Search

When John Ruskin “discovered” vernacular architecture, it was a rich heritage still in the making. Contrary to most of the other kinds of valuable built remains of cultures gone, vernacular architecture has been well alive, vigorously creative and yet ancient. Besides being continuously inhabited, it has been conserved in open-air museums and reinterpreted through national styles seeking inspiration from it. The former usually resulted in houses turned into museum exhibits; the latter inevitably resulted in compositions designed by trained architects. Alongside this process, there occurred progressive disappearance of vernacular crafts and ways of life. There is, however, a lesson that built vernacular heritage can still teach us: better integration of human settlements to the environment. What lies beyond vernacular architecture or the theory and practice of its preservation, is the reinvention of the boundaries of localness.

Recovering of ancient woodworking skills can be achieved by the simultaneous documentation and analysis of the tangible evidences such as the geometry parameters of prehistoric hand tools or the fine morphological characteristics of well preserved wooden archaeological finds. During this study, altogether 10 different hand tool forms and over 60 hand tool impressions were investigated for the better understanding of the Bronze Age woodworking efficiency. Two archaeological experiments were also designed in this methodology and unknown prehistoric adzes could be reconstructed by the results of these studies and by the spatial analysis of the Bronze Age tool marks. Finally, the trimming efficiency of these objects were also implied and these woodworking skills could be quantified in the case of a Bronze Age wooden construction from Austria. The proposed GIS-based tool mark segmentation and comparison can offer an objective, user-independent technique for the related intangible heritage interpretations in the future.

The acquisition of high-resolution surface information by advanced documentation methods as short-range laser scanning or closerange photogrammetry can provide novel tool mark research perspectives in the field of archaeological sciences. For this reason, altogether eight different Bronze Age hand tool replicas and their tool marks were surveyed and analysed in this study. The automatic identification of sliding tool marks was carried out in a GIS environment. Based on hydrological and aspect parameters, the various hand tool impressions as watershed boundaries of the surface model could be determined in the developed workflow. After the segmentation of the single tool marks, slope and width values of the patterns were compared with the cutting edges of their replicas and the most used regions of the hand tool heads could be defined by these tool mark characteristics. The variation of midline parameters along the sliding tool marks resulted in significant conclusions about the mounting techniques of the hand tool heads on the handles. A smaller angular value between the replica and the handle produced different hand tool impressions which had a major influence on the woodworking efficiency as well. Furthermore, in this paper presented methods should also help to understand other ancient wood manufacture processes.

The international research project HiMAT (History of Mining Activities in the Tyrol and adjacent areas) is dedicated to the study of mining history in the Eastern Alps by various scientific disciplines. The aim of this program is the analysis of the mining activities’ impacts on environment and human societies. Unfortunately, there is only a limited number of specific regions (e.g. Mitterberg) to offer possibilities to investigate the former mining expansions. Within this multidisciplinary project, the archaeological sites and finds are analyzed by the Surveying and Geoinformation Unit at the University of Innsbruck. This paper shows data fusion of different surveying and post-processing methods to achieve a photo-realistic digital 3D model of one of these most important finds, the Bronze Age sluice box from the Mitterberg. The applied workflow consists of four steps: 1. Point cloud processing, 2. Meshing of the point clouds and editing of the models, 3. Image orientation, bundle and image adjustment, 4. Model texturing. In addition, a short range laser scanning survey was organized before the conservation process of this wooden find. More accurate research opportunities were offered after this detailed documentation of the sluice box, for example the reconstruction of the broken parts and the surface analysis of this archaeological object were implemented using these high-resolution datasets. In conclusion, various unperceived patterns of the wooden boards were visualized by the GIS-based tool marks investigation.

