Analysis of the natural course and disability progression in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients : results of five years follow-up study in Serbia

Cilj: U cilju procene efekta terapije interferonom-beta na progresiju ireverzibilne onesposobljenosti obolelih od relapsno-remitentne forme multiple skleroze, sprovedena je prospektivna kohortna studija koja je poredila grupe lečenih i nelečenih bolesnika od multiple skleroze IFN-beta. Metode: Kohorta od 419 bolesnika sa relapsno-remitentnom formom MS (od toga je 236 bolesnika lečeno IFN-beta i 183 nelečenih) je praćena tokom 7 godina. Cox proporcionalni hazardni regresioni modeli prilagođeni broju relapsa u toku jedne godine pre prve posete su korišćeni za procenu razlika između dve grupe ispitanika za tri krajnje karakteristike ishoda bolesti: dostizanja sekundarne progresije (SP), i ireverzibilne onesposobljenosti procenjene EDSS skorovima 4 i 6. Vreme od početka bolesti je korišćeno kao varijabla vremena preživljavanja. Rezultati: Grupa bolesnika lečena IFN-beta je pokazala značajno visoko smanjenje rizika od razvoja sekundarne progresije (SP) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.34, 95% interval poverenja [CI] 0.19-0.61, p<0.001) u poređenju sa grupom nelečenih bolesnika. Postignuta je statistički značajna razlika u korist IFN-beta-lečene grupe bolesnika u vremenu proteklom od prve posete do dostizanja EDSS skora 4 (HR=0.45, 95%CI 0.28- 0.73, p=0.001) i EDSS skora 6 (HR=0.34, 95%CI 0.16-0.75, p=0.007). Zaključak: Ova opservaciona studija podržava ranije uverenje da IFN-beta može imati potencijalno koristan efekat na progresiju bolesti u RR formi multiple skleroze.Objective: To assess the impact of interferon (IFN)-beta treatment on the progression of unremitting disability in IFN-beta treated and untreated relapsing-remitting (RR) patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using prospective cohort study. Methods: A cohort of 419 RRMS (236 IFN-beta–treated and 183 untreated) patients was followed for up to 7 years. Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for the number of relapses in the last year before first visit was used to assess the differences between the two groups for the three end points: secondary progression (SP), and sustained Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score 4 and 6. Time from disease onset was used as survival time variable. Results: The IFN-beta-treated group showed a highly significant reduction (hazard ratio [HR], 0.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.19-0.61, p<0.001) in the risk of SP when compared with untreated patients. There were significant differences in favor of the IFN-beta-treated group for the end point EDSS score of 4 (HR=0.45, 95%CI 0.28-0.73, p=0.001) and EDSS score of 6 (HR=0.34, 95%CI 0.16-0.75, p=0.007). Conclusion: This observational study further supports the notion that IFN-beta could have potential beneficial effect on disease progression in RRMS

Psihopatološka odstupanja, stres i vremenske perspektive kod počinilaca krivičnih dela

Understanding and explanation of criminal behavior, as well as prediction of recidivism and the future of law offenders are possible through a multidisciplinary consideration, demanding exploration of possible connection between the profile and personality traits of law offenders with as many other variables as possible. The sample was convenient and it consists of 142 male prisoners from Penal and Correctional Facility in Nis. They are between 35 and 50 years old (average age = 39.7). Within this exploratory study, the main aim of research is to determine the existence of psychopathological personality traits of law offenders, to analyze facing and overcoming stress and dominant time perspectives, and their differences with working convicts and those that are not a part of a voluntary working activity during their term of imprisonment. Besides determining the psychological factors, the task is also checking the connection of socio-demographic variables with the stress management mechanisms, the dominant time perspective, and expectations from the future of the convicts. Through an innovative and interesting approach, combining multiple psychological fields, I got both theoretical and practically applicable contributions to science and psychological profession. Among other things, it can be seen that the connection between the variables and the possibility of prediction are the strongest with sub-sample of a prisoners with working commitment; those without working commitment have higher scores on the scale of psychopathological digression, and among them those who have been imprisoned for longer periods of time are more prone to hostility, paranoia and psychological issues, generally speaking. Considering the time perspective, among those with working commitment the most prominent is the attitude towards the future, and the statistically significant difference between those with working commitment and those without is on the scale of the fatalistic present to the benefit of the prisoners without working commitment, and especially those with longer prison sentences. Within the sample of the prisoners with working commitment there are many more significant correlations between time perspectives and stress facing strategies, and also perspectives with psychopathological indicators related to the convicts who do not work in prison. The results definitely show statistically significant connection of working commitment of the crime committers on one side, and psychopathological digression (both individually and through global index GSI), time perspectives and coping mechanisms on the other side

