Research Institute of Geodesy, Topography and Cartography

Islet cell transplantation holds great promise for restoring glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. However, its long-term efficacy remains limited due to poor islet survival, immune rejection, and insufficient vascularization. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as potent biological adjuvants capable of addressing these challenges through a range of molecular mechanisms. MSCs secrete a variety of growth factors, immunoregulatory and pro-angiogenic molecules that enhance viability of islet cells, modulate the immune response, promote neo-angiogenesis and enhance islet engraftment. In addition, MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) have been identified as key mediators, delivering regulatory microRNAs and proteins that replicate many of the beneficial effects of MSCs in a cell-free format. MSC-Exos act as small RNA carriers and immunomodulators, promoting islet survival and functional integration. Understanding the molecular interplay between MSCs, their exosomes, and the islet microenvironment provides crucial insights for the development of advanced co-transplantation strategies. Accordingly, in this review article, we summarized current knowledge about molecular mechanisms that are responsible for MSC-dependent improvement of islet cell transplantation and we highlighted the translational potential of MSC and MSC-Exos-based approaches in improving islet graft outcomes for type 1 diabetes.

We estimated the true Length of Day (LOD) from DORIS observations. The DORIS RINEX data has been processed by the DORIS development version of the Bernese GPS Software 5.2. We performed single satellite and multisatellite (Sentinel-6A, Sentinel-3A, Sentinel-3B, Jason-3, HY-2C, HY-2D, SARAL, and Cryosat-2), and pre-eliminated solutions. The DORIS data has been processed separately for each satellite on the basis of daily arcs. The troposphere, frequency offset, and orbit parameters were pre-eliminated from the normal equation systems and the finalized matrices were combined on a weekly basis. Hence, individual satellite solutions as well as multi-satellite combined solutions were created. From this solution, we calculated the transformation parameters w.r.t. ITRF 2020 (more precisely w.r.t. the DORIS extension DPOD 2020,) and after applying the 7-parameter Helmert transformation we calculated the RMS w.r.t. DPOD 2020.We performed solutions with different settings, in particular with different handling of cross-track once-per-revolution harmonic parameters (adjusted with different constraints or not adjusted), since the amplitude of the sine term correlates with LOD. For a comparison of our results, we used the IERS 20 C04 model as a reference.

IntroductionThe prenatal period poses a risk of both onset and relapse of mental health difficulties. Anxiety and depressive symptoms are the most common, with a prevalence of 10-20%. Untreated mental health difficulties can have serious consequences for the child’s development, the quality of the mother-child relationship, and the whole family system. Peer support can be an effective form of care for women at risk.ObjectivesThe aim of the study is to examine the effectivness of remote “Mom Supports Mom” peer support intervention in reducing prenatal anxiety, depression and psychosocial stress levels.MethodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted. The Edinburg Postnatal Depression scale (EPDS) was used to assess the risk of mental health difficulties in pregnant women. Women with EPDS score ≥ 10 were randomized 1:1 to control and intervention groups. The intervention group received the “Mom Supports Mom” peer support intervention. The control group received care as usual. Between group-differences in anxiety, depression and psychosocial stress levels were measured one month after the enrollment/the start of the intervention. The Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS), the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the Prenatal Psychosocial Profile (PPP) were used to assess the mental health difficulties.ResultsThe study involved a total of 67 participants in the intervention group, and 77 participants in the control group. Levels of anxiety (U = 2016, P < 0.05) and psychosocial stress (U = 1862, P = 0.001) were significantly decreased in the intervention group, showing a medium effect size of the intervention (Cliff’s delta= -0.218 and -0.317, respectively). There was no significant difference in depression levels (U = 2288.5, P = 0.243; Cliff’s delta = -0.113); see Table 1.Table 1Between group differences in study outcomes (n=144)Measuring instrumentsIntervention group (n=67) Median (IQR)Intervention group 95% Confidence IntervalControl group (n=77) Median (IQR)Control group 95% Confidence IntervalU value / t valuep-valueEPDS (pre)13 (4)12.513.913 (4)12.814.22429.50.545PASS (pre)36 (17)32.038.036 (15)34.039.50.8460.399PPP (pre)18 (4)17.820.317 (6)16.918.82282.50.233EPDS (dif)-6 (6)-6.7-4.1-5 (6)-5.4-3.02288.50.243PASS (dif)-7 (11)-12.3-6.8-5 (13)-7.3-2.420160.024PPP (dif)-2 (4)-4.0-1.60 (4)-1.20.518620.001EPDS = Edinburg Postnatal Depression ScalePASS = Perinatal Anxiety Screening ScalePPP = Prenatal Psychosocial Profilepre = administered at baselinedif = administered post-interventionIQR = interquartile rangeConclusionsThe remote “Mom Supports Mom” peer support intervention can be effective in reducing anxiety and psychosocial stress levels in at-risk pregnant women. Nevertheless, it didn’t show effectivness in reducing depression levels.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Abstract Providing evidence for possible oil-type occurrences on Mars means providing an indication for the past life on Mars. We do this via analysis of the combed (aligned) gravity strike angles, one of the gravity (gravitational) aspects (descriptors) derived from one of the recent gravitational field models of Mars, currently having the highest accessible precision and resolution. After intensive testing for features on the Earth and the Moon, the gravity aspects are applied for Mars. We detect candidates for the groundwater/hydrocarbon/mud/petroleum-bearing sites in the largest areas with as many as possible combed gravity strike angles, uniformly ordered into ‘plates’. They appear mainly but not only in the hypothetical northern Martian palaeo-ocean (the northern lowlands). It turns out that the combed strike angles are sensitive not only to uniformly ordered sediments of the basins, but also to supposed lahars.