The improvement of detailed surface documentation methods provides unique tool mark-study opportunities in the field of archaeological researches. One of these data collection techniques is short-range laser scanning, which creates a digital copy of the object’s morphological characteristics from high-resolution datasets. The aim of our work was the accurate documentation of a Bronze Age sluice box from Mitterberg, Austria with a spatial resolution of 0.2 mm. Furthermore, the investigation of the entirely preserved tool marks on the surface of this archaeological find was also accomplished by these datasets. The methodology of this tool mark-study can be summarized in the following way: At first, a local hydrologic analysis has been applied to separate the various patterns of tools on the finds’ surface. As a result, the XYZ coordinates of the special points, which represent the edge lines of the sliding tool marks, were calculated by buffer operations in a GIS environment. During the second part of the workflow, these edge points were utilized to manually clip the triangle meshes of these patterns in reverse engineering software. Finally, circle features were generated and analysed to determine the different sections along these sliding tool marks. In conclusion, the movement of the hand tool could be reproduced by the spatial analysis of the created features, since the horizontal and vertical position of the defined circle centre points indicated the various phases of the movements. This research shows an exact workflow to determine the fine morphological structures on the surface of the archaeological find.

Healthy multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows (n = 22, parity: 2-4) from a large-scale dairy herd in Hungary were subjected to an intravenous glucose tolerance test 10-15 days after calving. AluI genotype of growth hormone, several plasma metabolites and metabolic hormones were determined, and current and previous lactation yields were recorded. We also used the Revised Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (RQUICKI) and its modified version (RQUICKIBHB) for the estimation of peripheral insulin sensitivity. The majority of cows (n = 18) was leucine homozygous (LL), four were heterozygous (LV) and there were no valine homozygous (VV) animals in the population. Current average milk production was not different between AluI genotypes, but LV cows tended to have higher 305-day previous lactation yields (P = 0.13). AluI polymorphism was not associated with any of the calculated glucose and leptin parameters of the intravenous glucose tolerance test (P > 0.58). Heterozygous cows were prone to higher basal insulin levels (P = 0.064), longer time to reach half of the maximal and basal insulin concentrations (P = 0.035 and P = 0.054, respectively) and larger insulin area under the curve (P = 0.032). Both RQUICKI and RQUICKIBHB estimated decreased insulin sensitivity in LV compared to LL cows (P = 0.055 and P = 0.044, respectively). Higher plasma NEFA and BHB levels accounted for slower glucose disappearance and lower insulin release and insulin clearance rate (P < 0.05). Average yield was inversely related to glucose area under the curve (P = 0.040) and time to reach baseline concentration (P = 0.005). Plasma cortisol lowered glucose clearance rate (P = 0.040) and prolonged time to reach basal levels (P = 0.006). More weight loss was associated with higher glucose peak and prolonged glucose disappearance time (P = 0.055 and P = 0.024, respectively). All cows became cyclic and showed signs of estrus during the study period. There were no differences between leucine homozygous and heterozygous animals in the onset of ovarian activity and in the time of first observed estrus (P > 0.540). We conclude that Holstein-Friesian cows heterozygous for AluI polymorphism of the growth hormone gene may be more likely to develop insulin resistance during early lactation than leucine homozygous cows. Decreased insulin sensitivity could be part of a homeorhetic adaptation process that supports nutrient partioning for the use of the mammary gland and may allow LV cows to reach higher yields throughout lactation.

Statistical description of quantization process is common in the theory of quantization. For the case of nonsubtractive dither theoretical analyses of the dithered quantizer have been confronted with experimental results. As a quantization system one-chip microcomputer with the analog-to-digital converter on a chip has been used. Generally valid criteria for dithered system performance have been practically applied for Gaussian dither. Interaction of natural noise present in the signal with an added Gaussian noise of several different disperses and influence of differential nonlinearity of the converter has been observed.

The paper deals with analysis of the influence of geometrical configuration of device cabling upon voltages induced in cable interfaces. The analyzed properties are the cable height and the cable length for common mode disturbance, and the loop width for differential mode disturbance. The analysis is solved both by analytical calculation and by numerical simulation. Achieved results are compared mutually as well as with results obtained by measurements performed according to standardized procedures. Finally the analyzed parameters are ordered in correspondence of their importance for objectivity and reproducibility of immunity tests against electromagnetic field.

Many factors that influence radiated emission measurement exist. Except of factors relative to measuring chain "test site - antenna - receiver" there are some factors caused by operating personnel like inappropriate configuration of tested equipment, etc. Tested equipments contain generally attached cables of different length; the longer ones shall be shortened by folding into a bundle. The aim of this paper is to analyze the behavior of such cables and its influence on results of radiated emission measurement.

