BackgroundHepatozoon silvestris is an emerging apicomplexan parasite discovered in European wild cats from Bosnia and Herzegovina and blood samples of a domestic cat from Southern Italy in 2017. It has also been identified in Ixodes ricinus collected from a domestic cat in Wales, UK, in 2018. The clinical relevance, pathogenesis and epidemiology of this novel Hepatozoon species are not yet understood. Thus, the objective of this paper was to report and describe the first fatal case of an H. silvestris infection in a domestic cat.ResultsThe cat, which originated from Switzerland, died shortly after presenting clinical signs of lethargy, weakness and anorexia. At necropsy, no specific lesions were observed. Histopathology of the heart revealed a severe lympho-plasmacytic and histiocytic myocarditis. Mature and developing protozoal meronts morphologically compatible with Hepatozoon species were observed associated with the myocardial inflammation. No other lesions were present in any other organ evaluated, and the cat tested negative for retroviral and other immunosuppressive infectious agents. Polymerase chain reaction from the myocardium resulted in a specific amplicon of the Hepatozoon 18S rRNA gene. Sequencing and BLAST analysis revealed 100% sequence identity with H. silvestris.ConclusionsThe severity of the infection with fatal outcome in an otherwise healthy animal suggests a high virulence of H. silvestris for domestic cats. The presence of this emerging parasite in a domestic cat in Switzerland with no travel history provides further evidence for a geographical distribution throughout Europe.

STUDY QUESTION What are the European trends and developments in ART and IUI in 2014 as compared to previous years? SUMMARY ANSWER The 18th ESHRE report on ART shows a continuing expansion of both treatment numbers in Europe and more variability in treatment modalities resulting in a rising contribution to the birth rates in most participating countries. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Since 1997, ART data generated by national registries have been collected, analysed by the European IVF-monitoring (EIM) Consortium and reported in 17 manuscripts published in Human Reproduction. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Continuous collection of European data by the EIM for ESHRE. The data for treatments performed in 2014 between 1 January and 31 December in 39 European countries were provided by national registries or on a voluntary basis by clinics or professional societies. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS From 39 countries and 1279 institutions offering ART services, a total of 776 556 treatment cycles, involving 146 148 with IVF, 362 285 with ICSI, 192 027 with frozen embryo replacement (FER), 15 894 with PGT, 56 516 with egg donation (ED), 292 with IVM and 3404 with frozen oocyte replacement (FOR) were reported. European data on IUI using husband/partner's semen (IUI-H) and donor semen (IUI-D) were reported from 1364 institutions offering IUI in 26 countries and 21 countries, respectively. A total of 120 789 treatments with IUI-H and 49 163 treatments with IUI-D were included. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE In 14 countries (17 in 2013), where all institutions contributed to their respective national registers, a total of 291 235 treatment cycles were performed in a population of ~208 million inhabitants, corresponding to 1925 cycles per million inhabitants (range: 423-2978 per million inhabitants). After treatment with IVF the clinical pregnancy rates (PR) per aspiration and per transfer were marginally higher in 2014 than in 2013, at 29.9 and 35.8% versus 29.6 and 34.5%, respectively. After treatment with ICSI the PR per aspiration and per transfer were also higher than those achieved in 2013 (28.4 and 35.0% versus 27.8 and 32.9%, respectively). After FER with own embryos the PR continued to rise, from 27.0% in 2013 to 27.6% in 2014. After ED a similar trend was observed with PR reaching 50.3% per fresh transfer (49.8% in 2013) and 48.7% for FOR (46.4% in 2013). The delivery rates (DR) after IUI remained stable at 8.5% after IUI-H (8.6% in 2013) and at 11.6% after IUI-D (11.1% in 2013). In IVF and ICSI together, 1, 2, 3 and ≥4 embryos were transferred in 34.9, 54.5, 9.9 and in 0.7% of all treatments, respectively (corresponding to 31.4%, 56.3, 11.5% and 1% in 2013). This evolution in embryo transfer strategy in both IVF and ICSI resulted in a singleton, twin and triplet DR of 82.5, 17.0 and 0.5%, respectively (compared to 82.0, 17.5 and 0.5%, respectively, in 2013). Treatments with FER in 2014 resulted in a twin and triplet DR of 12.4 and 0.3%, respectively (versus 12.5 and 0.3% in 2013). Twin and triplet DR after IUI were 9.5 and 0.3%, respectively, after IUI-H (in 2013:9.5 and 0.6%) and 7.7 and 0.3% after IUI-D (in 2013: 7.5 and 0.3%). LIMITATION, REASONS FOR CAUTION The method of data collection and reporting varies among European countries. The EIM receives aggregated data from various countries with variable levels of completeness. Registries from a number of countries have failed to provide adequate data about the number of initiated cycles and deliveries. As long as incomplete data are provided, the results should be interpreted with caution. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The 18th ESHRE report on ART shows a continuing expansion of treatment numbers in Europe. The number of treatments reported, the variability in treatment modalities and the rising contribution to the birth rates in most participating countries point towards the increasing impact of ART on reproduction in Europe. Being the largest data collection on ART, the report gives detailed information about ongoing developments in the field. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The study has no external funding and all costs are covered by ESHRE. There are no competing interests.

