The new mathematical model based carotid intima-media thickness and mild cognitive impairment: comparison of manual and semi-automated measurement techniques

An alteration of the cognitive functions plays a crucial role in the quality of life in the elderly. New investigations notice that the thickness of carotid intima-media (CIMT) might help to identify patients with an increased risk of cognitive deterioration. Our aim of the study was to evaluate CIMT of the patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with static (manually) and dynamic (RF-QIMT) ultrasonographic equipments. Our results show that the CIMT was thicker measuring by semi-automated method, than manually and the differences were statistically significant. Our results show no correlation between the CIMT and scores of psychiatric tests, therefore more research is needed for improvement of carotid wall thickening changes in MCI patients

A 3D KINEMATICAL ANALYSIS OF LONG JUMP IN THE “GOLD MEETING RIO OF ATHLETICS 2007”

This study was based on the 3D kinematical analysis of long jump in an official competition of the International Association of Athletics Federation. A six camera kinematical analysis system was used to reconstruct the 3D coordinates of eighteen points, modeling the athlete’s body with the follow segments: head, trunk, arms, forearms, thighs, calves and feet. Several performance variables concerning the center of mass trajectories and velocities were used to characterize and compare the individual jumps. Descriptive statistics was used to compare the results obtained with those found in the literature

T-cell-based diagnosis of tuberculosis infection in children in Lithuania: a country of high incidence despite a high coverage with bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lithuania is a country with a high incidence of tuberculosis (TB), despite a high coverage with bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination. Until now the only method used to detect latent TB infection was the tuberculin skin test (TST). However, TST may have a cross reactivity to the BCG vaccine and to environmental mycobacteria. The aim of this study was to conduct assessments of the diagnostic accuracy of the T-cell based test (T SPOT TB) for TB in children who had previously been BCG vaccinated and compare these with the results of the TST.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between January 2005 and February 2007, children with bacteriologically confirmed TB, children having contacts with a case of infectious pulmonary TB and children without any known risk for TB were tested with both the TST and T SPOT TB.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The TST and T SPOT TB tests were positive for all patients in the „culture-confirmed TB“ group. Whereas, in the „high risk for TB“ group, the TST was positive for 60%, but the T SPOT TB test, only for 17.8%. Meanwhile the results for the „low risk for TB“ group were 65.4% and 9.6%, respectively. A correlation between the TST and T SPOT TB was obtained in the "culture-confirmed TB" group where the TST ≥15 mm (r = 0.35, p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The T-cell based method is more objective than the TST for identifying latent TB infection in children who had been previously BCG vaccinated. This method could be useful in countries like Lithuania where there is a high incidence of TB despite a high coverage with BCG vaccination. It may also help to avoid unnecessary chemoprophylaxis when TST reactions are false-positive.</p

Eosinophils enhance WNT-5a and TGF-β1 genes expression in airway smooth muscle cells and promote their proliferation by increased extracellular matrix proteins production in asthma

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that eosinophils may have a direct effect on airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC), causing their proliferation in patients with asthma, but the precise mechanism of the interaction between these cells remains unknown. We propose that changes in Wnt signaling activity and extracellular matrix (ECM) production may help explain these findings. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of eosinophils from asthmatic and non-asthmatic subjects on Wnt-5a, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), and ECM protein (fibronectin and collagen) gene expression and ASMC proliferation. METHODS: A total of 18 subjects were involved in the study: 8 steroid-free asthma patients and 10 healthy subjects. Peripheral blood eosinophils were isolated using centrifugation and magnetic separation. An individual co-culture of eosinophils with human ASMC was prepared for each study subject. Adhesion of eosinophils to ASMC (evaluated by assaying eosinophil peroxidase activity) was determined following various incubation periods (30, 45, 60, 120, and 240 min). The expression of Wnt-5a, TGF-β1, and ECM protein genes in ASMC was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after 24 h of co-culture. Proliferation of ASMC was measured using the Alamar blue method after 48 h and 72 h of co-culture with eosinophils. RESULTS: Eosinophils from asthmatic subjects demonstrated increased adhesion to ASMC compared with eosinophils from healthy subjects (p < 0.05) in vitro. The expression of Wnt-5a, TGF-β1, collagen, and fibronectin genes in ASMC was significantly higher after 24 h of co-culture with eosinophils from asthmatic subjects, while co-culture of ASMC with eosinophils from healthy subjects increased only TGF-β1 and fibronectin gene expression. ASMC proliferation was augmented after co-culture with eosinophils from asthma patients compared with co-culture with eosinophils from healthy subjects (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Eosinophils enhance Wnt-5a, TGF-β1, fibronectin, and collagen gene expression in ASMC and promote proliferation of these cells in asthma. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02648074

1999 metų traktorius - FENDT Favorit 700 Vario

Vytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Paviršinių mikrodefektų lokalizavimo galimybių tyrimas

Analysis of linear spatial resolution of vibrating Kelvin–Zisman electrode is carried out in case when the size of defective area is substantially less than diameter of vibrating probe. Dependence of relative error of voltage determination and defective area center’s coordinate determination on scanning speed was examined and influence of measuring device pass band was estimated also. Analysis of theoretical results and carried out experiments on real samples and its models allows us to state that contactless capacitic electric potential measuring devices operating on principle of vibrating Kelvin Zisman probe allows to localize single microdefects and its groups when their dimensions are less the diameter of vibrating probe, approximately measure surface electric potential and electron work function of these microdefective areas