Analysis of Morris Water Maze data with Bayesian statistical methods

Neuroscientists commonly use a Morris Water Maze to assess learning in rodents. In his kind of a maze, the subjects learn to swim toward a platform hidden in opaque water as they orient themselves according to the cues on the walls. This protocol presents a challenge to statistical analysis, because an artificial cut-off must be set for those experimental subjects that do not reach the platform so as they do not drown from exhaustion. This fact leads to the data being right censored. In our experimental data, which compares learning in rodents that have chemically induced symptoms of schizophrenia to a control group of rodents a cut-off of 60 seconds was used, and is the mode of the distribution. Utilizing Bayesian inferential procedures, we account for the censoring in the data and compare the results of learning between the treatment and control group

ПІДХОДИ ДО ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ДАВНОСТІ НАСТАННЯ СМЕРТІ

The main approaches and problems that arise when evaluating postmortem interval are defined, ways to avoid such problems are suggested. According to the results of scientific papers analysis on that topic, it was established that in the context of post-mortem changes studies such changes developed differently during a specific period of time passed from the time of death, they also appeared in a variety of forms as a result of environmental factors influence. The factors having a significant impact on postmortem changes were specified. A review of modern methods for determining post-mortem interval was conducted and methods for further improvement of the assessment of postmortem interval were proposed. The use of methods for assessing the PMI by means of the cadaveric phenomena does not always provide for investigating authorities necessary information due to the relatively large time interval in methods based on such changes. Researchers also note the presence of certain shortcomings in the use of existing methods. Current research using laser polarimetry methods have made it possible to establish post-mortem interval with relatively high accuracy. However, high prices and limited availability of equipment used in laser polarimetry methods preclude from using them in everyday practice of forensic medical examiners. When conducting studies on histological and biochemical changes in tissues of internal organs, certain morphological (decrease in optical density) and biochemical (changes in the levels of biochemical markers) changes in the early post-mortal period were identified, which will enable the development of specific tables where such changes would be linked to a specific post-mortem time period during certain short periods of time. Although changes in the conducted research were recognized only in the early post-mortem period and only in muscle tissue, further research on other tissues that are more resistant to post-mortem changes are likely to provide results that would be less affected by ambient temperature, exposure of a corpse to the sun rays, amount of clothing on a corpse, etc.) and also would be more accurate than most existing methods.Розглянуто основні підходи та виявлено проблеми, що виникають під час визначення давності настання смерті, запропоновано шляхи уникнення цих проблем. За результатами аналізу наукових праць за цією тематикою встановлено, що можна, досліджуючи післясмертні зміни у певний відомий проміжок часу, який минув з моменту настання смерті, з’ясувати, що ці зміни мали різну вираженість через вплив факторів навколишнього середовища, і визначити фактори, що істотно вплинули на післясмертні зміни. Проведено огляд сучасних методів визначення давності настання смерті та запропоновано способи подальшого вдосконалення визначення давності настання смерті

Surgical treatment of complicated locally advanced tumors of the pelvic organs.

The article presents the experience of surgical treatment of 51 patients who were treated at the State Institution “V.T. Zaitsev Institute of General and Emergency Surgery NAMS of Ukraine" from 2008 to 2018. with locally advanced cancer of the pelvic organs. Compression of the upper and lower urinary tract with the formation of ureterohydronephrosis was observed in 26 (50.1%) patients, acute intestinal obstruction in 22 (43.1%) patients, and formation of recto-vesicular and/or recto-vaginal fistulas in 15 (29.4 %) patients; bleeding in 14 (27.5%) patients. In 26 (50.1%) patients, 2 or more complications were present. Syndromic differentiation of treatment determined the tactics of the combined treatment, taking into account the risk of complications, which made it possible to ensure the radical removal of the primary tumor, as well as to preserve functioning of the pelvic organs when using a staged surgical treatment