Objective. In this paper, we introduce a novel hybrid brain–computer interface (BCI) system that measures electrical brain activity as well as cerebral blood velocity using electroencephalography (EEG) and functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD) respectively in response to flickering mental rotation (MR) and flickering word generation (WG) cognitive tasks as well as a fixation cross that represents the baseline. This work extends our previous approach, in which we showed that motor imagery induces simultaneous changes in EEG and fTCD to enable task discrimination; and hence, provides a design approach for a hybrid BCI. Here, we show that instead of using motor imagery, the proposed visual stimulation technique enables the design of an EEG-fTCD based BCI with higher accuracy. Approach. Features based on the power spectrum of EEG and fTCD signals were calculated. Mutual information and support vector machines were used for feature selection and classification purposes. Main results. EEG-fTCD combination outperformed EEG by 4.05% accuracy for MR versus baseline problem and by 5.81% accuracy for WG versus baseline problem. An average accuracy of 92.38% was achieved for MR versus WG problem using the hybrid combination. Average transmission rates of 4.39, 3.92, and 5.60 bits min−1 were obtained for MR versus baseline, WG versus baseline, and MR versus WG problems respectively. Significance. In terms of accuracy, the current visual presentation outperforms the motor imagery visual presentation we designed before for the EEG-fTCD system by 10% accuracy for task versus task problem. Moreover, the proposed system outperforms the state of the art hybrid EEG-fNIRS BCIs in terms of accuracy and/or information transfer rate. Even though there are still limitations of the proposed system, such promising results show that the proposed hybrid system is a feasible candidate for real-time BCIs.

Objective. In this paper, we introduce a novel hybrid brain–computer interface (BCI) system that measures electrical brain activity as well as cerebral blood velocity using electroencephalography (EEG) and functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound (fTCD) respectively in response to flickering mental rotation (MR) and flickering word generation (WG) cognitive tasks as well as a fixation cross that represents the baseline. This work extends our previous approach, in which we showed that motor imagery induces simultaneous changes in EEG and fTCD to enable task discrimination; and hence, provides a design approach for a hybrid BCI. Here, we show that instead of using motor imagery, the proposed visual stimulation technique enables the design of an EEG-fTCD based BCI with higher accuracy. Approach. Features based on the power spectrum of EEG and fTCD signals were calculated. Mutual information and support vector machines were used for feature selection and classification purposes. Main results. EEG-fTCD combination outperformed EEG by 4.05% accuracy for MR versus baseline problem and by 5.81% accuracy for WG versus baseline problem. An average accuracy of 92.38% was achieved for MR versus WG problem using the hybrid combination. Average transmission rates of 4.39, 3.92, and 5.60 bits min−1 were obtained for MR versus baseline, WG versus baseline, and MR versus WG problems respectively. Significance. In terms of accuracy, the current visual presentation outperforms the motor imagery visual presentation we designed before for the EEG-fTCD system by 10% accuracy for task versus task problem. Moreover, the proposed system outperforms the state of the art hybrid EEG-fNIRS BCIs in terms of accuracy and/or information transfer rate. Even though there are still limitations of the proposed system, such promising results show that the proposed hybrid system is a feasible candidate for real-time BCIs.

