ERCC1-deficient cells and mice are hypersensitive to lipid peroxidation

Lipid peroxidation (LPO) products are relatively stable and abundant metabolites, which accumulate in tissues of mammals with aging, being able to modify all cellular nucleophiles, creating protein and DNA adducts including crosslinks. Here, we used cells and mice deficient in the ERCC1-XPF endonuclease required for nucleotide excision repair and the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks to ask if specifically LPO-induced DNA damage contributes to loss of cell and tissue homeostasis. Ercc1-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts were more sensitive than wild-type (WT) cells to the LPO products: 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), crotonaldehyde and malondialdehyde. ERCC1-XPF hypomorphic mice were hypersensitive to CCl4 and a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, two potent inducers of endogenous LPO. To gain insight into the mechanism of how LPO influences DNA repair-deficient cells, we measured the impact of the major endogenous LPO product, HNE, on WT and Ercc1-/- cells. HNE inhibited proliferation, stimulated ROS and LPO formation, induced DNA base damage, strand breaks, error-prone translesion DNA synthesis and cellular senescence much more potently in Ercc1-/- cells than in DNA repair-competent control cells. HNE also deregulated base excision repair and energy production pathways. Our observations that ERCC1-deficient cells and mice are hypersensitive to LPO implicates LPO-induced DNA damage in contributing to cellular demise and tissue degeneration, notably even when the source of LPO is dietary polyunsaturated fats

Selected issues in handwriting examination, graphology and their technology in document examination

 This article aims at introducing the complex nature of handwriting examination for judicial purposes and the resulting competences which ahandwriting expert must have. The knowledge of neurophysiological conditioning of handwriting strokes, together with the knowledge of inks, their physical and chemical reactions with surfaces on which handwriting is applied, techniques allowing their observation and acquiring clear enlarged photographic images are indispensable for acorrect expert examination, explanation of how the conclusions were arrived at and illustrating the results. Appropriate selection of techniques of acquiring images requires not only the knowledge of optical and lighting equipment but also practical skills in its appropriate use. Thus, handwriting examination combines the knowledge from various areas: neurophysiology of movement, psychology of handwriting, chemistry, physics and use of optical equipment, which together guaran­tee objective and reliable examination yielding correct results. This article aims at introducing the complex nature of handwriting examination for judicial purposes and the resulting competences which ahandwriting expert must have. The knowledge of neurophysiological conditioning of handwriting strokes, together with the knowledge of inks, their physical and chemical reactions with surfaces on which handwriting is applied, techniques allowing their observation and acquiring clear enlarged photographic images are indispensable for acorrect expert examination, explanation of how the conclusions were arrived at and illustrating the results. Appropriate selection of techniques of acquiring images requires not only the knowledge of optical and lighting equipment but also practical skills in its appropriate use. Thus, handwriting examination combines the knowledge from various areas: neurophysiology of movement, psychology of handwriting, chemistry, physics and use of optical equipment, which together guaran­tee objective and reliable examination yielding correct results

An Interaction of Rhamnolipids with Cu2+ Ions

This study was focused on the description of interaction between Cu2+ ions and the 1:1 mono- and dirhamnolipid mixtures in the premicellar and aggregated state in water and 20 mM KCl solution at pH 5.5 and 6.0. The critical micelle concentration of biosurfactants was determined conductometrically and by the pH measurements. Hydrodynamic diameter and electrophoretic mobility were determined in micellar solutions using dynamic light scattering and laser Doppler electrophoresis, respectively. The copper immobilization by rhamnolipids, methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was estimated potentiometrically for the Cu2+ to chelating agent molar ratio from 16:100 to 200:100. The degree of ion binding and the complex stability constant were calculated at a 1:1 metal to chelant molar ratio. The aggregates of rhamnolipids (diameter of 43–89 nm) were negatively charged. Biosurfactants revealed the best chelating activities in premicellar solutions. For all chelants studied the degree of metal binding decreased with the increasing concentration of the systems. The presence of K+ lowered Cu2+ binding by rhamnolipids, but did not modify the complex stability significantly. Immobilization of Cu2+ by biosurfactants did not cause such an increase of acidification as that observed in MGDA and EDTA solutions. Rhamnolipids, even in the aggregated form, can be an alternative for the classic chelating agents

