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The article presents the results of the introduction study of Tall Bearded group of the Iris x hybrida hort. cultivars collection of Cheboksary branch of the MBG RAS for the purpose of determining the most promising for complex of biological features and adaptive capabilities during introduction in the soil and climatic conditions of the Middle Volga region. The potential possibilities of cultivars as an object for landscaping has been investigated. The determination of decorative qualities made it possible to divide the cultivars of iris into groups by color and size of the flower, to establish the number of flowers in an inflorescence, the height of the peduncle, the length of the leaf. As a result of the study of economic and biological characteristics, cultivars with a high, medium, low coefficient of vegetative reproduction, high, medium, low winter hardiness, moderately resistant very and moderately susceptible to heterosporous were identified. The study of the rhythm of seasonal development made it possible to determine the timing and duration of flowering of the studied cultivars of Iris x hybrida hort. in the conditions of the region. The main directions of further work with the collection are outlined.

International audience; The results of recent theoretical studies of features of superconducting states in hybrid structures whose properties are significantly determined by the spin–orbit effects have been reported. The two main phenomena appearing in such systems in the presence of additional spin splitting caused either by the Zeeman effect in a magnetic field or by the exchange field: (i) the generation of spontaneous currents and (ii) the appearance of topologically nontrivial superconducting phases. It has been shown that the spin–orbit coupling can be a key mechanism that allows implementing new inhomogeneous phase structures, in particular, the so-called “phase batteries.” The effect of geometric factors on the properties of topologically nontrivial superconducting states has been analyzed. New types of topological transitions in vortex states of Majorana wires have been proposed.

The paper presents the results of research to assess the quality of the urban environment in the areas we have identified by the functional and economic significance of Cheboksary using a method of fluctuating asymmetry of Betula pendula Roth leaves and a scale of gas resistance of tree and shrub plants. The studies have showed that the integral indices of fluctuating asymmetry of Betula pendula leaf plates of all surveyed green planting objects vary from 0,038 to 0,054. The highest levels of asymmetry were found in the eastern and southern parts of the city, where the values of leaf asymmetry fluctuations range from 0,050 to 0,054. Based on an assessment of the quality of the urban environment the authors have developed recommendations to improve and expand the range of resistant woody plants to anthropogenic stress of Cheboksary. Depending on the nature of the urban environment and the degree of woody plants resistance to anthropogenic pollution, we offer a range of woody and shrub plants for landscaping, it contains 73 species. The recommended range of trees and shrubs for landscaping in the Central zone of Cheboksary is 68 species (asymmetry coefficient 0,040 to 0,044), in the Coastal and Suburban areas 62 species (asymmetry coefficient 0,046 to 0,049), in the Industrial zone 29 species (asymmetry coefficient 0,050 to 0,053).

The computation methods of the thermodynamic properties are used for theoretical studies of multicomponent refrigerant blends (MRBs) for low-temperature throttling refrigeration units, providing cryostatting modes for cooled objects in the temperature range of –90 – –160 °С. The article presents the comparative analysis of the state equations for calculating thermodynamic properties of multicomponent refrigerant mixtures. Quantitative and qualitative differences in the results of calculations in the lowtemperature region are determined.

New options of the design of a vapor-compressor refrigerator with cold thermal energy storage are proposed. A comparative analysis of the performance of the considered systems is carried out. Results on the effectiveness of using various methods of cold thermal energy storage in the vapor-compression refrigerator circuit have been obtained. Recommendations regarding the field of application of these systems and the volume of cold thermal energy storages are given.

LNG gas-turbine engines have several advantages over diesel engines: capacity to develop higher power with smaller weight and size, lower fuel price, environment friendliness, etc. At the same time, this type of engines is characterized by low efficiency at insufficient load and high idle-run fuel consumption. A part of the energy losses under these conditions occurs in the cryogenic unit of the LNG gas-turbine engine fuel system. Schematic diagrams and characteristic features of the cryogenic unit of the LNG gas-turbine engine are presented. Schemes of LNG delivery with vapor-pressurization, sparging of the tank with an external noncondensing gas, and use of pumps are described. The impact on the fuel system performance of such factors as fuel delivery mode, LNG flow return, restraining temperature of the delivered LNG, variation of LNG composition, etc. are investigated. The criteria of efficiency of the system in start, main, and idle modes are calculated by mathematical modeling method.

