Lessons Learned from Bookstagrammers for Library Promotion and Promotion of Readership: Qualitative Study

The prevalent problem with which libraries deal with today is decrease of patrons in younger generation. There is a lot of academic and research attention dedicated to studies of their behavior and trends connected to increase in time spent online and on social media. There are also concerns about attention spans of younger children and their reading habits. Many libraries tried to pull younger generation toward book reading and libraries in general by starting Instagram accounts but not many know how to run it to address the desired group of users. We have conducted interviews with three out of eight most popular Influencers in Czech Republic specializing in book promotion. We processed results with grounded theory and derived recommendations for library marketing specialists out of key findings. This paper was supported under project No. 9/2019/SGS

Natalizumab treatment shows low cumulative probabilities of confirmed disability worsening to EDSS milestones in the long-term setting.

Abstract Background Though the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is commonly used to assess disability level in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the criteria defining disability progression are used for patients with a wide range of baseline levels of disability in relatively short-term trials. As a result, not all EDSS changes carry the same weight in terms of future disability, and treatment benefits such as decreased risk of reaching particular disability milestones may not be reliably captured. The objectives of this analysis are to assess the probability of confirmed disability worsening to specific EDSS milestones (i.e., EDSS scores ≥3.0, ≥4.0, or ≥6.0) at 288 weeks in the Tysabri Observational Program (TOP) and to examine the impact of relapses occurring during natalizumab therapy in TOP patients who had received natalizumab for ≥24 months. Methods TOP is an ongoing, open-label, observational, prospective study of patients with RRMS in clinical practice. Enrolled patients were naive to natalizumab at treatment initiation or had received ≤3 doses at the time of enrollment. Intravenous natalizumab (300 mg) infusions were given every 4 weeks, and the EDSS was assessed at baseline and every 24 weeks during treatment. Results Of the 4161 patients enrolled in TOP with follow-up of at least 24 months, 3253 patients with available baseline EDSS scores had continued natalizumab treatment and 908 had discontinued (5.4% due to a reported lack of efficacy and 16.4% for other reasons) at the 24-month time point. Those who discontinued due to lack of efficacy had higher baseline EDSS scores (median 4.5 vs. 3.5), higher on-treatment relapse rates (0.82 vs. 0.23), and higher cumulative probabilities of EDSS worsening (16% vs. 9%) at 24 months than those completing therapy. Among 24-month completers, after approximately 5.5 years of natalizumab treatment, the cumulative probabilities of confirmed EDSS worsening by 1.0 and 2.0 points were 18.5% and 7.9%, respectively (24-week confirmation), and 13.5% and 5.3%, respectively (48-week confirmation). The risks of 24- and 48-week confirmed EDSS worsening were significantly higher in patients with on-treatment relapses than in those without relapses. An analysis of time to specific EDSS milestones showed that the probabilities of 48-week confirmed transition from EDSS scores of 0.0–2.0 to ≥3.0, 2.0–3.0 to ≥4.0, and 4.0–5.0 to ≥6.0 at week 288 in TOP were 11.1%, 11.8%, and 9.5%, respectively, with lower probabilities observed among patients without on-treatment relapses (8.1%, 8.4%, and 5.7%, respectively). Conclusions In TOP patients with a median (range) baseline EDSS score of 3.5 (0.0–9.5) who completed 24 months of natalizumab treatment, the rate of 48-week confirmed disability worsening events was below 15%; after approximately 5.5 years of natalizumab treatment, 86.5% and 94.7% of patients did not have EDSS score increases of ≥1.0 or ≥2.0 points, respectively. The presence of relapses was associated with higher rates of overall disability worsening. These results were confirmed by assessing transition to EDSS milestones. Lower rates of overall 48-week confirmed EDSS worsening and of transitioning from EDSS score 4.0–5.0 to ≥6.0 in the absence of relapses suggest that relapses remain a significant driver of disability worsening and that on-treatment relapses in natalizumab-treated patients are of prognostic importance

Quality of potatoes from different farming systems

Increasing public concern about environment and human health reflects in growing consumers´ interest in organic food. In order to have a free and informed choice between organic and conventional foods, an objective assessment of a product quality based on a sound scientific knowledge is needed. The aim of this project was an investigation of the influence of growing conditions on the potato (Solanum tuberosum) quality. Two traditional varieties (Katka and Finka) were grown at two different localities in Czech Republic. To determine a possible inter-annual variability, the experiments were performed on crops over a period of three consecutive years (2008 – 2010). The monitored parameters included biologically active compounds (chlorogenic acid, reducing sugars, amino acids, vitamin C etc.) and also toxic secondary metabolites (total glycoalkaloids and calystegines). Levels of these biologically active compounds depended mainly on the variety and climatic conditions such as year of farming, but the type of a cultivation system did not play a significant role. The currently investigated natural toxic alkaloids calystegines were found at higher concentration levels than the natural toxicants glycoalkaloides, monitoring of which is required by legislation

AC Cell Electroporation Based on Asymmetrical Waveform

This paper discusses an application of different waveforms during a cell electroporation process. Latest scientific papers emphasize advantages of asymmetrical waveform applied to tissue. Higher effect of the electroporation process is reached and muscle contractions are less significant. Most high­voltage generators are based on a controlled discharge of storage capacitors. We present a different solution of the generator, where a power part contains a pulse transformer

Scanning Probe Microscopy as a Tool for Investigation of Biomaterials

Super-microscopic techniques like scanning tunnelling microscopy, atomic force microscopy or scanning near-field optical microscopy allows investigate micro- and/or nano-scale surfaces and structures. In this paper, both Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) and Scanning near field optical microscope (SNOM) have been applied to more closely study of biomaterials. The results of visualization of human osteo-sarcoma cell line (U2OS) are compared. SNOM and ESEM yield different, however, comparable and complementary information on studied biological samples

A boy with developmental delay and mosaic supernumerary inv dup(5)(p15.33p15.1) leading to distal 5p tetrasomy – case report and review of the literature

Abstract Background With only 11 patients reported, 5p tetrasomy belongs to rare postnatal findings. Most cases are due to small supernumerary marker chromosomes (sSMCs) or isochromosomes. The patients share common but unspecific symptoms such as developmental delay, seizures, ventriculomegaly, hypotonia, and fifth finger clinodactyly. Simple interstitial duplications leading to trisomies of parts of 5p are much more frequent and better described. Duplications encompassing 5p13.2 cause a defined syndrome with macrocephaly, distinct facial phenotype, heart defects, talipes equinovarus, feeding difficulties, respiratory distress and anomalies of the central nervous system, developmental delay and hypotonia. Case presentation We present a boy with dysmorphic features, developmental delay, intellectual disability and congenital anomalies, and a mosaic sSMC inv dup(5)(p15.33p15.1). He is the fourth and the oldest reported patient with distal 5p tetrasomy. His level of mosaicism was significantly different in lymphocytes (13.2%) and buccal cells (64.7%). The amplification in our patient is smaller than that in the three previously published patients but the only phenotype difference is the absence of seizures in our patient. Conclusions Our observations indicate that for the assessment of prognosis, especially with respect to intellectual functioning, the level of mosaicism could be more important than the extent of amplification and the number of extra copies. Evaluation of the phenotypical effect of rare chromosomal aberrations is challenging and each additional case is valuable for refinement of the genotype-phenotype correlation. Moreover, our patient demonstrates that if the phenotype is severe and if the level of sSMC mosaicism is low in lymphocytes, other tissues should be tested