Performance comparison between selected chess engines

Selected chess engines were compared to each other in terms of performance, using Lucas Chess. The list of engines was cut into three categories, depending on strength in ELO points. The point of this study is to find the strongest and the lightest engines in each category. Then, each category was tested using three different starting positions. White, black and overall wins were highlighted. At the same time, data of CPU and RAM usage of each engine was collected. A script was developed to print CPU and RAM usage of a specific process. Maximum and average percent of used CPU thread and RAM were highlighted. Chess engines with most amount of wins were, from weakest to strongest: Bikjump, Rybka and Stockfish. Least amount of system resources was consumed by: Cinnamon, Demolito and Critter

Successful endovascular treatment of intralobar pulmonary sequestration : an effective alternative to surgery

Introduction: Pulmonary sequestration is a rare congenital malformation characterised by the presence of non-functional and dysplastic pulmonary tissue that lacks communication with the tracheobronchial tree and has an aberrant non-pulmonary blood supply. Depending on its location, presence of the pleura covering, and venous drainage, 2 forms of pulmonary sequestration have been described: intra- and extralobar. Traditionally, surgical resection was performed; however, a growing number of cases have been treated with endovascular intervention. Case report: A 38-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital with severe haemoptysis for several hours. Examination at admission revealed tachycardia and tachypnoea. Computed tomography-examination disclosed the presence of an area of consolidation in the left lower lobe with a tortuous feeding artery arising from the descending aorta. Visible ground glass opacification indicated diffuse alveolar haemorrhage. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of intralobar sequestration of the left lung was made. The patient was consulted by a cardiothoracic surgeon and an interventional radiologist and qualified for endovascular treatment. In local anaesthesia femoral access was obtained and selective angiography of the common trunk of both bronchial arteries was performed. It depicted a dilated left bronchial artery supplying the sequestration and visible contrast extravasation. Embolisation of the vessel was performed with Glubran (n-butyl-cyanoacrylate). Control contrast injection showed complete elimination of the sequestration’s blood supply with no residual capillary blush. Clinical improvement was observed. No complications were encountered, and the patient was discharged 7 days after the procedure. Conclusions: Arterial embolisation is a promising alternative to surgery in the treatment of symptomatic pulmonary sequestration

Acute renal artery stenting recovered renal function after spontaneous rupture of renal artery aneurysm : case report

Purpose: Renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) are a rare vascular pathology with an estimated prevalence of 0.1% to 2.5%. Rupture of RAA is an extremely unusual cause of acute flank pain and haemodynamic instability with acute kidney failure and high mortality rate (20%). Case report: A 37-year-old male with no relevant history presented to the Emergency Room with acute right flank pain. Initial examination revealed BP 90/60 mm Hg and tachycardia. Initial blood testing was unremarkable, with a haemoglobin level of 9.4 g/dl. Urinalysis revealed moderate blood. Ultrasound (US) examination depicted aneurysm of the right renal artery 6 x 6 cm, with signs of blood extravasation visible in colour and power Doppler. The patient was referred for urgent computed tomography angiography, which revealed active bleeding from the ruptured aneurysm with haematoma spreading into the right retroperitoneum. He was subjected to emergency endovascular treatment. The patient was treated by successful implantation of a Viabahn stent (GORE, Daleware, USA). Selective nephrography revealed lack of flow through one of the segmental arteries resulting from vasospasm due to the placement of the guiding wire necessary for safe stent implantation. Conclusions: The authors present a rare case of spontaneous RAA rupture in a young male successfully treated with endovascular methods. Stent implantation required selective catheterisation of segmental arteries of the kidney, which resulted in the loss of one of them. However, control Doppler US disclosed no ischaemia and successful exclusion of the aneurysm

Isolation and Characterization of Pseudomonas spp. Strains That Efficiently Decompose Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