Information on the characteristics of the growth and development of plants of large snapdragon, hybrid petunia, sparkling sage, elegant zinnia, depending on the depth of planting is provided. Characteristics of the main morphological signs are given, data on the height of plants, the number of lateral axes, buds, flowers, fruits, leaves, weight and number of roots of deeply planted and control plants are presented; provides information on vegetation periods; ways to improve the agricultural technology of transplants of indicated plants are identified. It is shown that deep planting is an economically viable rational agricultural method that helps to increase the decorativeness of plants, their earlier, long and plentiful flowering, and to improve the aesthetic expressiveness of flower beds without additional labor and material costs.

Short oligonucleotides are widely used for the construction of aptamer-based sensors and logical bioelements to modulate aptamer–ligand binding. However, relationships between the parameters (length, location of the complementary region) of oligonucleotides and their influence on aptamer–ligand interactions remain unclear. Here, we addressed this task by comparing the effects of short complementary oligonucleotides (ssDNAs) on the structure and ligand-binding ability of an aptamer and identifying ssDNAs’ features that determine these effects. Within this, the interactions between the OTA-specific G-quadruplex aptamer 1.12.2 (5′-GATCGGGTGTGGGTGGCGTAAAGGGA GCATCGGACA-3′) and 21 single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) oligonucleotides complementary to different regions of the aptamer were studied. Two sets of aptamer–ssDNA dissociation constants were obtained in the absence and in the presence of OTA by isothermal calorimetry and fluorescence anisotropy, respectively. In both sets, the binding constants depend on the number of hydrogen bonds formed in the aptamer–ssDNA complex. The ssDNAs’ having more than 23 hydrogen bonds with the aptamer have a lower aptamer dissociation constant than for aptamer–OTA interactions. The ssDNAs’ having less than 18 hydrogen bonds did not affect the aptamer–OTA affinity. The location of ssDNA’s complementary site in the aptamer affeced the kinetics of the interaction and retention of OTA-binding in aptamer–ssDNA complexes. The location of the ssDNA site in the aptamer G-quadruplex led to its unfolding. In the presence of OTA, the unfolding process was longer and takes from 20 to 70 min. The refolding in the presence of OTA was possible and depends on the length and location of the ssDNA’s complementary site. The location of the ssDNA site in the tail region led to its rapid displacement and wasn’t affecting the G-qaudruplex’s integrity. It makes the tail region more perspective for the development of ssDNA-based tools using this aptamer.

We examine energy relaxation of non-equilibrium quasiparticles in different vortex configurations in ``dirty'' $s$-wave superconductors. The heat flow from the electronic subsystem to phonons in a mesoscopic superconducting disk with a radius of the order of several coherence lengths is calculated both in the Meissner and giant vortex states using the Usadel approach. The recombination process is shown to be strongly affected by interplay of the subgap states, located in the vortex core and in the region at the sample edge where the spectral gap $E_{\rm g}$ is reduced by the Meissner currents. In order to uncover physical origin of the results, we develop a semiquantitative analytical approximation based on the combination of homogeneous solutions of Usadel equations in Meissner and vortex states of a mesoscopic superconducting disc and analytically calculate the corresponding spatially resolved electron-phonon heat rates. Our approach provides an important information about non-equilibrium quasiparticles cooling by the magnetic-field induced traps in various mesoscopic superconducting devices., 9 pages, 8 figures, 80 references + 4 pages of Appendices and references. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1901.01263

Various technologies and equipment complexes for associated petroleum gas (APG) stripping are analyzed and modeled to develop a universal technology and mobile modular complexes for getting liquid products from APG. The selection of a schematic design of an APG stripping plant that includes a refrigerating machine operating with a multicomponent mixed refrigerant and a fractionating column is validated.

