The Organizational-Economic Provision of Quality Management of Services of Air Transport Enterprises

The article is aimed at: studying the components of organizational-economic provision of airport services quality management; defining the qualitative component of services through allocation of external and internal factors of influence on the performance of airports; determining the methods of adaptation at airports. The evolution of quality management is considered, the views of researchers on definition and interpretation of concepts of «quality» and «quality of service» are systematized. Defined are: concepts of quality of both airport services and quality management system of airport services; organizational-economic factors that ensure the proper quality of airport services. The results of performance of Ukrainian airports in recent years are analyzed. The qualitative component of services is substantiated through allocation of external and internal factors of influence on performance of airports; methods of adaptation (improvement) in airports are defined in order of their complication: reorganization, reengineering, reforming, and restructuring. Prospect for further research in this direction is studying the influence of organizational-economic factors and methods of improving the airport’s operations on the competitive advantages of airport service, which will lead to a general improvement of the airport performance and airport service quality management in particular

Cardiac and metabolic effects of hypothermia and inhaled hydrogen sulfide in anesthetized and ventilated mice

Objective: To test the hypothesis whether inhaled hydrogen sulfide amplifies the effects of deliberate hypothermia during anesthesia and mechanical ventilation as hypothermia is used to provide organ protection after brain trauma or circulatory arrest. Awake mice inhaling hydrogen sulfide exhibit reduced energy expenditure, hypothermia, and bradycardia despite unchanged systolic heart function. In rodents, anesthesia alone causes decreased metabolic rate and thus hypothermia and bradycardia.Design: Prospective, controlled, randomized study. Setting: University animal research laboratory. Subjects: Male C57/B6 mice. Interventions: After surgical instrumentation (central venous, left ventricular pressure-conductance catheters, ultrasound flow probes on the portal vein and superior mesenteric artery), normo- or hypothermic animals (core temperature = 38°C and 27°C) received either 100 ppm hydrogen sulfide or vehicle over 5 hrs (3 hrs hydrogen sulfide during normothermia). Measurements and Main Results: During normothermia, hydrogen sulfide had no hemodynamic or metabolic effect. With or without hydrogen sulfide, hypothermia decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output, whereas stroke volume, ejection fraction, and end-diastolic pressure remained unaffected. Myocardial and hepatic oxidative deoxyribonucleic acid damage (comet assay) and endogenous glucose production (rate of appearance of 1,2,3,4,5,6-13C6-glucose) were similar in all groups. Hypothermia comparably decreased CO2 production with or without inhaled hydrogen sulfide. During hypothermia, inhaled hydrogen sulfide increased the glucose oxidation rate (derived from the expiratory 13CO2/12CO2 ratio). This shift toward preferential carbohydrate utilization coincided with a significantly attenuated responsiveness of hepatic mitochondrial respiration to stimulation with exogenous cytochrome-c-oxidase (high-resolution respirometry). Conclusions: In anesthetized and mechanically ventilated mice, inhaled hydrogen sulfide did not amplify the systemic hemodynamic and cardiac effects of hypothermia alone. The increased aerobic glucose oxidation together with the reduced responsiveness of cellular respiration to exogenous cytochrome-c stimulation suggest that, during hypothermia, inhaled hydrogen sulfide improved the yield of mitochondrial respiration, possibly via the maintenance of mitochondrial integrity. Hence, inhaled hydrogen sulfide may offer metabolic benefit during therapeutic hypothermia

Prevention and treatment of renal osteodystrophy in children on chronic renal failure: European guidelines

Childhood renal osteodystrophy (ROD) is the consequence of disturbances of the calcium-regulating hormones vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) as well as of the somatotroph hormone axis associated with local modulation of bone and growth cartilage function. The resulting growth retardation and the potentially rapid onset of ROD in children are different from ROD in adults. The biochemical changes of ROD as well as its prevention and treatment affect calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and are directly associated with the development of cardiovascular disease in pediatric renal patients. The aims of the clinical and biochemical surveillance of pediatric patients with CRF or on dialysis are prevention of hyperphosphatemia, avoidance of hypercalcemia and keeping the calcium phosphorus product below 5 mmol(2)/l(2). The PTH levels should be within the normal range in chronic renal failure (CRF) and up to 2–3 times the upper limit of normal levels in dialysed children. Prevention of ROD is expected to result in improved growth and less vascular calcification

The screens culture: impact on ADHD

Children’s use of electronic media, including Internet and video gaming, has increased dramatically to an average in the general population of roughly 3 h per day. Some children cannot control their Internet use leading to increasing research on “internet addiction.” The objective of this article is to review the research on ADHD as a risk factor for Internet addiction and gaming, its complications, and what research and methodological questions remain to be addressed. The literature search was done in PubMed and Psychinfo, as well as by hand. Previous research has demonstrated rates of Internet addiction as high as 25% in the population and that it is addiction more than time of use that is best correlated with psychopathology. Various studies confirm that psychiatric disorders, and ADHD in particular, are associated with overuse, with severity of ADHD specifically correlated with the amount of use. ADHD children may be vulnerable since these games operate in brief segments that are not attention demanding. In addition, they offer immediate rewards with a strong incentive to increase the reward by trying the next level. The time spent on these games may also exacerbate ADHD symptoms, if not directly then through the loss of time spent on more developmentally challenging tasks. While this is a major issue for many parents, there is no empirical research on effective treatment. Internet and off-line gaming overuse and addiction are serious concerns for ADHD youth. Research is limited by the lack of measures for youth or parents, studies of children at risk, and studies of impact and treatment

