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Background Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are exposed to overlapping cardiovascular risk factors. We hypothesized that CF is characterized by increased arterial stiffness and greater intima-media thickness (IMT). Methods This cross-sectional study assessed the digital volume pulse arterial stiffness index (SIDVP) using photopletysmography, measured intima-media complex thickness (IMT) at the common carotid artery, and obtained an extended set of clinical and atherosclerosis-related laboratory parameters. Results Fifty-five patients with moderate-to-severe CF (mean age 26.3±8.6 years, BMI 20.3±3.1 kg/m2, FEV1 62±26%) and 51 healthy controls (25.1±4.4 years, BMI 21.7±3.0 kg/m2) entered the study. SIDVP was greater in pancreatic insufficient (PI), but not pancreatic sufficient (PS) CF patients compared with control (7.3±1.8 m/s vs 6.0±1.2 m/s; p=7.1 × 10−5). IMT was increased in PS (but not PI) participants relative to control (552±69 µm vs 456±95 µm, p=0.0011). SIDVP was also greater in PI than in PS patients (7.3±1.8 m/s vs 6.3±1.7 m/s, p=0.0232) and IMT was higher in PS compared with PI (552±69 µm vs 453±82 µm, p=0.0002). SIDVP independently associated with age, PI, the lack of liver cirrhosis, and with Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization. PS was the only independent correlate of IMT in CF. Conclusions PI patients are at risk of developing general arterial stiffness. PS may relate to carotid IMT thickening, which underscores the need for further study that could lead to reconsideration of dietary guidance in PS CF.

The roof support, especially the ŁP yielding steel arch support, is transported and assembled in the face with the use of auxiliary machines. This activity in Polish underground mines causes numerous problems, which until present have not been solved. Currently, transport and assembly are carried out manually, while the roadheader and suspended rail are used only to a small extent. Therefore, the modular installation and transport assembly was developed jointly by FAMA Sp. z o. o. and AGH University of Science and Technology. The solution in question enables performing a number of functions (including transport and assembly of all kinds of support arches), which are not available in currently manufactured equipment. The proposed manipulator solves numerous problems occurring during the installation of the steel arch support in an underground mining excavation and significantly improves the process of drilling galleries. This innovative solution considerably differs from the existing ones, and its greatest advantage is versatility with regard to the cross-section and equipment of the roadway, as well as a wide range of functions. In addition, it can also be used for reloading works. The modular installation and transport assembly together with a platform, a temporary mechanized roof support and a mining machine, make up a mechanizes roadheader complex, which enables continuous mining, loading and installing the permanent support in underground workings.

Ecohydrology is a transdisciplinary sustainability science based on an understanding of hydrosphere/ecosphere interactions from the molecular to catchment scale, developed within the framework of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (UNESCO IHP). This paper introduces a broad range of Ecohydrological Nature-Based Solutions (EH-NBS) that have been developed based on dual regulation considering understanding of reciprocal H → B (Hydrogeology → Biocenosis) and B → H interactions. EH-NBS are particularly effective at reducing various dispersed impacts especially non-point source pollution, which generate up to 50% of nutrient pollution load from the catchment. The importance of methodology, integration of ecological and hydrological disciplines which reduces impact and increases landscape water and nutrients retention and freshwater ecosystem resilience which is becoming important element of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) was also presented. Considering the above, implementation of ecohydrology aims to increase catchment sustainability potential, expressed by water, biodiversity, ecosystem services and resilience (WBSR). Due to the specific nature of dispersed impact generated by human factor in the catchment, it is crucial to engage society through culture and education (CE) to ensure the implementation and long-term efficiency.

Purpose Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) present with or without biochemical hyperandrogenism (HAPCOS or non-HAPCOS, respectively). Cardiometabolic and hormonal abnormalities have been reported in women with PCOS, particularly those with hypertension. However, no direct comparison between normotensive (blood pressure Methods We consecutively recruited 249 normotensive patients with PCOS and 85 healthy eumenorrheic women to a case-control observational study. Based on blood androgen concentration, patients with PCOS were divided into HAPCOS (n = 69) or non-HAPCOS (n = 180) groups. Results Although within normal ranges, patients with HAPCOS had significantly (p 2 than patients with non-HAPCOS and nearly 6 kg/m2 than in healthy participants. Except for BMI, statistical differences in the cardiometabolic profile were of little clinical relevance. Conclusions Young normotensive women with HAPCOS have a worse cardiometabolic profile but lower NT-proBNP concentration than patients with non-HAPCOS. Features of this profile in both PCOS groups are within ranges typical for healthy women. Increased BMI is the only clinically relevant feature differentiating hyperandrogenic from non-hyperandrogenic patients with PCOS, and healthy women.

Higher education export is gaining more and more importance taking into account international competition, the benefits offered by the industry and demographic changes in many countries – the number of local students is reducing due to low birth rates and extensive emigration of young people. There are many academic publications on several aspects related to higher education export. The aim of research is to analyse foreign students’ evaluation on the importance of different organisations’ (universities, agencies dealing with higher education export, ministries) webpage content and design for higher education export. Research methods used: scientific literature review analysis, evaluation of webpages by experts, survey of foreign students (using the evaluation scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means ‘do not agree’, and 10 – ‘fully agree’). Data obtained from the foreign student survey are analysed by indicators of descriptive statistics (arithmetic mean, mode, median, range, standard deviations, standard error of mean), cross-tabulations, correlation analysis and factor analysis. The obtained research results have indicated narrow places and challenges for the information placed in respective webpages and webpage design which could be practically implemented. KEYWORDS: higher education export, webpages, organization support, attraction of foreign students. JEL CODES: M16, M31, M38. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/rfds.v27i1.1867

