The effect of acute, moderate intensity indoor cycling on the temporal resolution of human vision system, measured by critical fusion frequency

Critical fusion frequency (CFF) reflects the basic temporal function of the visual system and therefore is a good measure of its performance. CFF has been implemented in psychological and pharmacological studies to evaluate cognitive functions. The influence of abnormal environmental conditions, such as physical exercise, has been recently explored. Previous studies have presented alterations of cognitive processes due to acute exercise. However, the duration of the effect after the end of exercise has not been investigated. This evaluation is important especially in reference to long-term conclusions on the effect of training on CFF as an improvement of cognition. The main goal of this study was to check whether a stimulatory effect of acute submaximal physical exercise on CFF among non-experienced cyclists persists over time. Moreover, we asked whether this effect differs between areas of visual field. CFF thresholds from 15 volunteers were measured by means of an automated medical perimeter PTS 910 (Bogdani) before, immediately after the end, and 30 min after the end of two sessions (training and rest). During rest, CFF did not change significantly, but we observed an increased CFF immediately after training. Interestingly, this increase was maintained 30 min after the end of exercise in fovea. A greater decrease of CFF during rest was observed for lower than for upper hemifield. Our results suggest that an acute, moderate-intensity cycling improved CFF in non-experienced cyclists, with the duration of the effect depending on eccentricity. The possible visual hemifield asymmetries of CFF changes over time will be further investigated

Respiratory and phonation disorders in adolescent girls suffering from anorexia nervosa

Wstęp. Powstawanie głosu wymaga prawidłowej morfologii i funkcji krtani, sprawnego układu nerwowego i hormonalnego, jak też właściwego sposobu oddychania, fonacji i artykulacji. W przebiegu jadłowstrętu psychicznego obserwuje się zaburzenia większości układów i narządów wewnętrznych wraz z towarzyszącymi zaburzeniami emocjonalnymi. Cel pracy. Ocena wybranych parametrów oddechowo-fonacyjnych u dziewcząt z anoreksją. Materiał i metody. Badanie przeprowadzono w grupie dziewcząt w wieku 12–19 lat, 41 z anoreksją i 25 w grupie kontrolnej. Ocena toru oddechowego, maksymalnego czasu fonacji, percepcyjna ocena głosu (GRBAS), ocena krtani w laryngostroboskopii. Wyniki. Zaobserwowano nieprawidłowości strukturalno-funkcjonalne: nieprawidłowy żebrowo-obojczykowy tor oddychania (91%), istotnie skrócony maksymalny czas fonacji (83%), zaburzenia głosu o charakterze czynnościowym (54%), nieodpowiednią do wieku budowę krtani (36%) oraz zawężenie zakresu głosu. Wnioski. 1. Jadłowstręt psychiczny prowadzi do zmian strukturalnych i czynnościowych narządu głosu. 2. Na podstawie przeprowadzonych badań wydaje się wskazane objęcie również opieką foniatryczną pacjentek z zaburzeniami odżywiania o podłożu psychicznym.Introduction. Good voice quality requires normal anatomical structure of the larynx, its proper function as well as normal hormonal and nervous systems and good way of breathening, phonation and articulation. Anorexia nervosa (AN) impairs most of systems and lead to emotional problems. Aim of the study. To evaluate the voice organ and voice quality in girls suffering from anorexia nervosa. Material and methods. Girls (aged 12–19) 41 with AN and 25 as a control group; an assessment of breathing habits and structure and function of vocal organ was performed. Results. The following abnormalities were observed: breathing irregularities (93%), significantly shortened maximum phonation time in 83%, voice disorders of functional character in 54% in laryngostroboscopy. Most of anorectic girls were abnormal laryngeal configuration (36%), narrow voice range. Conclusions. 1. Anorexia nervosa leads to voice abnormalities observed in anatomical and functional larynx assessment. 2. Observed structural and functional changes of vocal organ in AN indicate involvement in phoniatric care of a group of patients with eating disorders of psychological background

The Pro12Ala Polymorphism of the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Gene Modifies the Association of Physical Activity and Body Mass Changes in Polish Women

