SOME AGE PECULIARITIES OF THE WALL STRUCTURE OF ILIAC ARTERIES

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Patterns of rapid weight loss in elite sambo athletes

Background: Rapid weight loss (RWL) is commonly practiced in combat sports. Both magnitude and methods used to induce RWL are largely similar among combat sports, but currently, there is no data on RWL methodology used by sambo athletes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine RWL procedures sambo athletes apply to lose weight rapidly. Methods: The sample consisted of 199 participants, of which 132 males and 67 females who participated in the World Sambo Championship 2020 held in Novi Sad, Serbia. Each participant received RWL questionnaire that was available in multiple languages, and every participant was instructed how to fill it out. Results: Almost 87% of sambo participants declared to have intentionally cut their weight prior to the competition, whereby 5.27 kg (SD: ±7.57) was lost. Gradual dieting, sauna use and skipping meals were the most dominant methods used to reduce weight prior to competition while more extreme methods of RWL such as the use of laxatives, diuretics, diet pills and vomiting were also implemented but by much smaller fragment of the participants involved. Conclusions: Findings from our study largely match with previously conducted RWL studies in terms of prevalence, magnitude and methods used by combat sport athletes, especially in judo and wrestling. Knowing the hazardous consequences of RWL, alternative methods of sustainable weight loss should be considered

SAT-based Explicit LTL Reasoning

We present here a new explicit reasoning framework for linear temporal logic (LTL), which is built on top of propositional satisfiability (SAT) solving. As a proof-of-concept of this framework, we describe a new LTL satisfiability tool, Aalta\_v2.0, which is built on top of the MiniSAT SAT solver. We test the effectiveness of this approach by demonnstrating that Aalta\_v2.0 significantly outperforms all existing LTL satisfiability solvers. Furthermore, we show that the framework can be extended from propositional LTL to assertional LTL (where we allow theory atoms), by replacing MiniSAT with the Z3 SMT solver, and demonstrating that this can yield an exponential improvement in performance

Should We Learn Probabilistic Models for Model Checking? A New Approach and An Empirical Study

Many automated system analysis techniques (e.g., model checking, model-based testing) rely on first obtaining a model of the system under analysis. System modeling is often done manually, which is often considered as a hindrance to adopt model-based system analysis and development techniques. To overcome this problem, researchers have proposed to automatically "learn" models based on sample system executions and shown that the learned models can be useful sometimes. There are however many questions to be answered. For instance, how much shall we generalize from the observed samples and how fast would learning converge? Or, would the analysis result based on the learned model be more accurate than the estimation we could have obtained by sampling many system executions within the same amount of time? In this work, we investigate existing algorithms for learning probabilistic models for model checking, propose an evolution-based approach for better controlling the degree of generalization and conduct an empirical study in order to answer the questions. One of our findings is that the effectiveness of learning may sometimes be limited.Comment: 15 pages, plus 2 reference pages, accepted by FASE 2017 in ETAP

Cystic Echinococcosis of the Breast - Diagnostic Dilemma or just a Rare Primary Localization

Introduction: Although the liver and lung are the most frequently affected organs in cystic echinococcosis, the cysts may develop in any viscera and tissues. Breast is a rare primary localization with few cases described in the literature. We present an updated and systematic review and discuss the possible mechanisms of spreading, diagnostic and treatment options.Materials and methods: We performed a literature search in PUBMED using the key words ‘hydatid disease’, ‘cystic echinococcosis’ and ‘breast echinococcosis’ without time limitation. Only studies reporting breast cystic echinococcosis were included.Results: Overall, 121 cases with cystic echinococcosis and 2 with alveolar echinococcosis were reported. A total of 52 cases were included in the analysis. The mean size of cysts was 5.5 cm (range 1.7-12). The most common clinical presentation was painless lump presented from 4 months to 19 years before the final diagnosis. Most cases had isolated breast CE, few cases had synchronous localizations – femoral, thigh and lung, and previous liver CE. Most were active CL and CE1-2 cysts (72%). Ultrasound was used in 83%, followed by mammography (35%). Fine needle aspiration was reported in 27 cases with positive finding in 59%.Conclusions: In cases with cystic breast lesions from endemic regions we recommend the US as a gold standard. CT and MRT are more accurate but expensive tools without the potential to change the surgical tactic. In contrast to the other localizations of CE, complete excision of the cysts is the best diagnostic and treatment approach

