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This chapter treats Apollodorus the Mythographer (regularly referred to as Ps.-Apollodorus), the probably 1st-century ce writer who produced the Bibliotheca (Library), the most complete—although not perfectly so—and finest work of systematizing mythographer to survive from antiquity. A summary account is provided of our knowledge of the otherwise unknown author, evidence for his date, the nature of his work, his literary and intellectual ambitions, and the nature of the narrative, which gives a broad overview of Greek myth arranged chronologically from primordial times to the generation after the Trojan War. Attention is given as well to the question of Apollodorus’s sources, which has dominated modern scholarship. An account of the state of the text and how it was passed down is sketched.

The main aim of this chapter is to survey and problematize our current state of knowledge of mythographical scholarship during the Hellenistic period. This era is widely considered crucial in the formation of mythography, but aside from the surviving work of Palaephatus, all the other evidence is scattered, fragmentary, and difficult to interpret. The chapter presents three case studies considering the work of Asclepiades of Tragilus, Lysimachus of Alexandria, and Apollodorus of Athens to test the identification of these three authors as mythographers and finds the evidence inconclusive, highlighting the need for new and further research into myth reception in the Hellenistic era.

This introduction provides an overview of the contents of the handbook and attempts to situate the information and arguments of the individual chapters in the context of Greek and Roman mythographical studies today, which have changed dramatically in the last three decades. Additionally, a brief survey of the shifting modes of mythography in antiquity is presented. While a simple exposition is impossible and a complete overarching theory and definition cannot be provided, we note how many of the contributions point toward mythography as a mental orientation or intellectual impulse rather than a clear-cut genre—which better explains the great variety of mythographical products and the numerous occasions where mythography was integrated into other writing practices in the ancient world.

Tracing the role of myth and mythography throughout the main periods of a student’s career, this chapter articulates the way that educational practices reflect and reinforce a mythographical mindset, one that organizes and employs mythical data in a variety of ways. From the very beginning students were asked to learn mythical names and combine like with like, then (under a grammaticus) copy and create their own mythical narratives (systematic mythography); as their rhetorical training progressed (under a rhetor), these same students were asked to manipulate myths in new ways, to raise objections (similar to rationalization), to defend the account (similar to allegorizing), and to create more advanced compositions in encomium, comparison and ethopoiia.

Many people with hemophilia A (PwHA) undergo surgery in their lifetime, often because of complications of their disease. Emicizumab is the first bispecific monoclonal antibody prophylactic therapy for PwHA, and its efficacy and safety have been previously demonstrated; however, there is a need to build an evidence base on the management of PwHA on emicizumab undergoing surgery. Data from the HAVEN 1-4 phase 3 clinical trials were pooled to provide a summary of all minor and major surgeries in PwHA with or without factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors who were receiving emicizumab prophylaxis. Overall, 233 surgeries were carried out during the HAVEN 1-4 trials: 215 minor surgeries (including minor dental and joint procedures, central venous access device placement or removal, and endoscopies) in 115 PwHA (64 with FVIII inhibitors) and 18 major surgeries (including arthroplasty and synovectomy) in 18 PwHA (10 with FVIII inhibitors). Perioperative hemostatic support was at the discretion of the treating physician. Overall, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 33.5 (13.0-49.0) years and the median (IQR) emicizumab exposure time before surgery was 278.0 (177.0-431.0) days. Among the 215 minor surgeries, 141 (65.6%) were managed without additional prophylactic factor concentrate, and of those, 121 (85.8%) were not associated with a postoperative bleed. The majority (15 of 18 [83.3%]) of major surgeries were managed with additional prophylactic factor concentrate. Twelve (80.0%) of these 15 surgeries were associated with no intraoperative or postoperative bleeds. The data demonstrate that minor and major surgeries can be performed safely in PwHA receiving emicizumab prophylaxis. These trials are registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02622321, #NCT02795767, #NCT02847637, and #NCT03020160.