Purpose. The aim of the article – carrying out theoretical-methodological and empirical studies of the causes of insufficient capacity of created rural and settlement united territorial communities (UTCs) of Luhansk region with a help of comparative analysis of Poland's experience in decentralization and local self-government reforms; determining the trend of UTCs development and improving their financial-and-economic condition in Ukraine. Methodology / approach. In the context of the implementation of dialectical methodology, the following methods of cognition were used. The method of comparisons is for a generalized survey of decentralization and local self-government reforms in Ukraine and Poland. The method of grouping – when separating rural and settlement UTCs in Ukraine, in particular, Luhansk region, for further analysis of their financial and economic condition. The method of economic and mathematical modeling – to determine the trend of dependence of the amount of money earned by communities per capita on the area of agricultural land of these communities. Results. On the basis of a direct analysis from the implementation of local government reforms to date, a systematic comparative analysis of the conditions for the establishment of gminas in Poland and UTCs in Ukraine, which allowed to clearly identify the relevant socio-economic challenges in Ukrainian realities. It was shown that neither the current legislation of Ukraine nor the existing Methodologies of the Cabinet of Ministers take into account the common real situation when some UTCs (UTCs-recipients) attract residents from other UTCs (UTCs-donors) for work, purchase of goods and payment for services, etc. As a result, UTCs-recipients will receive additional revenues to their budgets from UTCs-donors. Originality / scientific novelty. On the example of the analysis of financial and economic results of a separate group of rural and settlement UTCs of Luhansk region, the argumentation of a new understanding of the identified contradictions of local government reform in Ukraine was improved: the quantitative assessment of the capability of the created UTCs according to the Methodology adopted by the government practically does not correlate with their indicators of filling in local budgets. For the first time, using economic-mathematical modeling was proved that the increase in the area of UTCs' agricultural land has a positive impact on the amount of own revenues pulled by communities to their budgets in calculation per inhabitant, as evidenced by the trend of such impact. Practical value / implications. Identified obstacles and factors for increasing the effectiveness of UTCs' can be used by public authorities and local governments for planning new and regulating the activities of already established communities. Using the experience of Poland, consideration of the identified shortcomings of the current UTCs' formation in Ukraine and their budgets is the basis to identify the best directions and mechanisms to improve legislation on the creation and development of rural and settlements' UTCs in Ukraine.

Purpose. The aim of the article – carrying out theoretical-methodological and empirical studies of the causes of insufficient capacity of created rural and settlement united territorial communities (UTCs) of Luhansk region with a help of comparative analysis of Poland's experience in decentralization and local self-government reforms; determining the trend of UTCs development and improving their financial-and-economic condition in Ukraine. Methodology / approach. In the context of the implementation of dialectical methodology, the following methods of cognition were used. The method of comparisons is for a generalized survey of decentralization and local self-government reforms in Ukraine and Poland. The method of grouping – when separating rural and settlement UTCs in Ukraine, in particular, Luhansk region, for further analysis of their financial and economic condition. The method of economic and mathematical modeling – to determine the trend of dependence of the amount of money earned by communities per capita on the area of agricultural land of these communities. Results. On the basis of a direct analysis from the implementation of local government reforms to date, a systematic comparative analysis of the conditions for the establishment of gminas in Poland and UTCs in Ukraine, which allowed to clearly identify the relevant socio-economic challenges in Ukrainian realities. It was shown that neither the current legislation of Ukraine nor the existing Methodologies of the Cabinet of Ministers take into account the common real situation when some UTCs (UTCs-recipients) attract residents from other UTCs (UTCs-donors) for work, purchase of goods and payment for services, etc. As a result, UTCs-recipients will receive additional revenues to their budgets from UTCs-donors. Originality / scientific novelty. On the example of the analysis of financial and economic results of a separate group of rural and settlement UTCs of Luhansk region, the argumentation of a new understanding of the identified contradictions of local government reform in Ukraine was improved: the quantitative assessment of the capability of the created UTCs according to the Methodology adopted by the government practically does not correlate with their indicators of filling in local budgets. For the first time, using economic-mathematical modeling was proved that the increase in the area of UTCs' agricultural land has a positive impact on the amount of own revenues pulled by communities to their budgets in calculation per inhabitant, as evidenced by the trend of such impact. Practical value / implications. Identified obstacles and factors for increasing the effectiveness of UTCs' can be used by public authorities and local governments for planning new and regulating the activities of already established communities. Using the experience of Poland, consideration of the identified shortcomings of the current UTCs' formation in Ukraine and their budgets is the basis to identify the best directions and mechanisms to improve legislation on the creation and development of rural and settlements' UTCs in Ukraine.

The subject of the modelling work and the conducted experiments is the composite shell of a train seat. The activities carried out involved designing the geometry, planning the material structure, and selecting the materials to be used. The shell was built using polymer matrix fibrous composites (i.e. FRP – Fibre Reinforced Polymer – composites), which are lighter than steel and comply with the relevant standards for strength and safety at the same time. This was followed by creating a computational model for the shell and conducting a strength analysis in accordance with the guidelines of the relevant industry standard and strength hypotheses adopted for FRP composites. The calculations were conducted using ANSYS Composite PrepPost software based on the finite element method. The article offers a strength analysis of an optimised composite shell of a train seat. Based on the guidelines obtained as a result of the conducted modelling work, a physical prototype (validation model) of the seat was created. Hot vacuum lamination technology was applied in the production process. The experimental validation of the model, producing a positive result, was conducted using a test stand owned by S.Z.T.K. TAPS – Maciej Kowalski. Keywords: train seat structure, FRP composite, FEM modelling, experimental validation

This study aimed to investigate whether systemic therapy (ST) use surrounding radiation therapy (RT) predicts overall survival (OS) after RT for patients with brain metastases (BMs). Provincial RT and pharmacy databases were used to review all adult patients in British Columbia, Canada, who received a first course of RT for BMs between 2012 and 2016 (n = 3095). Multivariate analysis on a randomly selected subset was used to develop an OS nomogram. In comparison to the 2096 non-recipients of ST after RT, the median OS of the 999 recipients of ST after RT was 5.0 (95% Confidence interval (CI) 4.1–6.0) months longer (p

models available in the Fire Dynamics Simulator. A theoretical example was provided of a computer analysis using experimental models of pyrolysis and sprinkler models. One of the most important factors that affect results of building safety computer analysis if the heat release rate (HRR) obtained in the model. It may be defined in many ways in computer programmes. Use may be made of the basic method, i.e. a defined value of HRR may be entered, independently of simulation conditions. A more advanced method comprises calculation of HRR from the model by simulating pyrolysis processes. Selection of a method for modelling HRR also defines possibilities related to modelling effects of water suppression. Modelling fire suppression by water must take into account three most important elements: moving of water droplets through the air, transporting the water along the solid surface, and predicting the decreasing of the burning rate. The basic method is to modify HRR curve. More advanced methods allow the user to model decay phase depending on amount of water which reaches fire area.