Due to their particular properties, detergents are widely used in household cleaning products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and in agriculture as adjuvants tailoring the features of pesticides or other crop protection agents. The continuously growing use of these various products means that water soluble detergents have become one of the most problematic groups of pollutants for the aquatic and terrestrial environments. Thus it is important to identify bacteria having the ability to survive in the presence of large quantities of detergent and efficiently decompose it to non-surface active compounds. In this study, we used peaty soil sampled from a surface flow constructed wetland in a wastewater treatment plant to isolate bacteria that degrade sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). We identified and initially characterized 36 Pseudomonas spp. strains that varied significantly in their ability to use SDS as their sole carbon source. Five isolates having the closest taxonomic relationship to the Pseudomonas jessenii subgroup appeared to be the most efficient SDS degraders, decomposing from 80 to 100% of the SDS present in an initial concentration 1 g/L in less than 24 h. These isolates exhibited significant differences in degree of SDS degradation, their resistance to high detergent concentration (ranging from 2.5 g/L up to 10 g/L or higher), and in chemotaxis toward SDS on a plate test. Mass spectrometry revealed several SDS degradation products, 1-dodecanol being dominant; however, traces of dodecanal, 2-dodecanol, and 3-dodecanol were also observed, but no dodecanoic acid. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis zymography revealed that all of the selected isolates possessed alkylsulfatase-like activity. Three isolates, AP3_10, AP3_20, and AP3_22, showed a single band on native PAGE zymography, that could be the result of alkylsulfatase activity, whereas for isolates AP3_16 and AP3_19 two bands were observed. Moreover, the AP3_22 strain exhibited a band in presence of both glucose and SDS, whereas in other isolates, the band was visible solely in presence of detergent in the culture medium. This suggests that these microorganisms isolated from peaty soil exhibit exceptional capabilities to survive in, and break down SDS, and they should be considered as a valuable source of biotechnological tools for future bioremediation and industrial applications

Effectiveness and safety of ICA stenting in conjunction with mechanical thrombectomy (antegrade approach) in acute ischaemic stroke patients due to tandem occlusion

Aim of study. We investigated the effectiveness and safety of an antegrade approach consisting of emergency ICA stenting in conjunction with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in a one-stage procedure as a treatment for Tandem Occlusion (TO).Clinical rationale for study. We here describe our experience in the treatment of TO with an antegrade approach with long-term results. We also discuss the advantages and drawbacks of this treatment modality with special attention to possible haemorrhagic complications that can be encountered in patients with ischaemic stroke who receive antiplatelet treatment. We believe that our study adds to the limited number of reports on this topic.Materials and methods. We selected 34 patients diagnosed with acute ischaemic stroke due to ICA and ipsilateral intracranial occlusion treated with ICA stenting in conjunction with MT. We analysed the short- and long-term results as well as investigating complications with special regard to haemorrhagic transformationassociated with the need for antiplatelet treatment after stent implantation in patients after acute ischaemic stroke treatment.Results. A favourable angiographic outcome was defined as mTICI 2b–3. This was achieved in 33/34 patients (97%). On average, NIHSS at 24 hours after the procedure was 8.5 ± 7, which indicates a significant clinical improvement. Four cases of symptomatic ICH were observed (11.8%). One re-occlusion in stent was noted. At three-month follow-up, mRS scores were 0 in 11 (34.3%), 1 in 5 (16%), 2 in 1 (3%), 3 in 3 (9.3%), 4 in 3 (9.3%), and 5 in 2 (6%) patients. Seven patients did not survive (22%). Overall, a favourable outcome (mRS 0–2) was achieved in 17/34 patients (50%). The final mortality rate was 26.5% (9/34 patients).Conclusions and clinical implications. We conclude that an antegrade approach is a feasible and effective method for treating acute TO stroke, giving the patient the chance to regain his or her full independence in everyday life, with low overall complication and final mortality rates

Mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke – Five years of experience in Poland

Objectives Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is not reimbursed by the Polish public health system. We present a description of 5 years of experience with MT in acute stroke in Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSCs) in Poland. Methods and results We retrospectively analyzed the results of a structured questionnaire from 23 out of 25 identified CSCs and 22 data sets that include 61 clinical, radiological and outcome measures. Results Most of the CSCs (74%) were founded at University Hospitals and most (65.2%) work round the clock. In 78.3% of them, the working teams are composed of neurologists and neuro-radiologists. All CSCs perform CT and angio-CT before MT. In total 586 patients were subjected to MT and data from 531 of them were analyzed. Mean time laps from stroke onset to groin puncture was 250±99min. 90.3% of the studied patients had MT within 6h from stroke onset; 59.3% of them were treated with IV rt-PA prior to MT; 15.1% had IA rt-PA during MT and 4.7% – emergent stenting of a large vessel. M1 of MCA was occluded in 47.8% of cases. The Solitaire device was used in 53% of cases. Successful recanalization (TICI2b–TICI3) was achieved in 64.6% of cases and 53.4% of patients did not experience hemorrhagic transformation. Clinical improvement on discharge was noticed in 53.7% of cases, futile recanalization – in 30.7%, mRS of 0–2 – in 31.4% and mRS of 6 in 22% of cases. Conclusion Our results can help harmonize standards for MT in Poland according to international guidelines