Sports coaching is traditionally a male-dominated profession all over the world, though there is no explicit evidence that either gender outperforms the other in this profession. The current paper aimed to uncover the differences between female and male coaches regarding their pedagogical and professional beliefs. A total of 357 basketball coaches (30.8% women and 69.2% men) working in Hungary responded to an online questionnaire. A background analysis of the sample revealed that most of the coaches manage youth teams and that women coach younger age groups than men. Female coaches proved to be more educated than their male counterparts, both in general and on a professional level. The results showed that, regardless of gender, the coaches were well aware of their pedagogical functions. Significant differences were found in terms of relationships, personal development, motivation, and discipline; the women reported higher values in all cases. Female coaches were also more concerned about factors that help gain respect and appreciation. Based on the results, education, qualifications, and pedagogical and professional views of coaches do not justify the underrepresentation of women in sports coaching. Club managers, sports federation boards, and other decision makers should promote programs that are aimed at engaging more women in sports coaching.

This chapter centres on Heliodorus 2.4.1–4, where the reader encounters a lament delivered by the hero Theagenes over his apparent loss of Chariclea at a point in the narrative almost immediately after another lament by the same character for the same reason. Following the lead of medieval readers such as Philagathos of Cerami, Michael Psellos, and one of the writers of the Digenes Akrites tradition, whose works reveal a keen interest in and specific mode of reception of the passage in question in connection with lamentation and grief, an interpretation is offered that connects the twin laments of Theagenes with other doubled features of Heliodorus’ narrative in the first book of the novel, creating an interwoven set of correspondences that function both structurally and narratively to ‘train’ readers to read the Aethiopica.

The 32-item Motor Function Measure (MFM32) is an assessment of motor function used to evaluate fine and gross motor ability in patients with neuromuscular disorders, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Reliability and validity of the MFM32 have been documented in individuals with SMA. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews (N = 40) and an online survey in eight countries (N = 217) with individuals with Types 2 and 3 SMA aged 2–59 years old and caregivers, the meaning of changes on a patient-friendly version of the MFM32 was explored. In an independent analysis of clinical trial data, anchor- and distribution-based analyses were conducted in a sample of individuals with Type 2 and non-ambulant Type 3 SMA to estimate patient-centered quantitative MFM32 meaningful change thresholds. The results from this study demonstrate that, based on patient and caregiver insights, maintaining functional ability as assessed by a patient-friendly version of the MFM32 is an important outcome. Quantitative analyses using multiple anchors (median age range of 5–8 years old across anchor groups) indicated that an ~3-point improvement in MFM32 total score represents meaningful change at the individual patient level. Overall, the qualitative and quantitative findings from this study support the importance of examining a range of meaningful change thresholds on the MFM32 including ≥0 points change reflecting stabilization or improvement and ≥3 points change reflecting a higher threshold of improvement. Future research is needed to explore quantitative differences in meaningful change on the MFM32 based on age and functional subgroups.

Jednym z fundamentalnych pytań w dziedzinie biologii jest to, w jaki sposób dwumetrowa nić DNA upakowana jest w jądrze o średnicy około 10 µm. Odpowiedzi na to pytanie udzielić może mikroskopia XXI w. Choć pierwsze mikroskopy powstały już w XVI w., to dopiero od kilkunastu lat (dzięki obejściu bariery dyfrakcyjnej ograniczającej rozdzielczość) możemy mówić o mikroskopii superrozdzielczej. Z każdym rokiem zaawansowane techniki mikroskopowe, wraz z rozwojem metod biochemicznych oraz obliczeniowych, przybliżają nas do odpowiedzi na to pytanie. Niniejsza praca ma na celu przedstawienie Czytelnikowi wstępu do badań nad organizacją chromatyny oraz przegląd technik mikroskopowych stosowanych w tych badaniach, z uwzględnieniem ich zalet oraz ograniczeń. Przy każdej z metod przedstawiono przykłady prac i odkryć uzyskanych dzięki nim. Ponieważ mikroskopia rozwija się bardzo dynamicznie w przeciągu ostatnich kilkunastu lat, opisane zostały w większości przypadków prace najnowsze. Przykłady te pozwalają Czytelnikowi zorientować się w postępie w badaniach nad organizacją chromatyny, a także (w połączeniu z opisem samych technik) w wybraniu odpowiednich metod obrazowania na etapie planowania własnych badań.

