Smoking status in relation to obstructive sleep apnea severity (OSA) and cardiovascular comorbidity in patients with newly diagnosed OSA

Introduction: the relationship between smoking and sleep disturbance has been well documented. Smoking is a common risk factor for both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiovascular diseases. The study aimed to: 1) evaluate the incidence of newly diagnosed OSA in patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of a sleep disorder, 2) assess the relation between smoking status and OSA severity; and 3) compare the prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities in ever- and never smokers with newly diagnosed OSA. Material and methods: a retrospective analysis of 5,353 patients suspected of OSA was performed. OSA was diagnosed on the basis of polysomnography. The influence of smoking status on indices of OSA severity was evaluated and the incidence of self–reported cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus type 2 was analyzed in relation to smoking history. Results: OSA was diagnosed in 3,613 patients (67.5%); of these, 21.6% were ever-smokers. Smokers with OSA had a higher apnea-hypopnea index [AHI; 31 (18.4–53.29) vs 29 (18.3–47.7), p = 0.03], lower mean oxygenation during sleep [92 (90–93) vs 92 (91–94), p < 0.01] and a higher daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale score 11.7 ± 5.5 vs 11.0 ± 5.5, p < 0.001). The most frequent comorbidity was hypertension, followed by obesity, diabetes mellitus type 2 and coronary artery disease, with a statistically higher incidence of hypertension in non-smokers (59.2 vs 64.7 %, p = 0.005). Conclusion: smoking is related with OSA severity and increased daytime sleepiness. Our study confirmed the elevated frequency of cardiovascular comorbidities in OSA patients in general but did not show an increased incidence of these comorbidities in smokers

Vancomycin and/or multidrug-resistant Citrobacter Freundii altered the metabolic pattern of soil microbial community

Despite many studies, our knowledge on the impact of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the metabolic activity of soil microbial communities is still limited. To ascertain this impact, the community level physiological profiles (CLPPs) and the activity of selected enzymes (dehydrogenase, urease, and phosphatases) in soils treated with vancomycin (VA) and/or multidrug resistant Citrobacter freundii were determined during a 90-day experiment. A multivariate analysis and the resistance (RS)/resilience (RL) concept were used to assess the potential of native microorganisms to maintain their catabolic activity under exposure of VA and/or a high level of C. freundii. In addition, the dissipation rate of VA was evaluated in non-sterile (nsS) and sterile (sS) soils. The results revealed a negative impact of VA on the metabolic activity of soil microorganisms on days 1, 15, and 30 as was showed by a decrease in the values of the CLPP indices (10-69%) and the enzyme activities (6-32%) for treated soils as compared to the control. These observations suggested a low initial resistance of soil microorganisms to VA and/or C. freundii but they were resilient in the long term. Considering the mean values of the RS index, the resistance of measured parameters was categorized in the following order: alkaline phosphatase (0.919) > acid phosphatase (0.899) > dehydrogenase (0.853) > the evenness index (0.840) > urease (0.833) > the Shannon-Wiener index (0.735) > substrate richness (0.485) > the AWCD (0.301). The dissipation process of VA was relatively fast and independent of the concentration used. The DT50 values for VA applied at both concentrations were about 16 days. In addition, the dissipation of VA in nsS was three times faster compared to the dissipation of antibiotic in sS. In conclusion, both CLPP and enzyme activities assays appeared to be useful tool for the determination of disturbances within soil microbial communities and used together may be helpful to understand the changes in their catabolic features. The entry of large quantities of VA and/or C. freundii into soil may temporarily change microbial activity thus pose a potential risk for soil functioning

Wpływ muzyki na częstość rytmu serca oraz ciśnienie tętnicze — przegląd literatury

