 1·23 (1·08-1·40) for ischaemic stroke. The aHR increased with increasing cerebral microbleed burden for intracranial haemorrhage but this effect was less marked for ischaemic stroke (for five or more cerebral microbleeds, aHR 4·55 [95% CI 3·08-6·72] for intracranial haemorrhage vs 1·47 [1·19-1·80] for ischaemic stroke; for ten or more cerebral microbleeds, aHR 5·52 [3·36-9·05] vs 1·43 [1·07-1·91]; and for ≥20 cerebral microbleeds, aHR 8·61 [4·69-15·81] vs 1·86 [1·23-1·82]). However, irrespective of cerebral microbleed anatomical distribution or burden, the rate of ischaemic stroke exceeded that of intracranial haemorrhage (for ten or more cerebral microbleeds, 64 ischaemic strokes [95% CI 48-84] per 1000 patient-years vs 27 intracranial haemorrhages [17-41] per 1000 patient-years; and for ≥20 cerebral microbleeds, 73 ischaemic strokes [46-108] per 1000 patient-years vs 39 intracranial haemorrhages [21-67] per 1000 patient-years). INTERPRETATION: In patients with recent ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack, cerebral microbleeds are associated with a greater relative hazard (aHR) for subsequent intracranial haemorrhage than for ischaemic stroke, but the absolute risk of ischaemic stroke is higher than that of intracranial haemorrhage, regardless of cerebral microbleed presence, antomical distribution, or burden

Modelowanie zespołu wykonawczego w układzie sterowania podciśnieniem autonomicznego aparatu udojowego dla krów

Design intents for an actuator of the suction pressure control system in an autonomous milking machine were presented. For determination of its dynamic properties step characteristic was taken. The considered object was described with transmittance and thermodynamic models. Models were identified and their parameters were adjusted. Computer simulation was carried out in MATLAB®-Simulink. Analysis of research results proved that the thermodynamic model allows more detailed reflection of dynamic characteristic of the real object. Its degree of imperfections is 0.99%. For the transmittance model a degree of imperfection with the value of 2.02% was obtained.Przedstawiono założenia projektowe dla zespołu wykonawczego układu sterowania podciśnieniem ssącym w autonomicznym aparacie udojowym. Dla określenia jego właściwości dynamicznych na stanowisku badawczym zdjęto charakterystykę skokową. Rozpatrywany obiekt opisano modelami: transmitancyjnym i termodynamicznym. Modele zidentyfikowano i dostrojono ich parametry. Przeprowadzono symulację komputerową w programie MATLAB®-Simulink. Analiza wyników badań wskazała, iż model termodynamiczny pozwala na dokładniejsze odwzorowanie charakterystyki dynamicznej obiektu rzeczywistego. Jego stopień niedoskonałości εi wynosi 0,99%. Dla modelu transmitancyjnego otrzymano stopień niedoskonałości εi o wartości 2,01%

Generalized in vitro-in vivo relationship (IVIVR) model based on artificial neural networks

Aleksander Mendyk,1 Pawel Tuszynski,1 Sebastian Polak,2 Renata Jachowicz1 1Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, 2Department of Social Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland Background: The aim of this study was to develop a generalized in vitro-in vivo relationship (IVIVR) model based on in vitro dissolution profiles together with quantitative and qualitative composition of dosage formulations as covariates. Such a model would be of substantial aid in the early stages of development of a pharmaceutical formulation, when no in vivo results are yet available and it is impossible to create a classical in vitro-in vivo correlation (IVIVC)/IVIVR. Methods: Chemoinformatics software was used to compute the molecular descriptors of drug substances (ie, active pharmaceutical ingredients) and excipients. The data were collected from the literature. Artificial neural networks were used as the modeling tool. The training process was carried out using the 10-fold cross-validation technique. Results: The database contained 93 formulations with 307 inputs initially, and was later limited to 28 in a course of sensitivity analysis. The four best models were introduced into the artificial neural network ensemble. Complete in vivo profiles were predicted accurately for 37.6% of the formulations. Conclusion: It has been shown that artificial neural networks can be an effective predictive tool for constructing IVIVR in an integrated generalized model for various formulations. Because IVIVC/IVIVR is classically conducted for 2–4 formulations and with a single active pharmaceutical ingredient, the approach described here is unique in that it incorporates various active pharmaceutical ingredients and dosage forms into a single model. Thus, preliminary IVIVC/IVIVR can be available without in vivo data, which is impossible using current IVIVC/IVIVR procedures. Keywords: artificial neural networks, in vitro-in vivo, correlation, relationship, bioavailability, soft computin