Hermitage Museum

When administered as a two-dose series (1 + 1 schedule), MenACYW-TT demonstrated comparable/higher immunogenicity to MenACWY-CRM (ages 6-7 and 12-13 months) and the safety profiles of these quadrivalent meningococcal vaccines were similar. MenACYW-TT was non-inferior to MenACWY-CRM in terms of seroresponse rates and proportion of participants with antibody titer ≥1:8 after a second dose at age 12-13 months. This phase III study is the first to confirm the safety and immunogenicity of MenACYW-TT in infants and supports its use as a two-dose series from 6 months of age.

Plant health is regulated by complex consortia of soil microbes with growth-promoting and pathogenic functions. In potato production, various soil management practices are undertaken to boost yields and suppress diseases, but connections between these practices, soil microbiomes, and tuber yields have not been characterized across diverse growing regions. To identify growing practices and microbes associated with increased yields, we established four-year field trials across eight US sites from Oregon to Maine that consisted of controls, fumigations, organic amendments, and mustard incorporations. Amplicon sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) regions was used to investigate bacterial and eukaryotic soil microbiomes, respectively. Fumigation and organic amendment treatments increased tuber yields in 23% and 29% of treatments relative to controls. While soil treatments influenced both microbiome types differently across all field sites, eukaryotes were more sensitive than bacteria to all treatments. Across field sites, soil treatments impacted relative abundances of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) to varying degrees, even among ASVs belonging to the same genus. Associations between ASVs and tuber yields similarly varied within genera, highlighting the lack of consistent yield-associated taxa across US growing regions. Nevertheless, forty-five “target ASVs” across nine bacterial and three fungal phyla were identified as both treatment-impacted and yield-associated within any particular field site. Models identified three of thirteen organic amendment scenarios and one of thirteen fumigation scenarios where increased relative abundances of specific target ASVs accounted for up to a 23% increase in tuber yields compared to control treatments. These ASVs were largely site-specific and not influenced by treatment-associated changes in soil nutrients or organic matter, highlighting complex relationships within field sites that require further study to achieve the goal of implementing sustainable, microbiome-informed potato production techniques.

Dropped gallstones are a known complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, occurring in up to 40% of cases. While often considered benign, they can lead to complications like abscess formation and peritoneal adhesions. In cancer patients, dropped gallstones may mimic disease recurrence, leading to unnecessary diagnostic procedures and patient distress. We report the case of a 63-year-old woman with a history of leiomyosarcoma, previously treated with surgical resection. She subsequently underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. Ten months later, she presented with nonspecific upper abdominal symptoms, and imaging indicated peritoneal nodularity suspicious for malignancy. A CT-guided biopsy was inconclusive, prompting diagnostic laparoscopy revealing multiple dropped gallstones with granulomatous inflammation but no evidence of malignancy. The patient remained symptoms free after retrieval, with no further radiological abnormalities on follow-up imaging. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges posed by dropped gallstones, particularly in oncology patients where they can be mistaken for peritoneal metastases. Surgeons should be meticulous to retrieve all gallstones during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and radiologists should include dropped gallstones in the differential diagnosis of new intra-abdominal lesions in postsurgical patients. Awareness of this phenomenon can prevent unnecessary interventions and patient anxiety.

Abstract For the past 14 years, I have been engaged in various projects and programs serving immigrants and refugees in Colorado. This essay describes how I employ my training in folklore and use cultural conversations and ethnographic interview methods to understand the life stories of immigrants and refugees. As my clients and I collaborate to create a plan for upskilling, we engage in discussions to learn about their everyday struggles of living in multiple worlds. These cultural conversations deepen our rapport, which helps my clients achieve their professional goals and also helps me develop and refine strategies for effective cultural education and advocacy practices.

The reconstruction of Antarctic surface mass balance (SMB) is essential for understanding ice sheet dynamics and sea level rise, yet existing datasets are limited to the satellite era (1979-present) because little is known about the sea surface conditions (SSCs) before 1979. Using a new SSCs product derived from a particle filtering reconstruction of the southern climate before 1979 to constrain the regional atmospheric model MAR, we expand the known SMB time series up to 1958. The dataset has been evaluated against AWS and SMB measurement campaigns to ensure a good agreement throughout the simulation period, substantially better than when MAR is forced by ERA5 SSCs (HadISST2). We also investigate the influence of the sea ice extent drop on SMB observed between the 70s and the 80s, analogous to the one observed in 2016. This extended dataset offers improved insight into past ice sheet mass changes and highlights the importance of long-term SMB reconstructions for further understanding the role of the Antarctic ice sheet in Earth's climate system.

