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Digitized data is presented based on the 1966 and 1972 seminal papers by R. J. Bell and P. Dean, which in turn are based on a physical ball and stick model of vitreous silica. The original Bell and Dean paper supports the random network theory for glass structure proposed by Zachariasen in 1932. The data were collected and digitized by verifying the data set in the Appendix of the Bell and Dean paper. One error in location was corrected. The dataset provides a convenient method to determine specific information about bond locations and angles of silica and oxygen atoms if researchers want to test theories of glass structure or fracture in amorphous materials.

Abstract Background Pathomics facilitates automated, reproducible and precise histopathology analysis and morphological phenotyping. Similar to molecular omics, pathomics datasets are high-dimensional, but also face large outlier variability and inherent data missingness, making quick and comprehensible data analysis challenging. To facilitate pathomics data analysis and interpretation as well as support a broad implementation we developed tRigon (Toolbox foR InteGrative (path-)Omics data aNalysis), a Shiny application for fast, comprehensive and reproducible pathomics analysis. Results tRigon is available via the CRAN repository ( https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/tRigon ) with its source code available on GitLab ( https://git-ce.rwth-aachen.de/labooratory-ai/trigon ). The tRigon package can be installed locally and its application can be executed from the R console via the command ‘tRigon::run_tRigon()’. Alternatively, the application is hosted online and can be accessed at https://labooratory.shinyapps.io/tRigon . We show fast computation of small, medium and large datasets in a low- and high-performance hardware setting, indicating broad applicability of tRigon. Conclusions tRigon allows researchers without coding abilities to perform exploratory feature analyses of pathomics and non-pathomics datasets on their own using a variety of hardware.

Abstract Although clinical applications represent the next challenge in single-cell genomics and digital pathology, we still lack computational methods to analyze single-cell or pathomics data to find sample-level trajectories or clusters associated with diseases. This remains challenging as single-cell/pathomics data are multi-scale, i.e., a sample is represented by clusters of cells/structures, and samples cannot be easily compared with each other. Here we propose PatIent Level analysis with Optimal Transport (PILOT). PILOT uses optimal transport to compute the Wasserstein distance between two individual single-cell samples. This allows us to perform unsupervised analysis at the sample level and uncover trajectories or cellular clusters associated with disease progression. We evaluate PILOT and competing approaches in single-cell genomics or pathomics studies involving various human diseases with up to 600 samples/patients and millions of cells or tissue structures. Our results demonstrate that PILOT detects disease-associated samples from large and complex single-cell or pathomics data. Moreover, PILOT provides a statistical approach to find changes in cell populations, gene expression, and tissue structures related to the trajectories or clusters supporting interpretation of predictions.

Relevance. Related to the need to carry out environmental protection measures in potash mining areas exposed to the environmental consequences of the impact of multi-tonnage salt waste. Aim. To summarise and analyse the geography of potash mining operations, the environmental impact of these operations, and potash waste management practices. Object. Potash mining waste. Methods. Theoretical and logical analysis of the data. Results. The research considers the geographical distribution of potash deposits and presents the characteristics of potash mining waste using the example of the Verkhnekamskoe Potash Deposit. The paper provides both domestic and foreign analyses of ecological consequences of waste storage on the day surface. Several options for potash mining waste management are analysed. For the management of clay-salt slurry, the most effective approach is its injection into underground horizons, which includes the use of saturated solutions as a fertiliser component, as a part of a product in construction, and in the oil industry. A more comprehensive approach to halite waste management is needed. Waste disposal to waste dumps is relevant due to the presence of mined-out areas on the territory of long-operating enterprises. Reclamation of the salt dump will help to isolate it from atmospheric precipitation, thereby reducing the inflow of saturated water into the environment. Utilising waste for production of construction materials is the most economically and environmentally favourable option. Extracting valuable components, producing fertilisers, concentrates, etc. from waste is the least practical approach due to the ecological and economic expenses involved in acquiring extraction equipment and the repeated generation of waste. The most challenging aspect of reducing waste generation in terms of technology lies in improving mining operations and implementing selective mining.

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are the gold standard of evidence-based medicine. However, it is no less evident that real practice presents many new and important questions that are difficult to answer in the RCT. To what extent does the real patient meet the criteria for inclusion in the study? What are the efficacy and safety of the drug in comorbid and elderly patients? How deviations from the treatment regimen affect safety, etc. The introduction of innovative oncology approaches is disproportionately faster than in other fields. That is why a balanced analysis of the effects of innovation in real-world practice is relevant. Regulatory authorities are aware of this and demonstrate a willingness to consider and actively support real-world evidence research as part of drug applications, which is a powerful incentive for developing this area. The purpose of the article is to analyze the regulatory approaches in the United States and Europe to real-world studies when considering drug applications and to discuss the experience of organizing an observational study of the effectiveness of individual drugs for the treatment of oncological diseases in Moscow as a unique example of interaction between regulatory authorities and the expert community of oncologists.

The Banff Digital Pathology Working Group (DPWG) was established with the goal to establish a digital pathology repository; develop, validate, and share models for image analysis; and foster collaborations using regular videoconferencing. During the calls, a variety of artificial intelligence (AI)-based support systems for transplantation pathology were presented. Potential collaborations in a competition/trial on AI applied to kidney transplant specimens, including the DIAGGRAFT challenge (staining of biopsies at multiple institutions, pathologists’ visual assessment, and development and validation of new and pre-existing Banff scoring algorithms), were also discussed. To determine the next steps, a survey was conducted, primarily focusing on the feasibility of establishing a digital pathology repository and identifying potential hosts. Sixteen of the 35 respondents (46%) had access to a server hosting a digital pathology repository, with 2 respondents that could serve as a potential host at no cost to the DPWG. The 16 digital pathology repositories collected specimens from various organs, with the largest constituent being kidney (n = 12,870 specimens). A DPWG pilot digital pathology repository was established, and there are plans for a competition/trial with the DIAGGRAFT project. Utilizing existing resources and previously established models, the Banff DPWG is establishing new resources for the Banff community.

