Cardiac Surgery is Associated with Biomarker Evidence of Neuronal Damage

BACKGROUND: Anesthesia and surgery is commonly associated with central nervous system sequelae and cognitive symptoms, which may be caused by neuronal injury. Neuronal injury can be monitored by plasma concentrations of the neuronal biomarkers tau and neurofilament light protein (NFL). Currently, there are no studies examining whether neuronal injury varies between surgical procedures. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to investigate if neuronal damage is more frequent after cardiac than after otolaryngeal surgery, as estimated by tau and NFL concentrations in plasma. METHODS: Blood samples were drawn before, during, and after surgery and concentrations of tau, NFL, Aβ40, and Aβ42 were measured in 25 patients undergoing cardiac surgery (9 off-pump and 16 on-pump) and 26 patients undergoing otolaryngeal surgery. RESULTS: Tau increased during surgery (1752%, p = 0.0001) and NFL rose seven days post-surgery (1090%, p < 0.0001) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery; even more in patients on-pump than off-pump. No changes were observed in patients undergoing otolaryngeal surgery and only minor fluctuations were observed for Aβ40 and Aβ42. CONCLUSION: Cardiac surgery is associated with neuronal injury, which is aggravated by extracorporeal circulation. Analyses of NFL and tau in blood may guide development of surgical procedures to minimize neuronal damage, and may also be used in longitudinal clinical studies to assess the relationship of surgery with future neurocognitive impairment or dementia

Experimental study of smog microphysical and optical vertical structure in the Silesian Beskids, Poland

This study presents the vertical profiles of aerosol optical and microphysical properties obtained from cable car and ground-based measurements in the Silesian Beskids, Poland. The data were collected during a measurement campaign between 25 February and March 11, 2018. An AE-51 micro-aethalometer and PMS7003 and OPC-N2 optical particle counters were mounted on the cable car and used to measure the profiles of equivalent of black carbon (eBC) concentration and aerosol size distribution. In situ measurements of the optical properties of the aerosols were obtained using an AE-31 aethalometer and photoacoustic devices. A prototype lidar was used to determine the planetary boundary layer (PBL) height and the aerosol layers. In the middle phase of the study (1–6 March 2018), significant night-time temperature inversions were observed. During the inversion period, the parameters describing the amount of aerosols in the air increased significantly. The concentration of eBC exceeded the level of 15 μg/m3 several times, with an average level of 5.39 ± 4.42 μg/m3. Conversely, the results obtained in the first and third phases of the experiment were at the level of the aerosol background, being 1.45 ± 0.88 μg/m3 and 0.90 ± 0.95 μg/m3, respectively. Significant differences were also observed in the vertical profiles of PM10 mass and eBC concentration. In the middle phase of the study, the profiles showed a significant reduction in the concentration of pollutants with height, while in the first and third phases, there were slight variations with height

73 Struktura wiekowa, objawy oraz czynniki prognostyczne u młodych kobiet (

Przedstawiono analizę 32 kobiet poniżej 35 roku życia leczonych z powodu raka szyjki macicy w Oddz. Radioterapii Szpitala Morskiego w Gdyni w latach 1988–1998. Zaprezentowano strukturę wiekową pacjentek, objawy oraz wyniki leczenia.Dokonano analizy wieloczynnikowej uwzględniając stopień zawansowania, typ histologiczny guza, czas trwania objawów choroby, płodność pacjentek, metody leczenia.Analiza czynników ryzyka zachorowania na raka szyjki macicy u kobiet młodych dowodzi, że nie różnią się one zasadniczo od starszych pacjentek. Zwraca uwagę obecność przerzutów w węzłach chłonnych u wszystkich chorych leczonych operacyjnie metodą Wertheima. Może to sugerować bardziej agresywny przebieg choroby u młodych pacjentek

Catalase application in hydrogen peroxide decomposition

Zaprezentowano efekty immobilizacji katalazy wyizolowanej z psychrotolerancyjnych mikroorganizmów z rodzaju Serratia, na powierzchni membrany z regenerowanej celulozy. Uzyskane rezultaty potwierdzają zwiększenie stabilności preparatu enzymatycznego na drodze immobilizacji w obecności wysokich stężeń substratu (do 40 g/l) przy pH 10.In this work the results of catalase immobilization, isolated from psychrotolerant microorganisms of Serratia genus, on the regene- rated-cellulose membrane surface are shown. Obtained results confirm that catalase immobilization led to the increase of enzyme stability at the presence of high substrate concentrations (up to 40 g/L), at pH 10

The merits of fat replacers in low-calorie food

Carbohydrate and protein replacers of fat are frequently used by food manufacturers in response to the increased risk of diseases, which are connected with oversupply of energy and lipids in the diet. Low-calorie replacers such as inulin can limit hunger and normalize blood cholesterol levels. Increases in the nutritional value of food products can be achieved by partially replacing fat by soy protein isolates. Amino acids and deficient minerals like calcium and iron can be provided by food containing protein-based fat substitutes. Some fat substitutes, like maltodextrin, can slightly reduce the bioavailability of the fat-soluble vitamins. As a result, food products containing maltodextrin should be fortified with the affected substances to reduce the risk of malnutrition. The long-term effects of carbohydrate and protein replacers on the human body have not been sufficiently explained, and so fat replacers should be limited in the daily diet