„Slim, Smart and Happy?” Stigmatization of Obesity Among Preschool Children

Nowadays, the idea “the slimmer – the better” has gained such an enormous power in our culture that it significantly affects even the youngest members of modern society. For this reason, obesity is particularly traumatic for children and young people. It was decided to examine whether these important cultural changes also apply to the youngest members of today’s Polish society, moreover there is lack of studies of this problem in polish literature. Hence, the authors of this paper have focused on the question whether and how preschool children stigmatise obesity?The study was conducted on a group of 122 children with a three-silhouette technique, based on a method proposed by Tremblay et al. (2011). The results show that being classed as overweight means being perceived as lacking in physical and interpersonal attractiveness, so obesity appears to elicit a very strong negative stigma. The features of the slim body shape equal physical and interpersonal attractiveness (but only in the field of playing together)

The Influence of Meteorological Phenomena on Modern Satellite Systems, Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2009, nr 4

The areas of attention, described in this paper, extend throughout the modern satellite systems. Future satellite systems are to be planned for the millimeter band, which has greater weather attenuation effects than until now used bands. This paper provides a brief overview of propagation factors on millimeter-band earth-satellite paths and requirements in relation to the need for specific types of propagation data

Should non-movement specialists refer patients for SPECT-DaTSCAN?

Background. SPECT with radioligand DaTSCAN (SPECT-DaTSCAN) is a sensitive tool used for assessing the functional integrity of the presynaptic part of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. The procedure is useful whenever there is a need to distinguish between neurodegenerative parkinsonism and other parkinsonian syndromes in subjects with equivocal signs and symptoms. It can be assumed that the neurologist’s decision to perform SPECT-DaTSCAN depends on his or her experience and skill in the diagnosis of parkinsonian and tremor syndromes. Aims. To assess the accuracy of referrals to SPECT-DATSCAN made by non-movement disorders specialists. Material and methods. Sixty seven patients referred for SPECT-DaTSCAN by a general neurologist were studied. In all subjects, a movement disorder specialist performed the neurological examination, collected medical history, and analysed previous treatments and the results of diagnostic tests. Results. Evaluation carried out by a movement disorder specialist did not confirm an indication for SPECT-DaTSCAN in 31 patients (46.3%). General neurologists needed support for clinical diagnosis with SPECT-DaTSCAN most frequently in subjects with parkinsonism even though they were presenting a full-blown disease manifestation and even though the patients met the diagnostic criteria for Parkinson’s disease or one of the atypical parkinsonian syndromes. Conclusions. Our presented results probably reflect the limited experience of general neurologists in the evaluation of parkinsonian syndromes and tremor. The use of SPECT-DaTSCAN by non-movement disorders specialists is associated with a significant risk of overuse of this tool. To minimise this risk, the skills of general neurologists in diagnosing parkinsonian and tremor syndromes should be improved. Moreover, patients should be provided with access to movement disorders specialists

Satysfakcja i poczucie własnej wartości u kobiet w różnych typach związków

In view of the numerous reports, suggesting a negative effect of the informal relation (cohabitation) to the functioning of individuals attempt to obtain answers to questions or wives and woman in informal relations shows different levels of satisfaction of the relationship (intimacy, disappointment, similarity, self-realization, support, commitment and depreciation) and the severity of self-esteem (in general self-esteem, competence, a sense of popularity, a sense of being loved, leadership skills, self-control, moral self-acceptance, a sense of physical attractiveness, vitality, identity integration, and strengthen self-defense)? The study of two groups of women who remain in cohabitation relationships and marriages (n = 30), using the Multidimensional Self-Assessment Questionnaire by E. J. O’Briena and S. Epstein in adapting D. Fecenec; Matching Marriage Questionnaire by M. Plopa and Marital Communication Questionnaire by A. Kaźmierczak and M. Plopa showed that the wives and woman in informal relationships did not differ in the severity of self-esteem. The non-married cohabiting and married showed similar levels of severity: a general self-esteem, competence, popularity, being loved, leadership skills, self-control, moral self-acceptance, sense of physical attractiveness, vitality and mental integration. Women in informal relationships showed different levels and severity of satisfaction from the relation in which they live. The similarity and intimacy partners were rated as higher in unmarried women in informal relationship compared with married women. This means that the tested relationships in the perception of cohabiting women in informal relationships were characterized by a significantly higher level of involvement of the partners in the development of the relationship in comparison with married women.W związku z licznymi doniesieniami, sugerującymi negatywny efekt przestawania w związku o charakterze niesformalizowanym na funkcjonowanie jednostek podjęto próbę uzyskania odpowiedzi na pytania: czy kobiety zamężne i kohabitujące różnią się stopniem nasilenia poziomu satysfakcji ze związku (w zakresie intymności, rozczarowania, podobieństwa, samorealizacji, wsparcia, zaangażowania oraz deprecjacji) oraz stopniem nasilenia poczucia własnej wartości (w zakresie ogólnej samooceny, kompetencji, poczucia popularności, poczucia bycia kochanym, zdolności przywódczych, samokontroli, samoakceptacji moralnej, poczucia atrakcyjności fizycznej, witalności, integracji tożsamości, oraz obronnego wzmocnienia samooceny)?            Badania dwu grup kobiet, pozostających w związkach sformalizowanych oraz związkach kohabitacyjnych (n=30) z użyciem Wielowymiarowego Kwestionariusza Samooceny MSEI E.J. O’Briena i S.Epsteina w adaptacji D.Fecenec; Kwestionariusza Dobranego Małżeństwa M.Plopy oraz Kwestionariusz Komunikacji Małżeńskiej A.Kaźmierczak i M.Plopy dowiodły, iż Analiza zebranego materiału pozwoliła na sformułowanie wniosku, iż kobiety zamężne i kohabitujące nie różniły się stopniem nasilenia poczucia własnej wartości. Badane kobiety kohabitujące, jak i zamężne wykazały podobny poziom nasilenia: ogólnej samooceny, kompetencji, popularności, bycia kochanym, zdolności przywódczych, samokontroli, samoakceptacji moralnej, atrakcyjności fizycznej, witalności i integracji psychicznej. Kobiety zamężne i kohabitujące różniły się stopniem nasilenia poczucia satysfakcji ze związku, w którym przebywają. Różnice te dotyczą przede wszystkim kilku czynników grupujących więzi małżeńskie/partnerskie. Podobieństwo i intymność partnerów były ocenione jako wyższe w grupie kobiet niezamężnych kohabitujących w porównaniu z grupą badanych mężatek. Oznacza to, że badane związki kohabitacyjne w percepcji ich uczestniczek charakteryzowały się wysokim (istotnie wyższym w porównaniu z grupą kobiet zamężnych) poziomem zaangażowania ze strony partnerów w rozwój tegoż związku

