ACE I/D genotype in professional field hockey players

Introduction. Numerous studies have focused on the association between I/D ACE and physical fitness; however, this association in professional hockey players has never been recognized. Aim of the Study. The study examined the distribution of Alu insertion (I)/deletion (D) angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) genotypes in elite male professional field hockey players. Material and Methods. The effect of Alu insertion (I)/deletion (D) angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) genotypes on motor skills and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in 47 elite male field hockey players was studied. Genotyping for ACE I/D was performed using a polymerase chain reaction on DNA from leucocytes. The studied motor skills such as speed – 20 m run, power – vertical jump, recovery – step-test, speed endurance (15 x 20 m) shuttle run, were established using functional tests. The VO2max was measured during progressive exercise test till exhaustion. Results. The authors do not confirm some literature data that D allele favours endurance ability. We did not detect significant genotype effects of ACE on the analyzed traits; however a tendency for decreased performance of individuals with the DD genotype was noted for vertical jump, power peak and power. Conclusions. Analysis of the genetic profile of ACE I/D may provide supplemetary information on a player’s predispositions to exercise with specific energy requirements

Nanolayers of Poly(N,N’-Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate) with a Star Topology and Their Antibacterial Activity

In this paper, we focus on the synthesis and characterization of novel stable nanolayers made of star methacrylate polymers. The e ect of nanolayer modification on its antibacterial properties was also studied. A covalent immobilization of star poly(N,N0-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) to benzophenone functionalized glass or silicon supports was carried out via a “grafting to” approach using UV irradiation. To date, star polymer UV immobilization has never been used for this purpose. The thickness of the resulting nanolayers increased from 30 to 120 nm with the molar mass of the immobilized stars. The successful bonding of star PDMAEMA to the supports was confirmed by surface sensitive quantitative spectroscopic methods. Next, amino groups in the polymer layer were quaternized with bromoethane, and the influence of this modification on the antibacterial properties of the obtained materials was analyzed using a selected reference strain of bacteria. The resulting star nanolayer surfaces exhibited higher antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 compared to that of the linear PDMAEMA analogues grafted onto a support. These promising results and the knowledge about the influence of the topology and modification of PDMAEMA layers on their properties may help in searching for new materials for antimicrobial applications in medicine

Genetic and non-genetic determinants of aggression in combat sports

Human aggression/impulsivity-related traits are influenced by complex genetic and non-genetic factors. The aggression/anxiety relationship is controlled by highly conserved brain regions including the amygdala, hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray of the midbrain, which is responsible for neural circuits triggering defensive, aggressive, or avoidant behavioral models. The social behavior network consists of the medial amygdala, medial hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray, and it positively modulates reactive aggression. An important role in the incidence of aggressive behavior is played by secreted factors such as testosterone, glucocorticoids, pheromones, as well as by expression of genes such as neuroligin-2, monoamine oxidase A, serotonin transporters, etc. The authors deliberate whether aggression in sport is advantageous (or even indispensable), or to what extent it can hamper attainment of sport success. Methods of reducing and inhibiting expression of aggression in athletes are indicated

Forein policy of Russia to Poland after 2004.

The relations with Russia are crucial for Polish foreign policy. The issue of the Polish – Russian problems is definitely real, and not only does it refer to historical, but also to strategic matters.The present thesis discusses the Polish – Russian problems in regard to difficult matters, as those are the issues that have always determined the scope of our mutual relationships.The present thesis has been divided into three chapters. The first chapter presents a short historical outline of the Polish and the Soviet Union relations after the Second World War , and further the Polish and Russian Federation relations.The second chapter constitutes a supplement to the former part of the thesis and depicts Polish – Russian relations after the accession of Poland to the European Union; the forming of mutual economic relations, as well as their influence on the mutual policy. The third chapter presents a detailed analysis of the Polish contribution to the eastern European Union’s policy, emphasizing the Eastern Partnership.The purpose of this thesis was to present the mutual relations of both countries, as well as to investigate if, and to what extent, the Polish policy, pursued after the year 2004, influences the relations with Russian Federation. Since the decline of the Soviet Union, a lot of Polish - Russian issues were solved, but it must be emphasized that there are still a lot of matters to be solved in the future. Such matters, beside the dispute over the form of Eastern Europe, concern the dispute over the interpretation of the history and the issues of electrical energy security.Dla Polskiej polityki zagranicznej relacje z Rosją mają kluczowe znaczenie. Istota rosyjsko-polskich problemów ma charakter jak najbardziej rzeczywisty i odnosi się nie tylko do kwestii historycznych ale też do strategicznych. W niniejszej pracy stosunki rosyjsko-polskie zostały ukazane przez pryzmat kwestii trudnych, bowiem to właśnie sprawy sporne stanowiły i nadal stanowią najważniejsze obszary naszych wzajemnych relacji.Praca podzielona została na trzy rozdziały. W pierwszym został przedstawiony krótki zarys historyczny stosunków pomiędzy Polską a Związkiem Radzieckim po II wojnie światowej, a nastepnie POlski z Federacją Rosyjską.Rozdział drugi jest uzupełnieniem poprzedniej części pracy. Został on poświęcony na przedstawienie stosunków rosyjsko-polskich już po akcesji Polski do Unii Europejskiej oraz jak kształtowały się wzajemne relacje gospodarcze i jaki wpływ relacje te miały na wzajemną politykę.Rozdział trzeci stanowi szczegółową analizę jaki wkład do polityki wschodniej Unii Europejskiej wnosi Polska, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem Partnerstwa Wschodniego.Celem mojej pracy było ukazanie wzajemnych relacji obu państw, a także zbadanie, czy a jeśli tak to w jakim stopniu prowadzona przez Polskę polityka wschodnia po 2004 roku wpływa na relację z Federacją Rosyjską. Od upadku ZSRR wiele udało się w stosunkach dwustronnych wyjaśnić, nie można jednak zapominać, iż wiele kwestii trudnych nadal czeka na wyjaśnienie. A takimi sprawami obok sporu co do kształtu Europy Wschodniej pozostają spór o interpretację historii oraz spraw bezpieczeństwa energetycznego

Genetic variants of uncoupling proteins-2 and -3 in relation to maximal oxygen uptake in different sports

Uncoupling proteins 2 and 3 (UCP2 and UCP3) as mitochondrial electron transporters are involved in regulation of ATP production and energy dissipation as heat. Energy efficiency plays an important role in physical performance, especially in aerobic fitness. The aim of this study was to examine the association between maximal oxygen uptake and genetic variants of the UCP2 and UCP3 genes. The studies were carried out in a group of 154 men and 85 women, professional athletes representing various sports and fitness levels and students of the University of Physical Education in Poznań. Physiological and molecular procedures were used, i.e. direct measurement of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and analysis of an insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the 3'untranslated region of exon 8 of the UCP2 gene and a C>T substitution in exon 5 (Y210Y) of the UCP3 gene. No statistically significant associations were found, only certain trends. Insertion allele (I) of the I/D UCP2 and the T allele of the UCP3 gene were favourable in obtaining higher VO2max level and might be considered as endurance-related alleles