Formation energies of silicon self-interstitials using periodic coupled cluster theory

We present a study of the self-interstitial point defect formation energies in silicon using a range of quantum chemical theories including the coupled cluster (CC) method within a periodic supercell approach. We study the formation energies of the X, T, H and C3V self-interstitials and the vacancy V. Our results are compared to findings obtained using different ab initio methods published in the literature and partly to experimental data. In order to achieve computational results that are converged with respect to system size and basis set, we employ the recently proposed finite size error corrections and basis set incompleteness error corrections. Our CCSD(T) calculations yield an order of stability of the X, H and T self-interstitials, which agrees both with quantum Monte Carlo results and with predictions obtained using the random-phase approximation as well as using screened hybrid functionals. Compared to quantum Monte Carlo results with backflow corrections, the CCSD(T) formation energies of X and H are only slightly larger by about 100 meV. However, in the case of the T self-interstitial, we find significant disagreement with all other theoretical predictions. Compared to quantum Monte Carlo calculations, CCSD(T) overestimates the formation energy of the T self-interstitial by 1.2 eV. Although this can partly be attributed to strong correlation effects, more accurate electronic structure theories are needed to understand these findings

Histological diagnosis of Bechterew's disease on exhumed female remains in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a case report

Ankylosing spondylitis is a serious ailment that affects people, and the first signs or symptoms usually occurr between the ages of 15 and 45. While the condition is mostly prevalent in men, women are not immune to this disease. This problem is diagnosed with a combination of clinical history and X-rays, pathology and HLAB27 test. The aim of this case study is to demonstrate how macroscopic and microscopic analysis can be used for identification of the disease from a forensic point of view. In April 2018, we exhumed 11 remains near the city Višegrad, twenty-five years after the last war. All the remains were completely skeletonized. The skeleton of a female was specific and shaped like a bamboo branch, with a partial knitting of vertebral bodies in the lumbar region of spine and with total knitting in the thoracic part. The spinous processes were completely knitted. Her son gave informations for verbal autopsy that she had trouble walking and doing normal activities during life. Samples for analysis and pathological diagnostics were used to determine the real bone condition for forensic purposes. To our best knowledge our case is first one in the literature which combines macroscopic and microscopic analysis of AK in exhumed skeletal remains after 25 years of death in modern era of Europe

Poikilocytotic forms caused by hyperthermia and heat stroke- experimental study on Wistar rats

Background: The aim of the study was to find out what happens to erythrocytes and their forms during life and after death as a result of high water temperature.Methods: Heat stress was used on a rat model.to investigate the effects of different temperature intensities (37°C and 44°C) and exposure time (20 min and until the time of death) on erythrocyte morphology. Total of 23 Wistar rats were divided into two groups: 37°C as control group and 44°C as trial groups. The trial groups were classified into antemortem the exposure time of 20 min and postmortem groups exposure time until fatal outcome. The anaesthetised rats were exposed to preheated water using the water bath. May-Grünwald-Giemsa colouring technique was applied on blood samples taken from the abdominal aorta. Results: Exposure of Wistar rats to water temperature in groups KG37 and G44 led to a significant changes in core temperature. In the control group, the thermoregulatory mechanism established normothermia, and in G44 hyperthermia was detected during 20 minutes of exposure. The frequency of heat stroke in group G44 was 43.8%. Target cells and anulocytes were predominant in antemortem group at 44°C, while anulocytes and spherocytes in postmortem groups 44°C, respectively. Dacryocytes with spherocytes were significantly higher in postmortem group 44°C than in antemortem group 44°C (p=0.002, p=0.017, respectively).Conclusions: Poikilocytosis is associated with the exposure length and temperature intensity. Following a fatal outcome dacryocytes with spherocytes at 44°C were significantly more than in corresponding antemortem groups

Increased mean platelet volume is associated with acute myocardial infarction in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2

