The Forgotten Jerzy Łoś’s Contribution to Philosophical Logic. Logics with Realization Operator R

The aim of the paper is to bring back Jerzy Łoś’s great contribution to the area of epistemic and temporal logic. Although his mathematical achievements are widely recognized and appreciated around the world, his early works are still very little-known, despite their pioneering nature. The authors also give an account of current research and results inspired by Łoś’s legacy.The aim of the paper is to bring back Jerzy Łoś’s great contribution to the area of epistemic and temporal logic. Although his mathematical achievements are widely recognized and appreciated around the world, his early works are still very little-known, despite their pioneering nature. The authors also give an account of current research and results inspired by Łoś’s legacy

Investigations of hippocampal astrocytes in lipopolysaccharide-preconditioned rats in the pilocarpine model of epilepsy

The present paper is the first work to determine the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the pilocarpine model of epilepsy on the morphology of rat hippocampal astrocytes in vivo. The study involved adult male Wistar rats, which 72 hours prior to administration of pilocarpine hydrochloride (PILO) were intraperitoneally (ip) preconditioned with LPS at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg b.w. The control animals were administered (ip) saline or LPS alone. The astrocytes in the control animals displayed characteristic stellate morphology. Examinations of the astrocytes were performed on days one, three and 21 of the pilocarpine model of epilepsy (i.e. in the acute, silent and chronic periods). The astrocytes of the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal layers of the hippocampus were observed and analyzed at the structural and ultrastructural levels. It was demonstrated that on days one and three, glial cells from both the nonpreconditioned and the LPS-preconditioned animals displayed similar reactive changes, manifesting themselves as swelling of cell bodies, glial processes, and astrocytosis. Moreover, reduction in cell organelles aggregated at one pole and the presence of vacuoles were observed. The most pronounced astrogliosis and cell swelling occurred on day 21. We conclude that LPS has no effect on the morphology of astrocytes in the pilocarpine model of epilepsy, unlike the results obtained by other authors in vitro. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 219–224

The Application of Real-Time PCR Technique to Detect Rare Cell Clones with Primary T790M Substitution of EGFR Gene in Metastases of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer to Central Nervous System in Chemotherapy Naive Patients

The time-limited efficacy of reversible EGFR-TKIs in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR gene activating mutations is associated with development of treatment resistance after some period of therapy. This resistance predominantly results from secondary mutations located in EGFR gene, especially T790M substitution. There is limited information available concerning the prevalence of primary T790M mutations in patients with metastatic NSCLC tumors before treatment with EGFR-TKIs. The aim of work was to assess the prevalence of de novo T790M mutations in EGFR gene in tissue samples from NSCLC metastatases in central nervous system (CNS) in both chemotherapy and EGFR-TKI naive NSCLC patients. We analyzed DNA samples isolated from paraffin-embedded tissue from CNS metastases for T790M mutations using real-time PCR and TaqMan probe against the T790M mutant sequence. The tissue samples were taken during palliative neurosurgery in 143 NSCLC patients. Amplification of the T790M-specific sequence was detected in 25 patients (17.5 %). The quantity of mutated DNA was less than 1 % in all samples with amplification, and in vast majority (20 patients, 14 % of all samples) it was even less that 0.1 %. In 5 patients (3.5 %) quantity of mutated DNA ranged from 0.1 to 1 % and true positive results of T790M mutation presence in these patients were most possible. Amplification of this sequence was not concurrent with common EGFR mutations and was not associated with sex, smoking status and pathological type of cancer. There is a possibility to detect the primary T790M mutation in brain metastases of NSCLC in EGFR-TKIs naïve patients

