Theoretical deliberations on frontier location of cities.

Nowadays political and socio-economic reorganization of the European space, where cities play a very important role, has a strong impact on peripheral areas, referred to as border regions. One can observe a changing role of these regions due to various functions and effects of internal or external borders in the integrated Europe. Internal border cities have gained new functions and a chance for the development. However, cities in the external European border regions may face serious development barriers which can result in the economic recession unless they can develop transportation or trade functions and thus become gateway cities

Leczenie rytuksymabem ziarniniakowatości z zapaleniem naczyń i mikroskopowego zapalenia naczyń

  Od dawna poszukuje się nowych możliwości leczenia chorych z zapaleniami naczyń. Cyklofosfamid (CYC) i glukokortykosteroidy (GKS) są powszechnie stosowanymi lekami w leczeniu zapaleń naczyń. Powyższy sposób leczenia powikłany jest wieloma działaniami niepożądanymi CYC (niepłodność, uszkodzenie szpiku, krwotoczne zapalenie pęcherza moczowego oraz nowotwory), a także działaniami niepożądanymi po stosowaniu GKS. Poza za tym nie u wszystkich chorych uzyskuje się remisję, a ponadto częste są nawroty choroby. Poszukiwanie nowych rozwiązań w leczeniu tych chorób doprowadziło do zastosowania leków biologicznych. Wynikało to między innymi ze zwrócenia większej uwagi na redukcję toksyczności leczenia, częstości i ciężkości działań niepożądanych oraz z faktu, że około 20% chorych nie odpowiada na standardową terapię i utrzymywania się nadal wysokiego odsetka (50%) nawrotów choroby. Jednym z leków biologicznych, który okazał się skuteczny w leczeniu GPA i MPA jest rytuksymab (RTX). Rytuksymab jest skuteczny w leczeniu ciężkiej, aktywnej postaci zapalenia naczyń związanej z przeciwciałami ANCA. Odpowiedź na leczenie utrzymuje się długo i trwa dłużej u chorych wykazujących całkowitą odpowiedź kliniczną. Nie należy zapominać także o działaniach niepożądanych dobrze znanym reumatologom. Aktualnie wydaje się, że nie ma dobrze udokumentowanego badania, które leczenie jest lepsze RTX czy CYC z następnym leczeniem AZA lub MTX. Długo czekali chorzy i lekarze reumatolodzy na zatwierdzenie decyzji wprowadzenia w Polsce RTX do leczenia ziarniniakowatości z zapaleniem naczyń. Lek ten jest szansą na uzyskanie długiej remisji choroby u tych wszystkich chorych, gdzie mało skuteczny był cyklofosfamid. Forum Reumatol. 2016, tom 2, nr 1, 7–13 Słowa kluczowe: limfocyty B, rytuksymab, ziarniniakowatość z zapaleniem naczyń; mikroskopowe zapalenie naczyń

Demographic responses of boreal-montane orchid Malaxis monophyllos (L.) Sw. populations to contrasting environmental conditions

In an age of changes in species’ geographical ranges, compounded by climatic and anthropogenic impacts, it become important to know which processes and factors influence plant populations and their persistence in the long term.Here we investigated dynamic and fitness components in twelve populations of Malaxis monophyllos (L.) Sw., situated in different geographical (regions) and ecological (type of habitat) units. Although M. monophyllos is a rare species, characterized by highly fragmented, boreal-montane distribution range, in last few decades it successfully colonized secondary habitats in Polish uplands. Our results indicate that M. monophyllos is represented mainly by small populations, which annual spatial and temporal changes might be very high, what affects the ephemeral character of these populations, regardless of the region and type of habitat. This dynamic structure, in turn, is caused by intensive exchange of individuals in populations, as well as by their short above-ground life span. Despite the large range of variation in size and reproductive traits, we can distinguish some regional patterns, which indicate boreal region as the most optimal for M. monophyllos growth and persistence in the long term, and with montane and upland/anthropogenic populations, due to lower reproductive parameters, as the most threatened. Although it should be considered that anthropogenic populations, despite their lower reproductive parameters and instability in the long term, present an intermediate, geographical and ecological character, therefore they may be valuable in shaping, both M. monophyllos’ future range, as well as its potential for response on ongoing and future changes. In general, reproduction is the main factor differentiating of M. monophyllos populations in regions, and we can suspect that it may become the cause of the future differentiation and isolation of these populations, occurring with progressive range fragmentation

GIANT CELL ARTERITIS IN POLAND. HOW TO INCREASE DIAGNOSTIC RATE?

Background: Th e incidence rate of giant cell arteritis (GCA) in Department of Rheumatology, Internal Medicine and Geriatrics was raised 10 folds between 2000 and 2016. Objectives: In this presentation a practical question: ”how to increase GCA diagnostic rate?” was addressed, and illustrated with some clinical cases. Methods: GCA referrals to Department of Rheumatology in Szczecin were analyzed. Additionally GCA epidemiology in Poland was analyzed based on national insurance registry and compared with distribution of fast track GCA clinics. Results: Increase of diagnostic rate was due to mainly 2 factors: 1. Development of eff ective temporal / large vessels visualization techniques and introduction of fast track GCA diagnostics. 2. Better cooperation with ophthalmologist and other specialists (Table 1.) Visualization techniques introduced were temporal/large arteries Doppler ultrasound (fast track) sometimes supported by large arteries computed tomography, occasionally by temporal artery biopsy and marginally by PET-CT. Based on national insurance registry, that we’ve analyzed, GCA diagnostic rate in Poland improved in recent years. Th is seems to correlate with increased interest in GCA in some sites that organized fast track GCA clinics. Conclusions: Increase of GCA diagnostic rate requires further efforts. References: 1. Atlas of ultrasound application in large vessel arteritis: giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis., Milchert M, Diamantopoulos A, Brzosko M; Wydawnictwo Pomorskiej Akademii Medycznej, Szczecin, 201

Antiphospholipid Syndrome with Antiβ2glicoprotein-1 Antibodies as the Cause for Recurrent Tibial Vein Thrombosis in SAPHO Syndrome A case report

No abstract available</p

The expansion of CD4(+)CD28(- )T cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Clonal expansion of CD4(+)CD28(- )T cells is a characteristic finding in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Expanded CD4(+ )clonotypes are present in the peripheral blood, infiltrate into the joints, and persist for years. CD4(+)CD28(- )T cells are oligoclonal lymphocytes that are rare in healthy individuals but are found in high percentages in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases. The size of the peripheral blood CD4(+)CD28(- )T-cell compartment was determined in 42 patients with RA and 24 healthy subjects by two-color FACS analysis. The frequency of CD4(+)CD28(- )T cells was significantly higher in RA patients than in healthy subjects. Additionally, the number of these cells was significantly higher in patients with extra-articular manifestations and advanced joint destruction than in patients with limited joint manifestations. The results suggest that the frequency of CD4(+)CD28(- )T cells may be a marker correlating with extra-articular manifestations and joint involvement

Neuromodulation of Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity: Past, Present, and Future.

Spike-timing-dependent synaptic plasticity (STDP) is a leading cellular model for behavioral learning and memory with rich computational properties. However, the relationship between the millisecond-precision spike timing required for STDP and the much slower timescales of behavioral learning is not well understood. Neuromodulation offers an attractive mechanism to connect these different timescales, and there is now strong experimental evidence that STDP is under neuromodulatory control by acetylcholine, monoamines, and other signaling molecules. Here, we review neuromodulation of STDP, the underlying mechanisms, functional implications, and possible involvement in brain disorders.BBSR