Compliance as an Integral Part of the Dry Eye Syndrome Prevention Using Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

The probability of dry eye syndrome (DES) in the patients using the Silicone-Hydrogel Contact Lenses is examined in many researches. Therefore, adhering to clinical recommendations is an important factor for DES prevention. The urgent issue is also a comprehensive assessment of functional parameters as pathogenetic base of DES.The objective of the research was tostudy DES development depending on compliance of silicone hydrogel contact lenses users.Matherials and methods. 97 patients (194 eyes) were included into the research. They formed 2 groups: group I with incomplete compliance (36 persons) and group II with complete compliance (61 persons). All the patients underwent the Norn’s test, Schirmer’s test, Jones test, tear film stability was defined. The probability of the dry eye syndrome development due to the subjective signs was also analysed.Results. The reliable decrease in the total (р<0.05) and basale lacrimation (р<0.05) indexes, the increase in osmolarity (р<0.05) and decrease in tear film stability (р<0.05) were detected in the patients who did not follow the clinical guidance during the Silicone-Hydrogel Contact Lenses wearing. In the same group the higher risk of dry eye syndrome development was verified (р<0.05).Conclusion. Compliance disorder in the patients using Silicone-Hydrogel Contact Lenses was found to induce the reliable decrease in total and basale lacrimation, increase in osmolarity and tear stability disorder. All of this factors increase the risk of dry eye syndrome

Tracking of plasmodesmata localization with the use of fluorescently labelled VAP27 protein

Plasmodesmata play a crucial role in plant development processes, biotic and abiotic stress responses. The thick space inside of a plasmodesma between the plasma membrane and desmotubule is tethered by spoke-like elements. VAP27 is a transmembrane protein localized in plasmodesmata that acts as their tether. The aim of the study was to investigate the integration of fluorescently labelled VAP27 protein into plasma membrane in Nicotiana benthamiana plasmodesmata which would enable the tracking of N. benthamiana plasmodesmata localization in vivo. The research was done by infiltration of N. benthamiana with the Agrobacterium tumefaciens cells. A. tumefaciens were transformed with the GreenGate assembled plasmid containing the gene coding for Nterminally labelled VAP27 with EGFP. The EGFP fluorescence was detected by confocal imaging of N. benthamiana leaves. Prior to confocal imaging, the leaves were infiltrated with aniline blue, which acted as plasmodesmata marker. The findings revealed the colocalization of positions of VAP27-EGFP expression and plasmodesmata. The conclusion was made that the integration of VAP27-EGFP into the plasma membrane in plasmodesmata was successful

Psychological effects of business trainings in Tanzania

This master thesis, as a part of a project on business trainings in Tanzania, investigates the effects of these trainings on change in mindset and soft skills of microentrepreneurs in Dar es Salaam. It focuses on following dimensions: Creativity, Individualism, Locus of Control, Need for Achievement, Dispositional Optimism and Trust/Relationship. The significant differences are found on the number of dimensions. Entrepreneurs who took part in the training have more internal locus of control, are more creative and have greater need for achievement. There are also significant differences in some psychological variables between genders. All dimensions except for individualism show predicted direction of relation between groups with and without training

Real time prediction of track while scan data

The article covers several path prediction methods based on Kalman filter, compares mem and estimates their advantages and disadvantages on example of searching a path of a maneuvering object on noisy pre-processed radar picture by evaluating their error values

Development of mechanistic-empirical damage assessment procedures for CRC pavements with emphasis on traffic loading characteristics.

Edge punchout has been long recognized as the prevailing mode of structural failure in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements (CRCP) and yet, has remained relatively unexplored and unexplained. The existing design and evaluation procedures for CRCP employ American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) equations for the jointed concrete pavements and the Equivalent Single Axle Load (ESAL) approach that will neither predict nor address edge punchouts. A comprehensive procedure for prediction of CRCP structural deterioration based on fundamental mechanical principles was developed in this study. This procedure directly considers the key design factors and site conditions affecting formation of edge punchouts found from the results of field data analysis and literature review. The mechanism of CRCP structural deterioration modeled in this study is based on consideration of several critical conditions that take place in the field. These conditions include formation of closely spaced transverse cracks, loss of aggregate interlock across transverse cracks, loss of edge support due to erosion, development of high tensile stresses, accumulation of fatigue damage in concrete under repetitive traffic loading, longitudinal cracking of narrow CRCP segments, and punchout development. None of these factors were addressed in the AASHTO approach to CRCP design and evaluation. Several theoretical models were developed in the course of the study including a CRCP structural response prediction model, a mechanistic-empirical model for prediction of longitudinal cracking leading to punchout, a probabilistic model to estimate the number of narrow CRCP segments susceptible to punchout, and a punchout prediction model. A detailed algorithm for CRCP damage assessment and punchout prediction was developed and validated using data from the national Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) experiment. Theoretical results showed reasonable correlation with the observed distresses. Based on the results of this study, a conclusion was made that traffic loading characterization using ESAL approximation developed for jointed concrete pavements is inadequate for mechanistic-based damage assessment of CRC pavements. An alternative approach for traffic loading characterization using axle load spectrum was developed and incorporated in the algorithm for CRCP damage assessment and punchout prediction