Background: The correlation between diabetes mellitus and acute myocardial infarction is greater every day. The mean platelet volume (MPV), which is the determinant of platelet function, is an independent risk factor for the cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of each disease (hypothyroidism, hypertension, myocardial infarction) individually and combined on MPV in diabetic patients.Methods: The cross-sectional study included 102 patients who suffer from diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2), of both sexes (46 females, 56 males), with the average age of 58.91 (SD=12.93). All the patients were treated at the Primary Health Centre in Zenica from May to July 2017. All patients had diabetes mellitus and the disease had lasted for 10 years in both sexes.Results: Mean platelet volume was significantly higher in patients with myocardial infarction than in those without myocardial infarction. Age, sex, HbA1c, BMI, lipids and platelet count did not show any significance in either group of patients. Regression analysis showed that the prevalence of myocardial infarction had the highest predictive significance for MPV values, (predictor importance 0.49; coefficient 1.275, p<0.001).Conclusions: Mean platelet volume was significantly higher in patients with diabetes mellitus and myocardial infarction than in DM patients without myocardial infarction. Regression analysis showed correlation with acute myocardial infarction in patients with DMT2, but not with other chronic illnesses. The highest platelet volume indices were observed in patients with myocardial infarction. MPV can be used as a specific indicator in diabetic patients with myocardial infarction.  

Biochemical predictors of death before discharge in cooled newborns following perinatal asphyxia

Aim To analyse biochemical markers as possible predictors of death before discharge in cooled newborns following perinatal asphyxia. Methods A total of 91 infants that underwent therapeutic hypothermia after perinatal asphyxia were included. Inclusion criteria for therapeutic hypothermia were Sarnat stage 2 or 3. Data were collected from medical histories regarding gender, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar and Sarnat score; additionally, gas analyses, liver and cardiac enzymes before, and in the first 12 hours after starting therapeutic hypothermia, were evaluated. The patients’ characteristics were compared between two groups, survivors and non-survivors. Results Statistical difference was not found between groups regarding gender, gestational age, birth weight, delivery type, 1st and 5th minute Apgar score, seizures, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK), troponin and fibrinogen level. Groups were significantly different regarding acid-base balance (p=0.012), base excess (BE) (p=0.025), lactate (p=0.002), aspartate aminotransferaze (AST), (p=0.011), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p=0.006), activated partial thromboplastin clotting time (aPTT) (p=0.001) and international normalized ratio (INR) (p=0.001). Conclusion Acid-base balance, BE, lactate, AST, LDH, aPTT and INR were significantly higher in the group of cooled newborns after perinatal asphyxia (non-survivors), and can serve as predictors of death before discharge. Combining diagnostic modalities raises a chance for accurate prediction of outcomes of asphyxiated infants

QUALITY OF LIFE IN PEOPLE AFFECTED BY PSORIASIS IN RELATION TO THE SEVERITY OF CLINICAL FEATURES AND PRESENCE OF COMORBIDITY

