Xenobiotics influence on estrogen activity

Many chemical compounds which imitate estrogens effect are present in the environment. There are natural substances (fitoestrogens), as well as synthetic (xenoestrogens, metaloestrogens) ones. A lot of xenobiotics are inductors or inhibitors of enzymes, also those enzymes which take part in estrogens metabolism. However, little is still known about the influence of xenobiotics on estrogens activity, there can be no question of the importance of the problem. One of them are the diminished effects of endogenous estrogens in women smokers, also weakness or lack of oral hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) effect among women smokers, as well as the influence of estrogens on dioxins toxicity. The issue of estrogen compounds presence in cosmetics deserves special attention. It is essential for us to remember, that estrogens are compounds with high biological activity. Thus, hormonal balance disturbance can have serious health consequences, including tumors. In this research we have attempted to present a review of studies which concern exogenous factors influence on estrogens activity and have summarized current state of knowledge

Vertical distribution of the root system of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) and legumes in pure and mixed sowing

Root competition for below-ground resources between edible plants may provide for long-term sustainability of agriculture systems. Intercropping can be more productive than a pure crop due to taking advantage of the morphological differences between species. In pure cropping, all biophysical interactions between plants occur through soil conditions. In intercropping, competition for water and nutrients is of major importance, but if the roots of one species occupy the zone just underneath the roots of the other crop, they can better use the resources of the root zone of the crop. The root system demonstrates a high degree of plasticity in its development in response to local heterogeneity of the soil profile and plant density. This study aimed at determining: (i) the morphological characteristics of the root systems of linseed, pea and vetch depending on the method of sowing; (ii) the root distribution in various soil types and at different soil profile depths (0–15 cm, 15–30 cm). Two three-year field experiments were conducted on two soil types in south Poland: soil A – Luvic Phaeozem (s1) and soil B – Eutric Cambisol (s2). These results show that linseed was more aggressive toward both legumes in mixture, but it produced lower yield compared to pure cropping. The environmental stress of plants in mixtures increased the relative weight of roots, which resulted in decreasing the root-shoot ratio (RSR)

Electrophysical properties of the multiferroic PFN-ferrite composites obtained by spark plasma sintering and classical technology

The multiferroic (ferroelectric–ferromagnetic) composites (PFN–ferrite) based on ferroelectromagnetic PbFe1/2Nb1/2O3 powder and ferrite powder (zinc–nickel ferrite, NiZnFeO4) were obtained in the presented study. The ceramic PFN–ferrite composites consisted of 90% powder PFN material and 10% powder NiZnFeO4 ferrite. The ceramic powders were synthesized by the classical technological method using powder calcination, while densification of the composite powders (sintering) was carried by two different methods: (1) free sintering method (FS) and (2) spark plasma sintering (SPS). The composite PFN–ferrite samples were thermally tested, including DC electrical conductivity and dielectric properties. Besides, XRD, SEM, EDS (energy-dispersive spectrometry) and ferroelectric properties (hysteresis loop) of the composite samples were tested at room temperature. At the work, a comparison was made for the results measured for PFN–ferrite composite samples obtained by two methods. The X-ray examination of multiferroic ceramic composites confirmed the occurrence of the strong diffraction peaks derived from ferroelectric (PFN) matrix of composite as well as weak peaks induced by the ferrite component. At the same time, the studies showed the absence of other undesired phases. The results presented in this work revealed that the ceramic composite obtained by two different technological sintering methods (free sintering method and spark plasma sintering technique) can be the promising materials for functional applications, for example, in sensors for magnetic and electric fields

Evaluation of motivation to quit smoking in outpatients attending smoking cessation clinic

