Peculiarities of Etiology of Respiratory Virus Infections in Hospitalized Patients Depending on the Demographic, Socio-Economic Factors and Previous Vaccination

Etiology of respiratory virus infections among 1699 hospitalized patients (HP) was determined by PCR during the period of increased influenza activity in 2012 - 2013 season. The rate of accidence of influenza virus in dependence of gender, age, social and demographic factors and previous vaccination was analysed. Young children dominated in the age structure of HP, while the elderly were hospitalized very rarely. According to results obtained rate of influenza detection in HP was significantly higher among adults in comparison with children (63,5 and 30,7% of investigated patients, correspondingly). Respiratory syncytial virus and rhinoviruses were detected the most regularly (8.7 and 3.1%, correspondingly) in children, parainfluenza and adenoviruses were registered rarely (1.4 and 2.1%, correspondingly). Rate of detection of coronaviruses and bocavirus was low and varied in the range 0.3 - 0.6%. Indicated above ARI agents among hospitalized adults were detected rarely (0 - 1.5%) with exception of RSV which was detected among elderly (75 - 84 years) in 5.9% cases. No metapneumovirus cases were detected among HP in indicated period. Although males dominated (58%) among HP influenza cases, regardless of the type/subtype, were registered more frequently among girls in comparison with the boys of the same age groups. Influenza cases were registered more frequenly as well among smoking than in not smoking patients. Young children dominated in the age structure of HP, while the elderly were hospitalized very rarely.

„Privatus carcer” w ustawodawstwie cesarzy rzymskich (IV-VI w.)

W dzisiejszych czasach kara, która najbardziej ogranicza prawa człowieka, to kara pozbawienia lub ograniczenia wolności. Jednak myśl, aby uwięzić człowieka swoimi korzeniami sięga początków dziejów ludzkości. Badania historyczne dowodzą, że więzienia są jedną z najstarszych instytucji, jaka została stworzona przez społeczeństwo. W starożytnym Rzymie oskarżeni, za wszelkiego rodzaju przestępstwa i wykroczenia, trafiali nie tylko do więzień publicznych, nad którymi władzę i kontrolę sprawowało państwo lub bezpośrednio władca, ale i prywatnych. Istnienie właśnie tych ostatnich stanowi ciekawy wątek w historii starożytnej. W badaniach nad zagadnieniem „privatus carcer” wykorzystano materiał źródłowy pochodzący głównie z analiz rzymskich aktów prawnych, ogłoszonych w IV-VI w. i zamieszczonych w Kodeksie Teodozjańskim i Kodeksie Justyniańskim.

ANALYSIS OF EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MECHANICAL SHOCK ABSORBER PERFORMANCE

A design and the results of testing the mechanical shock absorber containing a body, in the bottom part of which there is a shaft forming together with a nut interacting with it via the spline joint a clearance is considered. Inside the bottom part of the body there are rows of damping rubber elements in the form of a ball which are separated by metal rings, and in the upper part of the body above the damping elements there is a piston fixedly connected with the shaft. The main advantages of the described design and the results of the pilot tests of samples proving the constructions operability are highlighted.

Reports

Enhancing Activist Scholarship in New Zealand and Beyond

Aotearoa (also known as New Zealand) is a jurisdiction that must respond to the inequitable elements of the multi-facetted oppressions of its colonising past and present if it is to live up to its claim to being an honourable nation. Early intensification of colonising practices embedded European values over those of the indigenous people with lasting devastating effects. In search of a national integrity, activist traditions of exposure, resistance, dissent and non-violent direct action to injustices are longstanding in this land. Activist scholarship however, is a more recent phenomenon. We explore the potential of activist scholarship to contribute more directly to transformations that will embed justice in the diverse socio-political economic context of New Zealand. We outline what we understand by activist scholarship and how we believe it can strengthen both socio-political activism and academic scholarship in synergistic ways. We propose seven principles of activist scholarship, generated through on-going dialogue with our activist scholar peers. We offer them as a starting point for discussion and critique until a collective statement emerges. We showcase Ngāpuhi Speaks as an example of such potential synergies. heather came school of public health and psychosocial studies, aucKland university of technology Joey macdonald maria humphries WaiKato management school, university of WaiKato Corresponding author: Heather Came, Email: [email protected] The authors send thanks to Tony Dowsett and Steve Edwards (aka Snoopman) for comments on this paper and to Sue Bradford and our Kotare activists friends for the many conversations which informed this paper.

Global privatized power

The practice of archaeologists and other heritage specialists to embed with the US military in Iraq has received critical attention from anthropologists. Scholars have highlighted the dire consequences of such a partnership for cul- tural heritage protection by invoking the imperialist dimension of archaeological knowledge production. While critical of state power and increasingly of milita- rized para-state actors like the self-proclaimed Islamic State, these accounts typi- cally eclipse other forms of collaboration with non-state organizations, such as private military and security companies (PMSCs). Focusing on the central role of private contractors in the context of heritage missions in Iraq since 2003, I dem- onstrate that the war economy's exploitative regime in regions marked by violent conflict is intensified by the growth of the military-industrial complex on a global scale. Drawing on data from interviews conducted with archaeologists working in the Middle East, it becomes clear how archaeology and heritage work prop up the coloniality of power by tying cultural to economic forms of control.

