Cadherin-26 (CDH26) regulates airway epithelial cell cytoskeletal structure and polarity.

Polarization of the airway epithelial cells (AECs) in the airway lumen is critical to the proper function of the mucociliary escalator and maintenance of lung health, but the cellular requirements for polarization of AECs are poorly understood. Using human AECs and cell lines, we demonstrate that cadherin-26 (CDH26) is abundantly expressed in differentiated AECs, localizes to the cell apices near ciliary membranes, and has functional cadherin domains with homotypic binding. We find a unique and non-redundant role for CDH26, previously uncharacterized in AECs, in regulation of cell-cell contact and cell integrity through maintaining cytoskeletal structures. Overexpression of CDH26 in cells with a fibroblastoid phenotype increases contact inhibition and promotes monolayer formation and cortical actin structures. CDH26 expression is also important for localization of planar cell polarity proteins. Knockdown of CDH26 in AECs results in loss of cortical actin and disruption of CRB3 and other proteins associated with apical polarity. Together, our findings uncover previously unrecognized functions for CDH26 in the maintenance of actin cytoskeleton and apicobasal polarity of AECs

Associations between the dopamine D4 receptor gene polymorphisms and personality traits in elite athletes

Personality traits and temperament may affect sports performance. Previous studies suggest that dopamine may play an important role in behavior regulation and physical exercise performance. The aim of this study is to determine associations between dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4 Ex3) polymorphisms and personality traits (such as neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeability and conscientiousness) in elite combat athletes. A total of 302 physically active, unrelated, self-reported Caucasian participants were recruited for this study. The participants consisted of 200 elite male combat athletes and 102 healthy male participants (control group). For personality trait measurements, the NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory (NEO-FFI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaires were used. For the genetic assays, blood was collected and all samples were genotyped using the real-time PCR method. A 2 x 3 factorial ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences on the Openness NEO Five Factor Inventory scale for both examined factors, i.e. sport status and genetics DTD4 Ex3. Combat athletes achieved higher scores on the Conscientiousness NEO-FFI scale when compared to controls (7.18 vs 5.98). On the other hand, combat athletes scored lower on the Openness scale in comparison with control group (4.42 vs. 4.63). Subjects with the DRD4 Ex3 s/s genotype had lower results on the openness scale in comparison with participants with the DRD4 Ex3 s/1 genotype (4.01 vs. 4.57) and higher DRD4 Ex3 1/1 genotype (4,01 vs. 3,50). In conclusion, we found an association between the dopamine D4 receptor gene in variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms and athletic status for two NEO-FFI factors: Openness and Conscientiousness. The DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism may be associated with the selected personality traits in combat athletes, thereby modulating athletes’ predisposition to participate in high risk sports

Purpose in Life of Elite Athletes after Spinal Cord Injury

Background: Searching for the meaning of human existence is man’s fundamental orientation. People are free to find meaning in their lives, and while they are not always free to choose the conditions of life, they are free to choose their attitude toward the conditions in which they find themselves. When people experience an unchangeable situation, the most important thing is the attitude they take toward it. This study aimed to identify the sense of meaning in life among elite athletes after a spinal cord injury (SCI) and to analyze the different aspects contributing to this domain. Methods: The study involved five athletes with at least national-level achievements in sports prior to a SCI. The study consisted of an interview using a communicator and filling out two online questionnaires—a personal questionnaire and the Purpose in Life Scale. Results: Analyzing the quantitative results, four participants achieved results indicating a high sense of meaning in life, while one participant achieved a significantly lower result. Conclusions: What affects one’s purpose in life is not so much the objective physical limitation but how much physicality one perceives to have lost as a result of the injury. Elite athletes stay involved in the sporting environment, which prevents the loss of purpose and maintains a sense of meaning at a high level. Both telling the story of your own illness and listening to the stories of others help the process of self-healing

The Relationship between Cognitive Performance and Quality of Life in Elite Athletes after Spinal Cord Injury

Background: The present investigation was designed to determine cognitive performance and quality of life (QoL) in a group of elite athletes who sustained spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: nine participants suffering a SCI participated in the study. Different cognitive functions were evaluated through the following tests: COWAT, Digit Span, Stroop color–word and QoL through the WHOQoL-BREF scale. Results: Generally, participants positively assessed their overall quality of life and health status. Although the tests conducted indicate reduced cognitive function among the athletes, it did not affect the reduction in QoL. Single correlations between the results of cognitive tests and QoL could be treated as coincidental. Conclusions: Despite the observed decline in selected cognitive functions, the participants positively assessed their quality of life and physical health.Reduced cognitive functioning could be influenced by the impact of sleep-disordered breathing, pain, depressive disorders and medication. This indicates the need for an individualized approach to define the patient’s deficits, needs and best care. Further studies with a larger group of participants are needed