Wstęp: Skuteczność leczenia uzależnienia od nikotyny zależy nie tylko od zastosowanej metody, lecz w dużej mierze również od motywacji pacjenta. Celem autorów pracy była ocena stopnia motywacji oraz określenie najbardziej motywującego czynnika u pacjentów zgłaszających się do poradni antynikotynowej. Materiał i metody: Zbadano 111 osób uzależnionych od nikotyny (50 mężczyzn, 61 kobiet). Średni wiek badanych wyniósł 58 lat. Do oceny wykorzystano: test motywacji według N. Schneider, test uzależnienia Fagerströma i kwestionariusz poradni antynikotynowej. Wyniki: Najczęstszą motywacją do rzucenia palenia była troska o zdrowie (83% badanych). W teście motywacji wynik wyniósł średnio 6,93; średni stopień uzależnienia w teście Fagerströma - 5,49. Gotowość do rzucenia palenia w ciągu miesiąca zadeklarowało 87 badanych (w tym: w ciągu 24 godzin 36%, w ciągu tygodnia kolejne 23%, w ciągu 4 tygodni 28%). Motywacja do porzucenia palenia była podobna u mężczyzn i kobiet. Wnioski: Troska o zdrowie jest najsilniejszym czynnikiem motywującym pacjentów poradni przeciwnikotynowej do rzucenia palenia, zarówno wśród kobiet, jak i mężczyzn. Gotowość do podjęcia próby zaprzestania palenia, oceniana pośrednio deklarowanym czasem, po którym zostanie podjęta próba, nie koreluje ze stopniem motywacji do zaprzestania palenia.Introduction: The success in smoking cessation depends not only on a method of treatment but also on patient motivation. The aim of this study was to estimate the motivation and the main reason to quit smoking among outpatients attending smoking cessation clinic. Material and methods: One hundred and eleven patients (50 men and 61 women), mean age 58, filled in a motivation test, nicotine dependence test and a questionnaire of the clinic. Results: The main motivation to quit was for the health reasons (83%). Mean motivation test result was 6.93; mean nicotine addiction evaluated in dependence test was 5.49. Eighty seven percent of patients were ready to quit smoking during one month (36% in 24 hours; 23% in one week; 28% in four weeks). There was no significant difference beetwen men and women. Conclusions: The main motivation to quit smoking were the health reasons as well among men as women. There was no correlation between the readiness to quit smoking determined as time to quit attempt and the motivation test

The influence of plant mulches on the content of phenolic compounds in soil and primary weed infestation of maize

In growing maize, an increase in the content of phenolic compounds and selected phenolic acids in soil was found after the incorporation of white mustard, buckwheat, spring barley, oats and rye mulches into the soil. The highest content of phenolic compounds in soil was found after oats mulch incorporation (20% more than in the control soil). The highest content of selected phenolic acids was found for the soil with the oats and rye mulch. Among the phenolic acids investigated, ferulic acid was most commonly found in the soil with the plant mulches. However, two phenolic acids: the protocatechuic and chlorogenic acid, were not detected in any soil samples (neither in the control soil nor in the mulched soil). At the same time, a decrease in the primary weed infestation level in maize was found in the plots with all the applied plant mulches, especially on the plots with oats, barley and mustard. The plant mulches were more inhibitory against monocotyledonous weeds than dicotyledonous ones. During high precipitation events and wet weather, a rapid decrease in the content of phenolic compounds in soil and an increase in the primary weed infestation level in maize were observed

Jednoczesne wykrycie komórek nowotworowych i materiału genetycznego prątków gruźlicy w płynie opłucnowym

Wysięk opłucnowy jest często obserwowanym zjawiskiem w przebiegu chorób układu oddechowego zarówno zapalnych, jak i nowotworowych. Jego przyczyną może być gruźlica, której najczęstszą pozapłucną lokalizacją jest opłucna, a także choroba nowotworowa opłucnej. Potwierdzenie gruźliczej etiologii wysięku opłucnowego bywa trudne, podobnie jak znalezienie pierwotnego ogniska choroby w przypadku wysięku nowotworowego. W części przypadków wykrycie pierwotnego ogniska nowotworu, pomimo zastosowania różnorakich metod diagnostycznych, jest niemożliwe. Poniżej przedstawiono przypadek obustronnego płynu w opłucnej, w którym jednocześnie wykryto komórki raka o nieustalonym punkcie wyjścia oraz stwierdzono dodatni wynik testu genetycznego w kierunku prątków gruźlicy. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2010; 78, 4: 296-301Pleural effusion is a frequently observed lesion in the course of respiratory diseases such as inflammatory process and cancer metastasis. Its cause may be either tuberculosis (the most common extrapulmonary location is the pleura) and malignant disease of the pleura. Confirmation of tuberculosis is often troublesome. The primary site of cancer may be also difficult to find despite the application of difficult diagnostic methods. Below we present history of 79-year-old female in whom carcinomatous cells and positive result of PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pleural fluid were discovered simultaneously suggesting the tuberculosis and cancer of unknown primary origin. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2010; 78, 4: 296-30

