Genetic diversity of pheasants from natural habitat and farm breeding in Eastern Poland

The present model of wildlife management in relationship to pheasants is based on closed breeding and insertion of grown birds into the hunting grounds. The survival rate of pheasants from farm breeding does not exceed 10%. One can pose a hypothesis about the genetic determination of survivability of pheasants originating from farm breeding. A study of the DNA polymorphism of two groups of pheasants was performed. The first group comprised birds living in a natural habitat in Central-Eastern Poland, where no farm-bred pheasants had been inserted for seven years and where wildlife management was focused on the formation of good habitat conditions, an optimum nutritional base, and low-level shooting of cocks. The second group was of birds bred on a farm and from this farm, pheasants were inserted within the area of Central-Eastern Poland. Their DNA was isolated from their feathers. Amplification of fragments of DNA was with the random amplified polymorphic DNA polymrease chain reactrion (RAPD-PCR) method. Pheasants living in the natural environment were characterised by greater polymorphism. The original source of the pheasants living in the natural habitat is the farm, and the present genetic variation between the two groups of birds can be interpreted as an effect of natural selection.Keywords: Common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), genetic distance, genetic polymorphism, genetic similarities, genetic variation, Random Amplified Polymorphic DNAAfrican Journal of BiotechnologyVol. 12(18), pp. 2313-232

The lichen genus Pertusaria in Poland II. Secondary chemistry of P. flavida

This paper presents a study on a chemical variation of Pertusaria flavida in Poland. Six chemotypes were determined in the studied material, of which chemotypes IV, V and VI were never reported before. All of them produce thiophaninic acid as the diagnostic metabolite for the species and this is the only major substance in chemotype I. Chemotype II contains in addition also 2’-O-methylperlatolic acid (± confluentic acid), whereas chemotype III stictic acid complex (± minor or trace amounts of norstictic acid). Chemotype IV is characterized by the presence of 2’-O-methylperlatolic acid and stictic acid complex (± norstictic acid in minor to trace amounts). Chemotype V produce norstictic acid as a major additional substance and chemotype VI contains 2’-O-methylperlatolic acid together with norstictic acid. Chemotype II was the most common chemotype (c.75% of specimens) in studied material. Distribution maps are presented for all chemotypes.

Ocena skuteczności klipsowania tętniaków wewnątrzczaszkowych w terminie odległym za pomocą angiografii tomografii komputerowej

Background and purpose The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the effectiveness of aneurysm clipping by computed tomography angiography (CTA) in a long-term follow-up. Material and methods The CTA examination was performed in 119 patients who had 143 aneurysms clipped. The examinations were performed 3 to 11 years (mean 6 years) after clipping using a GE Lightspeed PRO16 scanner. Results In all cases but one, good quality CTA images, suitable for evaluation of the arteries around the clip site, were obtained. Complete aneurysm closure without neck remnant or regrowth was confirmed in 137 (96%) aneurysms. In 4 (3%) cases, neck remnants were detected (2 on the anterior communicating artery [AComA] and 2 on the middle cerebral artery [MCA]). A total clip slippage from the aneurysm dome was revealed in 1 case. One case of aneurysm re-rupture was noted, 11 years after clipping. The rebleeding was caused by AComA aneurysm regrowth. Among these 6 patients with unsatisfactory clipping, 2 required further treatment and 4 remain under observation. Nineteen ‘de novo’ aneurysms in other locations were found in 14 (12%) patients. Summing up all of the pathological findings in the study group, there were 18 (15%) patients who needed further management including close surveillance or re-treatment. Conclusions Computed tomography angiography is a simple and reliable method of aneurysm clipping evaluation. The long-term follow-up CTA confirmed the permanent and complete obliteration of 96% of the aneurysms. The rate of unsatisfactory aneurysm closure was 4%, but only 1.4% needed re-treatment during a mean follow-up of 6 years. The annual risk of aneurysm re-rupture was 0.1%.Wstęp i cel pracy Celem niniejszej retrospektywnej pracy była ocena skuteczności klipsowania tętniaków wewnątrzczaszkowych w odległym terminie po operacji za pomocą angiografii tomografii komputerowej (angio-TK). Materiał i metody Angio-TK wykonano u 119 pacjentów ze 143 zaklipsowanymi tętniakami. Badania przeprowadzano w ciągu 3–11 lat od operacji (średnio 6 lat) aparatem CT GE Lightspeed PRO16. Wyniki U wszystkich pacjentów, poza jednym, uzyskano obrazy pozwalające na wiarygodną ocenę naczyń w pobliżu założonego klipsa. Spośród 143 zaklipsowanych tętniaków, w 137 (96%) przypadkach stwierdzono prawidłowe zamknięcie, bez cech odtwarzania się ani pozostałości tętniaka. Pozostałość szyi klipsowanego tętniaka (2 na tętnicy łączącej przedniej i 2 na tętnicy mózgu środkowej) stwierdzono w 4 przypadkach. W jednym przypadku uwidoczniono całkowite zsunięcie się klipsa z tętniaka tętnicy łączącej przedniej. W okresie objętym analizą zanotowano jeden przypadek nawrotowego krwotoku podpajęczynówkowego po 11 latach od operacji. Powodem był odrost tętniaka tętnicy łączącej przedniej. Spośród 6 chorych z niezadowalającym zaklipsowaniem, 2 wymagało dalszego leczenia, a 4 – obserwacji. U 14 (12%) pacjentów wykryto 19 tętniaków de novo w innych lokalizacjach, z których 18 nie wymagało leczenia. Biorąc pod uwagę wszystkie nieprawidłowości naczyniowe w badanej grupie, 18 (15%) pacjentów wymagało dalszej obserwacji lub leczenia. Wnioski W ocenie autorów angio-TK jest wygodnym i wiarygodnym sposobem kontroli po operacjach zaklipsowania tętniaka. Odległe badania angio-TK wykazały, że klipsowanie całkowicie i trwale wyłącza z krążenia 96% tętniaków. Odsetek niezadowalającego zaklipsowania wyniósł 4%, ale tylko 1,4% pacjentów wymagało dalszego leczenia w okresie obserwacji wynoszącym średnio 6 lat. Ryzyko ponownego krwotoku z zaklipsowanego tętniaka wyniosło 0,1% na rok

