Changes of Land Use and Spatial Policy in Lodz Metropolitan Area

The dynamics of suburbanisation in Poland increased dramatically in the period of socio-economic transformation of the country, which began officially in 1989. This process is particularly visible in suburban zones of the biggest Polish cities, manifesting itself in the change of land use pattern, especially in a metamorphosis of the agricultural land. Legal regulations that were not enough adjusted to the spontaneous development of cities often allowed functional conflicts to appear. The objective of the article is the analysis of those problems in Lodz Metropolitan Area and in its neighbouring municipalities. The change in land use structure in 2000-2012 as well as the provisions in planning documents in force were taken under consideration. In order to identify the areas where conflicting phenomena may appear, planned land use forms along all municipal borders were analysed. The final stage of the research procedure was the assessing the degree of local spatial policies compliance and, basing on those analyses, formulating recommendations for future spatial policy in Lodz Metropolitan Are

Application of Timber and Wood-based Materials in Architectural Design using Multi-objective Optimisation Tools

Digital fabrication leads architects and structural engineers to modify the design optimisation methodology. The designers, as never before, are facing new technologies developed in the search for new materials based, among others, on wood components and the improvement of manufacturing methods at the same time. In this process, the material and manufacturing technology adjustment to desired aesthetic outcomes is possible not only by the material used but also by the self-organisation of the structure's optimisation. New fabrication techniques linked with topology optimising software change traditional load-bearing systems designing using timber and wood-based materials. Multi-objective optimisation research indicates that timber might be a comprehensive material based on various applications from low-tech to cutting-edge contemporary fabrication technologies. The article presents new tools and methods for the optimisation of structural elements. A case study based on interdisciplinary architectural and structural optimisation suggests the possible effective research-based design. Comparing contemporary buildings with wood load-bearing structures explains timber usage's diversity and characteristics in modern design

The use of contraception for patients after bariatric surgery

Obesity in women of reproductive age is a serious concern regarding reproductive health. In many cases of infertility in obese women, reduction of body weight may lead to spontaneous pregnancy, without the need for more specific methods of treatment. Bariatric surgery is safe and is the most effective method for body weight reduction in obese and very obese patients. In practice there are two bariatric techniques; gastric banding, which leads to weight loss through intake restriction, and gastric bypass, leads to weight loss through food malabsorption. Gastric bypass surgery (the more frequently performed procedure), in most cases, leads to changes in eating habits and may result in vomiting, diarrhea and rapid body mass reduction. There are reliable data describing the continuous increase in the number of women who are trying to conceive, or are already pregnant, following bariatric surgery. Most medical specialists advise women to avoid pregnancy within 12–18 months after bariatric surgery. This allows for time to recover sufficiency from the decreased absorption of nutrients caused by the bariatric surgery. During this period there is a need for the use of reliable contraception. As there is a risk for malabsorption of hormones taken orally, the combined and progestogen-only pills are contraindicated, and displaced by non-oral hormonal contraception or non-hormonal methods, including intrauterine devices and condoms

Chemerin and the recruitment of NK cells to diseased skin

Natural killer (NK) cells play a major role in the initial control of many viral pathogens and in the rejection of tumors. Consistent with their roles as immune sentinels, NK cells are found in inflamed skin, including lichen planus, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) lesions. In oral lichen planus lesions, the recruitment as well as intradermal colocalization of NK cells and pDC (plasmacytoid dendritic cells) appear to be mediated by chemerin, a recently identified protein ligand for chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1), a chemoattractant receptor expressed by both cell types. Dendritic cells can regulate NK cell activity, and NK cells can regulate DC-mediated responses. Since chemerin was recently implicated in recruitment of pDC to psoriatic skin, in this work we determined whether chemerin facilitates interactions between NK and pDC in psoriatic plaques through controlling influx of NK cells to diseased skin. We demonstrate that circulating NK cells from normal donors as well as psoriasis and AD patients respond similarly in functional migration assays to chemerin. However, differences in the distribution of NK cells and pDC in skin lesions suggest that recruitment of both NK cells and pDC is unlikely to be controlled solely by chemerin

1,4-disubstituted thiosemicarbazide derivatives are potent inhibitors of toxoplasma gondii proliferation.