Predictors of aortic stenosis severity reclassification using an imaging data fusion method in patients referred for transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Background: The use of imaging data fusion method (IDFM) with multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2D-TTE) in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) may result in reclassification of AS severity from severe to non-severe. Aim: We sought to establish potential predictors of AS severity reclassification using the IDFM method. Methods: A total of 54 high-risk patients (mean age 79 ± 7.9 years; 40.7% male) with severe AS by 2D-TTE (indexed aortic valve area [AVAi] < 0.6 cm2/m2), referred for transcatheter aortic valve implantation, were included in the analysis. AVAi was subsequently recalculated using IDFM by replacing 2D-TTE left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) measurements with MSCT LVOT parameters. Results: Imaging data fusion method reclassified 20.4% patients into the potentially non-severe AS group. In a multivariable model including clinical variables, reclassification to non-severe AS by IDFM was independently associated with younger age and diabetes mellitus (DM), (odds ratio [OR] 0.864; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76–0.99; p < 0.035 and OR 19.259; 95% CI 2.28–162.41; p < 0.007, respectively). In a multivariable analysis of echocardiographic variables, reclassification was associ­ated with higher LVOT velocity time integral and lower aortic mean gradient (OR 1.402; 95% CI 1.07–1.84; p < 0.014 and OR 0.858; 95%: CI 0.760–0.968; p < 0.013, respectively). In addition, 24.1% of patients were reallocated from low-flow (< 35 mL/m2) to normal-flow AS. Conclusions: Imaging data fusion method reclassified a substantial proportion of patients with severe AS into a potentially moderate AS group and from a low-flow to a normal-flow AS group. Such regrouping calls for increased diagnostic prudence in AS patients, especially those with specific clinical and echocardiographic predictors of reclassification, such as DM or low aortic mean gradient

Non-wage factors motivating employees at Wiech.

Celem pracy jest przeanalizowanie jednej z funkcji zarządzania jaką jest motywowanie pracowników do pracy oraz przedstawienie pozapłacowych czynników motywowania, na które należałoby zwrócić uwagę w trakcie projektowania systemu motywacyjnego w organizacji. Aby tego dokonać konieczne było przedstawienie istoty motywowania oraz różnych teorii na temat tej funkcji zarządzania oraz próba analizy materialnych i niematerialnych czynników motywowania, które mogą zostać wykorzystane przez pracodawców w celu uzyskania od pracowników efektywnej pracy na rzecz organizacji. Pozyskane w ten sposób informacje, pozwoliły na wysnucie wniosku, że pozapłacowe czynniki motywowania mają niejednokrotnie większe znaczenie aniżeli płacowe czynniki ale żeby przynosiły one oczekiwane skutki należy poznać potrzeby pracowników.The aim of the work is to analyze one of the management functions which is motivating employees to work and the presentation of non-wage motivation factors, which should be noted during the design of the incentive system in organisation. To do this, it was necessary to present the essence of motivating and various theories about this management function and the attempt to analyze the material and intangible motivating factors that can be used by employers to obtain effective work for the organization from employees. The information obtained in this way allowed us to conclude that non-wage motivating factors are often more important than wage factors, but that they would bring the expected results, the needs of employees should be known

Evaluation of the Motivation to Quit Smoking in Outpatients Attending a Smoking Cessation Clinic

Introduction: The efficacy of nicotine dependency treatment not only depends on the method employed but also, to a large extent, on patient motivation. Our aim was to evaluate the level of motivation and to define the most motivating factor to quit smoking in patients presenting to a smoking cessation clinic. Material and methods: We investigated 111 nicotine addicts (50 men and 61 women) with a mean age of 58 years. We performed the evaluations using the N. Schneider motivation test, the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, and the smoking cessation clinic questionnaire. Results: The most common motivation to quit smoking was health reason (83%). The mean score in the Schneider motivation test was 6.93 and the mean nicotine dependence score in the Fagerström test was 5.49. Readiness to quit smoking within a month was declared by 87 subjects (with 36% within 24 hours, 23% within a week, and 28% within 4 weeks). The motivation to quit smoking was similar in men and in women. Conclusions: Health reasons are the strongest motivation to quit smoking among both male and female patients attending the smoking cessation clinic. Readiness to attempt smoking cessation, as indirectly assessed by the declared deadline for making the attempt, did not correlate with the level of motivation to quit smoking