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Background Theta burst stimulation (TBS), a patterned repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protocol with shorter simulation duration and lower stimulus intensity, could be a better protocol for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our study aimed to explore the impacts of intermittent TBS (iTBS) over the bilateral posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) on intellectually able adults with ASD. Material and methods In this randomized, single-blinded, sham-controlled crossover trial, 13 adults with ASD completed iTBS for 5 consecutive days over the bilateral pSTS and inion (as a sham control) in a 16-weeks interval and in a randomly assigned order. The neuropsychological function was measured with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) for cognitive flexibility while the clinical outcomes were measured with both self-rate and parents-rate Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) before and after 5-day iTBS interventions. Results The results revealed significantly immediate effects of multi-session iTBS over the bilateral pSTS on parent-rate autistic symptoms in adults with ASD. The post-hoc analysis revealed the impacts of multi-session iTBS on cognitive flexibility were affected by baseline social-communicative impairment and baseline cognitive performance. Besides, the impacts of multi-session iTBS on clinical symptoms was affected by the concurrent psychotropic medication use and baseline autistic symptoms. Conclusions Given the caveat of the small sample size and discrepancy of multiple informants, this pilot study suggests the therapeutic potential of 5-day multi-session iTBS over the pSTS in adults with ASD. Individual factors modulating the response to rTMS should be explicitly considered in the future trial.

In this paper, a compact and low-profile beam steering circularly polarized folded reflectarray antenna (CPFRA) with low scan loss for wide-angle coverage is proposed and designed. In order to obtain lower scan loss over a wider beam coverage range (BCR), a multibeam optimization method considering the illumination weighting factor is introduced to obtain minimum phase errors for the designed beam direction. To improve antenna compactness and alleviate the mutual couplings among multiple feeding sources, small-size substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity-backed slot antennas are employed as the feeding sources, which are integrated with the single-layer reflector board. An incident angle insensitive circular polarizer is designed and integrated over the antenna aperture to achieve circularly polarized (CP) radiation over a wide BCR. At last, a 15-beam CPFRA working at Ka-band, with size 140 mm × 140 mm is designed, manufactured, and measured to validate the proposed design method. Measurement results show that the designed CPFRA can achieve a rather flat gain, with only a 2.1 dB scan loss, across the wide 3-dB BCR of ±29°. The good CP beams are formed over the entire coverage range without any blind zone. With the advantages of wide-angle coverage, low scan loss, and high integration, the proposed beam steering antenna is promising in applications such as 5G communication, radar imaging, and target recognition.

Inhibition of hypoxia‐induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis is considered as an important treatment method for ischemic heart diseases, but related drugs are still insufficient. The present study aims to explore the protective function and mechanism of the key Chinese medicine monomer diosmetin (DIOS) on the injury of cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia. Here, AC16 and HCM‐a cells were treated with 40 μM of DIOS under hypoxic environment and a hypoxic rat model was built to study the role of DIOS. The viability and autophagy of cardiomyocytes were increased, but the apoptosis of cells was suppressed by 40 μM DIOS, under hypoxic environment. Intriguingly, 10 mM 3‐methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, reversed the effect of DIOS on autophagy and apoptosis of the cardiomyocytes under hypoxia. Furthermore, DIOS induced AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and Compound C (5 μM), an AMPK inhibitor, attenuated the inhibition of DIOS on the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes under hypoxia environment. In isoprenaline‐induced hypoxic rats, it was verified that DIOS inhibited apoptosis, accelerated autophagy, and activated AMPKα pathway in vivo. Our findings indicated that DIOS alleviated hypoxia‐induced myocardial apoptosis via inducing the activation of AMPK‐induced autophagy. In summary, the study suggested that DIOS inhibited the apoptosis and induced the autophagy of hypoxia‐induced cardiomyocytes through AMPK activation.

Мета дослідження. Порівняти динаміку рівня рухової функції на тлі імплантації макропористого гідрогелю в поєднанні зі стовбуровими клітинами кісткового мозку (СККМ) та нейрогенними стовбуровими клітинами (НСК) на моделі лівобічного половинного перетину (ЛПП) спинного мозку зрілого щура. Матеріали та методи. Як первинні цифрові дані використано емпіричний матеріал, отриманий у ряді попередніх досліджень (Цимбалюк В.І. та співавт., 2016, 2017). Тварини — білі щури-самці (ДУ «Інститут нейрохірургії імені акад. А.П. Ромоданова НАМН України»; інбредна лінія на основі Wistar; групи ЛПП, ЛПП + NG) та щури-самці лінії Wistar (Інститут фізіології імені О.О. Богомольця НАН України; групи ЛПП + НСК та ЛПП + СККМ) віком 5 міс., масою 250 г. Експериментальні групи: ЛПП — ЛПП спинного мозку на рівні Т11 (n = 40); ЛПП + NG — ЛПП + негайна гомотопічна імплантація фрагмента макропористого гідрогелю (NeuroGelTM (NG); n = 20); ЛПП + НСК — ЛПП + аналогічна імплантація фрагмента макропористого гідрогелю, асоційованого з фетальними НСК миші (n = 20); ЛПП + СККМ — ЛПП + аналогічна імплантація фрагмента макропористого гідрогелю, асоційованого із СККМ зрілої миші (n = 16). Моніторинг показника функції (ПФ) паретичної кінцівки — шкала Вasso — Вeattie — Вresnahan; розрахунок тижневого приросту ПФ, прискорення приросту, а також статистичний аналіз — у межах програмного пакету Statistica 10.0. Результати. Динаміка ПФ на тлі трансплантації у зону травми НСК та СККМ у комплексі з макропористим гідрогелем суттєво відрізняється протягом першого місяця спостереження. Для групи ЛПП + НСК характерна максимальна швидкість відновлення рухової функції на 1-му тижні, менша — впродовж 2–3-го тижня. Для груп ЛПП + СККМ та ЛПП + NG максимальна активність відновлення рухової функції виявлена на 2-му тижні. Різниця може бути обумовлена характерним для СККМ проангіогенним впливом та гліогенним диференціюванням НСК. Висновки. Імплантація макропористого гідрогелю в комплексі з НСК чи СККМ у зону травми спинного мозку суттєво покращує відновлення рухової функції паретичної кінцівки, впливаючи на різні патофізіологічні механізми протягом гострого, раннього та проміжного періодів спінальної травми.