Endovascular treatment of renal arteriovenous fistula with n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA)

BACKGROUND: Renal arteriovenous malformation (RAVM) is a rare disease. The causes of pathological connections between renal arteries may be congenital or iatrogenic – mainly as a consequence of a biopsy or due to renal carcinomas and postinflammatory changes. Computed tomography, ultrasound Doppler and angiography are the main diagnostic tools used for the detection of RAVMs. CASE REPORT: The aim of this study is to present a case of endovascular treatment of RAVM with a mixture of NBCA and lipiodol. A 29-year-old woman was suffering from drug-resistant hypertension secondary to RAVM. The malformation was embolized using NBCA mixed with lipiodol. The postoperative course was uneventful. A follow-up angio-CT, performed 3 months and one year after the procedure, showed a complete occlusion of the RAVM. CONCLUSIONS: NBCA can be used alone to embolize RAVMs. Procedures involving a combination of NBCA and lipiodol are difficult and should be performed by experienced specialists

Immunization coverage level regarding the seasonal influenza and attitude to vaccination among medical students in Poland

Wstęp. Każdego roku miliony Polaków zmagają się z grypą, zachorowaniami grypopodobnymi oraz ich powikłaniami. Powszechnie zalecane szczepionki o udowodnionej skuteczności nie cieszą się jednak dużą popularnością wśród społeczeństwa. W niniejszym badaniu podjęto próbę zebrania informacji od studentów kierunku lekarskiego z polskich uczelni na temat ich stosunku do szczepień przeciwko grypie oraz chęci zastosowania na sobie tego typu profilaktyki. Materiał i metody. Badanie przeprowadzono z udziałem 434 studentów kierunku lekarskiego z całej Polski. Głównym celem ankiety było zebranie informacji na temat opinii studentów wobec szczepień przeciwko grypie. Sondaż składał się z pytań zamkniętych, został przeprowadzony w marcu 2018 roku. Wyniki. Średni poziom wyszczepienia wśród studentów wynosi 18,9%. Objawy grypy lub choroby grypopodobnej częściej stwierdzono u osób, które nie poddały się szczepieniu. Choroba wystąpiła u 37% respondentów, którzy się zaszczepili. 43% ankietowanych, którzy nie poddali się szczepieniu, zachorowało. Wnioski. W świetle powyższych wyników można stwierdzić, że szczepionki przeciwko grypie są skuteczne. Studenci kierunku lekarskiego szczepią się rzadziej niż lekarze i inni przedstawiciele zawodów medycznych

On thinning ice: effects of atmospheric warming, changes in wind speed and rainfall on ice conditions in temperate lakes (Northern Poland)

Northern Hemisphere lakes are losing their ice cover due to climate change. Here we explored six decades of observational data (1961–2017) showing trends in air temperature, wind speed and precipitation over northern Poland, as well as changes in the ice conditions for five lakes with different morphometry. We evaluated whether and to what extent climatic effects, including atmospheric warming, changing wind speed and rainfall during fall and winter, influence ice conditions in morphometrically different lakes in Northern Poland. Our analysis demonstrated that ice cover duration and thickness decreased at rates of 5.4 days decade−1 and 2.5 cm decade−1, respectively. Ice conditions were influenced (65–75%) by the direct effects of air temperature change and to some extent by an interaction of warming with wind speed and precipitation (5–10%). While stronger autumnal winds result in longer ice cover duration, the effect of precipitation is bimodal with either an enhancement of ice formation by autumnal rain or accelerated ice loss during spring. To project future changes in ice conditions, we used a 1D hydrodynamic lake model forced with four climate model projections under low, medium and high Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. Our simulations demonstrate that current ice conditions will stabilize under the low emission scenario (RCP 2.6) but decrease under both the medium and high emission scenarios (RCP 6.0 and 8.5). During the 21st century, the lakes are projected to lose their ice at a rate between 4.5- and 10-days decade−1 and ice thickness will decrease by between 3.0 and 5.0 cm decade−1. The rate of change will be greater in smaller rather than larger lakes and more so for those situated further inland. The probability of ice-free winters will increase for all lakes and among all future scenarios by between 4 and 69% with the highest potential frequency of ice-free winters in smaller and deeper but relatively wind-exposed lakes