Abstract While bones and muscles adapt to mechanical loading, it appears that very specific types of stimuli must be applied to achieve osteogenesis. Our study assessed musculoskeletal outcomes to 30 training sessions on an Inertial Exercise Trainer (Newnan, GA). Subjects (n=13) performed workouts with their left leg, while their right served as an untreated control. Workouts entailed three 60-s sets each of knee extension, hip extension and calf press exercises, separated by 90-s rests. Before and after the 30 training sessions, subjects underwent strength tests (knee and ankle extensors of both legs), DEXA scans (hip, knee and ankles of both legs), and blood draws. After 30 training sessions 2×2 ANOVAs showed left leg peak torques rose significantly. 2×2 ANCOVAs, with bone scan area as a covariate, showed significant left leg calcaneal bone mineral content (+29%) and density (+33%) increases after 30 training sessions. A significant decline in C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen, a blood marker of bone resorption, also occurred after 30 training sessions. The Inertial Exercise Trainer’s large volume of training session repetitions elicited high peak force, peak acceleration and impulses that likely provided a mechanical loading stimulus that evoked calcaneal accretion.

Metode određivanja sadržaja teških metala u prirodnim resursima kao i u industrijskim proizvodima, oduvijek su bile predmet brojnih naučnih istraživanja. Metode određivanja metalnih kationa uglavnom su bazirane na principu ″molekulskog raspoznavanja″, koje se zasniva na kompleksiranju metalnih kationa pogodnim ligandima. Efikasnost kompleksiranja uslovljena je kompatibilnošću kationa i liganda, ali i samim okolnostima, tj. medijem u kojem se odvija kompleksiranje.Jedna od tehnika koja se može primijeniti za uspješno razdvajanje i koncentriranje metalnih kationa je transportovanje kroz tečne organske membrane. Proces transporta obuhvata: ekstrakciju, difuziju i povratnu ekstrakciju metalnog kationa. Veća efikasnost kompleksiranja, (veća stabilnost kompleksa) ne mora značiti i efikasniji transport. Veoma značajan je izbor rastvarača kao membrane.U ovom radu su istražene metal-ligand interakcije, sa aspekta vrste rastvarača u kojem se odvijaju. Primjenjene su spektrometrijske (UV/VIS i AAS) tehnike, a istraživanja izvršena na ″model-sistemima″ sastavljenim od: dvovalentnih metalnih kationa (Cd, Pb), liganada               (18-kruna-6, dibenzo-18-kruna-6, TritonX-100), kontra-iona (pikratni ion), te stripping agenasa (tiosulfat). Korišteni su organski rastvarači: dihlormetan, 1,2-dihloretan, hloroform i nitrobenzen. Rezultati su pokazali da među primjenjenim rastvaračima, najveću efikasnost u ulozi tečne membrane ima dihlormetan, kako za sve ispitane metalne katione, tako i za sve primjenjene ligande. Pokazano je da fizičke osobine rastvarača određuju njegovu efikasnost, tako da dihlormetan sa vrijednošću dielektrične konstante (ε = 8.93) nižom od ostalih, kao i manjom viskoznošću (0.4) ima prednost pri izboru kod pripreme tečne membrane za transport ispitanih metalnih kationa.

Tekstilni materijali tokom upotrebe bivaju izloženi različitim spoljašnjim uticajima. Jedan od češćih uticaja kojem su ovi materijali izloženi je toplotno dejstvo. Toplota na tekstilnom materijalu izaziva promjenu strukturnih karakteristika vlakana, čime dolazi i do promjene reprodukovanih otisaka. Cilj ovog rada je da ispita uticaj toplotnog dejstva na kvalitet sito štampanih tekstilnih materijala. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo i analizu zavisnosti kvaliteta štampe od karakteristika štampane podloge, te karakteristika korištene štamparske forme. Eksperimentalni rezultati analiziranih otisaka prije i nakon toplotnog dejstva, dobijeni spektrofotometrijskom analizom reprodukovanih boja kao i digitalnom obradom slike, ukazuju da toplotno dejstvo utiče na kvalitet reprodukovanih otisaka. Rezultati istraživanja su potvrdili i zavisnost kvaliteta reprodukcije od karakteristika materijala na kojem se vrši proces štampe, kao i od karakteristika štamparske forme pomoću koje se vrši proces štampe.