Terahertz (THz) technology offers multifaceted capabilities and disruptive applications in line-of-sight wireless communication, highly sensitive (bio)sensing, imaging and so on. However, the severe lack of polarization devices comparable to those for other electromagnetic frequencies is impeding moving towards practical applications. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, silicon-based integrated, high polarization extinction ratio, low insertion loss, and compact THz polarization beam splitters (PBSs) fabricated by CMOS-compatible technologies based on dielectric environment variation induced evanescent wave coupling effect. Through comprehensively analyzing working principles of conventional two-waveguide-based PBS, a high-performance three-waveguide PBS is successfully realized. Further optimizing the device parameters and working bandwidth, we achieve an integrated broadband PBS based on cascaded asymmetric directional couplers, whose polarization extinction ratios reach up to 20 dB and 32 dB for transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes, respectively, and their 10-dB bandwidth is 32 GHz for a device length of 15.5 mm. These numbers are the highest in silicon-based integrated THz PBSs so far. We believe our observations provide an effective way for exploring on-chip high-performance THz-PBSs for polarization-diverse systems, accelerating the development and application of on-chip THz photonics.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an approach to generating reconfigurable linearly chirped microwave waveforms (LCMWs) based on a Fourier domain mode-locked (FDML) optoelectronic oscillator (OEO), in which a tunable and reconfigurable microwave photonic filter (MPF) based on a high-Q microring resonator (MRR) is used for mode selection. The MPF can be electrically tuned to achieve Fourier domain mode-locking by using a micro-heater deposited on the MRR. Adjusting the state of polarization of the optical carrier, the MPF is reconfigured and multi-band and multi-format LCWMs can be generated based on the FDML OEO. In the experiment, a dual-chirp LCMW with a bandwidth of 12 GHz consisting of an up-chirp waveform from 7 to 13 GHz and a down-chirp waveform from 19 to 13 GHz is realized, with a time-bandwidth product (TBWP) as high as 1.004106. By reconfiguring the MPF, we can also obtain LCMWs with a single chirp at C-band (from 4 to 8 GHz), X-band (from 8 to 12 GHz) and Ku-band (from 13 to 19 GHz), respectively. Further, the bandwidth and center frequency of the LCMWs and the dual-chirp LCMWs can be changed by adjusting the magnitude of the driving signal and the laser wavelength, respectively. This kind of reconfigurable LCMWs can be applied to advanced multi-band radar and wireless communication systems.

The severe course of chronic pancreatitis (CP) in children is rare. More often it is caused by hereditary factors and abnormalities of the bile and pancreatic ducts. Cases of the development of pancreatitis against the background of systemic inflammatory diseases are described. Therapy of a systemic disease can aggravate the course of pancreatitis, and the general serious condition of the patient does not allow for the necessary surgical treatment. The article describes the clinical case report of a complicated course of CP against the background of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in a 17-year-old girl. The effectiveness of intraluminal endoscopic methods of treatment (wirsungotomy and stenting of the main pancreatic duct) for relieving exacerbation and complications of CP has been demonstrated.

Background. The association between triglyceride-rich lipoprotein cholesterol (TRL-C) and diabetes mellitus (DM) remains unclear because of limited research and data. The aim of this study was to explore the independent association between TRL-C and DM in hypertensive patients and to examine whether a healthy lifestyle would have an impact on this relationship. Methods. In this study, data from 13,721 hypertensive patients who were not treated with lipid-lowering drugs were analyzed. TRL-C was calculated from total cholesterol (TC) minus [LDL cholesterol + HDL cholesterol]. DM was defined as fasting plasma glucose of ≥7.0 mmol/L and/or self-reported history of hypoglycemic drug use. Results. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the TRL-C was significantly positively associated with elevated DM (odds ratio (OR): 1.73 and 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.54–1.94). In subgroup analysis, a healthy lifestyle (HL) failed to modify the positive association between TRL-C and DM (HL: OR 1.93, 95%CI 1.58–2.36; non-HL: OR 1.72, 95%CI 1.50–1.98; P for interaction = 0.38). Conclusion. The results showed a positive association between TRL-C and DM in hypertensive patients. A healthy lifestyle failed to diminish the relationship between TRL-C and DM. The novel findings indicate that TRL-C might be a reliable marker of DM and may provide a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of DM.

Background: At present, the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders is based on the combination of blood or bone marrow smear morphology and immunophenotyping by flow cytometry. Immunophenotypic testing by flow cytometry technique is available only in big medical centers, which is not always convenient for a patient. Therefore, development of an available method for preliminary diagnosis of lymphoproliferative diseases not requiring special equipment seems relevant.Materials and methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 17 patients admitted to the hospital with suspicion of a lymphoproliferative disorder, and 17 healthy donors were studied on a cell biochip for determination of proportions of cells positive for various surface CD antigens. The diagnosis was verified by flow cytometry.Results: Compared to healthy controls and patients with T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (TCLPD), the patients with B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (BCLPD) had significantly lower proportion of CD7+ cells (medians, 7% and 73% respectively, p=2×10-6 for comparison with healthy controls; median 7% and 93% for comparison with TCLPD, p=0.032). In addition, the patients with BCLPD had higher proportion of peripheral СD19+ mononuclear cells, compared to that in the patients with TCLPD and healthy donors (medians 84% and 13% for comparison between BCLPD and healthy control, p=2×10-5; 84% and 3% for comparison of BCLPD and TCLPD, p=0.033). The patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia had significantly higher CD5+ cells in the cell biochip compared to the patients with other BCLPD (medians 72% and 9%, p=0.024). The patients with TCLPD had significantly lower proportion of CD19+ cells than the healthy controls (medians, 3% and 13%, respectively, р=0.042).Conclusion: The study has demonstrated the potential to use the previously developed cell biochip for diagnosis of lymphoproliferative diseases. The biochip makes it possible to sort out white blood cells according to their surface differentiation antigen for their further morphological analysis. The cell biochip allows for the differential diagnosis between BCLPD and TCLPD and determination the lymphocyte clones based on the expression of immunoglobulin light chains.

BACKGROUND.Anomalies in the development of the uterus and vagina in some cases are combined with defects of the urinary tract. Therefore, the analysis of clinical situations associated with combined urogenital pathology in girls is of current and practical importance.THE AIM:to assess the state of reproductive health in girls with reproductive anomalies, renal agenesis, and other diseases of the urinary tract.PATIENTS AND METHODS.The study was conducted in 5 adolescent girls, including 3 patients with kidney agenesis, 1 patient with dysmetabolic nephropathy and nephroptosis, and 1 patient with recurrent urinary tract infection. In the analysis of clinical cases, the anatomical and functional features of the reproductive system are presented.RESULTS.The first 3 clinical cases are associated with the presence of kidney agenesis in the girl. In 1 clinical case, the clinic of the Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuester-Hauser syndrome (SMRKH) type II, including aplasia of the uterus and vagina and renal malformation, is presented. In clinical case 2, it was shown that modern transabdominal ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs, similar to MRI, can reveal the Herlin-Werner-Wunderlich syndrome. Agenesis of the kidney is one of the manifestations of trisomy of 22 pairs of chromosomes, which was noted in a patient from 3 clinical cases. 4 clinical cases is associated with the fact that kidney pathology, including nephroptosis, dysmetabolic nephropathy, can be combined with impaired sexual development. In 5 clinical case, type I SMRCC was described in a patient with recurrent urinary tract infection.CONCLUSION.Congenital malformations of the female genital organs are a rare pathology that requires special attention. Due to insufficient data concerning the mechanism of development of malformations of the genitourinary system, this problem requires further detailed study.

BACKGROUND. Currently, there is a stable deterioration in the somatic health of preschool-age girls, which creates a real threat to the realization of reproductive function in the future. The state of vaginal microbiocenosis in preschool girls suffering from recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) remains a little-studied problem.THE AIM: to assess the state of the vaginal biotope in preschool girls suffering from recurrent UTIs.PATIENTS AND METHODS. 92 girls aged 3-6 years were examined, of which: group 1 (n=32) - patients with recurrent UTI; group 2 (n=30) - patients with rare UTI; group 3 (n=30) - girls of 1,2 health groups. Vaginal microbiocenosis was assessed by quantitative PCR using the «Femoflor-17 test system». Statistical analysis was performed using the application program "Statistica 6.0 for Windows".RESULTS. Facultative anaerobes predominate in the vaginal microbiocenosis of patients with UTI, the absolute content of which is significantly higher in patients with the recurrent course (p CONCLUSION. The presence of recurrent UTI in preschool girls is a risk factor for the development of the severe vaginal dysbiotic condition. Rare UTIs can also be a risk of developing vaginal dysbiosis. Real-time multi-dimensional PCR provides quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the conditionally pathogenic flora of the vaginal biotope.