During 1993-1995 the effect of conventional tillage, reduced till, mulch till and no-till technology on soil moisture dynamics has been studied in field experiment on Haplic chernozems near Piešťany. The tillage treatments were evaluated under a single cropping of maize and spring barley - common peas - winter wheat crop rotation. Soil samples for gravimetric determination of moisture content were collected from six layers up to 0.8 m, three times per year (April-July). The soil moisture was highly significantly influenced in order of importance by date of sampling, year, growing crops, tillage treatments, soil layer and by interactions year × crops, year × date of sampling, crops × date of sampling, tillage × date of sampling, year × tillage, date of sampling × layer and significant influences by interactions, tillage × crops. The soil under conventional tillage had significantly higher moisture content than tested reduced till, mulch till and no-till treatments. The significant influence of maize stand on better soil humidity condition (16.35%) in comparison to crops grown in a crop rotation (in average 14.10%) has been ascertained.

Caffeine-containing products have been consumed for hundreds of years for their pleasant flavor and stimulating effects. In recent years, caffeine received increasing attention in food and pharmaceutical industries, due to its pharmacological properties which comprise stimulation of the central nervous system, peripheral vasoconstriction, relaxation of the smooth muscle and myocardial stimulation. The aim of this study was to determine the content of caffeine in five types of tea (white, yellow, green, oolong, black) and two types of maté tea (green maté and roasted maté tea). The content of caffeine was determined by using four different methods: extraction with chloroform, micromethod, method with lead-acetate and high performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC-PDA). The antioxidant capacity of teas as well as of the extracted ("raw") caffeine was determined by using two methods: reactions with 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ABTS assay) and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP assay). The content of caffeine has been associated with plant origin and growth conditions, as well as processing conditions. By applying all four methods, the highest content of caffeine was determined in white tea, whereas maté and roasted maté tea were characterised with the lowest content of caffeine. Spectrophotometric micro-method has proven to be the best alternative to the HPLC method. The highest antioxidant capacity was determined in yellow tea, while the lowest was determined in roasted maté tea. In comparison to the antioxidant capacity of teas, the antioxidant capacity of extracted ("raw") caffeine is almost negligible, and does not contribute to the overall antioxidant properties of tea.

Knowledge of the content of heavy metals is important because of their impact on the wine stability or on the health of the consumers. The presence of heavy metals in wines is a consequence of an action of various factors such as conditions of the cultivation and processing of grapes and production, stabilisation or storage of wine. In this work determination of heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Zn and Pb) content in red wines was carried out. Selected wine was Plavac mali, Croatian autochthonous sort, produced by various producers during the three consecutive vintages. The aim of this work was to examine whether the wines produced in different vintage, and by various producers, vary according to the content of heavy metals. For the determination of heavy metals content, the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was used. Content of heavy metals ranged between 0.235-1.122 mg Cu/l, 0.809-6.202 mg Fe/l, 0.266-2.434 mg Zn/l and 0.107-0.3355 mg Pb/l. Data analysis showed statistically significant differences only between producers for iron and copper content.

