Structure of the Group of Balanced Labelings on Graphs, its Subgroups and Quotient Groups

We discuss functions from edges and vertices of an undirected graph to an Abelian group. Such functions, when the sum of their values along any cycle is zero, are called balanced labelings. The set of balanced labelings forms an Abelian group. We study the structure of this group and the structure of two closely related to it groups: the subgroup of balanced labelings which consists of functions vanishing on vertices and the corresponding factor-group. This work is completely self-contained, except the algorithm for obtaining the 3-edge-connected components of an undirected graph, for which we make appropriate references to the literature.Comment: 22 page

Activity detection in conversational sign language video for mobile telecommunication

The goal of the MobileASL project is to increase accessibility by making the mobile telecommunications network available to the signing Deaf community. Video cell phones enable Deaf users to communicate in their native language, American Sign Language (ASL). However, encoding and transmission of real-time video over cell phones is a powerintensive task that can quickly drain the battery. By recognizing activity in the conversational video, we can drop the frame rate during less important segments without significantly harming intelligibility, thus reducing the computational burden. This recognition must take place from video in real-time on a cell phone processor, on users that wear no special clothing. In this work, we quantify the power savings from droppin

Temperature dependence of the probability of "small heating" and total losses of ucns on the surface of fomblin oils of different molecular mass

We measured the temperature dependence of the probability of small heating and total losses of UCNs on the PFPE Fomblin Y surface with various molecular masses Mw=2800, 3300, 6500 amu in the temperature range of 100-300 K. The probability of small heating sharply decreases with increasing Mw and decreasing temperature. The probability of total loss weakly decreases with decreasing temperature and takes the minimum value at Mw=3300 amu. As this oil provides a homogeneous surface with minimal probabilities of small heating and total losses of UCNs, it is the preferred candidate for experiments on measuring the neutron lifetime

Effects of low frequency ultrasound on some properties of fibrinogen and its plasminolysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pharmacological thrombolysis with streptokinase, urokinase or tissue activator of plasminogen (t-PA), and mechanical interventions are frequently used in the treatment of both arterial and venous thrombotic diseases. It has been previously reported that application of ultrasound as an adjunct to thrombolytic therapy offers unique potential to improve effectiveness. However, little is known about effects of the ultrasound on proteins of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. Here, we investigated the effects of the ultrasound on fibrinogen on processes of coagulation and fibrinogenolysis in an <it>in vitro </it>system.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our study demonstrated that low frequency high intensity pulse ultrasound (25.1 kHz, 48.4 W/cm2, duty 50%) induced denaturation of plasminogen and t-PA and fibrinogen aggregates formation <it>in vitro</it>. The aggregates were characterized by the loss of clotting ability and a greater rate of plasminolysis than native fibrinogen. We investigated the effect of the ultrasound on individual proteins. In case of plasminogen and t-PA, ultrasound led to a decrease of the fibrinogenolysis rate, while it increased the fibrinogenolysis rate in case of fibrinogen. It has been shown that upon ultrasound treatment of mixture fibrinogen or fibrin with plasminogen, t-PA, or both, the rate of proteolytic digestion of fibrin(ogen) increases too. It has been shown that summary effect on the fibrin(ogen) proteolytic degradation under the conditions for combined ultrasound treatment is determined exclusively by effect on fibrin(ogen).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The data presented here suggest that among proteins of fibrinolytic systems, the fibrinogen is one of the most sensitive proteins to the action of ultrasound. It has been shown <it>in vitro </it>that ultrasound induced fibrinogen aggregates formation, characterized by the loss of clotting ability and a greater rate of plasminolysis than native fibrinogen in different model systems and under different mode of ultrasound treatment. Under ultrasound treatment of plasminogen and/or t-PA in the presence of fibrin(ogen) the stabilizing effect fibrin(ogen) on given proteins was shown. On the other hand, an increase in the rate of fibrin(ogen) lysis was observed due to both the change in the substrate structure and promoting of the protein-protein complexes formation.</p

RESULTS OF INTRAMYOCARDIAL ADMINISTRATION OF A MONONUCLEAR FRACTION OF AUTOLOGOUS BONE MARROW CELLS IN CHD PATIENTS WITH CONCOMITANT CARDIAINSUFFICIENCY