Interacting plasmon and phonon polaritons in aligned nano- and microwires

The availability of macroscopic, nearly periodic structures known as eutectics opens a new path for controlling light at wavelength scales determined by the geometrical parameters of these materials and the intrinsic properties of their component phases. Here, we analyze the optical waveguiding properties of eutectic mixtures of alkali halides, formed by close-packed arrangements of aligned cylindrical inclusions. The wavelengths of phonon polaritons in these constituents are conveniently situated in the infrared and are slightly larger than the diameter and separation of the inclusions, typically consisting on single-crystal wires down to submicrometer diameter. We first discuss the gap mode and the guiding properties of metallic cylindrical waveguides in the visible and near-infrared, and in particular we investigate the transition between cylinder touching and non-touching regimes. Then, we demonstrate that these properties can be extended to the mid infrared by means of phonon polaritons. Finally, we analyze the guiding properties of an actual eutectic. For typical eutectic dimensions, we conclude that crosstalk between neighboring cylindrical wires is small, thus providing a promising platform for signal propagation and image analysis in the mid infrared

Plasmonic nanoparticle monomers and dimers: From nano-antennas to chiral metamaterials

We review the basic physics behind light interaction with plasmonic nanoparticles. The theoretical foundations of light scattering on one metallic particle (a plasmonic monomer) and two interacting particles (a plasmonic dimer) are systematically investigated. Expressions for effective particle susceptibility (polarizability) are derived, and applications of these results to plasmonic nanoantennas are outlined. In the long-wavelength limit, the effective macroscopic parameters of an array of plasmonic dimers are calculated. These parameters are attributable to an effective medium corresponding to a dilute arrangement of nanoparticles, i.e., a metamaterial where plasmonic monomers or dimers have the function of "meta-atoms". It is shown that planar dimers consisting of rod-like particles generally possess elliptical dichroism and function as atoms for planar chiral metamaterials. The fabricational simplicity of the proposed rod-dimer geometry can be used in the design of more cost-effective chiral metamaterials in the optical domain.Comment: submitted to Appl. Phys.

НЕФРОЛОГІЧНА ПАТОЛОГІЯ У ДІТЕЙ ХАРКІВСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ

Нефрологическая заболеваемость и инвалидность являются важными индикаторами состояния здоровья детского населения. Целью данного исследования является выявление региональных особенностей заболеваемости и распространенности нефрологической патологии среди детей Харьковской области и анализ деятельности нефрологической службы оказания помощи детскому населению Харьковской области. Материал и методы. Материалом для данного исследования является отчетная документация о состоянии нефрологической помощи детям Харьковской области за период с 2009 по 2011 года и данные Центра медицинской статистики Министерства здравоохранения Украины. Результаты исследования. Определена структура, заболеваемость и распространенность основных болезней органов мочевой системы у детей. Проанализированы основные показатели работы детской нефрологической службы в Харьковской области. Выводы. Проведенное авторами исследование позволит провести правильные и аргументированные лечебно-реабилитационные мероприятия на  всех этапах оказания специализированной медицинской помощи детям с нефрологической патологией и разработать программы, направленные на улучшение показателей здоровья и профилактику инвалидности в детском возрасте

URINARY SYSTEM PATHOLOGY IN CHILDREN POPULATION OF KHARKIV REGION: MORBIDITY AND SOME RISK FACTORS

Urinary system pathology in children now is one of the most important problems of medical science. The aim of this study – to analyze the morbidity and reveal the risk factors for development of urinary system diseases in children of Kharkiv region. Materials and methods. The material of the study was the information (gender, age, weight and body length at birth, gestational age, clinical diagnosis), obtained during hospitalization of 663 patients aged from 3 months to 17 years in the nephrological center of Kharkiv regional children clinical hospital during the period from 2012 to 2013 years. Results. The authors found that in children population of Kharkiv region among all diseases of urinary system a significant number of cases occur in congenital malformations, dismetabolic nephropathy, urolithiasis. Conclusions. Regional risk factors for development of urinary system pathology in children are female and living in the village. Decreased weight and body length at birth are risk factors for development in children urinary system congenital malformations