Urban green spaces (UGS) offer a wide range of ecosystem services to city dwellers, contributing to their health and well-being. The resources of formally designated UGS, such as parks and forests, are frequently underprovided, however. This results in unequal access to UGS, which has become an environmental justice issue. We investigated the potential of informal green spaces (IGS) to complement existing formal UGS to reduce distributional inequity in UGS availability. We focused on the most vulnerable groups of citizens, children and elderly residents, for whom the availability of UGS plays a particularly important role. The study was performed in two Eastern-European cities, Warsaw and Łodź, both characterised by a well-developed system of UGS but of different spatial composition and UGS configuration. We focus on unmanaged areas within IGS and link them to the provisioning of recreational ecosystem services, such as enabling direct contact with nature. We identified different categories of formal and informal UGS based on publicly available data, supported by NDVI values, followed by UGS availability analysis of formal and informal UGS in the service area of 300 m for each residential building. We found that informal UGS are equally important as formal ones, and they may contribute to better access to selected urban ecosystem services. Both cities are characterised by unequal distribution of formal UGS. In Łodź, children are least favoured in terms of UGS availability, while in Warsaw, elderly citizens are most excluded. In both cities, it is the green areas associated with transportation routes communication routes, multi-family housing and agricultural lands along with grasslands that have the greatest potential to improve the equal availability of UGS to residents. We propose maintaining various types of unmanaged green areas in cities to help limit disparities to UGS access, and it would also increase their importance in the provisioning of recreational ecosystem services.

Purpose Gliomas are the most common primary tumor of the brain and are classified into grades I-IV of the World Health Organization (WHO), based on their invasively histological appearance. Gliomas grading plays an important role to determine the treatment plan and prognosis prediction. In this study we propose two novel methods for automatic, non-invasively distinguishing low-grade (Grades II and III) glioma (LGG) and high-grade (grade IV) glioma (HGG) on conventional MRI images by using deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Methods All MRI images have been preprocessed first by rigid image registration and intensity inhomogeneity correction. Both proposed methods consist of two steps: (a) three-dimensional (3D) brain tumor segmentation based on a modification of the popular U-Net model; (b) tumor classification on segmented brain tumor. In the first method, the slice with largest area of tumor is determined and the state-of-the-art mask R-CNN model is employed for tumor grading. To improve the performance of the grading model, a two-dimensional (2D) data augmentation has been implemented to increase both the amount and the diversity of the training images. In the second method, denoted as 3DConvNet, a 3D volumetric CNNs is applied directly on bounding image regions of segmented tumor for classification, which can fully leverage the 3D spatial contextual information of volumetric image data. Results The proposed schemes were evaluated on The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) low grade glioma (LGG) data, and the Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation (BraTS) Benchmark 2018 training datasets with fivefold cross validation. All data are divided into training, validation, and test sets. Based on biopsy-proven ground truth, the performance metrics of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy are measured on the test sets. The results are 0.935 (sensitivity), 0.972 (specificity), and 0.963 (accuracy) for the 2D Mask R-CNN based method, and 0.947 (sensitivity), 0.968 (specificity), and 0.971 (accuracy) for the 3DConvNet method, respectively. In regard to efficiency, for 3D brain tumor segmentation, the program takes around ten and a half hours for training with 300 epochs on BraTS 2018 dataset and takes only around 50 s for testing of a typical image with a size of 160 × 216 × 176. For 2D Mask R-CNN based tumor grading, the program takes around 4 h for training with around 60 000 iterations, and around 1 s for testing of a 2D slice image with size of 128 × 128. For 3DConvNet based tumor grading, the program takes around 2 h for training with 10 000 iterations, and 0.25 s for testing of a 3D cropped image with size of 64 × 64 × 64, using a DELL PRECISION Tower T7910, with two NVIDIA Titan Xp GPUs. Conclusions Two effective glioma grading methods on conventional MRI images using deep convolutional neural networks have been developed. Our methods are fully automated without manual specification of region-of-interests and selection of slices for model training, which are common in traditional machine learning based brain tumor grading methods. This methodology may play a crucial role in selecting effective treatment options and survival predictions without the need for surgical biopsy.

Aims The EUropean Comparative Effectiveness Research to Assess the Use of Primary ProphylacTic Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators (EU-CERT-ICD), a prospective investigator-initiated, controlled cohort study, was conducted in 44 centres and 15 European countries. It aimed to assess current clinical effectiveness of primary prevention ICD therapy. Methods and results We recruited 2327 patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and guideline indications for prophylactic ICD implantation. Primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Clinical characteristics, medications, resting, and 12-lead Holter electrocardiograms (ECGs) were documented at enrolment baseline. Baseline and follow-up (FU) data from 2247 patients were analysable, 1516 patients before first ICD implantation (ICD group) and 731 patients without ICD serving as controls. Multivariable models and propensity scoring for adjustment were used to compare the two groups for mortality. During mean FU of 2.4 ± 1.1 years, 342 deaths occurred (6.3%/years annualized mortality, 5.6%/years in the ICD group vs. 9.2%/years in controls), favouring ICD treatment [unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.682, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.537–0.865, P = 0.0016]. Multivariable mortality predictors included age, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), New York Heart Association class Conclusion In contemporary ICM/DCM patients (LVEF ≤35%, narrow QRS), primary prophylactic ICD treatment was associated with a 27% lower mortality after adjustment. There appear to be patients with less survival advantage, such as older patients or diabetics.

The current model of agricultural intensification is a threat to traditional agricultural landscapes through landscape simplification and leads to the loss of biodiversity, ecological function and critical ecosystem services in rural areas. The way people perceive and value landscape can be one of the factors that influences landscape structure, especially in situations where nature is perceived from an anthropogenic perspective as a resource that provides short-term economic benefits. The present research investigated the values that farmers from Central Poland assigned to landscape features, including forests, farming areas, non-productive elements and field compositions. In addition, we explored how the preferences towards specific landscape features were influenced by the demographic characteristics of the respondent and his/her place of residence as described by the forest cover of the community and the size of farm holdings. Statements about the justification of the landscape attribute valuations constituted additional qualitative information that was gained from the rural villagers. The results indicated high assessed values of the cultivated fields, forests and meadows and lower values for the features that characterized the mosaic landscape (dirt roads, meadows, mid-field woodlots, solitary trees and their groups, small pools of standing water and patchworks of different fields). The valuation was determined mainly by the utilitarian perspective of the residents and by demographic characteristics, such as age and education. The strict productivity-based valuation perspective threatens the regulating, supporting and cultural services supplied by the agricultural landscape. In this paper, we identified the mosaic elements that build multifunctional landscapes as those that are endangered in the context of the processes occurring in rural areas. These findings were discussed within the perspective of management and the future of traditional agricultural landscapes, which are currently endangered due to the ongoing processes of farm enlargement, demographic changes and agriculture mechanization in Poland.