Background Randomized trials of complex interventions are increasingly including qualitative components to further understand factors that contribute to their success. In this paper, we explore the experiences of health care practitioners in a province wide smoking cessation program (the Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients program) who participated in the COMBAT trial. This trial examined if the addition of an electronic prompt embedded in a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS)—designed to prompt practitioners to Screen, provide a Brief intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to patients who drank alcohol above the amounts recommended by the Canadian Cancer Society guidelines—influenced the proportion of practitioners delivering a brief intervention to their eligible patients. We wanted to understand the factors influencing implementation and acceptability of delivering a brief alcohol intervention for treatment-seeking smokers for health care providers who had access to the CDSS (intervention arm) and those who did not (control arm). Methods Twenty-three health care practitioners were selected for a qualitative interview using stratified purposeful sampling (12 from the control arm and 11 from the intervention arm). Interviews were 45 to 90 min in length and conducted by phone using an interview guide that was informed by the National Implementation Research Network’s Hexagon tool. Interview recordings were transcribed and coded iteratively between three researchers to achieve consensus on emerging themes. The preliminary coding structure was developed using the National Implementation Research Network’s Hexagon Tool framework and data was analyzed using the framework analysis approach. Results Seventy eight percent (18/23) of the health care practitioners interviewed recognized the need to simultaneously address alcohol and tobacco use. Seventy four percent (17/23), were knowledgeable about the evidence of health risks associated with dual alcohol and tobacco use but 57% (13/23) expressed concerns with using the Canadian Cancer Society guidelines to screen for alcohol use. Practitioners acknowledged the value of adding a validated screening tool to the STOP program’s baseline questionnaire (19/23); however, following through with a brief intervention and referral to treatment proved challenging due to lack of training, limited time, and fear of stigmatizing patients. Practitioners in the intervention arm (5/11; 45%) might not follow the recommendations from CDSS if these recommendations are not perceived as beneficial to the patients. Conclusions The results of the study show that practitioners’ beliefs were reflective of the current social norms around alcohol use and this influenced their decision to offer a brief alcohol intervention. Future interventions need to emphasize both organizational and sociocultural factors as part of the design. The results of this study point to the need to change social norms regarding alcohol in order to effectively implement interventions that target both alcohol and tobacco use in primary care clinics. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03108144. Retrospectively registered 11 April 2017, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03108144

The technique and results of a complex experiment on studying the effect of high-level clouds (HLCs) on the scattered solar radiation flux are described. Optical characteristics of clouds (backscattering phase matrix, optical depth, and scattering ratio) and their geometric characteristics (altitudes of the cloud base and top and vertical extent) were determined based on lidar data, and the scattered solar radiation flux over the lidar point of view was measured by a zenith pyranometer. It is shown that specular HLCs, i.e., clouds consisting of predominantly horizontally oriented ice crystals, significantly decrease the flux of scattered solar radiation incident on the Earth’s surface from the near-zenith sky as compared to HLCs with the same optical depth but a chaotic orientation of particles.

Aptamers are nucleic acid analogues of antibodies with high affinity to different targets, such as cells, viruses, proteins, inorganic materials, and coenzymes. Empirical approaches allow the design of in vitro aptamers that bind particularly to a target molecule with high affinity and selectivity. Theoretical methods allow significant expansion of the possibilities of aptamer design. In this study, we review theoretical and joint theoretical-experimental studies dedicated to aptamer design and modeling. We consider aptamers with different targets, such as proteins, antibiotics, organophosphates, nucleobases, amino acids, and drugs. During nucleic acid modeling and in silico design, a full set of in silico methods can be applied, such as docking, molecular dynamics (MD), and statistical analysis. The typical modeling workflow starts with structure prediction. Then, docking of target and aptamer is performed. Next, MD simulations are performed, which allows for an evaluation of the stability of aptamer/ligand complexes and determination of the binding energies with higher accuracy. Then, aptamer/ligand interactions are analyzed, and mutations of studied aptamers made. Subsequently, the whole procedure of molecular modeling can be reiterated. Thus, the interactions between aptamers and their ligands are complex and difficult to understand using only experimental approaches. Docking and MD are irreplaceable when aptamers are studied in silico.

Background Medications for smoking cessation are currently only effective in helping a minority of smokers quit. Drug development is slow and expensive; as such, there is much interest in optimizing the effectiveness of existing treatments and medications. Current standard doses of nicotine replacement therapy are not effective for many smokers, and in many cases, the amount of nicotine provided is much less than when a smoker is smoking their usual number of cigarettes. The proposed study will test if titrating the dose of the nicotine patch (up to 84 mg) will improve quitting success compared to those receiving a 21-mg nicotine patch with increasing doses of placebo patch. Methods This is a multicenter, pragmatic, two-arm, placebo-controlled, block randomized controlled trial. We will recruit participants who smoke at least 10 cigarettes daily and are interested in making a quit attempt. After 2 weeks of usual treatment with a 21-mg patch, participants who fail to quit smoking (target n = 400) will be randomized to receive escalating doses of a nicotine patch vs matching placebo patches for an additional 10 weeks or up to a maximum dose of 84 mg per day. Those who stop smoking during the first 2 weeks of usual treatment will continue with 21 mg patch treatment for 10 weeks and will form an additional comparison arm. In addition to the medication, participants will receive brief behavioral counseling at each study visit. The primary outcome will be biochemically confirmed continuous abstinence from smoking during the last 4 weeks of treatment (weeks 9 to 12). Discussion Research evidence supporting the effectiveness of personalized doses of nicotine replacement therapy could change current practice in a variety of healthcare settings. Given the evidence that quitting smoking at any age diminishes the risk of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, even small increases in absolute quit rates can have a substantial population-level impact on reducing smoking-related disease, mortality rates, and associated healthcare costs. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03000387. Registered on 22 December 2016.