Wpływ muzyki na zdrowie człowieka pozostaje niedoceniony. Parametry układu sercowo-naczyniowego, takie jak częstość rytmu serca (HR) oraz ciśnienie tętnicze (BP), ze względu na znaczenie kliniczne i łatwość pomiaru, są często śledzone w badaniach z zakresu muzykoterapii. Muzyka za pośrednictwem wywoływanych emocji wtórnie wpływa na czynność autonomicznego układu nerwowego, która manifestowana jest przez zmiany wartości BP i HR. U zdrowych osób obserwuje się wzrost HR i BP wprost proporcjonalny do tempa odsłuchiwanego utworu. Część publikacji wskazuje również, że HR i BP istotnie wzrastają podczas odsłuchu pobudzającego utworu jak i utworu, który podoba się słuchaczowi. Korzystny wpływ muzyki na tolerancję wysiłku (obniżenie HR i BP) obserwowano zarówno u osób zdrowych, jak i chorujących. Dostępne publikacje w czterech sytuacjach klinicznych tj. w okresie przedoperacyjnym, podczas wentylacji mechanicznej, u pacjentów z chorobą wieńcową oraz u pacjentów z chorobą nowotworową, wykazały istotne obniżenie HR i/lub BP pod wpływem muzyki. Głośny bodziec dźwiękowy aktywuje reakcję obrony/ucieczki. Tak zwana  prostota zastosowania muzykoterapii, bezpieczeństwo interwencji, niskie koszty oraz nieinwazyjność są jej zaletami. Trwałość pozytywnych efektów muzykoterapii wymaga potwierdzenia w przyszłych, starannie zaprojektowanych i zrealizowanych badaniach.Wpływ muzyki na zdrowie człowieka pozostaje niedoceniony. Parametry układu sercowo-naczyniowego, takie jak częstość rytmu serca (HR) oraz ciśnienie tętnicze (BP), ze względu na znaczenie kliniczne i łatwość pomiaru, są często śledzone w badaniach z zakresu muzykoterapii. Muzyka za pośrednictwem wywoływanych emocji wtórnie wpływa na czynność autonomicznego układu nerwowego, która manifestowana jest przez zmiany wartości BP i HR. U zdrowych osób obserwuje się wzrost HR i BP wprost proporcjonalny do tempa odsłuchiwanego utworu. Część publikacji wskazuje również, że HR i BP istotnie wzrastają podczas odsłuchu pobudzającego utworu jak i utworu, który podoba się słuchaczowi. Korzystny wpływ muzyki na tolerancję wysiłku (obniżenie HR i BP) obserwowano zarówno u osób zdrowych, jak i chorujących. Dostępne publikacje w czterech sytuacjach klinicznych tj. w okresie przedoperacyjnym, podczas wentylacji mechanicznej, u pacjentów z chorobą wieńcową oraz u pacjentów z chorobą nowotworową, wykazały istotne obniżenie HR i/lub BP pod wpływem muzyki. Głośny bodziec dźwiękowy aktywuje reakcję obrony/ucieczki. Tak zwana  prostota zastosowania muzykoterapii, bezpieczeństwo interwencji, niskie koszty oraz nieinwazyjność są jej zaletami. Trwałość pozytywnych efektów muzykoterapii wymaga potwierdzenia w przyszłych, starannie zaprojektowanych i zrealizowanych badaniach

THE INFLUENCE OF SiC PARTICLE SIZE ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF ALUMINIUM MATRIX COMPOSITES

The main aim of this study was to determine the influence of SiC particle size on the mechanical properties of aluminum matrix composites. The reinforcing phase was introduced into the aluminum matrix in two different particle sizes: a coarse fraction with particle size ranging from 40 to 60 μm, and a fine fraction with particle size of less than 2 μm. The SiC particles were added in various quantities equal to 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt% in order to determine the influence of different contents of the reinforcing phase on the density, hardness, and compressive strength of the obtained composite materials. By using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the microstructure observations were performed and allowed for defining the influence of matrix/reinforcement particle size ratio (PSR) on the  distribution of reinforcement particles in the matrix. The Al-SiC composites were prepared through the conventional powder metallurgy technique, including compaction under a pressure of 300 MPa and a sintering process in a nitrogen atmosphere at 600°C. Applying the reinforcing phase with the particle size (40–60 μm) similar to matrix (<63 μm) allowed us to obtain a more-uniform distribution of SiC particles in the matrix than after introducing the fine fraction of reinforcement (2 μm). The mechanical properties of the Al-SiC composites increased with increases in the weight fraction of the reinforcing phase, wherein this effect is more visible for composites reinforced with SiC particles of finer gradation

Application of Erythromycin and/or Raoultella sp. Strain MC3 Alters the Metabolic Activity of Soil Microbial Communities as Revealed by the Community Level Physiological Profiling Approach