Accumulated evidence demonstrated that an elevated plasma homocysteine level, hyperhomocysteinemia, induced cognitive impairment in animals, elderly and the patients with neurodegenerative diseases. To date, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms by which hyperhomocysteinemia induces cognitive impairment has not been clearly defined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms behind hyperhomocysteinemia signaling in rat memory impairment. The results from this study demonstrated that hyperhomocysteinemia induced neuronal damage and loss in hippocampal CA3 region and downregulated the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation. The findings of this study provide evidence that hyperhomocysteinemia induces rat memory impairment via injuring hippocampal CA3 neurons and downregulating CREB phosphorylation.

Haploidentical allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) is a significant alternative treatment for severe aplastic anaemia (SAA). To improve this process by modifying the risk stratification system, we conducted a retrospective study using our database. 432 SAA patients who received haplo-HSCT between 2006 and 2020 were enrolled. These patients were divided into a training (n = 288) and a validation (n = 144) subset randomly. In the training cohort, longer time from diagnosis to transplantation, poorer Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status and higher haematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI) score were independent risk factors for worse treatment-related mortality (TRM) in the final multivariable model. The haplo-HSCT scoring system was developed by these three parameters. Three-year TRM after haplo-HSCT were 6% [95% confidence interval (CI), 1-21%], 21% (95% CI, 7-40%), and 47% (95% CI, 20-70%) for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk group, respectively (P < 0·0001). In the validation cohort, the haplo-HSCT scoring system also separated patients into three risk groups with increasing risk of TRM: intermediate-risk [hazard ratio (HR) 2·45, 95% CI, 0·92-6·53] and high-risk (HR 11·74, 95% CI, 3·07-44·89) compared with the low-risk group (P = 0·001). In conclusion, the haplo-HSCT scoring system could effectively predict TRM after transplantation.

Overweight and obesity are among the main factors of cardiovascular risk, but the prospective studies on the dependence between high-fat diets and weight gain yielded contradictory results. Different types of fats exert varying metabolic effects, and this fact leads to a difference in the risk associated with increasing body weight. The effects of fat quality in the daily diet on immunological status and resistance of myocardium to ischemic-reperfusion damage should be studied experimentally in biomedical models. The purpose of this work was to assess the effect of the qualitative composition of a high-fat diet used for induction of primary visceral obesity (PVO) in rats with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) upon myocardial resistance to ischemic-reperfusion injury, and levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.The experiments were performed on adult male Wistar rats with PVO caused by 28-day consumption of any fat types: hydrogenated fats (HF), vegetable oils (VO), animal fats (AF) or milk fat (MF). The SIRS model included a combination of chemically induced colitis (CIC) and intragastric injection of a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent (AMA) for three days. Five days later, immunological and biochemical studies were conducted, as well as composition of intestinal microbiota in faecal samples, morphological changes in the structure of the large intestine, hemodynamic parameters and myocardial resistance to ischemic-reperfusion injury were studied in the model of isolated heart perfusion, by Langendorff technique.There was a significant increase in the concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokines in animals with SIRS, i.e., TNFα, IL-1α, IL-2, IL-8, as well as a decrease in TGF-1β, an anti-inflammatory cytokine. SIRS was accompanied by severe dietary disorders and evacuatory function of the gastrointestinal tract. Minimal changes in the intestinal microbiota composition, as well as the most pronounced regeneration signs of intestinal epithelium was observed in rats in the group with MF injection. There was a trend for increasing size of infarction in all the groups as compared with control, directly correlating with increase in BDNF and IL-2 production. However, a significant increase in the infarction size was found only in the group receiving milkfat, thus suggesting a decrease in myocardial resistance to ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI).Thus, the presence of SIRS in the primary obesity model is characterized by controllable change of inflammation markers and depends on the quality of dietary fats. The degree of morphofunctional deterioration of isolated heart, including a decrease in resistance to ischemia-reperfusion injury, correlates with the concentration of BDNF and IL-2 during the studied observation terms.

Pregnant women occupy a special place in the incidence structure of the new coronavirus infection COVID -19. Taking into account the likelihood of a more severe course of acute respiratory syndrome (ARDS) in this group, it is worth remembering the possibility of timely use of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (IV ECMO) in order to correct life-threatening hypoxia. At the Lapino Clinical Hospital, a cesarean section was successfully performed in a 37-year-old female patient at 20–21 weeks of gestation against the background of IV ECMO with further decannulation and discharge from the hospital.

The aim is to define the dynamics of TNF-α and IFN-γ serum levels in adult patients with measles depending on the development of complications. Materials and methods. An examination of 175 adult patients with measles revealed a range of complications and dynamics of serum TNF-α and IFN-γ depending on the development of complications. The serum contents of TNF-α (Invitrogen, Austria) and IFN-γ (Invitrogen, Austria) in patients and 30 healthy individuals were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on the basis of the Training Medical Laboratory Center of Zaporizhzhia State MedicalUniversity. Results. It was shown that the vast majority of hospitalized adult patients with measles developed complications (70.6 %) and these latter were predominantly respiratory (61.7 %) and gastrointestinal (44.0 %). In the period of measles rash, on day 4.8 ± 0.2 in the presence of complications, the serum TNF-α content was 11 times higher than that in healthy individuals (P < 0.05) and in patients with uncomplicated measles (P < 0.05), and did not differ from healthy individuals (P > 0.05) in the absence of complications. The development of measles complications in adult patients was associated with higher serum levels of TNF-α both at hospitalization (P = 0.003) and after 10 days of the disease (P = 0.005). The serum content of IFN-γ in adult measles patients with rash at hospitalization on day 4.8 ± 0.2 exceeded that in healthy indivi­duals both in the presence of complications (P < 0.05) and in uncomplicated measles (P < 0.05). The serum content of IFN-γ was 19.3 times (P < 0.05) higher in patients with complicated measles than that in patients without complications. High serum levels of IFN-γ were associated with the development of complications during acute period of measles (P = 0.0001). Conclusions. Complications occurred in most hospitalized adult patients with measles (70.6 %), that was accompanied by more pronounced immunological changes. The development of measles complications in adult patients was associated with higher serum levels of TNF-α both at hospital admission on day 4.8 ± 0.2 (gamma 0.77; P = 0.003) and in the dynamics after 10 days of the disease (gamma 0.56; P = 0.005). Elevated serum levels of IFN-γ were associated with the development of complications during the acute period of measles (gamma ratio 0.46; P = 0.0001).