Psorijaza je kronična kožna bolest koja može izazvati snažan poremećaj emocionalne ravnoteže i utjecati na socijalnui profesionalnu sferu bolesnika, na vlastitu percepciju i kvalitetu života oboljelih. Često se pojavljuje udružena s drugim bolestima i stanjima, tzv. komorbiditetima koji su najčešći faktori pogoršanja kvalitete života i skraćenja životnog vijeka pacijenata sa psorijazom. Cilj rada bio je utvrditi kvalitetu života oboljelih od psorijaze u odnosu na težinu kliničke slike i prisutnost komorbiditeta. Ispitanici i metode: Presječnom studijom analizirana je kvaliteta života 120 oboljelih od psorijaze. Ispitanici su podijeljeni u dvije skupine: u prvoj su skupini bili oboljeli od psorijaze s komorbiditetom (metabolički sindrom, pretilost, hipertenzija, šećerna bolest, dislipidemija), a u drugoj skupini oboljeli od psorijaze bez komorbiditeta. Za procjenu težine kliničke slike psorijaze korišten je PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index), a kvaliteta života oboljelih od psorijaze evaluirana je općim upitnikom Skindex-29. Rezultati: Dokazan je umjereni utjecaj psorijaze na kvalitetu života oboljelih. Nije bilo statistički značajne razlike u kvaliteti života između ispitivanih skupina. Nije bilo korelacije između težine kliničke slike psorijaze i kvalitete života. Zaključak: Psorijaza utječe na kvalitetu života oboljelih s tom dijagnozom bez obzira na težinu kliničke slike i prisutnost komorbiditeta.The quality of life in patients with psoriasis was examined in relation to the severity of clinical features and presence of comorbidity. This cross-sectional study analyzed the quality of life in 120 patients affected by psoriasis, age over 18, both genders, treated at Department of Dermatology, Tuzla University Clinical Center in Tuzla from November 1, 2014 to June 2016. Study subjects were divided into two groups according to the presence of comorbidity (metabolic syndrome, obesity, hypertension, diabetes): group 1 consisted of 70 patients with comorbidity, while group 2 consisted of 50 patients without comorbidity. The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was used to evaluate the severity and spread of psoriasis. The quality of life in psoriasis patients was evaluated by use of the Skindex-29 questionnaire, which consists of 30 questions distributed in three scales (emotion charts, symptom scales, social and physical functioning charts) to assess the psychological impact of psoriasis on the patient quality of life. Group 1 consisted of 70 patients, mean age 47.14 (SD ±15.41) years, 36 (51.43%) male and 34 (48.57%) female. The mean duration of psoriasis was 15.52 (SD ±12.54) years. Group 2 consisted of 50 psoriasis patients without comorbidity, mean age 47.28 (SD ±14.37), 26 (52%) male and 24 (48%) female. The mean duration of psoriasis was 36 months. The PASI value was 16.65 in group 1 and 7.59 in group 2 (t=6.19; p<0.0001). The Skindex-29 values (mean ± SD) were as follows in group 1 and group 2: symptom scale 19.04±4.36 vs. 16.28±5.73; emotion scale 22.82±6.53 vs. 28.40±8.62; scale of social and physical functioning 28.11±8,88 vs. 26.64±9.90; and total score 24.64±5.88 vs. 23.77±7.18 (t=0.73, p=0.46). There was no correlation between PASI and quality of life in the study sample (r=0.08, p=0.36). In conclusion, psoriasis affects the quality of life in patients with this condition regardless of the severity of clinical features and presence of comorbidity

QUALITY OF LIFE IN PEOPLE AFFECTED BY PSORIASIS IN RELATION TO THE SEVERITY OF CLINICAL FEATURES AND PRESENCE OF COMORBIDITY

Psorijaza je kronična kožna bolest koja može izazvati snažan poremećaj emocionalne ravnoteže i utjecati na socijalnui profesionalnu sferu bolesnika, na vlastitu percepciju i kvalitetu života oboljelih. Često se pojavljuje udružena s drugim bolestima i stanjima, tzv. komorbiditetima koji su najčešći faktori pogoršanja kvalitete života i skraćenja životnog vijeka pacijenata sa psorijazom. Cilj rada bio je utvrditi kvalitetu života oboljelih od psorijaze u odnosu na težinu kliničke slike i prisutnost komorbiditeta. Ispitanici i metode: Presječnom studijom analizirana je kvaliteta života 120 oboljelih od psorijaze. Ispitanici su podijeljeni u dvije skupine: u prvoj su skupini bili oboljeli od psorijaze s komorbiditetom (metabolički sindrom, pretilost, hipertenzija, šećerna bolest, dislipidemija), a u drugoj skupini oboljeli od psorijaze bez komorbiditeta. Za procjenu težine kliničke slike psorijaze korišten je PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index), a kvaliteta života oboljelih od psorijaze evaluirana je općim upitnikom Skindex-29. Rezultati: Dokazan je umjereni utjecaj psorijaze na kvalitetu života oboljelih. Nije bilo statistički značajne razlike u kvaliteti života između ispitivanih skupina. Nije bilo korelacije između težine kliničke slike psorijaze i kvalitete života. Zaključak: Psorijaza utječe na kvalitetu života oboljelih s tom dijagnozom bez obzira na težinu kliničke slike i prisutnost komorbiditeta.The quality of life in patients with psoriasis was examined in relation to the severity of clinical features and presence of comorbidity. This cross-sectional study analyzed the quality of life in 120 patients affected by psoriasis, age over 18, both genders, treated at Department of Dermatology, Tuzla University Clinical Center in Tuzla from November 1, 2014 to June 2016. Study subjects were divided into two groups according to the presence of comorbidity (metabolic syndrome, obesity, hypertension, diabetes): group 1 consisted of 70 patients with comorbidity, while group 2 consisted of 50 patients without comorbidity. The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was used to evaluate the severity and spread of psoriasis. The quality of life in psoriasis patients was evaluated by use of the Skindex-29 questionnaire, which consists of 30 questions distributed in three scales (emotion charts, symptom scales, social and physical functioning charts) to assess the psychological impact of psoriasis on the patient quality of life. Group 1 consisted of 70 patients, mean age 47.14 (SD ±15.41) years, 36 (51.43%) male and 34 (48.57%) female. The mean duration of psoriasis was 15.52 (SD ±12.54) years. Group 2 consisted of 50 psoriasis patients without comorbidity, mean age 47.28 (SD ±14.37), 26 (52%) male and 24 (48%) female. The mean duration of psoriasis was 36 months. The PASI value was 16.65 in group 1 and 7.59 in group 2 (t=6.19; p<0.0001). The Skindex-29 values (mean ± SD) were as follows in group 1 and group 2: symptom scale 19.04±4.36 vs. 16.28±5.73; emotion scale 22.82±6.53 vs. 28.40±8.62; scale of social and physical functioning 28.11±8,88 vs. 26.64±9.90; and total score 24.64±5.88 vs. 23.77±7.18 (t=0.73, p=0.46). There was no correlation between PASI and quality of life in the study sample (r=0.08, p=0.36). In conclusion, psoriasis affects the quality of life in patients with this condition regardless of the severity of clinical features and presence of comorbidity