BackgroundBioimaging techniques offer a robust tool for studying molecular pathways and morphological phenotypes of cell populations subjected to various conditions. As modern high resolution 3D microscopy provides access to an ever-increasing amount of high quality images, there arises a need for their analysis in an automated, unbiased and simple way.Segmentation of structures within cell nucleus, which is the focus of this paper, presents a new layer of complexity in the form of dense packing and significant signal overlap.At the same time the available segmentation tools provide a steep learning curve for new users with limited technical background. This is especially apparent in bulk processing of image sets, which requires the use of some form of programming notation.ResultsIn this paper, we present PartSeg, a tool for segmentation and reconstruction of 3D microscopy images, optimised for the study of cell nucleus. PartSeg integrates refined versions of several state-of-the-art algorithms, including a new multi-scale approach for segmentation and quantitative analysis of 3D microscopy images.The features and user-friendly interface of PartSeg were carefully planned with biologists in mind, based on analysis of multiple use cases and difficulties encountered with other tools, to offer ergonomic interface with a minimal entry barrier. Bulk processing in an ad-hoc manner is possible without the need for programmer support. As the size of datasets of interest grows, such bulk processing solutions become essential for proper statistical analysis of results.Advanced users can use PartSeg components as a library within Python data processing and visualisation pipelines, for example within Jupyter notebooks. The tool is extensible so that new functionality and algorithms can be added by the use of plugins.For biologists the utility of PartSeg is presented in several scenarios, showing the quantitative analysis of nuclear structures.ConclusionsIn this paper, we have presented PartSeg which is a tool for precise and verifiable segmentation and reconstruction of 3D microscopy images. PartSeg is optimised for cell nucleus analysis and offers multiscale segmentation algorithms best-suited for this task. PartSeg can also be used for bulk processing of multiple images and its components can be reused in other systems or computational experiments.Contactg.bokota@cent.uw.edu.pl, a.magalska@nencki.edu.pl, d.plewczynski@cent.uw.edu.pl

Spatial chromatin organization is crucial for transcriptional regulation and might therefore be particularly dynamic in neurons since these terminally differentiated cells dramatically change their transcriptome in response to external stimuli. Here, we show that stimulation of neurons causes condensation of large chromatin domains. We find that this phenomenon is not only induced in rat hippocampal neurons cultured in vitro, but is also present in vivo in amygdala neurons of rats subjected to fear conditioning, and hippocampal neurons of animals subjected to kainate evoked seizures or High-Frequency Stimulation (HFS). The activity-induced chromatin condensation is an active, very rapid, and reversible process, that is independent of transcription and precedes the expression of Immediate Early Genes (IEG). It is accompanied by the redistribution of posttranslational modifications of histones, and rearrangements in the spatial organization of chromosome territories. Moreover, it leads to the reorganization of nuclear speckles and active domains located in their proximity. Finally, we find that neurons depleted of the histone deacetylase HDAC1 fail to condense chromatin upon stimulation, a phenomenon that can be fully reversed by the introduction of human HDAC1. Taken together, our results suggest that the HDAC1-dependent chromatin reorganization might constitute an important level of fine-tuning of transcriptional regulation in stimulated neurons.

Purpose The multidimensional role of hamstring muscle group strength in athletic performance and injury prevention is well documented, and nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is a popular method for the development of hamstring strength. Our aim was to examine the EMG characteristics of the eccentric NHE as well as the effects of long-term eccentric NHE training on muscle strength and vertical jump performance in 10- to 11-year-old female handball players. Methods Players from the same handball team were randomly assigned to an eccentric NHE training (13 players) or a control group (10 players). Both groups continued their regular handball training routine, but the NHE group performed additional eccentric NHE exercises once or twice a week, with progressively increasing volume, over 20 weeks. To test training effects, countermovement jump (CMJ) height, eccentric hamstring impulse, peak torque, and angle of peak torque were evaluated before, during and after the training period. In the pre-exercise test, EMG activity of the medial and lateral hamstring muscle was also assessed during NHE. Results Hamstring activities ranged between 98 and 129%. Lateral hamstring activity was greater than medial only in the right leg during NHE. Eccentric hamstring impulse improved in both legs at 10 weeks in both groups. Then, at 20 weeks, it remained unchanged in the NHE but decreased in controls. A similar adaptation was seen in eccentric hamstring torque, without change in the optimum knee angle. CMJ height improved only in the NHE. Conclusion It is concluded that NHE activates the hamstring musculature effectively, and a favourable mechanical adaptation to long-term NHE exercise in girls can be triggered as early as 11 years of age.