The purpose of the work was to study the patterns of development and formation of the structure of the skeletal, muscular, circulatory system under the influence of various physical activities in the dynamics, followed by the definition of correlations of the value of anthropometric and morphometric parameters in the training of athletes. Studying of the literature data, we can conclude that modern professional sports requires loads close to maximum, and sometimes even exceeding them, the establishment of these maximum permissible loads and the study of the patterns of their development is a very urgent task. The main problem in training athletes is adequate selection and sports affiliation. Solving the problems of selection involves the creation of a model of the athlete of this specialization, that is a certain set of characteristics that determine athletic performance. This requires anthropometric assessment, morphometric and biometric data to track physical and physiological parameters, information to assess performance and recovery in sports, modification of training regimes to prevent injuries, provide guidance on regulating the use of technologies used in professional sports, as well as to research and make recommendations for the proper collection, storage and exchange of health information. One of important problems of modern morphology is the study of changes that occur in the body under the influence of various factors. This problem has become especially important in connection with the development of sports. High sports performance, associated with a significant load on the athlete's body, encourages scientists, doctors, coaches to search for physiological reserves of the body and search for optimal training regimes. From this point of view, the study of changes that occur in individual organs, systems and in the body as a whole, under the influence of physical activity of varying intensity and nature is relevant and of great practical importance. Conclusion. Modern professional sports require loads that are close to the maximum, and sometimes are such or exceed them. It is the establishment of these maximum allowable loads and study the patterns of their development which is a very promising area. This will allow timely selection of athletes for a particular sport, to carry out preventive and curative measures to improve their structural and functional condition

Primary cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (pC-ALCL) is distinguished from systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (S-ALCL) with cutaneous involvement. Although pC-ALCL is a unique entity with different genetics, clinical characteristics, and prognosis, its causes are unknown. Herein, we report the case of a Chinese woman with a 4-month history of a gradually enlarged ulcerative mass in her right forearm following an unidentified insect bite. Biopsy revealed an extensive infiltrate with patches of large anaplastic lymphoid cells. These cells were immunohistochemically positive for CD45, CD30, and TIA-1 and negative for CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD20, CD7, CD8, and ALK-1. DUSP22-IRF4 rearrangement was detected; on the other hand, TP63 rearrangement was not observed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). No Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) were detected by ISH. Rearrangement of monoclonal TCR gene was found using BIOMED-2 polymerase chain reaction. No abnormality was found on the subsequent positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan. After five cycles of cyclophosphamide + doxorubicin + vincristine + prednisolone (CHOP) chemotherapy, the patient achieved complete remission. This is the first report of a unique pC-ALCL with DUSP22-IRF4 rearrangement following an insect bite other than S-ALCL involving the skin.

In the Russian Federation, the frequency of hypertensive disorders during gestation is 7-29%, while 80% of cases are chronic arterial hypertension. The mechanism of the complicated course of pregnancy in hypertensive disorders is not clear and is debatable. The article presents the features of the monoamine status in pre-pregnant women with chronic arterial hypertension.

Cancer increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adults and children. The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence of VTE in children and adolescents with lymphomas. The study was approved by the Independent Ethics Committee of the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology. A retrospective analysis based on medical data of 262 children and adolescents (0–18 years) with primary lymphomas (n = 262) who were treated in Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology since 01.01.2013 to 31.12.2019 had been performed. Such parameters as age and sex distribution of patients, the frequency, as well as the cumulative incidence of detection (CI) and differences in localization, the median time of detection of symptomatic (sVTE) and asymptomatic episodes of VT (aVTE), their relationship with central venous catheters (CVC) were analyzed. Statistical processing of the obtained data was carried out using the XLSTAT 2020 program (Addinsoft, France). The median age was 11,1 years (interquartile range (IQR) 6.5–15 years), the ratio of males to females was 2.2:1. There were 71 episodes of VTE in 65 patients (24.8%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 19.6–30). Among all episodes of VTE 31% were defined as sVTE at 400 day CI for sVTE was found to be 8.1% (95% CI: 5.4–12.2) and CI for aVTE – 18.7% (95% CI: 14.4–24.2). The median time to VTE episode was 38 days (IQR 16.5–91.5 days). There was a trend towards an earlier diagnosis of sVTE (median 23.5 days, IQR – 17–42 days) than aVTE (median 62 days, IQR 14–80 days), p = 0.075. VTE was CVC-related in 67.7 of all VTE cases. In one case, asymptomatic thrombosis of right atrium led to pulmonary embolism (PE). VTE is a frequent complication in children and adolescents with lymphomas. Most episodes of VTE were asymptomatic, one of which was the most likely cause of PE in the child. Further research is needed to find risk factors for VTE.

Objective: to perform a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of the effectiveness of therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) based on real practical data on medical help for patients with this disease.Material and methods. The authors performed a comparative cost-effectiveness analysis and the calculation of resource consumption in the application of several options of chemotherapy for mCRC: FOLFOX, FOLFIRI, and FOLFOXIRI; targeted therapy: FOLFOX + bevacizumab, FOLFOX + panitumumab, FOLFIRI + cetuximab, FOLFIRI + aflibercept, regorafenib monotherapy.Results. The cost-effectiveness parameter, calculated as a ratio of the cost of therapy to the median survival without progression, for chemotherapeutic schemes varied from 108 to 167 thousand rubles and for the targeted therapy schemes – from 223 to 930 thousand rubles. The calculation of resource consumption showed that in the case of a limited budget, 100% of patients can be treated by FOLFOX scheme, or 26% of patients by FOLFOX + panitumumab, or 47% of patients by FOLFOX + bevacizumab; and 100% of patients by FOLFIRI scheme or 11.5% of patients by FOLFIRI + cetuximab (aflibercept). Besides, it was established that in the case of a similar budget, 100% of patients with mCRC can be treated by chemotherapy schemes or a limited number of patients with regorafenib.Conclusion. The cost of targeted therapy significantly exceeds the cost of chemotherapeutic schemes. Still, considering the gross domestic product per capita in the Russian Federation, they can be an economically feasible investment and the optimum option of therapy

MXene, a new advanced two-dimensional material, has attracted great attention in energy storage, transparent electrodes, and electromagnetic shielding due to its high conductivity, high specific surface area, and hydrophilic surface. Given the solution-processability and tunable work function, MXene also holds great potential for wide-range photodetection and integrated optics. Here, we demonstrate a waveguide integrated Schottky photodetector based on Ti3C2T x /Si van der Waals heterojunction. Specifically, the barrier of the Schottky photodetector can be adjusted by using simple surface treatment. The work function of the Ti3C2T x is reduced from 4.66 to 4.43 eV after vacuum annealing, and the barrier height of Ti3C2T x /p-Si Schottky junction is correspondingly increased from 0.64 to 0.72 eV, leading to 215 nm working wavelength blue-shift. The photodetector exhibits working wavelength tunability in short-wavelength infrared regions due to the engineered Schottky barrier. To our best knowledge, this is the first demonstration of utilizing MXene in waveguide-integrated photodetection, showing the potential applications for various scenarios thanks to the flexible working wavelength range induced by the tunable barrier.

Introduction. Subglottic stenosis is one of the most common causes of upper airway obstruction. The incidence of post-intubation stenosis ranges from 0.9% to 3% (Rodríguez H. et al.), or from 0.2% to 20% (Haranal M.Y. et al.). Currently, there is no consensus on the choice of surgical tactics due to a large number of modalities for surgical restoration of the laryngeal lumen.Material and methods. 44 patients with postintubation laryngeal stenosis were treated in the surgical thoracic department of the National Medical Research Center of Children’s Health subordinate to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation during 2019-2021. The average age of patients in this group was 4 years 8 months ± 3 years 8 months. Endoscopic treatment was done to 24 patients (54.5%). Laryngoscopy, fibrobronchoscopy, multispiral computed tomography and, if necessary, barium esophagogram were done for additional diagnostics.Results. The average number of endoscopic procedures per patient was 2.9 ± 1.5 (range from 1 to 7). Good results were seen in 20 patients (83.3%).Conclusions. Endoscopic techniques are alternative options to open reconstructive surgery. These techniques give good results in treating stenoses in the subglottic space and give a good chance to avoid tracheostomy in a certain group of patients, which, according to the results of our study, was as large as 79.1%.

