Analytical representation of elastic scattering cross sections of low energy electrons by atmospheric gases

Analytical representations of the elastic scattering cross sections of electrons with energies of 0.01-1 keV in atmospheric gases of N2, O2, O are given. These representations are suitable for the Monte Carlo method

Drug information resources used by nurse practitioners and collaborating physicians at the point of care in Nova Scotia, Canada: a survey and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Keeping current with drug therapy information is challenging for health care practitioners. Technologies are often implemented to facilitate access to current and credible drug information sources. In the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, legislation was passed in 2002 to allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to practice collaboratively with physician partners. The purpose of this study was to determine the current utilization patterns of information technologies by these groups of practitioners. METHODS: Nurse practitioners and their collaborating physician partners in Nova Scotia were sent a survey in February 2005 to determine the frequency of use, usefulness, accessibility, credibility, and current/timeliness of personal digital assistant (PDA), computer, and print drug information resources. Two surveys were developed (one for PDA users and one for computer users) and revised based on a literature search, stakeholder consultation, and pilot-testing results. A second distribution to nonresponders occurred two weeks following the first. Data were entered and analysed with SPSS. RESULTS: Twenty-seven (14 NPs and 13 physicians) of 36 (75%) recipients responded. 22% (6) returned personal digital assistant (PDA) surveys. Respondents reported print, health professionals, and online/electronic resources as the most to least preferred means to access drug information, respectively. 37% and 35% of respondents reported using "both print and electronic but print more than electronic" and "print only", respectively, to search monograph-related drug information queries whereas 4% reported using "PDA only". Analysis of respondent ratings for all resources in the categories print, health professionals and other, and online/electronic resources, indicated that the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties and pharmacists ranked highly for frequency of use, usefulness, accessibility, credibility, and current/timeliness by both groups of practitioners. Respondents' preferences and resource ratings were consistent with self-reported methods for conducting drug information queries. Few differences existed between NP and physician rankings of resources. CONCLUSION: The use of computers and PDAs remains limited, which is also consistent with preferred and frequent use of print resources. Education for these practitioners regarding available electronic drug information resources may facilitate future computer and PDA use. Further research is needed to determine methods to increase computer and PDA use and whether these technologies affect prescribing and patient outcomes

Monitoring of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum in carrot seeds

Currently, in the Russian Federation there is an increase in the production of vegetable crops. Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) and carrots (Daucus carota) are important crops for Russia, the yield of which has increased over the past few years. Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso, Zebra chip disease) is a phytopathogen that poses a serious threat to the production of these crops in the world. According to the pest risk analysis, Lso was included in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Quarantine List in 2018. During the monitoring 30 different cultivars of carrot seeds of different Russian and foreign producers were tested as a scientific purpose and to control infection with the Lso. A preliminary germination of seeds was carried out under laboratory conditions in wet chambers in a thermostat. Carrot seedlings, seed coats and whole seeds of each sample were tested separately. Seven days after the emergence of seedlings, they were separated from the seed coat; seedlings, their seed coat and whole seeds were placed in PBS extraction buffer at a ratio of 1:10 and homogenized, after that DNA was extracted from each sample using the Proba-NK kit (Agrodiagnostica, Russia). The analysis of the extracted DNA samples was carried out by qPCR Fitoskrin reagent kit (Syntol, Russia) to detect the DNA of the Lso. As a result, Lso was detected in six samples: 'Touchon' whole seeds and seed coat, 'Chantenay Royal' whole seeds and seed coat, 'Nantaise amelioree' whole seeds and seed coat. All positive samples were of French origin. It should be noted that in seedlings grown from infected seeds, Lso has not been identified. Seeds of Russian origin were free from the Zebra chip disease. In case of the absence of pathogen transmission through seeds will be confirm in the future a new potential pathway for Ca. L. solanacearum is proposed. © 2021 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved

Micro-organisms causing plant quarantine bacterial diseases in Russia

The Russian List of pests, plant pathogens and weeds includes six agents of plant bacterial diseases. These micro-organisms can cause significant harm to plants and agricultural products. The article describes these agents, symptoms of diseases, as well pests pathways of the in Russia and their status in exporting countries

INVASIVE ASPERGILLOSIS AND MUCORMYCOSIS IN ONCOHEMATOLOGICAL PATIENTS

In the retrospective multicenter study during 2007–2017 we included 59 oncohematological patients with mucormycosis and 541 patients with invasive aspergillosis. Our study showed that mucomorhycosis more often developed in children and adolescents (p = 0.001), and after «graft versus host» disease development (p = 0.0001). Patients with mucormycosis were more immunosuppressed: severe neutropenia was in 88 % vs. 82 %, median duration of neutropenia ‒ 30 days vs. 14 days, p = 0.0001, lymphocytopenia – 77 % vs. 65 %, median duration of lymphocytopenia – 25 days vs. 14 days, p = 0.001. The main sites of infection were lungs, nevertheless in patients with mucormycosis it was less frequent (73 % vs. 97 %, p = 0.02), but more frequent were ≥2 organs involvement (42 % vs. 8 %, p = 0.001) and paranasal sinuses involvement (15 % vs. 6 %, p = 0.04). Typical clinical features of mucomorhycosis were localized pain syndrome (53 % vs. 5 %, p = 0.0001), hemoptysis (32 % vs. 6 %, p = 0.001), on lung computed tomography scan – pleural effusion (53 % vs. 7 %, p = 0.003), lesions with destruction (38 % vs. 8 %, p = 0.0001) and “a reverse halo” symptom (17 % vs. 3 %). The overall 12-week survival was significantly lower in patients with mucormycosis (49 % vs. 81 %, p = 0.0001). In both groups unfavorable prognosis factors were: ≥2 organs involvement (p = 0.0009) and concomitant bacterial or viral infection (p = 0.001 and p = 0.008 respectively). In mucormycosis patients favorable prognosis factor was remission of underlying disease (p = 0.006), in invasive aspergillosis patients – early bronchoscopy (p = 0.003), voriconazole use (p = 0.0007) and secondary antifungal prophylaxis (p = 0.0001)