Welcome to the (urban) jungle: notes on new science, biological evolution in cities

The city – a modern jungle, where not cellulose and photosynthesis but concrete and combustion reign supreme. The question now being asked by urban planners, governments, and scientists is if it may stay like that and if it can stay like that or if it has to stay like that. Social, economic, cultural, historical, and legal factors are determinants in the ecology of urban ecosystems. Even well-managed cities are usually hostile toward non-human inhabitants. Furthermore, as with any complex system, the equilibrium is fragile, even if it exists. This publication outlines the co-evolution and ecology of humans and other species in the cities, their importance, and perspectives

Importance for humans of recently discovered protein compounds – yolkin and yolk glycopeptide 40, present in the plasma of hen egg yolk

ABSTRACT: Vitellogenin (Vt) is considered the primary protein precursor of egg yolk, serving as a source of protein- and lipid-rich nutrients for the developing embryo. However, recent research has revealed that the functions of Vt and Vt-derived polypeptides, such as yolkin (Y) and yolk glycopeptide 40 (YGP40), extend beyond their nutritional roles as a source of amino acids. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that both Y and YGP40 possess immunomodulatory properties and can contribute to host immune defenses. Additionally, Y polypeptides have been shown to exhibit neuroprotective activity, participating in the modulation of neurons’ survival and activity, inhibiting neurodegeneration processes, and improving cognitive functions in rats. These non-nutritional functions not only enhance our understanding of the physiological roles of these molecules during embryonic development but also offer a promising basis for the potential application of these proteins in human health

The Role of the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease

Along with the increase in life expectancy in the populations of developed and developing countries resulting from better access and improved health care, the number of patients with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is growing. The disease was first diagnosed and described at the beginning of the 20th century. However, to this day, there is no effective causal therapy, and symptomatic treatment often improves patients’ quality of life only for a short time. The current pharmacological therapies are based mainly on the oldest hypotheses of the disease—cholinergic (drugs affecting the cholinergic system are available), the hypothesis of amyloid-β aggregation (an anti-amyloid drug was conditionally approved by the FDA in 2020), and one drug is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist (memantine). Hypotheses about AD pathogenesis focus on the nervous system and the brain. As research progresses, it has become known that AD can be caused by diseases that have been experienced over the course of a lifetime, which could also affect other organs. In this review, we focus on the potential association of AD with the digestive system, primarily the gut microbiota. The role of diet quality in preventing and alleviating Alzheimer’s disease is also discussed. The problem of neuroinflammation, which may be the result of microbiota disorders, is also described. An important aspect of the work is the chapter on the treatment strategies for changing the microbiota, potentially protecting against the disease and alleviating its course in the initial stages

Accessible design - designing street furniture according to the principles of universal design

Przemiany cywilizacyjne zachodzące we współczesnej Europie, ale również na całym świecie, zmuszają do nowego spojrzenia na przestrzeń publiczną. Dlatego warto przyjrzeć się bliżej tematyce projektowania uniwersalnego, która stanowi bardzo rozbudowany i wielowątkowy zasób wiedzy, a przeświadczenie o konieczności udostępniania przestrzeni publicznych spowodowało podjęcie próby uporządkowania zakresu tematycznego odnoszącego się do mebli miejskich. Artykuł przedstawia badania własne - literaturowe zrealizowane w ramach udziału w programie: Inicjatywa Doskonałości - Uczelnia Badawcza na Politechnice Śląskiej w Gliwicach, które dotyczą opracowania wytycznych dla tzw. elementów małej architektury w kontekście projektowania uniwersalnego. Na wstępnym etapie pracy zastosowano metodę analizy i krytyki piśmiennictwa, dzięki której zostały określone cele pracy. Na podstawie źródeł literaturowych, analiz przykładów oraz rekomendacji projektowych zostały wskazane zasadnicze tendencje w projektowaniu mebli miejskich zgodnie z zasadami projektowania uniwersalnego. Opracowano wytyczne jako przykłady realizacji w praktyce założeń projektowania dla wszystkich - projektowania uniwersalnego oraz programu „Dostępność +”. Celem było wskazanie możliwości wprowadzenia rozwiązań przestrzennych dostępnych dla zróżnicowanych grup użytkowników wspierających osoby: z niepełnosprawnościami, starsze, z dziećmi, a jednocześnie wprowadzenie wartości, które będą służyć aktywizacji wykluczonych grup użytkowników oraz integracji międzypokoleniowej.The civilization changes that are taking place in contemporary Europe and around the world, force one to have a new outlook on public space. Therefore, it is worth taking a closer look at the subject of universal design, which is a very extensive and multi-threaded body of knowledge. In addition to that, the conviction that public spaces need to be made accessible has resulted in an attempt to organize the thematic scope with respect to street furniture. The article presents own literature research carried out as part of the participation in the program called "Initiative of Excellence - Research University" at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, which concerns the development of guidelines for the so-called elements of “street furniture" in the context of universal design. At the initial stage of work, the literature analysis and criticizm method was used, owing to which the goals of the work were defined. On the basis of literature sources, analyses of examples and design recommendations, basic trends in designing street furniture in accordance with the principles of universal design were identified. Guidelines were developed as examples of practical implementation of design assumptions for everyone, that is universal design, and of the "Accessibility +" Act. The aim was to indicate the possibility of introducing spatial solutions available to various groups of users, supporting people with disabilities, the elderly, people with children, and, at the same time, to introduce values that will serve to activate excluded user groups and promote intergenerational integration