BackgroundInfertility is a widespread global challenge. Currently, the most effective treatment strategy for infertility is in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is an assisted reproductive technique (ART). The use of IVF for assisted pregnancy dates back to the last 41 years when the first IVF baby was born. During IVF, many oocytes are obtained in an IVF cycle, and more than one embryo is formed. Subsequently, frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) is increasingly being used in IVF cycles for women in whom a fresh embryo transfer fails to result in a pregnancy, or in those who return for a second baby. However, the pregnancy success rates following FET treatment cycles are reportedly lower than in fresh embryo transfers. Therefore, recent related studies are increasing determining mechanisms of improving the sustained pregnancy rate of FET and reducing the rate of early abortion.The Gushen’antai pill (GSATP), which contains a mixture of 10 herbs, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a pharmacological option to prevent miscarriage. However, randomized controlled trials (RCT) have never been conducted to provide high-level clinical evidence on the clinical efficacy of GSATP. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of GSATP of hormone therapy (HT) FET cycles on pregnancy rate.MethodsA total of 300 subjects aged between 18 and 40 years which prepared for HT cycle FET will be enrolled in the study. The patients were from five different hospitals, with 60 patients from each hospital. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, and medication was started on the day of endometrial transformation. After FET 28 days, B-ultrasound was done to determine whether to continue the medication. Baseline assessments were carried out before the trial and outcomes were collected 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks of each gestational cycle.DiscussionDifferences in ongoing pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, implantation rate, and threatened abortion rate between the two groups will be statistically analyzed. We can finally have an objective evaluation of the efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine Gushen’antai pills.Trial registrationChiCTR1900026737. Registered October 20, 2019.

Purpose of the study. To study functional changes in the neuropsychological status of reproductive age patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer and to assess the possibility of using xenon-oxygen therapy to correct disorders.Patients and methods. This study included 60 reproductive age patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer who were undergoing surgical treatment at the Department of Bone, Skin, Soft Tissue and Breast Tumors of the National Medical Research Centre for Oncology of the Ministry of Health of Russia from 2018 to 2020. The main group included 30 patients with breast cancer diagnosed at the surgical stage of combined treatment, who underwent a rehabilitation course of xenon-oxygen therapy in the early postoperative period. The control group was formed from patients with the same diagnosis, without the use of this therapy. The functional state of the central nervous system in all patients was assessed by the parameters of the electroencephalography (EEG) bioelectrical activity. For the final assessment of the physiological and psychological state of the patients, a standardized questionnaires of the quality of life – ESAS, MOS-SF‑36, were used. Statistical data processing was performed using the Statistica 10 software package. Results. During the study, statistically significant differences were found in the assessment of subjective indicators, so in the group of patients using xenon-oxygen therapy, there was an improvement in well-being by 2.6 times, a decrease in depression by 2.3 times, a decrease in symptoms of nausea by 3 times, anxiety 1.9 times (p < 0.05). Against the background of an improvement in the psychophysiological state, the EEG showed a significant increase in the power of slow delta and theta rhythms, an increase in the power of the alpha rhythm and a decrease in the power of the beta rhythm, while in the patients of the control group only a decrease in the power of the beta rhythm was noted.Conclusion. The early postoperative period in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer is characterized by the formation of a depressive symptom complex. The use of a course of xenon-oxygen therapy contributes to the normalization of the subjective feeling of physical and psychological health, increasing vital and social activity. Changes in the indicators of brain bioelectric activity and an improvement in psychophysiological state occur against the background of changes in brain activity caused by the normalizing effect of xenon.

Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are emerging treatments for atopic dermatitis (AD). Due to this novel role as a therapeutic option for patients with AD, we aimed to review current evidence on the pathophysiology and the safety and adverse effects (AEs) of oral JAK inhibitors for the treatment of AD utilizing the key terms atopic dermatitis, JAK inhibitors, and adverse effect or event. Our study indicated that oral JAK inhibitors have a moderate safety profile for use in AD in several reviews and phase II or III clinical trials. Headaches, nausea, and nasopharyngitis are the most commonly reported systemic AEs. Furthermore, acne, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and eczema herpeticum are the most commonly recorded dermatological AEs. Current evidence indicates JAK inhibitors may also have less association with some of the serious AEs, although there is potential for increased risk of asthma, acute pancreatitis, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. Whereas data remain limited for the long-term safety of JAK inhibitor use in patients with AD, many ongoing clinical trials have promising preliminary results.

Background Open globe injury (OGI) is a serious condition that can lead to visual impairment and lifelong sequelae, brain activity of some brain regions would change in patients with OGI. Purpose To evaluate changes in brain activity associated with unilateral OGI by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and analysis of percentage amplitude of fluctuation (PerAF). Material and Methods A total of 22 patients with OGI (12 men, 10 women) and 22 healthy controls (HCs) matched for sex, age, and body weight were enrolled. All patients underwent rs-fMRI scans. Brain activity in the relevant brain regions was assessed with the PerAF method. The ability of PerAF to distinguish patients with OGI from HCs was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. We also examined the relationship between Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores and PerAF signals by Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results PerAF values in amygdala_R and Frontal_Inf_Orb_L/Frontal_Inf_Oper_L were increased whereas that in Cerebellum Anterior Lobe/Cerebelum_8_L was decreased in patients with OGI compared to HCs. The areas under the ROC curve showed that these brain regions could distinguish between patients with OGI and HCs. The PerAF value of amygdala_R was positively correlated with HADS scores. Conclusion Changes in PerAF in the amygdala_R, Frontal_inferior_Orb_L/Frontal_Inf_Oper_L, and Cerebellum Anterior Lobe/Cerebelum_8_L in patients with OGI may be related to an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. PerAF can be used to investigate the neural basis of complications associated with OGI and monitor disease progression.

While the received traditional predictors are still the mainstay in the diagnosis and prognosis of CVD events, increasing studies have focused on exploring the ancillary effect of biomarkers for the aspiring of precision. Under which circumstances, soluble ST2 (sST2), lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and procalcitonin (PCT) have recently emerged as promising markers in the field of both acute and chronic cardiovascular diseases. Existent clinical studies have demonstrated the significant associations between these markers with various CVD outcomes, which further verified the potentiality of markers in helping risk stratification and diagnostic and therapeutic work-up of patients. The current review article is aimed at illuminating the applicability of these four novels and often neglected cardiac biomarkers in common clinical scenarios, including acute myocardial infarction, acute heart failure, and chronic heart failure, especially in the emergency department. By thorough classification, combination, and discussion of biomarkers with clinical and instrumental evaluation, we hope the current study can provide insights into biomarkers and draw more attention to their importance.