The selection technique of diagnostic parameters for the creation of fault detection system of autonomous electric power sources based on gasoline and diesel engines is given in the paper. An analysis of the design features for autonomous electric power sources based on internal combustion engines, which are the most common on the Ukrainian market, was carried out. Thanks to this, a logical model of the research object, which establishes the relation between the main structural elements of the system and determines the possible states of the system, was developed. The effect of fault state initiation for each element on the other system elements was analyzed. An informative criterion – Shannon information entropy is proposed to determine the finite number of diagnostic parameters among the infinite number of possible combinations for physical parameters that characterize the system. The equal-probable cases of exit from operational state of each system elements are considered. The residual entropies of the system at the fault state for one of the autonomous power sources assembly are determined, having applied the concept of Shannon information entropy. The residual entropy value is the informative criterion. The application of this criterion allowed to determine the system elements that most effectively reduce the system uncertainty degree. Based on the residual entropy values, the system assemblies, the state of which should be primarily monitored by diagnostic system, are selected. The diagnostic parameters are determined for such elements, and the ways to obtain them are given

In Russia, the number of beef cattle until recently was concentrated mainly in Kalmykia and adjacent regions. However, the lack of purposeful breeding has led to the fact that the purebred livestock of Kalmyk meat breed has significantly decreased and lost its unique qualities. Introduction of embryo transfer biotechnology can solve the problem of restoring breed qualities under the condition of accelerated reproduction of genotyped livestock. The aim of the research was to study Kalmyk breed response to polyovulation considering further increase in transferrable embryo productivity - the main indicator specific to each breed. As the formation of the breed took place in pasture conditions with a pronounced seasonal sexual cycle, there were doubts about the possibility of using embryo transfer technology in any season. The experiments were carried out on Kalmyk cows at Kalmytskoye farm in 2010 and at the Regional Research and Production Center for Reproduction of Farm Animals, Kalmyk State University, in 2022. The results of the study showed that it was better to synchronize sexual hunting using prostaglandins after 3-4 months after calving (May-October). According to the results of immunogenetic testing, 10 breeding cows and 2 breeding bulls were selected as donors. In September-October, in order to test the embryo transfer method in nomadic animal husbandry, the first work was carried out to stimulate poliovulation and obtain embryos from 3 donor cows. A total of 23 embryos and eggs were obtained, 10 of which were suitable for transplantation. Transferrable embryos were frozen on a ZEM-4 software freezer after equilibration in 1.5 M ethylene glycol cryoprotector solution.

Pathology diagnostics still rely on tissue morphology assessment by trained experts. Here, the authors perform deep-learning-based segmentation followed by large-scale feature extraction of histological images, i.e., next-generation morphometry, to enable outcome-relevant and disease-specific pathomics analysis of non-tumor kidney pathology.

Introduction. The relevance of the study of steppe phytocenoses is caused by the unsatisfactory state of natural grass stands, namely a low level of biodiversity and a high degree of degradation. The aim of the work is to determine the features of the connection of the Earth remote sensing data with the state and degree of degradation of natural grass stands in unstable moistening zone and arid zone of the Stavropol Territory. The Earth remote sensing data with certain temporal and spatial resolutions make it possible to carry out almost continuous monitoring of the state of natural grass stands. Materials and Methods. The study of steppe phytocenoses was carried out in 2016–2020 on the ground at discount areas (100 m2) according to the requirements of methods generally accepted in phytocenology. Vegetation condition was assessed using the Earth remote sensing data based on the values of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. According to the satellite data, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index cartograms were constructed for each point of the study. Results. The proportion of polygons with a high degree of degradation is 18.8% of research objects located in the zone of unstable moistening and the proportion of polygons with an average degree of degradation is 37.5%, while in the arid zone 70.6 and 23.5%, respectively. In the zone of unstable moistening, the highest coefficients of rank correlation between the degradation degree and the area occupied by herbaceous vegetation with a certain value of the vegetation index are observed in the case if Normalized Difference Vegetation Index is in the range of 0.0–0.4, and in the arid zone 0.0–0.3 (at 0.01 significance level). Discussion and Conclusion. When using the Earth remote sensing data to assess the degree of degradation of steppe ecosystems of the Stavropol Territory, it is necessary to use regression models specific to various soil and climatic conditions.

Artificial Intelligence can support diagnostic workflows in oncology, but they are vulnerable to adversarial attacks. Here, the authors show that convolutional neural networks are highly susceptible to white- and black-box adversarial attacks in clinically relevant classification tasks.

The relevance of the research stems from the need to study the radioactive load in the zone of influence of mining objects. Objective: assessment of specific activity of natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in depositing media and analysis of their spatial distribution, as well as measurement of K+ content in snow cover. Objects: soils, bottom sediments, snow. Methods. Measurements of specific activity of natural radionuclides (40K, 226Ra, 232Th) in samples of soils and bottom sediments were performed using MULTIRAD scintillation gamma spectrometer MKS-01A (Russia). Gamma-spectra were processed using programs included in the Progress package. K+ was determined in melted water by capillary electrophoresis on KAB «Kapel 104». Results. The specific activity 40K for the majority of investigated soil samples on the territory of the Verkhnekamskoe salt deposit does not exceed average world values, for samples of bottom sediments – for other territories with anthropogenic influence. In the immediate vicinity of the potassium enterprise, increased K+ content in the snow cover is observed due to the wind regime of the territory. Migration of the investigated radionuclides is limited to the zone of 2 km, K+ ions – to the zone of 3 km. The maximum activities of 226Ra and 232Th in the investigated soil samples are significantly lower than the world average values. Zones with a ratio of 232Th/226Ra activity values

Nucleophilic substitution reactions between 1,2,3-triazole and dibromomethane or 1,2-dirbomoethane in a superbasic medium potassium hydroxide–dimethyl sulfoxide gave mixtures of the isomeric bis(1,2,3-triazolyl)alkanes, in which (1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)(1,2,3-triazol-2-yl)alkanes and bis(1,2,3-triazol-2-yl)alkanes were the dominating products, while bis(triazol-1-yl)alkanes were detected only in trace amounts. The same products could also be obtained under solvent-free conditions in a neat reaction mixture. The proposed methods are economically feasible, do not require using toxic solvents or catalysts, and make the (1,2,3-triazol-2-yl)-derivatives, inaccessible by alkyne-azide cycloaddition (click) reactions, readily available.