The paper offers preliminary results of the archaeological investigations of the Theodosian Archaeological Expedition of The State Hermitage Museum. The expedition has been exploring the closest suburban area of the ancient city of Theodosia since 2017. The point of particular interest is located 1.5 km to the south of the ancient city’s supposed acropolis. Survey studies using geophysical methods revealed the traces of quite dense building structures on a significantly sized territory. One of these building complexes, named Building A, was found in 1982 and has been explored since 2019 by the Hermitage expedition. Part of a large building currently containing about 150 m2 was unearthed. Finds discovered during the excavations enable us to date Building A to the period from the turn of the fifth to the fourth century BC up to the end of the fourth or the very beginning of the third century BC. Building A was reconstructed at least twice during its lifetime. During the first stage, the structure functioned as a vinery: parts of two pressing platforms and a space for placing pithoi indicate it clearly.

Background and PurposeObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) frequently occurs in Parkinson Disease (PD), probably caused by upper airway dysfunctions or shared pathogenetic mechanisms. OSA may precede PD diagnosis or worsen throughout its course, but its relationship with clinical features and dopaminergic medication remains unclear. This meta‐analysis aimed to provide a reliable estimate of OSA prevalence in the PD population (PD‐OSA) and to clarify its clinical associated factors to help clinicians in understanding the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed up to April 2023 using the PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases. Articles were included if they provided data on PD patients with and without OSA. Pooled prevalence for PD‐OSA was calculated using the proportions of PD participants diagnosed with OSA. Demographic and clinical features associated with PD‐OSA were explored by comparing PD patients with and without OSA.ResultsSeventeen studies were included in the meta‐analysis. Pooled OSA prevalence was 45% of a total sample of 1448 PD patients and was associated with older age, male sex, higher body mass index (BMI), more severe motor disturbances and periodic limb movements, reduced risk of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, intake of dopamine agonists, and worse excessive daytime sleepiness. No relationship emerged with cognitive functioning and neuropsychiatric manifestations.ConclusionsOSA affects nearly half of PD patients as a secondary outcome of predisposing factors such as older age and higher BMI in addition to PD‐related motor impairment. Future studies should focus on determining the impact of both clinical features and dopaminergic medication on the development of PD‐OSA.

Bu araştırma, Doxey kızgınlık indeksi temelinde Mardin yerel halkının turizmin etkilerine yönelik algılarının, yaşam kaliteleri ve turizme yönelik destekleri üzerindeki etkisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmada basit tesadüfi örnekleme yöntemiyle Mardin yerel halkından 410 kişiye ulaşılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde tanımlayıcı istatistik, güvenirlik analizi, açımlayıcı faktör analizi, korelasyon analizi, doğrulayıcı faktör analizi ve yapısal eşitlik yol modelinden faydalanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda, 1) ilgisizlik evresinin yaşam kalitesi üzerinde anlamlı ve pozitif, 2) düşmanlık evresinin ise yaşam kalitesi üzerinde anlamlı ve negatif, 3) coşku evresinin turizme verilen destek üzerinde anlamlı ve pozitif, 4) düşmanlık evresinin turizme verilen destek üzerinde anlamlı ve negatif, ve 5) yaşam kalitesinin turizme verilen destek üzerinde anlamlı ve pozitif bir etkisi olduğu bulunmuştur. Araştırmanın sonuçları doğrultusunda turizm planlama ve karar vericilere Mardin ilinde turizmin sürdürülebilir bir şekilde gelişimini sağlamak, yerel halkın turizmin etkilerine yönelik görüşlerini anlayarak onların yaşam kalitesini iyileştirmek ve turizme verdikleri desteği arttırmak için bir takım çözüm ve önerilerde bulunulmuştur. Araştırmanın zaman ve maliyet tasarruflarından ötürü çoğunlukla Artuklu ve Midyat ilçelerinde gerçekleştirilmesi ve kadın katılımcılara ulaşım zorluğundan ötürü kadın katılımcı sayısının az olması bu araştırmanın en büyük kısıtlılıklarını oluşturmaktadır.

The management of patients with a maxillary tumour is complex, especially reconstruction and rehabilitation. The techniques for closure or obturation of any oro-antral/nasal communication are well described. What is less well described is the effective and timely restoration of facial form and dentition, ideally prior to commencement of radiotherapy. This paper describes the use of the zygomatic implant perforated (ZIP) flap technique to provide immediate reconstruction and rapid dental rehabilitation in three cases of midface/maxillary oncologic ablative defects. Three patients who underwent ZIP flap reconstruction at St. James’s Hospital between September 2022 and March 2023 are described. One of them had a total maxillectomy and two had an extended hemi-maxillectomy. All patients had a ZIP flap including a radial forearm free flap, with four zygomatic implants in one case and two zygomatic implants in each of the other cases. All implants placed had good primary stability and the median time to prosthesis fit was 22 days. All patients underwent adjuvant radiotherapy.