Objectives Excess pressure and reservoir pressure are related to various clinical outcomes in cardiovascular diseases, but whether there are sex differences in healthy individuals remains uncertain. We compared phenotypes of excess pressure and reservoir pressure between healthy men and women. Methods Different features of noninvasively recorded radial and reconstructed aortic pressure waveforms were measured in 435 healthy adults (257 women, 59%). In addition to SBP and DBP, we compared values of maximal excess pressure and reservoir pressure (RPMAX), excess pressure and reservoir pressure time integrals, respectively, as well as relative contributions of excess pressure (EPREL) and reservoir pressure to total blood pressure time integral, respectively, between men and women divided in two age categories, below 51 (82 women and 66 men) and greater than or equal to 51 years old (175 women and 112 men), corresponding to average age of menopause for women and acceleration of vascular ageing for all. Results In both age categories, compared with men, women had significantly lower peripheral and aortic SBP and DBP. Analysis of covariance adjusted for BMI revealed that women who were greater than or equal to 51 years old had significantly higher excess pressure time integral, RPMAX, reservoir pressure time integral, EPREL, and relative contributions of reservoir pressure than men in the same age category. In the younger age category below 51 years old, EPREL and RPMAX were also significantly higher in women than men. Conclusion Our study shows that healthy women have lower peripheral and aortic SBP and DBP compared with healthy men; however, their excess and reservoir pressures are higher, particularly after 51 years of age.

Polymorphic variants of the CYP7A1 gene can increase the risk of atherosclerosis-based coronary artery disease (CAD) and modify serum lipid markers. Method: We studied haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms of CYP7A1 in the Caucasian population and if they are associated with CAD, its symptoms, and any of its risk factors. Results: We did not find the genetic variants of CYP7A1 to be associated with an increased risk of CAD. However, we did find that the common rs3808607 variant is associated with modified concentrations of serum total cholesterol and LDL. We also found that the C allele and the CC genotype of the rs11786580 are more frequent in patients with myocardial infarction. This association was especially strong after the group differentiation by sex.

The paper presents the case of a 23-year-old man with multiple venous anomalies. The abnormalities were asymptomatic, and they were detected accidentally on routine abdominal ultrasound examination. The anomalies were found in the inferior vena cava, right testicular vein, left renal vein, and hepatic veins. Familiarity with different developmental variants within the inferior vena cava and other venous vessels plays a crucial role in ultrasound imaging. Vascular anomalies, although rare, should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of focal lesions within the abdominal cavity. Also, variation in vascular anatomy may be a precipitating factor for blood flow disorders, and hence predispose patients to deep vein thrombosis and other pathological conditions. The reported case serves as a valuable addition to the knowledge of the vascular system that radiologists use in their everyday practice when performing diagnostic ultrasound examinations.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter- and intra-observer variability and accuracy of ultrasound assessment of thyroid nodules using a descriptive lexicon. Materials and methods: A prospective study was performed on complete ultrasound examinations, including sonoelastography and color Doppler ultrasound of 18 patients with 20 thyroid nodules. A total of 20 records of thyroid nodules from these techniques were duplicated, numbered, and randomly arranged. Five radiologists assessed the recordings independently. Cohen Kappa and Fleiss Kappa statistics were used to determine the degree of intra- and inter-observer agreement. Results: Mean accuracy rates for all radiologists, for all ultrasound features, ranged from 82.7 to 87.8%. For B-mode and strain elastography, accuracies ranged from 65.0 to 100% and 47.4 to 86.8%, respectively. Concerning intra-observer variability, three radiologists demonstrated almost perfect agreement (the κ-value ranged from 0.81 to 0.86), and a substantial agreement was noted for the two remaining radiologists. The κ-values for inter-observer agreement ranged from 0.61 for macrocalcifications (substantial agreement) to 0.33 for Asteria four-point elastography scale criteria (fair agreement). Conclusions: The results suggest relatively good inter-observer and excellent intra-observer agreement in the assessment of thyroid nodules using ultrasound, and fair agreement in the case of strain elastography.

Objectives. Left atrial fibrosis represents a substrate for atrial fibrillation (AF) and cardioembolic events. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are commonly found on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and are regarded, at least partly as ischemic brain lesions. Aortic excess pressure (excessPTI) represents an extra work performed by the left ventricle and is a new risk metric associated with cardiovascular complications. The aim of our study was to assessed whether there is a correlation between the degree of LA fibrosis, aortic excess pressure, and WMH in patients without a history of atrial fibrillation but the presence of risk factors for cardiovascular complications. Design. Thirty-eight subjects (10, females, 28 males, median age 64 years) with risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, vascular disease) but no history of AF were recruited. Left atrial fibrosis and brain WMH were estimated by MRI. Aortic excess pressure was obtained non-invasively. Results. Atrial fibrosis correlated significantly with aortic excess pressure (r = 0.65, p < .0001) and was significantly associated with periventricular white matter lesion volume (r = 0.34, p = .036). In multiple regression analysis, atrial fibrosis and age were positively associated with periventricular white matter lesions, while aortic excess pressure was not quite significant associated with WMH. This model explains the 30% variance in white matter lesions volume observed in the study. Left atrial fibrosis was independently associated with excessPTI but not with age and mean BP. This model explained 42% of the variance in an area of atrial fibrosis. Conclusions. Atrial fibrosis in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors and no history of AF is associated with white matter hyperintensities and aortic excess pressure.

Introduction: Since the protective value of gluteofemoral subcutaneous adipose tissue against cardiovascular risk factors has already been described in scientific reports, it is important to pay more attention to its evaluation. Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to evaluate sex and body mass index implications on gluteofemoral subcutaneous tissue morphology visualized by ultrasonography. Material and method: A population of 40 participants between 20-50 years of age was examined. All individuals underwent the ultrasound examination of subcutaneous adipose tissue in three locations: anterior, posterior and lateral side of a thigh in the 1/3 distal part. All examinations were collected, and the following parameters were evaluated: thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue in general, thickness of superficial and deep subcutaneous adipose tissue. Results: The study revealed significant differences in the architecture of subcutaneous adipose tissue between male and female subgroups. In the group of males, a significantly thinner layer of not only subcutaneous adipose tissue in general (0.65 vs. 1.67 cm, p

The quality of work life, whether in the public or private institution, aims to promote well-being for employees, so that they can perform their activities satisfied and motivated, thus contributing to an excellent organizational performance. This study is a review of the literature on the quality of life at work, in which approaches and applications were sought from public servants, especially from Higher Education Institutions. For that, bibliographic research was carried out, with an exploratory and descriptive character, with a qualitative approach and deductive method. The collection of data in front of the compiled and localized scientific works focused on the identification of existing models, among which Walton was considered the most adequate and therefore, with higher utility for the future study of deepening in an application with public servants of Higher education institutions. This model includes a structured questionnaire with eight criteria: social relevance of work life, use of skills, working conditions, social integration in the organization, work, and total living space and constitutionalism, fair and adequate compensation and opportunity for growth. It is understood that new research applied in this sense, help the managers of the HEIs studied in the decision making aimed at promoting improvements to the Quality of Life at Work.

