It is shown that the radial profile of the electron temperature in the Globus-M2 spherical tokamak is related to the radial profile of the electron density by a power law
. An analytical model of the ...density attractor, assuming the dependence of
on the specific poloidal volume
v
, previously tested on the TCV and JET tokamaks with a large aspect ratio, holds on the spherical tokamak, and the approximation of 162 experimental profiles has resulted in
. The proposed model makes it possible to calculate the spatial distribution
and
according to a known magnetic configuration.
Infectious endocarditis (IE) represents an inflammation of the heart endothelium usually as a result of bacterial colonization after trauma. Splenic abscess is a rare and dangerous extracardiac ...manifestation of IE. An expert multidisciplinary collaboration is necessary for the diagnosis and treatment strategy of this high-risk and challenging disease. Valvuloplasty and splenectomy are the mainstay of radical treatment and offer excellent long-term results. We present two cases with infectious endocarditis, complicated with splenic abscesses, which were successfully operated in the Department of Cardiac Surgery.
The following new possibilities are considered for the arrangement of extraction and separation processes in a cascade of mixing and settlement extractors: the use of the cascade as a chromatographic ...device for carrying out extraction and chromatographic separation processes on industrial scales; and the use of the principle of separation with a free liquid membrane. In contrast to the traditional countercurrent extraction process, the extractor cascade stages in the chromatography mode are connected only along the flow of the aqueous phase, and the organic phase is retained in the device by its complete recirculation between the settler and mixer in each stage of the cascade. In this case, the aqueous phase is fractionated into the organic phase. If the cascade is operated in the membrane extraction mode, then a liquid membrane that contains the extractant circulates between the extraction and re-extraction stages in each stage of the cascade separation process. A method for fractional liquid-membrane extraction is proposed. The operation of the extractors is adjusted by optimization in such a way that the entrainment of the organic phase is minimized and a stable hydrodynamic regime is established. The distribution function of the time of residence of the aqueous phase flow in the cascade is studied using the method of tracer pulse injection. The study confirms the possibility of operation of a cascade of mixing and settling extractors in the chromatography and liquid-membrane extraction modes.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs worldwide. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and is the leading cause of ...cancer mortality, accounting for almost 25% of all cancer deaths. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of COPD in patients with lung cancer (LC).
This is a cross-sectional observational study. Consecutive patients with suspected LC in a respiratory clinic were studied. The method of verification of the lung abnormalities (fibrobronchoscopy and/or transthoracic biopsy) was performed. Postbronchodilator spirometry was performed. An FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.7 was diagnostic for the presence of COPD. The association between the presence of COPD and LC with other routine tests (laboratory tests, blood gas analysis, CT) was also analyzed.
A total of 65 patients with verified LC were included. 48.4% of the LC patients in this study had COPD. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of COPD in the different subgroups of non-small cell cancer: unspecified non-small cell cancer – 62.5%, squamous cell cancer – 50%, adenocarcinoma – 45.8% (p = 0.33). Patients with COPD and LC had lower FEV1 (56.9 vs. 70.5%, p = 0.01) but not FVC (71.6 vs. 74.6%, p = 0.67). The presence of COPD in LC patients was associated with lower leukocytes (8.8 vs. 11.3 x109, p = 0.018). Squamous cell cancer was associated with a higher number of leukocytes compared to adenocarcinoma (11.0 vs. 8.4 x109, p = 0.026), although smoking showed no clear association with histology.
Nearly half (48.4%) of the patients with LC also had COPD.
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The article deals with the main issues of socio-economic development of the resort city of Sochi. The scale of the positive impact of the 2014 Winter Olympics held in the city is assessed. An ...analysis of the key problems that impede the further development of the city is made. Measures and tools are proposed to help solve these problems. Ideas for the long-term development of Sochi are formulated and substantiated.
We present results on laser-induced color changes in gold- and silver-doped glass. The doped borosilicate glass was prepared by conventional melt quenching. The study was focused on the change of the ...optical properties after irradiation of the glass by femtosecond laser pulses. Under certain conditions, the laser radiation induces defects associated with formation of color centers in the material. We studied this process in a broad range of laser radiation wavelengths - from UV to IR, and observed changes in the color of the irradiated areas after annealing of the processed glass samples, the color being red for the gold-doped glass red and yellow for the silver-doped glass. The structural and morphological analyses performed indicated that this effect is related to formation of metal nanoparticles inside the material. The results obtained show that femtosecond laser processing of noble-metal-doped glasses can be used for fabrication of 3D-nanoparticles systems in transparent materials with application as novel optical components.