Female versus male : Rumex thyrsiflorus Fingerh. under in vitro conditions : does sex influence in vitro morphogenesis?

Rumex thyrsiflorus Fingerh. is a dioecious plant with polymorphic sex chromosomes (XX in females, XY_{1}Y_{2} in males). This species is an interesting plant for study on the structure and function of sex chromosomes, the sex ratio, and is also a valuable source of bioactive constituents. A procedure for the micropropagation of R. thyrsiflorus from hypocotyl explants, which can be useful for analyses of sex-specific morphogenetic reactions under in vitro conditions, was developed. The molecular analysis, based on genetic sex markers, allowed the sex of explants to be determined in order to create male or female in vitro cultures. Regeneration primarily occurred via indirect adventitious shoot formation as well as via somatic embryogenesis, which was confirmed by histological and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses. The highest frequency of explants that revealed a morphogenetic response with the highest number of regenerated adventitious shoot buds (average 11.5 shoots per explant) was obtained on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2.27 \mu M thidiazuron (TDZ). Molecular analysis revealed a female-biased sex ratio under these conditions. The relationship between the sex of the explants and their morphogenetic potential was studied. The efficiency of morphogenesis varied between the two sexes and depended on the ratio of auxin and cytokinin in the medium. The germination pattern of male and female seeds under in vitro conditions was also analysed. No differences in germination time between male and female seeds and in terms of male and female seedling length were observed, which indicated that there was no competition between the sexes during seed germination when grown under uniform growth conditions

The influence of selected factors on the attendance of the high-risk population in the early lung cancer detection program

Wstęp: Rak płuca jest jednym z najczęściej występujących nowotworów złośliwych w Polsce i na świecie. W Polsce powoduje zgon niemal 22 000 osób rocznie. Obecnie największe nadzieje na wczesne wykrywanie tego nowotworu, a tym samym jego skuteczniejsze leczenie, wiąże się z niskodawkową tomografią komputerową (LDCT). Podczas projektowania i realizacji programów wczesnego wykrywania nowotworów szczególnie istotna jest znajomość uwarunkowań socjodemograficznych wpływających na zgłaszalność uczestników.Materiał i metody: Badaniem objęto 1619 kolejnych osób z 8649, które zostały poddane LDCT w ramach Pomorskiego Pilotażowego Programu Badań Przesiewowych Raka Płuca (PPPBPRP). Badanie przeprowadzono z wykorzystaniem ankiety oceniającej dane społeczno-demograficzne uczestników należących do grupy wysokiego ryzyka zachorowania na raka płuca.Wyniki: Wśród uczestników PPPBPRP znalazło się 777 (48%) aktualnych palaczy tytoniu. Większość z nich reprezentowała niski lub średni stopień zamożności. Badani pozytywnie ocenili sposób przeprowadzenia kampanii promocyjnej programu, jednak 43% z nich wskazało rodzinę i znajomych jako równie ważne źródło uzyskiwania wiedzy o projekcie. Za główny bodziec skłaniający do brania udziału w podobnym programie 46% uczestników wskazało kampanię informacyjną z udziałem osoby popularnej, a 45% z nich wystąpienie nowotworu u członka rodziny. Minimalny okazał się wpływ pracowników ochrony zdrowia na zgłaszanie się uczestników na badanie wczesnego wykrywania raka płuca. Ponad połowa badanych (53%) zadeklarowała gotowość współfinansowania podobnego programu profilaktycznego w kwocie nie przekraczającej 100 PLN.Wnioski: Skuteczna kampania reklamująca prowadzenie badań wczesnego wykrywania raka płuca w mediach, wpływ rodziny oraz prowadzenie kampanii reklamowej z udziałem popularnej osoby mają największy wpływ na zgłaszalność. Wpływ pracowników ochrony zdrowia na zgłaszalność jest znikomy. Deklarowana przez uczestników gotowość do współfinansowania badań jest istotna ze względu na możliwość zredukowania wysokich kosztów prowadzenia programów profilaktycznych opartych o wykorzystanie techniki LDCT.Introduction: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, killing almost 22,000 people in Poland every year. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is the most promising tool of secondary prophylaxis leading to early detection and thus successful treatment of this malignancy. Knowledge about socio-demographic factors that affect participation in lung cancer early detection programs is essential for the future design and implementation of such programs.Material and methods: Among the 8649 participants of the Pomeranian Lung Cancer Screening Program (PLCSP), 1619 individuals responded to a questionnaire that had been designed to assess socio-demographic data of participants at high risk of developing lung cancer. The survey was conducted on-site after reception of results by the program participants.Results: Among the survey participants, 777 (48%) were current cigarette smokers. The majority of them represented low or medium level of wealth status. The respondents positively evaluated the promotional campaign during the PLCSP, although 43% of them indicated family and friends as a source of information about the program. As the most important action that stimulated the participation, 46% of the respondents indicated the awareness campaign involving a celebrity, and 45% of them indicated the presence of cancer in the family. The influence of healthcare employees on the participation in the screening program was minimal. More than half of the respondents (53%) declared a willingness to co-finance a similar prophylactic program in the future in an amount not exceeding 100 PLN.Conclusions: An effective promotional campaign in the media, the influence of family and a campaign involving a celebrity promoted attendance at the screening program. The influence of healthcare employees on the participation in the program was minimal. The majority of the screened population declared a willingness to actively participate in the costs of LDCT examination