The development of measures to preserve the population of Atlantic salmon has been carried out on the basis of the results of studying the state of its habitat and the conditions of reproduction. During the survey of the habitat conditions of this species in the River Ura (the Murmansk region, Russia), the area of spawning and nursery fund has been determined, the qualitative and quantitative distribution of salmon in the river basin has been established, and the migration barrier (waterfall) and the bypass for this obstacle have been described. The data obtained during the calibration of spawning and nursery plots and juveniles fishing have indicated that Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. is widely distributed in the River Ura and runs along the main watercourse, three tributaries of the 1st order and one inflow of the 2nd order. The waterfall located on the River Ura at the distance of 28 km from its mouth does not limit the distribution of salmon which has the ability to make spawning migration along the creek bending the waterfall. The total area of the spawning and nursery fund is 69.4 ha, 83 % of which are located in watercourses below the waterfall. Spawning and nursery habitat of the Atlantic salmon is represented by a variety of habitat conditions with various longitudinal relief of the lake - river system, and the fractional composition of the bottom substrate. During the studies it has been noted a relatively high content of gravel and cobble fractions forming the most important types of spawning and nursery grounds, most suitable for Atlantic salmon spawning. "Spawning-nursery" grounds (42 %), as well as "spawning-nursery grounds with spawning grounds predominance" (35 %) constitute the bulk of spawning and nursery fund of the Atlantic salmon in the River Ura basin. Nursery grounds play a smaller role in its formation. The role of the latter is more noticeable in the river reaches above the waterfall where their share reaches 50 %.

International audience; Superconductor/Ferromagnet (S/F) hybrid systems show interesting magneto-transport behaviors that result from the transfer of properties between both constituents. For instance, magnetic memory can be transferred from the F into the S through the pinning of superconducting vortices by the ferromagnetic textures. The ability to tailor this type of induced behavior is important to broaden its range of application. Here we show that engineering the F magnetization reversal allows tuning the strength of the vortex pinning (and memory) effects, as well as the field range in which they appear. This is done by using magnetic multilayers in which Co thin films are combined with different heavy metals (Ru, Ir, Pt). By choosing the materials, thicknesses, and stacking order of the layers, we can design the characteristic domain size and morphology, from out-of-plane magnetized stripe domains to much smaller magnetic skyrmions. These changes strongly affect the magneto-transport properties. The underlying mechanisms are identified by comparing the experimental results to a magnetic pinning model. * javier.villegas@cnrs-thales.fr 2

Aptamers are single-stranded nucleic acids, typically 20-80 nucleobases (nb) in length, which can bind different compounds with high affinity and selectively. Their ligand-binding properties can be attenuated by adding short complementary strands. These interactions open new opportunities for aptamer-based assays. Strong dependence between the length and electrophoretic mobility of short nucleic acids makes polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis a powerful tool for studying their complexes. The interactions between the 36 nb DNA G-quadruplex aptamer (5’-GAT-CGG-GTG-TGG-GTG-GCG-TAA-AGG-GAG-CAT-CGG-ACA-3’) specific to ochratoxin A and 9 complementary single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) were studied. The length of ssDNA varied from 5 to 9 nb. To maintain ligand-binding conformation of the aptamer, a high ionic strength buffer was used. The best resolution between the aptamer and its complex was provided for the gel with 15% monomer and a monomer/cross-linker ratio of 15:1. Bands of free aptamer and ssDNA were observed for all studied variants. If the ssDNA length was less than 9 nb, the position of the aptamer’s band remained unchanged, independent of the aptamer/ssDNA ratios, and additional bands did not appear. The longest ssDNA (5’-CGC-CAC-CCA-3’) did not lead to the appearance of a new band, but it slowed the aptamer’s migration depending on the ssDNA concentration. Under a 27-fold excess of the given ssDNA, the relative mobility of the aptamer band changed from 0.566 to 0.468. Thus, electrophoresis visualizes aptamer-ssDNA interactions and can be used in the development of aptamer-based analytical systems.

