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Increasing nitrogen depositions adversely affect European landscapes, including habitats within the Natura2000 network. Critical loads for nitrogen deposition have been established to quantify the loss of habitat quality. When the nitrogen deposition rises above a habitat-specific critical load, the quality of the focal habitat is expected to be negatively influenced. Here, we investigate how the quality of habitat types is affected beyond the critical load. We calculated response curves for 60 terrestrial habitat types in the Netherlands to the estimated nitrogen deposition (EMEP-data). The curves for habitat types are based on the occurrence of their characteristic plant species in North-Western Europe (plot data from the European Vegetation Archive). The estimated response curves were corrected for soil type, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation. Evaluation was carried out by expert judgement, and by comparison with gradient deposition field studies. For 39 habitats the response to nitrogen deposition was judged to be reliable by five experts, while out of the 41 habitat types for which field studies were available, 25 showed a good agreement. Some of the curves showed a steep decline in quality and some a more gradual decline with increasing nitrogen deposition. We compared the response curves with both the empirical and modelled critical loads. For 41 curves, we found a decline already starting below the critical load.

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Ptychography has emerged as a nondestructive tool to quantitatively study extended samples at a high spatial resolution. In this manuscript, we report on recent developments from our team. We have combined cryo ptychography and fluorescence microscopy to provide simultaneous views of ultrastructure and elemental composition, we have developed multi-GPU parallel computation to speed up ptychographic reconstructions, and we have implemented fly-scan ptychography to allow for faster data acquisition. We conclude with a discussion of future challenges in high-resolution 3D ptychography.

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INTRODUCTION: The authors present their experiences with the treatment of trochanteric fractures (31A1.1-31A3.3) using the Gotfried's percutaneous compression plate (PCCP). The authors evaluate some parameters at other kinds of osteosynthesis in the same indication. MATERIAL: We made 230 osteosynthesis of trochanteric fractures in the period from August 2004 to December 2008. The PCCP was used 179x (72x type 31A1.1-3, 90x type 31A2.1-3, 17x type 31A3.1-3). The other kinds of osteosynthesis were used 51x (DHS 40x, PFN 9x and condylar plate 2x) in the same indication. The mean age, the hospitalization time, the interval admission - operation, wound complications and the lethality within 30 days, 90 days and 1 year were evaluated. Some patients were lost to follow up or died. The bone healing was evaluated at 119 PCCP and 43 other osteosynthesis, which remained in the study. METHOD: The stabilisation is done via two 2-3 cm long incisions. The plate, assembled on a introducer, is inserted through the proximal incision. The special hook for the plate fixation to the bone, two angular stable self-cutting neck screws and three diaphyseal screws are inserted from the distal incision. RESULTS: The first value concerns the PCCP, the value in brackets concerns the other osteosynthesis. Number 179 (51).The mean age 78.9 (76.2) years, the interval admission - operation 0.95 (1.12) days, the hospitalization time 15.3 (16.5) days, the wound hematoma and revision 3 (1), the wound infection and revision 1 (1). Died within 30 days 8.4% (5.9%), within 90 days 13 % (13.7%), within 1 year 33.9% (29.2%). All 119 patients with PCCP (including 15 type AO 31A3) were healed within 8 months. No pseudoarthrosis, collaps or cut-out were noted at the PCCP group. Four failures, caused by an unsuitable indication or by a surgeon error, were noted in the group of the other osteosynthesis. DISCUSSION: The advantage of the PCCP is minimally invasive technique and rotation stability. The authors proved that the PCCP reduces and fixes the fractured lateral wall at high subtrochanteric fractures (31 A3.1-3). The wall is healed and prevents collapse. The authors indicate AO type 31A3 fractures to the PCCP unlike the author of the method. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that the PCCP is a minimally invasive osteosynthesis suitable for all types of trochanteric fractures. All 119 followed up patients including 15 with 31 A3.1-3 fractures were healed.

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The objective of the investigation was to test the presence of foetal fibronectin in the cervicovaginal secretion in symptomatic pregnancies and assess the possible prediction of imminent premature delivery. Prospectively 84 pregnant women were examined who were admitted to hospital with symptoms of imminent premature delivery between the 24th and 34th week of pregnancy (more than 20 contractions per day or a cervical score higher than the critical value for the given week of gestation). The secretion was collected by means of a dacron brush from the posterior labium of the portio vaginalis uteri and examined by a single-use kit FFN (Fetal Fibronectin Membrane Immunoassay, Adeza Co.). From the total of 84 specimens of secretions examined for the presence of foetal fibronectin 32 were positive and 52 negative. Of 32 pregnant women with a positive test 19 women delivered within two weeks, 13 were discharged and the deliveries took place after the 36th week of pregnancy. In the group of 52 women with a negative result of the test 50 women were discharged and the deliveries occurred after the 36th week of gestation; only two women who remained in hospital had premature deliveries within two weeks after collection of the specimen. In no patient discharged from hospital delivery occurred before the end of the 36th week of gestation. The finding of positive foetal fibronectin can be interpreted only as an increased risk of premature delivery (positive predictive value 59.4%). A negative test has a better predictive value. If the test is negative, there is a 96.1% probability that premature delivery will not occur (negative predictive value).

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1. Evaluation of cytological cervico-vaginal smears by the Bethesda system enlisted cytodiagnostics among important laboratory methods which can be used also in risk pregnancies. 2. Vaginal cytology makes it possible to test at the same time the hormonal situation during pregnancy, which reflects the placental function, and to evaluate also the vaginal biocenosis. 3. The authors provided evidence that the large number of superficial cells on the cytological smear (more than 10%) is associated with low oestriol and pregnandiol levels which are warning signs of the approaching termination of pregnancy. 4. By the action of microorganisms on the vaginal epithelium typical morphological changes develop in the cell nucleus and in the cytoplasm. By polychromatic staining also the causal agents of inflammations and infections threatening the mother and foetus are apparent. 5. The authors assume that cytological examination and evaluation according to the Bethesda system should be included in the complex of antenatal examinations also in women without clinical symptoms of premature delivery or without signs of vaginal infection.

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