Tableau Systems for Epistemic Positional Logics

The goal of the article is twofold. The first one is to provide logics based on positional semantics which will be suitable for the analysis of epistemic modalities such as ‘agent ... knows/beliefs that ...’. The second one is to define tableau systemsfor such logics. Firstly, we present the minimal positional logic MR. Then, we change the notion of formulas and semantics in order to consider iterations of the operator of realization and “free” classical formulas. After that, we move on to weaker logics in order to avoid the well known problem of logical omniscience. At the same time, we keep the positional counterparts of modal axioms (T), (4) and (5). For all of the considered logics we present sound and complete tableau systems

Jak samorząd może wspierać szkoły? Informacje o nowym systemie wspomagania pracy szkół

Publikacja ma formę zwięzłego przekazu na temat, jak jednostki samorządu terytorialnego mają wspierać szkoły oraz jakie – w związku z tym – stoją przed nimi wyzwania. W publikacji zostały zamieszczone przykłady skutecznych rozwiązań. Publikacja powstała w ramach projektu „System doskonalenia nauczycieli oparty na ogólnodostępnym kompleksowym wspomaganiu szkół

Assessment of knowledge of nursing students on HBV and HCV infection prophylaxis : introductory report

HBV and HCV infections are not given enough attention even though they affect 500-600 million people around the world. Every year in Poland about 1500 people are infected with Hepatitis B and according to research carried out in 2009, about 2% of Poles are infected with Hepatitis C. Healthcare workers are often exposed in contact with blood and other potentially infectious matter, especially if health and safety regulations are not adheared to. The aim of the research was to ascertain nursing students' knowledge level on after-exposition procedures against HBV, HBC and other hazardous material. Research was carried out among third year students at University of Bielsko-Biala and Medical University of Silesia. Methods used included: poll and survey questionnaire (prepared by the authors) and knowledge test. The majority of the surveyed students know the methods of HBV and HCV transmission and can state the after-exposition procedures. A small proportion of them performs invasive procedures without individual protection means. Among surveyed students there were people who were exposed to probable transmission and the implemented proceedings did not comply with after-exposition procedures. The analysis of the obtained data led to the conclusion that the knowledge level of nursing students on prophylaxis and afterexposure procedures is insufficient and requires supplementation. Special attention should be paid to education in the field of health and safety which will contribute to the increase of awareness thus causing a reduction of students' exposition and in the future the exposition of healthcare workers

The presence of HER2 exon 20 insertion in patients with central nervous system metastases from non-small lung cancer — a potential application in classification for therapy

 WSTĘP: HER2 (ErbB2/neu) jest białkiem należącym do rodziny receptorów HER (EGFR, HER2, HER3 i HER4), posiadających w swej części wewnątrzkomórkowej aktywność kinazy tyrozynowej. Nadekspresja EGFR i HER2 występuje w wielu typach nowotworów, ale to mutacje w genach kodujących te receptory uwrażliwiają chorych na niedrobnokomórkowego raka płuca (NSCLC) na działanie inhibitorów kinaz tyrozynowych EGFR i HER2.MATERIAŁ I METODY: Wykorzystano technikę PCR oraz analizę długości fragmentów amplifikowanego DNA w celu zidentyfikowania u 150 chorych insercji 12 par zasad w obrębie eksonu 20 genu HER2 w przerzutach NDRP do mózgu.WYNIKI: W guzie z wykrytą mutacją HER2 nie stwierdzono mutacji EGFR ani BRAF. Insercja w eksonie 20 genu HER2 została wykryta u 77-letniego niepalącego mężczyzny chorego na niskozróżnicowanego raka gruczołowego (0,67% wszystkich chorych oraz 1,5% chorych na raka gruczołowego). U tego chorego nie zidentyfikowano innych nieprawidłowości genetycznych.WNIOSKI: W literaturze opisano, że u chorych posiadających mutację w genie HER2 mogą okazać się skuteczne inhibitory specyficzne w stosunku do kinaz tyrozynowych obu receptorów: EGFR i HER2 (np. afatynib). Dlatego też identyfikacja nowych mutacji kierujących w komórkach NSCLC wydaje się kluczem do właściwej kwalifikacji do terapii ukierunkowanych molekularnie. INTRODUCTION: HER2 (ErbB2/neu) is a member of the ErbB family of four structurally related receptors of tyrosine kinase activity. Overexpression of ErbB-1 (EGFR) and HER2 is found in many human cancers, but the presence of these genes mutations determines the effectiveness of EGFR and HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the therapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MATERIAL AND METHODS: To search for insertions of the HER2 gene in exon 20 in 150 brain metastases of non-small cell lung cancer patients, we used a PCR technique based on analysis of amplified DNA fragment lengths. We also compared the HER2 mutational status with clinicopathologic features and the presence of EGFR and BRAF mutations.RESULTS: HER2 mutation was present in one male, non-smoking patient with low differentiated adenocarcinoma (0.67% of all patients and 1.5% of patients with adenocarcinoma). The mutations of EGFR and BRAF genes were not found in HER2-mutated patient.CONCLUSIONS: The literature data suggests that patients with HER2 mutations may be sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors of both EGFR and HER2 receptors (e.g. afatinib). Therefore, the identification of new driver mutations in NSCLC can improve the quality of patient care by enabling the use of correct molecularly targeted therapies

