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Abstract Male germ cell tumors (GCT) have excellent survival. Long-term sequelae in cancer survivors are an evolving field. We evaluated the risk of patients with GCT to develop primary hypogonadism and adherence to guideline-recommended therapy in a real-world cohort. Monocentric study at a tertiary cancer centre to evaluate treated GCT-patients (2001–2019). Post therapeutic male endocrine function, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-5 and The aging males’ symptoms rating scale (AMS) questionnaires were assessed. The overall response rates were low, with 44 of 402 contacted patients participating in the study. From these, 32(73%) underwent blood analysis, 42(95%) answered the IIEF-5 and 43(98%) the AMS. Latent hypogonadism (serum testosterone 8–12 nmol/l) was found in n = 9 (28%) and manifest hypogonadism (testosterone 50%, which underscored the clinical need to evaluate endocrine function in cancer survivors. We further indicated the difficulties of today’s research and provided starting points to assess barriers for study participations.

Many developing countries lack access to recommended first-line treatments for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) or ICI-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) combinations. As a result, predictive markers are necessary to identify patients who may benefit from single-agent TKIs for long-term response. This study aims to identify such parameters. This was a multi-centre, retrospective study of patients with mRCC who were undergoing first-line treatment with sunitinib or pazopanib. Patients who had been diagnosed with mRCC and had not experienced disease progression for 36 months or more were deemed to have achieved a long-term response. Predictive clinical and pathological characteristics of patients who did not experience long-term disease progression were investigated. A total of 320 patients from four hospitals were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 60 years (range 20-89 years). According to the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) risk classification, 109 patients were classified as having favourable risk and 211 were in the intermediate-poor risk group. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for all patients were 12.5 months and 76.4 months, respectively. In the long-term responder’s group, the median PFS was 78.4 months. Among all patients, prior nephrectomy, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status (PS)

INTRODUCTION: Posterior circulation ischemia syndrome is a common feature of the poor blood flow to the posterior cerebral regions which is generally caused by atherosclerotic involvement of vertebral arteries (VA). However, the risk factors for VA atherosclerosis remain largely unknown. Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), a modified low-density lipoprotein, has been implicated as a risk factor for coronary and peripheral artery disease. Our aim was to investigate the possible association of Lp(a) with low vertebral artery flow, a marker representing VA atherosclerosis. METHODS: An institutional registry database was used for the present study. A complete dataset, including Doppler ultrasound imaging of the carotid and VA was available in 135 of 718 cases, and these cases were included in the analysis. RESULTS: 29 (21.1%) patients had Lp(a)>30 mg/dL, and total VA flow in these patients was significantly less than in patients with Lp(a)

In this study, we demonstrate intense extreme-ultraviolet optical vortices generated using laser-ablation plume as the nonlinear medium. We used two types of plumes that are known to generate intense high-order harmonics for driving lasers with Gaussian beam profiles, but through different mechanisms, namely, carbon (diatomic carbon molecules) and tin (resonance with the autoionizing state). We find that the harmonic fluxes for diatomic carbon molecules are similar for Gaussian and vortex driving fields. However, for harmonics from the autoionizing state of tin (∼26.3 eV), the enhancement factor of the resonant harmonic intensity decreases by ∼50% when using the vortex driving field. The intense extreme-ultraviolet optical vortices demonstrated in this study will be useful for many applications including a material characterization technique known as optical angular momentum dichroism as well as the spectroscopy of spin-forbidden electronic transitions.

This research was devoted to the creation of a protection system for electric motors used in industry and transport, based on modern and traditional sensors. In the course of operation, the malfunctions of electric motors have been investigated and it was found that the accident modes occur mainly due to exceeding the permissible values of the current, voltage and temperature parameters. Modern sensors of current, voltage, and temperature have been compared and the most effective ones were selected for use in electric motors. Based on reasoning from these sensors, a protection system for a low-power electric motor has been developed in the laboratory. In addition, in the Multisim application software package, a simulation of the operation of the protection system at different voltage and current values was performed, and a circuit of the sensor control unit and the power source for powering the protection system was constructed. It has been proposed to apply such a multi-parametric complex protection system for electric motors, especially in transport.