Effects of recombinations on variability and heritability of traits in maize populations with exotic germplasm

The following maize populations were encompassed by the study: a population with 25% of exotic germplasm (1601/5xZPL913)F2R0 and populations developed after three (1601/5xZPL913)F2R3, that is, five (1601/5xZPL913)F2R5, gene recombination cycles. The S, progeny trial was set lip according to the nested design in two replications and two locations during two years (2001 and 2002). The average values for all traits except moisture at harvest increased. The changes of mean values of yields and other traits can be very important from the aspect of long-term breeding programmes. Different agroecological conditions, genotype, family x location interaction and family x location interaction within the set signficantly affected all observed traits of populations. Genetic and phenotypic variances for all traits except the 1000-kernel weight decreased under the effects of the number of recombination cycles, which was confirmed by the coefficients of heritability. A significant decrease was not detected in yields and ear lengths, which is particularly important for practical breeding. Three cycles of gene recombination are sufficient for this population prior to the application by various breeding methods

Poređenje kinetike bubrenja hidrogela delimično neutralisane poli(akrilne) kiseline u destilovanoj vodi i fiziološkom rastvoru

The isothermal kinetics Curves of the swelling of a poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel in distilled water and physiological Solution at temperatures ranging from 20 to 40 degrees C were determined. The possibility of applying both the Fick's kinetics model anti kinetics model of the first order chemical reaction to the swelling kinetics of the PAA hydrogel in distilled water and physiological Solution were examined. It was found that the possibilities of applying these models were limited. The new model of the kinetics of swelling in distilled water and physiological solution was established. The kinetic parameters (E-a, ln A) for the swelling in distilled water and physiological solution were determined. The decrease of the equilibrium degree of swelling and the saturation swelling rate of the swelling of the PAA hydrogel in physiological solution compared to swelling in distilled water could be explained by the decreased differences in the ionic osmotic pressures between the hydrogel and the swelling medium. The increase of the initial swelling rate in the physiological solution might be caused by an increased density of charges at the network and by an increased affinity of the network towards the water molecules. The increase of the activation energy of the swelling of the PAA hydrogel in the physiological solution is a consequence of its additional "ionic crosslinking".U radu su ispitivane izotermalne kinetičke krive bubrenja hidrogela delimično neutralisane poli(akrilne) kiseline u destilovanoj vodi i fiziološkom rastvoru u temperaturnom opsegu od 20 do 40 °C. Ispitivana je mogućnost primene Fikovog kinetičkog modela kao i kinetike i reda hemijskih reakcija na kinetiku bubrenja poliakrilnog hidrogela.Utvrđeno je da su mogućnosti za njihovu primenu vrlo ograničene. Iz tih razloga primenjen je novi model kinetike bubrenja. Određeni su kinetički parametri (Ea, lnA) za procese bubrenja u destilovanoj vodi i fiziološkom rastvoru. Smanjenje ravnotežnog stepena bubrenja i saturacione brzine bubrenja hidrogela delimično neutralisane poli(akrilne) kiseline u fiziološkom rastvoru u odnosu na destilovanu vodu može se objasniti smanjenjem razlike u jonskom osmotskom pritisku između hidrogela i medijuma za bubrenje. Povećanje inicijalne brzine bubrenja u fiziološkom rastvoru u odnosu na destilovanu vodu prouzrokovano je povećanjem gustine naelektrisanja na polimernoj mreži i povećanim afinitetom prema molekulima vode. Povećanje energije aktivacije hidrogela delimično neutralisane poli(akrilne) kiseline pri bubrenju u fiziološkom rastvoru se objašnjava dodatnim "jonskim umreženjem" hidrogela u fiziološkom rastvoru

When do the symptoms of autonomic nervous system malfunction appear in patients with Parkinson’s disease?