The most prodigious starburst galaxies are absent in massive galaxy clusters today, but their connection with large-scale environments is less clear at . We present a search of large-scale structure around a galaxy cluster core at z = 2.095 using a set of spectroscopically confirmed galaxies. We find that both color-selected star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) show significant overdensities around the z = 2.095 cluster. A total of eight DSFGs (including three X-ray luminous active galactic nuclei, AGNs) and 34 SFGs are found within a 10′ radius (corresponds to ∼15 cMpc at ) from the cluster center and within a redshift range of , which leads to galaxy overdensities of and . The cluster core and the extended DSFG- and SFG-rich structures together demonstrate an active cluster formation phase, in which the cluster is accreting a significant amount of material from large-scale structure while the more mature core may begin to virialize. Our finding of this DSFG-rich structure, along with a number of other protoclusters with excess DSFGs and AGNs found to date, suggest that the overdensities of these rare sources indeed trace significant mass overdensities. However, it remains puzzling how these intense star formers are triggered concurrently. Although an increased probability of galaxy interactions and/or enhanced gas supply can trigger the excess of DSFGs, our stacking analysis based on 850 μm images and morphological analysis based on rest-frame optical imaging do not show such enhancements of merger fraction and gas content in this structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to assess the impact of a Tai Chi exercise program (TCEP) on pain, spinal flexibility, muscle strength, stability and balance, functional status, and quality of life (QoL) among home-dwelling patients with osteoarthritis (OA) or inflammatory arthritis (iA)., Patients and Methods: Between October 2018 and April 2019, a total of 28 participants (4 males, 24 females; median age: 62 years; range, 34 to 79 years) who completed the training program participating in at least 18 sessions were included. The TCEP consisted of 50 sessions for 60 min twice a week. The average attendance rate was high (78%, 39 sessions)., Results: Chest mobility (breathing index, p<0.001), sagittal mobility of cervical (p<0.001), thoracic (p=0.009), and lumbar spine (Schober's test, p<0.001) improved significantly in participants with OA and iA. The improvement in functional status was significant only in participants with OA (Lequesne index, p=0.014). Although the change in Lequesne index was statistically significant, the median value remained in the range of severe disability and the change did not reach the minimal clinically important difference. Although the trends were positive, the changes in pain (Visual Analog Scale pain, p=0.599), stability and balance (functional reach test, p=0.341), muscular strength (wall sit test, p=0.069), and health-related QoL (15D, p=0.065) were non-significant in participants with OA and iA., Conclusion: Our study results suggest that a 25-week TCEP is safe and can improve chest and spinal mobility in home-dwelling individuals with OA or iA., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2024, Turkish Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.)

We investigate full quantum mechanical evolution of two electrons nonlinearly coupled to quantum phonons and simulate the dynamical response of the system subject to a short spatially uniform optical pulse that couples to dipole-active vibrational modes. Nonlinear electron-phonon coupling can either soften or stiffen the phonon frequency in the presence of electron density. In the former case, an external optical pulse tuned just below the phonon frequency generates attraction between electrons and leads to a long-lived bound state even after the optical pulse is switched off. It originates from a dynamical modification of the self-trapping potential that induces a metastable state. By increasing the pulse frequency, the attractive electron-electron interaction changes to repulsive. Two sequential optical pulses with different frequencies can switch between attractive and repulsive interaction. Finally, we show that the pulse-induced binding of electrons is shown to be efficient also for weakly dispersive optical phonons, in the presence anharmonic phonon spectrum and in two dimensions.

Background: Calcific shoulder tendinitis (CST) is characterized by hydroxyapatite crystals deposition in the rotator cuff tendons. Therapeutic exercises have been the mainstay of CST treatment, and evidence for therapeutic ultrasound (T-US) utilization and efficacy is lacking., Aim: This study aimed to determine whether 4500 J T-US combined with therapeutic exercises is superior to therapeutic exercises alone regarding calcification size reduction and symptom improvement in chronic symptomatic CST., Design: This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study., Setting: This study was conducted at a University Department for Rheumatic Diseases and Rehabilitation of a University Hospital., Population: Patients with chronic CST were analyzed., Methods: After eligibility allocation, 46 patients with sonographically confirmed CST were divided into two groups (56 shoulders, 26 per group). Both groups performed the same therapeutic exercises for half an hour under physiotherapist supervision. In the treatment group T-US (4500 J, 10 minutes per session at a frequency of 1 MHz and an intensity of 1.5 W/cm 2 ), and in the placebo group, sham T-US was applied for 4 weeks. Patients were assessed for: calcification size, shoulder pain, global health (GH), shoulder mobility (ROM), handgrip strength, Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and overall rehabilitation satisfaction., Results: All assessed variables improved in both groups. A significantly greater reduction in calcification size was recorded in the treatment group compared to placebo: -10.92% (IQR 4.61% to 19.38%) versus -5.04% (2.30% to 7.22%), P=0.008. There was a significantly greater decrease in HAQ-DI, reduction of VAS GH, and an increase in hand grip strength in the treatment group, while no significant differences were observed for other parameters between the groups., Conclusions: Our results showed that adding the 4500 J T-US to therapeutic exercises in chronic symptomatic CST therapy resulted in greater calcification size reduction immediately following the treatment, as well as hand grip strength, HAQ-DI, and VAS GH improvement., Clinical Rehabilitation Impact: 4500 J T-US combined with therapeutic exercises is more effective in reducing calcification size than therapeutic exercises alone in the treatment of chronic symptomatic CST.

