Carotid intima-media thickness better differentiates between groups of stroke patients and persons without cerebrovascular disease than other conventional and novel risk factors

When measured by ultrasound, the morphological markers of carotid atherosclerosis such as intima-media thickness (IMT) and cross-sectional plaque area have been associated with the risk of ischaemic stroke. We set out to determine whether the morphological parameters of the carotid arteries made it possible to better differentiate between groups of older atherothrombotic stroke patients and persons without cerebrovascular disease than conventional and novel risk factors of stroke. Of the total number of 623 persons examined, 54 stroke patients (mean age 63.3 years) and 74 controls without cerebrovascular disease (mean age 66.3 years) fulfilled the inclusion criteria for this investigation and were enrolled in the case-control study. After adjustment for age, gender and education level, the strongest associations were found between stroke and carotid IMT [odds ratio (OR) = 10.6; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.3–26.9] and plaque area (OR = 5.4; 95%CI: 2.3–13.1). Other risk factors showed weaker associations with stroke occurrence. Of the clinical risk factors, a significant association was found between stroke and coronary heart disease (OR = 3.5; 95%CI: 1.2–10.2), hypertension (OR = 3.2; 95%CI: 1.5–7.2) and smoking (OR = 2.7; 95%CI: 1.1–6.4). From the laboratory-derived risk factors a significant association was found between stroke and triglyceride levels (OR = 4.4; 95%CI: 1.9–10.0), and an inverse correlation was observed between stroke occurrence and HDL-cholesterol level (OR = 0.4; 95%CI: 0.2–0.8). The carotid IMT and plaque area, measured with the use of ultrasonography, showed a better correlation with stroke occurrence than currently recognised clinical and biochemical risk factors. The intima-media thickness and plaque area of the carotid arteries could be useful parameters in the development of strategies to identify patients at high risk of atherothrombotic ischaemic stroke

Factors associated with diversity, quantity and zoonotic potential of ectoparasites on urban mice and voles

Wild rodents are important hosts for tick larvae but co-infestations with other mites and insects are largely neglected. Small rodents were trapped at four study sites in Berlin, Germany, to quantify their ectoparasite diversity. Host-specific, spatial and temporal occurrence of ectoparasites was determined to assess their influence on direct and indirect zoonotic risk due to mice and voles in an urban agglomeration. Rodent-associated arthropods were diverse, including 63 species observed on six host species with an overall prevalence of 99%. The tick Ixodes ricinus was the most prevalent species, found on 56% of the rodents. The trapping location clearly affected the presence of different rodent species and, therefore, the occurrence of particular host-specific parasites. In Berlin, fewer temporary and periodic parasite species as well as non-parasitic species (fleas, chiggers and nidicolous Gamasina) were detected than reported from rural areas. In addition, abundance of parasites with low host-specificity (ticks, fleas and chiggers) apparently decreased with increasing landscape fragmentation associated with a gradient of urbanisation. In contrast, stationary ectoparasites, closely adapted to the rodent host, such as the fur mites Myobiidae and Listrophoridae, were most abundant at the two urban sites. A direct zoonotic risk of infection for people may only be posed by Nosopsyllus fasciatus fleas, which were prevalent even in the city centre. More importantly, peridomestic rodents clearly supported the life cycle of ticks in the city as hosts for their subadult stages. In addition to trapping location, season, host species, body condition and host sex, infestation with fleas, gamasid Laelapidae mites and prostigmatic Myobiidae mites were associated with significantly altered abundance of I. ricinus larvae on mice and voles. Whether this is caused by predation, grooming behaviour or interaction with the host immune system is unclear. The present study constitutes a basis to identify interactions and vector function of rodent-associated arthropods and their potential impact on zoonotic diseases

