Preliminary evaluation of central nervous system activity of (E)-N-2-methyl-3-phenylprop-2-enyl ((E)-N- α-methylcinnamyl) derivatives of selected aminoalkanols

A series of (E)-α-methylcinnamyl derivatives of selected aminoalkanols was synthetized and evaluated for activity in central nervous system. All compounds were tested as anticonvulsants and one additionally in antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like assays. The compounds possessed pharmacophoric elements regarded as beneficial for anticonvulsant activity: hydrophobic unit and two hydrogen bonds donor/acceptor features. The compounds were verified in mice after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration in maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentetrazole (scPTZ) induced seizures as well as neurotoxicity assessments. Eight of the tested substances showed protection in MES test at the dose of 100 mg/kg. The derivative of 2 aminopropan-1-ol was also tested in 6-Hz test in mice i.p. and showed anticonvulsant activity but at the same time the neurotoxicity was noted. The derivative of 2-amino-1-phenylethanol which possessed additional hydrophobic unit in aminoalkanol moiety was tested in other in vivo assays to evaluate antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like activity. The compound proved beneficial properties especially as anxiolytic agent remaining active in four-plate test in mice at the dose of 2.5 mg/kg (i.p.). In vitro biotransformation studies of 2-amino-1-phenylethanol derivative carried out in mouse liver microsomal assay indicated two main metabolites as a result of aliphatic and aromatic hydroxylation or aliphatic carbonylation. To identify possible mechanism of action, we evaluated serotonin receptors (5-HT1A, 5-HT6 and 5-HT7) binding affinities of the compounds but none of them proved to bind to any of tested receptors

Differences in treatment outcomes in selected cancers in Poland compared to other European countries in 2005–2009, based on CONCORD 2 study

Wstęp. Wskaźniki 5-letnich przeżyć populacyjnych obrazują poziom wyleczalności nowotworów złośliwych w populacji, a zatem są jednym z najważniejszych narzędzi do oceny efektywności walki z rakiem. Dzięki ujednoliconej metodologii ogólnoświatowego badania CONCORD 2 wskaźniki obliczone dla Polski można było porównać z innymi krajami Europy. Celem opracowania była ocena wyleczalności chorych na wybrane nowotwory w Polsce oraz w niektórych województwach na tle krajów europejskich. Materiał i metody. W analizach własnych wykorzystano wyniki badania CONCORD 2 obliczone na podstawie danych zgromadzonych przez populacyjne rejestry nowotworów chorych, u których rozpoznano nowotwór złośliwy w latach 2005–2009 i obserwowanych do końca 2009 roku. Z wyników wyodrębniono dane dotyczące Polski udostępnione dla celów CONCORD 2 przez Krajowy Rejestr Nowotworów oraz Wojewódzkie Biura Rejestracji Nowotworów w województwach: dolnośląskim, podkarpackim, świętokrzyskim i wielkopolskim. Wskaźniki 5-letnich przeżyć obliczono metodą estymacji Pohar Perme net survival. Wyniki. W Polsce u chorych na raka gruczołu krokowego (74%), piersi (74%), szyjki macicy (53%), okrężnicy (50%), odbytnicy (47%), jajnika (34%) i żołądka (19%) wskaźniki 5-letnich przeżyć należały do najniższych w Europie. Natomiast u chorych na białaczki (49%) i raka płuca (13%) przeżycia były na poziomie przeciętnych w Europie. Analiza według województw wykazała zróżnicowanie regionalne. Największe różnice dotyczyły białaczek w województwach dolnośląskim i świętokrzyskim (14%), raka gruczołu krokowego w wielkopolskim i świętokrzyskim (10%) oraz raka piersi w wielkopolskim i podkarpackim (6%), co wskazuje na zróżnicowanie w standardach profilaktyki i leczenia. Wnioski. Badanie wykazało zróżnicowanie wskaźnika 5-letnich przeżyć w Europie na niekorzyść Polski. W nowotworach dobrze rokujących takich jak: rak gruczołu krokowego, piersi, okrężnicy i odbytnicy wskaźniki należały do najniższych w Europie, natomiast u chorych na raka płuca oraz białaczki były na poziomie przeciętnych w Europie.  Background. The 5-year net survival rates show the outcomes of cancer treatment in population, therefore, they are one of the most important measures used to evaluate the effectiveness of cancer treatment. The standardized methodology in CONCORD 2 study of global cancer survival allows to compare the net survival in Poland with other European countries. The aim of this article was to assess the treatment in selected cancers in Poland and selected Polish voivodships in comparison to other European countries. Methods. In our analyses the CONCORD 2 results, based on the data from population-based Cancer Registries for patients diagnosed: 2005–2009 and followed up to 2009, were used. The results regarding Poland included the data previously provided by the National Cancer Registry and four Regional Cancer Registries: Greater Poland, Świętokrzyskie, Lower Silesia and Podkarpackie. The Pohar Perme’s method called net survival was used to calculate the 5-year survival. Results. The 5-year net survival in Poland was the lowest in Europe for patients diagnosed with prostate (74%), breast (74%), colon (50%), rectum (47%), stomach (19%), ovary (34%), cervical (53%) cancers. However, the survival for patients diagnosed with leukemias (49%) and lung cancer (13%) was on the average European level. The analysis of voivodships’ data proved the differences in the regions. The highest differences were for patients with leukemias in Lower Silesia and Świętokrzyskie (14%), prostate cancer in Greater Poland and Świętokrzyskie (10%), breast cancer in Greater Poland and Podkarpackie (6%), which showed differences in prevention and treatment standards. Conclusions. The study showed the differences in 5-year net survival rates in Europe, which were unfavourable for Poland. Cancers that have good prognosis such as: prostate, breast, colon and rectum had the lowest survival rates in Europe, however, patients with lung cancer and leukemias were on the average European level.

