Optimizacija parametra zavarivanja čeličnih cijevi za plinovode

The aim of this paper is to define optimization of welding conditions for Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) of steel pipes for gas transportation. Fine grain steel X-52 with thickness of 8 mm were used as a base material. Welding was performed from inner and outer side. Two wires, inclined under different angles, were feed separately. Eleven samples divided in three series were experimentally welded. Performed investigations indicated that the best properties showed weldments from series III, welded with the highest heat input. On the contrary of our expectations, welds from series II, using self made equipment, showed pretty bead properties and improper geometry. So, improving of this this equipment and obtaining welds with better properties is the target in future investigations.Cilj ovog rada je definirati optimizaciju parametara zavarivanja pod praškom čeličnih cijevi za plinovode. Finozrnati čelik X-52 debljine 8 mm je korišten kao osnovni materijal. Zavarivanje je izvedeno s vanjske i unutarnje strane. Dvije žice, pod različitim kutom su dodavane odvojeno. Jedanaest uzoraka, podeljenih u tri serije ekserimentalno je zavareno. Ispitivanja su pokazala da najbolja svojstva imaju zavari iz serije III, zavareni s najvećom količinom unešene toplote. Suprotno očekivanjima, zavari iz serije II, kod kojih je korištena oprema koju su izradili autori rada, pokazali su vrlo loše karakteristike i neadekvatnu geometriju spoja. Stoga je osnovni cilj u sljedećim istrazivanjima poboljšanje ove opreme u cilju dobijanja kvalitetnijih zavara

Sufficient inspiratory effort for a dry powder inhaler - do we have to measure it, or can we observe it? : Post hoc analysis of the PIFotal study.

Peer reviewedPostprin

Suboptimal Peak Inspiratory Flow and Critical Inhalation Errors are Associated with Higher COPD-Related Healthcare Costs

Purpose: To assess the relationship between suboptimal Peak Inspiratory Flow (sPIF), inhalation technique errors, and non-adherence, with Healthcare Resource Utilisation (HCRU) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients receiving maintenance therapy via a Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI). Patients and methods: The cross-sectional, multi-country PIFotal study included 1434 COPD patients (≥40 years) using a DPI for maintenance therapy. PIF was measured with the In-Check DIAL G16, and sPIF was defined as a typical PIF lower than required for the device. Inhalation technique was assessed by standardised evaluation of video recordings and grouped into 10 steps. Patients completed the "Test of Adherence to Inhalers" questionnaire. HCRU was operationalised as COPD-related costs for primary healthcare, secondary healthcare, medication, and total COPD-related costs in a 1-year period. Results: Participants with sPIF had higher medication costs compared with those with optimal PIF (cost ratio [CR]: 1.07, 95% CI [1.01, 1.14]). Multiple inhalation technique errors were associated with increased HCRU. Specifically, "insufficient inspiratory effort" with higher secondary healthcare costs (CR: 2.20, 95% CI [1.37, 3.54]) and higher total COPD-related costs (CR: 1.16, 95% CI 1.03-1.31). "no breath-hold following the inhalation manoeuvre (<6 s)" with higher medication costs (CR: 1.08, 95% CI [1.02, 1.15]) and total COPD-related costs (CR 1.17, 95% CI [1.07, 1.28]), and "not breathing out calmly after inhalation" with higher medication costs (CR: 1.19, 95% CI [1.04, 1.37]). Non-adherence was not significantly associated with HCRU. Conclusion: sPIF and inhalation technique errors were associated with higher COPD-related healthcare utilisation and costs in COPD patients on DPI maintenance therapy

Is diet partly responsible for differences in COVID-19 death rates between and within countries?

Correction: Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Article Number: 44 DOI: 10.1186/s13601-020-00351-w Published: OCT 26 2020Reported COVID-19 deaths in Germany are relatively low as compared to many European countries. Among the several explanations proposed, an early and large testing of the population was put forward. Most current debates on COVID-19 focus on the differences among countries, but little attention has been given to regional differences and diet. The low-death rate European countries (e.g. Austria, Baltic States, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia) have used different quarantine and/or confinement times and methods and none have performed as many early tests as Germany. Among other factors that may be significant are the dietary habits. It seems that some foods largely used in these countries may reduce angiotensin-converting enzyme activity or are anti-oxidants. Among the many possible areas of research, it might be important to understand diet and angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) levels in populations with different COVID-19 death rates since dietary interventions may be of great benefit.Peer reviewe

TGFβ/Smad2/4 Signaling Pathway Is Required for Epidermal Langerhans Cell Repopulation Under Inflammation Condition but Not for Their Homeostasis, Maturation and Migration in the Steady State

Langerhans cells (LC) represent a specialized subset of evolutionarily conserved dendritic cells (DC) in skin, which are essential for induction of skin immunity and tolerance. They self-renew in the skin at steady state, but could repopulate from peripheral blood Gr-1hi monocytes and bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic stem cells at inflammatory state. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFβ1) is a crucial factor in the regulation of LC maintenance and function after birth, however the underlying TGFβ signaling pathways are still unclear. We previously reported that the TGFβ/Smad3 signaling pathway does not impact LC homeostasis and their functions. Here, we generated the mice with conditional deletion of Smad2 or Smad4 in LCs to further explore the role of TGFβ/Smad2/4 signaling pathway in LC maintenance and function. We found that deletion of individual Smad2 or Smad4, or Smad2/4 together, in LCs did not significantly affect their ratios in skin and their expression of MHC-II, CD80 and CD86 at steady state. The phagocytic capacity of LCs from all KO mice was unaltered in vivo and in vitro compared to WT LCs. Furthermore, upon in vitro stimulation, MHC-II, CD80 and CD86 were comparably upregulated on LCs between KO and WT mice. Surprisingly, we found that conditional deletion of Smad2 and Smad4 in LCs leads to a conspicuous interruption of BM-derived LC repopulation during inflammation. Overall, our data suggest that conventional TGF-β/Smad2/3/4 signaling pathways are not required for maintaining LC homeostasis and the immature stage in the epidermis as well as LC maturation upon stimulation, but required for LC repopulation in inflammatory conditions