Erythromycin (EM), a macrolide antibiotic, by influencing the biodiversity of microorganisms, might change the catabolic activity of the entire soil microbial community. Hence, the goal of this study was to determine the metabolic biodiversity in soil treated with EM (1 and 10 mg/kg soil) using the community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) method during a 90-day experiment. In addition, the effect of soil inoculation with antibiotic-resistant Raoultella sp. strain MC3 on CLPP was evaluated. The resistance and resilience concept as well as multifactorial analysis of data was exploited to interpret the outcomes obtained. EM negatively affected the metabolic microbial activity, as indicated by the values of the CLPP indices, i.e., microbial activity expressed as the average well-color development (AWCD), substrate richness (R), the Shannon–Wiener (H) and evenness (E) indices and the AWCD values for the six groups of carbon substrate present in EcoPlates until 15 days. The introduction of strain MC3 into soil increased the degradative activity of soil microorganisms in comparison with non-inoculated control. In contrast, at the consecutive sampling days, an increase in the values of the CLPP parameters was observed, especially for EM-10 + MC3-treated soil. Considering the average values of the resistance index for all of the measurement days, the resistance of the CLPP indices and the AWCD values for carbon substrate groups were categorized as follows: E > H > R > AWCD and polymers > amino acids > carbohydrates > miscellaneous > amines > carboxylic acids. The obtained results suggest a low level of resistance of soil microorganisms to EM and/or strain MC3 at the beginning of the exposure time, but the microbial community exhibited the ability to recover its initial decrease in catabolic activity over the experimental period. Despite the short-term effects, the balance of the soil ecosystem may be disturbed

Relationship between lead absorption and iron status and its association with oxidative stress markers in lead-exposed workers

Background: The emission of lead (Pb) occurring during the extraction, processing and industrial applications of this element remains a significant environmental risk factor. The absorbability of lead in humans is strongly associated with the general health status of exposed individuals. Existing mineral deficiencies are considered being a predisposition to an increased Pb uptake. Both, iron deficiency and lead poisoning are the major caus-ative factors responsible for the prevalence of anemia within the vulnerable population, especially in children. Although some of the intervention programs of counteracting lead poisoning by iron supplementation proved to be effective in the Pb-exposed population, the exact mechanisms of this interaction still require further studies. The objective of the presented study was to examine the association of iron level on oxidative stress measures and its effects on the severity of lead toxicity in the exposed population. Methods: The analyzed population consisted of 270 male workers from the lead-zinc smelter. The studied pop-ulation was divided into two sub-groups based on the serum iron concentration: low iron level group (L-Fe; Fe median value). Measured traits comprised of blood lead (PbB), serum Fe and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) levels as well as a blood count and oxidative stress markers. Results: No significant correlation between serum iron concentration and PbB in the tested cohort was found. On the contrary, the analysis of ZPP levels (long-term marker related to a hematologic toxic effect of Pb) within the subgroups differing in serum Fe level shown that ZPP was 12.3 % lower (p =0.043) in subjects classified within the H-Fe group. A positive correlation of serum Fe and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was found (R =0.1999). The conducted 3-D PCA analysis showed that individuals classified within the H-Fe group were characterized by the co-occurrence of higher Fe levels, lower ZPP, and higher TAC value. Conclusion: These results support the existing evidence providing that maintaining the optimal status of Fe may play a significant role in preventing the lead poisoning and alleviating harmful effects of Pb on the oxidative balance in humans

Assessment of the pathway of apoptosis involving PAR-4, DAXX and ZIPK proteins in CLL patients and its relationship with the principal prognostic factors

Par-4 (prostate apoptosis response-4) protein was originally found upregulated in prostate tumor cells undergoing apoptosis. Then it was further identified as a proapoptotic protein upregulated both in normal and leukemic lymphocytes. The aim of our study was to assess PAR-4 protein expression in the B cells of CLL patients and to examine its relationship with the expression of other proteins involved in the apoptosis process, such as DAXX, ZIPK and BCL-2. We found a positive relationship between PAR-4 and BCL-2 protein expression. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between PAR-4 and both DAXX and ZIPK protein expression. The results of our research were also analyzed in association with the principal CLL prognostic factors. There was a positive correlation between the expression of PAR-4 protein and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) serum concentration (p < 0.005). The expression of PAR-4 protein in B cells correlated positively with the percentage of CD38+ cells (p < 0.05), as well as with CD38+/ZAP-70+ cells (p < 0.05). Moreover, we found a close relationship between LPL protein expression or LPL/ADAM29 MFI ratio and PAR-4 protein expression. Our results confirm the significance of apoptosis deregulation in CLL, and suggest a possible relationship between PAR-4 expression and the clinical course of the disease. This however requires further investigation. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 98&#8211;103

Daily levels of sex hormones in 15 subfertile women formulate a menstrual cycle profile predominant with progesterone secretion

