Analysis of the impact of sex and age on the variation in the prevalence of antinuclear autoantibodies in Polish population: a nationwide observational, cross-sectional study

The detection of antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) is dependent on many factors and varies between the populations. The aim of the study was first to assess the prevalence of ANA in the Polish adult population depending on age, sex and the cutoff threshold used for the results obtained. Second, we estimated the occurrence of individual types of ANA-staining patterns. We tested 1731 patient samples using commercially available IIFA using two cutoff thresholds of 1:100 and 1:160. We found ANA in 260 participants (15.0%), but the percentage of positive results strongly depended on the cutoff level. For a cutoff threshold 1:100, the positive population was 19.5% and for the 1:160 cutoff threshold, it was 11.7%. The most prevalent ANA-staining pattern was AC-2 Dense Fine speckled (50%), followed by AC-21 Reticular/AMA (14.38%) ANA more common in women (72%); 64% of ANA-positive patients were over 50 years of age. ANA prevalence in the Polish population is at a level observed in other highly developed countries and is more prevalent in women and elderly individuals. To reduce the number of positive results released, we suggest that Polish laboratories should set 1:160 as the cutoff threshold

Polycyclic aromatic hydracarbons in tea and tea infusions

Herbata jest jednym z najczęściej spożywanych napojów w świecie. Powszechnie uważa się, że picie herbaty może być korzystne dla zdrowia. Obecne w herbatach pozostałości pewnych zanieczyszczeń mogą mieć jednak niekorzystny wpływ na zdrowie. Główne zanieczyszczenia, to metale ciężkie, fluor, pestycydy, a nawet dioksyny. Posiadające dużą powierzchnię liście herbaty mogą zostać zanieczyszczone WWA obecnymi w atmosferze. Procesy przetwórcze mogą również wprowadzać WWA do gotowego produktu. Celem pracy było określenie stopnia zanieczyszczenia herbat czarnych, zielonych, czerwonych i białych przez WWA. W trakcie badań oznaczono zawartość 23 WWA, tj 16 WWA wg EPA oraz 15 wg EU w 18 gatunkach herbat i ich naparów. Procedura analityczna została oparta na ekstrakcji heksanem WWA z suszu w łaźni ultradźwiękowej oraz ekstrakcji cykloheksanem w układzie ciecz-ciecz z naparów. Całkowita zawartość 23 WWA wyniosła w suszu od 221,9 µg/kg do 2945,5 µg/kg, w tym 2,7 µg/kg do 63,1 µg/kg benzo[a]pirenu. Pod względem średniej zawartości WWA analizowane gatunki herbat można uporządkować w następującej kolejności: herbaty czarne < herbaty czerwone< herbaty zielone< herbaty białe. Najbardziej zanieczyszczony był jednak jeden z gatunków herbat czarnych, zarówno pod względem całkowitej zawartości 23 WWA jak i poziomu BaP. Do naparów przenikało średnio 12,6% WWA zawartych w suszu. Dominowały w naparach WWA o 2, 3 i 4pierścieniach, podczas gdy bardziej toksyczne związki występowały w śladowych ilościach. Stężenie 23 WWA i BaP w naparach mieściło się w granicach od 332,5 ng/dm3 do 2245,9 ng/dm3 i 0,35 ng/dm3 do 18,7 ng/dm3.Tea is the one of most widely consumed beverage in the world. It is generally believed that tea consumption might have health promoting properties. But residues of certain chemical compounds might impose a health threat on tea drinkers. The main contaminants are heavy metals, fluoride, pesticides and even dioxins. Tea lives which possess a high surface area can be contaminated with atmospheric PAHs. The manufacturing processes may also introduce PAHs into tea lives. The aim of his study was to determine the contamination of black, green, red and white teas by PAHs. In this investigation, content of 23 PAH, i.e 16 EPA PAH and 15 EU PAH were determined in 18 brands of tea and its infusions. The analytical procedure was based on ultrasonic extraction for dried tea and liquid-liquid extraction for infusions. All samples were cleaned up by florisil cartridge. The total content of 23 PAH varied between 22.9 µg/kg to 2945.5 µg/kg and 2.7 µg/kg to 63,1 µg/kg µg/kg for BaP. The analysed tea samples showed an increasing presence of PAH in the following order (mean value): black tea< red tea< green tea< white tea. However the highest content of PAH was found in the one brand of black tea bag both in sum of PAH and BaP content. During tea infusion 1.,6% of total PAHs contained in tea was released into the beverage. The dominant PAHs in tea infusion were 2, 3 and 4 rings PAH, while the most toxic compounds were found at trace amounts. The concentrations of total 23 PAHs and BaP in tea infusions ranged from 332.5 ng/dm3 to 2245.9 ng/dm3 and 0.35 ng/dm3 to 18.7 ng/dm3 respectively

Wpływ gęstości hodowli Sinorhizobium meliloti Bp na rozwój lucerny siewnej i aktywność nitrogenazy

The authors investigated the impact of the Sinorhizobium inoculum density on the plant development of alfalfa, nodulation and nitrogenase activity. It was found that plants inoculated with a 10% inoculant (4.9 x 106 CFU) were characterized by the best growth, more profuse fresh material and a very well developed root system and, additionally, they revealed higher nitrogenase activity.Badano wpływ gęstości inokulum Sinorhizobium na rozwój lucerny siewnej, brodawkowanie i aktywność nitrogenazy. Zanotowano, że roślina szczepiona 10% inokulatem (4,9 x 106 CFU) charakteryzowała się najlepszym wzrostem, bujniejszą masą zieloną i bardzo dobrze rozwiniętym systemem korzeniowym oraz wykazywała większą aktywność nitrogenazy

Informationstheoretische Analyse des systemtheoretischen Ansatzes von Organisationstheorien unter besonderer Beruecksichtigung der Arbeiten H.A. Simons und N. Luhmanns

HUB(11) - 84 HB 1794 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Intensity distribution of the focal lines of the prepulse and mainpulse at the solid target surface

At the Prague Asterix Laser System (PALS) the former Asterix iodine laser of the Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik is currently re-installed. For the x-ray laser experiments that will be performed in the near future a well defined focal line at the position of the target surface is crucial. Applying the prepulse technique there are two possibilities, either the main beam and the prepulse beam are focused by the same focusing optics or the two different beams are focused by two optical systems separately. It is important to characterise the intensity distribution of the both line foci in two dimensions (along and across the focal line), since their energy ratio is giving only a mean value and not the actually existing non-uniformity's along or across the focal line. By using two different focusing optics it is possible that the two line foci do not have exactly the same width. In order to realise a well defined prepulse line focus it is necessary to measure the intensity distribution in two dimensions. We concept a method to obtain quantified two-dimensional focal images and we present preliminary experimental results using a cylindrical lens array as well as using only a single cylindrical lens in combination with a spherical focusing lens