Activity and Variety of Soil Microorganisms Depending on the Diversity of the Soil Tillage System

Soil is an ecosystem capable of producing the resources necessary for the development of the living organisms. Soil microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) are responsible for biomass decomposition, biogenic element circulation, which makes nutrients available to plants, biodegradation of impurities, and maintenance of soil structure. The presence of microorganisms in soil depends on their chemical composition, moisture, pH, and structure. Human activity has an indispensable influence on the formation of ecosystems. Soil tillage has an impact on the chemical and physical parameters of the soil, and thus on its biological properties. The use of inappropriate agro-technology can lead to degradation of the soil environment. Changes in soil properties may cause changes in soil abundance, activity, and diversity. Cultivation can affect microorganisms, causing their mortality and reducing the availability of nourishment in the soil. Therefore, it is extremely important to assess the diversity and microbiological activity of soil in relation to soil-tillage technology

Activity of Dehydrogenases as an Indicator of Soil Environment Quality

Activity of dehydrogenases (DHs) indicates the presence of viable and physiologically active (physiologically active or physiological activity) microorganisms. Their presence (activity) in soil is correlated with the content of organic carbon, microorganisms, nitrifying activity and microbial respiration. Determination of DHs activity allows to control changes in soil microbial population and is considered as an important parameter of soil quality. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of different farming systems on the enzymatic activity in soil under winter wheat. The research was conducted in the years 2014–2016 on long-term field experiment under two different farming systems (ecological and conventional) at the IUNG (PIB) Experimental Station located in Osiny (Lublin Voivodeship), Poland. Each farming system differs in crop rotation system and whole agrotechnics, which have been adapted to its specificity. Determination of DHs activity was performed using Casida et al.’s (1964) method with modifications. Measured DHs activity was expressed in milligrams of triphenyl formazan (TPF) per 100 g of soil within 24 hours. The results showed that ecological farming system beneficially influenced soil environment.

Assessing food selection of Warsaw primary school students during their school stay in the context of eating breakfast

Wraz z rozpoczęciem nauki w szkole na ogół następuje pogorszenie sposobu żywienia się dzieci, co wynika między innymi z ich częściowego usamodzielnienia się w sferze wyboru żywności. Zjawisko to może być mniej nasilone u dzieci, które wyniosły z domu prawidłowo ukształtowane nawyki żywieniowe. Celem pracy była ocena wyborów żywieniowych dzieci w wieku szkolnym w kontekście spożywania przez nich śniadań oraz żywności spożywanej w czasie ich pobytu w szkole. Badaniem objęto 761 uczniów (396 dziewcząt i 365 chłopców, w wieku 6–13 lat) ze szkół podstawowych z Warszawy i okolic. Dane dotyczące sytuacji socjodemograficznej i wybranych elementów sposobu żywienia zebrano za pomocą kwestionariusza ankiety. Najczęstsze powiązania wyborów żywieniowych oceniono z wykorzystaniem analizy koszykowej. W badanej grupie I śniadanie codziennie spożywało 86% dzieci, zaś II śniadania − 73% dzieci. Codzienne zakupy w sklepiku szkolnym i automatach deklarowało 5% badanych, a nigdy nie robiło ich 33% badanych. Dzieci spożywające na I śniadania kanapki z dodatkiem warzyw lub owsiankę/zupę mleczną jadły bardziej prawidłowo skomponowane II śniadania (mniej słodyczy i więcej owoców lub warzyw) oraz rzadziej dokonywały w szkole zakupu słodyczy, słodkich bułek lub słonych przekąsek, w porównaniu z uczniami spożywającymi na I śniadania płatki wysokosłodzone lub kanapki bez dodatku war zyw. Dzieci spożywające niezbilansowane II śniadania częściej niż dzieci, których śniadania były lepiej skomponowane, dokonywały w szkole zakupu słodyczy i innych przekąsek. Rodzaj produktów spożywanych na śniadanie wpływał na wybór żywności spożywanej podczas pobytu w szkole. Wśród dzieci spożywających niezbilansowane śniadania zaobserwowano wyższą konsumpcję produktów niewskazanych.The beginning of school generally means deterioration of children’s dietary habits, which results, among others, in partial independence in the field of food choices. This phenomenon may be less severe in children who learned proper eating habits at home. The aim of this study was to assess food choices of school age children in the context of eating their breakfast and the food eaten during their stay at school. The research included 761 students (396 girls and 365 boys, aged 6−13) from primary schools in Warsaw and surrounding areas. The data on the socio-demographic situation and selected elements of the dietary habits were collected using a food questionnaire. The most common dietary choices were assessed using market basket analysis. In the study group 86% of the children consumed first breakfast on a daily basis, while 73% of children consumed second breakfast.5% of respondents declared daily shopping in the school shops and vending machines and 33% of the respondents never did it. Children who consumed sandwiches with the addition of vegetables or porridge/milk soup for breakfast, ate better-balanced second breakfast (less sweets and more fruits or vegetables) and bought less sweets, sweet rolls or salty snacks at school compared with students consuming for the first breakfast sweetened cereals or a sandwich without the addition of vegetables. Children who eat unbalanced second breakfast bought sweets and other snacks at school more often than children whose breakfasts were well-balanced. In conclusion, the type of products consumed at breakfast affected the choice of food eaten during the stay at school. Higher consumption of inadvisable products was observed among children who consume unbalanced breakfast

