Pulsatile Features of Major Arteries in Rats during Hypotension Caused by Acute Blood Loss.

The study examined the modes of pulsations of the femoral and carotid arteries of rats in situ (n=14) during acute blood loss, which sequentially caused a deep BP drop, cardiac and respiration arrest, and termination of ECG signals. When BP dropped to 19 (13; 26) mm Hg, the mechanosensitivity of passively pulsing arteries determined by the ratio of the swing range of electroimpedance oscillations of arterial segment to pulse pressure increased by 3.2 (2 ; 4) times (p<0.05). During the decrease of BP to the threshold value of 13 (8; 15) mm Hg, the arterial pulsing mode changed from passive to intermediate and then to the active one characterized by constriction of arterial segment in response to systolic elevation of BP. After cardiac arrest and BP drop almost to zero, the arterial pulsing switched to autonomic rhythmical vasomotions with the rate, which was greater than the frequency of still sustained QRS pulses of ECG. The observed phenomena are explained by transarterial hypotensive transition hypothesis, which argues that peculiarities of pulsations and vasomotions of major arteries during deep BP drop are typical of arterioles under normal or diminished BP. The study refined the hypothesis of "peripheral heart" and its role in hypo- and hypertension.

Subacute myocardial infarction detected by technetium-99m-labeled somatostatin analog scintigraphy.

Recently, the applicability of somatostatin receptor-targeted (SSTR-t) radiotracers for post-ischemic myocardial inflammation imaging has been shown using PET. Currently, there are no studies which demonstrate ability of SPECT and technetium-99m SSTR-t radiotracers to detect inflammation, which appears in response to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A case of 51-year-old male with acute anterior myocardial infarction (AMI) with ST elevation has been presented. This patient on 7th day after AMI onset underwent SPECT/CT (by cardiac cadmium-zinc-telluride gamma-camera) with 99mTc-Tectrotide, cardiac MRI with gadolinium and, on 9th day after AMI, myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) at rest. Clear myocardial uptake of 99mTc-Tectrotide, predominantly in apical and intermediate anterior wall of left ventricle was detected. The uptake matched with areas of hypoperfusion (by SPECT) and myocardial injury (by MRI). This case demonstrated the applicability of technetium-99m-labeled SSTR-t radiotracers for post-infarction inflammation imaging. Currently assumed, that SSTR-t radiotracers reflect an increased number of activated macrophages infiltrating infarcted myocardium, which is not possible using any other imaging technique. Thus, potentially, SSTR scintigraphy may be useful for diagnosis and monitoring of myocardial post-infarction inflammation as well as for anti-inflammatory image-guide therapy assessment.

Extended cavity quantum cascade laser with cavity resonator integrated grating filter.

We report on an extended cavity quantum cascade laser based on a cavity resonator integrated grating filter (CRIGF) that acts as both cavity end-reflector and spectral selector. Stable, mode-hop free, single-mode emission around 2150 cm-1 is obtained over large injection current ranges (more than 50 mA) with a typical threshold around 290 mA. A digital frequency tuning over more than 65 cm-1 is obtained by changing the periodicity of the CRIGF ending the extended cavity.

Mid-infrared cavity resonator integrated grating filters.

Cavity Resonator Grating Filters (CRIGFs) working in the Mid-Infrared are reported, with narrow-band resonant reflectivity peaks around 2200 cm-1 (4.6 µm). They are fabricated in the GaAs/AlGaAs material system that can potentially cover the whole [1-12] µm spectral range. TE-polarized peak reflectivity is 30% with a 4 cm-1 full width at half maximum.

Towards an understanding of the genus Glutinoglossum with emphasis on the Glutinoglossum glutinosum species complex (Geoglossaceae, Ascomycota).

Glutinoglossum is one of the earth tongue genera with viscid or glutinous ascocarps. Based on morphology and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, nrLSU and tef1 sequence data, seven new species are described: G. circinatum, G. lumbricale, G. orientale, G. peregrinans, G. proliferatum, G. pseudoglutinosum, and G. triseptatum. The lectotypes for Geoglossum glutinosum var. lubricum and for Geoglossum glabrum var. majus as well as the epitype for Glutinoglossum glutinosum are designated. The comprehensive morphological study of G. heptaseptatum resulted in the discovery of ascospores germinating by conidia inside the asci, which is first noted for Glutinoglossum species. The status of Cibalocoryne is discussed.