Working women in transition to motherhood in Italy

Assessment of changes in crystallization properties of pressurized milk fat

The aim of the study was to demonstrate the use of fractal image analysis as a possible tool to monitor the effect of pressurization on the crystallization pattern of anhydrous milk fat. This approach can be useful when developing new products based on milk fat. The samples were subjected to different hydrostatic pressure (100, 200, 300, and 400 MPa) and temperature (10 and 40 °C) treatments. The crystallization microphotographs were taken with a scanning electron microscope. The image analysis of scanning electron microscope photographs was done to determine a fractal dimension. Milk-fat pressurization under the applied parameters resulted in slight, but statistically significant, changes in the course of crystallization curves, related to the triacylglycerol fraction crystallizing in the lowest temperature (I exothermic effect). These changes were dependent on the value of pressure but not dependent on the temperatures applied during the process of pressurization (at either 10 or 40 °C). In turn, significant differences were observed in crystallization images of milk-fat samples subjected to this process compared with the control sample. The results of additional fractal analysis additionally demonstrated the highest degree of irregularity of the surface of the crystalline form for the nonpressurized sample and the samples pressurized at 200 and 300 MPa at 10 °C. The lowest value of fractal dimension-indicative of the least irregularity-was achieved for the fat samples pressurized at 400 MPa, 10 °C and at 100 MPa, 40 °C. The possibilities of wider application of the fractal analysis for the evaluation of effects of parameters of various technological processes on crystallization properties of milk fat require further extensive investigations.

Flow cytometric analysis: Interdependence of healthy and infected udder quarters

An important question about intramammary infections that is still debated in the literature is the independence or interdependence of the quarters of dairy cows. The present study sought to explore milk neutrophil function and the milk lymphocyte profile of uninfected quarters from uninfected and infected (one infected quarter per cow) udders to evaluate interdependence of the quarters. Thus, 32 (8 cows) and 18 (6 cows) uninfected quarters from uninfected and infected udders were used, respectively. Using flow cytometry, we evaluated the percentage of milk neutrophils and their expression of adhesion molecules L-selectin (CD62L), β2-integrin (CD11b), and an endothelial-selectin ligand (CD44); levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS); phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus by milk neutrophils; and neutrophil viability. Furthermore, we assessed the percentage of B-cell (CD21(+)) and T-lymphocyte subsets (CD3(+)/CD4(+)/CD8(-), CD3(+)/CD8(+)/CD4(-), CD3(+)/CD4(+)/CD25(-), CD3(+)/CD4(+)/CD25(+), and CD3(+)/CD4(-)/CD25(-)) using flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies. The infected quarter did not affect somatic cell count or the percentage of neutrophils in the neighboring uninfected quarters. Furthermore, the infected quarter did not influence neutrophil viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species production, or phagocytosis of S. aureus by milk neutrophils. Conversely, the expression of adhesion molecules CD11b, CD62L, and CD44 by milk neutrophils differed between uninfected quarters from infected versus uninfected udders. The lymphocyte subsets did not differ between groups, except for a higher percentage of B cells in uninfected quarters from infected udders than in those from uninfected udders. Thus, our study strongly supports the hypothesis of interdependence of quarters based on the influence of infection on both the percentage of B cells and the expression of adhesion molecules by milk neutrophils in the neighboring uninfected quarters.

Evaluating the effect of Focus Farms on Ontario dairy producers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward control of Johne’s disease

This study evaluated a participatory-based, experiential learning program, Ontario Focus Farms (FF), which aimed to change dairy producer behavior to control Johne's disease (JD) in Ontario, Canada. The goals were to (1) assess the effect of FF on participating dairy producers' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior with regard to JD control; (2) compare changes in these factors among FF participants to changes among a group of nonparticipating dairy producers; and (3) describe the characteristics of producers who made at least one on-farm management change. Pre- and post-FF intervention questionnaires collected data on respondents' knowledge, attitudes, behavior, herd production, and demographic information; before and after JD-risk assessments were used to assess respondents' on-farm risk of JD transmission. Overall, 176 dairy producers participated in the FF process; 39.8% (70/176) of FF and 14.6% (52/357) of control participants responded to both the pre- and postintervention questionnaires. Upon comparison, FF respondents were more likely to be younger, have larger herds, and have higher management scores. The proportion of FF participants who reported making at least one on-farm change (81%) was significantly higher than that of control respondents (38%). Overall, FF respondents significantly changed their risk score in 4 out of 5 risk areas and had an average reduction of 13 points in their overall risk score between before and after risk assessments. Control respondents' risk assessment scores did not significantly change during the study period. In a JD knowledge assessment, FF and control respondents exhibited a moderate knowledge score before the intervention period, with median scores of 75.9% (22/29) in each group. The FF respondents significantly increased their score at the postintervention assessment, with a median of 82.8% (24/29); control-respondent scores did not significantly change. Both FF and control respondents held strong positive attitudes toward JD control and felt a moderate amount of social pressure from veterinarians and industry organizations to make on-farm changes. However, they questioned their ability to effectively control JD on the farm. Last, participating in FF, having a moderate herd management score, having a positive perception about the practicality of on-farm recommendations, and having a singular learning preference were associated with increased odds of making an on-farm change. Overall, the FF process appears to be effective at influencing producer behavior toward implementing on-farm management practices for JD control. Future JD control programs should consider implementing peer-learning extension processes, such as FF, in combination with other extension approaches, to influence producer behavior.