THE WAY YOUNG PEOPLE SEE THE MENTALLY ILL: A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY

Background: The stigmatizing of the mentally ill is quite common and has numerous social and economical consequences for these individuals. Subjects and methods: The aim of this paper was to examine young peoples’ beliefs regarding the mentally disordered. The authors’ questionnaire regarding the interviewees’ age, gender, social background and their opinions on the mentally ill was conducted among a popular portal’s users. Results: 11900 people were questioned, including 71% women. 30% of the interviewees were under the age of 19, while 34% of them were between 19 and 24 years old and 36% were over 24. 39% of the interviewees stated they closely knew at least one mentally ill person. 44% of the questioned believed a lot of criminal offenders were mentally ill. 66% of interviewees would not mind sharing a flat with a mentally disordered person, 64% would agree to work with one. Those who personally knew a mentally disordered person were more inclined to share a flat or start a relationship with such an individual, than the rest of the interviewed (51% vs. 37% for flat sharing and 38% vs. 26% for starting a relationship, p<0.001). More questioned under the age of 19 believed that significant number of criminal offenders were mentally ill, than those over the age of 24 (50% vs. 37%, p<0.001). Conclusions: According to the acquired data, many young Poles believe that the mentally disordered are inclined to break the law and behave aggressively. These opinions seem to be related amongst others to age and gender, and they result in unwillingness to have relations with the mentally disordered

Loop recognition and copper-mediated disulfide reduction underpin metal site assembly of CuA in human cytochrome oxidase

Maturation of cytochrome oxidases is a complex process requiring assembly of several subunits and adequate uptake of the metal cofactors. Two orthologous Sco proteins (Sco1 and Sco2) are essential for the correct assembly of the dicopper CuA site in the human oxidase, but their function is not fully understood. Here, we report an in vitro biochemical study that shows that Sco1 is a metallochaperone that selectively transfers Cu(I) ions based on loop recognition, whereas Sco2 is a copper-dependent thiol reductase of the cysteine ligands in the oxidase. Copper binding to Sco2 is essential to elicit its redox function and as a guardian of the reduced state of its own cysteine residues in the oxidizing environment of the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS). These results provide a detailed molecular mechanism for CuA assembly, suggesting that copper and redox homeostasis are intimately linked in the mitochondrion.Fil: Morgada, Marcos Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Abriata, Luciano Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Cefaro, Chiara. Fondazione Farmacogenomica FiorGen Onlus; ItaliaFil: Gajda, Karolina. University of Florence; ItaliaFil: Banci, Lucia. Fondazione Farmacogenomica FiorGen Onlus; Italia. University of Florence; ItaliaFil: Vila, Alejandro Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentin

Pentraxin 3 as a new indicator of cardiovascular-related death in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is involved in inflammatory response by recognizing pathogens and damaged tissues. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between PTX3 levels and all‑cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) during 5‑year follow‑up. The study included 78 patients (51 on hemodialysis and 27 on predialysis). We measured the levels of PTX3, calcium, phosphate, intact parathyroid hormone, high-sensitivity Creactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin 6 (IL‑6), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF‑23), osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin (OC), osteoprotegerin (OPG), fetuin A, tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2), transforming growth factor $\beta1$ ($TGF‑\beta 1$), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), stromal cell‑derived factor $1\alpha$ ($SDF‑1\alpha$), and thrombomodulin (TM). In a subgroup of 45 patients, fragments of the radial artery obtained during creation of hemodialysis access were stained for calcifications. In 51 patients, ultrasonography was performed to assess common carotid artery intima–media thickness (CCA‑IMT). The median serum concentrations of PTX3 were 1.43 ng/ml (interquartile range, 0.74–2.50). Higher concentrations of fibrinogen, hs‑CRP, IL‑6, TNFR2, $TGF‑\beta$ 1, HGF, OPN, OPG, FGF‑23, TM, and $SDF‑1\alpha$ and lower albumin and uric acid levels were observed in patients with PTX3 above the median. During follow‑up, 27 patients (35%) died, including 25 due to CV causes. In contrast to hs-CRP levels, baseline PTX3 levels predicted CV mortality independently of classic CV risk factors. PTX3 levels also significantly predicted mortality after adjustment for age, baseline dialysis status, serum OPG and CRP levels, radial artery calcifications, and CCA‑IMT. We postulate that PTX3 might be an early marker of CV mortality in patients with advanced CKD, yet before the increase in the levels of a specific marker for systemic inflammation such as hs‑CRP

