Phonon-induced superconductivity in the presence of the charge-density-wave pseudogap : strong-coupling description

We have considered phonon-induced superconductivity in the presence of the pseudogap originating from Charge-Density-Wave (CDW) excitations within the two-dimensional lattice. Eliashberg formalism has been applied and the CDW effects have been taken into account with the help of the renormalization of propagators in the Dyson equation. The CDW gap has been incorporated in the semiphenomenological way, assuming the d-wave symmetry. We have evaluated the superconducting transition temperature Tc as a function of doping. The influence of the normal-state pseudogap on the isotope shift exponent has also been considered[…

The effect of shoot training on yield, fruit quality and leaf chemical composition of eggplant in greenhouse cultivation

ABSTRACT The aim of the investigations was to determine the best method of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) pruning in greenhouse production. The investigations were carried out in 1999 -2001 in the experimental greenhouse of the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland. The 'Tania F 1 ' hybrid was used in the early spring-summer production in a heated greenhouse. Plants were pruned to one or two shoots. In the case of two-shoot plants, the second shoot was led out from the first, third, sixth and ninth node. The intense pruning positively affected the PAR conditions in the plant profile. The most effective fruit setting was observed in the intensely pruned plants. The greatest number of fruits was set at the lowest nodes. Pruning affected the total but not marketable yield of fruits. Two-shoot plants with the second shoot led out from the sixth node produced the greatest fruits, both in early and total yield. A high level of reducing sugar was found in the fruits of Eggplant pruning 4 moderately pruned plants. Fruits of two-shoot plants with the second shoot led out from the sixth node and pruned to one shoot contained the greatest level of L-ascorbic acid. The greatest levels of reducing sugar and starch were found in the leaves of moderately pruned plants, having the best PAR conditions. The method of pruning slightly affected the level of pigments in the eggplant leaves

Physical activity of children aged 1-4

Introduction: Physical activity plays an important role in the child's development process. The most exposed to the consequences of hypokinesia are children in the period of intensive growth. Movement games during the youngest years have a significant impact on later life, especially on the occurrence of faulty posture or speed of acquiring new motor skills. In the literature, there are reports showing increasing obesity rates among children not only in Poland, but also across the world. It is estimated that this is related to the modern "style" of raising children and the early introduction of electronic toys, tablets, mobile phones and television in order to compensate for the small amount of time devoted to children.The aim of the study: 1) Do parents encourage children to take physical activities? 2) How often do parents spend time with their child in the open air? 3) Is the common creation of games often used in the process of raising a child? 4) Do parents take physical activity with their children? Material and methods: 62 people took part in the study and an original questionnaire consisting of 26 questions was used. The questions included, among other things, the age of the child and parents, the child's physical activity, diet and how they are spendind free time at home. Results and conclusions:72.6% of respondents encourage their children to take regular physical activity. Over half of the respondents said that every day they spend more than an hour with their child in the open air, only 21% create educational games together with their child. Over 72% of children actively participate in the physical activity with parents

The influence of menstrual cycle on aerobic capacity

Introduction: Nowadays sociocultural changes that happen in highly developed countries increased the awareness of physical activity and healthy lifestyle. The social media have a significant influence on promoting the healthy lifestyle and motivating people to live fit. More and more women in their 20s take up physical activity to gain a beautiful body and feel healthy. Considering many hormones changes during the menstrual cycle, authors of many studies try to find direct link between the female menstrual cycle and aerobic capacity or general level of performance. The aims of the study: Does a phase of menstrual cycle affect physical capacity and reached submaximal level of heart rate? Does a phase of menstrual cycle affect aerobic capacity of the students? Does the subjective rate of physical capacity confirms in beep test result? Methods: 44 students of Medical University of Silesia took part in the study. Authorial questionnaire consisting of 13 questions was used to collect essential informations such as age, phase of the menstrual cycle, subjective rate of the aerobic capacity. Study group was measured with Beep test (a shuffle test used to assess aerobic performance, consisting of 21 levels that differ in the number of stages and the speed at which a distance of 20m should be covered in a given time). Before and after (1st and 5th minute) every run heart rate was measured with pulseoximeter. Results: Considering the beep test result sheets, the average of student's results shows rather poor performance. (1) So far, the studies haven't indicated any link between menstrual cycle and aerobic capacity (2) There is a relation between the frequency of training sessions and the aerobic capacity. Students that do an endurance training (in many forms) tend to have average/good beep test result

Dormant Pathogenic CD4(+) T Cells Are Prevalent in the Peripheral Repertoire of Healthy Mice