Background: Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment of inflammatory rheumatic diseases and the use of conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARD) and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD) or biologics have substantially contributed to better disease control. Biological drugs have been approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile arthritis (JIA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA)., Subjects and Methods: The study involved 79 adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy (USpA) - the last three clinical entities belong to a common group called spondyloarthropathies (SpA); receiving anti-TNF therapy at the department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb. The duration of therapy was a minimum of 1 month, with the mean duration of 32.0±24.0 months. The infections recorded were infections that appeared during treatment or soon after the treatment was stopped., Results: During the course of therapy 17 patients (21.5%) experienced an infection, with the total number of 21 infections. This resulted in an overall incidence rate (IR) of 9.9/100 patient-years. Of the patients with RA 76.5% developed an infection, which was significantly higher than for patients with SpA (p<0.001). The IR/100 patient-years for all infections in RA patients was 23.7 compared to 2.8 in patients with SpA. Female gender was associated with a significantly higher infection rate (70.6%, p=0.005). There were 8 infections that were considered serious, yielding an IR of 3.8/100 patient-years. There was only one malignancy case in our study., Conclusion: Every fifth patient developed an infection during the course of anti-TNF therapy, and more than one third of all infections were serious. RA and female gender was associated with a significantly increased number of infections.

Background: Inflammatory back pain and stiffness are the leading symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). AS progression leads to substantial functional impairment and can reduce quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to determine the impact of disease activity on QoL, fatigue, functional status and physical activity., Subjects and Methods: One hundred and fifty AS patients were included in the study, their body mass index (BMI) was calculated and they completed questionnaires regarding disease activity (The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, BASDAI) functional status (The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index, BASFI) spinal mobility (The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, BASMI), physical activity (the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, IPAQ), functional disability (The Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index, HAQ-DI), fatigue (The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - fatigue, FACIT-F) and QoL (The Short Form Survey-36, SF-36)., Results: Patients with inactive disease (BASDAI<4) had significantly better HAQ scores (p=0.001), SF-36 mental component scores - MCS (65.68±19.54 inactive vs. 46.89±21.78 active disease, p=0.001), SF-36 physical component scores - PCS (median score 56.25 inactive vs. 30.00 active disease, p=0.001) and FACIT-F scores (38.49±10.62 inactive vs. 26.21±10.81 active disease, p=0.001). There was no significant difference in patient's physical activity or BMI regarding disease activity (p=0.564 and p=0.162 respectively). Also, there was no significant difference in BASDAI, BASMI or BASFI scores regarding different BMI categories (p=0.818, p=0.474, p=0.436, respectively)., Conclusion: AS activity increased fatigue, impaired functional ability and QoL, especially the physical component. Although more than half (61.4%) of our patients were categorized as pre-obese or obese according to BMI, this was not related to disease activity, spinal mobility or daily functioning scores. Reported physical activity level had no effect on disease activity. Disease activity influences the course of AS and QoL assessment should be implemented into regular AS evaluation in order to improve treatment outcome.