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ is a key regulator of adipogenesis, responsible for fatty acid storage and maintaining energy balance in the human body. Studies on the functional importance of the PPARG Pro12Ala polymorphic variants indicated that the observed alleles may influence body mass measurements; however, obtained results were inconsistent. We have decided to check if body mass changes observed in physically active participants will be modulated by the PPARG Pro12Ala genotype. The genotype distribution of the PPARG Pro12Ala allele was examined in a group of 201 Polish women measured for selected body mass variables before and after the completion of a 12-week training program. The results of our experiment suggest that PPARG genotype can modulate training-induced body mass measurements changes: after completion of the training program, Pro12/Pro12 homozygotes were characterised by a greater decrease of body fat mass measurements in comparison with 12Ala allele carriers. These results indicate that the PPARG 12Ala variant may impair the training-induced positive effects on body mass measurements; however, the detailed mechanism of such interaction remained unclear and observed correlation between PPARG genotype and body mass differential effects should be interpreted with caution

Novel AlkB Dioxygenases—Alternative Models for In Silico and In Vivo Studies

Background: ALKBH proteins, the homologs of Escherichia coli AlkB dioxygenase, constitute a direct, single-protein repair system, protecting cellular DNA and RNA against the cytotoxic and mutagenic activity of alkylating agents, chemicals significantly contributing to tumor formation and used in cancer therapy. In silico analysis and in vivo studies have shown the existence of AlkB homologs in almost all organisms. Nine AlkB homologs (ALKBH1–8 and FTO) have been identified in humans. High ALKBH levels have been found to encourage tumor development, questioning the use of alkylating agents in chemotherapy. The aim of this work was to assign biological significance to multiple AlkB homologs by characterizing their activity in the repair of nucleic acids in prokaryotes and their subcellular localization in eukaryotes. Methodology and Findings: Bioinformatic analysis of protein sequence databases identified 1943 AlkB sequences with eight new AlkB subfamilies. Since Cyanobacteria and Arabidopsis thaliana contain multiple AlkB homologs, they were selected as model organisms for in vivo research. Using E. coli alkB2 mutant and plasmids expressing cyanobacterial AlkBs, we studied the repair of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and chloroacetaldehyde (CAA) induced lesions in ssDNA, ssRNA, and genomic DNA. On the basis of GFP fusions, we investigated the subcellular localization of ALKBHs in A. thaliana and established its mostly nucleo-cytoplasmic distribution. Some of the ALKBH proteins were found to change their localization upon MMS treatment. Conclusions: Our in vivo studies showed highly specific activity of cyanobacterial AlkB proteins towards lesions and nucleic acid type. Subcellular localization and translocation of ALKBHs in A. thaliana indicates a possible role for these proteins in the repair of alkyl lesions. We hypothesize that the multiplicity of ALKBHs is due to their involvement in the metabolism of nucleo-protein complexes; we find their repair by ALKBH proteins to be economical and effective alternative to degradation and de novo synthesis

The recognition motif and the presentation of female characters in Roman comedy

The article shows how the recognition infuences on the way that female characters are presented in palliata. This motif is very common in Plautus’ and Terence’s comedies. It can be said that anagnorismos enables the introduction of women on the stage and is not at variance with antique customs and decorum

Fabula in palliata. Elementy bajki w komedii rzymskiej

Fabula in palliata. Fable’s elements in Roman comedy I would like to present connections between fable and palliata, concerning the species of animals that appear in Roman comedy and the way they are introduced. It can be observed that meaning of some animals and situations are similar to those introduced earlier in Greek fable. Such connections are possible if we regard that both literary genres are source of humour and that Esope’s fable were known and popular in ancient Rome before the Roman fable appeared.Fabula in palliata. Fable’s elements in Roman comedy I would like to present connections between fable and palliata, concerning the species of animals that appear in Roman comedy and the way they are introduced. It can be observed that meaning of some animals and situations are similar to those introduced earlier in Greek fable. Such connections are possible if we regard that both literary genres are source of humour and that Esope’s fable were known and popular in ancient Rome before the Roman fable appeared

Influence of spectral interferences on the results of quartz determination by infrared spectrometry

Background: Determination of quartz by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) is not specific: the obtained results are influenced by matrix components, some of which cause spectral interference. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of dust components responsible for spectral interference with quartz on the results of its determinations, and to develop methods to minimize the effects of interferences. Material and Methods: Investigation of interferent effects were conducted using respirable dusts: quartz SRM 1878a, cristobalite SRM 1879a, synthetic amorphous silica (Zeosil) and feldspar, albite and kaolinite. For the study 17 mixtures with quartz and interferents at concentrations from 10 to 90% were prepared. Determinations of quartz were carried out by the KBr disc method. Results: In mixtures of quartz with interferents, the results based on bands 798–779 cm–1 were overestimated by 10–55%, while those based on band 695 cm–1 were closer to the true content of quartz. It was found that the best methods able to decrease the impact of spectral interference are: scaled subtraction of IR spectra of feldspar or kaolinite analysed in nonashed samples, correction curve for kaolinite also investigated in nonashed samples with quartz-content calculation based on band 695 cm–1 in mixtures with cristobalite, amorphous silica or kaolinite in ashed samples. Conclusions: The study indicates the need to identify spectral interferences in dust when determining crystalline silica by FT-IR and to take actions to minimize their impact on the obtained results. Med Pr 2015;66(4):497–50

