Discrete breathers in square lattices from delocalized nonlinear vibrational modes.

Standing and moving discrete breathers (or equally, intrinsic localized modes) in a square ß-Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou lattice are obtained by applying localizing functions to the delocalized nonlinear vibrational modes (DNVMs) found earlier by Ryabov and Chechin. The initial conditions used in our study do not correspond to exact spatially localized solutions, but make it possible to obtain long-lived quasibreathers. The approach employed in this work can easily be used to search for quasibreathers in three-dimensional crystal lattices, for which DNVMs with frequencies outside the phonon spectrum are known.

[Clinical efficacy of electric stimulation of crural muscles in comprehensive treatment of post-thrombotic disease]. / Klinicheskaia éffektivnost' élektricheskoi stimuliatsii myshts goleni v kompleksnom lechenii posttromboticheskoi bolezni.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate clinical efficacy of electromyostimulation (EMS) of the crural muscles as part of comprehensive therapy for post-thrombotic disease in patients with residual venous obstruction in the femoropopliteal segment. We carried out a prospective comparative clinical study enrolling patients having endured a fist episode of clinically unprovoked venous thrombosis of the femoropopliteal segment and completed the standard 6-month course of anticoagulant therapy and presenting with ultrasonographic signs of complete recanalization of the proximal venous segments (stenosis of 20% and more from the vessel's initial diameter), as well as scoring 5 points and more by the Villalta scale. The study included a total of 60 patients (38 men and 22 women, mean age 58.5±11.4 years) subdivided into two groups consisting of 30 patients each. Patients of both the Study and Control Groups underwent comprehensive therapy including wearing a compression knee sock (23-32 mmHg), a course phlebotrophic drugs, and dosed walking (not less than 5,000 steps a day). The Study Group patients were additionally subjected to daily electrical stimulation of the crural muscles with the "Veinoplus VI" unit (three 30-minute sessions a day). The duration of the follow up amounted to 12 months. The criteria for assessing therapeutic efficacy were as follows: severity of the disease by the VCSS and Villalta scales, quality of life as assessed by the CIVIQ-20 questionnaire, and lack of relapses of the venous thrombus. Clinical and instrumental assessment of the patients' condition was carried out monthly, with the disease's severity and quality of life assesses each 6 months. Relapses of venous thrombosis were registered in 7 (23.3%) patients from the Control Group and were not observed in patients undergoing EMS (p=0.011). In 5 cases, thrombosis was asymptomatic and in 4 cases it was presented by reocclusion of the involved venous segments. Patients of the Study Group were found to have a decrease in the disease's severity, reflected in points: VCSS (9.9±1.6 - 7.8 ± 1.6 - 6.1±1.5 (p <0.0001)); Villalta scale (18.9±3.9 - 12.8±4.0 - 8.3±2.7 (p<0.0001)); CIVIQ-20 score (67.8±8.4 - 51.3±8.4 - 40.0±10.5 (p<0.001)). The Control Group patients showed a similar tendency for the disease's severity: 8.1±2.8 - 7.3±2.1 - 7.2±2.1 points by the VCSS (p=0.014); 12.7±6.7 - 10.9±5.6 - 10.2±5.4 points by the Villalta scale (p=0.002), but not for quality of life: 48.2±19.3 - 46.7±17.3 - 47.4±16.2 points by the CIVIQ-20 (p>0.05). On the background of using EMS, the alterations in the studied parameters were characterized by higher velocity and intensity (p<0.05). The use of electromyostimulation as part of comprehensive treatment for post-thrombotic disease makes it possible to efficiently eliminate both subjective and objective signs of venous insufficiency, improve patients' quality of life and decrease the risk for the development of relapsing venous thrombosis.

[Endovascular laser obliteration in treatment of patients with varicose veins with trophic disorders].

The authors studied efficacy and safety of endovasal laser obliteration (EVLO) in treatment for varicose veins in patients with trophic disorders, carrying out comparative analysis of the outcomes of treatment of 95 patients subjected to EVLO (Study Group) or combined phlebectomy (Control Group). It was shown that EVLO is accompanied by less traumatic lesion of tissues during interventions, thus leading to more rapid relief of oedemas of lower limbs and reduction of trophic skin disorders. In patients with open trophic ulcers with an area of more than 10 cm2 healing occurred averagely one month faster than in those after phlebectomy. Hence, EVLO may be recommended as a preferable technique in treatment of varicose veins in patients with trophic disorders. However, if the diameter of the venous trunk exceeds 1 cm there is a probability of its recanalization even in the remote period after the intervention.

[Serum albumin in systemic inflammatory reaction syndrome].

A group of patients with pyoinflammatory surgical disease, which showed a strong correlation between the serum concentration of albumin and the number of signs of a systemic inflammatory reaction (SIR), was examined. It was found that the more number of such signs the patient had, the less blood concentration of albumin was: the linear correlation coefficient averaged -0.78 (p < 0.01) in the group. In the natural development of the disease, the larger number of signs of SIR (negative changes) is followed by decreased albumin concentrations and their reduction (positive changes) leads to an increase and even complete restoration of albumin concentrations. With a fatal outcome, there is a much greater drop in the serum concentration of albumin, which is inconsistent with the magnitude of criteria of SIR. The possible reasons for a reduction in blood albumin concentration and for ineffective correction of hypoalbuminemia in sepsis are discussed.

Albumin fluorescent test in surgical stress.

Albumin fluorescent test showed that serum albumin concentration was normal in patients with uncomplicated inguinal hernia before surgery, but albumin binding centers were considerably changed. Surgery also modified binding centers, but these changes were less pronounced than before the operation. It was assumed that long-term psychic distress before surgery is responsible for preoperative changes in albumin molecule.