The new phase Ba5In2Al2Zr0.9Nb0.1O13.05 with hexagonal perovskite structure was obtained. The substitution of Zr4+ by smaller Nb5+ was accompanied by the incorporation of the oxygen interstitials and did not lead to a significant change in the lattice parameters. It was established that the investigated sample was capable for water incorporation from the gas phase, the hydration degree value was 0.24 mol H2O. IR-spectroscopy analysis defined the presence of OH−-groups with different thermal stability, which participate in different hydrogen bonds. The new phase Ba5In2Al2Zr0.9Nb0.1O13.05 demonstrates the predominant protonic conductivity at pH2O = 2·10−2 atm and Т600 °C.

Articles from the author’s cycle “From the Name Index to Akhmatova's Notebooks” demonstrate the experience of extensive commentary on Akhmatova's working notes, organized around the names of characters entered on her notebooks’ pages. It is a kind of free Akhmatova encyclopedia, where the onomasticon combines different times of her long life. This (fifty-first in the cycle) article is organized around the “German theme” and is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the outstanding philologist Konstantin Azadovsky and concerns the characters, one way or another, touched upon in his scientific works. These are poets-Germanophones (V. Zubov, R.M. Rilke), translators of Akhmatova's poems into German (I. von Gunther, Felix Zelinsky, Frans Leschnitzer, Maximilian Schick), a German visitor (Heinrich Böll).

Summary Virus detection methods are important to cope with the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemics. Apart from the lung, SARS‐CoV‐2 was detected in multiple organs in severe cases. Less is known on organ tropism in patients developing mild or no symptoms, and some of such patients might be missed in symptom‐indicated swab testing. Here, we tested and validated several approaches and selected the most reliable RT‐PCR protocol for the detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA in patients’ routine diagnostic formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) specimens available in pathology, to assess (i) organ tropism in samples from COVID‐19‐positive patients, (ii) unrecognized cases in selected tissues from negative or not‐tested patients during a pandemic peak, and (iii) retrospectively, pre‐pandemic lung samples. We identified SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA in seven samples from confirmed COVID‐19 patients, in two gastric biopsies, one small bowel and one colon resection, one lung biopsy, one pleural resection and one pleural effusion specimen, while all other specimens were negative. In the pandemic peak cohort, we identified one previously unrecognized COVID‐19 case in tonsillectomy samples. All pre‐pandemic lung samples were negative. In conclusion, SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA detection in FFPE pathology specimens can potentially improve surveillance of COVID‐19, allow retrospective studies, and advance our understanding of SARS‐CoV‐2 organ tropism and effects.

Additive technologies are promising for manufacturing parts of metal navigation devices with complex shapes. Finite element analysis is used during the designing of such items. The modeling accuracy is determined by the correctness of the specified physical properties of materials. The properties of materials used in 3D printing significantly differ from the ones used in the traditional manufacturing. Researchers focus on such characteristics as Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, hardness and strength. Meanwhile, some applications require dynamic properties. The paper presents the investigation and comparison of damping properties of three steel parts produced by different methods. The first part is manufactured by 3D printing with melting in the transverse direction, and the second part is done by melting in the longitudinal direction, while the third one is traditionally manufactured. The parts are shaft shaped with constant cross-section and have the same geometric dimensions. The TIRA TV 5220 / LS-120 stand is used. A piezoelectric accelerometer is installed at the loose end of the part. The tests are carried out in the frequency range from 15 to 3500 Hz and with an acceleration of 19.6 m/s2 (2 g). The accelerometer output is used to calculate the damping coefficient. The results are verified by comparison with the finite element modeling results. The damping coefficients of transverse and longitudinal 3D-printed parts are 0.022 and 0.006, respectively. The damping coefficient of the traditional manufactured part is 0.023. The difference of 3D-printed parts damping coefficients can be explained by the denser fusion of powder granules when printing one layer than between layers. In this case, a crystal structure with greater rigidity in the printing plane is formed and it limits the dissipation of vibrati on energy due to internal friction. Finite element modeling shows mismatch between the experimental and calculated values of the printed parts natural frequencies. Considering that the values of natural frequencies are largely determined by Young’s modulus, a parametric optimization of its value is carried out. It was found that the value of Young’s modulus does not correspond to the values determined during tensile tests for similar samples. Thus, 3D-printed parts have different vibration and static stiffness. This is not typical for metals and should be taken into account in simulations. The research results can be used in the simulation model development of steel 3D-printed parts and in the design of digital twins for navigation devices. It allows one to estimate vibration resistance of promising products at the early stages of their design and to optimize the construction minimizing stress.

The article from the author's cycle “From the Index to Akhmatova's Notebooks” demonstrates the attempt of an extensive commentary on Akhmatova's working notes, organized around the characters present on the pages of her notebooks, a kind of free Akhmatova encyclopedia, where different periods of her long life are combined in the onomasticon. A comment of this kind snatches out representative fragments of Akhmatova's epoch, but the degree of presence of different persons in the list, or even their absence, does not always reflect their weight in Akhmatova's biography. The present article is devoted to two poets – Yuri Verkhovsky and Aleksandr Tiniakov (the latter was also a literary critic and published essays about Akhmatova’s poetry). Some publications and studies by late Nikolay A. Bogomolov were dedicated to these two poets. The present article is in memoriam N.A. Bogomolov.

Summary: Background: HIV-infection is known to aggravate the course of many infectious diseases, including COVID-19. International guidance recommends vaccination of HIV+ individuals against SARS-CoV-2. There is a paucity of data on epidemiological efficacy assessment of COVID-19 vaccines among HIV+. This paper provides a preliminary assessment of Sputnik V vaccine effectiveness in HIV+ patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study to assess the effectiveness of the standard Sputnik V vaccination regimen in 24,423 HIV+ Moscow residents during spring - summer 2021, that included dominance of delta variant, with estimation of hospitalization and severe illness rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Data were extracted from the Moscow anti-COVID-19 vaccination and COVID-19 incidence Registries. Findings: The data obtained indicate that Sputnik V epidemiological efficiency in the entire cohort of HIV+ on ART was 76·33%; in HIV+ with CD4+ ≥ 350 cells/µl, vaccine efficiency was 79·42%, avoiding hospitalization in 90·12% cases and protecting from the development of moderate or severe disease in 97·06%. For delta variant in this group the efficiency was 65·35%, avoiding the need for hospitalization in 75·77% cases and protecting from the development of moderate or severe disease in 93·05% of patients. There was a trend, although not statistically significant, of declining vaccine efficiency in immune-compromised individuals (CD4+ < 350 cells/µl). Interpretation: The study suggested epidemiological efficiency of immunization with Sputnik V in HIV+ ART-treated patients for the original and delta SARS-CoV-2 variants. Funding: Ministry of Health of Russia and Moscow Healthcare Department.