Advanced Automata Minimization

We present an efficient algorithm to reduce the size of nondeterministic Buchi word automata, while retaining their language. Additionally, we describe methods to solve PSPACE-complete automata problems like universality, equivalence and inclusion for much larger instances (1-3 orders of magnitude) than before. This can be used to scale up applications of automata in formal verification tools and decision procedures for logical theories. The algorithm is based on new transition pruning techniques. These use criteria based on combinations of backward and forward trace inclusions. Since these relations are themselves PSPACE-complete, we describe methods to compute good approximations of them in polynomial time. Extensive experiments show that the average-case complexity of our algorithm scales quadratically. The size reduction of the automata depends very much on the class of instances, but our algorithm consistently outperforms all previous techniques by a wide margin. We tested our algorithm on Buchi automata derived from LTL-formulae, many classes of random automata and automata derived from mutual exclusion protocols, and compared its performance to the well-known automata tool GOAL.Comment: 15 page

How to Tackle Integer Weighted Automata Positivity

International audienceThis paper is dedicated to candidate abstractions to capture relevant aspects of the integer weighted automata. The expected effect of applying these abstractions is studied to build the deterministic reachability graphs allowing us to semi-decide the positivity problem on these automata. Moreover, the papers reports on the implementations and experimental results, and discusses other encodings

Анализ системного иммунитета и воспаления в прогнозе аденокарциномы желудка

Objective: to study the state of cellular immunity in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.Materials and methods. From 2017 to 2018, 45 previously untreated patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (25 with stage I–III, 20 with stage IV) received surgical / combined treatment or independent chemotherapy, respectively, at the N. N. Blokhin National Medical ResearchCenter of Oncology. Peripheral blood sampling was carried out before starting treatment. We studied the cellular composition of peripheral blood, as well as systemic immunity parameters determined by flow cytometry (CD3+CD4+; CD3+CD8+; CD4+CD8+; CD4+/CD8+; CD3–CD16+CD56+; CD3–CD19+), and their prognostic significance in relation to overall survival and progression-free survival.Results. The prognostic value of the relative indicator of platelet lymphocytic index was determined: progression-free survival in patients with a high level of platelet-lymphocytic index (>208.7) was higher: 8.1 months versus 4.5 months (p = 0.0027). A favorable prognosis for overall survival was an increase in the number of CD3–CD19+ lymphocytes (hazard ratio (HR) 0.91; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.85–0.97; p = 0.007), and an unfavorable prognosis was an increase in the number of neutrophils (HR 1.26; 95 % CI 1.05–1.50; p = 0.012), platelet count (HR 1.01; 95 % CI 1.0–1.01; p = 0.043), as well as an increase in the number of NK cells (HR 1.04, 95 % CI 1.0–1.09; p = 0.029).Conclusion. Indicators of the cellular composition of peripheral blood, characterizing a systemic inflammatory reaction, as well as indicators of systemic immunity, can serve as additional prognostic factors for gastric cancer.Цель исследования – изучить состояние клеточного иммунитета у больных аденокарциномой желудка.Материалы и методы. С 2017 по 2018 г. в НМИЦ онкологии им. Н. Н. Блохина 45 ранее нелеченных больных аденокарциномой желудка (25 – с I–III стадиями, 20 – с IV стадией) получили хирургическое / комбинированное лечение или самостоятельную химиотерапию соответственно. Забор периферической крови осуществляли перед началом лечения. Исследовали клеточный состав периферической крови, а также параметры системного иммунитета, определенных методом проточной цитометрии (CD3+CD4+; CD3+CD8+; CD4+CD8+; CD4+/CD8+; CD3–CD16+CD56+; CD3–CD19+), и их прогностическую значимость в отношении показателей общей выживаемости и выживаемости без прогрессирования.Результаты. Высокий (>208,7) уровень тромбоцитарно-лимфоцитарного индекса ассоциировался с высокими показателями выживаемости без прогрессирования (медиана 8,1 мес против 4,5 мес (р = 0,0027)). Фактором благоприятного прогноза в отношении общей выживаемости явилось повышение числа CD3–CD19+-лимфоцитов (отношение рисков (ОР) 0,91; 95 % доверительный интервал (ДИ) 0,85–0,97; р = 0,007), а неблагоприятного прогноза – повышение числа нейтрофилов (ОР 1,26; 95 % ДИ 1,05–1,50; р = 0,012), числа тромбоцитов (ОР 1,01; 95 % ДИ 1,0–1,01; р = 0,043), а также числа NK-клеток (ОР 1,04; 95 % ДИ 1,0–1,09; р = 0,029).Заключение. Показатели клеточного состава периферической крови, характеризующие системную воспалительную реакцию, а также показатели системного иммунитета могут служить дополнительными прогностическими факторами при раке желудка

