Long-Term Monitoring of Liver Fibrosis and Steatosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C after Achieving a Sustained Virologic Response to Antiviral Therapy

Aim: to analyze the dynamics of fibrosis and steatosis of the liver according to fibroelastometry in patients with chronic hep-atitis C (CHC) after ≥ 6 months from transient elastometry (TE) achieving a sustained virologic response (SVR) to antiviral therapy.Materials and methods. At baseline, a prospective observational study included 628 CHC patients with known stage of liver fibrosis (F) before AVT, some of whom were phased out due to non-compliance with the inclusion criteria. The final analysis included 297 patients who had transient elastometry (TE) data with CAP™ technology on the severity of liver fibrosis (± steatosis) before treatment and after ≥ 6 months after reaching SVR (67 % – interferonfree regimens of therapy). Median follow-up from the moment SVR was confirmed was 3 years [2; 6].Results. At the end of the study, the average age of patients was 49 ± 12 years, of which 53 % were men. In the long-term period after reaching SVR, regression of liver fibrosis was diagnosed in 80 % of cases (including in patients with cirrhosis), and the progression of fibrosis was in 3 % of patient. At the same time, regression of liver steatosis was detected only in 31 % of the patient, worsening of the results was in 23 % (26 % of them had the appearance of steatosis (S) of the liver of 1–3 degrees in persons with no fatty liver before the start of AVT). In the group of patients with liver steatosis, the proportion of men was significantly higher (p = 0.004). Clinically significant stages of fibrosis F3–F4 were significantly more often recorded in patients with hepatic steatosis, both before treatment (46 % S1–S3 and 22 % S0, p < 0.001) and after ≥ 6 months after reaching SVR (19 % S1–S3 and 9 % S0, p = 0.023).Conclusion. In patients with chronic hepatitis C with SVR achieved in the long term, despite a significant regression of liver fibrosis, a high prevalence of hepatic steatosis remains. The data obtained indicate the feasibility of routine diagnosis of both fibrosis and steatosis of the liver in the management of patients with chronic HCV infection before and after successful antiviral therapy

Electromagnetic Characteristics of the Soil

The electromagnetic characteristics of the soil are discussed in this chapter. The characteristics of porous bedrock, soil medium, and impacts of rain attenuations are also presented. The models of dielectric soil properties are studied with a rigorous focus on the constitutive parameters of subsurface soil medium. Moreover, the permittivity and wavenumber in soil are explained. In addition, the frequency-dependent dielectric properties such as dispersion in soil, absorption characteristic, and penetration depth versus frequency are reviewed. Furthermore, the effective permittivity of soil–water mixture for through-the soil-propagation mechanism is analyzed thoroughly

Anatomical changes in the epidermis of winter pea stipules and their area under usage of herbicide, stimulator of plant growth and microbial preparation

Received: December 12th, 2020 ; Accepted: March 25th, 2021 ; Published: April 7th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] use and search for new methods and ways to reduce negative herbicidal effect on crops is a key factor in increasing the level of yield and quality in modern agricultural conditions, including cultivation of crops such as winter peas. One of the factors that reflects the depth of the effect of herbicides on the plant organism may be the anatomical structure of the leaf, thus, the aim of the research was to study the characteristics of epidermis and size of stipules of winter peas with the complex use of stimulator of plant growth and microbial preparation in herbicide cultivation technology. To determine the optimal combination of preparations and rates of their introduction, a field experiment was established in the Department of Biology of Uman National University of Horticulture (2018–2019), which included options: without herbicide, stimulator of plant growth and pre-sowing seed treatment with microbial preparation (control); treatment of plants with MaxiMox herbicide during the growing season in the rates of 0.8, 0.9, 1.0 and 1.1 L ha-1 separately and in mixtures with stimulator of plant growth Agriflex Amino in the rate of 1.0 kg ha-1 without and against the background of pre-sowing treatment of seeds with microbial preparation Optimize Pulse in the rate of 3.28 L t -1 (background). The experiment was repeated 3 times. Treatment of winter pea plants with preparations was carried out in the phase of 3–4 developed tendrils (BBCH 13–14). During the experiment it was found that treatment of winter pea plants with MaxiMox herbicide, especially with increasing level of the preparation to 1.1 L ha-1 led to anatomical and morphological changes in plant stipules and affected the stipule size of winter pea crops. The number of epidermal cells on average decreased by 14–53 pcs (6–22%) at LSD05 9.8 pcs, but their size increased by 28.42–394.52 μm2 (2–35%) at LSD05 71.7 μm2 , while the size of the stipulate apparatus of crops increased on average by 2.7–4.6 thousand m2 ha-1 (13–22%) at LSD05 1.3 thousand m2 ha-1 . The complex application of the herbicide with stimulator of plant growth, especially against the background of pre-sowing treatment of seeds with the microbial preparation Optimize Pulse in the rate of 3.28 L t -1 , caused a decrease in the number of epidermal cells per unit of stipules surface on average by 50–84 pcs (21–35%) at LSD05 9.8 pcs and with an increase in the stipule size by 9–12 thousand m2 ha-1 (44–59%) at LSD05 1.3 thousand m2 ha-1 , this may indicate the optimal effect of these mixtures of preparations on metabolic processes in plants against the background of reducing negative impact of the herbicide

Microwave radiometry in monitoring and emergency mapping of water seepage and dangerously high groundwaters

Detailed and geo-referenced maps identifying the locations of saturated and dry levees can be produced using microwave radiometric measurements from a light aircraft or helicopter, and integrated with GPS for positioning and orientation. The development of synergetic remote sensing technology for raised groundwater and seepage detection by the joint use of microwave and optical data along with GIS databases is an effective and most contemporary way of supporting risk assessment and facilitating disaster prevention and management. In this paper we present a remote sensing microwave technology for monitoring and detection of areas of water seepage through irrigation constructions, levees and dykes as well as for revealing areas with dangerously high groundwater level. The possibility for emergency response mapping, integrated with GPS and GIS data, facilitates the risk assessment and management services. The passive microwave radiometry (PMR) is based on spectral measurements in the millimetre to decimetre range of wavelengths. Compared to other remote sensing techniques, such as colour and infrared photography, thermal images and lidar, PMR is the only technology taking measurements under the earth's surface and therefore is very well suited for water seepage and underground water monitoring in a fast and reliable way