The article from the author's cycle “From the Index to Akhmatova's Notebooks” (published in various periodicals) demonstrates the attempt of an extensive commentary on Akhmatova's working notes, organized around the characters present on the pages of her notebooks, a kind of free Akhmatova encyclopedia, where different periods of her long life are combined in the onomasticon. A comment of this kind snatches out representative fragments of Akhmatova's epoch, but the degree of presence of different persons in the list, or even their absence, does not always reflect their weight in Akhmatova's biography. The present article is devoted to the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs, the General Commissar of State Security Genrikh Yagoda, mentioned not only in the Notebooks, but also in the Diary Pages and in Akhmatova's satirical couplets of the 1930s.

Oana Albai,1,2 Bogdan Timar,2,3 Diana Loreta Paun,4 Alexandra Sima,1,2 Deiana Roman,1,2 Romulus Timar1,2 1Second Department of Internal Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 2Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, “Pius Brinzeu” Emergency Hospital, Timisoara, Romania; 3Department of Functional Sciences, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 4Department of Public Health, Associate Professor in the Department of Endocrinology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucuresti, RomaniaCorrespondence: Bogdan Timar“Victor Babes“ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara 300041, RomaniaTel +40741528093Email timar.bogdan@umft.roIntroduction: Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency is a frequent cause of megaloblastic anemia, manifested through various symptoms. Screening for this deficiency can be justified in case of patients with one or more risk factors present from the following: gastric resections, inflammatory bowel disease, use of metformin over a prolonged period of time, administration of proton pump inhibitors or H2 histamine receptor blockers for more than 12 months and in case of adults over 75 years of age. One method of determining vitamin B12 deficiency is measuring its serum levels, as well as performing measurements of serum levels of methylmalonic acid and homocysteine levels, which experience an increase in the early stages of vitamin B12 deficiency.Clinical Case: We bring to your attention, the case of a 62 years old patient diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in 2015 that presented in the emergency room in October 2019 with an altered general condition, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, palpitation, and dyspnea. Treatment with metformin was initiated from the diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, four years before. Investigations established the diagnosis of megaloblastic anemia by vitamin B12 deficiency. The symptoms disappeared after the injection of vitamin B12.Conclusion: Periodical dosing of vitamin B12 should be performed in the case of patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus treated with metformin, especially if they associate anemia and/or peripheral diabetic polyneuropathy.Keywords: megaloblastic anemia, metformin, vitamin B12 deficiency

The relevance. Nowadays, one of the priority directions in expanding the hydrocarbon base of Russia has become the research and development of its northern regions. The Lena-Anabar oil-and-gas region is located in the North part of the Siberian platform and is characterized by a very irregular geological and geophysical exploration. Precambrian deposits are the most poorly studied, despite their quite high reservoir potential, as well as direct and indirect signs of oil and gas potential. For more effective further geological exploration work in this region, a detailed study of previously drilled well sections is necessary, with the identification of lithological features of reservoir rocks, conditions for their formation and distribution. The object: Precambrian deposits discovered by deep drilling on the territory of the Lena-Anabar oil-and-gas region. The aim of the research is to identify perspective hydrocarbon reservoirs based on the analysis of the composition, structure, sedimentary environments and reservoir properties of Precambrian sediments of the Lena-Anabar oil-and-gas region. Methods: creating sections of Precambrian deposits based on detailed macro- and microscopic analysis of core material and well logs data; correlation of sections in view of lithological, paleontological and geophysical data; genetic analysis of the main lithological types of rocks and clarification of their sedimentation conditions; estimation of the influence of sedimentation and post-sedimentation factors on formation of reservoir properties; identification of levels of potential reservoirs Results. It was established that the Precambrian section is represented by the alternation of packs of carbonate and terrigenous rocks and its accumulation took place in a large range of environments: from delta to sublittoral, with a significant prevalence of shallow-water sedimentation. It was discovered that there are potential reservoir rocks in Precambrian sediments, and the most perspective levels are related to the Vendian part of the section.

An essay from the author's cycle “From the Index to Akhmatova's ʽNotebooks’ ˮ, opening the fifth dozen in a series of similar ones, demonstrates an attempt of extensive commentary on Akhmatova's working notes, organized around the names of characters present on the pages of her notebooks, a kind of free Akhmatova encyclopedia, where different times of her long life are combined in an onomasticon. A commentary of this kind snatches out representative fragments of Akhmatova's epoch, but the degree of presence or absence of different persons in the index do not always reflect their weight in Akhmatova's biography. This essay is dedicated to the art critic, poet, Pushkinist Abram Efros.

Oana Albai,1,2 Mirela Frandes,3 Bogdan Timar,2,3 Diana-Loreta Paun,4 Deiana Roman,1 Romulus Timar1,2 1Second Department of Internal Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 2Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, “Pius Brinzeu” Emergency Hospital, Timisoara, Romania; 3Department of Functional Sciences, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 4Department of Public Health, Department of Endocrinology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucuresti, RomaniaCorrespondence: Mirela FrandesDepartment of Functional Sciences, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara 300041, RomaniaTel +40 731117020Fax +40 256462856Email mirela.frandes@umft.roBackground: In developing countries, cancer incidence has progressively increased, becoming the second cause of mortality after cardiovascular diseases. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with an increased risk of malignant neoplastic disorders, especially pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer.Aim: The main aim of our study was to establish the prevalence of malignant neoplastic disorders in patients previously diagnosed with T2DM. Also, we have investigated the association between the components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the different types of diagnosed malignant neoplasms.Methods: We performed a retrospective, population-based cohort study of 1,027 patients with T2DM from the Center for Diabetes Treatment of the “Pius Brînzeu” Emergency Hospital in Timisoara, Romania. The patients were followed up every three or six months, depending on their antidiabetic treatment. The patients who developed malignant neoplasms were registered and referred to oncology centers. The potential risk factors for malignancies in patients with T2DM were evaluated using logistic regression adjusting for possible confounders.Results: The prevalence of malignant neoplastic disorders in our study group was 7.1%; more precisely, we found 2.2% colon neoplasm, 2.9% mammary neoplasm, 0.7% lymphomas, 0.6% pulmonary neoplasm, 0.3% pancreatic neoplasm, and 0.4% prostate neoplasm. The presence of malignant neoplastic disorders was associated in our cohort of patients with T2DM with higher cholesterol (237.71± 47.82 vs 202.52± 52.16 mg/dL; p=0.005) and triglycerides levels (215.91± 52.41 vs 180.75± 54.32 mg/dL; p< 0.001), as well as higher body mass index (33.37± 3.87 vs 28.42± 3.56 kg/m2; p< 0.001) and abdominal circumference (110.11± 14.48 vs 98.12± 15.73 cm; p< 0.001). Also, we found that insulin-based treatment was an independent risk factor, the patients presenting ten times higher odds of developing malignant neoplastic disorders.Conclusion: The prevalence of malignant neoplastic disorders in our study group was 7.1%. Also, the prevalence of malignant neoplastic disorders was higher in patients with T2DM and MetS as compared to the general population of T2DM patients.Keywords: malignant neoplastic disorders, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperinsulinemia, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance

Background: The fast acquisition process of frozen sections allows surgeons to wait for histological findings during the interventions to base intrasurgical decisions on the outcome of the histology. Compared with paraffin sections, however, the quality of frozen sections is often strongly reduced, leading to a lower diagnostic accuracy. Deep neural networks are capable of modifying specific characteristics of digital histological images. Particularly, generative adversarial networks proved to be effective tools to learn about translation between two modalities, based on two unconnected data sets only. The positive effects of such deep learning-based image optimization on computer-aided diagnosis have already been shown. However, since fully automated diagnosis is controversial, the application of enhanced images for visual clinical assessment is currently probably of even higher relevance. Methods: Three different deep learning-based generative adversarial networks were investigated. The methods were used to translate frozen sections into virtual paraffin sections. Overall, 40 frozen sections were processed. For training, 40 further paraffin sections were available. We investigated how pathologists assess the quality of the different image translation approaches and whether experts are able to distinguish between virtual and real digital pathology. Results: Pathologists' detection accuracy of virtual paraffin sections (from pairs consisting of a frozen and a paraffin section) was between 0.62 and 0.97. Overall, in 59% of images, the virtual section was assessed as more appropriate for a diagnosis. In 53% of images, the deep learning approach was preferred to conventional stain normalization (SN). Conclusion: Overall, expert assessment indicated slightly improved visual properties of converted images and a high similarity to real paraffin sections. The observed high variability showed clear differences in personal preferences.

Background: Considerable inter- and intra-laboratory stain variability exists in pathology, representing a challenge in development and application of deep learning (DL) approaches. Since tackling all sources of stain variability with manual annotation is not feasible, we here investigated and compared unsupervised DL approaches to reduce the consequences of stain variability in kidney pathology. Methods: We aimed to improve the applicability of a pretrained DL segmentation model to 3 external multi-centric cohorts with large stain variability. In contrast to the traditional approach of training generative adversarial networks (GAN) for stain normalization, we here propose to tackle stain variability by data augmentation. We augment the training data of the pretrained model by the stain variability using CycleGANs and then retrain the model on the stain-augmented dataset. We compared the performance of i/ the unmodified pretrained segmentation model with ii/ CycleGAN-based stain normalization, iii/ a feature-preserving modification to ii/ for improved normalization, and iv/ the proposed stain-augmented model. Results: The proposed stain-augmented model showed highest mean segmentation accuracy in all external cohorts and maintained comparable performance on the training cohort. However, the increase in performance was only marginal compared to the pretrained model. CycleGAN-based stain normalization suffered from encoded imperceptible information into the normalizations that confused the pretrained model and thus resulted in slightly worse performance. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that stain variability can be tackled more effectively by augmenting data by it than by following the commonly used approach of normalizing the stain. However, the applicability of this approach providing only a rather slight performance increase has to be weighted against an additional carbon footprint.

The well-known fluorophore, namely 1,3,6,8-tetrakis[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]pyrene, has been studied profoundly as a fluorescent sensor toward nitroaromatic compounds in solutions and vapor phase. Three prototypes of fluorescent materials for vapor sensing were prepared via electrospinning and drop-casting onto the melamine formaldehyde foam with the fluorophore as a pure solid or as a dopant in the polystyrene matrix. It has been shown that this fluorophore and solid fluorescent materials based on it have high detection limits toward nitroaromatic compounds within the range of 10−8 to 10−9 M in acetonitrile solution and within the up to ppb range in the vapor phase. The model, expanding on Frisch’s permeation model, was utilized to characterize the fluorescence response of materials relative to vapor concentration and duration of exposure to vapor. All prototypes can be used as sensor materials exhibiting a good sensitivity and selectivity for the original hand-made sniffer for detecting nitro-containing explosives in the vapor phase for real-time application.

The search for new magnetocaloric materials for application in magnetic refrigerants is highly motivated by high efficiency, reliability, and environmental safety. The values of the magnetocaloric effect MCE and the refrigerant capacity RC for the equiatomic GdRuSi compound were determined to be MCE = 10.7 and 4.94 J/kgK and RC = 336 and 92 J/kg with a change in the field of 0–50 and 0–17 kOe, respectively. These high values of MCE and RC for GdRuSi appear in the region of nitrogen liquefaction temperature of 77.4 K, due to which the compound can be useful in practice. The densities of states and magnetic moments of GdRuSi were calculated theoretically, taking into account strong electron correlations in the 4f Gd shell. The total magnetic moment of GdRuSi was found to be composed of the Gd moment only with the value calculated in very good agreement with the experimental one.

The evolution of a nanostructured state of palladium—lead membrane alloys during their interaction with hydrogen was studied using precision X-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation (SR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). The importance of this topic is due to the need and demand for improving the performance characteristics of dense metal diffusion filters for high purity hydrogen separation processes. Palladium-based membrane filters with lead concentrations of 5 and 20 wt.% were prepared via electric arc melting from high purity metals (99.95%). The thickness of the filters was 50 μm. Hydrogenation was carried out from a gas medium at 573 K and the pressure of 16 atm. within 150 min. The focus of the study is on the structural state of diffusion filter membranes depending on the content of the palladium-alloying element—lead—and on analysis of the substructure of alloys before and 5300 h relaxation after hydrogenation is carried out. Specific features of the surface morphology and the structure of the membrane filters depending on the concentration of lead in the alloys are determined. The formation and development of deformation processes in metal systems upon the hydrogenation is shown. The establishment of peculiarities of hydrogen interaction with metals will contribute to obtaining new potentially important characteristics of membrane filters.