Chromosome-scale genome assembly provides insights into rye biology, evolution and agronomic potential

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is an exceptionally climate-resilient cereal crop, used extensively to produce improved wheat varieties via introgressive hybridization and possessing the entire repertoire of genes necessary to enable hybrid breeding. Rye is allogamous and only recently domesticated, thus giving cultivated ryes access to a diverse and exploitable wild gene pool. To further enhance the agronomic potential of rye, we produced a chromosome-scale annotated assembly of the 7.9-gigabase rye genome and extensively validated its quality by using a suite of molecular genetic resources. We demonstrate applications of this resource with a broad range of investigations. We present findings on cultivated rye's incomplete genetic isolation from wild relatives, mechanisms of genome structural evolution, pathogen resistance, low-temperature tolerance, fertility control systems for hybrid breeding and the yield benefits of rye-wheat introgressions.Peer reviewe

Global Variation of Nutritional Status in Children Undergoing Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis : A Longitudinal Study of the International Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Network

While children approaching end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are considered at risk of uremic anorexia and underweight they are also exposed to the global obesity epidemic. We sought to investigate the variation of nutritional status in children undergoing chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) around the globe. The distribution and course of body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score over time was examined prospectively in 1001 children and adolescents from 35 countries starting CPD who were followed in the International Pediatric PD Network (IPPN) Registry. The overall prevalence of underweight, and overweight/obesity at start of CPD was 8.9% and 19.7%, respectively. Underweight was most prevalent in South and Southeast Asia (20%), Central Europe (16.7%) and Turkey (15.2%), whereas overweight and obesity were most common in the Middle East (40%) and the US (33%). BMI SDS at PD initiation was associated positively with current eGFR and gastrostomy feeding prior to PD start. Over the course of PD BMI SDS tended to increase on CPD in underweight and normal weight children, whereas it decreased in initially overweight patients. In infancy, mortality risk was amplified by obesity, whereas in older children mortality was markedly increased in association with underweight. Both underweight and overweight are prevalent in pediatric ESKD, with the prevalence varying across the globe. Late dialysis start is associated with underweight, while enteral feeding can lead to obesity. Nutritional abnormalities tend to attenuate with time on dialysis. Mortality risk appears increased with obesity in infants and with underweight in older children.Peer reviewe

Radio Measurements of the Depth of Air-Shower Maximum at the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA), part of the Pierre Auger Observatory, is currently the largest array of radio antenna stations deployed for the detection of cosmic rays, spanning an area of $17$ km$^2$ with 153 radio stations. It detects the radio emission of extensive air showers produced by cosmic rays in the $30-80$ MHz band. Here, we report the AERA measurements of the depth of the shower maximum ($X_\text{max}$), a probe for mass composition, at cosmic-ray energies between $10^{17.5}$ to $10^{18.8}$ eV, which show agreement with earlier measurements with the fluorescence technique at the Pierre Auger Observatory. We show advancements in the method for radio $X_\text{max}$ reconstruction by comparison to dedicated sets of CORSIKA/CoREAS air-shower simulations, including steps of reconstruction-bias identification and correction, which is of particular importance for irregular or sparse radio arrays. Using the largest set of radio air-shower measurements to date, we show the radio $X_\text{max}$ resolution as a function of energy, reaching a resolution better than $15$ g cm$^{-2}$ at the highest energies, demonstrating that radio $X_\text{max}$ measurements are competitive with the established high-precision fluorescence technique. In addition, we developed a procedure for performing an extensive data-driven study of systematic uncertainties, including the effects of acceptance bias, reconstruction bias, and the investigation of possible residual biases. These results have been cross-checked with air showers measured independently with both the radio and fluorescence techniques, a setup unique to the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Demonstrating Agreement between Radio and Fluorescence Measurements of the Depth of Maximum of Extensive Air Showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory

We show, for the first time, radio measurements of the depth of shower maximum ($X_\text{max}$) of air showers induced by cosmic rays that are compared to measurements of the established fluorescence method at the same location. Using measurements at the Pierre Auger Observatory we show full compatibility between our radio and the previously published fluorescence data set, and between a subset of air showers observed simultaneously with both radio and fluorescence techniques, a measurement setup unique to the Pierre Auger Observatory. Furthermore, we show radio $X_\text{max}$ resolution as a function of energy and demonstrate the ability to make competitive high-resolution $X_\text{max}$ measurements with even a sparse radio array. With this, we show that the radio technique is capable of cosmic-ray mass composition studies, both at Auger and at other experiments.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let