Two new to the Polish fauna species of Lepidoptera from Wigry National Park

Two new to the Polish fauna species of Lepidoptera from Wigry National Park. Faunistic inventory of Lepidoptera conducted in Wigry National Park resulted in discovery of Denisia luticiliella (Oecophoridae) and Lepteucosma huebneriana (Tortricidae). Both species are new to the Polish fauna. Their habitat preference and distribution are discussed

Pandemic changes in work, rest, physical activity and diet versus nutritional status of respondents

The aim of the study was to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the nutritional status of the respondents through changes in work mode, physical activity and diet among residents of the Tarnów region. Material and methods. The study was conducted using the diagnostic survey method, and the tool was the author's questionnaire. The study was conducted in January-February 2022, using the Google Forms platform. In total, data were collected from 414 people. The questionnaires were filled out mostly by women (67.9% vs. 32.1%). The average age of respondents was 31.9 years (±13.52). Results. Those who worked remotely and in hybrid mode had the highest percentages declaring an increase in food intake during the COVID-19 pandemic (65.0% and 59.7%, respectively). The highest percentages of those who indicated a deterioration in the quality of their food intake were those who worked remotely (60.0%) and hybrid job (45.5%), while those who did not work were the group that most often among the others indicated an improvement in the quality of their food (23.4%). Respondents with remote and hybrid jobs were the most likely to report a reduction in their activity level (72.5% and 58.4%, respectively). Considering the BMI of those surveyed before the COVID-19 pandemic and now, there is an apparent decrease in the percentage of those with a normal BMI in favor of overweight and obesity. Conclusions. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the percentages of overweight and obese people increased. People working remotely and in hybrid mode not only increased the amount of food they consumed, but also began to consume lower-quality products, as well as more often reporting reduced levels of physical activity

Characteristics of multiwalled carbon nanotubes-rhenium nanocomposites with varied rhenium mass fractions

The purpose of the article is to discuss the process of oxidation of carbon nanotubes subsequently subjected to the process of decoration with rhenium nanoparticles. The influence of functionalization in an oxidizing medium is presented and the results of investigations using Raman spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy are discussed. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes rhenium-type nanocomposites with the weight percentage of 10%, 20% and 30% of rhenium are also presented in the article. The structural components of such nanocomposites are carbon nanotubes decorated with rhenium nanoparticles. Microscopic examinations under transmission electron microscope and scanning transmission electron microscope using the bright and dark field confirm that nanocomposites containing about 20% of rhenium have the most homogenous structure

Influence of diet on the risk of developing endometriosis

Endometriosis is a hormone-dependent chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of endometrium beyond the uterine cavity. The disease affects 5–15% of women of child-bearing age, 30–50% of whom suffer from infertility. Understanding the role of dietary factors in the development of endometriosis is critical to development of effective dietary instructions for prevention. Existing studies concerning nutrition and endometriosis suggest that diet is a potentially modifiable risk factor for endometriosis. Fruits and vegetables, fish oils, dairy products rich in calcium and vitamin D, and Omega-3 fatty acids are likely connected with a lower risk of developing endometriosis. Risk factors that increase the risk of endometriosis include consumption of products rich in trans-unsaturated fatty acids, consumption of fats generally, and consumption of beef and other kinds of red meat and alcohol. Currently, there are no clear correlations between par­ticular food products and the risk of endometriosis. Further research is needed in order to fully understand the influence of consumed food products on the risk of development of this disease

Acute subglottic laryngitis. Etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical picture

In about 3% of children, viral infections of the airways that develop in early childhood lead to narrowing of the laryngeal lumen in the subglottic region resulting in symptoms such as hoarseness, a barking cough, stridor, and dyspnea. These infections may eventually cause respiratory failure. The disease is often called acute subglottic laryngitis (ASL). Terms such as pseudocroup, croup syndrome, acute obstructive laryngitis and spasmodic croup are used interchangeably when referencing this disease. Although the differential diagnosis should include other rare diseases such as epiglottitis, diphtheria, fibrinous laryngitis and  bacterial tracheobronchitis, the diagnosis of ASL should always be made on the basis of clinical criteria

Case Report: Adenosine kinase deficiency diagnosed 10 years after liver transplantation: Novel phenotypic insights

Adenosine kinase (ADK) deficiency is a rare inborn error of methionine and adenosine metabolism. So far, a total of 27 patients with ADK deficiency have been reported. Here, we describe the first Polish patient diagnosed with ADK deficiency, aiming to highlight the clinical presentation of disease, emphasize diagnostic difficulties, and report the long-term follow-up. Six-month-old patient presented with cholestatic liver disease, macrocytic anemia, developmental delay, generalized hypotonia, delayed brain myelination, and elevated levels of serum methionine. A decrease of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex II and III activity were found in the postnuclear supernatants obtained from skeletal muscle biopsy. The patient underwent living-donor liver transplantation (LTx) at 14 months of age. Ten-year follow-up after LTx revealed a preserved good liver function, persistent regenerative macrocytic anemia, progressive neurological disease but disappearance of brain MR changes, short stature, and cortisol deficiency. Whole exome sequencing revealed the patient to be affected with two novel ADK variants, which pathogenicity was confirmed biochemically by demonstration of elevated concentration of S-adenosylhomocysteine

Effective inhibition of lytic development of bacteriophages λ, P1 and T4 by starvation of their host, Escherichia coli