Specifics of mastering a foreign language (english) by students studying at the training department of “public and municipal administraion”

The article deals with a vital problem of the specifics while mastering a foreign language (English) by the students studying at the training department of “Public and municipal administration”. The aim of this scientific article is to analyze the peculiarities of studying a foreign language by students of management specialties, which can allow one to explore English-language sources with a complex vocabulary and conceptual apparatus. The author of the article uses theoretical and empirical research methods. The research material is the content of professional training, while the means of education are authentic English texts of professional subjects, allowing students to master international terminological tools. The results of the research show the need to develop critical, analytical thinking among the students, in addition to mastering the general course of a foreign language (English). The scientific direction of ESAP is depicted in the article, which allows professional and language skills’ teaching in a specific disciplinary context. It can be concluded that the attention of the students studying a foreign language in the direction of preparation 'State and municipal management' should be focused on various types of analysis, such as logical, comparative, lexical and terminological, contextual ones, which, in turn, can require critical and analytical thinking development, selection of information, its processing, interpretation, as well as its adequate use

Bioceramics Based on β-Calcium Pyrophosphate

Ceramic samples based on β-calcium pyrophosphate β-Ca2P2O7 were prepared from powders of γ-calcium pyrophosphate γ-Ca2P2O7 with preset molar ratios Ca/P = 1, 0.975 and 0.95 using firing at 900, 1000, and 1100 °C. Calcium lactate pentahydrate Ca(C3H5O3)2⋅5H2O and monocalcium phosphate monohydrate Ca(H2PO4)2⋅H2O were treated in an aqua medium in mechanical activation conditions to prepare powder mixtures with preset molar ratios Ca/P containing calcium hydrophosphates with Ca/P = 1 (precursors of calcium pyrophosphate Ca2P2O7). These powder mixtures containing calcium hydrophosphates with Ca/P = 1 and non-reacted starting salts were heat-treated at 600 °C after drying and disaggregation in acetone. Phase composition of all powder mixtures after heat treatment at 600 °C was presented by γ-calcium pyrophosphate γ-Ca2P2O7 according to the XRD data. The addition of more excess of monocalcium phosphate monohydrate Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O (with appropriate molar ratio of Ca/P = 1) to the mixture of starting components resulted in lower dimensions of γ-calcium pyrophosphate (γ-Ca2P2O7) individual particles. The grain size of ceramics increased both with the growth in firing temperature and with decreasing molar ratio Ca/P of powder mixtures. Calcium polyphosphate (t melt = 984 °C), formed from monocalcium phosphate monohydrate Ca(H2PO4)2⋅H2O, acted similar to a liquid phase sintering additive. It was confirmed by tests in vitro that prepared ceramic materials with preset molar ratios Ca/P = 1, 0.975, and 0.95 and phase composition presented by β-calcium pyrophosphate β-Ca2P2O7 were biocompatible and could maintain bone cells proliferation

Aerobiological Monitoring and Metabarcoding of Grass Pollen

Grass pollen is one of the leading causes of pollinosis, affecting 10–30% of the world’s population. The allergenicity of pollen from different Poaceae species is not the same and is estimated from moderate to high. Aerobiological monitoring is a standard method that allows one to track and predict the dynamics of allergen concentration in the air. Poaceae is a stenopalynous family, and thus grass pollen can usually be identified only at the family level with optical microscopy. Molecular methods, in particular the DNA barcoding technique, can be used to conduct a more accurate analysis of aerobiological samples containing the DNA of various plant species. This study aimed to test the possibility of using the ITS1 and ITS2 nuclear loci for determining the presence of grass pollen from air samples via metabarcoding and to compare the analysis results with the results of phenological observations. Based on the high-throughput sequencing data, we analyzed the changes in the composition of aerobiological samples taken in the Moscow and Ryazan regions for three years during the period of active flowering of grasses. Ten genera of the Poaceae family were detected in airborne pollen samples. The representation for most of them for ITS1 and ITS2 barcodes was similar. At the same time, in some samples, the presence of specific genera was characterized by only one sequence: either ITS1 or ITS2. Based on the analysis of the abundance of both barcode reads in the samples, the following order could describe the change with time in the dominant species in the air: Poa, Alopecurus, and Arrhenatherum in early mid-June, Lolium, Bromus, Dactylis, and Briza in mid-late June, Phleum, Elymus in late June to early July, and Calamagrostis in early mid-July. In most samples, the number of taxa found via metabarcoding analysis was higher compared to that in the phenological observations. The semi-quantitative analysis of high-throughput sequencing data well reflects the abundance of only major grass species at the flowering stage