The aim of our research was to study the endosphere of four halophytic plants: Salicornia europaea L., Salsola australis (R.Br.), Bassia sedoides (Pall.) and Kochia prostrata (L.) Schrad. from arid and saline areas of the Stavropol Territory, Russia. In total, 28 endophyte strains were isolated from the roots and stems of these halophytic plants. Most of the isolates (23 out of 28) were identified as Bacillus sp. while others belonged to the genera Oceanobacillus, Paenibacillus, Pantoea, Alcaligenes and Myroides. Three strains of Bacillus sp. (Se5R, Se1-1R, and Se1-3S), isolated from the S. europaea were capable of growth at 55 °C and in 10% of NaCl. Strains Se1-4S, Kp20-2S, and Bs11-2S Bacillus sp. (isolated from the S. australis, K. prostrata and B. sedoides, respectively) demonstrated strong plant growth promoting activity: 85–265% over control lettuce plants and a high degree of growth suppression (59.1–81.2%) of pathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum, Bipolaris sorokiniana and Rhizoctonia solani. Selected strains can be promising candidates for the development of bioinoculants to facilitate salt soil phytoremediation and be beneficial for mitigating the salt stress to the plants growing in salt-affected habitats.

Five random copolymers comprising styrene and styrene with pendant fluorophore moieties, namely pyrene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and triphenylamine, in molar ratios of 10:1, were synthesized and employed as fluorescent sensors. Their photophysical properties were investigated using absorption and emission spectral analyses in dichloromethane solution and in solid state. All copolymers possessed relative quantum yields up to 0.3 in solution and absolute quantum yields up to 0.93 in solid state, depending on their fluorophore components. Fluorescence studies showed that the emission of these copolymers is highly sensitive towards various nitroaromatic compounds, both in solution and in the vapor phase. The detection limits of these fluorophores for nitroaromatic compounds in dichloromethane solution proved to be in the range of 10−6 to 10−7 mol/L. The sensor materials for new hand-made sniffers based on these fluorophores were prepared by electrospinning and applied for the reliable detection of nitrobenzene vapors at 1 ppm in less than 5 min.

Currently, the wheel flange limiting wear is the main reason of the railroad wheels trueing. In order to enhance the wear resistance of the wheels to the required level, composition of their surface shall be changed, which is proposed to do by the method of laser surface modification introducing spherical particles of tungsten monocarbide with diameter from 50 to 150 μm. It was found out that introduction of the said particles into steel, which composition corresponds to grade 2 as per GOST 398-2010, results in reduction of microhardness of matrix metal formed on the composite layer surface as long as the content of tungsten monocarbide particles is increased. This phenomenon shall be probably connected with the change of chemical composition and stress-strain state of metal. Examination of wear resistance using roller samples demonstrated that growth of the volumetric fraction of reinforcing particles significantly increases the wear resistance. Laser heat processing of the surface without introducing the particles results in the wear resistance increase too. Wear and tear of the counter rollers cut from the rail operated in pair with the reinforced rollers cut from the tread band is less than in the pair with untreated rollers. Introduction of reinforcing particles is much more important than matrix hardening for increasing the wear resistance. It is demonstrated that cross-crack defects can be formed in modified layers, which quantity depends on the volumetric fraction of reinforcing particles. When content of tungsten monocarbide is less than 10%, cracks are not observed. According to the totality of properties, the best content of reinforcing particles shall amount from 8 to 10% of the volume.

Laura Gaita,1 Romulus Timar,1,2 Nicoleta Lupascu,1 Deiana Roman,1 Alin Albai,1,2 Ovidiu Potre,3,4 Bogdan Timar2,5 1Second Department of Internal Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 2Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, “Pius Brinzeu” Emergency Hospital, Timisoara, Romania; 3First Department of Internal Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 4Department of Hematology, Municipal Emergency Hospital, Timisoara, Romania; 5Department of Functional Sciences, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, RomaniaCorrespondence: Romulus TimarSecond Department of Internal Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, Timisoara 300041, RomaniaTel +4 0748 331 294Email timar.romulus@umft.roPurpose: Hyperuricemia (HUA) is linked to a variety of non-communicable diseases such as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension, with evidence showing its role in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM). Our study’s main aim was to explore the associations of HUA with other traditional risk factors in Romanian patients with DM and to assess the impact of the increase of serum UA on DM complications and HbA1c.Patients and methods: In this cross-sectional, non-interventional study, we enrolled, according to a population-based, consecutive-case principle, 133 patients previously diagnosed with DM. HbA1c, uric acid, lipid profile, urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, glomerular filtration rate, TSH and FT4 measurements were performed, while the diagnosis of retinopathy and of diabetic neuropathy was established using standardized methods.Results: An increased uric acid level was associated with a significant increase in the risk for development of stroke (OR=1.526; p=0.004). A weak, positive and statistically significant correlation can also be observed between the BMI and the presence of hyperuricemia (r=0.131; p=0.034), and between the triglyceride levels and hyperuricemia (r= 0.173; p=0.004). Glomerular filtration rate was correlated to hyperuricemia in a strong and negative manner, having an important statistical significance (r=−0.818; p=0.003). In our study, UA levels and HbA1c were negatively correlated, without reaching statistical significance.Conclusion: Serum UA is strongly correlated with the BMI, triglyceride level and GFR in Romanian patients with DM and HUA is significantly associated with a higher risk of stroke in these individuals.Keywords: uric acid, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, chronic diseases

The basic method of myocardial revascularization in acute coronary syndrome is coronary stenting. Due to the high risk of later coronary events such as restenosis and late coronary thrombosis, studies on the different types of stents are currently underway.The objective was to evaluate the degree of neointimal coverage of stents with a permanent and biodegradable polymer in one patient.The patient with unstable angina was implanted 2 everolimus-containing stents with a constant polymer (Promus Premier) and a biodegradable polymer (Synergy). After 9 months, optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed with the calculation of indicators.774 struts of the Synergy and 701 struts of the Promus Premier were analyzed. When evaluating the thickness of the formed neointima, no significant differences was obtained (p=0.47). At the same time, a greater number of uncovered struts were detected in the Promus Premier stent compared with Synergy stent (1.14 vs. 0 %, p = 0.002). The number of malposed uncovered struts was not statistically different (0.14 versus 0.13, p = 1.00), the difference in the number of malposed struts covered approaches statistically significant (1.14 versus 0.26, p = 0.0545).According to the results of optical coherence tomography, no significant differences between the studied platforms was obtained when assessing the late lumen loss. A greater number of uncovered struts in the stent with permanent polymer was detected, which could be considered as a risk factor for the development of late coronary thrombosis.

