Fibulin-1 is associated with cardiovascular risk in non-obese, non-diabetic individuals

Background. Fibulin-1 (FBLN1) is an extracellular matrix protein that appears in blood vessels. Recentstudies have confirmed its role in atherogenesis, vascular complications and cardiovascular disease inchronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association betweenserum fibulin-1 and biochemical indicators of cardiovascular risk: lipid profile, apolipoproteins B, AI, vitamin25(OH)D and high sensitivity troponin T (hs-cTnT) in non-diabetic subjects.Materials and methods. The study consisted of 120 normoglycaemic, non-smoking, non-obese Caucasiansubjects aged 25–40 (66 women and 54 men). Serum FBLN1 and plasma fasting glucose, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, insulin, glycated haemoglobin, apolipoproteins B100 and AI, total 25(OH)D, and hs-cTnT measurements were performed. Anthropometric parameters, HOMA-IR and atherogenic index (apoB:apoAI) were calculated. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured using an ultrasoundmethod. Subjects were divided by FBLN1 tertiles.Results. FBLN1 was significantly higher in women than in men (1.06 vs. 0.96; p < 0.05). FBLN1 positively correlated,when adjusted for age, BMI and blood pressure, with lipid profile, atherogenic index, apolipoprotein B (R = 0.28;p < 0.016), and hs-cTnT (R=0.39; p < 0.003) and negatively with 25(OH)D. ApoB and hscTnT were significantly associatedwith fibulin-1 concentration and, together with 25(OH)D, explained 19% of its variation. FBLN1 ≥1.0 ng/mLpredicted atherogenic risk with OR = 3.11 and 4.26 for having elevated apolipoprotein B and hs-TnT.Conclusions. Fibulin-1 might be a promissing risk factor for cardiovascular risk in young, non-obese,non-diabetic individuals, but this requires further investigation.Background. Fibulin-1 (FBLN1) is an extracellular matrix protein that appears in blood vessels. Recentstudies have confirmed its role in atherogenesis, vascular complications and cardiovascular disease inchronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association betweenserum fibulin-1 and biochemical indicators of cardiovascular risk: lipid profile, apolipoproteins B, AI, vitamin25(OH)D and high sensitivity troponin T (hs-cTnT) in non-diabetic subjects.Materials and methods. The study consisted of 120 normoglycaemic, non-smoking, non-obese Caucasiansubjects aged 25–40 (66 women and 54 men). Serum FBLN1 and plasma fasting glucose, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, insulin, glycated haemoglobin, apolipoproteins B100 and AI, total 25(OH)D, andhs-cTnT measurements were performed. Anthropometric parameters, HOMA-IR and atherogenic index (apoB:apoAI) were calculated. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured using an ultrasoundmethod. Subjects were divided by FBLN1 tertiles.Results. FBLN1 was significantly higher in women than in men (1.06 vs. 0.96; p < 0.05). FBLN1 positively correlated,when adjusted for age, BMI and blood pressure, with lipid profile, atherogenic index, apolipoprotein B (R = 0.28;p < 0.016), and hs-cTnT (R=0.39; p < 0.003) and negatively with 25(OH)D. ApoB and hscTnT were significantly associatedwith fibulin-1 concentration and, together with 25(OH)D, explained 19% of its variation. FBLN1 ≥1.0 ng/mLpredicted atherogenic risk with OR = 3.11 and 4.26 for having elevated apolipoprotein B and hs-TnT.Conclusions. Fibulin-1 might be a promissing risk factor for cardiovascular risk in young, non-obese,non-diabetic individuals, but this requires further investigation