18F-DCFPyL (2-(3-{1-carboxy-5-[(6-18F-fluoro-pyridine-3-carbonyl)-amino]-pentyl}-ureido)-pentanedioic acid), a prostate-specific membrane antigen–targeting radiotracer, has shown promise as a prostate cancer imaging radiotracer. We evaluated the safety, sensitivity, and impact on patient management of 18F-DCFPyL in the setting of biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Methods: Subjects with prostate cancer and biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy or curative-intent radiotherapy were included in this prospective study. The subjects underwent 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT imaging. The localization and number of lesions were recorded. The uptake characteristics of the 5 most active lesions were measured. A pre- and posttest questionnaire was sent to treating physicians to assess the impact on management. Results: One hundred thirty subjects were evaluated. 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT localized recurrent prostate cancer in 60% of cases with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of ≥0.4 to

Introduction. The Reflection Index (RIDVP) derived from digital volume pulse (DVP) analysis has proved to be useful in the assessment of endothelium‑dependent vasodilation induced by albuterol. Little is known of the effect of shear‑stress‑induced vasorelaxation on RIDVP.Material and Methods. Thirty three healthy volunteers (22 females, 11 males, mean age 57 yrs) were recruited. Assessment of endothelium‑dependent vasorelaxation was performed by the analysis of digital volume pulse after albuterol challenge or locally‑induced hyperemia. Results. he hyperemia‑induced vasodilation led to a significant decrease of RIDVP in comparison with the values obtained at rest (∆RIHyper 69 ± 2 % vs 64 ± 2, p

Growing interest in the concept of nature-based solutions (NBS) raises the question of its applicability as a broadly-understood approach to resource management and spatial planning. Although both the European Commission and United Nations consider the use of NBS as a vehicle to achieve numerous sustainability goals, the concept itself remains under-defined. We analyse the NBS concept against the background of classical water-ecosystem theories. We also review a range of potential contributions by NBS to various aspects of city management, resilience and adaptation. Finally we introduce the concept of a continuum of ecosystem service transfer across city management zones, with NBS acting as the medium, minimizing the net loss of regulatory services, and optimizing the cost-efficiency of solutions. We summarize with analysis of existing best practices in urban water management from the perspective of utilizing natural processes according to the supply and demand of services, and with a threefold target: enabling, restoring or preserving nature.

New visualization approaches are being actively developed aiming to mitigate the effect of vergence-accommodation conflict in stereoscopic augmented reality; however, high interindividual variability in spatial performance makes it difficult to predict user gain. To address this issue, we investigated the effects of consistent and inconsistent binocular and focus cues on perceptual matching in the stereoscopic environment of augmented reality using a head-mounted display that was driven in multifocal and single focal plane modes. Participants matched the distance of a real object with images projected at three viewing distances, concordant with the display focal planes when driven in the multifocal mode. As a result, consistency of depth cues facilitated faster perceptual judgments on spatial relations. Moreover, the individuals with mild binocular and accommodative disorders benefited from the visualization of information on the focal planes corresponding to image planes more than individuals with normal vision, which was reflected in performance accuracy. Because symptoms and complaints may be absent when the functionality of the sensorimotor system is reduced, the results indicate the need for a detailed assessment of visual functions in research on spatial performance. This study highlights that the development of a visualization system that reduces visual stress and improves user performance should be a priority for the successful implementation of augmented reality displays.

Quantitative phase imaging of cell cultures and histopathological slides often requires measurements in large fields of view which is realized through the stitching of multiple high resolution phase maps. Due to the characteristic properties of phase images, careful preprocessing is crucial for maintaining the metrological value of the stitched phase image. In this work, we present various methods that address those properties. Our efforts are focused on increasing robustness to minimize error propagation in consecutive preprocessing steps.

Gliomas are neurologically devastating tumors with generally poor outcomes. Traditionally, survival prediction in glioma is studied from clinical features using statistical approaches. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence approaches encompassing machine learning and deep learning, there has been a keen interest among researchers to apply these methods to survival prediction in glioma allowing for integrated processes that encompass pathology, histology, molecular, imaging, and clinical features. This chapter provides an overview of the emerging computational approaches that have the potential to revolutionize survival prediction in glioma. Machine learning and deep learning techniques, including support vector machine, random forest, convolutional neural network, and radiomics, are discussed.

Glioneuronal tumors are a group of rare neoplasms made up of neural and glial components in heterogenous proportions, generally exhibiting WHO grade I clinical behavior. These tumors affect infants, children and young adults, but are also described in adults and the elderly. They are strongly associated with seizures. Tumor subtypes described under the umbrella of glioneuronal tumors are actively evolving but to date comprise central, extraventricular and lipo- neurocytoma, desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma and ganglioglioma, diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor, dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor, papillary glioneuronal tumor, rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the fourth ventricle, rosetted glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands, gangliocytoma, ganglioglioma, anaplastic ganglioglioma and paraganglioma. They vary in radiographic appearance, with some exhibiting large heterogenous solid/cystic masses. With large scale genetic and molecular analyses ongoing, classification continues to evolve. Seizure management and surgical resection represent the cornerstones of management, with the use of systemic agents and radiation lacking conclusive results. Optimal management requires multidisciplinary discussion including neuro-oncological and neuro-surgical expertise due to both the rarity of these tumors and the lack of evidence with data confined to small retrospective series and reviews.

OBJECTIVE: PTEN and p16 frequently undergo (epi)genetic aberrations in melanoma resulting in decreased, or absent, protein levels. We investigated the prognostic significance of these tumor suppressor genes in melanoma brain metastases (MBMs). METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on archived tissue sections from craniotomies. Expression of PTEN and p16 was semiquantitatively scored (0–3 scale) in melanoma cells, glia, TILs, and endothelial cells of tumor-associated vessels and was compared among the different brain tumor cell compartments. Overall survival (OS) analysis was performed according to PTEN and p16 expression in melanoma cells. RESULTS: 58 patients (median age 56, 37 males) underwent craniotomy for MBMs before February 2014. The OS of patients with decreased, or absent, expression (0, 1+) of PTEN and p16 in melanoma cells was significantly shorter compared to that of patients with high (2+, 3+) expression (median OS 2.40 vs. 10.75 months and 4.1 vs. 8.1 months, respectively; Gehan-Breslow-Wilcoxon test p=0.026 and p=0.037, respectively). PTEN and p16 protein expression was significantly lower in TILs compared to melanoma cells (Mann-Whitney test p=0.023 and p

