Antibacterial properties of poly ( N , N -dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) obtained at different initiator concentrations in solution polymerization

The samples of poly( N , N -dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) were synthesized by radical polymerization. The amount of monomer and solvent was constant as opposed to an amount of initiator which was changing. No clear relationship between polymerization conditions and the molecular weight of the polymer was found, probably due to the branched configuration of produced polymer. Bactericidal interactions in all samples against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria have been demonstrated. However, the observed effect has various intensities, depending on the type of bacteria and the type of sample.

RATIONALITY CATEGORY OF PRIVATE LAW

The article analyzes equally important both for philosophy and law issues of rationality, considers the categories of reasonableness of private law, their role and significance in the legal regulation. The relevance of the study is determined by the lack of clear criteria for determining the nature and character of these categories, by the diversity of understanding of their content, role and significance in the process of legal regulation. The purpose of the study is to establish the nature, interconnection and interdependence of rationality, reasonableness of private law, show how they differ from close-by categories of justice, fairness, legality and appropriateness. In this regard, the study used system-logical, formal-dogmatic, functional, comparative-legal research methods. The study draws attention to the essential differences between rationality and reasonableness, which today are often identified, specifies clear relationship of reasonableness, justice and fairness, and at the same time emphasizes their autonomy, synonymy of rationality, meanings underlines the criteria of rationality and reasonableness, emphasizes the irreducibility of reasonableness to the legitimacy, highlights the signs inherent to reasonableness, which are appropriateness and legitimacy. Reasonableness is not only a subjective category, but also, above all, is a requirement objectively expressed in positive law, addressed to all the participants regulated by the law of public relations, i.e., an objective category. In its turn, certainty of the law is expressed as its reasonableness. The study traces the manifestation of reasonableness category in the international legal acts and normative legal acts of a number of national legal orders.

An Exploration of Empathy and Personality in Preservice Counselors

Empathy allows individuals to care for the well-being of others and act with compassion. Research indicates that empathy is an essential ingredient for developing successful counseling relationships, leading to positive change for clients. Determining how empathy is related to personality provides counselors with valuable information for exploring the impact of personality on empathy in counselor trainees. To explore the relationship between empathy and personality among counselor trainees, the researchers compared scores on the MBTI® and the IRI. Results of this study suggest a clear relationship between personality and empathy and were similar to the findings of previous researchers. In addition, this study demonstrated that the MBTI® type preferences of extraversion, intuition, feeling and perceiving are significantly higher than introversion, sensing, thinking and judging on the various empathy scales, specifically in the areas of empathic concern, perspective taking, personal distress and fantasy. Implications were discussed for both counselor educators and practitioners.

Simulating effect of neonate body position on carbon dioxide tension in oxygen tent

Oxygen therapy is a common method of respiratory support, but its use involves the risk of carbon dioxide recycling and the development of hypercapnia in the patient.The aim of the study. Assess the carbon dioxide tension in the oxygen tent depending on the patient's body position in the experimental newborn Model.Materials and Methods. The study was performed on the phantom of the newborn. Influence of 3 patient positions at fresh mixture feed rate 2.5, 5, 7 and 10 l/min is evaluated. Monitoring of the carbon dioxide tension was carried out using Testo 480, measurements were carried out for 60 minutes.Results of the study. A clear relationship was established between the position of the newborn's body and the tension of carbon dioxide in the oxygen tent. The minimum tension of carbon dioxide is noted in the patient's position ≪on the back≪ at a fresh mixture feed rate of 7.5 l/minute and is 527 ± 64 ppm, and the maximum ‒ in the child's position ≪on the stomach≪ at the same oxygen-air mixture feed rate: 1180 ± 63 ppm.Conclusion. The position of the newborn baby's body is the main factor affecting the carbon dioxide stress in the oxygen tent.

The Association Between Ambient UVB Dose and ANCA-associated Vasculitis Relapse and Onset

Background The etiology of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and triggers of relapse are poorly understood. Vitamin D (vitD) is an important immunomodulator, potentially responsible for the observed latitudinal differences between granulomatous and non-granulomatous AAV phenotypes. A narrow ultraviolet B spectrum induces vitD synthesis (vitD-UVB) via the skin. We hypothesised that prolonged periods of low ambient UVB (and by extension vitD deficiency) are associated with the granulomatous form of the disease and an increased risk of AAV relapse. Methods Patients with AAV recruited to the Irish Rare Kidney Disease (RKD) (n = 439) and UKIVAS (n = 1961) registries were studied. Exposure variables comprised latitude and measures of ambient vitD-UVB, including cumulative weighted UVB dose (CW-D-UVB), a well-validated vitD proxy. An n-of-1 study design was used to examine relapse risk. Multi-level models and logistic regression were used to examine the effect of predictors on AAV relapse risk, phenotype and serotype. Results Residential latitude was positively correlated (OR:1.41, 95% CI 1.14–1.74, p = 0.002) and average vitD-UVB negatively correlated (0.82, 0.70–0.99, p = 0.04) with relapse risk, with a stronger effect when restricting to winter measurements (0.71, 0.57–0.89, p = 0.002). However, these associations were not restricted to granulomatous phenotypes. We observed no clear relationship between latitude, vitD-UVB or CW-D-UVB and AAV phenotype or serotype. Conclusion Our findings suggest that low winter ambient UVB and prolonged vitD status contribute to AAV relapse risk across all phenotypes. However, development of a granulomatous phenotype does not appear to be directly vitD-mediated. Further research is needed to determine whether sufficient vitD status would reduce relapse propensity in AAV.