Biomarkers of bone cell activity in children and adolescents with newly diagnosed, untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Introduction. Controversial data on disturbances in mineral homeostasis and bone mass were reported in children with diagnosed untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Early detection of bone metabolism abnormalities is important for monitoring the effect of therapy on the skeleton. The purpose of this study was to evaluate bone metabolism in children and adolescents with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia by assessing biomarkers of bone cell activity. Materials and methods. Propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP) and osteocalcin (OC) as bone formation markers and C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX) and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP 5b) as resorption markers were determined in 22 Caucasian children and adolescents (12 boys 4–21 years, 10 girls 4–16 years) with newly diagnosed, untreated ALL and in 22 age- and gender-matched controls. Results. Bone formation, in particular, and bone resorption were significantly reduced in ALL children and adolescents compared with controls (Me P1NP 51.9 vs. 433.4 μg/L and OC 16.1 vs. 80.5 μg/L; p < 0.0001; Me CTX 0.454 vs. 1.225 μg/L and TRAP 5b 2.8 vs. 5.6 U/L; p < 0.001). P1NP positively correlated with OC (r = 0.56; p = 0.01) and CTX correlated with TRAP 5b (r = 0.54; p = 0.02) in children and adolescents with ALL. Median P1NP and OC concentrations in ALL children (4–9 years) were dramatically reduced compared with the healthy ones (10-fold and 9-fold respectively), whereas in adolescents with ALL (10–21 years) both bone formation markers were reduced in a lesser degree in comparison with the healthy adolescents. Conclusions. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia influences bone metabolism which is strongly related to the age of onset. More significant disturbances in bone turnover, particularly in bone formation (suppression of collagen synthesis), are observed in children with untreated ALL in comparison with adolescents with ALL.

Лексика современной женской прессы и стереотип пола

The text analyzes vocabulary that is used in modern Russian-languagemagazines for women with regard to women’s stereotypical communicative behaviors. The author examines the use of specialized and abstract vocabulary as well as popular words, loanwords, neologisms, archaisms and phraseological expressions.The text analyzes vocabulary that is used in modern Russian-languagemagazines for women with regard to women’s stereotypical communicative behaviors. The author examines the use of specialized and abstract vocabulary as well as popular words, loanwords, neologisms, archaisms and phraseological expressions

Linguistic and non-linguistic means of creating the image of a woman in Russian-speaking magazines

In her article the authoress mentions various means of creating the image of the female gender in contemporary Russian-speaking magazines. She advances the thesis that the image is created through making value judgments on given traits, attitudes and behavior which women are encouraged to display (or discouraged from displaying). The function of making value judgments is related to the choice and hierarchy of conveyed contents (including advertised contents), the choice of photos shown and, most important, the linguistic means used. The analysis of linguistic indicators of making value judgments is illustrated with exhaustive factual material.Udostępnienie publikacji Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego finansowane w ramach projektu „Doskonałość naukowa kluczem do doskonałości kształcenia”. Projekt realizowany jest ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Społecznego w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój; nr umowy: POWER.03.05.00-00-Z092/17-00

Initiation of in vitro cultures and micropropagation of sida (Sida hermaphrodita R.)

Ślazowiec pensylwański (Sida hermaphrodita R.) może być rozmnażany generatywnie, jak również wegetatywnie przez sadzonki z odcinków korzeni, sadzonki zielne otrzymywane z pędów nadziemnych oraz przez podział podziemnej części na mniejsze fragmenty. Problem jednak stanowi niska zdolność kiełkowania nasion spowodowana twardością okrywy. Z tego powodu zdolność wschodów nawet w sprzyjających warunkach nie przekracza 30–40%. Niedoskonałość tradycyjnych metod rozmnażania ślazowca, wysoka cena dobrych jakościowo nasion, a także wzrost zainteresowania uprawą ślazowca na cele bioenergetyczne i przemysłowe były przyczyną podjęcia badań nad mikropropagacją tej rośliny w kulturach in vitro. Badania wykazały, że współczynnik rozmnażania dla eksplantatów bocznych jak i wierzchołkowych ma wyższą wartość, przy wykorzystaniu pożywki Murashige i Skoog (MS) zawierającą 30 g/l sacharozy oraz 0,01 mg/l BAP (regulator wzrostu) w porównaniu z tą samą pożywką o stężeniu 0,02 mg/l BAP i wynosił odpowiednio: 5,25 oraz 6,05. Zastosowanie powyższej pożywki zapewniło wysoki odsetek (97%) ukorzenionych, gotowych do aklimatyzacji eksplantatów.Sida (Sida hermaphrodita R.) can be propagated by both generative and vegetative methods by seedlings obtained from root sections, from above ground shoots and from underground part of the plant fragmented into smaller pieces. The problem in generative propagation is low germination rate of seeds caused by hard shell. This causes germination rate in favourable condition to reach only 30– 40%. Imperfection of traditional propagation methods of sida, high price of good quality seeds and growing interest in cultivation of the crop for energy and industrial raw materials caused numerous attempts to propagate the plant by in vitro regeneration cultures. The studies on initiation of micro propagation showed that multiplication factor on MS medium, containing 30 g/l sucrose and 0.01 mg/l BAP was 6.05 for apical explants and for lateral explants 5.25 on the same medium. The MS medium provided a high ratio (97%) of rooted explants ready for acclimatization

