РЕВМАТОЇДНИЙ АРТРИТ – ІСТОРІЯ, СУЧАСНІ ПОГЛЯДИ, ТАКТИКА, РЕЗУЛЬТАТ

The article highlights the historical aspects and current views on rheumatoid arthritis as a multifactorial disease.  New information about the latest methods of investigation and treatment to improve patients′ prognosis is presented.У статті висвітлено історичні аспекти та сучасні погляди на ревматоїдний артрит як мультифакто­ріальне захворювання. Наведено інформацію щодо новітніх методів діагностики та лікування з метою покращення прогнозу для пацієнта

Fish movement in Relation to water temperature fluctuations in the Lower Danube river Iron gate II dam area

Water temperature plays an important role in the fish life cycle, and have a direct impact over fish species movement behavior, migration, feeding and reproduction. The impact might be different between the rivers because of hydro morphological factors that are specific for each watercourse (sediments, water conductivity, turbidity, total suspended solids etc.). The study focuses on 3 fish species, Vimba bream (Vimba vimba), Common nase (Chondrostoma nasus), Common barbel (Barbus barbus). Total number of 43 specimens from these three fish species were caught, tagged and released in Danube River upstream and downstream the Iron Gates II dam and tracked using acoustic telemetry equipment. The fish movement was followed for eight months, from September 2019 to April 2020. In this time period, data from 26 Vimba bream, 13 Common nase and 4 Common barbel movement were collected. Acoustic telemetry data was used to evaluate fish movement in relation with the water temperature variation of the Danube River. In all three species studied, was revealed a decrease in the number of detections in the moment when the water temperature drop below 12 °C

Понашање скобаља (Chondrostoma nasus) и буцова (Leuciscus aspius) током узводних миграција након њихове транслокације између две бране на Ђердапу

Истраживање понашања риба током узводних миграција пружа информације које могу послужити као основа за доношење мера и програма заштите.1 У циљу проучавања миграција, 14 јединки скобаља и 8 јединки буцова је ухваћено стајаћим мрежама (димензија 30 m × 2 m, промера окаца 40-50 mm) у Дунаву низводно од бране Ђердап 2. Живе јединке су транспортоване до обале и пре оперативног захвата су анестезиране (96% етанол и уље каранфилића). Хирушким путем су у трбушној дупљи јединки постављени акустични одашиљачи Vemco V9P/V13P, а након опоравка транспортоване су и пуштене један километар узводно од бране Ђердап 2.2 Очитавање сигнала је рађено са 18 VR2W пријемника (10 је распоређено низводно од бране Ђердап 2, док је 8 било узводно), као и са мануелним пријемником (VR100). Било је 202.202 детекција скобаља, на 8 пријемника (5 низводно и 3 узводно од бране Ђердап 2), док је једна јединка детектована мануелним пријемником код бране Ђердап 1. Јединке буцова су детектоване 5.640 пута, на 5 пријемника (4 низводно и 1 узводно од бране Ђердап 2). После одређеног времена 66,7% скобаља је детектована низводно од бране Ђердап 2, док је 33,3% остало у језеру (само једна јединка је детектована код бране Ђердап 1), што указује на преференцу ка низводним миграцијама. Слично је и код буцова, где је 75% јединки након одређеног времена детектована низводно од бране Ђердап 2, док је 25% остало у језеру. Даља истраживања треба да покажу разлоге за уочене разлике у времену које јединке проводе у језеру

Preliminary results on the assessment of Danube River fish species migration behavior in relation to Iron Gate I and II dam using acoustic telemetry equipment

The dam’s construction without fish passes had a major impact, obstructing migratory fish populations from moving between different parts of the river systems and utilizing their key habitats. Fish species and fish populations are depending on long migrations are most seriously affected by river fragmentation. Building well-functioning fish passage systems for migratory fish species at Iron Gate I (rkm 943) and Iron Gate II (rkm 863), is crucial for strengthening and re-establishing Danube’s River migratory fish populations. Between March and May 2021, 112 fish specimens were captured downstream Iron Gate II dam. All the fish was previously tagged with 69 KHz ultrasonic transmitters and released upstream Iron Gate II dam reservoir (53 fish) and downstream Iron Gate II dam (59 fish). Some of the acoustic transmitters are equipped with depth sensors, which provide information of water depths used by fish. Fish movements were recorded by a network of 18 ultrasonic automatic Vemco VR2w receivers (10 downstream the Iron Gate II dam and Gogosu branch, 6 in the IG II lake and 2 receivers at the Iron Gate I dam) with a 15 month battery life, positioned in Danube River. Downloading and interpreting recorded data by these receivers will be an important starting point for "We Pass 2" project that will begin in fall of 2021, when will be realized high resolution recordings of 3D fish movements, for finding the best technical solution for their passing upstream or downstream of dams

Circadian activity of the Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) in the Danube River

In this study, the movements and behaviour of Wels catfish (Silurus glanis, Linnaeus, 1758) were monitored during the different seasons when the water level in the river changed significantly. Wels catfish was caught on the Danube River, rkm 863, and tagged with an ultrasonic transmitter. Deployed Vemco receivers recorded detections of spatial movement between years 2015 and 2017. Our telemetry data found relatively short movements within a maximum range (~12km), but as a territorial species most of the time it was recorded by the two receivers, close to the Iron Gate dam and location where it was caught. Circadian rhythm showed that in the summer period, nocturnal activity is evident while during winter Wels catfish stayed most of the time at the same depth under the water surface. Wels catfish changed depths during the autumn and spring when more activity was recorded. The last signal received was during the winter 2017, which was period with the low temperatures and ice cover on the Danube River. This research shows the value and importance of installing coded acoustic transmitters in fish and monitoring their movement using a series of autonomous receivers deployed in the Danube River. Research by telemetry can be used to better understand fish behaviour and movements and to help improve large river management measures

