Oscillatory Potentials in Achromatopsia as a Tool for Understanding Cone Retinal Functions

Achromatopsia (ACHM) is an inherited autosomal recessive disease lacking cone photoreceptors functions. In this study, we characterize the time-frequency representation of the full-field electroretinogram (ffERG) component oscillatory potentials (OPs), to investigate the connections between photoreceptors and the inner retinal network using ACHM as a model. Time-frequency characterization of OPs was extracted from 52 controls and 41 achromat individuals. The stimulation via ffERG was delivered under dark-adaptation (DA, 3.0 and 10.0 cd·s·m−2) to assess mixed rod-cone responses. The ffERG signal was subsequently analyzed using a continuous complex Morlet transform. Time-frequency maps of both DA conditions show the characterization of OPs, disclosing in both groups two distinct time-frequency windows (~70–100 Hz and >100 Hz) within 50 ms. Our main result indicates a significant cluster (p < 0.05) in both conditions of reduced relative power (dB) in ACHM people compared to controls, mainly at the time-frequency window >100 Hz. These results suggest that the strongly reduced but not absent activity of OPs above 100 Hz is mostly driven by cones and only in small part by rods. Thus, the lack of cone modulation of OPs gives important insights into interactions between photoreceptors and the inner retinal network and can be used as a biomarker for monitoring cone connection to the inner retina.

Experience in teaching standardized patients in Russia

The assessment of communication skills in the accreditation procedure is carried out in simulated conditions with the participation of a standardized patient (SP). SP is a clinical history simulator. A standardized patient in accreditation is a standard of behavior: the same conditions for all accredited, strict adherence to the clinical scenario, a dosed story of the scenario strictly in accordance with the accredited’ communicative actions (actions according to the checklist). The preparation of a joint venture in Russia at the moment is a continuous complex process. The theses present the results of the work carried out.

Algebras of symmetric analytic functions on Cartesian powers of Lebesgue integrable in a power $p\in [1,+\infty)$ functions

The work is devoted to the study of Fréchet algebras of symmetric (invariant under the composition of every of components of its argument with any measure preserving bijection of the domain of components of the argument) analytic functions on Cartesian powers of complex Banach spaces of Lebesgue integrable in a power $p\in [1,+\infty)$ complex-valued functions on the segment $[0,1]$ and on the semi-axis. We show that the Fréchet algebra of all symmetric analytic entire complex-valued functions of bounded type on the $n$th Cartesian power of the complex Banach space $L_p[0,1]$ of all Lebesgue integrable in a power $p\in [1,+\infty)$ complex-valued functions on the segment $[0,1]$ is isomorphic to the Fréchet algebra of all analytic entire functions on $\mathbb C^m,$ where $m$ is the cardinality of the algebraic basis of the algebra of all symmetric continuous complex-valued polynomials on this Cartesian power. The analogical result for the Fréchet algebra of all symmetric analytic entire complex-valued functions of bounded type on the $n$th Cartesian power of the complex Banach space $L_p[0,+\infty)$ of all Lebesgue integrable in a power $p\in [1,+\infty)$ complex-valued functions on the semi-axis $[0,+\infty)$ is proved.

The Language of Jewellery: Dress-accessories and Negotiations of Identity in Scandinavia, c. AD 400–650/70

In the 5th–7th centuries AD, members of the female population in Scandinavia frequently wore a costume adorned with conspicuous items of jewellery. Many of the items, such as brooches and clasps, were dress-accessories used to fasten these garments. Some of them, moreover, were popular over an extended area of Europe, and have been found in Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon England and on the Continent alike. This book provides an analysis of more than 1,800 such items of jewellery from Scandinavia. It explores the contextual and geographical distribution through time of four major types of dress-accessory: cruciform brooches, relief brooches, wrist-clasps and conical brooches. Detailed analysis reveals distribution patterns and variations that provide new insights into the multifaceted reality of the Scandinavian pre-Viking period. The author argues that in a time characterized by social stress and upheaval, women played an important role in the negotiation of identities through the use of costume adorned with dress-accessories. These negotiations were part of a continuous, complex and ever-changing discourse of identity, in which different dimensions of multiple identities were generated, articulated and transformed. In some instances, a common identity is manifest even at a date which precedes by several centuries the unification of much the same areas into single medieval kingdoms, while social and political conditions could equally trigger either the material expression or the disappearance of shared identities at local, regional, and even pan-European levels. This book also offers a more nuanced view of ethnic groupings during the 5th–7th centuries by examining the inter-connectedness of the flexible and mobile ‘warrior nations’ of the Migration Period, and the territorially rooted, often historically documented ‘peoples’, who are reflected in the practices of female dress.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE SELECTION OF MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT FOR SPORTS AEROBICS