Background: The main benefits of cryotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are in reducing inflammation and swelling and in relieving joint pain. This study aimed to compare the short-term effects of cold air therapy vs. ice massage, on pain and handgrip strength (HGS) in patients with RA., Subjects and Methods: The study is a non-randomized clinical trial. Patients were recruited if they had disease activity score (DAS28) ≥3.2 with at least 2 swollen joints on the dominant hand and were consecutively divided into two groups of 15 patients. There was no statistically significant difference in DAS28 score between groups. The first group received cold air therapy at -30°C and the second ice massage of the hands. The pain (visual analogue scale, 0-10), and HGS (kg) were measured immediately prior and after cryotherapy, and 30 and 60 minutes after cryotherapy. Descriptive statistics, Independent Samples T-test, and Paired Samples T-test were used for statistical analysis., Results: Pain intensities for cold air therapy were as follows: 5.33 (±2.44), 3.13 (±2.67), 2.87 (±2.56), 2.80 (±2.73), and for ice massage were: 5.20 (±2.37), 2.87 (±2.42), 2.60 (±2.23), 2.67 (±2.28). In both groups pain was significantly lower immediately after, 30 and 60 minutes after the treatment compared to the baseline (p=0.001). There was no significant difference in pain alleviation between the groups regarding the used method of cryotherapy on all three measured time points. Nonsignificant improvement in HGS occurred after both methods of cryotherapy. There was no significant correlation between pain intensity and HGS., Conclusions: A single application of cold air therapy and ice massage equally provides immediate and significant pain alleviation in patients with active RA, which is maintained for one hour. There is scientific evidence that HGS is influenced greatly by the disease activity. A single application of cryotherapy could not reduce disease activity explaining recorded nonsignificant effect on HGS.

CoREST has been identified as a subunit of several protein complexes that generate transcriptionally repressive chromatin structures during development. However, a comprehensive analysis of the CoREST interactome has not been carried out. We use proteomic approaches to define the interactomes of two dCoREST isoforms, dCoREST-L and dCoREST-M, in Drosophila. We identify three distinct histone deacetylase complexes built around a common dCoREST/dRPD3 core: A dLSD1/dCoREST complex, the LINT complex and a dG9a/dCoREST complex. The latter two complexes can incorporate both dCoREST isoforms. By contrast, the dLSD1/dCoREST complex exclusively assembles with the dCoREST-L isoform. Genome-wide studies show that the three dCoREST complexes associate with chromatin predominantly at promoters. Transcriptome analyses in S2 cells and testes reveal that different cell lineages utilize distinct dCoREST complexes to maintain cell-type-specific gene expression programmes: In macrophage-like S2 cells, LINT represses germ line-related genes whereas other dCoREST complexes are largely dispensable. By contrast, in testes, the dLSD1/dCoREST complex prevents transcription of germ line-inappropriate genes and is essential for spermatogenesis and fertility, whereas depletion of other dCoREST complexes has no effect. Our study uncovers three distinct dCoREST complexes that function in a lineage-restricted fashion to repress specific sets of genes thereby maintaining cell-type-specific gene expression programmes., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

ATP-dependent chromatin remodellers are mutated in more than 20% of human cancers. The consequences of these mutations on enzyme function are poorly understood. Here, we characterise the effects of CHD4 mutations identified in endometrial carcinoma on the remodelling properties of dMi-2, the highly conserved Drosophila homologue of CHD4. Mutations from different patients have surprisingly diverse defects on nucleosome binding, ATPase activity and nucleosome remodelling. Unexpectedly, we identify both mutations that decrease and increase the enzyme activity. Our results define the chromodomains and a novel regulatory region as essential for nucleosome remodelling. Genetic experiments in Drosophila demonstrate that expression of cancer-derived dMi-2 mutants misregulates differentiation of epithelial wing structures and produces phenotypes that correlate with their nucleosome remodelling properties. Our results help to define the defects of CHD4 in cancer at the mechanistic level and provide the basis for the development of molecular approaches aimed at restoring their activity.

Despite the increasingly digital nature of society there are some areas of research that remain firmly rooted in the past; in this case the laboratory notebook, the last remaining paper component of an experiment. Countless electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs) have been created in an attempt to digitise record keeping processes in the lab, but none of them have become a 'key player' in the ELN market, due to the many adoption barriers that have been identified in previous research and further explored in the user studies presented here. The main issues identified are the cost of the current available ELNs, their ease of use (or lack of it) and their accessibility issues across different devices and operating systems. Evidence suggests that whilst scientists willingly make use of generic notebooking software, spreadsheets and other general office and scientific tools to aid their work, current ELNs are lacking in the required functionality to meet the needs of the researchers. In this paper we present our extensive research and user study results to propose an ELN built upon a pre-existing cloud notebook platform that makes use of accessible popular scientific software and semantic web technologies to help overcome the identified barriers to adoption.