Within the research of efficiency of Atlantic salmon the artificial reproduction, feeding rate, distribution and growth of farm-raised one-year-old Atlantic salmon have been examined. The fish has been released into nursery areas with different hydrological characteristics located in the Rivers Kola, Umba, Srednyaya and Akkim in the Murmansk region. The observations have being conducted for 1–5 months since the moment of fish release. In natural habitat, juveniles rapidly distribute downstream and upstream regardless of water temperature, depth and current velocity. In all examined nursery areas adapting one-year-old juveniles prefer to stay at weak current sites close to the shore, hiding in the gravel. In all the cases farmed parr shows high feed rate, but qualitative composition of their food differs significantly from food composition of wild juveniles. Revealed peculiarities of adapting parr's distribution and qualitative food composition indicate the impact of long-term rearing at hatcheries on fish behavior. Growth rate of one-year-old juveniles is arcwise connected with fraction composition of gravel and the level of bottom fouling: the bigger bottom rocks are and the thicker the fouling is, the more intensive fish growth is. The revealed correlations have been described with equations of linear regression. Connections between juvenile growth and water temperature, current velocity and depth of the area have not been detected. The research outcomes could provide a basis for scientific advice for planning release sites and number of released one-year-old Atlantic salmon by hatcheries in the Murmansk region.

Background and aims Alcohol use is a major contributor to injuries, mortality and the burden of disease. This review updates knowledge on risk relations between dimensions of alcohol use and health outcomes to be used in global and national Comparative Risk Assessments (CRAs). Methods Systematic review of reviews and meta‐analyses on alcohol consumption and health outcomes attributable to alcohol use. For dimensions of exposure: volume of alcohol use, blood alcohol concentration and patterns of drinking, in particular heavy drinking occasions were studied. For liver cirrhosis, quality of alcohol was additionally considered. For all outcomes (mortality and/or morbidity): cause of death and disease/injury categories based on International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes used in global CRAs; harm to others. Results In total, 255 reviews and meta‐analyses were identified. Alcohol use was found to be linked causally to many disease and injury categories, with more than 40 ICD‐10 three‐digit categories being fully attributable to alcohol. Most partially attributable disease categories showed monotonic relationships with volume of alcohol use: the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of disease or death. Exceptions were ischaemic diseases and diabetes, with curvilinear relationships, and with beneficial effects of light to moderate drinking in people without heavy irregular drinking occasions. Biological pathways suggest an impact of heavy drinking occasions on additional diseases; however, the lack of medical epidemiological studies measuring this dimension of alcohol use precluded an in‐depth analysis. For injuries, except suicide, blood alcohol concentration was the most important dimension of alcohol use. Alcohol use caused marked harm to others, which has not yet been researched sufficiently. Conclusions Research since 2010 confirms the importance of alcohol use as a risk factor for disease and injuries; for some health outcomes, more than one dimension of use needs to be considered. Epidemiological studies should include measurement of heavy drinking occasions in line with biological knowledge.

The electronic structure of a vortex line trapped by a planar defect in a type-II superconductor is analyzed within the Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory. The normal reflection of electrons and holes at the defect plane results in the topological transition in the spectrum and formation of a new type of quasiparticle states skipping or gliding along the defect. This topological transition appears to be a hallmark of the initial stage of the crossover from the Abrikosov to the Josephson vortex type revealing in the specific behavior of the quantized quasiparticle levels and density of states. The increase in the resulting hard and soft gaps affects the vortex mobility along the defect plane and splitting of the zero bias anomaly in the tunneling spectral characteristics., Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures

Background Randomized trials of complex interventions are increasingly including qualitative components to further understand factors that contribute to the success of complex interventions. In this paper, we explore the experiences of health care professionals who participated in the COMBAT trial; a web-based intervention implemented in the Ontario-wide Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) Program to prompt primary care practitioner delivery of a brief alcohol intervention as part of a smoking cessation program. This study conducted qualitative interviews with primary care practitioners to understand the factors influencing implementation and acceptability of the intervention. Methods Twenty three primary care practitioners were selected for a qualitative interview using intensity sampling, ensuring representation across study arms, organization types, and rates of intervention delivery. Interviews were 45 to 90 minutes in length and conducted by phone using an interview guide that was informed the National Implementation Research Network’s Hexagon tool. Interview recordings were transcribed and coded iteratively between three researchers to achieve consensus on emerging themes. Results Most interviewed practitioners recognized the need to simultaneously address risky alcohol use and tobacco use, and shared that this type of work fits within the priorities of their respective clinics. Although most practitioners were knowledgeable about the evidence of health risks associated with dual alcohol and tobacco use, most still felt they could have benefited from additional training – beyond the two webinars delivered by the STOP program – prior to the launch of the COMBAT initiative. Practitioners acknowledged the value of adding a validated screening tool to the STOP program’s baseline questionnaire; however, following through with a brief intervention and referral to treatment proved challenging due to limited time. Conclusions While practitioners recognized the value of the COMBAT initiative, insufficient training and time were frequently reported as barriers to adoption and delivery. The results of the study also show that practitioners’ beliefs were reflective of the current social norms around alcohol use and this influenced their decision to offer a brief alcohol intervention to patients. Future designs of primary care-based interventions need emphasize organizational and sociocultural factors as part of the design.