Monitoring of endostatin, TNF-a VEGFs, MMP-9, and cathepsin-L during three months of diosmin treatment in patients with chronic venous disease (CVD)

Introduction: Primary CVD as a result of increased venous hypertension caused mostly by reflux from valvular incompetence as an indication for venoactive drug treatment. The objective of the study was the association between three months of treatment with diosmin and changes to the angiogenic factors involved in the pathophysiology and clinical symptoms of CVD. Material and methods: 41 patients were included in the study. Plasma levels of tumour necrosis factor a (TNF-a), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A and VEGF-C), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), Cathepsine-L and endostatin were measured using an ELISA assay at baseline and after three months of diosmin administration. Clinical evaluation was performed using duplex Doppler, the VAS scale, leg circumference measurement and BMI score. Results: Three-month treatment with diosmin was associated with a statistically significant decrease in TNF-a, VEGF-A, VEGF-C, MMP-9, Cathepsin-L and endostatin plasma levels with p < 0.01 and p < 0.05 respectively. The average ankle circumference decreased significantly from 30.45 (± 2.05) to 29.0 (± 1.43) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Diosmin influence on the inflammatory and proteolytic mechanisms involved in the pathology of CVD, could modify endostatin release and angiogenic processes

The symptoms asymmetry of drug-induced parkinsonism is not related to nigrostriatal cell degeneration: a SPECT-DaTSCAN study

Aim. Drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) is the most common form of parkinsonism after Parkinson’s disease (PD) itself. It has been widely believed that DIP is characterised by symmetry of symptoms. Studies of patients with DIP in whom PD had been ruled out by SPECT-DaTSCAN have shown that symptom asymmetry is a common element of DIP clinical presentation. The aim of our study was to determine whether the asymmetry of symptoms in DIP is related to any abnormality within the presynaptic part of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system.Materials and methods. Eleven patients with the diagnosis of DIP and asymmetric symptoms were studied. Their individual SPECT-DaTSCANs were normal. Indices calculated for the whole group of radiotracer uptake in the whole striatum, putamen and caudate contralateral to more severe DIP symptoms were compared to values obtained in the opposite hemisphere.Results. We did not find significant differences in radiotracer uptake in structures contralateral to more severe clinical symptoms when compared to the homolateral hemisphere.Conclusions. Our results have not confirmed the presence of a presynaptic nigrostriatal deficit which could be related to asymmetry of DIP. The factors responsible for the asymmetry of DIP symptoms should be sought in the postsynaptic part of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system

The correlation of mutations and expressions of genes within the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in breast cancer : a preliminary study

There is an urgent need to seek new molecular biomarkers helpful in diagnosing and treating breast cancer. In this elaboration, we performed a molecular analysis of mutations and expression of genes within the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in patients with ductal breast cancer of various malignancy levels. We recognized significant correlations between the expression levels of the studied genes. We also performed a bioinformatics analysis of the data available on the international database TCGA and compared them with our own research. Studies on mutations and expression of genes were conducted using High-Resolution Melt PCR (HRM-PCR), Allele-Specific-quantitative PCR (ASP-qPCR), Real-Time PCR molecular methods in a group of women with ductal breast cancer. Bioinformatics analysis was carried out using web source Ualcan and bc-GenExMiner. In the studied group of women, it was observed that the prevalence of mutations in the studied PIK3CA and AKT1 genes was 29.63%. It was stated that the average expression level of the PIK3CA, PIK3R1, PTEN genes in the group of breast cancer patients is lower in comparison to the control group, while the average expression level of the AKT1 and mTOR genes in the studied group was higher in comparison to the control group. It was also indicated that in the group of patients with mutations in the area of the PIK3CA and AKT1 genes, the PIK3CA gene expression level is statistically significantly lower than in the group without mutations. According to our knowledge, we demonstrate, for the first time, that there is a very strong positive correlation between the levels of AKT1 and mTOR gene expression in the case of patients with mutations and without mutations