HETEROGENEITY OF NK AND NKT LYMPHOCYTE POPULATIONS IN HEALTHY DONORS

Natural killer(NK) and  NKT lymphocytes are important components of innate immunity, and compose a first-line defense against cancer. These populations are characterized by high heterogeneity and are divided into several subpopulations, by differences in functional activity as well as CD56  and CD16  expression. Studying  heterogeneity for these  lymphocyte populations in healthy  donors  is important, due  to imbalance between  different  lymphocyte subsets in cancer patients. Changes in the ratio of these subpopulations may be of prognostic and clinical  significance in malignant diseases. The present  study was conducted with peripheral blood  lymphocytes in 50 healthy  donors. When  analysing  population of NK  lymphocytes we have identified 18.0±11.3% of antigen-positive cells, their fluctuations ranged  from 7.6 to 29.2%, whereas average number of cells with  CD3-CD56+ and  CD3-CD16+   phenotypes was equal  to 16,2±8.1%, and  11,0±6.7%, respectively. The  subpopulation analysis  showed  that  the  primary  pool  of NK  cells  was presented by CD56dimCD16dim cells  by  52.3±19.9 percent.  We  detected  minor   subpopulations,  e.g.,  CD56dimCD16bright,  CD56-CD16+, CD56brightCD16- (0.3±0.2%, 1.7±0.9%, and  1.3±0.6%,  respectively). Search  for  intracellular perforin has revealed  that the number of CD56+Perf+ cells comprized 25.1±14.8%, CD16+Perf+, 23.8±16.0%. Cytometric analysis showed that perforin is found, predominantly, in CD56dimCD16dim NK lymphocytes, whereas the cells with CD56dimCD16bright, CD56-CD16+, CD56brightCD16- immunophenotypes did not produce perforin. For the first time, we have discovered a subpopulation of NK cells with the СD56dimCD16dim immunophenotype that did not contain intracellular perforin (2.0%).  The NKT cell population with СD3+CD16/СD56+  phenotype was detected in 7.1% (25% – 3.45; 75% – 8.75) antigen-positive cells, within a range of 2.5 to 11.9%. Analysis with a combination of monoclonal antibodies CD3/CD56/CD16 has shown that the number of CD3+ CD56+ cells was 4.33% (25% – 2.25; 75% – 7.3), whereas the number of CD3+CD16+ was 3.087% (25% – 0.9; 75% – 6.2). These  data  demonstrate that  the differences in results  between  the CD3/CD16/CD56, and  CD3/CD16 test systems are statistically significant  (p < 0.05). It was shown that the primary-pool NKT-cells are CD56+CD16- cells, whose number is about 5.45% (25% – 2.95; 75% – 7.3) among  total CD3+ lymphocyte population. Two minor subpopulations were also detected which differed in expression  of CD56 and CD16 antigens. Hence, the level of CD56-CD16+ cells was 3% (25% – 0.25; 75% – 3.05),  and the number of CD56+CD16+ was equal to 0.67% (25% – 0.25; 75% – 0.9). Hence, the observed wide phenotypic diversity of NK and NKT-cells reflects their  ability  to exert  various  functional activities.  This  study, showing  high  heterogeneity of NK  and  NKT lymphocytes, may serve as a basis for the study of imbalances between  different  subpopulations of these cells in cancer patients

Effects of school-based physical activity interventions on physical fitness and cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents with disabilities: a systematic review

Background: This study aimed to examine the influence of school-based physical exercise programs on physical fitness and cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents with disabilities. Methods: Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed were thoroughly searched to identify relevant investigations. To be included in the systematic review, studies needed to fulfill the following inclusion criteria: 1) performed school-based physical exercise interventions; 2) parameters evaluated referred to health-related physical fitness (HRPF), skill-related physical fitness (SRPF), and cardiometabolic health; 3) a sample of participants consisted of children and adolescents with disabilities; 4) the mean age of respondents was less than 18 years; and 5) were written in the English language. Results: After searching the databases, a total of 474 studies have been identified, 18 of them met the eligibility criteria, and their outcomes were presented. Relating to the respondents’ characteristics, the investigations involved 681 children and adolescents with disabilities, out of which 440 were male and 241 female. Regarding types of physical exercise interventions, the most commonly implemented were combined aerobic and resistance training, aerobic exercise, sports games, adapted high-intensity interval training, as well as sprint interval training. The obtained results unambiguously demonstrated that applied exercise interventions improved HRPF components such as cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, and flexibility. In terms of the SRPF, agility, balance, coordination, and power were considerably enhanced following the school-based exercise. On the other hand, the influence on indices of body composition and cardiometabolic health is quite controversial. The majority of the available studies did not find favorable effects. Additionally, no adverse events were reported in 7 of 8 research, and adherence to exercise was approximately 92%. Conclusion: School-based physical exercise programs were very efficient in improving HRPF and SRPF in children and adolescents with disabilities, while the evidence concerning the variables of body composition and cardiometabolic health is inconclusive and warrants further investigations