Dietary supplements in sport – side effects

Introduction: Dietary supplements (DS) were legalized for the first time in 1994 by the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act. The statute defined DS as a source of one or more nutritional component such as minerals, herbs, vitamins, etc. Athletes are known as a distinctive group with the highest DS in sport intake (from 48-81%) The consumption of DS has been reported among recreational active individuals and non-athletes Purpose: present possible side effects caused by DS usage in sport. State of knowledge: Protein powders are common DS among athletes and bodybuilders, which consist of whey, casein, vegetable proteins in soy protein isolate (SPI). SPI contains week estrogens such as isoflavones genistein and daidzein. The surveys with isolated cases showed hepatic injury among athletes users of creatine, but the doses of DS were inappropriate and excessive. L-carnitine is a substance which is used due to its „fat-burning” abilities and a consequence of its higher intake are atherosclerotic lesions. Summary: DS in sport are used due to enhance muscle mass, duration, and efficiency of training. However, inappropriate usage of them may lead to many side effects. Athletes and professionals in sport should be consulted by the physician before and during the supplementation of DS in sport. Creatine is a substrate for a contraction of a muscl

Environmental Degradability of Polyurethanes

The growing interest in environmental issues and increasing demands to develop materials that do not burden the natural environment significantly are currently observed. In this connection many studies on polymer degradation in different environments are carried out. It is important to consider the influence of synergistic action of various factors in order to understand the environmental degradation of synthetic polymers. This requires understanding of interactions between polymer and living organisms

Forward-looking component in consumers’ expectations and inflation forecast targeting: the case of six European economies

Budući da postoje različiti načini otkrivanja namjera središnjih banaka, pojavljuje se jednostavno istraživačko pitanje, koje se razmatra u ovoj studiji. Je li komponenta očekivanja potrošača usmjerena na budućnost povezana s načinom na koji središnje banke otkrivaju i koriste prognoze? Istraživanje obuhvaća šest zemalja: Češku, Mađarsku, Rumunjsku, Poljsku, Švedsku i Veliku Britaniju, u razdoblju od 2001. do 2016. godine. Naša metodologija sastoji se od kvantifikacije očekivanja, testova racionalnosti očekivanja, procjene stupnja njihove usmjerenosti na budućnost, indeksne procjene prognoziranja centralnih banaka o transparentnosti i važnosti prognoze u monetarnoj politici, kao i korelacijskog ispitivanja dalekovidnosti monetarne politike i pogreške očekivanja. Na temelju dovršenog istraživanja povezujemo rezultate analize usmjerenosti na budućnost s indeksnom procjenom ciljanog prognoziranja inflacije. Rezultati su različiti. Najviši stupanj usmjerenosti očekivanja na budućnost nalazi se u Velikoj Britaniji i Švedskoj. Očekivanja čeških potrošača su manje usmjerena na budućnost, dok je uključenost centralnih banaka u ciljano prognoziranje inflacije usporediva sa švedskim slučajem. Dvije zemlje nemaju komponentu usmjerenu na buduća očekivanja potrošača. Studija daje vrijedan doprinos postojećoj literaturi jer predstavlja novi pristup analizi odnosa između prognoze i ciljanog prognoziranja inflacije i očekivanja usmjerenih na budućnost.Since there are different ways of revealing central banks’ intentions, a simple research question, which we address in this study, arises. Is the forward-looking (FL) component of consumers’ expectations related to the way in which the forecast is revealed and used by central banks? The research covers six countries: The Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Sweden, and the UK, over the period of 2001-2016. Our methodology consists of the quantification of expectations, tests for rationality of expectations, estimation of the degree of their FL, the index-based assessment of central banks’ forecasting transparency and importance of forecasts in monetary policy, as well as correlation examination of forward-lookingness of monetary policy and expectation errors. Based on the completed research, we link the results of the FL analysis to the index-based assessment of inflation forecasts targeting. The results are varied. The highest degree of expectations’ FL is found for the UK and Sweden. Czech consumers’ expectations are less FL, whereas central banks’ involvement in inflation forecast targeting is comparable to the Swedish case. For two countries we found no forward-looking component in consumers’ expectations. The study makes a valid contribution to the existing literature as it presents a novel approach to analysing the relation between forecasts and inflation forecast targeting and expectations

Exercise Training in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer During In-Hospital Chemotherapy Treatment: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to perform a randomized trial to assess the impact of exercise training in patients with non-small cell lung cancer during chemotherapy on several outcomes in comparison to a control group (CG).MethodsThe exercise training group (ETG) consisted of 20 patients and the CG consisted of 10 patients. In the ETG, a 4-wk in-hospital exercise training program was performed in 2-wk cycles interspersed with consecutive rounds of chemotherapy with cytostatic drugs. The exercise training program was individualized and included warm-up, respiratory muscle exercise, training on a cycle ergometer or treadmill, and Nordic walking. CG participants were assessed before and after 6 wk of chemotherapy alone.ResultsComparing pre- and post-intervention values, the ETG demonstrated an increase in 6-min walk distance (486 ± 92 vs 531 ± 103 m, P = .01). In a battery of physical performance tests: Up and Go Test (6.3 ± 1.0 vs 6.0 ± 1.1 sec, P = .01); chair stand (13.3 ± 2.8 vs 14.3 ± 3.4 repetitions, P = .001); and arm curl (18.4 ± 3.1 vs 20.4 ± 3.5 repetitions, P = .001) all improved significantly. Spirometry values also improved: FEV1 % predicted (76 ± 16 vs 84 ± 15, P = .01), FVC % predicted (87 ± 14 vs 95 ± 13, P = .01), and FEV1/FVC (73 ± 13% vs 76 ± 12%, P = .04). The exercise training was well tolerated, without any adverse events due to exercise. There were no significant improvements in the CG.ConclusionsThis study suggests that planned, individualized, and supervised exercise programs in patients with advanced lung cancer during chemotherapy are a practical and beneficial intervention for enhancing mobility and physical fitness

