Revitalization of selected brownfields in urban space of Skierniewice with particular emphasis on environmentally friendly elements.

Transformation of urban space is a result of constant changes, which can also lead to a deterioration of the state of such space. City revitalization programs allow for the release of brownfields from crisis situations and adapting them to the needs of local communities, with particular emphasis on environmentally friendly elements. The aim of the article was to present the concept of revitalization activities, proposed for introduction in the brownfield site, in the city of Skierniewice, currently used by Stal-Car. These activities include treatments that can result in the creation of urban public spaces with environmentally friendly elements.Przekształcenie przestrzeni miejskiej to efekt ciągłych przemian, które mogą prowadzić również do pogorszenia jej stanu. Programy rewitalizacji miast pozwalają na wyprowadzenie ze stanu kryzysowego m.in. terenów poprzemysłowych i dostosowanie ich do wymogów lokalnych społeczności, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem elementów przyjaznych środowisku. W artykule za cel przyjęto stworzenie koncepcji działań rewitalizacyjnych proponowanych do wprowadzenia na terenie poprzemysłowym w Skierniewicach, obecnie użytkowanym przez firmę Stal-Car. Działania te obejmują zabiegi, których następstwem może być powstanie miejskiej przestrzeni publicznej z elementami przyjaznymi środowisku

Comparison of Selected Non-Coding RNAs and Gene Expression Profiles between Common Osteosarcoma Cell Lines

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a bone tumour affecting adolescents and elderly people. Unfortunately, basic treatment methods are still underdeveloped, which has a high impact on the poor survivability of the patients. Studies designed to understand the underlying mechanisms of osteosarcoma development, as well as preclinical investigations aimed at establishing novel therapeutic strategies, rely significantly upon in vitro models, which apply well-established cell lines such as U-2 OS, Saos-2 and MG-63. In this study, the expression of chosen markers associated with tumour progression, metastasis and survival were identified using RT-qPCR. Levels of several onco-miRs (miR-21-5p, miR-124-3p, miR-223-3p and miR-320a-3p) and long non-coding RNA MEG3 were established. The mRNA expression of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), including BMP-2, BMP-3, BMP-4, BMP-6, BMP-7, as well as their receptors: BMPR-IA, BMPR-IB and BMPR-II was also determined. Other tested markers included metalloproteinases, i.e., MMP-7 and MMP-14 and survivin (BIRC5), C-MYC, as well as CYCLIN D (CCND1). The analysis included comparing obtained profiles with transcript levels established for the osteogenic HeLa cell line and human adipose-derived stromal cells (hASCs). The tested OS cell lines were characterised by a cancer-related phenotype, such as increased expression of mRNA for BMP-7, as well as MMP-7 and MMP-14. Osteosarcoma cells differ considerably in miR-21-5p and miR-124-3p levels, which can be related to uncontrolled tumour growth. The comprehensive examination of osteosarcoma transcriptome profiles may facilitate the selection of appropriate cell models for preclinical investigations aimed at the development of new strategies for OS treatment

Psychosocial Burden of Itch among Renal Transplant Recipients

Itch is the most common symptom of chronic dermatoses. Moreover, itch may be associated with systemic disorders. Chronic kidney disease—associated itch (CKD-aI) may affect up to 20% of renal transplant recipients (RTR). The aim of the study was to assess psychosocial burden of itch in RTR. The study was performed on a group of 129 RTR, out of which 54 (41.9%) experienced itch in the previous 3 days. A specially designed questionnaire assessing anxiety, depression, stigmatization, and quality of life was used. Results: Patients suffering from itch in the previous 3 days achieved significantly higher scores in GAD-7 (p p p p = 0.004), and HADS Anxiety (p < 0.001). Severity of itch correlated positively with HADS, stigmatization scale, and GAD-7. Itch in RTR was associated with higher incidence of depression assessed with BDI (OR 3.7). Moreover, higher prevalence of anxiety was found among patients suffering from CKD-aI, assessed with HADS A and GAD-7 (OR 2.7 and OR 4.8, respectively) The results of our study clearly demonstrate that itch among RTR is a significant burden. Higher prevalence of depression and anxiety in this groups indicate the necessity of addressing itch relief as a part of holistic approach to patients after renal transplantation

Artificial neural network - an effective tool for predicting the lupus nephritis outcome