Esophageal carcinoma is an extremely aggressive cancer with an early distant spread, high rate of local recurrence, and low overall survival. Herewith we present 3 patients with advanced moderately ...and low differentiated adenocarcinomas, who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) (two patients) and combined nCT with neoadjuvant radiation therapy (nRT) (one patient), followed by radical surgery. Subtotal esophageal resection, proximal gastric resection, and intrathoracic right gastroesophagoplasty a modo Ivor-Lewis were performed in the first two patients, while total gastrectomy, distal third esophageal resection, splenectomy and left intrathoracic esophagojejunoplasty a modo Roux were performed in the third one. A literature review of the role of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) as part of a trimodality therapy for advanced esophageal carcinoma is presented.
The paper presents results on femtosecond laser irradiation-induced modification of the optical properties of a composite material - gold nanoparticles embedded into a borosilicate glass host. The ...process is initiated by laser pulses delivered by a Ti:sapphire laser system with pulse duration of 35 fs. The glass samples are prepared by melt quenching with gold added as hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (III) hydrate to the initial composition. Post-fabrication annealing leads to a homogeneous formation of nanoparticles in the glass; varying the annealing parameters results in producing nanoparticles with different sizes and shapes. The laser irradiation of the samples induces significant modification of the optical spectra of the glass through changes of the nanoparticles characteristics. The effects are studied of the laser fluence, laser wavelength and laser pulses number. The heat diffusion equation is applied to estimate the temperature evolution and explain the modifications observed. The results demonstrate this technique's efficiency in modifying the nanoparticles properties with a high 3D spatial resolution, which can be useful in fabrication of integrated optical systems.
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•Laser processing using femto- and nanosecond pulses of noble metal doped glasses is studied.•Formation of silver nanoparticles directly by laser radiation is demonstrated.•The noble ...metal presence up to 10 wt% does not influence the ablation rate.•The laser affected zone has specific composition and geometry.
This work represents results on the response of noble metal-doped borosilicate glass to laser radiation with femto- and nanosecond pulse duration. The material under study is obtained by conventional melt quenching method as samples with noble metal concentration varied up to 10 wt% are fabricated. Optical and morphology changes of the glass samples induced by application of laser pulses with a wide range of parameters are studied. Below the permanent modification threshold, defects associated with formation of color centers in the material are observed and their properties as a function of the processing conditions are discussed. It is found that at certain conditions laser irradiation may induce direct formation of noble metal nanoparticles in the glass. When permanent morphology modifications are induced, different micro- and nanostructures are observed depending on the laser parameters. The morphology of the ablated area is studied as function of the laser fluence and number of the applied pulses. It is found that the presence of noble metal in the glass at concentrations up to 10 wt% (the maximal used) does not influence the ablation rate at both femto- and nanosecond ablation. The formation of defects and the composition of the material in the vicinity of the ablated zone are also discussed.
The chamois Rupicapra spp. is the most abundant mountain ungulate of Europe and the Near East, where it occurs as two species, the northern chamois R. rupicapra and the southern chamois R. pyrenaica. ...Here, we provide a state‐of‐the‐art overview of research trends and the most challenging issues in chamois research and conservation, focusing on taxonomy and systematics, genetics, life history, ecology and behavior, physiology and disease, management and conservation. Research on Rupicapra has a longstanding history and has contributed substantially to the biological and ecological knowledge of mountain ungulates. Although the number of publications on this genus has markedly increased over the past two decades, major differences persist with respect to knowledge of species and subspecies, with research mostly focusing on the Alpine chamois R. r. rupicapra and, to a lesser extent, the Pyrenean chamois R. p. pyrenaica. In addition, a scarcity of replicate studies of populations of different subspecies and/or geographic areas limits the advancement of chamois science. Since environmental heterogeneity impacts behavioral, physiological and life history traits, understanding the underlying processes would be of great value from both an evolutionary and conservation/management standpoint, especially in the light of ongoing climatic change. Substantial contributions to this challenge may derive from a quantitative assessment of reproductive success, investigation of fine‐scale foraging patterns, and a mechanistic understanding of disease outbreak and resilience. For improving conservation status, resolving taxonomic disputes, identifying subspecies hybridization, assessing the impact of hunting and establishing reliable methods of abundance estimation are of primary concern. Despite being one of the most well‐known mountain ungulates, substantial field efforts to collect paleontological, behavioral, ecological, morphological, physiological and genetic data on different populations and subspecies are still needed to ensure a successful future for chamois research and conservation.
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