Oedipus at Tate Britain

A post-apocalyptic sci-fi adaptation of Seneca’s Oedipus. OEDIPUS is a multimedia theatre work where both performers and audience are transported into an imaginary world full of high-tech intrigue, low-tech crime, and traces of uncorrupted love. Over the evening, as the narrative unfolds we find ourselves in an abandoned art gallery in the year 2027 in a post-apocalyptic setting in which the gallery Tate Britain have been transformed into an overcrowded refugee camp

Directing Cyber Theatre

In a series of essays assembled under the heading ‘Directing Cyber Theatre’, Salihbegovic is offering his understanding about several technical and aesthetic aspects of the contemporary digital performance and 'cyber theatre' as vast, versatile, and ever expanding artistic disciplines. The roots of digital performance can be traced in the history of multimedia theatre, avant-garde visual performance art (live art), and interactive computer multimedia art. Even though digital performance, with its apparent multimedia character and extensive use of modern technology, remarkably resembles Richard Wagner’s and Bauhaus concept of ‘total theatre’, this new art discipline is rarely examined in this historical context. The theatre works of the Italian Futurists and the German political theatre of Erwin Piscator, for example, have much in common with some of the latest multimedia digital performances of Studio for Electronic Theatre. The sixties multimedia theatre of Josef Svoboda, furthermore, anticipates recent developments in contemporary digital performance, for example, the work of Kevin Cunningham. What distinguishes digital performance from what went before in multimedia theatre is digital interactivity. Inherited from computer multimedia art, interactivity is the new and distinctive technological feature characteristic of digital performance today. Interactivity can be established between the performer and the multimedia content of the performance, or between the spectator and the work of art. The latter practice has its historical roots in the last century, in the works of John Cage, Allan Kaprow, the Fluxus group, and other avant-garde visual artists. The second part of the book is dedicated to the analysis of Salihbegovic’s practical artistic work. Together with his group, the Studio for Electronic Theatre, he made a platform for research in the field of cybernetic theatre. He analyses the ‘techniques and aesthetics’ of the three theatre projects Waar is daar? (Where is There?), Gadget Project and Slaughterhouse 5. These performances represent his attempt to migrate an old idea of immersive ‘total theatre’ into a new digital and technically highly sophisticated artistic environment. The book is published as an augmented book in partnership with Aurasma (Augmented Reality Platform). The augmented book is extending the experience of the traditional book by adding the strong digital element to it. One is able to watch the video clips pointing her/his smartphone to the dedicated images in the book so that the still images from the book ‘come alive’ when the video clips from the phone get superimposed over them. This new technology very much corresponds to the subject matter of the book