Superkritični fluidi imaju veoma široku mogućnost primene u raznim oblastima. Koriste se u energetskim procesima, kao reakcioni rastvarači, promotori prenosa mase i toplote, separacioni agensi i radni fluidi u procesima sa biogorivom. Iako je ugljen-dioksid još uvek jedan od najčešće korišćenih superkritičnih fluida, propan i fluorovano-hlorovani fluidi se takođe koriste. Postoje brojni slučajevi gde su se kao superkritični fluidi koristili metanol, smeša metanola i sirćetne kiseline, metil – acetat, dimetilkarbonat. Procesi dekofeinizacije čaja i kafe, ekstrakcije hmelja i uklanjanja pesticida iz pirinča primenom superkritičnih fluida zastupljeni su već duže vremena na industrijskom nivou. Glavni cilj primene superkritičnih fluida je još uvek ekstrakcija prirodnih proizvoda radi dobijanja sastojaka hrane, nutraceutikalija i fitofarmaceutikalija. Superkritični procesi su ispitivani i radi dekontaminacije zemljišta, uklanjanja zaostalih rastvarača iz farmaceutskih proizvoda, ekstrakcije zapaljivih jedinjenja iz elektronskog otpada. Povećan je i interes za impregnaciju zasnovanu na primeni superkritičnih fluida kao i korišćenje superkritičnih fluida za bojenje vlakana i tekstila. Dobijanje finih čestica mikronske i submikronske veličine uglavnom za farmaceutske proizvode je još jedna u nizu primena superkritičnih fluida. Na ovaj način se mogu dobiti novi proizvodi koje je nemoguće dobiti klasičnim postupcima. Tehnologija superkritičnih fluida i danas se suočava sa veoma rasprostranjenim mišljenjem da su ovi procesi veoma skupi zbog velikih investicionih ulaganja i da su usled toga ograničeni isključivo na dobijanje izuzetno vrednih proizvoda. Procena troškova za postrojenja različitih veličina i za različite primene je takođe analizirana u okviru rada.

We generalize results concerning averaged controllability on fractional type equations: system of fractional ODEs and the fractional diffusion equation. The proofs are accomplished by introducing appropriate Banach space in which we prove observability inequalities.

A arte tem ocupado um espaço crescente nas mais distintas discussões em torno da constituição do sujeito, quer seja pelo viés da experiência, quer seja pelo da subjetivação, entre muitos outros. A partir desse cenário, pautado pela potência de incontáveis linhas de fuga, existiria um percurso possível para dizer da arte, com arte, pela arte, sendo arte? Em uma divertida conversa com Deleuze, Guatarri, Foucault, Pessoa e tantos outros, o artigo - constituído integralmente por composições visuais - leva-nos a um espaço onde arte, humor e experiência passam a tecer novas nuances, texturas, interrogações…

Background Advances in large scale tumor sequencing have lead to an understanding that there are combinations of genomic and transcriptomic alterations speciflc to tumor types, shared across many patients. Unfortunately, computational identiflcation of functionally meaningful shared alteration patterns, impacting gene/protein interaction subnetworks, has proven to be challenging. Findings We introduce a novel combinatorial method, cd-CAP, for simultaneous detection of connected subnetworks of an interaction network where genes exhibit conserved alteration patterns across tumor samples. Our method differentiates distinct alteration types associated with each gene (rather than relying on binary information of a gene being altered or not), and simultaneously detects multiple alteration proflle conserved subnetworks. Conclusions In a number of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data sets, cd-CAP identifled large biologically signiflcant subnetworks with conserved alteration patterns, shared across many tumor samples.