Limited angle optical diffraction tomography (ODT) is a 3D quantitative phase imaging method that allows to retrieve information about 3D refractive index (RI) distribution of live, unlabeled biosamples. The main limitation of this method is that its common transmission configuration results in very low axial resolution. On the other hand, optical coherence tomography (OCT), working in its most popular reflection configuration retrieves information about the gradient of the RI of investigated samples. However, the results are of qualitative nature. Moreover, due to low numerical aperture of the objective lens typically used in OCT systems, the resolution is high in the axial direction and relatively low in transverse direction. From the point of view of K-space filling, these two imaging modalities are complementary. Here we present a method of combining ODT projections with OCT scans. The combined technique, called optical coherence diffraction tomography (OCDT) operates in transflective mode, where ODT is captured in transmission and OCT in reflection. Theory behind conversion of OCT scans into ODT projections is given. With the use of numerical simulations we show what enhancement can be obtained when OCT and ODT data are combined directly. Also, experimental verification is presented.

European water policy requires to carry out nine tests for characterisation of groundwater bodies status, including the development of joint transboundary groundwater management principles. Gauja/Koiva and Salaca/Salatsi Rivers have a joint, Estonian/Latvian transboundary water cycle, including the groundwater recharge and discharge cycling. Despite the fact that groundwater is the only drinking water source in Gauja/Koiva and Salaca/Salatsi River basins and ensures the existence of many groundwater dependent ecosystems, the overall awareness of integrated cross-border management practice is still poorly understood and poorly linked in implementation of concrete groundwater protection actions. Taking into account the above-mentioned aspects, Latvian and Estonian groundwater and groundwater dependent ecosystems specialists from research, nature protection and groundwater resources management institutions have joined forces in the project funded by the Interreg Estonia-Latvia program: "Joint actions for more efficient management of common groundwater resources in Estonia and Latvia "(WaterAct).The ongoing Est-Lat project “WaterAct” (2020–2022) of joint transboundary groundwater management project organised into the three activity blocks: (1) The capacity building of the joint groundwater transboundary management through exchange of knowledge and best management practices between project partners and key experts in other European Union countries; (2) Assessment of groundwater resources in transboundary River basins to improve groundwater management in accordance with valid international directives; (3) Dissemination and outreach activities to increase the overall awareness of ecosystems friendly groundwater management and protection of key actors working with groundwater assessments and locals. Firstly, the joint cross-boundary principles of identification and status assessment of shared groundwater bodies will be developed. Adaptation of existing knowledge, cross-boundary harmonization and development of needed methodologies will be used. Secondly, the joint cross-boundary assessment principles will be implemented into groundwater resources management. The status assessment of shared groundwater bodies will be carried out in close cooperation between project partners to create materials necessary for the development of last River Basin Management Plans (2022-2027), required by the Water Framework Directive and Groundwater Directive.Thirdly, the dissemination of project results will be carried out (1) by compilation of Guidelines of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems for different levels and fields of decision making and experts, (2) by compilation of Spring Water Monitoring Guide for Volunteers and starting volunteer monitoring. For volunteer monitoring, a special web-based map application will be developed (allikad.info). The project of “Joint actions for more efficient management of common groundwater resources” (WaterAct, Est-Lat155) funded by ERDF Interreg Estonia-Latvia cooperation programme.

AIMS Transient ischaemia and reperfusion (TIAR) induce early ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) in different tissues and organs, including the skin. IPC protects tissues by modifying the mitochondrial function and decreasing the amount of the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Skin 460-nm autofluorescence is proportional to the NADH content and can be non-invasively measured during TIAR. We propose a non-invasive in vivo human model of skin IPC for studying the effects of repeated TIARs on the NADH content. METHODS Fifty-one apparently healthy volunteers (36 women) underwent three 100-second forearm ischaemia episodes induced by inflation of brachial pressure cuff to the pressure of 60 mmHg above systolic blood pressure, followed by 500-second long reperfusion episodes. Changes in skin NADH content were measured using 460-nm fluorescence before and during each of the three TIARs. RESULTS The first two TIARs caused a significant reduction in the skin NADH content before (P = .0065) and during the third ischaemia (P = .0011) and reperfusion (P = .0003) up to 3.0%. During the third TIAR, the increase in skin NADH was 20% lower than during the first ischaemia (P = .0474). CONCLUSIONS The measurement of the 460-nm fluorescence during repeated TIARs allows for a non-invasive in vivo investigation of human skin IPC. Although IPC reduces the overall NADH skin content, the most noticeable NADH reduction appears during ischaemia after earlier TIARs. Studying the skin model of IPC may provide new avenues for in vivo physiological, clinical and pharmacological research on mitochondrial metabolism.

A desktop tomography system, based on laser-interaction with a gas puff target, which results in efficient plasma formation emitting in the soft X-ray (SXR, λ = 0.1 - 10 nm) region, was developed at IOE-WAT (Warsaw, Poland). The system, coupled with an ellipsoidal condenser and a Fresnel zone-plate and working in the "water window" spectral range (λ = 2.3 - 4.4 nm) at the quasi-monochromatic He-like nitrogen spectral line (λ=2.88nm), allows acquiring images approaching a resolution of few microns. The development of such setup offers the possibility to obtain a reconstruction of three-dimensional images in a laboratory environment, without the involvement of large "photon facilities". Details about the system and its optimization as well as some imaged samples will be presented and discussed.

Background In Poland, the rate of cesarean birth (CB) is 43%, which is much higher than the European average of 27%. Optimizing the CB birth rate is of critical importance, especially among women with low-risk pregnancies. However, the determinants of cesarean preference among low-risk women in Poland have not been well explored. Methods This cross-sectional study included 1011 pregnant women and aimed to identify associations between selected determinants of women's preferences for CB vs. vaginal birth (VB) in Poland. A descriptive questionnaire was distributed online, and a theoretical model was validated against empirically gathered data. Group comparisons were performed using the Welch t test for continuous data or chi-square test for categorical data. All statistical analyses were performed using R (R Core Team, 2018). Results The mean age of women preferring CB (30.46 years) was 1.25 years higher than that of women preferring VB (29.21 years). Pregnant women who expressed a preference for CB tended to be multigravid, inhabited cities, and were characterized by higher levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, the majority of women who underwent a previous CB asserted their intention to repeat the procedure for the current pregnancy. Conclusions The primary factors that were correlated with high CB preference among the low-risk group included age, previous childbirth experiences, and anxiety. The underlying reasons that drive birth preferences remain poorly understood. However, women who have previously undergone difficult childbirth experiences and are afraid of pain require specialized care.