Thymic central tolerance eliminates most immature T cells with autoreactive T cell receptors (TCR) that recognize self MHC/peptide complexes. Regardless, an unknown number of autoreactive CD4+Foxp3− T cells escape negative selection and in the periphery require continuous suppression by CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory cells (Tregs). Here, we compare immune repertoires of Treg-deficient and Treg-sufficient mice to find Tregs continuously constraining one-third of mature CD4+Foxp3− cells from converting to pathogenic effectors in healthy mice. These dormant pathogenic clones frequently express TCRs activatable by ubiquitous autoantigens presented by class II MHCs on conventional dendritic cells, including selfpeptides that select them in the thymus. Our data thus suggest that identification of most potentially autoreactive CD4+ T cells in the peripheral repertoire is critical to harness or redirect these cells for therapeutic advantage

Self and Microbiota-Derived Epitopes Induce CD4⁺ T Cell Anergy and Conversion into CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ Regulatory Cells

The physiological role of T cell anergy induction as a key mechanism supporting self-tolerance remains undefined, and natural antigens that induce anergy are largely unknown. In this report, we used TCR sequencing to show that the recruitment of CD4+CD44+Foxp3−CD73+FR4+ anergic (Tan) cells expands the CD4+Foxp3+ (Tregs) repertoire. Next, we report that blockade in peripherally-induced Tregs (pTregs) formation due to mutation in CNS1 region of Foxp3 or chronic exposure to a selecting self-peptide result in an accumulation of Tan cells. Finally, we show that microbial antigens from Akkermansia muciniphila commensal bacteria can induce anergy and drive conversion of naive CD4+CD44-Foxp3− T (Tn) cells to the Treg lineage. Overall, data presented here suggest that Tan induction helps the Treg repertoire to become optimally balanced to provide tolerance toward ubiquitous and microbiome-derived epitopes, improving host ability to avert systemic autoimmunity and intestinal inflammation

Thymus-derived regulatory T cells control tolerance to commensal microbiota

Peripheral mechanisms preventing autoimmunity and maintaining tolerance to commensal microbiota involve CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells1,2 generated in the thymus (tTregs) or extrathymically by induction of naive CD4+Foxp3− T cells (iTregs). Prior studies suggested that the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires of tTregs and iTregs are biased towards self and non-self antigens, respectively 3–6 but their relative contribution in controlling immunopathology, e.g. colitis and other untoward inflammatory responses triggered by different types of antigens, remains unresolved 7. The intestine, and especially the colon, is a particularly suitable organ to study this question, given the variety of self-, microbiota- and food-derived antigens to which Tregs and other T cell populations are exposed. Intestinal environments can enhance conversion to a regulatory lineage 8,9 and favor tolerogenic presentation of antigens to naive CD4+ T cells 10,11, suggesting that intestinal homeostasis depends on microbiota-specific iTregs 12–15. Here, to identify the origin and antigen-specificity of intestinal Tregs, we performed single cell as well as high-throughput (HT) sequencing of the TCR repertoires of CD4+Foxp3+ and CD4+Foxp3− T cells and analyzed their reactivity against specific commensal species. We show that tTregs constitute the majority of Tregs in all lymphoid and intestinal organs, including colon, where their repertoire is heavily influenced by the composition of the microbiota. Our results suggest that tTregs, and not iTregs, dominantly mediate tolerance to antigens produced by intestinal commensals

Perceptions of clinical teachers acting as examiners regarding the value of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

Objectives: The OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) is a common method of assessing clinical skills used at many universities. An important and simultaneously difficult aspect of good examination preparation is obtaining a properly trained and well-motivated group of assessors. To effectively recruit and maintain cooperation with assessors, it is worth knowing their opinion. The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of teacher-examiners about the OSCE and to identify the factors that could shape this opinion and influence on motivation. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire on teachers who participated as OSCE examiners. This questionnaire consisted of 21 questions about their perceptions. Answers were rated in a five-point Likert-type scale. Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 49 (out of 52) teachers participated in this study. Nearly 90% of examiners believed that it is fair, and more than 90% that it is transparent. Despite the fact that 67% of examiners believe that the examination is difficult to organize and 71% believe it is stressful for students; according to 72% of respondents the OSCE has a positive effect on learning. More than 91% of examiners believed that the OSCE is an appropriate test to assess students’ skills. Opinions about the examination were independent of specialty, seniority, gender or having taken the OSCE as students. Conclusion: Teacher-examiners viewed the OSCE as a fair and transparent examination, adequate for the assessment of skills and, despite it being difficult to organize, worth doing as it is appropriate to assess practical skills and positively influences students’ motivation to learn tested skills