Five year mortality and direct costs of care for people with diabetic foot complications are comparable to cancer.

BackgroundIn 2007, we reported a summary of data comparing diabetic foot complications to cancer. The purpose of this brief report was to refresh this with the best available data as they currently exist. Since that time, more reports have emerged both on cancer mortality and mortality associated with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), Charcot arthropathy, and diabetes-associated lower extremity amputation.MethodsWe collected data reporting 5-year mortality from studies published following 2007 and calculated a pooled mean. We evaluated data from DFU, Charcot arthropathy and lower extremity amputation. We dichotomized high and low amputation as proximal and distal to the ankle, respectively. This was compared with cancer mortality as reported by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.ResultsFive year mortality for Charcot, DFU, minor and major amputations were 29.0, 30.5, 46.2 and 56.6%, respectively. This is compared to 9.0% for breast cancer and 80.0% for lung cancer. 5 year pooled mortality for all reported cancer was 31.0%. Direct costs of care for diabetes in general was $237 billion in 2017. This is compared to$80 billion for cancer in 2015. As up to one-third of the direct costs of care for diabetes may be attributed to the lower extremity, these are also readily comparable.ConclusionDiabetic lower extremity complications remain enormously burdensome. Most notably, DFU and LEA appear to be more than just a marker of poor health. They are independent risk factors associated with premature death. While advances continue to improve outcomes of care for people with DFU and amputation, efforts should be directed at primary prevention as well as those for patients in diabetic foot ulcer remission to maximize ulcer-free, hospital-free and activity-rich days

Antifungal activity and acute toxicity of stem bark extracts of Drypetes Gossweileri S. Moore-Euphorbiaceae from Cameroon

Drypetes gossweilleri S. Moore is a plant used in traditional medicine in Cameroon. The antifungal properties of its stem-bark crude extract and fractions DG1, DG2, DG3, DG4, DG5, DG6, DG7, DG8 and DG9 were assayed by agar and broth dilution methods on solid and liquid media against C. Krusei, C. albicans, C. glabrata, T. mentagerophytes, M. langeroinii, M. gypeum, M. audouini, T. rubrum, T. soudanense, T. terrestre, A. flavus and A. niger. The results revealed a substantial antifungal effect with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging respectively from 24.11μg/ml to 1562μg/ml for yeasts and from 3125μg/ml to 12500μg/ml for filamentous fungi. Among the fractions, fraction DG4 exerted the highest antifungal activity. Moreover, no toxic effect was noticed in male and female albinos Wistar rats treated per os with the crude stem bark’s extract of Drypetes gossweileri at a dose up to 12g/kg of body weight. The phytochemical screening of the crude extract and fractions showed the presence of alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, saponins, anthocyanines, anthraquinones, sterols, lipids and essential oils. Therefore, Drypetes gossweileri may be safe as phytomedecine for the treatment of fungal infections.Key words: Antifungal activity, Drypetes gossweileri, acute toxicity

Вероятностно-детерминированная модель расчета безопасного расстояния при разливе топлива

В статье рассматриваются основные опасные факторы при эксплуатации автозаправочных станций, опасные факторы топливных жидкостей, их физические и физико-химические свойства. Основная задача в статье - проанализировать все возможные риски, возникающие при эксплуатации АЗС, выявить наиболее вероятные неблагоприятные события, способные привести к повреждениям и разрушениям АЗС. Проанализировать возможные сценарии развития аварии для выявления наиболее опасного. Данные исследования позволят в дальнейшем использовать математическую модель для определения радиуса поражения зданий, сооружений и населения, и определения безопасного расстояния для опасных объектов - АЗС.The article deals with the main hazards during the operation of gasoline stations, the dangerous factors of fuel fluids, their physical and physicochemical properties. The main task in the article is to analyze all possible risks arising from the operation of the filling station, to identify the most likely adverse events that can lead to damage and destruction of the filling stations. Analyze possible scenarios for the development of an accident to identify the most dangerous. The given researches will allow to use in the further mathematical model for definition of radius of destruction of buildings, constructions and the population, and definition of a safe distance for dangerous objects - the gas station

Space Weathering on Near-Earth Objects investigated by neutral-particle detection