[THE LEVEL OF PROTECTION FROM OXIDATIVE STRESS AND THREE-YEAR DYNAMICS OF STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES OF THE MYOCARDIUM IN CHRONIC ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE IN MEN].

Aim - to assess the nature and three-year dynamics of structural and functional changes in the cardiovascular system in relation to the levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in chronic coronary heart disease in men. The study included 246 men aged 48 to 65 years (mean age 58 years (53,0; 63,0)) with stable form of ischemic heart disease - angina FC II-III CHF I-III FC (NYHA), observed during 2012-2015. To assess the level of oxidative stress in all patients by ELISA was determined by lipid peroxide, total antioxidant status (CCA) and levels of non-enzymatic antioxidant bilirubin (BR). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the level of serum BR: the main group - 146 patients with the level of BR< 8.0 µmol/l; the control group-100 patients with the level of BR ≥8.0 µmol/l. Assessment of the structural and functional state of the myocardium included ECG, XM ECG, EchoCG, VEM test. A decrease in the level of protection against oxidative stress (OS) in men with stable CHD in the form of a significant increase in the level of lipid peroxides and a decrease in the OAS index was found. In the study group OxyStat, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were significantly higher (p<0.01)., and ImAnOx - significantly lower than in the control group (p<0.01). A high degree of direct relationship between the level of blood BR and the indicator of AOC is established. Three-year dynamic observation showed a close relationship between the processes of cardiovascular system remodeling and OS components. The high level of OS in men with stable ischemic heart disease is accompanied by adverse changes in the geometry of the left ventricle (eccentric non-dilatated hypertrophy, an increase in the number of segments with hypokinesis), which leads to the progression of chronic heart failure with the risk of ischemic and arrhythmic reactions to physical activity.

2 × 1D crossed strongly modulated gratings for polarization independent tunable narrowband transmission filters.

We design a narrowband polarization independent transmission guided mode resonance filter whose center wavelength is tunable with respect to the angle of incidence. The device is composed of two identical structures assembled back to back. Each half structure is a dielectric multilayer stack in which a grating is engraved. This so-called 2×1D crossed gratings component has already been demonstrated for reflection filtering [Opt. Lett.36, 1662 (2011)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.36.001662; Opt. Lett.39, 6038 (2014)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.39.006038]. The functioning in transmission requires the use of a high index material for the grating bumps. For the design, we resort to a clustering global optimization algorithm, used for the first time to our knowledge for grating structures. We demonstrated two filters with a quality factor of about 4000, tunable over more than 15 nm when the angle of incidence varies over a range of 4°, and with a transmittivity at resonance greater than 95% whatever the incident polarization.

Electromagnetic modeling of large subwavelength-patterned highly resonant structures.

The rigorous modeling of large (hundreds of wavelengths) optical resonant components patterned at a subwavelength scale remains a major issue, especially when long range interactions cannot be neglected. In this Letter, we compare the performances of the discrete dipole approximation approach to that of the Fourier modal, the finite element and the finite difference time domain methods, for simulating the spectral behavior of a cavity resonator integrated grating filter (CRIGF). When the component is invariant along one axis (two-dimensional configuration), the four techniques yield similar results, despite the modeling difficulty of such a structure. We also demonstrate, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the rigorous modeling of a three-dimensional CRIGF.

Fungal Planet description sheets: 400-468.