It has been assumed that stroking relieves stress responses in dogs, and dogs with the activation of the left-brain hemisphere (right-pawed) may show better adaptation to stress conditions. The aim of the study was to determine whether the stroking stimulus induced changes in the level of selected neuroregulators in dogs&rsquo, blood and whether these changes depended on the sex and the predominance of the activity of one of the brain hemispheres. The study involved 40 dogs of various breeds and both sexes. The experimental animals were subjected to a behavioral tests (Kong test), and the levels of noradrenaline, serotonin, and cortisol were determined in their blood plasma. The results of the behavioral test revealed that most dogs exhibited increased activity of the left hemisphere. Furthermore, irrespective of the sex and paw preference, stroking the animal was found to alleviate the stress response, which was reflected in reduced cortisol levels and increased serotonin levels. It was found that the plasma noradrenaline, cortisol, and serotonin levels were lower in the female dogs than in the males. Additionally, the plasma noradrenaline and serotonin levels were higher in the right-pawed dogs than in the left-pawed dogs. The present results confirm the assumption that right-pawed dogs adapt to stressful conditions more readily.

The digital transformation influences the dynamics of changes in the public sector. One of the well-known approaches of digital transformation is a smart city concept which become a trend that allows for effective management of urban fabric based on technology. The goal of the article is to present the real readiness of cities in Poland to implement the data-driven approach in the context of the smart city concept. The use of open data in this matter is to implement innovations to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants. To achieve the goal of the article, a survey was conducted in cities in Poland, covering three layers of cities. The survey shows that the data-driven approach increasingly contributes to better city management and improvement of the quality of life of its inhabitants. The article provides statistical data based on the sample of 280 cities in Poland, included in the survey.

BackgroundHigh tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and hemorrhage are important prognostic factors in patients who have undergone craniotomy for melanoma brain metastases (MBM) before 2011 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). We have investigated the prognostic or predictive role of these histopathologic factors in a more contemporary craniotomy cohort from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). We have also sought to understand better how various immune cell subsets, angiogenic factors, and blood vessels may be associated with clinical and radiographic features in MBM.MethodsBrain tumors from the UPMC and UNC-CH patient cohorts were (re)analyzed by standard histopathology, tumor tissue imaging, and gene expression profiling. Variables were associated with overall survival (OS) and radiographic features.ResultsThe patient subgroup with high TILs in craniotomy specimens and subsequent treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs, n=7) trended to have longer OS compared to the subgroup with high TILs and no treatment with ICIs (n=11, p=0.059). Bleeding was significantly associated with tumor volume before craniotomy, high melanoma-specific expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and high density of CD31+αSMA- blood vessels. Brain tumors with high versus low peritumoral edema before craniotomy had low (17%) versus high (41%) incidence of brisk TILs. Melanoma-specific expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was comparable to VEGF expression by TILs and was not associated with any particular prognostic, radiographic, or histopathologic features. A gene signature associated with gamma delta (gd) T cells was significantly higher in intracranial than same-patient extracranial metastases and primary melanoma. However, gdT cell density in MBM was not prognostic.ConclusionsICIs may provide greater clinical benefit in patients with brisk TILs in MBM. Intratumoral hemorrhage in brain metastases, a significant clinical problem, is not merely associated with tumor volume but also with underlying biology. bFGF may be an essential pathway to target. VEGF, a factor principally associated with peritumoral edema, is not only produced by melanoma cells but also by TILs. Therefore, suppressing low-grade peritumoral edema using corticosteroids may harm TIL function in 41% of cases. Ongoing clinical trials targeting VEGF in MBM may predict a lack of unfavorable impacts on TIL density and/or intratumoral hemorrhage.

Heart rate asymmetry (HRA) is a physiological phenomenon caused by an unequal (asymmetric) contribution of heart rate decelerations and accelerations to the variability (variance) and microstructure of the heart rhythm of sinus origin. HRA has been studied in healthy people and patients with heart failure, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, ischaemic heart disease, and survivors of myocardial infarction. HRA is a particular form of the heart rate variability (HRV) phenomenon related to the changes in the duration of cardiac cycles of sinus origin. HRV is influenced by physical activity, age, gender or time of day. It has been reported that HRA expression differs between day and night. However, its circadian rhythm has not been analysed so far. Moreover, the differences in HRA expression related to gender, level of physical activity or age have not been investigated either. With this study, we aim to explore the circadian rhythm of the HRA features, as well as the relation of the HRA expression to gender, physical activity, sleep pattern and body composition in a group of at least 100 healthy adults of both sexes aged between 19 and 60. This study might provide reference values for HRA as well as confirming or dismissing the existence of circadian rhythm of this physiological phenomenon.

The state of Rondonia in the Brazilian Amazon is prone to diseases transmitted by insect vectors because of the environmental and population changes resulting from large hydroelectric projects and the expansion of agricultural and livestock industries. The first case of Chagas disease by vectorial transmission was recorded in 2019 in a rural area in Rondonia, reinforcing the need for entomological surveillance. Hence, our goal was to estimate the abundance of Rhodnius spp. in palm trees located in rural and periurban areas and in Brazil-Bolivia border regions, perform domiciliary searches, and check for possible associations between triatomines and the presence/absence of palm-inhabiting fauna and outdoor farming, domestic animals, and buildings. The sampling took place in five municipalities of Rondonia in 2014 (June to August) and 2015 (April to June). Triatomines were collected by active searches during the selective pruning of palm tree crowns. Domiciliary inspections lasted from 30 to 60 min. A set of captured triatomines was analyzed for Trypanosoma cruzi and T. rangeli infection by PCR. Overall, 496 insects were captured during sampling of 150 palms in rural areas and 150 in periurban areas. No triatomine was found during active searches of 59 dwelling either indoors or outdoors. The majority of triatomines caught in the palm trees were identified as Rhodnius robustus (98.6%), and seven specimens were R. pictipes. Triatomine infestation was observed in only 20% of the sampled palms (61/300) in the vicinity of 26/59 households. Nearly half of the infested palm trees had only one or two triatomines, and few palms presented more than 15 triatomines. The municipality of Buritis had the highest triatomine abundance and percentage of infested palms; however, the highest triatomine density per infested palm was observed in Alvorada D'Oeste, where a quarter of the palms were infested. Ants, arachnids, termites, reptiles, and rodents were frequently found in palm trees. Dogs were the predominant domestic animals in households, whereas hens and cattle were the main farming animals. Model estimates showed that the number of triatomines was affected by the presence of henhouses and varied strongly between localities. No relationships were detected between the average number of triatomines and palm fauna and/or palm height. Overall, approximately half of the triatomines were infected with T. cruzi (51.4%) and/or T. rangeli (47.2%), reinforcing the need for continuous entomological surveillance and implementation of community-based approaches because the Brazilian state of Rondonia borders areas experiencing reinfestation by domiciled species and potential colonization of animal shelters by triatomines.