Cognitive functions in patients with liver cirrhosis : a tendency to commit more memory errors

Background: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is the mildest form of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). For diagnostic purposes, 2 alternative batteries of psychometric screening tests are recommended. They differ from each other in terms of the cognitive domains assessed. The research was designed to provide a profile of cognitive functioning in patients with liver cirrhosis, using an assessment that covers a wider range of cognitive functions than the usual screening battery. Material and Methods: We examined 138 persons, including 88 with liver cirrhosis and 50 healthy volunteers. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used for screening and excluding advanced cognitive impairment. Then, to assess cognitive functions in more detail, the following tests were used: Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Letter and Semantic Fluency Tests (LF and SF), Trail Making Test (TMT A&B), Digit Symbol Test (DST), Block Design Test (BDT), and Mental Rotation Test (MRT). The MRT task has not been used in MHE diagnosis so far. Finally, 57 patients and 48 controls took part in the entire study. Results: Patients with liver cirrhosis commit significantly more errors of intrusions in the AVLT during the delayed free recall trial. Results significantly deviating from the norm in at least 2 tests were found only in 7 cirrhosis patients. Conclusions: The results do not provide any specific profile of cognitive disturbances in MHE, but suggest that cirrhosis patients have a tendency to commit more memory errors, probably due to subtle impairments of executive function

Magnesium as a potential complementary treatment for ADHD - a review of recent literature

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common neurodevelopmental mental disorder affecting an estimated 7.2% of children and adolescents, and 2.5% of adults. It manifests primarily through inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Multimodal treatment approaches are recommended, addressing the psychological, behavioral, vocational, and educational needs of patients and their families. Conventional therapies include pharmacologic interventions (e.g., psychostimulants) and non-pharmacologic strategies (e.g., psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy). The ongoing search for novel treatment options focuses on improving cognitive function, psychological well-being, and ADHD symptomatology. Nutritional interventions with vitamins and minerals are emerging as potential complementary or adjunctive therapies.   This review summarizes recent literature (past 5 years) on the relationship between magnesium and ADHD, encompassing observational studies, interventional trials, and meta-analyses.  Evidence from recent publications suggests that children with ADHD have reduced magnesium levels and that magnesium supplementation improves symptoms. However, these studies do not definitively establish the exact cause-and-effect relationship between magnesium and ADHD. Current data are insufficient to recommend magnesium for routine ADHD treatment. High-quality, large-scale, and long-term studies are necessary to definitively understand the magnesium-ADHD link and to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of magnesium supplementation as an adjunct therapy. These studies should define optimal doses, forms, and duration of supplementation for safe and effective clinical use.&nbsp

Running the Risk - Examining Dermatologic Concerns and Skin Neoplasms in Runners

This review summarizes the most prevalent dermatologic conditions encountered by runners and provides evidence-based recommendations for prevention and management. Due to high levels of ultraviolet radiation exposure, friction forces, specific environment of the activity and used garment runners are at the risk of various dermatologic complications, including skin neoplasms. Sun protection measures, such as applying sunscreen with sufficient SPF, wearing photoprotective clothing, and avoiding peak sun hours, are crucial for mitigating this risk. Friction-related injuries like blisters, calluses, and jogger's nipples are common among runners and can be prevented through proper footwear, moisture management, and lubrication. Educational interventions promoting safety practices are necessary to raise awareness and encourage behavioural change among runners

Delayed symptomatic cerebral vasospasm after transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenoma

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