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from Australia: Vermiculariopsiella eucalypti, Mulderomyces natalis (incl. Mulderomyces gen. nov.), Fusicladium paraamoenum, Neotrimmatostroma paraexcentricum, and Pseudophloeospora eucalyptorum on leaves of Eucalyptus spp., Anungitea grevilleae (on leaves of Grevillea sp.), Pyrenochaeta acaciae (on leaves of Acacia sp.), and Brunneocarpos banksiae (incl. Brunneocarpos gen. nov.) on cones of Banksia attenuata. Novel foliicolous taxa from South Africa include Neosulcatispora strelitziae (on Strelitzia nicolai), Colletotrichum ledebouriae (on Ledebouria floridunda), Cylindrosympodioides brabejum (incl. Cylindrosympodioides gen. nov.) on Brabejum stellatifolium, Sclerostagonospora ericae (on Erica sp.), Setophoma cyperi (on Cyperus sphaerocephala), and Phaeosphaeria breonadiae (on Breonadia microcephala). Novelties described from Robben Island (South Africa) include Wojnowiciella cissampeli and Diaporthe cissampeli (both on Cissampelos capensis), Phaeotheca salicorniae (on Salicornia meyeriana), Paracylindrocarpon aloicola (incl. Paracylindrocarpon gen. nov.) on Aloe sp., and Libertasomyces myopori (incl. Libertasomyces gen. nov.) on Myoporum serratum. Several novelties are recorded from La Réunion (France), namely Phaeosphaeriopsis agapanthi (on Agapanthus sp.), Roussoella solani (on Solanum mauritianum), Vermiculariopsiella acaciae (on Acacia heterophylla), Dothiorella acacicola (on Acacia mearnsii), Chalara clidemiae (on Clidemia hirta), Cytospora tibouchinae (on Tibouchina semidecandra), Diaporthe ocoteae (on Ocotea obtusata), Castanediella eucalypticola, Phaeophleospora eucalypticola and Fusicladium eucalypticola (on Eucalyptus robusta), Lareunionomyces syzygii (incl. Lareunionomyces gen. nov.) and Parawiesneriomyces syzygii (incl. Parawiesneriomyces gen. nov.) on leaves of Syzygium jambos. Novel taxa from the USA include Meristemomyces arctostaphylos (on Arctostaphylos patula), Ochroconis dracaenae (on Dracaena reflexa), Rasamsonia columbiensis (air of a hotel conference room), Paecilomyces tabacinus (on Nicotiana tabacum), Toxicocladosporium hominis (from human broncoalveolar lavage fluid), Nothophoma macrospora (from respiratory secretion of a patient with pneumonia), and Penidiellopsis radicularis (incl. Penidiellopsis gen. nov.) from a human nail. Novel taxa described from Malaysia include Prosopidicola albizziae (on Albizzia falcataria), Proxipyricularia asari (on Asarum sp.), Diaporthe passifloricola (on Passiflora foetida), Paramycoleptodiscus albizziae (incl. Paramycoleptodiscus gen. nov.) on Albizzia falcataria, and Malaysiasca phaii (incl. Malaysiasca gen. nov.) on Phaius reflexipetalus. Two species are newly described from human patients in the Czech Republic, namely Microascus longicollis (from toenails of patient with suspected onychomycosis), and Chrysosporium echinulatum (from sole skin of patient). Furthermore, Alternaria quercicola is described on leaves of Quercus brantii (Iran), Stemphylium beticola on leaves of Beta vulgaris (The Netherlands), Scleroderma capeverdeanum on soil (Cape Verde Islands), Scleroderma dunensis on soil, and Blastobotrys meliponae from bee honey (Brazil), Ganoderma mbrekobenum on angiosperms (Ghana), Geoglossum raitviirii and Entoloma kruticianum on soil (Russia), Priceomyces vitoshaensis on Pterostichus melas (Carabidae) (Bulgaria) is the only one for which the family is listed, Ganoderma ecuadoriense on decaying wood (Ecuador), Thyrostroma cornicola on Cornus officinalis (Korea), Cercophora vinosa on decorticated branch of Salix sp. (France), Coprinus pinetorum, Coprinus littoralis and Xerocomellus poederi on soil (Spain). Two new genera from Colombia include Helminthosporiella and Uwemyces on leaves of Elaeis oleifera. Two species are described from India, namely Russula intervenosa (ectomycorrhizal with Shorea robusta), and Crinipellis odorata (on bark of Mytragyna parviflora). Novelties from Thailand include Cyphellophora gamsii (on leaf litter), Pisolithus aureosericeus and Corynascus citrinus (on soil). Two species are newly described from Citrus in Italy, namely Dendryphiella paravinosa on Citrus sinensis, and Ramularia citricola on Citrus floridana. Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS nrDNA barcodes are provided for all taxa.

[Investigation of the effect of oil and flour from wheat germ meal on lipid metabolism of students and teachers of the university].