Effects of plastic and biodegradable mulch films in field tomato cultivation

The yield quantity and quality depend on genetic factors, cultivation system and environmental conditions. Growth conditions can be improved by mulching the soil with plastic and biodegradable materials. A 2-factor experiment was conducted in 2011–2013 in the Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences. The method of random blocks in 3 repetitions was applied. The aim of the study was to compare the yielding of tomato cultivars: Awizo F1, Brixol F1 and Polonaise F1 on synthetic mulches: transparent, black and white polyethylene film (0.05 mm thick), on black polypropylene nonwoven of the mass of 60 g·m-2, and on biodegradable film BioAgri, 0.025 mm thick. Significant differences were observed in the quantity of marketable tomato yield in particular years of the experiment. In most favorable year 2012, the yield was by 26% and 56% larger, as compared to other years. The marketable yield of Awizo F1 cultivar was higher, on average by 33.1% and 64.7%, than in the case of Brixol F1 and Polonaise F1. The plants mulched with polyethylene and biodegradable film revealed a tendency to a higher yields as compared to those cultivated on nonwoven or without any mulches

Yielding and biological value of garlic chives (Allium tuberosum Rottl. ex Spreng.) depending to the type of mulch

Owing to their high nutritional value and medicinal properties, garlic chives, a representative of the genus Allium, are a valuable vegetable. The edible parts are green leaves and young stalks with flower buds and the bulbs. Allium tuberosum, known as garlic chives, Chinese chives or Oriental garlic, is a perennial species, adapted to a moderate climate. Of special concern is the fact that this species is readily infested by weeds, especially when grown on the same stand for many years. One possible measure to combat weed infestation is mulching. The aim of our study has been to make an assessment of the effect of mulching on yielding and biological value of Oriental garlic in the second and third year of its growth. The mulches used in the experiment were black and white polyethylene foil, black polypropylene agrotextile, black biodegradable foil and miscanthus chaff. The research results proved that the leaf yield significantly increased in the subsequent years of plant cultivation. The highest leaf yield from garlic chives was obtained on the plots mulched with black polypropylene agrotextile, black polyethylene foil and black biodegradable foil. Two-year-old plants contained significantly more dry matter, chlorophyll, carotenoids and potassium but less of nitrates. Mulching with white polyethylene foil considerably favoured the accumulation of dry matter, carotenoids, phosphorus, potassium and nitrates by garlic chive

Materiałowo-konstrukcyjne aspekty rewaloryzacji zabudowy pierzejowej śródmieścia Jezioran

In this paper, Jeziorany, a small town in the Province of Warmia and Mazury, serves as an example for discussing questions on building materials and construction solutions used in rows of townhouses dating back to the turn of the 17th and 18th century as well as in buildings raised in the town centre in the 1980s. Types of rafter framings, walls and foundations have been presented alongside a description of the building materials used when Jeziorany was rebuilt after a great fire which ravaged the town in 1783.Na przykładzie niewielkiego miasta Jeziorany (woj. warmińsko-mazurskie) wykazano rozwiązania materiałowe i konstrukcyjne w zabudowie pierzejowej z przełomu wieków XVII i XVIII oraz w budynkach z lat 80. XX wieku. Przedstawiono rodzaje więźb dachowych, konstrukcji murowych oraz fundamentów, a całość uzupełniono opisem materiałów stosowanych w trakcie odbudowy Jezioran po pożarze, który w roku 1783 strawił je niemal doszczętnie

Mechanism of Thermal Interaction of In with GaAs

General behavior of In/GaAs couple heat-treated at 570°C for 2 hours was studied with secondary-ion-mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and Nomarski microscopy. It is shown that, besides the well-known InGaAs crystallites which epitaxially grow upon dissolution of the substrate, In interacts with the substrate dislocations to form In(Ga)As dendrites. The driving force for this process is presumably excess arsenic reported to be present in the vicinity of the individual dislocations

Structural and Electrical Properties of Low Concentration SnTe Layers and PbTe/SnTe Heterostructures Grown by MBE

We analyse properties of thin SnTe layers and PbTe/SnTe heterostructures grown by MBE on BaF$\text{}_{2}$(111) substrates. Reflection high energy electron diffraction patterns registered during MBE growth of the samples as well as post-growth X-ray diffraction measurements evidence a high structural perfection of 0.6 μm thick SnTe layers and (50 Å PbTe)/(50 Å SnTe) superlattices. The full width at half maximum values of (222) X-ray rocking curves measured for these thin SnTe layers crystallized in the optimal MBE growth conditions are about 300 arcsec; the carrier concentrations can be tuned from 5×10$\text{}^{19}$ cm$\text{}^{-3}$ to 10$\text{}^{2 1}$ cm$\text{}^{-3}$ depending on the MBE process parameters