We report a systematic study of free-space terahertz (THz) emission from photoconductive antennas (PCAs) nanodecorated with gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) deposited by using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. H-shaped dipole micro-structured PCAs fabricated on semi-insulating GaAs substrates were decorated under various PLD conditions. Thus, by increasing the number of laser ablation pulses (NLP) of the Au target, both the average size of Au-NPs and the surface loading of PCAs increase. Compared with non-decorated PCAs, those decorated with Au-NPs exhibit significant enhancement in the radiated THz pulse amplitude. A maximum enhancement of ∼2.3 was achieved at NLP = 1250. Under this optimal NLP condition, not only is the average Au-NP size (of ∼15 nm) favorable for light absorption via localized surface plasmons, but also the inter-distance between NPs, the light reflectance, and facilitated transport of photocarriers, all combine to yield a stronger THz field emission. For higher NLP (≥2000), NPs coalesce and tend to form continuous film NPs, which not only significantly limits the light scattering toward the GaAs underlying substrate, but also electrically shorts the PCA. Finally, the Au-NP decoration of GaAs PCAs was also found to improve their overall thermal conductivity, making them much more thermally stable than their non-decorated counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to an investigation of the TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) diagnostics and self-diagnostics problems. The aim of the current research is to prepare the TCAS system built-in diagnostics aid and to build a model of a device for non-contact monitoring of the TCAS unit operational status. The tasks of the research are the following: to conduct analysis of the features and capabilities of the TCAS diagnostic techniques and aids; to develop a model which can detect the spurious actuation of the system and false decision-making; to prepare techniques which can detect such behavior of the system during a flight; to construct a model of a device for built-in diagnostics based on an non-contact monitoring of the TCAS states. The applied techniques of the researches are the following: application of signs, facts, and heuristic information about faults, implementation of an instrumental approach and diagnostic techniques based on an estimation of measured and monitored parameters. The system state monitoring method was proposed to carry out non-contact diagnostics of the system and to monitor the operating modes. This method is based on operating current variations by means of current measure using non-contact meters. It was proposed to apply the Hall sensor and the Rogowski coil to carry out such diagnostics. The schematic model to monitor the operation of the TCAS receiving and computing unit is developed considering Hall sensors’ capabilities to measure both direct and alternating currents. It was proposed the method and schematics to monitor TCAS system transmitter operating modes due to the fact that Rogowski coil is capable to measure both pulse and HF currents. This promotes to carry out diagnostics of the system proper operation. Several model versions of Rogowski coil are developed. Researches were carried out applying self-contained testing device (АКИП – 3407/2А) and Tektronics TSB digital oscilloscope. Conclusions. The novelty of the carried researches is follows: it is proposed a method for monitoring the variations of operating currents applied by the TCAS basic units for providing the self-contained diagnostics system; it is proposed a method for monitoring the system state according to the operating current variations, based on current measurements applying the Hall sensor and the Rogowski coil to provide the TCAS non-contact diagnostics. The research includes analysis of the laboratory measurements which were performed applying several versions of the Rogowski coil. Functional diagrams of the coil connections to the circuit are developed applying MultiSim14. The logical unit of the TCAS electrical modes built-in monitoring device is developed applying MatLab and MultiSim14

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is an inheritable cardiac disease that typically manifests with an increased left ventricular outflow tract gradient. In most cases, basal septal hypertrophy and systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral valve leaflet are the key components of the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The goal of septal reduction therapy, a widely accepted treatment modality, is to remove this obstruction. Although myectomy is a well-established and effective surgical technique for septal reduction therapy, transcoronary alcohol septal ablation is an alternative therapy for patients who decline to have surgery or who are not suited to a surgical intervention. A new septal reduction method has also been described in the literature. This case report describes the successful treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in a 57-year-old female using the new septal reduction technique.

Copyright of Bosphorus Medical Journal / Boğaziçi Tıp Dergisi is the property of KARE Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bosphorus Medical Journal / Boğaziçi Tıp Dergisi is the property of KARE Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The fracture mechanics problem for isotropic plate weakened by a periodic system of circular holes and straight through cracks is considered. The plate is bending. The stress in- tensity factors were found.

Objective: Visceral adipose tissue performs an important role in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Expressing its close association with epicardial adipose tissue simplifies the understanding of visceral adipose tissue in terms of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk and facilitates the implementation of necessary lifestyle changes. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue proxies such as visceral fat rating, visceral adiposity index, and lipid accumulation product index as well as anthropometrics and lipid profile. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 244 participants (131 female, 113 males), aged 18-83 years without established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Epicardial adipose tissue was measured by transthoracic echocardiography. Visceral fat rating, total body fat percentage, and mass were assessed by a bioimpedance analyzer. Mathematical formulas calculated the visceral adiposity index and lipid accumulation product index. Demographic, clinical, and biochemical information of the participants was provided from the hospital's data system. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance -insulin resistance was calculated using fasting insulin and glucose. Results: Epicardial adipose tissue was significantly correlated with the visceral fat rating, visceral adiposity index, lipid accumulation product index, age, body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, total body fat percentage and mass, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and cigarette smoking. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that age (β = 0.036, P = .001), visceral fat rating (β = 0.221, P < .001), systolic blood pressure (β = 0.033, P < .001), diastolic blood pressure (β = -0.048, P < .001), and cigarette smoking (β = 0.042, P < .001) were independent variables related to epicardial adipose tissue. Conclusion: Epicardial adipose tissue is associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors and indices of visceral adiposity in people without established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]