Purpose/objective(s) Gliomas are uniformly fatal brain tumours with significant neurological and quality of life detriment to patients. Improvement in outcomes has remained largely unchanged in nearly 20 years. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is often used in diagnosis and management. Machine learning analyses of large-scale MRI data are pivotal in advancing the diagnosis, management and improve outcomes in neuro-oncology. A common challenge to robust machine learning approaches is the lack of large ‘ground truth’ datasets in supervised learning for building classification and prediction models. The creation of these datasets relies on human-expert input and is time-consuming and subjective error-prone, limiting effective machine learning applications. Simulation of mechanistic aspects such as geometry, location and physical properties of brain tumours can generate large-scale ground-truth datasets allowing for comparison of analysis techniques in clinical applications. We aimed to develop a transparent and convenient method for building ‘ground truth’ presentations of simulated glioma lesions on anatomical MRI. Materials/methods The simulation workflow was created using the Feature Manipulation Engine (FME®), a data integration platform specializing in the spatial data processing. By compiling and integrating FME’s functions to read, integrate, transform, validate, save, and display MRI data, and experimenting with ways to manipulate the parameters concerning location, size, shape, and signal intensity with the presentations of glioma, we were able to generate simulated appearances of high-grade gliomas on gadolinium-based high-resolution 3D T1-weighted MRI (1 mm3). Data of patients with canonical high-grade tumours were used as real-world tumours for validating the accuracy of the simulation. Twenty raters who are experienced with brain tumour interpretation on MRI independently completed a survey, designed to distinguish simulated and real-world brain tumours. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for assessing the performance of the approach with the binary classification of simulated vs real-world tumours. Correlation and regression were used in run time analysis, assessing the software toolset’s efficiency in producing different numbers of simulated lesions. Differences in the group means were examined using the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Results The simulation method was developed as an interpretable and useful workflow for the easy creation of tumour simulations and incorporation into 3D MRI. A linear increase in the running time and memory usage was observed with an increasing number of generated lesions. The respondents' accuracy rate ranged between 33.3 and 83.3 %. The sensitivity and specificity were low for a human expert to differentiate simulated lesions from real gliomas (0.43 and 0.58) or vice versa (0.65 and 0.62). The mean scores ranking the real-world gliomas did not differ between the simulated and real tumours. Conclusion The reliable and user-friendly software method can allow for robust simulation of high-grade glioma on MRI. Ongoing research efforts include optimizing the workflow for generating glioma datasets as well as adapting it to simulating additional MRI brain changes.

The paper is devoted to development and studies on atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection in electrocardiogram (ECG) using digital signal processing (DSP) and machine learning (ML). The goal of this pilot study was to find the DSP and ML methods suitable for the AF detection in real-time in short single-lead ECGs containing 32 consecutive cardiac cycles. Three simple Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters from the time domain analysis were calculated and used as features for ML algorithms. Binary decision tree and shallow neural network were used for classification, and the impact of metaparameters on the performance of the AFib detection algorithms was investigated to determine the lower limit of their required complexity. In the neural network, different numbers of hidden neurons and different activation functions were examined. In the decision tree, different limits on the maximum number of splits were set. For both AFib detection algorithms, various sets of HRV-based features were tested. With neural network (two features, ten hidden neurons), 98.3% accuracy, 97.1% sensitivity and 99.1% specificity were obtained. With decision tree (two features, seven splits), 96.9% accuracy, 96.3% sensitivity and 97.4% specificity were reached. This study shows the usefulness of neural network and decision tree algorithms for the detection of atrial fibrillation using the simplest HRV parameters. The use of more complex HRV parameters in AFib detection with the proposed ML algorithms requires further investigation.

Introduction: As the average lifespan becomes longer, the number of cases of chronic shin ulcers is rising, which is slowly becoming a societal problem. Currently, there no methods for objective evaluation of ulcer healing process. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to assess the use of high-frequency ultrasound to monitor the healing of shin ulcers subjected to laser biostimulation. Material and methods: The study included 8 patients (4 men and 4 women) aged from 46 to 81 years with 9 shin ulcers in whom the healing process did not progress within 8 weeks despite effective causal treatment. The ulcers were subjected to laser biostimulation. The induced changes were monitored using high-frequency ultrasound and photographic records. Ultrasound examination was used to assess the depth of ulceration and the thickness of granulation tissue, migrating epidermis, subepidermal low-echogenic band (SLEB) and epidermis in the immediate vicinity. The wound severity index and ulcer vascularity were also assessed. Results: As a result of laser therapy, in 7 out of 9 cases the ulcers healed completely and in the remaining 2 cases ulcer size was reduced. During the ulcer healing process induced by laser therapy, ultrasound examination revealed decreasing ulcer depth, wound severity index and SLEB thickness. Granulation tissue increased in thickness and there was an epidermal formation effect (newly formed epidermis was much thicker than the one surrounding the wound and became thicker as a result of laser therapy sessions). During the healing of ulcers induced by laser therapy no significant changes were observed in ulcer vascularity and thickness of the surrounding epidermis. Conclusions: High-frequency ultrasound is a useful technique for the imaging of leg ulcers. It allows one to monitor their healing process induced by laser biostimulation. Further research on the subject needs to be pursued.

Objetivou-se neste estudo conhecer o itinerario percorrido por pessoas portadores de doenca de Huntington (DH) em busca de diagnostico e tratamento. Fizeram parte da pesquisa cinco pessoas com DH. A porta de entrada do itinerario identificado nesta pesquisa foi a Atencao Primaria em Saude, focando nos procedimentos realizados, incluindo exames laboratoriais e encaminhamentos para outros niveis de complexidade. Quanto a atencao secundaria e terciaria averiguou-se que costumam ser procuradas para a realizacao de exames mais complexos, como ressonância magnetica, tomografias, atendimentos especializados. As instituicoes privadas e os centros de pesquisa academica aparecem quando ofertam exames e apoio terapeutico. A trajetoria das pessoas portadoras de doencas raras em busca do diagnostico correto e carregada de dificuldades e revelaram que frequentemente ficam “perdidos” dentro da rede de atencao a saude (RAS), percorrendo caminhos sem a devida orientacao quando estao na tentativa de obter alguma resolutividade para seus problemas.