OBJECTIVE Constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) is a tempo variant with a good prognosis. Healthy late-maturing adolescents grow slower than postulated by age-related references, and therefore, CDGP is frequently confused with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). For differential diagnosis, height velocity references for CDGP are needed. DESIGN AND PATIENTS Here, we provide height velocity data for late-maturing boys based on mixed longitudinal and cross-sectional observations in a group of 38 German adolescents with proven CDGP and compare them with cross-sectional observations in a group of 164 adolescents with organic GHD from the National Cooperative Growth Study registry. RESULTS In the critical age interval from 13.4 to 14.9 years, the growth of prepubertal adolescents with CDGP was faster (mean/median height velocity, 5.2/5.4 cm/years; quartiles, 4.4-6.2 cm/years) than that of prepubertal adolescents with organic GHD (3.5/3.2 cm/years; quartiles, 2.0-4.4 cm/years) in the cross-sectional analysis (p

Background Recent efficacy studies of asthma biologics have included highly enriched patient populations. Using a similar approach, we examined factors that predict response to omalizumab to facilitate selection of patients most likely to derive the greatest clinical benefit from therapy. Methods Data from two phase III clinical trials of omalizumab in patients with allergic asthma were examined. Differences in rates of asthma exacerbations between omalizumab and placebo groups during the 16-week inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose-stable phase were evaluated with respect to baseline blood eosinophil counts (eosinophils

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. Allergen sensitization and high frequencies of comorbid allergic diseases are characteristic of severe asthma in children. Omalizumab, an anti-IgE mAb, is the first targeted biologic therapeutic approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe persistent allergic asthma (AA) that remains uncontrolled despite high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus other controller medications. Since its initial licensing for use in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older, the clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability of omalizumab have been demonstrated in several published clinical trials in children aged 6 to less than 12 years with moderate-to-severe AA. These studies supported the approval of the pediatric indication (use in children aged ≥6 years) by the European Medicines Agency in 2009 and the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016. After this most recent change in licensing, we review the outcomes from clinical trials in children with persistent AA receiving omalizumab therapy and observational studies from the past 7 years of clinical experience in Europe. Data sources were identified by using PubMed in 2016. Guidelines and management recommendations and materials from the recent US Food and Drug Administration's Pediatric Advisory Committee meeting are also reviewed.

Introduction: Emicizumab is a subcutaneously administered, bispecific, humanized monoclonal antibody that bridges factor (F)IXa and FX to restore the function of missing activated FVIII in persons with hemophilia A (PwHA). This study (NCT03361137) was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of emicizumab prophylaxis in PwHA with or without FVIII inhibitors undergoing minor surgical procedures without additional prophylaxis with bypassing agents (BPAs; for patients with FVIII inhibitors) or FVIII (for patients without FVIII inhibitors). Methods: This Phase IV, multicenter, single-arm, open-label study enrolled PwHA of any age, with or without FVIII inhibitors, who were scheduled to undergo minor surgical procedures. Patients were required to have received a minimum of four loading doses of emicizumab (3mg/kg once weekly for 4 weeks) prior to surgical procedure; subsequent maintenance doses of emicizumab were 1.5mg/kg once weekly, 3mg/kg every 2 weeks, or 6mg/kg every 4 weeks. Patients were required to be adherent to emicizumab prophylaxis. Treatment with emicizumab was scheduled to continue for at least 1 month after surgery. No other prophylactic treatment with coagulation factor was permitted. Outcome measures included incidence of excessive bleeding intra-operatively and until discharge from surgery, use of BPAs or FVIII to control bleeding (intra- and post-operatively), incidence of adverse events (AEs), and the percentage of patients with complications requiring hospitalization or return to surgery. Excessive bleeding was defined as a rating of fair to poor on the hemostatic rating scale and translates to an intra- and/or post-operative blood loss of ≥25% over expectation for a patient without hemophilia prior to discharge from surgery. Patients were followed for 28 days following discharge from surgery. Results: Between June 28, 2018 and March 13, 2020, 14 PwHA undergoing minor surgeries were enrolled (with FVIII inhibitors n=11; without FVIII inhibitors n=3); one PwHA with FVIII inhibitors enrolled but did not have surgery and discontinued prematurely, therefore the surgery analysis population comprised 13 patients (with FVIII inhibitors n=10; without FVIII inhibitors n=3). The majority (78.6%) of those enrolled were Conclusions: In this study of mostly pediatric PwHA with and without FVIII inhibitors receiving emicizumab prophylaxis, minor surgeries were safely performed. The majority of surgeries were performed without additional prophylactic coagulation factor, however the small sample size should be considered here. There were no serious AEs, TEs, TMAs, or deaths. These findings are consistent with results from previous studies of patients undergoing minor surgery while receiving emicizumab prophylaxis. Disclosures Escobar: National Hemophilia Foundation: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech, Inc.: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novo Nordisk: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Dunn:Genentech, Inc.: Consultancy; Nationwide Children's Hospital: Current Employment; World Federation of Hemophilia USA: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Medscape: Honoraria; Spire: Honoraria; ATHN: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; BioMarin: Research Funding; uniQure: Consultancy. Quon:Octapharma: Honoraria; Bayer: Honoraria; Biomarin: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Bioverativ/Sanofi: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Genentech, Inc./F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Novo Nordisk: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Shire/Takeda: Speakers Bureau; Orthopaedic Institute for Children: Current Employment. Trzaskoma:Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months. Lee:Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Ko:Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Carpenter:Novo Nordisk: Honoraria; Genentech, Inc.: Honoraria; American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CSL Behring: Research Funding; Shire: Research Funding; Hemostasis & Thrombosis Research Society: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; American Academy of Pediatrics: Other: PREP Heme/Onc editorial board; Kedrion: Honoraria.