Nicoleta Lupascu,1 Bogdan Timar,2,3 Alin Albai,1,3 Deiana Roman,1 Ovidiu Potre,4,5 Romulus Timar1,31Second Department of Internal Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 2Department of Functional Sciences, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 3Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, “Pius Brinzeu” Emergency Hospital, Timisoara, Romania; 4First Department of Internal Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 5Department of Hematology, Municipal Emergency Hospital, Timisoara, RomaniaPurpose: To validate and to evaluate the performance in depression screening of the Patient’s Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ-9) for Romanian patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).Patients and methods: In a consecutive-case, population-based, non-interventional study design 107 hospitalized patients with T2DM were enrolled. The PHQ-9 was evaluated in regard to its acceptability, ceiling and floor effect, reproducibility, and test–retest performance. Its validity was tested by comparing it to the Beck depression scale, which is a validated tool for this patient population.Results: The PHQ-9 questionnaire had an excellent acceptability, having no non-responders for any of its questions and a median completion time of 3 mins and 12 s, a good reliability with a Cronbach’s α=0.897 [0.865–0.924] 95%CI, a good test–retest performance (Spearman’s rho =0.972; p

Oana Albai,1 Mirela Frandes,2 Romulus Timar,1 Deiana Roman,3 Bogdan Timar2 1Second Department of Internal Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 2Department of Functional Sciences, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 3Municipal Clinical Emergency Hospital, Timisoara, Romania Background: Dementia and cognitive dysfunction have many causes. There is strong evidence that diabetes mellitus (DM) increases the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. Optimal glycemic control, identification of diabetic risk factors, and prophylactic approach are essential in the prevention of cognitive complications.Aims: The main purpose of this study was to establish the cognitive impairment in DM patients, cared for in the Diabetes Center from Timisoara. Also, we investigated the prevalence of dementia in our group as well as the risk factors involved in the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia.Patients and methods: We considered a sample of 207 type 2 DM (T2DM) patients, aged between 33 and 81 years, mean 57.49 (±11.37) years. We established the diagnosis of dementia based on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test, as well as on the psychological testing, psychiatric and neurological investigations, and imaging tests (computerized tomography and MRI).Results: A percentage of 42.03% of patients presented MCI, mean age 63 (57.00–71.00) years, being older than patients without MCI, mean age 52.00 (45.00–61.00) years, P

The effect of synthesis conditions on the features of the long- and short-range order of Ln2(WO4)3 (Ln = Gd, Dy, Ho, Yb) powders synthesized via coprecipitation of salts has been studied by a complex of physico-chemical techniques including synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, Raman and infrared spectroscopy, and simultaneous thermal analysis. It was found that crystallization of amorphous precursors begins at 600 °C/3 h and leads to the formation of the monoclinic structure with sp. gr. C12/c1(15) for Ln2(WO4)3 (Ln = Gd, Dy) and with sp. gr. P121/a1(14) for Ln = Yb, whereas crystallization of Ho precursor requires even higher temperature. After annealing at 1000 °C, the P121/a1(14) phase becomes the dominant phase component for all heavy lanthanoid types except for Ln = Gd. It was shown that the Ln (Ln = Dy, Ho, and Yb) tungstates with the P121/a1(14) monoclinic structure correspond to trihydrates Ln2(WO4)3·3H2O formed due to a rapid spontaneous hydration under ambient conditions. It was concluded that the proneness to hydration is due to a specific structure of the P121/a1(14) phase with large voids available to water molecules. Modifications in the local structure of Ln-O coordination shell accompanying the structure type change and hydration are monitored using EXAFS spectroscopy.

This paper contains a vanadium redox flow battery stack with an electrode surface area 40 cm2 test data. The aim of the study was to characterize the performance of the stack of the original design. The dataset include three series of galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling in the potential region 8–16 V with current densities 75, 150 and 200 mA/cm2 for 100 cycles. Coulomb, voltaic, energy efficiencies and capacity utilization coefficient are also provided for all three series.

The note deals with two examples of poetic ecphrasis from 19th century Russian poetry, which served as models for subsequent descriptions and interpretations of the image: “The Dancer” by Lev Mey and “In the Monastery Near Cordoba” by Alexey Tolstoy. Possible pictural and verbal sources of both poems are restored and examples of their reflexes in 20th-century poetry are given.

Background: There is a need for better strategies to promote burn wound healing and prevent infection. The aim of our study was to develop an easy-to-use placental multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell (MMSC) secretome-based chitosan hydrogel (MSC-Ch-gel) and estimate its antimicrobial and regenerative activity in Staphylococcus aureus-infected burn wounds in rats. Methods: Proteomic studies of the MMSC secretome revealed proteins involved in regeneration, angiogenesis, and defence responses. The MMSC secretome was collected from cultured cells and mixed with water-soluble chitosan to prepare the placental MSC-Ch-gel, which was stored in liquid phase at 4 °C. The wounds of rats with established II-IIIa-degree burns were then infected with S. aureus and externally covered with the MSC-Ch-gel. Three additional rat groups were treated with medical Vaseline oil, the antiseptic drug Miramistin®, or the drug Bepanthen® Plus. Skin wound samples were collected 4 and 8 days after burning for further microbiological and histological analysis. Blood samples were also collected for biochemical analysis. Results: Application of the MSC-Ch-gel cleared the wound of microorganisms (S. aureus wasn’t detected in the washings from the burned areas), decreased inflammation, enhanced re-epithelialisation, and promoted the formation of well-vascularised granulation tissue. Conclusions: MSC-Ch-gel effectively promotes infected wound healing in rats with third-degree burns. Gel preparation can be easily implemented into clinical practice.