BACKGROUND: Bacteriophage infections of bacterial cultures cause serious problems in genetic engineering and biotechnology. They are dangerous not only because of direct effects on the currently infected cultures, i.e. their devastation, but also due to a high probability of spreading the phage progeny throughout a whole laboratory or plant, which causes a real danger for further cultivations. Therefore, a simple method for quick inhibition of phage development after detection of bacterial culture infection should be very useful. RESULTS: Here, we demonstrate that depletion of a carbon source from the culture medium, which provokes starvation of bacterial cells, results in rapid inhibition of lytic development of three Escherichia coli phages, λ, P1 and T4. Since the effect was similar for three different phages, it seems that it may be a general phenomenon. Moreover, similar effects were observed in flask cultures and in chemostats. CONCLUSION: Bacteriophage lytic development can be inhibited efficiently by carbon source limitation in bacterial cultures. Thus, if bacteriophage contamination is detected, starvation procedures may be recommended to alleviate deleterious effects of phage infection on the culture. We believe that this strategy, in combination with the use of automated and sensitive bacteriophage biosensors, may be employed in the fermentation laboratory practice to control phage outbreaks in bioprocesses more effectively

Alder pollen season in selected cities of Poland in 2020

This paper presents the course of alder pollination season in Poland in 2020. The measurements were performed in Bydgoszcz, Bialystok, Lublin, Olsztyn, Opole, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw and Zielona Gora. Volumetric method with the use of Volumetric Spore Trap (Burkard, Lanzoni) was implemented. Pollen season was defined as the period in which 95% of the annual total catch occurred. The alder pollen season in 2020 started about 10–30 days earlier compared to 2017–2019. The pollen season started first in Szczecin, Opole and Zielona Gora (in the second half of January). In the other cities alder pollen season started in first half of February. The highest daily pollen count was recorded in Lublin (1211 P/m3). In other cities the maximum concentrations ranged from 160 P/m3 in Sosnowiec to 465 P/m3 in Piotrkow Trybunalski. The highest alder pollen concentrations were detected in the first decade of March (March 1st–3rd). Only in Zielona Gora, Wroclaw, Opole and Sosnowiec the maximum concentration was recorded in the third decade of February. The annual pollen sum of Alnus in 2020 was even 5–10 times lower than in years 2019

Iron and ferritin accumulate in separate cellular locations in Phaseolus seeds

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Iron is an important micronutrient for all living organisms. Almost 25% of the world population is affected by iron deficiency, a leading cause of anemia. In plants, iron deficiency leads to chlorosis and reduced yield. Both animals and plants may suffer from iron deficiency when their diet or environment lacks bioavailable iron. A sustainable way to reduce iron malnutrition in humans is to develop staple crops with increased content of bioavailable iron. Knowledge of where and how iron accumulates in seeds of crop plants will increase the understanding of plant iron metabolism and will assist in the production of staples with increased bioavailable iron.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we reveal the distribution of iron in seeds of three <it>Phaseolus </it>species including thirteen genotypes of <it>P. vulgaris</it>, <it>P. coccineus</it>, and <it>P. lunatus</it>. We showed that high concentrations of iron accumulate in cells surrounding the provascular tissue of <it>P. vulgaris </it>and <it>P. coccineus </it>seeds. Using the Perls' Prussian blue method, we were able to detect iron in the cytoplasm of epidermal cells, cells near the epidermis, and cells surrounding the provascular tissue. In contrast, the protein ferritin that has been suggested as the major iron storage protein in legumes was only detected in the amyloplasts of the seed embryo. Using the non-destructive micro-PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) technique we show that the tissue in the proximity of the provascular bundles holds up to 500 μg g^-1of iron, depending on the genotype. In contrast to <it>P. vulgaris </it>and <it>P. coccineus</it>, we did not observe iron accumulation in the cells surrounding the provascular tissues of <it>P. lunatus </it>cotyledons. A novel iron-rich genotype, NUA35, with a high concentration of iron both in the seed coat and cotyledons was bred from a cross between an Andean and a Mesoamerican genotype.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The presented results emphasize the importance of complementing research in model organisms with analysis in crop plants and they suggest that iron distribution criteria should be integrated into selection strategies for bean biofortification.</p

The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention and stent implantation

AbstractBackgroundThere is no data regarding the association between the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and long-term mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD). The aim of this study is to evaluate the utility of the pre-procedural PLR for predicting long-term, all-cause mortality in patients with SCAD undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and stent implantation.MethodsWe analyzed a total of 2959 consecutive patients with SCAD who underwent PCI (balloon angioplasty followed by stent implantation or direct stenting) between July 2006 and December 2011 at our institution. The patients were stratified into tertiles according to their admission PLR. The association between the PLR value and the outcomes was assessed using Cox proportional regression analysis after adjusting for clinical angiographic and laboratory data.ResultsDuring median follow-up of 1124days, mortality was highest in patients with PLR within the 3rd tertile as compared to the 2nd and the 1st tertile (11.0% vs 8.7% vs. 9.6%, respectively, p=0.03). PLR remained associated with mortality in multivariable analysis including clinical variables, ejection fraction and angiographic parameters HR (per 10 units increase)=1.02 [95%CI,1.01÷1.04, p=0.006]. After adjustment for the eGFR and hemoglobin levels, PLR was however no longer significantly associated with mortality.ConclusionPLR has potential predictive value in patients with SCAD, which has not been reported previously, but statistical significance disappears after adjusting for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and hemoglobin levels as a potential confounding variable