Cornelian Cherry (<i>Cornus mas</i> L.) Extracts Exert Cytotoxicity in Two Selected Melanoma Cell Lines—A Factorial Analysis of Time-Dependent Alterations in Values Obtained with SRB and MTT Assays

Despite the fact that phytochemicals of Cornaceae species have long been discussed as possible auxiliary agents in contemporary treatment, the insights on their properties remain relatively scarce. This study focuses on Cornus mas L. (Cornelian cherry), the extracts of which are reported to exert a pleiotropic effect shown in both in vivo and in vitro studies. This study aimed to explore the cytotoxic effect of extracts from fruits of red (Cornus mas L. ‘Podolski’) and yellow (Cornus mas L. ‘Yantarnyi’ and ‘Flava’) Cornelian cherries on two melanoma cell lines (A375 and MeWo). The extracts were characterized in the context of the concentration of bioactive compounds of antioxidative properties. Cytotoxicity was investigated with the use of the following two assays: SRB and MTT. An additional, alternative protocol for the SRB assay was used in this study so as to account for possible bias. Cytotoxicity was assessed as a difference in the whole time series of cell viability, instead of analyzing differences in raw values (often found in the literature). Both extracts from Cornus mas L. induced cytotoxicity in both A375 and MeWo cell lines, although the response of these cells was different. Moreover, based on this study, there is no evidence for claiming a different magnitude of cytotoxicity between these two extracts

Electrocardiographic exercise testing in adults: performance and interpretation. An expert opinion of the Polish Cardiac Society Working Group on Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology

Electrocardiographic (ECG) exercise stress test has been a major diagnostic test in cardiology for several decades. Ongoing technological advances that have led to a wide use of imaging techniques and development of new guidelines have called for a revised and updated approach to the technique and interpretation of the ECG exercise testing. The present document outlines an expert opinion of the Polish Cardiac Society Working Group on Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology regarding the performance and interpretation of ECG exercise testing in adults. We discussed technical requirements and necessary equipment for the exercise testing laboratory as well as healthcare personnel competencies necessary to supervise ECG exercise testing and fully interpret test findings. Broad indications for ECG exercise testing include diagnostic assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD), including pre-test probability of CAD, evaluation of functional disease severity and risk strati- fication in patients with established CAD, assessment of response to treatment, evaluation of exercise-related symptoms and exercise capacity, patient evaluation before exercise training/cardiac rehabilitation, and risk stratification prior to non-cardiac surgery. ECG exercise testing is safe if indications and contraindications are observed, testing is appropriately monitored, and indications for test termination are clearly established. The exercise protocol should be adjusted to the expected exercise capacity of a patient so as to limit the duration of exercise to 8–12 min. Clinical, haemodynamic, and ECG response to exercise is evaluated during the test. The test report should include information about the exercise protocol used, reason for test termination, perceived exertion, presence/severity of anginal symptoms, peak exercise capacity or tolerated workload in relation to the predicted exercise capacity, heart rate response, and the presence or absence of ST-T changes. The test report should conclude with a summary including clinical and ECG assessment.

Państwo demokratyczne, prawne i socjalne: księga jubileuszowa dedykowana profesorowi Zbigniewowi Antoniemu Maciągowi. T. 4, Studia społeczne, polityczne i ekonomiczne

Praca recenzowana / peer-reviewed pape