Catalytic performance of bimetallic systems (Cu-Fe, Cu-Mn, Fe-Mn) based on spherical MCM-41 modified by template ion-exchange in NH3−SCRNH_{3}-SCR process

Mesoporous silica of MCM-41 type with spherical morphology was modified with copper, iron, or manganese as well as pairs of these metals by template ion-exchange (TIE) method. The obtained samples were characterized with respect to their structure (XRD), morphology (SEM-EDS), textural parameters (low-temperature N2 sorption), surface acidity (NH3-TPD), transition metal loadings (ICP-OES), their deposited forms (UV-vis DRS) and reducibility (H2-TPR). The catalytic performance of monometallic and bimetallic samples in the selective catalytic reduction of NO with ammonia (NH3-SCR) was tested. The best catalytic results presented a bimetallic copper-manganese sample, which was significantly more active than the mechanical mixture of monometallic copper and manganese catalysts. The synergistic cooperation of manganese and copper species is possibly related to charge relocation between them, resulting in activation of the catalyst in oxidation of NO to NO2, which is necessary for the fast NH3-SCR reaction

Spherical Al-MCM-41 doped with copper by modified TIE method as effective catalyst for low-temperature NH3_{3}-SCR

Aluminum containing silica spherical MCM-41 was synthesized and modified with copper by the template ion-exchange method (TIE) and its modified version, including treatment of the samples with ammonia solution directly after template ion-exchange (TIE-NH3). The obtained samples were characterized with respect to their chemical composition (ICP-OES), structure (XRD), texture (low temperature N2 sorption), morphology (SEM-EDS), form and aggregation of deposited copper species (UV-vis DRS), reducibility of copper species (H2-TPR), and surface acidity (NH3-TPD). The deposition of copper by the TIE-NH3 method resulted in much better dispersion of this metal on the MCM-41 surface comparing to copper introduced by TIE method. It was shown that such highly dispersed copper species, mainly monomeric Cu2+ cations, deposited on aluminum containing silica spheres of MCM-41, are significantly more catalytically effective in the NH3-SCR process than analogous catalysts containing aggregated copper oxide species. The catalysts obtained by the TIE-NH3 method effectively operated in much broader temperature and were less active in the side process of direct ammonia oxidation by oxygen

Inflation expectations after financial crisis: are consumers more forward-looking?

In this paper we investigate whether consumer inflation expectations in the E.U. Member States (M.S.) were more forward-looking after the onset of the financial crisis (October 2008–2016) and after the most turbulent times (2013–2016). We compare the results with pre-crisis forward-lookingness (2002–September 2008). Our examination covers the euro area and M.S. with national currencies. We study the properties of expectations, i.e., expectational errors, and macroeconomic efficiency of expectations, as well as estimating the hybrid specification of expectations. We examine panel data. We found that the properties of expectations changed after the crisis sparked off and in the low inflation and deflation environment. We also discovered that formation patterns of expectations within the euro area subsample and non-euro area M.S. sample vary. As far as we know, so far no comparison of expectations properties, especially forward-lookingness among M.S. with and without common monetary policy, has been presented in the literature nor were panel data examined for the post-crisis period. Hence, the paper contributes to the literature on the properties of expectations in the E.U

Analiza rodzinnych czynników ryzyka występowania prób samobójczych w grupie dziewcząt w wieku 12-16 lat : badania pilotażowe

Objective: The analysis of family risk factors associated with the occurrence of suicidal attempts and self-mutilation in girls aged 12–16 years old. Material and method: The participants of this study consisted of 34 girls aged 12–16 years old, hospitalized in the Department of Paediatrics of the Medical University (Klinika Pediatrii UM) in Lublin due to suicidal attempts. Fifty-five percent of the participants came from complete families, 20% were brought up by mothers only, 20% declared their parents to be divorced. The majority of the girls (76%) were hospitalized due to medication overdose, 8% due to medication overdose and vein cutting, and 5% due to medication and alcohol overdose. The participants were presented with a complementary metric survey, and guided interviews were carried out with them. Results: A positive relationship between the number of self-mutilation acts and the number of suicidal attempts has been shown. The greatest number of suicidal attempts has been observed in the group of girls whose parents were divorced. Such a relationship has not been observed in the case of self-mutilation acts. A positive correlation has been observed between the feeling of isolation and the number of self-mutilation acts and suicidal attempts. The increase in the number of family rows was indicative of the increase in the number of self-mutilation acts. The feeling of being rejected by the family was positively related to the number of suicidal attempts. Conclusions: Adolescent girls with a tendency towards suicidal behaviours are simultaneously prone to self-destructive behaviours. Parental relationships affect the girls’ functioning, with the risk of suicidal attempts being higher in the group of girls whose parents are divorced. The risk of suicidal attempts and self-mutilation acts increases with the feeling of isolation in teenage girls