Aim. Evaluation of long-term results of drug therapy and intramyocardial administration of a mononuclear fraction of bone marrow cells in CHD patients with chronic cardiac insufficiency. Materials and methods. 109 patients were randomized into two groups by using an envelope method. Intramyocardial administration of a mononuclear fraction of autologous bone marrow cells and cardiac insufficiency therapy were performed for the 1st group (n = 55), while the 2nd group (n = 54) received drug therapy only. All patients underwent clinical examination at admission and at 6 and 12 months after the onset of the study. Results. In the 1st group the angina functional class was reliably lowered (from 3.3 ± 0.2 at the onset of the study down to 2.5 ± 0.1 after 12 months). The distance covered during a 6-minute walk test increased from the initial 185 ± 39 meters up to 359 ± 69 me- ters by the end of the 12th month. The angina class decreased from 3.1 ± 0.4 at the onset of the study down to 1.6 ± 0.4 by the end of the 12th month. Minnesota Life Quality Index reduced from 65.3 ± 21 points down to 22.4 ± 6 points in the first group, while in the control one it decreased down to 59.9 ± 16 points. On the contrary, cardiac insufficiency in patients of the second group tended to continually progress: from NYHA FC 3.5 ± 0.1 at the beginning of the study up to 3.9 ± 0.1 in the course of 12-month observation. The angina class remained the same (3.5 ± 0.5 at the beginning and 3.5 ± 0.4 after 12 months respectively). Conclusion. Intramyocardial implantation of a mononuclear fraction of autologous bone marrow cells is a safe method that contributes to the improvement of the left ventricular function, clinical data and prognosis

КЛИНИКО-МОРФОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ АНАЛИЗ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ МОНОНУКЛЕАРНОЙ ФРАКЦИИ АУТОЛОГИЧНЫХ КЛЕТОК КОСТНОГО МОЗГА ПРИ ЭНДОМИОКАРДИАЛЬНОЙ ИМПЛАНТАЦИИ У БОЛЬНОГО С ВЫРАЖЕННОЙ ИШЕМИЧЕСКОЙ ДИСФУНКЦИЕЙ МИОКАРДА ЛЕВОГО ЖЕЛУДОЧКА

Aim. The purpose of this study is to conduct clinic-morphological analysis following intramyocardial administration of a mononuclear fraction of bone marrow stem cells in a CHF patient suffering from ischemic heart disease. In October 2007 the patient underwent surgery, with a mononuclear fraction of bone marrow stem cells implanted with the use of a NOGA system. The patient was then put on a waiting list for heart transplantation. After 2-year follow-up amelioration was observed, LVEF increased from 22 to 27%, LF end systolic volume dropped from 265 ml to 250 ml. All these positive developments indicated the stabilization of hemodynamic indicators and enabled to wait for orthotopic heart transplantation which was performed in December 2009. Цель. Представить результаты клинико-морфологического исследования после интрамиокардиального введения мононуклеарной фракции клеток костного мозга, выполненного пациенту с хронической сердечной недостаточностью при ишемической болезни сердца. В октябре 2007 года больному проводилась операция интрамиокардиальной имплантации мононуклеарной фракции клеток костного мозга с использованием системы NOGA. С этого же времени пациент был включен в лист ожидания трансплантации сердца. Отмеченное у больного по истечении двухлетнего срока наблюдения улучшение самочувствия, увеличение фракции выброса левого желудочка с 22 до 27%, снижение конечно-систолического объема левого желудочка с 265 мл до 250 мл указывало на стабилизацию гемодинамических показателей и позволило дождаться ортотопической пересадки сердца, которая была выполнена в декабре 2009 года.

ПОЛУЧЕНИЕ КОМПЛЕКСНЫХ ПРЕПАРАТОВ НА ОСНОВЕ ЛИПОСОМАЛЬНОЙ ФОРМЫ СТРЕПТОКИНАЗЫ И ИХ ФАРМАКОКИНЕТИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ

It was obtained that liposomal streptokinase (SK) with a hydrodynamic diameter of ~70 nm and a zeta-potential of –6.2 mV contains 14.1 % wt of drug. The complex formulations based on liposomal SK include “associated” and “free” SK in the ratios of 20/80, 40/60 and 50/50. The in vivo experiments on rats showed an increase in the elimination half-time from 1.8 to 31.9 min and in the time to reach the maximum concentration of streptokinase from 15 to 45 min. The decrease in the elimination rate constant by a factor of 18 compared with SK was also found. The optimal ratio of “associated” and “free” SK in the complex formulation was 40 and 60 % respectively. It was used to obtain liposomal fibrin-specific form of thrombolytic with similar physico-chemical and pharmacokinetic parameters. Получена липосомальная форма стрептокиназы (СК) с гидродинамическим диаметром ~70 нм, дзета-потенциалом –6,2 мВ и степенью включения вещества 14,1 %, на основе которой приготовлены комплексные препараты, содержащие «связанную» и «свободную» СК в соотношениях 20/80, 40/60 и 50/50. Для них в эксперименте in vivo на крысах показано увеличение периода полувыведения от 1,8 до 31,9 мин и времени достижения максимальной концентрации стрептокиназы от 15 до 45 мин, а также уменьшение константы элиминации в ~18 раз по сравнению с нативной СК. Оптимальное соотношение «связанной» и «свободной» СК в комплексном препарате составило 40 и 60 % соответственно, что было использовано для получения липосомальной фибрин-специфичной формы тромболитика, который обладает практически такими же физико-химическими и фармакокинетическими параметрами.

РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ИНТРАМИОКАРДИАЛЬНОГО ВВЕДЕНИЯ МОНОНУКЛЕАРНОЙ ФРАКЦИИ АУТОЛОГИЧНЫХ КЛЕТОК КОСТНОГО МОЗГА ПАЦИЕНТАМ С ИШЕМИЧЕСКОЙ БОЛЕЗНЬЮ СЕРДЦА, ОСЛОЖНЕННОЙ СЕРДЕЧНОЙ НЕДОСТАТОЧНОСТЬЮ

Aim. Evaluation of long-term results of drug therapy and intramyocardial administration of a mononuclear fraction of bone marrow cells in CHD patients with chronic cardiac insufficiency. Materials and methods. 109 patients were randomized into two groups by using an envelope method. Intramyocardial administration of a mononuclear fraction of autologous bone marrow cells and cardiac insufficiency therapy were performed for the 1st group (n = 55), while the 2nd group (n = 54) received drug therapy only. All patients underwent clinical examination at admission and at 6 and 12 months after the onset of the study. Results. In the 1st group the angina functional class was reliably lowered (from 3.3 ± 0.2 at the onset of the study down to 2.5 ± 0.1 after 12 months). The distance covered during a 6-minute walk test increased from the initial 185 ± 39 meters up to 359 ± 69 me- ters by the end of the 12th month. The angina class decreased from 3.1 ± 0.4 at the onset of the study down to 1.6 ± 0.4 by the end of the 12th month. Minnesota Life Quality Index reduced from 65.3 ± 21 points down to 22.4 ± 6 points in the first group, while in the control one it decreased down to 59.9 ± 16 points. On the contrary, cardiac insufficiency in patients of the second group tended to continually progress: from NYHA FC 3.5 ± 0.1 at the beginning of the study up to 3.9 ± 0.1 in the course of 12-month observation. The angina class remained the same (3.5 ± 0.5 at the beginning and 3.5 ± 0.4 after 12 months respectively). Conclusion. Intramyocardial implantation of a mononuclear fraction of autologous bone marrow cells is a safe method that contributes to the improvement of the left ventricular function, clinical data and prognosis. Цель. Оценка долгосрочных результатов медикаментозной терапии и интрамиокардиального введения мононуклеарной фракции клеток костного мозга пациентам с хронической сердечной недостаточнос- тью при ишемической болезни сердца. Материалы и методы. 109 пациентов были рандомизированы методом конвертов на две группы: первой группе (n = 55) выполнялось интрамиокардиальное введе- ние мононуклеарной фракции аутологичных клеток костного мозга и проводилась терапия сердеч- ной недостаточности, вторая группа (n = 54) получала только медикаментозную терапию. Пациен- ты проходили клиническое обследование при поступлении в стационар, через 6 и 12 месяцев после начала исследования. Результаты. В первой группе функциональный класс стенокардии достоверно снизился (с 3,3 ± 0,2 в начале исследования до 2,5 ± 0,1, через 12 месяцев). Расстояние, пройденное во время 6-минутного теста ходьбы, возросло с исходных 185 ± 39 до 359 ± 69 метров во время 12-ме- сячного контроля. Класс стенокардии снизился с 3,1 ± 0,4 в начале исследования до 1,6 ± 0,4 во время 12-месячного контроля. Миннесотский индекс качества жизни снизился в первой группе с 65,3 ± 21 до 22,4 ± 6 пунктов, а в контрольной группе – до 59,9 ± 16. Напротив, сердечная недостаточность у пациентов второй группы неуклонно прогрессировала: с 3,5 ± 0,1 функционального класса по NYHA в начале исследования до 3,9 ± 0,1 во время 12-месячного контроля. Класс стенокардии не изменился (3,5 ± 0,5 в начале исследования, и 3,5 ± 0,4 через 12 месяцев соответственно). Заключение. Интра- миокардиальная имплантация мононуклеарной фракции аутологичных клеток костного мозга являет- ся безопасным методом и приводит к улучшению функции левого желудочка, клинических данных и прогноза заболевания.