The results of investigation of alimentary correction of lipid metabolism under the admin­istration of processed products from wheat germ - oil (with the content of policosanol at least 1.5-8.0 mg/100 g, vitamin E - 180-200 mg/100 g, PUFA - 60-65%) and cake flour (with the content of protein - 30-35%, oil with analogue composition -5-7%, digestible carbohydrates - 45-47%, fiber - 18-26%, vitamins B1, B3, B6, B9, E, PP, minerals and trace elements - Zn, Mn, K, Fe, Se, P) are presented. Volunteers among teachers and students of the university aged 16 to 65 years daily consumed wheat germ oil obtained by cold pressing in an amount of 3.5 g, regardless of the meal within 30 days. Then a part of them (30 persons) consumed daily 50 g of oil cake obtained after pressing oil, which provided the intake of the same amount of oil (3.5 g). Lipid metabolism param­eters were monitored in experiment participants before receiving the processed products of wheat germ, after germ meal intake and beyond 30 and 60 days after consumption of wheat germ. Data analysis was carried out on three age groups: 16-24, 25-44 and 45- 65 years. All participants of the experiment showed a reduction in total cholesterol level by 6-8%, increasing the concentration of HDL cholesterol by 3-24%, lowering LDL cholesterol concentrations by 4-21%, reduction of triglyceride concentration by 12-24%, a positive correction of atherogenic factor values by for 10-25%. Prolonged action of the investigated foods was established: lipid metabolism parameters in the tested group were better than in the control group after 30 days of intake discontinuation of oil or wheat germ flour, the positive adjustment effect disappeared 60 days after consuming the products. The findings demonstrate a positive effect on the normalization of lipid metabolism when cake flour of wheat germ was administered in daily food ration, similar to the effect of oil intake, which is important for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis. Given the significant production of cake flour of wheat germ (up to 90-95% of the raw material) and its not high cost as a secondary biological resource, this product can be recommended to the introduction in the diet of organized groups, including socially vulnerable groups.

Transmission properties of slanted annular aperture arrays. Giant energy deviation over sub-wavelength distance.

This paper is devoted to the study of the transmission properties of Slanted Annular Aperture Arrays made in perfectly conducting metal. More precisely, we consider the transmission based on the excitation of the cutoff-less guided mode, namely the TEM mode. We numerically and analytically demonstrate some intrinsic properties of the structure showing a transmission coefficient of at least 50% of an unpolarized incident beam independently of the illumination configuration (angle and plane of incidence). The central symmetry exhibited by the structure is analytically exploited to demonstrate the existence of a polarization state for which all the incident energy is transmitted through the sub-wavelength apertures when the eigenmode is excited, whatever are the illumination and the geometrical parameters. For this state of polarization, the laminar flow of the energy through the structure can exhibit giant deviation over very small distances. An example of energy flow deviation of 220° per wavelength is presented for illustration. The results presented in this paper could be considered as an important contribution to the understanding of the enhanced transmission phenomenon based on the excitation of guided modes.

Waveguide mode in the box with an extraordinary flat dispersion curve.

The extraordinary flattening of the dispersion curve of the so-called cavity resonator integrated guided-mode resonance filters (CRIGFs) is analyzed and explained as due to the intramode coupling imposed by the external Bragg resonators. CRIGFs are composed of a grating coupler (guided-mode resonance filter, GMRF) put between two distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). They form a cavity box in which the excited guided mode is confined. This confinement provides resonances with small spectral width (smaller than 1 nm for optical wavelengths) and extraordinary wide angular acceptance (several degrees). At a first glance, one may think that similar performances could be obtained while putting the GMRF and the DBR one above the other, forming a so-called "doubly periodic" grating, as in this configuration also the DBR confines the mode. Yet, the angular acceptance of CRIGFs is an order of magnitude greater than in classical gratings, even with complex pattern. The aim of the present paper is to identify the phenomenon responsible for the extraordinary large angular acceptance of CRIGFs. We numerically calculate, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the dispersion curve of the mode excited in the CRIGF. The dispersion curve shows a flat part, where the resonance wavelength is quasi-independent of the angle of incidence, and the flattening grows with the width of the Bragg reflector. We develop an approximate coupled four-wave model, which predicts the extraordinary flattening as a consequence of an additional coupling of the waveguide modes of the GMRF provided by the Bragg grating, that does not exist in the "doubly periodic" gratings.

Design of metallic nanoparticle gratings for filtering properties in the visible spectrum.

Plasmonic resonances in metallic nanoparticles are exploited to create efficient optical filtering functions. A finite element method is used to model metallic nanoparticle gratings. The accuracy of this method is shown by comparing numerical results with measurements on a two-dimensional grating of gold nanocylinders with an elliptic cross section. A parametric analysis is then performed in order to design efficient filters with polarization dependent properties together with high transparency over the visible range. The behavior of nanoparticle gratings is also modeled using the Maxwell-Garnett homogenization theory and analyzed by comparison with the diffraction of a single nanoparticle. The proposed structures are intended to be included in optical systems that could find innovative applications.

[STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF WHEAT GERM CAKE OIL AND FLOUR ON INDICES OF ENERGY EXCHANGE IN STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF HIGH SCHOOL].

There were obtained data which confirm the increase of efficiency of gas exchange processes in students and teachers of the engineering high school in the daily use of at least 3.5 g of wheat germ oil and 50 g of wheat germ cake flour without the correction of the basic ration. The study of the exhaled gas-air mixture showed in all age groups the gain in the concentration of carbon dioxide and the decline of concentration of oxygen by the 0.20-0.30%. There was established the increase of blood oxygenation level in all subjects. There was demonstrated the relationship between the depth of the alteration of these parameters with age, and regular physical activity in studied cases.

Cavitation on deterministically nanostructured surfaces in contact with an aqueous phase: a small-angle neutron scattering study.

The structure of deterministically nanopatterned surfaces created using a combination of electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching was evaluated using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Samples exhibit 2D neutron scattering patterns that confirm the presence of ordered nanoscale cavities consistent with the targeted morphologies as well as with SEM data analysis. Comparison of SANS intensities obtained from samples in air and in contact with an aqueous phase (pure deuterium oxide, D2O, or a contrast matched mixture of D2O + H2O) reveals formation of stable gaseous nanobubbles trapped inside the cavities. The relative volume of nanobubbles depends strongly on the hydrophobicity of the cavity walls. In the case of hydrophobic surfaces, nanobubbles occupy up to 87% of the total cavity volume. The results demonstrate the high degree of sensitivity of SANS measurements for detecting and characterizing nano- and mesoscale bubbles with the volume fraction as low as ∼10(-6).

[Apoptin enhances the oncolytic activity of vaccinia virus].

Chicken anemia virus gene encoding apoptin, a selective killer of cancer cells was synthesized and inserted into vaccinia virus (strain L-IVP) genome. The insertion has replaced major part of the viral C11R gene encoding viral growth factor (VGF), which is important for the virulence. The recombinant virus VVdGF-ApoS24/2 was obtained through the transient dominant selection technique with the use of puromycin resistance gene as the selective marker. The expression apoptin gene from a synthetic early-late promoter of vaccinia virus effectively provides accumulation of the protein in the cells infected with the VVdGF-ApoS24/2 virus. Despite the presence of virus growth factor signal peptide at apoptin N-terminal secretion of the recombinant protein into culture medium did not occur. The recombinant virus VVdGF-ApoS24/2 was found to have a significantly greater selective lyticactivity on human cancer cell lines (A549, A431, U87MG, RD and MCF7) as compared with the parent strain L-IVP and its variant VVdGF2/6 with the deletion of the C11R gene. The results suggest that the use of apoptin represents a promising approach for improving the natural anticancer activities of vaccinia virus.

Evaluation of the clinical value of the newly identified urine biomarker HIST1H4K for diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer in Bulgarian patients.

PURPOSE: Searching for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for prostate cancer (PC) is main public health priority. DNA methylation in body fluids is a stable, easily detectable and promising PC biomarker. The major advantages of urine-based assays are their noninvasive nature and the ability to monitor PC with heterogeneous foci. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of the recently identified candidate PC biomarker HIST1H4K. METHODS: We investigated DNA methylation of HIST1H4K in urine samples from 57 PC patients, 29 controls with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 50 young asymptomatic men (YAM) by MethyLight real-time PCR. RESULTS: The frequency of HIST1H4K promoter hypermethylation significantly discriminated PC patients from YAM (AUC =0.763; 95% CI 0.672-0.839; p<0.0001), but did not show any statistical difference between PC patients and BPH controls (AUC=0.513, 95% CI 0.402-0.622; p=0.8255). HIST1H4K could not outperform the prostatic specific antigen (PSA) in our sample (AUC=0.785; 95% CI 0.679-0.870; p<0.0001). Methylation of HIST1H4K showed significant correlation with aging (r=0.5418; p<0.0001), but with no other clinicopathological characteristics. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the promoter hypermethylation of HIST1H4K is rather due to aging than related to prostate carcinogenesis. To elucidate this observation analysis of larger samples is needed.

