Investigation of accuracy of the interface tracking method

In this paper accuracy of a simple and effective method for tracking interfaces in two-dimensional area is investigated. The method is based on the level set method (LSM) with "brute force" reinitialization algorithm. A comparison of numerical solution with an analytical solution is presented and discussed

The influence of L-phenylalanine, methyl jasmonate and sucrose concentration on the accumulation of phenolic acids in Exacum affine Balf. f. ex Regel shoot culture

Phenolic acids are an important group of plant secondary metabolites with various, valuable therapeutic properties. Apart from plants growing in the open air, tissue cultures can be an alternative source of the secondary metabolites. The yield of their accumulation in in vitro cultures can be increased by different methods, including culture medium supplementation with precursors, elicitors and changing the standard amounts of the medium components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the precursor (L-phenylalanine), the elicitor (methyl jasmonate) and a higher sucrose concentration on the phenolic acids accumulation in the agitated shoot cultures of Exacum affine Balf. f. ex Regel (Gentianaceae). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the phenolic acids in methanolic extracts from the biomass were conducted by applying the HPLC method. Fourteen phenolic acids and cinnamic acid were found in all samples. The total content of free phenolic acids increased from approximately 0.242% to 0.635% (2.6-fold) and the total content of the whole phenolic acids (free and bound) - from 0.712% to 1.160% (1.6-fold). The studies show that the best variant for the accumulation of most of the identified phenolic acids contained 6% of sucrose (double the standard amount), L-phenylalanine 1.6 gL-1 of medium and methyl jasmonate 100 μM. The analysis of the results in the experiment presented here showed that it is possible to increase the accumulation of the phenolic acids in Exacum affine shoot cultures - by adding the precursor (L-phenylalanine), the elicitor (methyl jasmonate) and by increasing the sucrose concentration

Selected hematological and immunological parameters in pigs transferred from the rearing unit to the finishing house

The aim of the study was to determine how selected hematological and immunological parameters are affected when growing pigs are transferred from the rearing unit to the finishing house. Blood was collected from 64 healthy growing pigs one week before and one week after they were transferred to the finishing house. The following tests were performed: complete blood count with machine differential, immunoglobulin levels, C-reactive protein (CRP) level and cortisol level. Pigs were divided into two groups. Group A contained those pigs with a normal white blood cell (WBC) count, and Group B those with an elevated WBC count. Throughout the experiment, body weight and indoor microclimate conditions were also monitored. After transfer, the neutrophil count increased, while the lymphocyte count decreased. Hematocrit (HCT0, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) also decreased. CRP level and cortisol level increased. Red blood cell (RBC) count was higher and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was lower in Group B. CPR level and immunoglobulin G (IgG) level were also higher. On the other hand, average daily gain (ADG) was higher in Group A. Although the presence of subclinical infections cannot be ruled out, the changes observed were probably caused by other stressogenic factors such as transport, adaptation to a new maintenance system, and worse sanitary conditions. Those with elevated WBC counts before transport were most susceptible to adaptive stress.Keywords: Pig, transfer, immunity, C-reactive protein (CRP), cortisol, immunoglobulin, stress African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(34), pp. 5258-526

Bankowanie. Mikrobiologiczne bezpieczeństwo przeszczepienia krwiotwórczych komórek macierzystych

W procesie przygotowania komórek krwiotwórczych (k.k.) do transplantacji istotne jest wdrożenie oraz utrzymanie procedur pozwalających na zachowanie mikrobiologicznego bezpieczeństwa przeszczepu. Do głównych źródeł zanieczyszczenia przeszczepu należy: powietrze, personel, woda oraz materiał. Kontaminacja przeszczepu może mieć miejsce na etapie pozyskania, przetwarzania oraz dystrybucji k.k. Jakość materiału transplantacyjnego powinna być kontrolowana na wszystkich kluczowych etapach jego przetwarzania. Bankowanie k.k. może odbywać się w systemie otwartym lub zamkniętym. System przetwarzania k.k., otwarty lub zamknięty, znacząco wpływa m. in. na kryteria kwalifikacji pomieszczeń oraz przygotowania pracowników do pracy. Jednakże niezależnie od systemu przetwarzania k.k., kontrola mikrobiologiczna powinna obejmować zarówno materiał transplantacyjny, jak i środowisko jego przewarzania. Formalne wymogi dla banków komórek zawarte są w Rozporządzeniach Unii Europejskiej, Ustawie Transplantacyjnej oraz Rozporządzeniach Ministra Zdrowia. Wdrożenie oraz utrzymanie procedur odpowiedniego przygotowania pracowników, sprzętów oraz pomieszczeń do pracy w znaczący sposób wpływają na zmniejszenie ryzyka kontaminacji przeszczepu, a tym samym na kliniczne parametry leczenia transplantacyjnego

The influence of the different content of protein fractions in sows’ milk in piglet rearing

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the percentage content of protein fractions in total protein of sow`s colostrums and milk and their influence on the traits related with piglet rearing. The animal specimens were 20 sows of the native Złotnicka White breed. Złotnicka pigs were subjected to the National Genetic Resources Conservation Programme. Colostrum and milk were collected between the 20th and 24th h after parturition and on the 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st day of lactation. A total of 120 samples (60 colostrum samples and 60 milk samples) were collected from all active mammary glands. Individual fractions of total protein were separated by means of electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The piglets’ body weights average daily gains and mortality were checked consecutively after 24 hours after parturition and on the day 7th, 14th, and 21st of lactation. 207 piglets were examined. A highly significant correlation between the number of piglets, daily growths and protein fractions was observed. The most favourable rearing results were obtained at the highest level (III) of individual fractions. The study also proved most of the piglets are lost from the litters when the level of fractions is the lowest (I).Keywords: Sows, milk, protein fractions, Złotnicka White, piglet rearin