Asymmetric dimethylarginine as a useful risk marker of radial artery calcification in patients with advanced kidney disease

Medial arterial calcification is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is considered a risk factor for morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the correlation between asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels, radial artery calcification, and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA‑IMT). The study included 51 patients with CKD, in whom an arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis access was created to collect radial artery samples for a histological examination, and 33 healthy volunteers, in whom the reference concentrations of ADMA were assessed. The concentrations of creatinine, albumin, calcium, phosphate, fibroblast growth factor 23, osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine, interleukin 6, interleukin 18, pentraxin 3, stromal cell‑derived factor $1\alpha$ ($SDF1\alpha$), thrombomodulin, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II (sTNFRII), and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP‑2) were determined. Radial artery fragments were stained for calcifications using alizarin red. The CCA‑IMT was assessed by ultrasonography. Patients with CKD had higher ADMA levels than controls. Patients with ADMA levels above the median were older, had higher levels of phosphate, fibroblast growth factor 23, OPG, OPN, PTX3, sTNFRII, MMP‑2, thrombomodulin, and they had more atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery. In multiple regression, log‑transformed (log)sTNFRII, MMP‑2, and $SDF1\alpha$ levels were independent predictors of log(ADMA). Patients with calcifications had higher ADMA levels. A similar correlation was observed between $SDF1\alpha$ and alizarin red staining grades 1 to 3. In logistic regression, ADMA levels positively predicted the presence of calcifications independently of age, hemodialysis status, Framingham risk score, and PTX3. Circulating ADMA levels indicate medial arterial calcification in patients with CKD

Identification of CD34+/PGDFRΑ+ valve interstitial cells (vics) in human aortic valves : association of their abundance, morphology and spatial organization with early calcific remodeling

Aortic valve interstitial cells (VICs) constitute a heterogeneous population involved in the maintenance of unique valvular architecture, ensuring proper hemodynamic function but also engaged in valve degeneration. Recently, cells similar to telocytes/interstitial Cajal-like cells described in various organs were found in heart valves. The aim of this study was to examine the density, distribution, and spatial organization of a VIC subset co-expressing CD34 and PDGFRα in normal aortic valves and to investigate if these cells are associated with the occurrence of early signs of valve calcific remodeling. We examined 28 human aortic valves obtained upon autopsy. General valve morphology and the early signs of degeneration were assessed histochemically. The studied VICs were identified by immunofluorescence (CD34, PDGFRα, vimentin), and their number in standardized parts and layers of the valves was evaluated. In order to show the complex three-dimensional structure of CD34+/PDGFRα+ VICs, whole-mount specimens were imaged by confocal microscopy, and subsequently rendered using the Imaris (Bitplane AG, Zürich, Switzerland) software. CD34+/PDGFRα+ VICs were found in all examined valves, showing significant differences in the number, distribution within valve tissue, spatial organization, and morphology (spherical/oval without projections; numerous short projections; long, branching, occasionally moniliform projections). Such a complex morphology was associated with the younger age of the subjects, and these VICs were more frequent in the spongiosa layer of the valve. Both the number and percentage of CD34+/PDGFRα+ VICs were inversely correlated with the age of the subjects. Valves with histochemical signs of early calcification contained a lower number of CD34+/PDGFRα+ cells. They were less numerous in proximal parts of the cusps, i.e., areas prone to calcification. The results suggest that normal aortic valves contain a subpopulation of CD34+/PDGFRα+ VICs, which might be involved in the maintenance of local microenvironment resisting to pathologic remodeling. Their reduced number in older age could limit the self-regenerative properties of the valve stroma