Tax crimes in Italy using accounting documents

Contemporary document research involves the need to use the latest technologies and analytical techniques that provide the most complete possible knowledge of contemporary issues and methods of document research. Documents are used to record legal actions and events of legal significance. By their essence, they are therefore closely related to the sphere of rights and obligations of a specific person or institution. Crimes against documents pose a threat to the proper functioning of the state and thus the development of every enterprise. They affect, directly or indirectly, the misallocation of financial resources at the disposal of an enterprise. Forging documents may be aimed at obtaining unauthorized access to specific sources of financing, influencing key management decisions made in the company, or, finally, concealing inconvenient facts. On the other hand, the social harm suffered as a result of forging documents of evidence significance in tax matters may be enormous. For this reason, it is necessary to deepen the knowledge of the dynamics characterizing document forgery in the sphere of economic activity in order for the state to activate mechanisms able to prevent this type of crime. The article describes the issues of selected tax frauds in Italy with the use of accounting documents.Contemporary document research involves the need to use the latest technologies and analytical techniques that provide the most complete possible knowledge of contemporary issues and methods of document research. Documents are used to record legal actions and events of legal significance. By their essence, they are therefore closely related to the sphere of rights and obligations of a specific person or institution. Crimes against documents pose a threat to the proper functioning of the state and thus the development of every enterprise. They affect, directly or indirectly, the misallocation of financial resources at the disposal of an enterprise. Forging documents may be aimed at obtaining unauthorized access to specific sources of financing, influencing key management decisions made in the company, or, finally, concealing inconvenient facts. On the other hand, the social harm suffered as a result of forging documents of evidence significance in tax matters may be enormous. For this reason, it is necessary to deepen the knowledge of the dynamics characterizing document forgery in the sphere of economic activity in order for the state to activate mechanisms able to prevent this type of crime. The article describes the issues of selected tax frauds in Italy with the use of accounting documents

Możliwości doskonalenia zawodowego pielęgniarek - potrzeby a rzeczywistość

Wstęp. Rozwój zawodowy to proces, który przebiega w czasie i ramach ogólnego rozwoju człowieka, jest związany z działaniem, osiągnięciami, ale również z istnieniem, wyrażaniem czy samorealizacją. W dobie intensywnych przemian zachodzących w całym sektorze ochrony zdrowia, w tym także w podsystemie pielęgniarstwa, powinien teoretycznie istnieć szereg możliwości związanych z doskonaleniem zawodowym pielęgniarek w Polsce. Cel pracy. Poznanie oczekiwań związanych z dalszym rozwojem zawodowym, ocena dotychczasowego rozwoju własnego oraz potrzeb dalszych tematycznych szkoleń. Metody i materiały. Badanie zostało przeprowadzone wśród 220 uczestników dwóch konferencji zorganizowanych w 2007 roku w Warszawie przez Fundację Rozwoju Pielęgniarstwa Polskiego (FRPP). Materiał zebrano na podstawie kwestionariusza ankiety, skonstruowanego dla potrzeb Fundacji Rozwoju Pielęgniarstwa Polskiego, mającego na celu dokonanie oceny poszczególnych konferencji i określenie oczekiwań w zakresie dalszej działalności FRPP. Ankieta składała się z 17 pytań, z których dla potrzeb niniejszej pracy istotne znaczenie miały 4, odnoszące się do oczekiwań badanych. Ankietę wypełniło 176 osób (w tym 167 pielęgniarek). Wyniki i wnioski. Wśród osób aktywnych zawodowo jest duże zainteresowanie dalszym rozwojem zawodowym w kontekście podwyższania kwalifikacji. Badania sugerują, że szczególnym zainteresowaniem pielęgniarek, w kontekście ich kształcenia ustawicznego, cieszą się tematy związane z jakością pracy, wypaleniem zawodowym, aspektami prawnymi wykonywania zawodu pielęgniarki oraz podnoszeniem prestiżu zawodowego. Czynnikami ograniczającymi rozwój zawodowy są problemy finansowe, kadra zarządzająca, słaby dostęp do kursów i szkoleń

The Effect of Concentration on the Cross-Linking and Gelling of Sodium Carbonate-Soluble Apple Pectins

The cross-linking and gelation of low-methoxy pectins are basic processes commonly used in different industries. The aim of this research was to evaluate the cross-linking process of the sodium carbonate-soluble pectins (named DASP) extracted from apples, characterized by a low degree of methylesterification as a function of its concentration in water (CDASP). The cross-linking process was studied with a dynamic light scattering method, atomic force microscope (AFM), viscosity and pH measurements. An increase in CDASP above 0.01% resulted in a decrease in the aggregation index (AI) and the change of its sign from positive to negative. The value of AI = 0 occurred at CDASP = 0.33 ± 0.04% and indicated the formation of a pectin network. An increase in CDASP caused the changes in viscosity of pectin solutions and the nanostructure of pectins spin-coated on mica observed with AFM, which confirmed results obtained. The hydrogen bonds were involved in the cross-linking process