The human genome is extensively folded into 3-dimensional organization. However, the detailed 3D chromatin folding structures have not been fully visualized due to the lack of robust and ultra-resolution imaging capability. Here, we report the development of an electron microscopy method that combines serial block-face scanning electron microscopy with in situ hybridization (3D-EMISH) to visualize 3D chromatin folding at targeted genomic regions with ultra-resolution (5 × 5 × 30 nm in xyz dimensions) that is superior to the current super-resolution by fluorescence light microscopy. We apply 3D-EMISH to human lymphoblastoid cells at a 1.7 Mb segment of the genome and visualize a large number of distinctive 3D chromatin folding structures in ultra-resolution. We further quantitatively characterize the reconstituted chromatin folding structures by identifying sub-domains, and uncover a high level heterogeneity of chromatin folding ultrastructures in individual nuclei, suggestive of extensive dynamic fluidity in 3D chromatin states., The genome is folded in 3-dimensions, though the lack of robust ultra-resolution imaging makes this difficult to visualise. Here, the authors present 3D-EMISH that combines serial block-face scanning electron microscopy with in situ hybridization.

Background Omalizumab improves clinical outcomes in patients with asthma. Several studies have shown lung function improvements with omalizumab; however, this has not been examined exclusively in adolescents. Objective To assess the effect of omalizumab on lung function and eosinophil counts in adolescents with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe allergic asthma. Methods In this post hoc analysis, data from adolescents aged 12 to 17 years from 8 randomized trials of omalizumab were pooled (studies 008, 009, and 011, and SOLAR, INNOVATE, ALTO, ETOPA, and EXTRA). Changes from baseline to end of study in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), percent predicted FEV1 (ppFEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and blood eosinophil counts were assessed by fitting an analysis of covariance model and calculating least squares mean (LSM) difference for omalizumab vs placebo. Results A total of 340 adolescents were identified (omalizumab, n = 203 [59.7%]; placebo, n = 137 [40.3%]). Omalizumab increased all baseline lung function variables more than placebo by end of study: LSM treatment differences (95% confidence interval) were 3.0% (0.2%-5.7%; P = .035), 120.9 mL (30.6-211.2 mL; P = .009), and 101.5 mL (8.3-194.6 mL; P = .033) for ppFEV1, absolute FEV1, and FVC, respectively. The LSM difference demonstrated a greater reduction in eosinophil counts for omalizumab vs placebo: −85.9 cells/μL (−137.1 to −34.6 cells/μL; P = .001). Conclusion Omalizumab was associated with lung function improvements and circulating eosinophil counts reductions in adolescents with moderate-to-severe uncontrolled asthma. Findings emphasize the effect of omalizumab in young patients and the need to optimize treatment early in the disease course. https://clinicaltrials.gov/: NCT00314574, NCT00046748, NCT00401596

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236266.].