Applying the linearized Usadel equations, we consider the nucleation of superconductivity in multiply connected mesoscopic superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) hybrids such as a thin superconducting ring on a ferromagnet with a uniform in-plane magnetization M and a spin-active S/F interface. We demonstrate that the exchange field in F provokes a switching between superconducting states with different vorticities which may increase the critical temperature ( Tc ) of the superconductor in a magnetic field. We study the interplay between oscillations in Tc due to the Little--Parks effect and oscillations in Tc induced by the exchange field. Furthermore, we analyse the influence of long-range spin-triplet correlations on the switching between different vorticities., 11 pages, 7 figures

Background Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) may promote practitioner adherence to evidence-based guidelines. This study examined if the addition of a CDSS influenced practitioner delivery of a brief intervention with treatment-seeking smokers who were drinking above recommended alcohol consumption guidelines, compared with practitioners who do not receive a CDSS prompt. Methods This was a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in primary health care clinics across Ontario, Canada, implementing the Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) smoking cessation program. Clinics randomized to the intervention group received a prompt when a patient reported consuming alcohol above the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) guidelines; the control group did not receive computer alerts. The primary outcome was an offer of an appropriate educational alcohol resource, an alcohol reduction workbook for patients drinking above the CCS guidelines, and an abstinence workbook to patients scoring above 20 points in the AUDIT screening tool; the secondary outcome was patient acceptance of the resource. The tertiary outcome was patient abstinence from smoking, and alcohol consumption within CCS guidelines, at 6-month follow-up. Results were analyzed using a generalized estimation approach for fitting logistic regression using a population-averaged method. Results Two hundred and twenty-one clinics across Ontario were randomized for this study; 110 to the intervention arm and 111 to the control arm. From the 15,222 patients that enrolled in the smoking cessation program, 15,150 (99.6% of patients) were screened for alcohol use and 5715 patients were identified as drinking above the CCS guidelines. No statistically significant difference between groups was seen in practitioner offer of an educational alcohol resource to appropriate patients (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 0.88–1.64, p = 0.261) or in patient abstinence from smoking and drinking within the CCS guidelines at 6-month follow-up (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.71–1.22, p = 0.594). However, a significantly greater proportion of patients in the intervention group accepted the alcohol resource offered to them by their practitioner (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.01–2.16, p = 0.045). Conclusion A CDSS may not increase the likelihood of practitioners offering an educational alcohol resource, though it may have influenced patients’ acceptance of the resource. Trial registration This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03108144, registered on April 11, 2017, “retrospectively registered”. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13012-019-0935-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Randomized clinical trials have established the efficacy of naltrexone for reducing quantity of alcohol consumption and incidence of relapse to heavy drinking. To evaluate putative treatment mechanisms, human laboratory studies have examined naltrexone's effects on alcohol responses and self-administration during short-term medication protocols. RESULTS from these studies are inconsistent and have yet to be examined in aggregate. This meta-analysis aimed to quantify naltrexone's effects on alcohol self-administration and craving in the context of placebo-controlled human laboratory trials. Potential moderators of medication effects were also examined. Meta-analyses of alcohol self-administration (k = 9, N = 490) and craving (k = 16, N = 748) confirmed that, under controlled experimental conditions, naltrexone reduces the quantity of consumption (Hedges' g = -.277, SE = .074, 95 percent CI = -.421, -.133, p © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction. Language: en

In this paper, the most important aspect is touched upon - the principle of constructing an individual learning path in the system of open education. At the moment, there is no clear implemented construction method that satisfies both the learner and the teacher. The method proposed in this paper is based on the use of neural network technologies to determine significant input parameters that affect the success rate. At the first stage of determining an individual trajectory, proceeding mainly from theoretical ideas about the diagnosed set, a “draft” version of the list of parameters is formed. This option includes parameters that, according to the expert, should reflect the individual psychological differences of the subjects. The definition of a “draft” version of the initial set of diagnostic features is a difficult formalized task.