Statistics related to severe diving injuries among polish divers in the period Between 2003-2014

Przegląd danych z literatury pokazuje, że wypadki nurkowe najczęściej spowodowane są przez niewłaściwe zachowanie ofiar lub innych nurków w powodu braku doświadczenia, bezmyślności lub ignorancji. Poza statystykami DAN USA i British Sub-Aqua Club trudno jest dotrzeć do innych statystyk prowadzonych przez organizacje nurkowe. Analiza wypadków nurkowych dla każdego nurka jest pouczająca i daje dużo do myślenia. Rozważnym pozwala przewidywać błędy lub ich unikać. W polskiej literaturze niewiele jest publikacji poświęconych analizie wypadków rodzimych nurków. Poniżej przedstawiono analizę wypadków nurkowych w oparciu o kontrowersyjne źródło, społecznościową stronę internetową polskich nurków „Forum Nuras”. Na www.forum-nuras.com w zakładce „Wypadki nurkowe” w latach 2003-2014 przez uczestników forum zostało zgłoszonych 225 tematów dotyczących wypadków nurkowych. Z powyższej liczby wybrano 99 tematów (44%) dotyczących tylko polskich nurków i zgłoszeń tylko poważnych wypadków nurkowych, na skutek których doszło do zachorowania na chorobę dekompresyjną, urazu ciśnieniowego płuc lub śmierci nurka. Przeanalizowano liczbę zarejestrowanych wypadków w poszczególnych latach i ich wynik końcowy. Zestawiono miejsca zaistniałych wypadków: nurkowanie w jeziorach i morzach, wypadki w Polsce i poza naszym krajem. Zwrócono uwagę na możliwe przyczyny, które doprowadziły do niepomyślnego przebiegu i zakończenia nurkowania. W opisanych na forum 99 wypadkach nurkowych niekorzystne następstwa nurkowania dotyczyły 113 osób. Wśród nich było 6 (5,3%) przypadków urazu ciśnieniowego płuc, 28 (24,7%) przypadków choroby dekompresyjnej i aż 79 (70,0%) przypadków zgonu nurka.A review of the data collected from the available literature indicates that diving accidents are most commonly related to an improper behaviour of the victims, or other divers involved in the incident, as a result of either their lack of experience, recklessness or ignorance. Apart from the statistical data of DAN USA and the British Sub-Aqua Club it is difficult to obtain data collected by diving organisations. An analysis of diving accidents is instructive and provides a lot to consider for divers. Moreover, it may teach them to anticipate mistakes or even to avoid them. Polish publications devoted to an analysis of diving accidents are scarce. The analysis presented below was based on a controversial source, a socialnetworking website of Polish divers – the "Nuras" Forum. The website www.forum-nuras.com provides a tag marked as "Diving accidents" where the forum participants initiated 225 topics related to diving accidents that took place in the period between 2003-2014. From the above list 99 topics (44%) were selected, which were concerned only with Polish divers and encompassed only severe diving accidents resulting in the occurrence of decompression sickness, pulmonary barotrauma or in the divers' death. The analysis was concerned with estimating the number of recorded accidents in particular years and presenting the end result. Moreover, it provided a classification of places of accident occurrence: diving in lakes and seas, accidents in Poland and outside the country. Also, the work considered the potential causes leading to the unfavourable course of the fateful dives. The 99 diving accidents reported in the forum affected 113 people. Six of the cases among them (5.3%) involved pulmonary barotrauma, 28 (24.7%) decompression sickness and as many as 79 (70.0%) - the divers' deaths