E-Beam Irradiation and Ozonation as an Alternative to the Sulphuric Method of Wine Preservation

Potassium metabisulphite is usually used for microbial stabilization in the process of vinification and wine preservation, but it is considered to be allergenic. The objective of the present study was to assess the efficiency of ozonation and ionizing radiation as alternatives to wine sulphurization. The efficiency of yeast removal and the retention of the chemical quality of wine were evaluated. Wine was subjected to 60 min of ozonation, and radiation doses were set at 1–10 kGy. Moreover, a combination of ozonation and ionizing radiation treatment was used. The ozonation of wine did not produce the expected results. That is, it did not limit the number of yeast cells. From the sixth minute, a significant deterioration in the taste and the color of the wine was found. Ionizing radiation at a dose of 1 kGy reduced the yeast count by 95.5%, and a reduction of 99.9% was seen after the application of 2.5 kGy. Moreover, these doses did not have a significant effect on the organoleptic properties or the chemical composition of wine. The total amount of polyphenols reduced from the maximum of 1127.15 to 1023.73 mg at the dose of 5 kGy. Radiation is widely used to preserve food products. Its use for finished wine preservation may be an alternative to sulphurization

Restored Life of Elite Athletes after Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects every aspect of human life: medical, psychological, social, material. People with SCI face a variety of secondary conditions (e.g., chronic pain, urinary tract infections, cognitive impairment) that place a significant emotional burden, resulting in an increased risk of depression and reduced quality of life. The purpose of this study was to better understand the coping strategies and to identify factors that promote or hinder the successful adjustment of elite athletes after SCI. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight top athletes after spinal cord injury. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then thematically analyzed using MAXQDA software. Thematic analysis identified the following categories: coping, athletic identity, and adjustment. The results of the study indicate that loss of functional ability does not cause loss of athlete identity. Elite athletes live a life consistent with this identity, attempting to maintain it despite the loss of physical fitness. Involvement in sports provides meaning and is a positive factor in the process of disability acceptance, which is essential in the process of adjustment to injury and also provides group belonging

Quality of Life after Spinal Cord Injury: A Multiple Case Study Examination of Elite Athletes

A three-times World Champion in BMX (an acronym for Bicycle Motocross) dirt jumps, a Junior World Champion in ski jumping, and a European karate Champion sustained spinal cord injuries at the cervical and thoracic level. Such a severe trauma is tantamount to the end of a professional sporting career. In such a situation, the athlete’s life significantly changes in every aspect of it: health, professional, and social. The greatest sports champions have not yet been portrayed in the context of a strategy they used to deal with an abrupt end of a professional career due to severe injury. A semi-structured interview was conducted with study participants who additionally filled out the WHO Quality of Life Scale. This multiple case series presents the quality of life in elite athletes as well as the social activities they have undertaken regardless of the tragic accident. The results of the research indicate that these people are characterized rather by a positive sense of quality in life, and the way they function in a difficult situation is an inspiration to others

Effect of Inoculated Lactic Acid Fermentation on the Fermentable Saccharides and Polyols, Polyphenols and Antioxidant Activity Changes in Wheat Sourdough

Inoculation of sourdough allows the fermentation medium to be dominated by desired microorganisms, which enables determining the kinetics of the conversion of chemical compounds by individual microorganisms. This knowledge may allow the design of functional food products with health features dedicated to consumers with special needs. The aim of the study was to assess the dynamics of transformations of fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide and polyol (FODMAP) compounds from wheat flour as well as their antioxidant activity during inoculated and spontaneous sourdough fermentation. The FODMAP content in grain products was determined by the fructan content with negligible amounts of sugars and polyols. To produce a low-FODMAP cereal product, the fermentation time is essential. The 72 h fermentation time of L. plantarum-inoculated sourdough reduced the FODMAP content by 91%. The sourdough fermentation time of at least 72 h also positively influenced the content of polyphenols and antioxidant activity, regardless of the type of fermentation. The inoculation of both L. plantarum and L. casei contributed to a similar degree to the reduction in FODMAP in sourdough compared to spontaneous fermentation