Background: Droughts during the growing season are becoming increasingly common due to climate change and global warming. The study’s goal study was to assess the adaptation mechanisms of C. ...coggygria Scop. under simulated water deficit conditions using indicators characterized changes in the leaf stomatal apparatus and photosynthesizing system. Methods: The influence of osmotic polyethylene glycol 6000 on the research object C. coggygria regenerants was studied in vitro. Such indicators as morphological changes, pigment content, stomatal density and size and stomatal slit size were quantified. Result: Due to the influence of osmotic stress, there was a pigment content increase in the leaf plate on osmotic media. Stomatal density raised by 27.0-29.8% in explant cells cultivated on PEG 4.0-6.0%. Under the osmotic influence, there was a drop in the stomatal cells’ area and shape and the ratio of stomatal length to width in the regenerant leaves decreased from 1.5 to 1.0-1.1. These results indicate the adaptation of C. coggygria regenerants to stress caused by an artificial drought in vitro. The changes’ identification in the stomatal apparatus and the C. coggygria pigment ratio will accelerate the selective screening of drought-resistant plants for use in protective forestry.Background: Droughts during the growing season are becoming increasingly common due to climate change and global warming. The study’s goal study was to assess the adaptation mechanisms of C. coggygria Scop. under simulated water deficit conditions using indicators characterized changes in the leaf stomatal apparatus and photosynthesizing system.
To evaluate the interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor tocilizumab for the treatment of patients with polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pcJIA).
This three-part, randomised, ...placebo-controlled, double-blind withdrawal study (NCT00988221) included patients who had active pcJIA for ≥6 months and inadequate responses to methotrexate. During part 1, patients received open-label tocilizumab every 4 weeks (8 or 10 mg/kg for body weight (BW) <30 kg; 8 mg/kg for BW ≥30 kg). At week 16, patients with ≥JIA-American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 30 improvement entered the 24-week, double-blind part 2 after randomisation 1:1 to placebo or tocilizumab (stratified by methotrexate and steroid background therapy) for evaluation of the primary end point: JIA flare, compared with week 16. Patients flaring or completing part 2 received open-label tocilizumab.
In part 1, 188 patients received tocilizumab (<30 kg: 10 mg/kg (n=35) or 8 mg/kg (n=34); ≥30 kg: n=119). In part 2, 163 patients received tocilizumab (n=82) or placebo (n=81). JIA flare occurred in 48.1% of patients on placebo versus 25.6% continuing tocilizumab (difference in means adjusted for stratification: -0.21; 95% CI -0.35 to -0.08; p=0.0024). At the end of part 2, 64.6% and 45.1% of patients receiving tocilizumab had JIA-ACR70 and JIA-ACR90 responses, respectively. Rates/100 patient-years (PY) of adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs (SAEs) were 480 and 12.5, respectively; infections were the most common SAE (4.9/100 PY).
Tocilizumab treatment results in significant improvement, maintained over time, of pcJIA signs and symptoms and has a safety profile consistent with that for adults with rheumatoid arthritis.
NCT00988221.
The effect of mineral fertilizers and a growth biological stimulant on the development and fruiting of the species Robinia pseudoacacia (
Robinia pseudoacacia
L.) is analyzed. The introduction of ...robinia into plantations of various types has been performed from 1904 to the present time. It has been revealed that this North American species successfully grows and develops under arid conditions of Volgograd oblast, is adapted to local soil and climatic conditions, and is stable. Observations were performed in the Kirov Forestry of Volgograd oblast and in the production nursery of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Volgogradskoe of the Federal Scientific Center for Agroecology, Complex Melioration, and Protective Afforestation of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The studies enabled us to determine the effect of treatment with preparations Biostim and Agrovit on reproductive ability, biometric parameters of young and mature robinia plants, and germination of seeds. Seeds of
Robinia pseudoacacia
are needed for 2633 ha in Volgograd oblast and for 192 ha in the semi-desert zone. The need for seeds for the entire area of protective forest plantations in Astrakhan oblast and the Republic of Kalmykia is 333 and 2594 kg, respectively. The testing of the Biostim Start growth biostimulant has shown that it optimal treatment rate for robinia seeds is 15 mL/L. A higher rate causes a decrease in vitality and mold development on seeds. The use of the Agrovit preparation causes an increase in the growth and diameter of trees in 10-year-old plantations. Application of the preparation in combination with mineral fertilizers causes a growth to 40 cm of young frost-tolerant plants and to 60 cm of tall trees. The crown diameter of frost-tolerant plants increases to 6.2 cm. The research results show the possibility of sowing robinia seeds at the rate of 2 kg/ha and at a distance of 2.5 m between rows with the use of Agrovit fertilizer.