Background/Aim. Dysautonomia appears in almost all patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in a certain stage of their condition. The aim of our study was to detect the development and type of autonomic disorders, find out the factors affecting their manifestation by analyzing the potential association with demographic variables related to clinical presentation, as well as the symptoms of the disease in a PD patient cohort. Methods. The patients with PD treated at the Clinic of Neurology in Belgrade during a 2-year period, divided into 3 groups were studied: 25 de novo patients, 25 patients already treated and had no long-term levodopa therapy-related complications and 22 patients treated with levodopa who manifested levodopa-induced motor complications. Simultaneously, 35 healthy control subjects, matched by age and sex, were also analyzed. Results. Autonomic nervous system malfunction was defined by Ewing diagnostic criteria. The tests, indicators of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, were significantly different in the PD patients as compared with the controls, suggesting the failure of both systems. However, it was shown, in the selected groups of patients, that the malfunction of both systems was present in two treated groups of PD patients, while de novo group manifested only sympathetic dysfunction. For this reason, the complete autonomic neuropathy was diagnosed only in the treated PD patients, while de novo patients were defined as those with the isolated sympathetic dysfunction. The patients with the complete autonomic neuropathy differed from the subjects without such neuropathy in higher cumulative and motor unified Parkinson’s disease rating score (UPDRS) (p < 0.01), activities of daily living scores (p < 0.05), Schwab-England scale (p < 0.001) and Hoehn-Yahr scale. There was no difference between the patients in other clinical-demographic characteristics (sex, age at the time of diagnosis, actual age, duration of disease, involved side of the body, pain and freezing), but mini mental status (MMS) score and Hamilton depression and anxiety rating scale were significantly lower (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Our results confirm a high prevalence of autonomic nervous system disturbances among PD patients from the near onset of disease, with a predominant sympathetic nervous system involvement. The patients who developed complete autonomic neuropathy (both sympathetic and parasympathetic) were individuals with considerable level of functional failure, more severe clinical presentation and the existing anxiety and depression. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 175090

Development of a spectroscopic diagnostic tool for electric field measurements in IShTAR (Ion cyclotron Sheath Test ARrangement)

A

Detailed investigation of the superconducting transition of niobium disks exhibiting the paramagnetic Meissner effect

The superconducting transition region in a Nb disk showing the paramagnetic Meissner effect (PME) has been investigated in detail. From the field-cooled magnetization behavior, two well-defined temperatures can be associated with the appearance of the PME: T_1 (< T_c) indicates the characteristic temperature where the paramagnetic moment first appears and a lower temperature T_p (< T_1) defines the temperature where the positive moment no longer increases. During the subsequent warming, the paramagnetic moment begins to decrease at T_p and then vanishes at T_1 with the magnitude of the magnetization change between these two temperatures being nearly the same as that during cooling. This indicates that the nature of the PME is reversible and not associated with flux motion. Furthermore, the appearance of this paramagnetic moment is even observable in fields as large as 0.2 T even though the magnetization does not remain positive to the lowest temperatures. Magnetic hysteresis loops in the temperature range between T_1 and T_p also exhibit a distinct shape that is different from the archetypal shape of a bulk type-II superconductor. These behaviors are discussed in terms of the so-called 'giant vortex state'.Comment: Total 4 printed pages, 4 Figure

The correlation of metal content in medicinal plants and their water extracts

The quality of some medicinal plants and their water extracts from South East Serbia is determined on the basis of metal content using atomic absorption spectrometry. The two methods were used for the preparation of water extracts, to examine the impact of the preparation on the content of metals in them. Content of investigated metals in both water extracts is markedly lower then in medicinal plants, but were higher in water extract prepared by method (I), with exception of lead content. The coefficients of extraction for the observed metal can be represented in the following order: Zn > Mn > Pb > Cu > Fe. Correlation coefficients between the metal concentration in the extract and total metal content in plant material vary in the range from 0.6369 to 0.9956. This indicates need the plants to be collected and grown in the unpolluted area and to examine the metal content. The content of heavy metals in the investigated medicinal plants and their water extracts is below the maximum allowable values, so they are safe to use

MODIFIED INTERNAL MODEL CONTROL FOR A THERAPEUTIC ROBOT

We present the use of the modified internal model controller (MIMC) and the “Probability Tube” (PT) action representation for robot-assisted upper extremities training of hemiplegic patients. The robot-assisted training session has two phases. During the first "demonstration" phase the robot learns from the therapist the target path through examples. In the second "exercise" phase the robot assists a patient to follow the target path. During this process, the control limits the interface force between the robot and the hand to be below the preset threshold (F = 50 N). The system allows the assessment of the range of movement, the positional error between the target and the reached position, the amount of added assistance (the interface force between the hand and the robot). We demonstrate the operation in two hemiplegic patients. The patients and therapist suggested after the tests that the new system is straightforward and intuitive for clinical applications