Normal pericardium consists of an outer sac called fibrous pericardium and an inner one called serous pericardium. The two layers of serous pericardium: visceral and parietal are separated by the pericardial cavity, which contains 20 to 60 mL of the plasma ultrafiltrate. The pericardium acts as mechanical protection for the heart and big vessels, and a lubrication to reduce friction between the heart and the surrounding structures. A very important role in all aspects of pericardial functions is played by mesothelial cells. The mesothelial cells form a monolayer lining the serosal cavity and play an important role in antigen presentation, inflammation and tissue repair, coagulation and fibrinolysis. The two major types of mesothelial cells, flat or cuboid, differ substantially in their ultrastructure and, probably, functions. The latter display abundant microvilli, RER, Golgi dense bodies, membrane-bound vesicles and intracellular vacuoles containing electron-dense material described as dense bodies. The normal structure and functions of the pericardium determine correct healing after its injury as a result of surgery or microbial infection. The unfavorable resolution of acute or chronic pericarditis leads to the formation of adhesions between pericardial leaflets which may lead to serious complications.

Recently in the pages of The Classical Quarterly Mathias Hanses convincingly demonstrated the existence of a fourth occurrence of the programmatic adjective λεπτός in Aratus, Phaen. 783–7. This new example occurs in the form of a diagonal acrostic alongside the known ‘gamma-acrostic’ (formed by the λεπτή that is the first word of the passage and the vertical acrostic λεπτή made up of the first letters of each line) and the occurrence of the same form of the adjective in line 784. Jerzy Danielewicz has now proposed yet a fifth instance of λεπτή in the form of an acronym spread over two lines and meant to be read anticlockwise.

The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of rehabilitation protocol applied during competitive period for the treatment of patellar tendinopathy. A total of 28 male volleyball players were divided into two groups. Fifteen from experimental group (E) and 13 from control group (C) fulfilled the same tests 3 times: before the training program started (first measurement), after 12 weeks (second measurement) and after 24 weeks (third measurement). The above-mentioned protocol included the following: USG imagining with color Doppler function, clinical testing, pain intensity evaluation with VISA-P questionnaire, leg muscle strength and power and jumping ability measurements. The key element of the rehabilitation program was eccentric squat on decline board with additional unstable surface. The essential factor of the protocol was a set of preventive functional exercises, with focus on eccentric exercises of hamstrings. Patellar tendinopathy was observed in 18% of the tested young volleyball players. Implementation of the presented rehabilitation protocol with eccentric squat on decline board applied during sports season lowered the pain level of the young volleyball players. Presented rehabilitation protocol applied without interrupting the competitive period among young volleyball players together with functional exercises could be an effective method for the treatment of patellar tendinopathy.

Background Postural stability is of great importance because imbalances and muscle weakness are significant risk factors for falls experienced by the elderly. Hip arthrosis, which causes pain and gait disorders that affect balance control, is common in the ageing population. Aim The aim of this study was to assess postural stability in patients with unilateral hip arthrosis before total hip arthroplasty. Methods The study population consisted of 52 patients with hip arthrosis (study group) and 47 subjects with no history of clinical symptoms of hip pain. The groups did not differ statistically in terms of age and BMI. Static balance was assessed by conducting a quantitative analysis of balance reaction parameters in a quiet standing position with the eyes open and closed. Results Analysis of the collected data revealed numerous statistically significant differences between patients with unilateral hip arthrosis before total hip arthoplasty and the asymptomatic group for parameters tested with eyes closed (p

BACKGROUND: Decrease of physiological curvatures of the spine can lead to back pain. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the curvatures of the spine and body posture parameters in three positions: relaxed standing, relaxed sitting, corrected sitting. METHODS: The study included 40 healthy persons aged 18–32 years (mean 24.7 ± 2.3), with body height 152–195 cm (mean 171.8 ± 9.3), weight 47–115 kg (mean 66.4 ± 13.7), BMI 17.9–32.5 kg/m 2 (mean 22.3 ± 3.0). The study was performed using the photogrammetric method. RESULTS: After changing the position from relaxed standing to relaxed sitting, significant decrease of the inclination of the thoracolumbar region, the thoracic kyphosis depth and the lumbar lordosis depth were observed. Lumbar lordosis angle increased significantly. After the sitting position correction, the inclination of the upper thoracic and thoracolumbar region decreased, and the depth of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis increased. CONCLUSIONS: 1. In the relaxed sitting position, the lumbar lordosis was significantly smaller than in the standing position. 2. A change from the standing to the sitting position results in flattening of thoracic kyphosis. 3. The corrected sitting position does not adequately correct the spinal curvatures.