The paper discusses the modeling of the forces of interparticle pair interaction of spheroidal agglomerate in composite cement. Based on the calculation of the autohesion forces that make up the ...spheroidal agglomerate, i.e. the Portland cement ("carrier particles") and silica fume ("guest particles"), it was found that for uncharged particles the magnitude of the electric interaction forces is negligible in comparison with molecular van der Waals and capillary forces. The bipolar charging of particles in the corona discharge field at a corona electrode potential of +18 and -18 kV sharply increases the electric component of the autohesion force, which in value approaches the value of capillary forces. In this case, the Coulomb attractive forces between oppositely charged particles begin to act before the direct contact of the particles, which contributes to the agglomeration of particles. These calculations are confirmed by the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) of composite cement samples containing Portland cement (75 %) and dry gas purification silica fume (25 %), the number of angular particles of irregular shape decreases for a mixture of these materials processed in the device for surface modification.
The previous studies of centrifuged reinforced concrete structures, aimed at the supports of contact lighting networks, poles of power transmission lines, columns of single-stage buildings and ...overpasses, piles-shells were studied. A number of experimental studies were carried out in the Technology of binders, concretes and construction ceramics laboratory of Don State Technical University Academy of Construction and Architecture. An experimental laboratory unit-centrifuge TsSRL-1 with a DC motor with thyristor power units was developed and applied. It was noted that number of rotations is the most essential parameter to regulate the average density and, correspondingly, the wall thickness of the centrifuged product. It is confirmed that the final sealing of the walls by centrifugation happens when the maximum compressive pressure is applied on the walls complied with the rotation speed of the mold at the sealing number of the shape revolutions. The main parameters of centrifugation during this period are the sealing speed of the shape and the duration of centrifugation. The result of the experiments allowed finding the optimal ratio between sand and granite crushed stone, which ensures a minimum cement consumption for centrifuged concrete B40 and a minimum yield of cement to the slurry
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a hyperinflammatory condition associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, has emerged as a serious illness in children worldwide. Immunoglobulin or ...glucocorticoids, or both, are currently recommended treatments.
The Best Available Treatment Study evaluated immunomodulatory treatments for MIS-C in an international observational cohort. Analysis of the first 614 patients was previously reported. In this propensity-weighted cohort study, clinical and outcome data from children with suspected or proven MIS-C were collected onto a web-based Research Electronic Data Capture database. After excluding neonates and incomplete or duplicate records, inverse probability weighting was used to compare primary treatments with intravenous immunoglobulin, intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids, or glucocorticoids alone, using intravenous immunoglobulin as the reference treatment. Primary outcomes were a composite of inotropic or ventilator support from the second day after treatment initiation, or death, and time to improvement on an ordinal clinical severity scale. Secondary outcomes included treatment escalation, clinical deterioration, fever, and coronary artery aneurysm occurrence and resolution. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN69546370.
We enrolled 2101 children (aged 0 months to 19 years) with clinically diagnosed MIS-C from 39 countries between June 14, 2020, and April 25, 2022, and, following exclusions, 2009 patients were included for analysis (median age 8·0 years IQR 4·2–11·4, 1191 59·3% male and 818 40·7% female, and 825 41·1% White). 680 (33·8%) patients received primary treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, 698 (34·7%) with intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids, 487 (24·2%) with glucocorticoids alone; 59 (2·9%) patients received other combinations, including biologicals, and 85 (4·2%) patients received no immunomodulators. There were no significant differences between treatments for primary outcomes for the 1586 patients with complete baseline and outcome data that were considered for primary analysis. Adjusted odds ratios for ventilation, inotropic support, or death were 1·09 (95% CI 0·75–1·58; corrected p value=1·00) for intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids and 0·93 (0·58–1·47; corrected p value=1·00) for glucocorticoids alone, versus intravenous immunoglobulin alone. Adjusted average hazard ratios for time to improvement were 1·04 (95% CI 0·91–1·20; corrected p value=1·00) for intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids, and 0·84 (0·70–1·00; corrected p value=0·22) for glucocorticoids alone, versus intravenous immunoglobulin alone. Treatment escalation was less frequent for intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids (OR 0·15 95% CI 0·11–0·20; p<0·0001) and glucocorticoids alone (0·68 0·50–0·93; p=0·014) versus intravenous immunoglobulin alone. Persistent fever (from day 2 onward) was less common with intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids compared with either intravenous immunoglobulin alone (OR 0·50 95% CI 0·38–0·67; p<0·0001) or glucocorticoids alone (0·63 0·45–0·88; p=0·0058). Coronary artery aneurysm occurrence and resolution did not differ significantly between treatment groups.
Recovery rates, including occurrence and resolution of coronary artery aneurysms, were similar for primary treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin when compared to glucocorticoids or intravenous immunoglobulin plus glucocorticoids. Initial treatment with glucocorticoids appears to be a safe alternative to immunoglobulin or combined therapy, and might be advantageous in view of the cost and limited availability of intravenous immunoglobulin in many countries.
Imperial College London, the European Union's Horizon 2020, Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Foundation, UK National Institute for Health and Care Research, and National Institutes of Health.
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