Gene regulation by steroid hormones plays important roles in health and disease. In Drosophila, the hormone ecdysone governs transitions between key developmental stages. Ecdysone-regulated genes are bound by a heterodimer of ecdysone receptor (EcR) and Ultraspiracle. According to the bimodal switch model, steroid hormone receptors recruit corepressors in the absence of hormone and coactivators in its presence. Here we show that the nucleosome remodeller dMi-2 is recruited to ecdysone-regulated genes to limit transcription. Contrary to the prevalent model, recruitment of the dMi-2 corepressor increases upon hormone addition to constrain gene activation through chromatin remodelling. Furthermore, EcR and dMi-2 form a complex that is devoid of Ultraspiracle. Unexpectedly, EcR contacts the dMi-2 ATPase domain and increases the efficiency of dMi-2-mediated nucleosome remodelling. This study identifies a non-canonical EcR-corepressor complex with the potential for a direct regulation of ATP-dependent nucleosome remodelling by a nuclear hormone receptor.

Currently, around 50% of the world's population lives in towns and cities within 100 km of the coast. Monitoring of viruses that are frequently present in contaminated coastal environments, such as rotavirus (RoV) and norovirus (NoV), which are also the major cause of human viral gastroenteritis, is essential to ensure the safe use of these water bodies. Since exposure to as few as 10-100 particles of RoV or NoV may induce gastrointestinal disease, there is a need to develop a rapid and sensitive diagnostic method for their detection in coastal water samples. In this study, we evaluate the application of methacrylate monolithic chromatographic columns, commercially available as convective interaction media (CIM ® ), to concentrate pathogenic enteric viruses from saline water samples prior to virus quantification by one-step reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Using RoV and NoV as model enteric viruses, we present our results on the most effective viral concentration conditions from saline water matrices using butyl (C4) hydrophobic interaction monolithic support (CIM ® C4). C4 monolithic columns exhibit a good capacity to bind both RoV and NoV and both viruses can be eluted in a single step. Our protocol using a 1 ml C4 column enables processing of 400 ml saline water samples in less than 60 min and increases the sensitivity of RoV and NoV detection by approximately 50-fold and 10-fold respectively. The protocol was also scaled up using larger capacity 8 ml C4 columns to process 4000 ml of seawater samples with concentration factors of 300-fold for RoV and 40-fold for NoV, without any significant increase in processing time. Furthermore, C4 monolithic columns were adapted for field use in an on-site application of RoV concentration from seawater samples with performance equivalent to that of the reference laboratory setup. Overall, the results from successful deployment of CIM C4 columns for concentration of rotavirus and norovirus in seawater samples reiterate the utility of monolithic supports as efficient, scalable and modular preparative tools for processing environmental water samples to enhance viral detection using molecular methods., (Copyright © 2016 BioSistemika LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The application of plant essential oils (EOs) (hyssop and marjoram) was evaluated for inactivation of non-enveloped viruses using murine norovirus and human adenovirus as models. No significant reduction of virus titres (TCID(50)) was observed when EOs were used at different temperatures and times.