Sports aerobics is a complex coordination sport characterized by the ability of athletes to perform, in accordance with musical accompaniment, a continuous complex of various combinations of high-intensity movements borrowed from traditional dances. The article presents materials on the organization of the selection of musical accompaniment for sports aerobics.

Innovative Bioactive Ag-SiO2/TiO2 Coating on a NiTi Shape Memory Alloy: Structure and Mechanism of Its Formation

In recent years, more and more emphasis has been placed on the development and functionalization of metallic substrates for medical applications to improve their properties and increase their applicability. Today, there are many different types of approaches and materials that are used for this purpose. Our idea was based on a combination of a chemically synthesized Ag-SiO2 nanocomposite and the electrophoretic deposition approach on a NiTi shape memory substrate. As a result, silver-silica coating was developed on a previously passivated alloy, which was then subjected to sintering at 700 °C for 2 h. The micrometer-sized coat-forming material was composed of large agglomerates consisting of silica and a thin film of submicron- and nano- spherical-shaped particles built of silver, carbon, and oxygen. Structurally, the coatings consisted of a combination of nanometer-sized silver-carbonate that was embedded in thin amorphous silica and siloxy network. The temperature impact had forced morphological and structural changes such as the consolidation of the coat-forming material, and the partial coalescence of the silver and silica particles. As a result, a new continuous complex ceramic coating was formed and was analyzed in more detail using the XPS, XRD, and Raman methods. According to the structural and chemical analyses, the deposited Ag-SiO2 nanocomposite material’s reorganization was due to its reaction with a passivated TiO2 layer, which formed an atypical glass-like composite that consisted of SiO2-TiO2 with silver particles that stabilized the network. Finally, the functionalization of the NiTi surface did not block the shape memory effect.

Simultaneous Tumor and Stroma Targeting by Oncolytic Viruses

Current cancer therapeutics often insufficiently eradicate malignant cells due to the surrounding dense tumor stroma. This multi-componential tissue consists of mainly cancer-associated fibroblasts, the (compact) extracellular matrix, tumor vasculature, and tumor-associated macrophages, which all exert crucial roles in maintaining a pro-tumoral niche. Their continuous complex interactions with tumor cells promote tumor progression and metastasis, emphasizing the challenges in tumor therapy development. Over the last decade, advances in oncolytic virotherapy have shown that oncolytic viruses (OVs) are a promising multi-faceted therapeutic platform for simultaneous tumor and stroma targeting. In addition to promoting tumor cell oncolysis and systemic anti-tumor immunity, accumulating data suggest that OVs can also directly target stromal components, facilitating OV replication and spread, as well as promoting anti-tumor activity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the interactions between native and genetically modified OVs and the different targetable tumor stromal components, and outlines strategies to improve stroma targeting by OVs.

Generating Fractalstructure and Route Matrix in Zodiac Signs

This paper deals with finding out the possibilities of generating the Fractal Structure in the Zodiac Signs. Fractals are a continuous complex pattern which is Self-Similar across different scales; these Signs in the Natal Chart are also create a Self-Similar structure which is continuous too. The positions of the planets in the zodiac signs have different combinations and these combinations are captured in Graph. The connections of the planets in the Natal Chart are generated in the form of Route Matrix. This matrix is also useful for the Astrologers in predicting one’s future.