This paper successfully establishes an optical model with dual green/red phosphor layers based on the original single-phosphor model. Since the re-absorption effect of double-layer phosphors causes spectral distortion, the model must introduce a correction mechanism for spectral re-absorption. Through the LED packaging experiment, simulation, and verification of the double-layer phosphors, we can effectively predict the ratios required for the two phosphors under different color temperatures and confirm this model's high precision and accuracy. In the future, this model can be used to analyze further the optical performance of white LEDs with different dual-layer phosphor packaging types.

Graphene-based photodetectors have attracted significant attention for high-speed optical communication due to their large bandwidth, compact footprint, and compatibility with silicon-based photonics platform. Large-bandwidth silicon-based optical coherent receivers are crucial elements for large-capacity optical communication networks with advanced modulation formats. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an integrated optical coherent receiver based on a 90-degree optical hybrid and graphene-on-plasmonic slot waveguide photodetectors, featuring a compact footprint and a large bandwidth far exceeding 67 GHz. Combined with the balanced detection, 90 Gbit/s binary phase-shift keying signal is received with a promoted signal-to-noise ratio. Moreover, receptions of 200 Gbit/s quadrature phase-shift keying and 240 Gbit/s 16 quadrature amplitude modulation signals on a single-polarization carrier are realized with a low additional power consumption below 14 fJ/bit. This graphene-based optical coherent receiver will promise potential applications in 400-Gigabit Ethernet and 800-Gigabit Ethernet technology, paving another route for future high-speed coherent optical communication networks., Graphene-based photodetectors have many advantages for applications. Here, the authors demonstrate a high-speed optical coherent receiver for optical communications based on graphene-on-plasmonic slot waveguide photodetectors.

Introduction. At the present time the expansion of the spectrum of urgent diseases of the abdominal cavity organs is registered due to the patients with complications of foreign bodies of the gastrointestinal tract. Development of rational treatment-diag nostic algorithm will promote to improve the results of surgical treatment of children with complications of foreign bodies of gastrointestinal tract.Aim. To determine the efficacy of laparoscopic techniques in children with complications of foreign bodies of the gastrointestinal tract..Materials and methods. 38 children with foreign bodies of the gastrointestinal tract of different characteristics, which required surgical treatment, were included in the study.Results and discussion. On the basis of analysis of clinical and medical history data, results of instrumental methods of preoperative diagnostics and laparoscopy three clinical stages of the disease were distinguished. Statistically reliable differences of the presented indicators in different terms of the disease were proved. Surgical intervention involved laparoscopy, during which the volume of surgical intervention was specified. Laparoscopic techniques were effective in the groups of patients with I, II and III stages of the disease in 100, 46 and 20% of observations, respectively.Conclusions. Clinical manifestations in complications of foreign bodies of the gastrointestinal tract are determined by the characteristics of the latter and the clinical stage of the disease. Laparoscopic techniques can be effective at initial stages of the disease. At a complicated course of the disease the required volume of surgical intervention can be performed during laparotomy. The variety of clinical manifestations of foreign bodies of the gastrointestinal tract complications is determined by the characteristics of the damaging agents and the clinical stage of the disease. Laparoscopic techniques of surgical treatment may be a priority in the absence of a complicated course of the disease; in late stages of the disease laparotomy is the operation of choice.Conclusion. Analysis of treatment results of children with complications of FBs of GIT revealed statistically significant differences in some clinical and anamnestic data, results of instrumental methods of preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative manifestations, which allowed us to define three clinical stages of the disease.

Specific prevention is one of the most effective methods for the control of infectious diseases causing considerable economic damage to commercial pig farms, among which is porcine pleuropneumonia. In order to improve the effectiveness of preventive vaccination, various immunomodulators that differ in their origin and mechanism of action are used. The paper presents the results of the study of the effect of such products as biferon-S and prostimul containing species-specific recombinant interferons on the immune status of piglets during specific prevention of porcine pleuropneumonia. Tests were carried out in clinically healthy 30–35-day-old piglets immunized with Ingelvac® APPX vaccine (Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, Germany). It was found that the use of biferon-S and prostimul together with the vaccine administration is accompanied by immune status improvement in the animals, which is manifested as an increase, in comparison with vaccinated animals that received no interferon-containing products (base case), in serum levels of γ-globulins – by 34.6 and 53.7% (in case of prostimul and β-globulins – by 10.1%), total immunoglobulins – by 32.8 and 37.8%, large circulating immune complexes – by 37.5 and 52.6%, a less significant increase in the levels of small complexes and, as a result, pathogenicity coefficient reduction by 5.4 and 12.4%, respectively. Tests for post-vaccination immunity levels in piglets showed a 3.8-fold increase in the levels of specific antibodies against the antigen of porcine pleuropneumonia agent, and in case of the vaccine administration in combination with biferon-S and prostimul – a 4.0-fold and 4.9-fold increase, respectively. The use of prostimul was accompanied by a more considerable improvement of immune status in the piglets, and this is attributable to the fact that vitamins А, Е and С, which have antioxidant properties and improve the effectiveness of interferons, natural resistance and specific immunity, are included in its composition in addition to recombinant type 1 cytokine.

Aim. In the article is conducted a study aimed at identifying areas for ensuring sustainable employment in the context of the digitalization of the economy. Methodology. The authors carried out a critical review of the literature on the issues under study and identified the main participants that influence the provision of sustainable employment, such as government authorities, educational institutions, employers and staff of the organization. In the course of the study, an online survey was conducted, which included representatives of the real sector of the economy, government officials, students, university professors and temporarily unemployed citizens from different regions of the country, enterprises and organizations of different sizes and forms of ownership, as well as spheres of activity. Results. The opinion of the respondents was revealed on a number of important issues related to the modern transformation of the economy and the formation of new labor relationships that affect the sustainable employment of the country's population. Demand, from the point of view of employment and importance for society as a whole, according to the respondents, will be those who have and form the necessary and appropriate “digital competencies”. It was also found that the digital economy will lead to a change in the value attitudes of employers, staff and the organization as a whole. At the same time, it is necessary to preserve a humanistic approach to personnel, emphasizing the advantages of a person in interaction with information technologies.

Objective To investigate differences between older men and women in Taiwan in personal and situational risk factors for sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) versus soft-tissue injury (STI) due to a fall. Design Matched case-control study. Participants and settings Cases were defined as patients with a primary diagnosis of TBI due to a fall and were identified from those 60 years or older who visited the emergency department (ED) of 3 university-affiliated hospitals in 2015. Matched by the same hospital ED, gender, and time of falling, 3 controls who had no TBI and who had sustained only soft-tissue injury (STI) due to falling were selected for comparison with each case. Personal factors and situational exposures were compared between the control and case groups. In total, 96 cases and 288 controls in men and 72 cases and 216 controls in women participated in this study. Main measures Personal factors (sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, medical characteristics, and functional abilities) and situational exposures (location, activities before the fall, center-of-mass change, type of fall, falling direction, protective response, and impact during the fall). Results In men, after adjusting for other variables, older age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.04), regular alcohol use (OR = 2.03), an indoor fall (OR = 1.92), activity of getting in/out of bed (OR = 2.56), a fall due to dizziness (OR = 4.09), and falling backward (OR = 2.95) were independently associated with a higher odds of TBI. In women, an older age (OR = 1.03), the presence of Parkinson disease (OR = 10.4), activities of toileting (OR = 2.50), getting in/out of bed (OR = 4.90), and negotiating stairs (OR = 7.13), a fall due to dizziness (OR = 5.05), and falling backward (OR = 2.61) were independently associated with a higher odds of TBI. Conclusions Our results demonstrated similarities and differences in personal and situational risk factors for fall-related TBIs versus STIs between older men and women, and gender differences should be considered when developing intervention strategies.