Czy stosujemy spersonalizowane leczenie raka płuca? Wykorzystanie badań molekularnych w planowaniu wielu linii leczenia u chorego na gruczolakoraka płuca

W wielodyscyplinarnym podejściu do leczenia chorych na raka płuca coraz większą rolę odgrywają terapie ukierunkowane molekularnie, które można zastosować w genetycznie wyselekcjonowanej grupie chorych. Personalizacja leczenia zwiększa liczbę opcji terapeutycznych, wydłuża przeżycie chorych oraz zmniejsza ryzyko wystąpienia efektów ubocznych terapii, mogących zagrażać życiu. W niniejszym opracowaniu przenalizowano proces leczenia 57-letniego mężczyzny chorego na gruczolakoraka płuca, u którego wykryto mutację aktywującą w genie EGFR. Oprócz diagnostycznej segmentektomii oraz paliatywnej hemipelwektomii i radioterapii przerzutu do stawu biodrowego, a także operacji cytoredukcyjnej guza pierwotnego, u chorego zastosowano sześć linii leczenia systemowego opartych zarówno na nowoczesnych terapiach ukierunkowanych molekularnie i immunoterapeutykach, jak i standardowych cytostatykach, co pozwoliło uzyskać trzyletnie przeżycie pacjenta. Niezależnie od dobrego stanu ogólnego i dobrej tolerancji leczenia uporczywość kontynuowania terapii mimo braku dłuższej stabilizacji choroby pozostaje dyskusyjna

Cirrhotic Liver of Liver Transplant Recipients Accumulate Silver and Co-Accumulate Copper.

Silver-based materials are widely used in clinical medicine. Furthermore, the usage of silver containing materials and devices is widely recommended and clinically approved. The impact on human health of the increasing use of silver nanoparticles in medical devices remains understudied, even though Ag-containing dressings are known to release silver into the bloodstream. In this study, we detected a widespread and sometimes significant silver accumulation both in healthy and sick liver biopsies, levels being statistically higher in patients with various hepatic pathologies. 28 healthy and 44 cirrhotic liver samples were investigated. The median amount of 0.049 ppm Ag in livers was measured in cirrhotic livers while the median was 0.0016 ppm for healthy livers (a more than 30-fold difference). The mean tissue concentrations of essential metals, Fe and Zn in cirrhotic livers did not differ substantially from healthy livers, while Cu was positively correlated with Ag. The serum levels of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) was also positively correlated with Ag in cirrhotic livers. The increased Ag accumulation in cirrhotic livers could be a side effect of wide application of silver in clinical settings. As recent studies indicated a significant toxicity of silver nanoparticles for human cells, the above observation could be of high importance for the public health