A series of 4-arylthiosemicarbazides substituted at the N1 position with a 5-membered heteroaryl ring was synthesized and evaluated in vitro for T. gondii inhibition proliferation and host cell cytotoxicity. At non-toxic concentrations for the host cells all studied compounds displayed excellent anti-parasitic effects when compared to sulfadiazine, indicating a high selectivity of their anti-T. gondii activity. The differences in bioactivity investigated by DFT calculations suggest that the inhibitory activity of 4-arylthiosemicarbazides towards T. gondii proliferation is connected with the electronic structure of the molecule. Further, these compounds were tested as potential antibacterial agents. No growth-inhibiting effect on any of the test microorganisms was observed for all the compounds, even at high concentrations

The cytotoxic effect of copper (II) complexes with halogenated 1,3-disubstituted arylthioureas on cancer and bacterial cells

A series of eight copper (II) complexes with 3-(4-chloro-3-nitrophenyl)thiourea were designed and synthesized. The cytotoxic activity of all compounds was assessed in three human cancer cell lines (SW480, SW620, PC3) and human normal keratinocytes (HaCaT). The complexes 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 were cytotoxic to the studied tumor cells in the low micromolar range, without affecting the normal cells. The complexes 1, 3, 7 and 8 induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in all cancer cell lines, but not in the HaCaT cells. They provoked early apoptosis in pathological cells, especially in SW480 and PC3 cells. The ability of compounds 1, 3, 7 and 8 to diminish interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration in a cell was established. For the first time, the influence of the most promising Cu (II) complexes on intensities of detoxifying and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging the enzymes of tumor cells was studied. The cytotoxic effect of all copper (II) conjugates against standard and hospital bacterial strains was also proved

Antistaphylococcal Activity of Selected Thiourea Derivatives

Five of thiourea derivatives were prepared using as a starting compound 3-(trifluoromethyl)aniline, 4-chloro-3-nitroaniline, 1,3-thiazol-2-amine, 2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-amine and commercial isothiocyanates. All compounds were evaluated in vitro for antimicrobial activity. Derivatives 2 and 3 showed the highest inhibition against Gram-positive cocci (standard and hospital strains). The observed MIC values were in the range of 0.5–8 μg/ml. The products effectively inhibited the formation of biofilms of methicillin-resistant and standard strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis. Inhibitory activity of thioureas 2 and 3 against Staphylococcus aureus topoisomerase IV was studied. The examined compounds were nongenotoxic

Current dietary recommendations for patients with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is classified as metabolic and multisystem disease with autosomal recessive inheritance caused by mutations in the gene located on chromosome 7 encoding cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. CFTR is a transmembrane chloride channel of epithelial cells and affects the activity of the mucous membrane of the sweat glands, airway epithelium, pancreatic ducts, vas deferens, bile ducts and intestines. In CF, increased concentration of chlorides in the sweat, pancreatic insufficiency and impaired absorption are observed as well as changes in the respiratory system related to, among others, impaired airway patency, weakening of the mucociliary clearance mechanism and the development of bacterial infections. CF is a chronic condition requiring comprehensive therapy. Nutritional treatment is an essential element of CF therapy. Malnutrition is a common complication in patient with CF and eating disorders. The majority of patients with CF have higher energy, protein and fat needs. In addition, supplementation with enzyme preparations, vitamins, sodium chloride, as well as the use of high-energy nutrients is recommended. The aim of the study was to evaluate current nutritional recommendations of patients with CF

Biological evaluation of 10-(diphenylmethylene)-4-azatricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]dec-8-ene-3,5-dione derivatives

AbstractAntibacterial and antifungal activity of 10-(diphenylmethylene)-4-azatricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]dec-8-ene-3,5-dione derivatives were examined by the disc-diffusion method (growth inhibition zone diameter in agar medium). The MIC's for the most active agents were determined. Title compounds were also evaluated in vitro against representatives of different virus classes. Most of the tested compounds exhibit activity against CVB-2 virus

Cytokine Imprint in Preeclampsia

The hallmark of preeclampsia (PE) is a shift toward persistent inflammatory response, accompanied by endothelial dysfunction. The driving forces in PE are proinflammatory cytokine and growth factors, in parallel with reduced functionality of anti-inflammatory effectors, like regulatory T cells are observed. Unfortunately, no conclusive mechanism underlying preeclampsia has been identified. For this reason, research on preeclampsia is needed to provide a state of the art understanding of the pathophysiology, identification of new diagnostics tools and the development of targeted therapies. The 68 patients were divided into three groups: gestational hypertension (GH) group (n = 19) and PE group (n = 28) and a control group (n = 21). We have tested a set of 53 cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, and then compared them with normal pregnancies. Using a diagnostic test assessment characteristic parameters (IL-22, MDC/CCL22, IL-2/IL-4 ratio) have been identified and cut-off values have been proposed to diagnose preeclampsia. All parameters had high negative or positive predictive values, above 80%. In conclusion, we have proposed a potential set of immune parameters to diagnose preeclampsia