This article presents a crystal chemical analysis, generalization, and systematization of structural characteristics of metal-organic polymers MIL-53(M3+) with M = Al, Cr, Ga, and Fe. The division of the MIL-53(M3+) structures into a morphotropic series was performed, which made it possible to predict the formation of new compounds or solid solutions with the corresponding composition and structure. The change in the symmetry of MIL-53(M3+) and the causes of polymorphs formation are explained on the basis of crystal chemical rules. The efficiency of the revealed regularities in the structural characteristics of the MIL-53(M3+) phases were experimentally confirmed for MIL-53(Fe) and composite MIL-53(Fe)/GO (GO-graphene oxide) by several methods (powder X-ray, X-ray absorption, and photoelectron spectroscopy). For the first time, different coordination numbers (CN) (CNFe = 4.9 for MIL-53(Fe)—two types of coordination polyhedra with CNFe = 6 and CNFe = 4; CNFe = 4 for MIL-53 (Fe3+)/GO) and the formal charges (FC) of iron ions (variable FC of Fe (2+δ)+ in MIL-53(Fe3+) and Fe2+ in MIL-53(Fe3+)/GO) were found. These experimental data explain the higher photocatalytic activity of MIL-53(Fe3+)/GO in photo-Fenton reactions—RR195 decomposition.

Coordination polymers with a new rigid ligand 1,3-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)adamantane (L) were prepared by its reaction with cadmium(II) or silver(I) nitrates. Crystal structure of the coordination polymers was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Silver formed two-dimensional coordination polymer [Ag(L)NO3]n, in which metal ions are linked by 1,3-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)adamantane ligands, coordinated by nitrogen atoms at positions 2 and 4 of 1,2,4-triazole rings. Layers of the coordination polymer consist of rare 18- and 30-membered {Ag2L2} and {Ag4L4} metallocycles. Cadmium(II) nitrate formed two kinds of one-dimensional coordination polymers depending on the metal-to-ligand ratio used in the synthesis. Coordination polymer [Cd(L)2(NO3)2]n was obtained in case of a 1:2 M:L ratio, while for M:L = 2:1 product {[Cd(L)(NO3)2(CH3OH)]·0.5CH3OH}n was isolated. All coordination polymers demonstrated ligand-centered emission near 450 nm upon excitation at 370 nm.

Magnetic intermetallic compounds based on rare earth elements and 3d transition metals are widely investigated due to the functionality of their physical properties and their variety of possible applications. In this work, we investigated the features of the electronic structure and magnetic properties of ternary intermetallic compounds based on gadolinium GdMn1-xTixSi, in the framework of the DFT + U method. Analysis of the densities of electronic states and magnetic moments of ions in Ti-doped GdMnSi showed a significant change in the magnetic properties depending on the contents of Mn and Ti. Together with the magnetic moment, an increase in the density of electronic states at the Fermi energy was found in almost all GdMn1-xTixSi compositions, which may indicate a significant change in the transport properties of intermetallic compounds. Together with the expected Curie temperatures above 300 K, the revealed changes in the magnetic characteristics and electronic structure make the GdMn1-xTixSi intermetallic system promising for use in microelectronic applications.

Multiorgan tropism of SARS-CoV-2 has previously been shown for several major organs. We have comprehensively analyzed 25 different formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues/organs from autopsies of fatal COVID-19 cases (n = 8), using histopathological assessment, detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA using polymerase chain reaction and RNA in situ hybridization, viral protein using immunohistochemistry, and virus particles using transmission electron microscopy. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was mainly localized in epithelial cells across all organs. Next to lung, trachea, kidney, heart, or liver, viral RNA was also found in tonsils, salivary glands, oropharynx, thyroid, adrenal gland, testicles, prostate, ovaries, small bowel, lymph nodes, skin and skeletal muscle. Viral RNA was predominantly found in cells expressing ACE2, TMPRSS2, or both. The SARS-CoV-2 replicating RNA was also detected in these organs. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy were not suitable for reliable and specific SARS-CoV-2 detection in autopsies. These findings were validated using in situ hybridization on external COVID-19 autopsy samples (n = 9). Apart from the lung, correlation of viral detection and histopathological assessment did not reveal any specific alterations that could be attributed to SARS-CoV-2. In summary, SARS-CoV-2 and its replication could be observed across all organ systems, which co-localizes with ACE2 and TMPRSS2 mainly in epithelial but also in mesenchymal and endothelial cells. Apart from the respiratory tract, no specific (histo-)morphologic alterations could be assigned to the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Alin Albai,1 Alexandra Sima,1 Ion Papava,2 Deiana Roman,1 Bogdan Andor,3 Mihai Gafencu4 1Second Department of Internal Medicine, 2Department of Neurosciences, 3Department of Orthopedics, 4Department of Pediatrics, Victor Babeş University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania Abstract: In the overall management of the most chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus (DM), adherence to recommended disease-related self-care activities is of paramount importance. The diagnosis and presence of a chronic disease may be considered a difficult and stressful situation in life, a situation in which coping mechanisms are psychological processes developed at a conscious level to manage these situations. This study aimed to explore the possible relationship between the dominance of one of the four major coping styles and adherence to diabetes-related self-care activities (DRSCAs) in the population of patients with type 2 DM (T2DM). In a cross-sectional consecutive-case population-based study design, 126 patients previously diagnosed with T2DM were enrolled. Coping mechanisms were evaluated using the Cope scale inventory, which identifies the dominant coping mechanism: problem-, emotion-, social support-, or avoidance-focused. The quality of DRSCA was evaluated using the summary of diabetes self-care activities questionnaire, in which a higher score was associated with improved adherence. In the study cohort, 45 patients (35.7%) had problem-focused coping, 37 (29.4%) had emotion-focused coping, 32 (25.4%) social support-focused coping, and 12 (9.5%) had avoidance-focused coping. Patients with emotion-focused coping had the highest level (P=0.02) of DRSCA (median 44 points), followed by patients with social support-focused coping (median 40 points) and problem-focused coping (median 36 points), while patients with avoidance-focused coping had the lowest SDSCA total score (33 points). The type of dominant coping mechanism has a significant impact on the quality of the DRSCA measures implemented by the patient to manage their diabetes. Patients with emotion-focused and social support-focused coping styles tend to have significantly increased adherence to DRSCA scores, while patients with other dominant coping styles are less interested in managing their disease. Keywords: coping, type 2 diabetes mellitus, diabetes self-management, glycemic control, diabetes prognosis

The new 2016 edition of the poems by V. Pyast (Along Tannhäuser’s Path; Poems of Three Cities) allows to raise a series of problems in the field of text studies, publishing and commentary.