Using the Gorkov equations, we provide an exact solution for a one-dimensional model of superconductivity in the presence of a conical helicoidal exchange field. Due to the special type of symmetry of the system, the superconducting transition always occurs into a nonuniform superconducting phase (in contrast with the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state, which appears only at low temperatures). We directly demonstrate that the uniform superconducting state in our model carries a current and thus does not correspond to the ground state. We study in the framework of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes approach the properties of the Josephson junction with a conical ferromagnet as a weak link. In our numerical calculations, we do not use any approximations (such as, e.g., a quasiclassical approach), and we show a realization of an anomalous $\phi_{0}$ junction (with a spontaneous phase difference $\phi_{0}$ in the ground state). The spontaneous phase difference $\phi_{0}$ strongly increases at high values of the exchange field near the borderline with a half-metal, and it exists also in the half-metal regime., Comment: published version

The electronic structure of the giant vortex states in a mesoscopic superconducting disk is studied in a dirty limit using the Usadel approach. The local density of states profiles are shown to be strongly affected by the effect of quasiparticle (QP) tunneling between the states localized in the vortex core and the ones bound to the sample edge. Decreasing temperature leads to a crossover between the edge-dominated and core-dominated regimes in the magnetic field dependence of the tunneling conductance. This crossover is discussed in the context of the efficiency of quasiparticle cooling by the magnetic field induced QP traps in various mesoscopic superconducting devices., 10 pages, 7 figures, 59 references

BACKGROUND Little is known about trends in the treatment of problematic cannabis use in Canada. Trends in treatment utilization for problematic cannabis use were examined, as well as trends in the associated sociodemographic characteristics and frequency of cannabis use. METHODS This was a repeated cross-sectional study using data from the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Information System, capturing utilization of all community funded addiction treatment services in Ontario, Canada. Clients in treatment for their own problematic cannabis use from 2010/11 to 2015/16 were included. Two distinct groups were formed: clients with problematic cannabis use only (the cannabis-only group) and clients with problematic use of cannabis and other substances (the cannabis-plus group). Estimates of the number of clients in each of these groups and their cannabis use frequency (past 30 days) were characterized over time by new admissions and total caseload (new admissions plus carryovers). RESULTS There were 152 984 admissions for 83 621 clients over the study period. The number of clients with new admissions in the cannabis-only group decreased from 2954 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2848-3062) in 2010/11 to 2342 (95% CI 2248-2439) in 2015/16. Similar downward trends were observed in the number of clients in the total caseload of this group. The number of clients with new admissions in the cannabis-plus group was stable, but the total caseload increased from 20 139 clients (95% CI 19 862-20 419) in 2011/12 to 21 816 (95% CI 21 527-22 107) in 2015/16. Proportions of daily cannabis use increased among clients in both groups. INTERPRETATION The number of clients in treatment for problematic cannabis use only decreased over the study period, but the frequency of cannabis use increased among clients in both groups. Given the potential reductions in treatment that is unnecessary from a clinical standpoint, alignment of treatment programming with disorder severity may be warranted.

At a superconductor interface with a ferromagnetic insulator (FI), the FI acts to induce a local exchange field within the S layer, which in the presence of spin-orbit interaction promotes a phase modulated superconducting state. Here we demonstrate that within a thin superconducting loop that is partially proximitized by a FI, spontaneous currents form with a magnetization-orientation-dependent chirality with sizable shifts in Little-Parks oscillations. Furthermore, the critical temperature of the loop is also magnetization-orientation-dependent and conversely, the superconducting transition itself may influence the magnetization direction. More generally, the superconducting region above the FI may serve as a phase battery and so offer a new device concept for superconducting spintronics., 5 pages and 5 figures

International audience; We show that a wide class of layered superconductor-ferromagnet (S=F) hybrids demonstrates the emergence of the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) phase well below the superconducting transition temperature. By decreasing the temperature, one can switch the system from uniform to the FFLO state which is accompanied by the damping of the diamagnetic Meissner response down to zero and also by the sign change in the curvature of the current-velocity dependence. Our estimates show that an additional layer of the normal metal (N) covering the ferromagnet substantially softens the conditions required for the predicted FFLO instability, and for existing S=F=N systems, the temperature of the transition into the FFLO phase can reach several kelvins.

High strength or construction bloating clay is widely used in construction operations especially in construction of roads, bridges, airfield pavement. It replaces crushed stone as an aggregate. Technology of high strength bloating clay requires essential changes in its stoving curve in comparison with the production of light bloating clay. It is shown that in order to solve an urgent construction problem of bloating clay release it is necessary to conduct monitoring of temperature pattern in a rotary kiln in several distinctive cross sections and conduct management of a kiln as an object with distributed constants with the use of several, especially three, concentrated control actions. The developed mathematical model of stoving process and methodology of computing experiment, exemplified by the 40×2,5м kiln, allowed to find operating areas of condition and management of an automated object, focused on bloating clay release with assigned strength.