Health effects of occupational exposure to crystalline silica in the light of current research results

Crystalline silica is commonly found in the work environment. Possible health effects of occupational exposure continue to be the subject of extensive research. The aim of this paper was to analyze the recent findings concerning the health effects of exposure to crystalline silica, taking into account different levels of exposure. This work is based on the relevant information from the papers retrieved from the following databases: EBSCO, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science, using the following keywords: crystalline silica, quartz, health effects. The review of the results confirms the multi-faceted harmful effects of crystalline silica. Prolonged occupational exposure, apart from silicosis and non-cancer respiratory diseases, may also result in the development of lung cancer, and autoimmune and chronic kidney diseases, the pathogenesis, which has not been completely explained yet. The exposure to the crystalline silica at concentrations close to the current occupational exposure limit value does not exclude the risk of the following pathologies: silicosis, lung cancer, other lung diseases and renal diseases. It is not feasible to completely eliminate the crystalline silica dust from the work environment. The best way to reduce the health effects of the exposure is to minimize the concentrations of silica dust. Further progress in clarifying the true mechanisms of interaction between silica dust and lung cells, the determination of the importance of surface properties of the silica particles in the pathogenic processes and explaining the effects of co-morbid dust in the work environment may help to prevent the harmful effects of silica dust. Med Pr 2014;65(6):799–81

Non-existing resolutions of the bodies of capital companies

Niniejsza praca dotyczy "uchwał" nieistniejących organów kapitałowych spółek handlowych. Kategoria takich aktów nie została wyróżniona na gruncie kodeksu spółek handlowych, jednak konsekwentnie od czasów obowiązywania Kodeksu Handlowego jest podtrzymywana tak przez doktrynę jak i orzecznictwo. "Uchwała" nieistniejąca z uwagi na niespełnienie podstawowych kryteriów uznania ją za czynność prawną nie może podlegać procedurze unieważnienia, stąd też odpowiednim narzędziem do wyeliminowania jej z obrotu prawnego jest powództwo z art. 189 k.p.c. W przedmiotowej pracy tematyka "uchwał" nieistniejących została rozpatrzona z uwzględnieniem argumentów normatywnych, logicznych i systemowych. W pracy została przez autorkę podjęta próba zdefiniowania obszaru wadliwości kwalifikującej dane działanie jako "uchwałę" nieistniejącą. Ponadto, sformułowano postulaty de lege ferenda odnoszące się do tematu pracy.This paper concerns the non-existent "resolutions" of bodies capital of commercial companies. Category of such acts has not been awarded on the basis of the Code of Commercial Companies, but consequently, from the time of validity of Commercial Code, it is approved by jurisdiction and doctrine. Non-existent "resolution" cannot be recognized as a legal action, so it cannot be also canceled by court. Because of that, the only way to eliminate such acts from the world of legal acts is using the action to establish from art. 189 of Code of Civil Procedure. In this thesis the topic of non-existent "resolution" was examined in the light of normative, logical and systemic arguments. The author tried to define defective area which can qualifie the action as non-existent "resolution". Moreover, de lege ferenda conclusions were formulated in that thesis

Could submarine groundwater discharge be a significant carbon source to the southern Baltic Sea?

Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) is an important yet poorly recognised pathway of material transport to the marine environment. This work reports on the results of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and loads in the groundwater seeping into the southern Baltic Sea. Most of the research was carried out in the Bay of Puck (2009-2010), while in 2013 the study was extended to include several other groundwater seepage impacted areas situated along the Polish coastline. The annual average concentrations of DIC and DOC in the groundwater were equal to 64.5 ± 10.0 mg C L-1 and 5.8 ± 0.9 mg C L-1 respectively. The carbon specific flux into the Bay of Puck was estimated at 850 mg m-2 yr-1. The loads of carbon via SGD were scaled up for the Baltic Sea sub-basins and the entire Baltic Sea. The DIC and DOC fluxes via SGD to the Baltic Sea were estimated at 283.6 ± 66.7 kt yr-1 and 25.5 ± 4.2 kt yr-1. The SGD derived carbon load to the Baltic Sea is an important component of the carbon budget, which gives the sea a firmly heterotrophic status