Chosen Vascular Risk Markers in Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome: An Age-Related Disorder

Purpose. To evaluate lipids and C-reactive protein serum levels in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) in the Polish population. Methods. 96 patients were studied with PEX and 79 control subjects. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and CRP serum levels, and TG/HDL-C and TC/HDL-C indexes were assessed. Results. There were no significant differences in concentration of lipids and values of TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, and non-HDL-C between PEX and control groups. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein was not increased in patients with PEX. Conclusions. Our results cast doubt on the opinion on the possible PEX and vascular diseases relation. Further studies on this subject are mandatory

Use of anther culture to improve flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) resistance to Fusarium wilt

Jedną z najpoważniejszych chorób występujących na plantacjach lnu włóknistego jest fuzarioza wywoływana przez grzyb z rodzaju Fusarium. Przy silnym stopniu porażenia uprawy lnu przez fuzariozę plon słomy może obniżyć się do 60%, nasion do 80%. W kulturach pylnikowych włóknistego (Linum ustatissimum L.) otrzymano regeneranty, u których przeprowadzono obserwacje dziedziczenia odporności na fuzariozę w pokoleniach R2–R4. W tym celu założono wazonowe i polowe doświadczenia prowokacyjne. Jako inokulum infekcyjne użyto następujące gatunki grzybów: Fusarium oxysporum f.lini, Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium gibbosum, Fusarium sambucinum i Fusarium poa. Dla odmiany Alba, średnio wrażliwej na fuzariozę, otrzymano linie regenerantów odpornych na tę chorobę. Najlepszą okazała się linia regeneranta Alba 1000, u której obliczono 88 % roślin zdrowych w wazonowym doświadczeniu prowokacyjnym, natomiast w testach polowych zawsze uzyskiwała ocenę 9, ponieważ na poletku występowały tylko rośliny zdrowe.One of the most serious diseases found on flax plantations is fusariosis caused by a fungi from Fusarium genus. A strong contamination of flax crops may reduce the straw yield to 60% and seeds yield to 80%. Anther cultures of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) allowed obtaining regenerated plants, in which the inheritance of resistance to Fusarium was observed in R2–R4 generations. The provocative flowerpot and field experiments were conducted for this purpose. The following fungi species were used as infectious inoculum: Fusarium oxysporum f.lini, Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium gibbosum, Fusarium sambucinum and Fusarium poa. For an Alba variety, which was moderately susceptible, there were resistant lines of regenerated plants obtained. A line Alba 1000 turned out to be the best one as there was 88% of healthy plants in the provocative flowerpot experiment. The line got 9 score in the field experiments, because the plants were always healthy

Content of cannabinoids in clonally propagated industrial hemp

Cannabis sativa L. is an extremely variable species. Even within the same cultivar plants can significantly differ in the content and profile of cannabinoids. Therefore, the best method for production of uniform plants and standardized raw material is vegetative propagation using clones. The aim of this study was to determine the content of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabinol (CBN) in clonally propagated plants of industrial hemp. One hundred and thirty-nine plants representing 17 different hemp genotypes were regenerated in vitro, hardened, and grown in a vegetation hall until harvest. Single plants of each accession were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with UV/diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD/UV). The results revealed significant variability in the total cannabinoid content (0.55–5.18% in dry weight) among tested genotypes and within the Epsilon 68 cultivar. The highest content of total CBD (4.410%) was recorded for EPS/40 genotype, while the level of total Δ9-THC was below the allowed threshold (0.3%). Therefore, we can conclude that some clonally propagated plants provided reproducible hemp material as a potential source of cannabidiol. The results of this study will be useful for breeding and early selection of hemp genotypes