The article studies the tourist sector as a factor of social and economic development of the region. The author gives a definition of the term ‘universal character of tourist sector', formulates key criteria meeting the principle of universality, on the basis of which the approach to region analysis was developed. This approach gives an opportunity to find the degree of customer satisfaction with tourist services and shows whether the region is ready for developing new tourist programs within the frames of traditional, special and rear types of tourism. As an example the article analyzes the universal character of tourist sector in the Leningrad region, which showed a number of problems. Proceeding from this the author proposes to design a mechanism of their solution at the expense of enlarging the list of tourist services offered to customer and improving their quality. By analyzing the universal character of tourist sector it will be possible to find out and eliminate drawbacks in the tourist sphere and in designing strategy of efficient development of tourism in the region aimed at building-up the tourist traffic, which could become a factor of its social and economic development.

BACKGROUND. Until recently there is no understanding of the clinical features and the reasons for the progression of complications of diabetes-associated nephrolithiasis (NLT) which limits the development of effective treatment for patients with this kidney pathology.THE AIM was to investigate the molecular mechanisms of hematuria and leukocyturia in the comorbidity of nephrolithiasis with type 2 diabetes. PATIENTS AND METHODS. The study analyzed the clinical, instrumental, and laboratory data of 196 patients with NLT; the study included 48 (24.5 %) patients with comorbidity of NLT with type 2 diabetes. All patients at the stage of hospitalization underwent a comprehensive clinical and laboratory examination according to the traditional scheme adopted for the diagnosis of NLT. ATP, PAF, and collagen (Sigma) agonists at EC50 concentrations causing aggregation at the 50 % level in healthy individuals were used to analyze the functional activity of platelet (PLT) receptors. PLT aggregation was assessed by the turbidimetric method using a ChronoLog analyzer (USA). RESULTS. Microhematuria occurred in 27 (56.2 %) patients and gross hematuria in 21 (43.8 %) patients out of 48 patients with type 2 diabetes-associated NLT. Microscopy of urine in patients with comorbidity of NLT revealed a greater number of erythrocytes (P = 0.014); gross hematuria (P = 0.034) and leukocyturia (р=0,003) were more common in this cohort of patients. NLT complications occurred against the background of increased reactivity of P2X receptors, PAF receptor, and GPVI receptor (p CONCLUSION. The influence of diabetes on the pathogenesis of NLT complications is associated with increased ischemia of kidney tissue, systemic inflammatory response, and vascular wall remodeling. The activity of P2X, PAF, and GPVI platelet receptors could be considered as a system of potential biomarkers and prognostic factors of complications in the comorbidity of NLT with type 2 diabetes.

Purpose. To develop a method of accelerated ultraviolet crosslinking with an initial corneal thickness equal to or less than 400 microns using a protective donor corneal flap. Definition of safety and effectiveness of this method in the treatment of progressive keratoconus. Material and methods. 20 patients (20 eyes) with a diagnosis of progressive keratoconus 2–3 stages were included in the study. The accelerated crosslinking was carried out with an IROC-VX-2000 device (Switzerland). A protective donor corneal flap was cut out by using a Femto LDV Z8 femtosecond laser (Ziemer, Switzerland). The thickness of the protective flap of the donor cornea was determined as the difference between 450 μm and the obtained value of the patient's pachymetry in 30 minutes of saturation with Dextralink in μm. Results. Indicators of uncorrected visual acuity and corrected visual acuity returned to the level of preoperative values and did not tend to decrease until the end of the observation period for 6 months. The average keratometry indices gradually decreased: after 3 months – 50.3 ± 1.5 μm, after 6 months – 48.9 ± 1.8 μm, by 12 months – 46.7 ± 2.1 μm. A decrease in elevation indicators of the anterior and posterior surfaces was marked on elevation maps throughout the observation period. Conclusion. The proposed ultraviolet crosslinking technique using a protective donor corneal flap in patients with corneal thickness 400 μm or less is reproducible. This technique proves its effectiveness and safety and allows to stabilize the condition in patients with progressive keratoconus with adequate visual function. This makes this technique necessary, taking into account the lack of adequate cross-linking technology with a thin cornea. Keywords: progressive keratoconus, thin cornea, ultraviolet crosslinking, protective donor corneal flap.

Relevance. One of the leading positions among malignant tumors of the musculoskeletal system in children and adolescents has recently begun to be occupied by Ewing’s sarcoma (ES). The prognosis of patients suffering from this onconosology remains extremely unfavorable even in the absence of distant metastases and timely initiation of antitumor treatment. The authors present 10 years of experience in the management of pediatric and adolescent patients with ES in the pediatric oncology department of the National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia.Materials and methods. The study included pediatric and adolescent patients diagnosed with ES of I—IV stages of various localizations, who were treated in the Pediatric Oncology Department of the National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia in the period from 2009 to 2019. We analyzed 2- and 5-year overall (OS) and event-free (EFS) survival in patients who received combined and complex antitumor treatment for various forms of tumor dissemination according to the EURO-EWING 2008protocol, which included neo-and adjuvant polychemotherapy, including high-dose, radical surgical treatment, and also radiation therapy.Results. The median 5-year OS and EFS in the general group of the studied formulations was 60 and 17 months, respectively. The indicators of 2- and 5-year OS and EFS in patients of the general group were 80.6 % and 56.7 %, 38.6 % and 10.6 %, respectively. The volume of the performed antitumor treatment, as well as the form of the advanced tumor process, did not have a significant effect on OS and EFS indicators (p > 0.05). At the same time, the chances of developing ES in boys were statistically significantly higher by 2.2 times in comparison with girls (95 % confidence interval 1.1—4.3).Conclusion. The obtained OS and EFS indices indicate unsatisfactory results of anticancer therapy and extremely high aggressiveness of the biological behavior of the tumor, regardless of the form of spread of the tumor process.

Gusonghan Maitiniyazi,1,&ast; Yue Chen,1,&ast; Yu-Yu Qiu,1 Zhen-Xing Xie,2 Jian-Yun He,1 Shu-Fang Xia1 1Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Basic Medicine, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Shu-Fang XiaWuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Lihu Avenue 1800, Wuxi, 214122, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-510-8532-8363Email xiashufang@jiangnan.edu.cnPurpose: Normal weight obesity (NWO), defined as normal body mass index (BMI) and excessive body fat percentage (BF%), has been shown to be associated with a significantly higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, cardiometabolic dysfunction and with higher mortality. However, there is limited literature regarding the potential associations between NWO and lifestyles. This study aimed to investigate the associations of lifestyles with NWO in Chinese university students.Participants and Methods: A total of 279 university students with normal BMI were recruited and divided into NWO and normal weight non-obesity (NWNO) groups by BF%. Body composition and anthropometrics were measured, and participants were asked to finish the Healthy Lifestyle Scale for University Students (HLSUS) questionnaire.Results: A total of 26 male (25.5%) and 71 female (40.1%) students were identified as NWO. Compared to NWNO students, body weight, BMI, body fat mass, visceral fat area, waist circumference and hip circumference of NWO students were all significantly higher both in male and female students (P < 0.05). The body fat mass, BF% and visceral fat area were significantly negatively correlated with the total HLSUS, physical exercise behavior, and dietary nutrition behavior scores in NWNO males, NWO and NWNO females (P < 0.05). The risk of NWO was lower in those students with higher scores in physical exercise behavior in both males (OR = 0.298, 95% CI = 0.121∼ 0.733) and females (OR = 0.653, 95% CI = 0.505∼ 0.843), while dietary nutrition behavior (OR = 0.759, 95% CI = 0.584∼ 0.986) and stress management behavior (OR = 0.503, 95% CI = 0.335∼ 0.755) decreased the risk of NWO only in females.Conclusion: The incidence of NWO was high among university students, especially in females, which might be related with unhealthy lifestyles. NWO university students should pay attention to lifestyle adjustments, especially physical exercise, dietary nutrition and stress management, for preventing the health risk in NWO.Keywords: obesity, body fat, physical exercise, dietary nutrition, stress management, public health