How The Polish Hyperbaric Medicine and Technology Society Arose

W artykule przedstawiono kulisy powstania Polskiego Towarzystwa Medycyny i Techniki Hiperbarycznej oraz działalność pierwszego Zarządu w latach 1998 - 2001.In the paper depicted the Polish Hyperbaric Medicine and Technology Society arising backdrop and it's activity during the first Management tenure in 1998-200

The temperature - and stress fields of valves of IC engine

The paper concerns building up one exhaust valve of composite-steel and two intake ceramics-steel valves of a hypothetical adiabatic engine. The input temperatures were computed using three diverse FORTRAN95 programs, solving a shortened optical integral equation with radiative transfer, transient differential equation while starting and switching off the engine and a rod like diff. Equation with 'progonka' (Thomas) solution. The ANSYS11 programme was fed up with the output of the programs. It turns out that, generally, a mineralogical, crystal-chemical approach to the joining of materials results in stresses known from the common metal engines. Such problems as CTE enhancing (partly hypothetical) by means of doping the anionic compounds by cationic ones, swelling of structures, compressibility versus coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) , compatibility of crystal motifs while joining, thermal shock resistance, switching the bonds, mechanical longevity, radiation protection etc were addressed. It turns out that true nature of the temperature and stress field, especially of the exhaust valve is closer to the FORTRAN temperature computation than, e.g. From the heat film coefficients (ANSYS11)

The temperature and stress field of the ceramic-capped cylinder head of the hypothetical adiabatic diesel engine

Four of five models of the ceramic-slab-capped cast-iron cylinder head for a prospective adiabatic engine were numerically investigated. The models were designed using several crystallochemical-mineralogical considerations. The outcome of some short radiation and convection Fortran95 programmes became the input data for the FEM programme of temperatures and stresses. It turns out, that in general the material that cannot withstand will hardly be ceramics, but the cast iron. Thence, the latter should be replaced, plated or the ceramics should cover it at the injection jet. The temperatures and stresses were analysed with and without an interlayer. Two models, with feldspars and Ti6Al4V or Pt30Au70, were quite promising, the first one being surely at once applicable even without interlayer i.e. according to FEM. The stresses in the models with YSZ, cerium disilicide and/or pyroxene, in spite of the crystallochemical hattrics deemed successful, betoken spallation of the YSZ. The problems of emissivity were addressed as well. There exists a blank range of temperature where neither radiation-related algorithm nor the common conductivity one can perform well. The surface of the head under hood appears 'quite cold', except the exhaust pipe, the TBC solution of which is left in abeyance in this paper. Adiabatic engines using ceramic as the material for the combustion camber walls were developed for the reduction of cooling loss and the in crease of exhaust energies

The recognition of partially occluded objects with support vector machines, convolutional neural networks and deep belief networks

Biologically inspired artificial neural networks have been widely used for machine learning tasks such as object recognition. Deep architectures, such as the Convolutional Neural Network, and the Deep Belief Network have recently been implemented successfully for object recognition tasks. We conduct experiments to test the hypothesis that certain primarily generative models such as the Deep Belief Network should perform better on the occluded object recognition task than purely discriminative models such as Convolutional Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines. When the generative models are run in a partially discriminative manner, the data does not support the hypothesis. It is also found that the implementation of Gaussian visible units in a Deep Belief Network trained on occluded image data allows it to also learn to effectively classify non-occluded images