Spatial movement of the Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) in the Danube

Wels catfish (Silurus glanis, Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the most targeted species for recreational and commercial fishing in the Danube River, even though studies of behavior and movement patterns of Wels catfish in the Danube are rare. Wels catfish was caught downstream of Iron Gate II hydropower dam and tagged with an ultrasonic transmitter (Vemco Ltd, V16TP). Nine autonomous receivers (Vemco Ltd, VR 2W) recorded detections of spatial movement downstream of Iron Gate II dam between Serbia and Romania for almost two years, between the years 2015 and 2017. Our telemetry data found that Wels catfish exhibit relatively short movements within a maximum range (≈ 12 km), but as a territorial species most of the time it was recorded by the two receivers, close to the Iron Gate dam and location where it was caught. The longest displacement from the preferable place under Iron Gate II dam was migration to Romanian ship lock and turbines located in the right arm of the Danube River. Location under the river dam is already recognized as a place of aggregation of the fish and thus preference of predatory catfish is strongly connected with food availability. Our data revealed that dam and ship lock blocked further migration of this fish. The last signal received was during the winter 2017, which was a period with extremely low temperature and ice cover on the Danube River. Considering the fact that the ice displaced whole receiver deployment downstream the dam, we might conclude that the tagged catfish disappeared because of ice movement during the winter season. Results can be used for management ensuring habitat requirements and developing of restoration and conservation strategies

Self-love and sociability: the ‘rudiments of commerce’ in the state of nature

Istvan Hont’s classic work on the theoretical links between the seventeenth-century natural jurists Hugo Grotius and Samuel Pufendorf and the eighteenth-century Scottish political economists remains a popular trope among intellectual and economic historians of various stamps. Despite this, a common criticism levelled at Hont remains his relative lack of engagement with the relationship between religion and economics in the early modern period. This paper challenges this aspect of Hont’s narrative by drawing attention to an alternative, albeit complementary, assessment of the natural jurisprudential heritage of eighteenth-century British political economy. Specifically, the article attempts to map on to Hont’s thesis the Christian Stoic interpretation of Grotius and Pufendorf which has gained greater currency in recent years. In doing so, the paper argues that Grotius and Pufendorf’s contributions to the ‘unsocial sociability’ debate do not necessarily lead directly to the Scottish school of political economists, as is commonly assumed. Instead, it contends that a reconsideration of Grotius and Pufendorf as neo-Stoic theorists, particularly via scrutiny of their respective adaptations of the traditional Stoic theory of oikeiosis, steers us towards the heart of the early English ‘clerical’ Enlightenment

Metformin for treatment of cytopenias in children and young adults with Fanconi anemia

Fanconi anemia (FA), a genetic DNA repair disorder characterized by marrow failure and cancer susceptibility. In FA mice, metformin improves blood counts and delays tumor development. We conducted a single institution study of metformin in nondiabetic patients with FA to determine feasibility and tolerability of metformin treatment and to assess for improvement in blood counts. Fourteen of 15 patients with at least 1 cytopenia (hemoglobin < 10 g/dL; platelet count < 100 000 cells/µL; or an absolute neutrophil count < 1000 cells/µL) were eligible to receive metformin for 6 months. Median patient age was 9.4 years (range 6.0-26.5). Thirteen of 14 subjects (93%) tolerated maximal dosing for age; 1 subject had dose reduction for grade 2 gastrointestinal symptoms. No subjects developed hypoglycemia or metabolic acidosis. No subjects had dose interruptions caused by toxicity, and no grade 3 or higher adverse events attributed to metformin were observed. Hematologic response based on modified Myelodysplastic Syndrome International Working Group criteria was observed in 4 of 13 evaluable patients (30.8%; 90% confidence interval, 11.3-57.3). Median time to response was 84.5 days (range 71-128 days). Responses were noted in neutrophils (n = 3), platelets (n = 1), and red blood cells (n = 1). No subjects met criteria for disease progression or relapse during treatment. Correlative studies explored potential mechanisms of metformin activity in FA. Plasma proteomics showed reduction in inflammatory pathways with metformin. Metformin is safe and tolerable in nondiabetic patients with FA and may provide therapeutic benefit. This trial was registered at as #NCT03398824

WEPASS Project - Making the Iron Gate Dams passable for migratory fish

European rivers are obstructed by more than one million barriers that have resulted in excessive loss of river continuity. On the main course of the Danube River there are 83 longitudinal continuity interruptions, out of which 65 dams are used for hydropower (ICPDR 2022a). The Iron Gate Hydropower and Navigation System is one of the largest river engineering projects undertaken in Europe, with the dams mainly built to provide hydropower and flood protection, and to facilitate navigation along the Danube. These infrastructures represent introduced barriers to fish migration. Hence, ensuring passage opportunities for fish at the Iron Gate dams is considered to be of major importance for the conservation of migratory fish populations in the Danube River basin. Restoration of river continuity at these sites would reopen an additional 900 km for migration up to the Gabčikovo dam, providing suitable habitats and spawning grounds along the Danube and its tributaries. Knowledge about fish behavior and movements in the vicinity of these river infrastructures is required to build effective up- and downstream passage facilities to allow the migration of fish species. To gain insight in the approach routes and aggregation areas a refined approach to acoustic telemetry is employed to support migration facilitation