Introduction: Changes in sex hormone secretions during the menstrual cycle may affect fertility. It has been shown that a prematurely raised progesterone (P4) level after therapeutic injection of human chorionic gonadotropin caused changes in endometrial gene expression and lowered the pregnancy rate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the complete menstrual patterns of P4 together with its derivatives testosterone (T) and oestradiol (E2) in subfertile women during their natural cycles. Material and methods: Daily serum levels of P4 (ng/mL), T (ng/mL), E2 (pg/mL), and sex hormone binding protein (SHBG, nmol/L) were measured throughout a single 23–28-day menstrual cycle in 15 subfertile women aged 28–40 years with patent oviducts and normospermic partners. Knowing SHBG levels, the free androgen (FAI) and free oestrogen (FEI) indexes were calculated for each cycle day in each patient. Results: Baseline (cycle day one) levels of luteinising hormone (LH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), P4, and T were comparable with reference intervals for a normal cycle, whereas follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), E2, and SHBG exceeded those. During cycles, the levels of P4 correlated positively with E2 levels (r = 0.38, p &lt; 0.05, n = 392) an  negatively with T (r = –0.13, p &lt; 0.05, n = 391). T correlated negatively with E2 (r = –0.19, p &lt; 0.05, n = 391). Menstrual cycle phases were hidden. The curve of the mean/median daily levels of P4 rose prematurely, was parallel with the E2 rise, and culminated closely, but with more than 4 times greater amplitude of P4 (2571% of baseline levels in day 16) than of E2 (580% in day 14). In turn, the curve of T declined in a U-shaped manner with a nadir (–27%) on day 16. Averaged daily levels of FEI, but not FAI, varied significantly between 23 and 26 days long and the 27–28-day cycles. Conclusions: 1. Throughout the entire menstrual cycle length in subfertile women, P4 secretion predominates quantitatively over secretions of the remaining sex hormones when menstrual cycle phases are hidden. 2. The rise of E2 secretion is in parallel with the P4 rise, but with 4 times lower amplitude of E2. 3. T secretion declines and is inversely related to both P4 and E2 secretions. 4. Changes in E2 bioavailability are related to menstrual cycle length.

Efficacy and safety of obinutuzumab-chlorambucil combination in the frontline treatment of elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and comorbidities : real‑life data from Polish Adult Leukemia Group (PALG) analysis

Fludarabine- or bendamustine‑based upfront immunochemotherapy is the current standard of care in fit patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These regimens are poorly tolerated by patients with comorbidities, for whom the obinutuzumab-chlorambucil combination became the recommended first‑line treatment. We aimed to analyze real‑life experience with the obinutuzumab-chlorambucil combination as the frontline treatment in elderly and unfit patients. The retrospective analysis included 86 elderly patients (median age, 74 years) with CLL and a significant burden of comorbidities, treated with obinutuzumab-chlorambucil as the frontline regimen. All patients had a Cumulative Illness Rating Scale score greater than 6 and/or creatinine clearance of 30 to 69 ml/min. Overall response rate at 2 months after treatment completion was 95.3%, with complete remission (CR) rate of 43% and partial remission (PR) rate of 52.3%. Stable disease rate was 4.7%. Progressive disease was not observed after treatment completion. The median progression‑free survival (PFS) was not reached after a median follow‑up of 18 months; estimated PFS at 30 months was 62%. We observed 6 relapses (7%), 3 (3.5%) in patients obtaining CR, and 3 (3.5%) in those with PR after immunochemotherapy. The most frequent adverse events were neutropenia and infusion‑related reactions (IRRs). Grade-3 neutropenia occurred in 11.6% of patients, and grade-3 IRRs, in 2.3%. There were no adverse events of grade 4 or 5. Our data confirm that the obinutuzumab-chlorambucil combination is an effective and well‑tolerated regimen in untreated CLL patients with comorbidities

Wpływ czynników socjoekonomicznych i żywieniowych na rozwój próchnicy wczesnej u dzieci w wieku 1-6 lat

Introduction. The high incidence of early childhood caries (ECC) highlights the need to analyze the causes. Aim. Evaluation of the impact of diet and socioeconomic conditions on the risk of ECC development in children. Material and methods. A group of 686 pediatric patients aged 1-6 from the University Dental Clinic in Krakow was examined for caries. The parents were asked to complete a questionnaire on the eating habits of children and on the sociodemographic factors. Results. Children aged 1-2 from rural areas and average education of parents constituted a significant factor affecting the intensity of ECC. Consumption of sugary foods at night increased the occurrence of caries by more than 3.5 times in 1–2-year-olds, and by 4 times in 5-year-olds. Frequent consumption of fruit juices and carbonated beverages had a significant impact on the occurrence of caries in 6-year-olds. Conclusions. Dietary pattern is a major cause of ECC. The relationship between ECC and the place of residence, low parental education and poor economic status indicates the target group for intensive educational activities for the prevention of dental caries