Human adenoviruses (HAdV) are shed in human faeces and can consequently contaminate environmental waters and possibly be transferred to foods by irrigation. Therefore, efficient inactivation technologies for water and foods are needed. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing is a non-thermal, energy-efficient and rapid emergent inactivation technology, which has been widely studied to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms in foods. We have applied HHP to HAdV-2 in water and cell culture medium (CCM) and measured the effect on virus infectivity and genome and capsid integrity, by using infectivity assay, real-time PCR (qPCR) and qPCR with prior enzymatic treatment (ET-qPCR) with Proteinase K and DNase I. While lower pressures did not provide satisfactory inactivation levels, 400 and 600 MPa treatments were estimated to reduce virus infectivity by approximately 6 log₁₀ units when effectively applied for 93s and 4s, respectively (i.e., excluding come up times of the pressure unit). However, virus genome remained intact even when higher pressures were applied. While acidic pH protected HAdV-2 from inactivation with HHP, no baroprotective effect was observed when 1% sucrose was added to the CCM. On the other hand, 10 mM CaCl₂ added to the CCM was estimated to protect HAdV-2 from HHP with longer treatment times (>10 min). When virus was treated in bottled mineral water, significantly higher infectivity reduction was observed compared to the same treatment in CCM. In conclusion, HHP was shown to effectively reduce HAdV-2 infectivity up to 6.5 log₁₀ units within 4s and can thus contribute to public health protection for food- and water-borne virus transmission. However, its precise effect is matrix dependent and therefore matrix-specific evaluations need to be considered for assuring reliable inactivation in practice., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Numerous viruses of human or animal origin can spread in the environment and infect people via water and food, mostly through ingestion and occasionally through skin contact. These viruses are released into the environment by various routes including water run-offs and aerosols. Furthermore, zoonotic viruses may infect humans exposed to contaminated surface waters. Foodstuffs of animal origin can be contaminated, and their consumption may cause human infection if the viruses are not inactivated during food processing. Molecular epidemiology and surveillance of environmental samples are necessary to elucidate the public health hazards associated with exposure to environmental viruses. Whereas monitoring of viral nucleic acids by PCR methods is relatively straightforward and well documented, detection of infectious virus particles is technically more demanding and not always possible (e.g. human norovirus or hepatitis E virus). The human pathogenic viruses that are most relevant in this context are nonenveloped and belong to the families of the Caliciviridae, Adenoviridae, Hepeviridae, Picornaviridae and Reoviridae. Sampling methods and strategies, first-choice detection methods and evaluation criteria are reviewed., (© 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We report an evaluation of the effect of various combinations of pressures and times on the inactivation of norovirus (NoV) in two types of matrices that are important in NoV transmission: water and soft fruits. The human NoV surrogate murine norovirus was used as the model virus. The effect of HHP on the viral genome was evaluated by using RT real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), and infectivity assay was used to assess effects on the ability of the virus to attach to and replicate in cells. HHP treatments of 400 MPa for 2.5 min proved to be sufficient for efficient inactivation of NoV (>99.9% reduction). The efficacy of viral inactivation was highly dependent on the matrix in which the virus was present. Therefore, the effect of HHP should be carefully studied in all matrices to which HHP could potentially be applied. Finally, we found no consistent correlation between RT-qPCR and virus infectivity results, and consequently RT-qPCR is not a satisfactory tool for predicting risks to human health., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) is the most frequently used ankylosing spondylitis activity assesment by which through 6 questions 5 basic diseases symptoms (fatigue, back pain, joint pain/swelling, enthesitic points, intensity and duration of morning stiffness) are being evaluated. In distinction from mentioned, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) is the first validated index for the AS activity assessment with the patient's assessments of the disease symptoms (back pain, duration of the morning stiffess, activity of the disease, pains and swelling of the peripheral joints) includes the acute phase reactants (SE or CRP). We compared BASDAI and ASDAS indexes to the group of patients with the AS, in order to evaluate their congruence and to evaluate the inluence of SE, fatigue and back pain at obtained values. The cross-sectional study was performed in a group of 36 patients with the AS whose disease activity levels were evaluated by the BASDAI and ASDAS (SE) index. Statistical data analysis was performed by Student t-test and frequency tables for non-parameter data. As it has been expected the significant correlation between BASDAI and ASDAS indexes has been confirmed (r=0.796; p=0.00). BASDAI/ASDAS average value of all of the patients was 4.2/2.8. From 36 patients with the AS according to the BASDAI index 42% had mild active disease (BASDAI <4), while according to ASDAS index 44% patients had very active disease (ASDAS 2.1-.5.3). Higher activity of the disease according to ASDAS index is the result of the elevated sedimentation which is assessed only in ASDAS index. Patients with higher BASDAI index statistically have more significantly expressed fatigue and spinal pain without statistically significant difference in sedimentation (p=0.120). Examinees with higher ASDAS index have also significantly more expressed fatigue and back pain, but unlike BASDAI they have sedimentation (p=0.001). ASDAS is more recent clinical indicator of the AS activities which could be compared to BASDAI instrument. In this group of patients ASDAS seems to be more sensitive index because it discriminates more patients with the active disease.