Consideration of Additive Quantum Numbers of Fermions and Their Conservations

Two new flavor quantum numbers D and U for down and up quarks, respectively, are introduced, and then quark quantum number H is proposed as the sum of the flavor quantum numbers of quarks. Moreover, lepton quark-like quantum number HL and finally fermion quantum number F are brought forward. Old and new additive quantum numbers are conserved at three different levels in weak interaction, and F builds up a clear relationship to the electric charge of fermions.

Association between anticholinergic burden and dementia in UK Biobank

Previous studies on the association between the long-term use of anticholinergic drugs and dementia report heterogenous results. This variability could be due to, among other factors, different anticholinergic scales used, and differential effects of distinct classes of anticholinergic drugs. Here, we use 171,775 participants of UK Biobank with linked GP prescription records to calculate the cumulative yearly anticholinergic burden (ACB) and ascertain dementia diagnoses through GP- and inpatient records. We then compare 13 anticholinergic scales and anticholinergic burden (ACB) due to different classes of drugs in their association with dementia. We find dementia to be more strongly predicted by ACB than by polypharmacy across most anticholinergic scales (standardised ORs range: 1.027-1.125). Furthermore, not only the baseline ACB, but the slope of the longitudinal trajectory of ACB (HR=1.094; 95% CI: 1.068-1.119) is predictive of dementia. However, the association between ACB and dementia holds only for some classes of drugs - especially antidepressants, antiepileptics, and high-ceiling antidiuretics. Moreover, we do not find a clear relationship between reported anticholinergic potency and dementia risk. The heterogeneity in findings on the association between ACB and dementia may in part be due to different effects for different classes of drugs. Future studies should establish such differences in more detail and further examine the practicality of using a general measure of anticholinergic potency as it relates to the risk of dementia.

Breathlessness and COVID-19: A Call for Research

Breathlessness, also known as dyspnoea, is a debilitating and frequent symptom. Several reports have highlighted the lack of dyspnoea in a subgroup of patients suffering from COVID-19, sometimes referred to as “silent” or “happy hyp­oxaemia.” Reports have also mentioned the absence of a clear relationship between the clinical severity of the disease and levels of breathlessness reported by patients. The cerebral complications of COVID-19 have been largely demonstrated with a high prevalence of an acute encephalopathy that could possibly affect the processing of afferent signals or top-down modulation of breathlessness signals. In this review, we aim to highlight the mechanisms involved in breathlessness and summarize the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and its known effects on the brain-lung interaction. We then offer hypotheses for the alteration of breathlessness perception in COVID-19 patients and suggest ways of further researching this phenomenon.

University Students’ Emotions When Using E-Portfolios in Virtual Education Environments

This paper is based on a study that aims to understand the emotions students feel when they use the e-portfolio to manage their learning and assessment. The sample was composed of 358 students, and the instrument used was an ad hoc questionnaire. The students were asked to indicate the degree to which they experienced a set of emotions when using the e-portfolio. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that positive emotions are foremost and above average, ranked as follows from strongest to weakest: freedom, motivation, curiosity, and inquiry. The students evaluated negative emotions (disorientation and waste of time) as experienced less strongly. The results point out that younger students feel more comfortable with the use of technologies and specifically with the e-portfolio. In addition, men experienced the emotion “freedom” more than women. On the other hand, students in the third year of their respective degree programs experienced “freedom”, “curiosity”, and “inquiry” when using the e-portfolio to manage their learning. A clear relationship thus exists between emotions, motivation, and e-portfolio use, which appears to confirm that work in virtual contexts with this strategy stimulates student motivation.

Early Repolarization Pattern and Idiopatic Sustained Monomorphic Ventricular Tachycardia: an Infrequent Combination

Malignant early repolarization as cause of sudden death has taken on great importance in recent years. It has been described as an entity capable of producing ventricular arrhythmic events, causing from episodes of syncope to sudden cardiac death. Ventricular fibrillation is the typical arrhythmia in these patients, with no clear relationship to date with idiopathic monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. Electrocardiographic markers related to the development of arrhythmic events in early repolarization syndrome have been described. They seem not only related to the development of ventricular fibrillation, but also to sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, as is the case described in the article.