Cell phenotype determines PAI-1 antiproliferative effect - suppressed proliferation of the lung cancer but not prostate cancer cells

Wstęp: Inhibitor aktywatora plazminogenu typu 1 (PAI-1) jest ważnym regulatorem procesu wzrostu guza i tworzenia przerzutów nowotworowych, działając poprzez bezpośrednie hamowanie urokinazy (mechanizm antyfibrynolityczny) oraz niezależnie od kinaz poprzez powinowactwo z witronektyną. Autorzy pracy w poprzednim badaniu wykazali, że PAI-1 modyfikuje aktywność angiogenną komórek śródbłonka w stopniu zależnym od jego stężenia, jak również fenotypu komórek. Celem niniejszej pracy była ocena wpływu PAI-1 na aktywność proliferacyjną linii komórek nowotworowych - raka płuca (A549) i raka gruczołu krokowego (DU145), a także komórek strukturalnych - śródbłonka naczyniowego (HUVEC). Wyniki: Zmutowana postać PAI-1 (1, 10, 100 &#956;g/ml) charakteryzująca się znacząco przedłużoną aktywnością antyfibrynolityczną (T1/2 ~ 7000 godz.) w stopniu wyraźnie zależnym od dawki (p < 0,001) i czasu (p < 0,001) znamiennie hamowała aktywność proliferacyjną komórek raka płuca A549. Natomiast istotny wpływ PAI-1 na aktywność proliferacyjną komórek raka gruczołu krokowego DU145 wykazano tylko dla najwyższego użytego stężenia (100 &#956;g/ml) i tylko po 72 godzinach zahodowli (p < 0,001). Aktywność proliferacyjna komórek śródbłonka (HUVEC) była hamowana jedynie przez dawkę 100 &#956;g/ml PAI-1 po 24, 48 i 72 godzinach hodowli. Wniosek: Inhibitor aktywatora plazminogenu typu 1 moduluje aktywność proliferacyjną komórek w mechanizmie hamowania urokinazy w stopniu ściśle zależnym od fenotypu komórek, czasu działania i dawki. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2010; 78, 4: 279-283Introduction: Plasminogen inhibitor activator type 1 (PAI-1) is an important regulator of tumor growth and metastasis formation acting directly via specific urokinase complexing or indirectly due to its affinity to vitronectin. We have shown previously that PAI-1 modifies angiogenic activity of endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner but also in close relationship to the cell phenotype. Present study aimed on evaluating the PAI-1 effect on the proliferative activity of lung cancer cells (A549), prostate cancer cells (DU145) as well as endothelial cells (HUVEC). Results: Mutated PAI-1 (1, 10, 100 &#956;g/mL) characterized by the prolonged antifibrinolytic activity (T1/2 ~ 7000 h) inhibited proliferation of lung cancer A549 cells in a dose-dependent (p < 0.001) and time-dependent (p < 0.001) manner. No significant effect on the DU145 prostate cancer cells has been observed except of the 72 h cultures with highest PAI-1 concentration (100 &#956;g/ml) (p < 0.001). Proliferative activity of endothelial cells (HUVEC) was affected by 100 &#956;g/ml PAI-1 only, and independent of the culture period (24, 48 and 72 h, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Plasminogen inhibitor activator type 1 modulates cell proliferation via antifibrynolitic mechanizm time- and dose-dependently, however final outcome is strongly affected by the cell phenotype. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2010; 78, 4: 279-28

Is the retinol-binding protein 4 a possible risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in obesity?

Although many preventive and treatment approaches have been proposed, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. Current epidemiological data require the specification of new causative factors, as well as the development of improved diagnostic tools to provide better cardiovascular management. Excessive accumulation of adipose tissue among patients suffering from obesity not only constitutes one of the main risk factors of CVD development but also alters adipokines. Increased attention is devoted to bioactive adipokines, which are also produced by the adipose tissue. The retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) has been associated with numerous CVDs and is presumably associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. With this in mind, exploring the role of RBP4, particularly among patients with obesity, could be a promising direction and could lead to better CVD prevention and management in this patient group. In our review, we summarized the current knowledge about RBP4 and its association with essential aspects of cardiovascular disease—lipid profile, intima-media thickness, atherosclerotic process, and diet. We also discussed the RBP4 gene polymorphisms essential from a cardiovascular perspective.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

System size and centrality dependence of the balance function in A+A collisions at sqrt[sNN]=17.2 GeV

Electric charge correlations were studied for p+p, C+C, Si+Si, and centrality selected Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[sNN]=17.2 GeV with the NA49 large acceptance detector at the CERN SPS. In particular, long-range pseudorapidity correlations of oppositely charged particles were measured using the balance function method. The width of the balance function decreases with increasing system size and centrality of the reactions. This decrease could be related to an increasing delay of hadronization in central Pb+Pb collisions

System size and centrality dependence of the balance function in A + A collisions at sqrt s NN = 17.2 GeV

Electric charge correlations were studied for p+p, C+C, Si+Si and centrality selected Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt s_NN = 17.2$ GeV with the NA49 large acceptance detector at the CERN-SPS. In particular, long range pseudo-rapidity correlations of oppositely charged particles were measured using the Balance Function method. The width of the Balance Function decreases with increasing system size and centrality of the reactions. This decrease could be related to an increasing delay of hadronization in central Pb+Pb collisions