Radiomic Phenotype of Periatrial Adipose Tissue in the Prognosis of Late Postablation Recurrence of Idiopathic Atrial Fibrillation.

The aim of the study is to find new predictors of postablation atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence in patients with lone AF using a texture analysis of the periatrial adipose tissue (PAAT) of the left atrium. Materials and Methods: Forty-three patients admitted for lone AF catheter ablation, who had undergone multispiral coronary angiography, were enrolled in the study. PAAT segmentation was performed using 3D Slicer application followed by extraction of 93 radiomic features. At the end of the follow-up period, patients were divided into 2 groups depending on the presence or absence of AF recurrence. Results: 12 months of follow-up after catheter ablation, postablation AF recurrence was reported in 19 out of 43 patients. Of 93 extracted radiomic features of PAAT, statistically significant differences were observed for 3 features of the Gray Level Size Zone matrix. At the same time, only one radiomic feature of PAAT, Size Zone Non Uniformity Normalized, was an independent predictor of postablative recurrence of AF after catheter ablation and 12 months of follow-up (McFadden's R2=0.451, OR - 0.506, 95% CI: 0.331‒0.776, p<0.001). Conclusion: The radiomic analysis of periatrial adipose tissue may be considered as a promising non-invasive method for predicting adverse outcomes of the catheter treatment, which opens the possibilities for planning and correction of patient management tactics after intervention.

Rhythmic oscillations of human penile bioimpedance in healthy individuals and in patients with vascular erectile dysfunction.

Small variations of electric impedance (bioimpedance) of human penis were examined in healthy volunteers and in patients with vascular erectile dysfunction (ED). The harmonic analysis revealed rhythmic oscillations of penile bioimpedance at frequencies corresponding to the heart and respiration rates and Mayer wave (0.1 Hz) and to multiple frequencies (harmonics) of the respiratory and cardiac oscillations. In normal penile bioimpedance spectrum, the Mayer and respiratory peaks were several times higher than the first cardiac (pulsatile) harmonic indicating neurogenic origin of rhythmic bioimpedance variations in the whole penis. The most of healthy individuals (78%) demonstrated the cardiac harmonics at the frequency range of 4-7 Hz that violated the monotone decrement of the pulsatile harmonic series suggesting the resonant character of oscillations of the penile arteries at this "near" frequency range. In contrast to stable 1-4 cardiac harmonics, the amplitudes of the near-range resonant harmonics could vary during few minutes suggesting a causal relation of the corresponding bioimpedance oscillations with the varying vascular tone in penile arteries. The most patients (89%) with vascular ED demonstrated not only the first 1-4 monotonically decrementing harmonics and the near-resonant ones, but also the stable cardiac harmonics at the "far" frequency range of 8-14 Hz that also disturbed the monotonic character of the cardiac harmonic series indicating the sclerotic alterations in regional arteries. In ED patients, insignificant decrease of the initial cardiac harmonics C1-C3 in comparison with the norm was accompanied by pronounced and significant decrease of the respiratory R1 and Mayer M1 peaks. The study showed that the far-frequency bioimpedance resonances at the range of 8-14 Hz and dramatic drop of Mayer and respiratory peaks are the diagnostic signs of vascular ED independent on the accompanying hormonal or neurogenic disorders.

The pre-exponential voltage-exponent as a sensitive test parameter for field emission theories.

For field electron emission (FE), an empirical equation for measured current I m as a function of measured voltage V m has the form I m = CV m k exp[-B/V m], where B is a constant and C and k are constants or vary weakly with V m. Values for k can be extracted (i) from simulations based on some specific FE theory, and in principle (ii) from current-voltage measurements of sufficiently high quality. This paper shows that a comparison of theoretically derived and experimentally derived k-values could provide a sensitive and useful tool for comparing FE theory and experiment, and for choosing between alternative theories. Existing methods of extracting k-values from experimental or simulated current-voltage data are discussed, including a modernized 'least residual' method, and existing knowledge concerning k-values is summarized. Exploratory simulations are reported. Where an analytical result for k is independently known, this value is reliably extracted. More generally, extracted k-values are sensitive to details of the emission theory used, but also depend on assumed emitter shape; these two influences will need to be disentangled by future research, and a range of emitter shapes will need examination. Other procedural conclusions are reported. Some scientific issues that this new tool may eventually be able to help investigate are indicated.