The ion-sputtering (IS) process is active in many planetary environments in the Solar System where plasma precipitates directly on the surface (for instance, Mercury, Moon, Europa). In particular, solar-wind sputtering is one of the most important agents for the surface erosion of a Near-Earth Object (NEO), acting together with other surface release processes, such as Photon Stimulated Desorption (PSD), Thermal Desorption (TD) and Micrometeoroid Impact Vaporization (MIV). The energy distribution of the IS-released neutrals peaks at a few eVs and extends up to hundreds of eVs. Since all other release processes produce particles of lower energies, the presence of neutral atoms in the energy range above 10 eV and below a few keVs (Sputtered High-Energy Atoms - SHEA) identifies the IS process. SHEA easily escape from the NEO, due to NEO's extremely weak gravity. Detection and analysis of SHEA will give important information on surface-loss processes as well as on surface elemental composition. The investigation of the active release processes, as a function of the external conditions and the NEO surface properties, is crucial for obtaining a clear view of the body's present loss rate as well as for getting clues on its evolution, which depends significantly on space weather. In this work, an attempt to analyze the processes that take place on the surface of these small airless bodies, as a result of their exposure to the space environment, has been realized. For this reason a new space weathering model (Space Weathering on NEO - SPAWN), is presented. Moreover, an instrument concept of a neutral-particle analyzer specifically designed for the measurement of neutral density and the detection of SHEA from a NEO is proposedComment: 36 page

Synthesis, properties, antitumor and antibacterial activity of new Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes with 2,2'-dithiobis(benzothiazole) ligand

Mono- and binuclear Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes with 2,20-dithiobis(benzothiazole) (DTBTA) ligand are reported. [Pt(DTBTA)(DMSO)Cl]Cl 19CHCl3 (1) and [Pd2(m-Cl)2(DTBTA)2]Cl2 (2) have been synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, MS spectrometry and the content of platinum and palladium was determined using a flame atomic spectrometer. Two different coordination modes of 1 and 2 complexes were found; in both complexes, the coordination of Pt(II) and Pd(II) ions involves the N(3) atoms of the ligand but the binuclear complex 2, is a cis-chloro-bridged palladium complex. Evaluation of their in vitro antitumor activity against two human tumor cell lines human breast cancer (MCF-7) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2); and their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Kokuria rhizophila was performed. Only complex 1 showed a dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic activity against the two tumor cell lines, associated to apoptosis and accumulation of treated cells in G0/G1 phase of cell cycle, while both 1 and 2 exhibited antimicrobial activity with complex 1 much more potent. The study on intracellular uptake in both MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines revealed that only platinum of complex 1 is present inside the cells, suggesting a different mode of action of the two compounds. This was also in agreement with the results obtained for the antitumor and antibacterial activity

Revision of the Nomenclature of the Differential Host-Pathogen Interactions of Venturia inaequalis and Malus

The apple scab (Venturia inaequalis–Malus) pathosystem was one of the first systems for which Flor\u27s concept of gene-for-gene (GfG) relationships between the host plant and the pathogen was demonstrated. There is a rich resource of host resistance genes present in Malus germplasm that could potentially be marshalled to confer durable resistance against this most important apple disease. A comprehensive understanding of the host-pathogen interactions occurring in this pathosystem is a prerequisite for effectively manipulating these host resistance factors. An accurate means of identification of specific resistance and consistent use of gene nomenclature is critical for this process. A set of universally available, differentially resistant hosts is described, which will be followed by a set of defined pathogen races at a later stage. We review pertinent aspects of the history of apple scab research, describe the current status and future directions of this research, and resolve some outstanding issues

Insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying responses of apple trees to abiotic stresses

Apple (Malus × domestica) is a popular temperate fruit crop worldwide. However, its growth, productivity, and quality are often adversely affected by abiotic stresses such as drought, extreme temperature, and high salinity. Due to the long juvenile phase and highly heterozygous genome, the conventional breeding approaches for stress-tolerant cultivars are time-consuming and resource-intensive. These issues may be resolved by feasible molecular breeding techniques for apples, such as gene editing and marker-assisted selection. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire a more comprehensive comprehension of the molecular mechanisms underpinning apples’ response to abiotic stress. In this review, we summarize the latest research progress in the molecular response of apples to abiotic stressors, including the gene expression regulation, protein modifications, and epigenetic modifications. We also provide updates on new approaches for improving apple abiotic stress tolerance, while discussing current challenges and future perspectives for apple molecular breedin