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To evaluate the 10-year outcomes of high uterosacral ligaments suspension as a primary repair for apical prolapse and to evaluate the long-term impact of prognostic factors.A retrospective study analyzed 10-year follow up after repair of primary apical prolapse through high uterosacral ligament suspension. Bulging symptoms and postoperative prolapse stage II or above were considered subjective and objective recurrences, respectively. Patient Global Impression of Improvement score was used to evaluate subjective satisfaction after surgery.A total of 287 women were analyzed. Ten-year recurrence rates were 19.1% for objective recurrence and 6.3% for subjective recurrence; surgical retreatment rate was 2.1%. Premenopausal status was related to 15-fold increased risk of developing either objective or subjective recurrence. Conversely, anterior and posterior repair were protective factors against reoperation.High uterosacral ligaments suspension is a safe and long-lasting effective procedure for the treatment of uterovaginal prolapse even 10 years after index surgery. Premenopausal status and lack of anterior and posterior repair represented long-term risk factors for surgical failure.

Let $V$ denote an $r$-dimensional vector space over $\mathbb{F}_{q^n}$, the finite field of $q^n$ elements. Then $V$ is also an $rn$-dimension vector space over $\mathbb{F}_q$. An $\mathbb{F}_q$-subspace $U$ of $V$ is $(h,k)_q$-evasive if it meets the $h$-dimensional $\mathbb{F}_{q^n}$-subspaces of $V$ in $\mathbb{F}_q$-subspaces of dimension at most $k$. The $(1,1)_q$-evasive subspaces are known as scattered and they have been intensively studied in finite geometry, their maximum size has been proved to be $\lfloor rn/2 \rfloor$ when $rn$ is even or $n=3$. We investigate the maximum size of $(h,k)_q$-evasive subspaces, study two duality relations among them and provide various constructions. In particular, we present the first examples, for infinitely many values of $q$, of maximum scattered subspaces when $r=3$ and $n=5$. We obtain these examples in characteristics $2$, $3$ and $5$., Comment: Revised version according to the referees' suggestions. We also added some connections with q-systems. Theorem 4.3 and Remark 5.2 are new. Accepted by the Journal of Combinatorial Designs

In [8] Dempwolff gives a construction of three classes of rank two semifields of order , with q and n odd, using Dembowski–Ostrom polynomials. The question whether these semifields are new, i.e. not isotopic to previous constructions, is left as an open problem. In this paper we solve this problem for , in particular we prove that two of these classes, labeled and , are new for , whereas presemifields in family are isotopic to Generalized Twisted Fields for each .

A generalized hyperfocused arc H in PG(2,q) is an arc of size k with the property that the k(k-1)/2 secants can be blocked by a set of k-1 points not belonging to the arc. We show that if q is a prime and H is a generalized hyperfocused arc of size k, then k=1, 2 or 4. Interestingly, this problem is also related to the (strong) cylinder conjecture ( Problem 919), as we point out in the last section. Keywords: hyperfocused arc; dual 3-net

We describe some geometrical properties of the action of the Cartan–Dickson–Chevalley exceptional group G2(q), q even, as a subgroup of the unitary group PSU6(q2).This allows us to provide a new description of the known 126-hyperoval of and to construct even subsets of PG(2, q2).

Hyperbolic plasmonic metamaterials provide numerous opportunities for designing unusual linear and nonlinear optical properties. We show that the modal overlap of fundamental and second-harmonic light in an anisotropic plasmonic metamaterial slab results in the broadband enhancement of radiated second-harmonic intensity by up to 2 orders of magnitudes for TMand TE-polarized fundamental light compared to a smooth Au film under TM-polarised illumination. The results open up possibilities to design tuneable frequency-doubling metamaterial with the goal to overcome limitations associated with classical phase matching conditions in thick nonlinear crystals.

Glycine acts as an inhibitory transmitter in the lower brain stem and spinal cord of vertebrate species, while very few data are yet available to support a similar role in invertebrate nervous systems. Here we report the identification and characterization of glycine receptors in the freshwater polyp Hydra vulgaris (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) by biochemical and behavioural studies. Saturation experiments revealed the occurrence of one population of binding sites of nanomolar affinity (KD = 33 nm) and low capacity (Bmax = 79 fmol/mg protein) for [(3)H]strychnine. The addition of glycine or taurine (0.1 microm-1 mm) produced a dose-dependent inhibition of [(3)H]strychnine binding. Beta-alanine (0.1-1 mm) did not significantly affect [(3)H]strychnine binding. The pharmacological properties of these receptors compare with those of vertebrate glycine receptors. Stimulation of Hydra polyps by reduced glutathione resulted in a significant increase in the duration of mouth opening in the presence of glycine, taurine or beta-alanine. The enhancement of the response was related both to amino acid (10-100 microm) and to glutathione concentration (1-10 microm). The effects of glycine or its agonists were suppressed by strychnine (1-10 microm). D-serine, a glycine agonist at the vertebrate NMDA receptor, produced opposite effects to those of glycine. The effects of d-serine were suppressed by 5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid but not by strychnine. In vitro, [(3)H]strychnine binding was not displaced by d-serine. These results indicate a dual action of glycine in Hydra tissues. The hypothesis that NMDA receptors may also be present in this elementary nervous system is proposed.