Background Few data are available that describe response patterns in patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU)/chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) treated with omalizumab. Objective We sought to describe response patterns by using data from the 3 pivotal omalizumab CIU/CSU trials. Methods Every 4 weeks, randomized patients received dosing with placebo or 75, 150, or 300 mg of omalizumab (ASTERIA I: n = 318, 24 weeks; ASTERIA II: n = 322, 12 weeks) or placebo or 300 mg of omalizumab (GLACIAL: n = 335, 24 weeks). Response was defined as well-controlled urticaria (weekly Urticaria Activity Score [UAS7] ≤ 6) or complete response (UAS7 = 0). Results Response rates were dose dependent and highest with 300 mg of omalizumab. Some patients responded early (before week 4). At week 12, a higher proportion of patients treated with 300 mg of omalizumab reported a UAS7 ≤ 6 (26.0% [75 mg of omalizumab], 40.0% [150 mg of omalizumab], 51.9% [300 mg of omalizumab], and 11.3% [placebo] for ASTERIA I; 26.8% [75 mg of omalizumab], 42.7% [150 mg of omalizumab], 65.8% [300 mg of omalizumab], and 19.0% [placebo] for ASTERIA II; and 52.4% [300 mg of omalizumab] and 12.0% [placebo] for GLACIAL) or a UAS7=0 (11.7% [75 mg of omalizumab], 15.0% [150 mg of omalizumab], 35.8% [300 mg of omalizumab], and 8.8% [placebo] for ASTERIA I; 15.9% [75 mg of omalizumab], 22.0% [150 mg of omalizumab], 44.3% [300 mg of omalizumab], and 5.1% [placebo] for ASTERIA II; and 33.7% [300 mg of omalizumab] and 4.8% [placebo] for GLACIAL). In patients receiving 300 mg of omalizumab with 24 weeks of treatment, median time to achieve a UAS7 ≤ 6 was 6 weeks (ASTERIA I and GLACIAL) and median time to achieve a UAS7=0 was 12 or 13 weeks (ASTERIA I and GLACIAL, respectively). Some patients who achieved well-controlled urticaria or complete response sustained response throughout the treatment period. Conclusion Benefits of omalizumab treatment were evident early (before week 4) in some patients and persisted to week 24. Use of 300 mg of omalizumab demonstrated best results in controlling CIU/CSU symptoms.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Spinal canal stenosis is the most common reason for spinal surgeries in patients over 65 years of age. The aim of the study was to assess static balance in patients prior to and after surgical decompression of lumbar spinal canal stenosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study population consisted of 30 patients suffering from spinal canal stenosis. Their static balance was measured, i.e. quantitative analysis of balance reaction parameters in quiet standing was performed. RESULTS The analysis of the collected data did not reveal any statistically significant differences between parameters measured prior to and after the surgery (for p< 0.05). A tendency for a decrease of measured parameters was observed. The regularity of changes was determined; in addition, for this analysis, the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of the collected data did not reveal any statistically significant improvement of balance reactions after spinal canal stenosis surgery. In spite of pain reduction, there was no improvement in balance reactions, as behavioural patterns for balance reactions had been fossilised before surgery.

The aim of this study was an evaluation of the musculoskeletal system in women and men with Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH). The study included 87 participants- 40 with Generalized Joint Hypermobility (aged 21.2 ±1.8 years) and 47 (aged 21.0 ±1.3 years) in the control group (CG). The study included the Beighton score, the measurements of body composition, muscle flexibility (Straight Leg Raise test, Popliteal Angle test, Modified Thomas Test), and the measurements of muscle strength and muscle power. T-test and Mann-Whitney U Test were applied to assess the differences between independent groups. The study showed that there were no significant differences (p>.05) in the assessed body composition and the muscle flexibility between both women and men with GJH and the participants in the CG. Under isokinetic conditions for the non-dominant lower extremity, men from the CG received significantly higher (p = .02) flexion peak torque at 180°/s angular velocity. Women from the CG received a statistically significantly lower (p = .04) F/E ratio at 180°/s velocity. Under isometric conditions for both women and men with GJH, there were no statistically significant differences (p>.05) in the maximum torques in knee extension and flexion compared to the CG. For women and men with GJH, the maximum power in the lower extremities and jumping ability were not significantly different (p>.05) compared to the CG participants. The body composition, muscle flexibility, muscle strength, and muscle power of adults with Generalized Joint Hypermobility did not differ compared to healthy participants. The fact that there are no differences does not exclude the efficacy of strength training in increasing levels of muscle strength and its impact on body posture and proprioception or coordination.