We present a method for calculating the optical axis contour in laser cavities using the geometric optics approximation. The deviation of the position of the optical axis in four-mirror nonplanar ring cavities is calculated for various cavity perturbations. Various types of laser cavities are considered and classified according to their symmetry. Deviations of the optical axis are determined in a nonplanar ring cavity that provides Kerr mode locking operation. A formula is given that relates the bend angle in four-mirror cavities to the angles of radiation incidence on the mirrors.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), therefore it is essential to give preference to a glucose-lowering drug having optimal cardioprotective properties. A comparative study of the various sodium-glucose co-transporter inhibitors representatives’ protective effects in experimental MI was not carried out within the framework of one study.Aim: To evaluate the influence of empagliflozin (EMPA) and canagliflozin (CANA), in comparison with sitagliptin (SITA), on hemodynamic parameters and myocardial damage area in rats with diabetes type 2 model in experimental MI.Materials and methods: Type 2 DM was modelled in Wistar rats by means of 4-week high-fat diet followed by nicotinamide 230 mg/kg and streptozotocin 60 mg/kg administration. 4 weeks after DM induction the following groups were made: «DM+SITA» — treatment with SITA 50 mg/kg, «DM+EMPA» — treatment with EMPA 2 mg/kg, «DM+CANA» — treatment with CANA 25 mg/kg per os once daily for 8 weeks. Animals in «DM» group remained untreated for the following 8 weeks. Rats in control group were fed with standard chow. 16 weeks after the experiment beginning transient global myocardial ischemia was modelled in all rats. Hemodynamic parameters and myocardium necrosis area were evaluated.Results: The necrosis area was larger in «DM» group, than in control one (p=0.018). Infarction size in «DM+SITA» did not differ from that in «DM» group (62.92(41.29;75.84) and 57.26(45.51;70.08)%, р=0.554). Necrosis area in «DM+EMPA» and «DM+CANA» groups was smaller than in «DM» group (37.90(20.76;54.66)%, 46.15(29.77;50.55) vs 57.26(45.51;70.08)%, р=0.008 and р=0.009, respectively). Necrosis size did not differ between «DM+EMPA» and «DM+CANA» groups (p=0.630). Ischemic contracture in «DM+CANA» group was less prominent than under the use of all other glucose-lowering drugs. We observed increase of coronary blood flow in «DM+EMPA» group, in comparison with «DM», «DM+CANA» and «DM+SITA» groups.Conclusions: SITA does not have cardioprotective effect in ischemia-reperfusion injury in diabetic rats. EMPA and CANA have similarly prominent infarct-limiting properties. EMPA is able to increase coronary blood flow, whereas cardioprotective action of CANA is associated with ischemic contracture diminishing.

The development and validation of a new experimental model that reflects the clinical characteristics of polymorbid pathology (including obesity, acute inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, antibiotic-induced dysbiosis, and bone injury) with the general characteristics of systemic inflammatory response syndrome became the basis for testing of the efficiency of probiotics according to the age of experimental animals. The concentration of osteocalcin and matrix metalloproteinase-1 significantly increased in 7-month-old male Wistar stock rats under the influence of probiotics as compared to animals at the age of 9 months. A mixture of probiotic containing Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12) strains at a concentration of 108 CFU per animal demonstrated its effectiveness in comparison with other used probiotics in relation to most of the studied parameters. Zinc-containing biomolecules (osteocalcin, bone fraction and total alkaline phosphatase, matrix metalloproteinase-1) are metabolic regulators modulated by probiotic strains.

The objective of the study: to develop criteria to evaluate the duration of the intensive phase of chemotherapy for respiratory tuberculosis in children without bacterial excretion and at no risk of multiple and extensive drug resistance of tuberculous mycobacteria.Subjects and methods. Totally, 93 patients with newly diagnosed respiratory tuberculosis without bacterial excretion and at no risk of multiple and extensive drug resistance of tuberculous mycobacteria. Their age varied from 2 to 12 years old. Regimen III was used: the intensive phase – 4 drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol – HRZE).Results. The intensive phase lasted for 2 months in 39.8% of cases – the main criteria were achieved (relief of intoxication symptoms, normal blood rates, positive or stable CT changes) after 2 months and there was no indication to extend the duration of it. The intensive phase lasted for 3 months in 37.6% of cases – the main criteria were achieved after 2 months and there was at least one additional indication to extend it (17.2%); and the main criteria were achieved after 3 months and there was no indication to extend the duration of it (20.4%). The intensive phase lasted for more than 3 months (4 to 6 months) in 22.6% of cases – the main criteria were achieved after 3 months and there was at least one additional indication to extend it (12.9%), as well as in the case of failure to achieve the main criteria after 3 months regardless of the presence/absence of additional indications to extend its duration (9.7%).Conclusion. Various combinations of the main criteria and additional indications made the basis for differential approach to determining the duration of the intensive phase of chemotherapy in children with respiratory tuberculosis

The issues of clarifying the key mechanisms of development and course of generalized periodontitis in different conditions of reactivity of the organism remain relevant. The aim of the research is study of the peculiarities of course of the inflammatory-destructive process in the periodontium according to the dynamics of clinical and paraclinical indicators depending on the state of reactivity of the body in the conditions of modeling hyper- and hyporeaction. Materials and methods. The experiments were performed on 24 adult not purebred dogs weighing 8-12 kg. The animals were divided into three equal groups. In the first group, drugs that disrupt the reactivity of the organism were not used (normoreactivity of the organism). In the second group drugs simulated the state of hyperreactivity, and in the third they provoked the condition of the hyporeactivity of the organism. The condition of periodontal tissues was assessed initially, on the 14th and 28th day of observation of clinical and paraclinical parameters (creviculars liquor, PMA indices, PI Russell, GI Fedorov-Volodkina, Kulazhenko's test). Results. On the 14th day of modelling the states of hyper- and hyporeactivity of the organism a number of differences in the nature of inflammation in periodontal tissues were revealed in animals of different groups. Control of the amount of creviculars liquor increased in 1,1 times, PMA indices, PI Russell, GI Fedorov-Volodkina, Kulazhenko's test, respectively, in 1,12; 1,19; 1,33 and 1,29 times (p 0,05); Russell's PI index, which indicates a pronounced intensity of inflammatory-destructive periodontal lesions, increased 2,05 times (р