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Laplace operator has a relatively simple structure in terms of spherical or ellipsoidal coordinates which are frequently used in geodesy. However, in treating the geodetic boundary value problem the physical surface of the Earth substantially differs from a sphere or an oblate ellipsoid of revolution, even if optimally approximated. Therefore, an alternative between the boundary complexity and the complexity of the coefficients of the Laplace partial differential equation governing the solution is discussed. The situation is more convenient in a system of general curvilinear coordinates such that the physical surface of the Earth (smoothed to a certain degree) is imbedded in the family of coordinate surfaces. The idea is close to concepts followed also in other branches of engineering and mathematical physics. A transformation of coordinates is applied. Subsequently, tensor calculus is used to express the Laplace operator in the system of new coordinates. The structure of the Laplacian is more complicated now, but in a sense it represents the topography of the physical surface of the Earth. Finally, the Green&amp;amp;#8217;s function method together with the method of successive approximations is used for the solution of the geodetic boundary value problem expressed in terms of the new coordinates. The structure of iteration steps is analyzed and where useful and possible, modified by means of integration by parts. The iteration steps and their convergence are discussed and interpreted, numerically and in terms of functional analyses.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;#160;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

The relative monitoring gravimeter gPhoneX #108 was installed in the building of Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava in the beginning of 2016. Main purpose of the paper is to analyze how external environmental phenomena generating non-gravitational signal, such as strong human activity, ambient noise and tilting of observing site due to solar radiation, can influence the quality of relative gravity measurements and their suitability for geodynamic applications. For this purpose, we accomplished spectral analysis of gravity data with different sampling rate, examination of instrumental drift, and tidal analysis of hourly gravity records. Our study showed that the gPhoneX #108 gravity measurements are adversely affected by the tilting of the building, where the gravimeter is located. This effect produces a significant non gravitational signal with characteristic daily and seasonal variation depending on the weather conditions. The instability of the observing site also generates a strong non-gravitational signal and corrupts the estimation of tidal parameters mainly in a diurnal tidal band. The investigation of the instrumental drift proved its irregular character due to the changes of temperature in the operating room. Another limitation factor for detection of small gravity changes is the level of ambient noise with the average daily amplitude of about 100 nm s−2. Obtained experimental results can be useful for planning and performing the relative gravity measurements in a noisy environment, or in the case of an instable observing site. The most significant non-gravitational signal with variable daily and seasonal influence was caused by the instability of the observing site. In order to minimize this influence we recommend regular calibration of the built-in tiltmeters.

We are discussing changepoint detection in tropospheric parameter time series that occurs in a numerical weather reanalysis model. Our approach applies a statistical method that is based on the maximum value of two sample t-statistics. We use critical values calculated by applying an asymptotic distribution. We also apply an asymptotic distribution to finding approximate critical values for the changepoint position. Experiments on "test" and "real" data illustrate the assumed accuracy and efficiency of our method. The method is assessed by its application to our series after adding synthetic shifts. A total of more than 3,000 original profiles are then analysed within the time-span of the years 1990-2015. The analysis shows that at least one changepoint is present in more than 9% of the studied original time series. The uncertainty of estimated times achieved tens of days for shifts larger than 9 mm, but it was increased up to hundreds of days in the case of smaller synthetic shifts. Discussed statistical method has potential for suspected change point detection in time series with higher time resolution.

Při oceňování lesních majetků se tak jako při oceňování jiných majetků určuje cena zjištěná, obvyklá cena a tržní hodnota v závislosti na účelu ocenění. Les jako majetek je však považován za majetek se specifickými sociálními, ekologickými a ekonomickými atributy. Článek analyzuje praktické poznatky z aplikace ceny zjištěné, obvyklé ceny a tržní hodnoty. Pozornost je věnována nákladovému, porovnávacího a výnosového přístupu s ohledem na specifika lesních majetků. Příspěvek byl prezentován na konferenci ExFoS 2019.