Meta-analyses of alcohol use, alcohol dosage and alcohol-related problems as risk factors for tuberculosis incidence were undertaken. The global alcohol-attributable tuberculosis burden of disease was also re-estimated. Systematic searches were conducted, reference lists were reviewed and expert consultations were held to identify studies. Cohort and case-control studies were included if there were no temporal violations of exposure and outcome. Risk relations (RRs) were pooled by using categorical and dose-response meta-analyses. The alcohol-attributable tuberculosis burden of disease was estimated by using alcohol-attributable fractions. 36 of 1108 studies were included. RRs for alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were 1.35 (95% CI 1.09–1.68; I2: 83%) and 3.33 (95% CI 2.14–5.19; 87%), respectively. Concerning alcohol dosage, tuberculosis risk rose as ethanol intake increased, with evidence of a threshold effect. Alcohol consumption caused 22.02 incident cases (95% CI 19.70–40.77) and 2.35 deaths (95% CI 2.05–4.79) per 100 000 people from tuberculosis in 2014. Alcohol-attributable tuberculosis incidence increased between 2000 and 2014 in most high tuberculosis burden countries, whereas mortality decreased. Alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis in all meta-analyses. It was consequently a major contributor to the tuberculosis burden of disease., Alcohol use, alcohol dosage and alcohol-related problems are associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis http://ow.ly/CheO30aPqJg

The purpose of this paper is to describe a patient engagement event designed to create an educational workbook with smokers who drink alcohol at harmful levels. The goal was to create a workbook that combined scientific evidence with patients’ values, preferences, and needs. Fourteen adult smokers who drink alcohol were invited to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to take part in a four-hour event to help design the workbook with the CAMH research team. Participants provided their opinions and ideas to create an outline for the workbook, including activities, images, and titles. The workbook – called Self-Awareness – is currently being offered in a smoking cessation program in 221 primary care clinics across Ontario to help smokers quit or reduce their harmful alcohol use. The patient engagement event was a useful way to co-create educational materials that incorporate both scientific research and patient needs. Background Evidence-based medicine is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values. There are few methodologies on how to design evidence-based programs and resources to include patient values. The latter is an important aspect of patient-centered care, and is essential for patients to trust the recommendations and empower them as consumers to make informed choices. This manuscript describes a participatory research approach to design patient-facing educational materials that incorporate both evidence-based and community-sensitive principles. These materials are intended to support smokers to reduce or stop harmful alcohol consumption. Methods Adult smokers who report consuming alcohol were invited to a co-creation meeting at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s Nicotine Dependence Service to guide the adaptation of evidence-based materials. The four-hour event consisted of individual reflections, group discussions, and consensus-building interactions. Detailed notes were taken and then incorporated into the material. Results Fourteen individuals participated in the event. The end product was a descriptive outline of an educational resource – entitled Self-Awareness – incorporating material from evidence-based workbooks and patient-driven features. Participants collaboratively selected the resource’s content, structure, and titles. Conclusions This model describes a participatory research method that emphasizes the value of the patient perspective; preliminary evidence finds this adaptation approach can increase the adoption of resources. The process described in this article could be replicated in other settings to co-create evidence-based resources, interventions, and programs that reflect the needs of the community. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03108144 . Retrospectively registered 11 April 2017.

Background Tobacco and alcohol use present multiplicative risk for aerodigestive cancers. Reducing alcohol consumption improves smoking cessation outcomes and reduces cancer risk. Risky alcohol consumption and smoking are often treated separately despite concurrent treatment potentially leading to better outcomes for each. However, no rapidly scalable program exists for combined interventions in primary care clinics spread across wide geographic areas. This cluster randomized trial aims to report on the effects of a novel clinical decision support system (CDSS) on intervention rates by primary care practitioners addressing risky alcohol use in a smoking cessation program. Methods/design We will be implementing a clinical decision support system (CDSS) in 221 primary care sites participating in the Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) program across Ontario, Canada. Sites will be blindly allocated to one of two clinical decision support systems guiding practitioners to provide a risky alcohol use intervention to smokers attempting to quit using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Risky alcohol use is defined as drinking above the Canadian Cancer Society’s low-risk drinking guidelines. Primary analysis will measure the proportion of risky drinkers offered an alcohol intervention in each CDSS arm at baseline. Patients will be contacted by phone or email to track smoking cessation and alcohol consumption rates at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Discussion Upon completion of the trial, the effect of different clinical decision support systems on practitioner behaviour, and on client tobacco and alcohol use, will be discussed. If the CDSS successfully promotes SBIRT for risky alcohol use in a primary care setting and/or improves patient-level outcomes, including smoking cessation rates and alcohol use reduction, this tool can be used as a model for other web-based behaviour change interventions integrated into primary care practice. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03108144