Abstract Background Lupus nephropathy (LN) occurs in approximately 50% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 20% of them will eventually progress into end-stage renal disease (ESRD). A clinical tool predicting remission of proteinuria might be of utmost importance. In our work, we focused on predicting the chance of complete remission achievement in LN patients, using artificial intelligence models, especially an artificial neural network, called the multi-layer perceptron. Methods It was a single centre retrospective study, including 58 individuals, with diagnosed systemic lupus erythematous and biopsy proven lupus nephritis. Patients were assigned into the study cohort, between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2020, and eventually randomly allocated either to the training set (N = 46) or testing set (N = 12). The end point was remission achievement. We have selected an array of variables, subsequently reduced to the optimal minimum set, providing the best performance. Results We have obtained satisfactory results creating predictive models allowing to assess, with accuracy of 91.67%, a chance of achieving a complete remission, with a high discriminant ability (AUROC 0.9375). Conclusion Our solution allows an accurate assessment of complete remission achievement and monitoring of patients from the group with a lower probability of complete remission. The obtained models are scalable and can be improved by introducing new patient records

Impact of Lactic Acid Fermentation on the Organic Acids and Sugars of Developed Oat and Buckwheat Beverages

In recent years, new plant-based foods and drinks have been developed to meet the growing demand for animal-derived alternatives, particularly dairy products. This study investigates the impact of lactic acid fermentation on the organic acids and sugars in oat and buckwheat beverages developed using Lactobacillus johnsonii K4 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus K3, which are potential probiotics. The fermented samples were analyzed for pH changes, bacterial viability, and the concentration of organic acids and sugars over 15 days. The results indicated significant variations in bacterial colony counts, with L. johnsonii K4 showing the highest initial growth. Over 15 days, pH levels decreased, with the most acidic conditions observed in buckwheat beverages. Notably, fermentation led to a significant increase in acetic acid concentration and a reduction in malic acid levels, particularly in buckwheat samples. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of fermentation in enhancing the nutritional profile and shelf-life of plant-based beverages

Porównanie doksazosyny i fenoksybenzaminy w przygotowaniu do leczenia operacyjnego guza chromochłonnego

Background: Adrenalectomy with preoperative pharmacological preparation is strongly recommended in patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma, in order to prevent perioperative complications. Aim: To compare phenoxybenzamine (PhB) and doxazosin (DOX) in terms of perioperative haemodynamic status in patients with pheochromocytoma, who have been prepared for adrenalectomy. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 44 patients with pheochromocytoma (aged 16–80 years, 29 females) who underwent adrenalectomy. Patients were divided into two groups: 35 patients on DOX and nine patients on PhB. Results: Mean time of preparation for surgery was 38.8 days in the DOX group and 18.3 days in the PhB group (p = 0.04). No statistically significant differences between the DOX and PhB groups in intraoperative blood pressure (BP) fluctuations were found: &lt; 170/100 mm Hg (34% vs. 44%, respectively, p = 0.42), ≥ 200/110 mm Hg (40% vs. 22%, respectively, p = 0.28). Mean greatest intraoperative systolic BP (195 ± 53 vs. 166 ± 42 mm Hg, p = 0.21) and diastolic BP (98 ± 20 vs. 89 ± 46 mm Hg, p = 0.21), and mean lowest intraoperative systolic BP (87 ± 13 vs. 79 ± 17 mm Hg, p = 0.25) and diastolic BP (49 ± 8 vs. 46 ± 12 mm Hg, p = 0.60) were not different between the DOX and PhB groups, respectively. Sodium nitroprusside was administrated in 30% DOX vs. 11% PhB patients (p = 0.25). Laparoscopic surgery was conducted in 97% DOX vs. 89% PhB patients (p = 0.64). Postoperative BP drop below 90/60 mm Hg was noted in 48% of the DOX vs. 43% of the PhB group (p = 0.56). Negative correlation was found between the length of DOX administration with maximal intraoperative systolic BP (r = –0.45, p = 0.006) and diastolic BP (r = –0.39, p = 0.019). Conclusions: There are no clinically relevant differences between patients with pheochromocytoma, who have been prepared for adrenalectomy with DOX or PhB.  Wstęp: Główną trudnością w przygotowaniu pacjenta z guzem chromochłonnym do adrenalektomii jest stabilizacja układu sercowo-naczyniowego w trakcie oraz po operacji. Dlatego też farmakologiczne przygotowanie chorego stanowi nadal wyzwanie dla klinicystów. Odpowiednia podaż leków ma za zadanie zapobiec niepożądanym skutkom wzrostów i spadków ciśnień śród- oraz pooperacyjnych. Cel: Celem pracy było porównanie skuteczności leczenia doksazosyną (DOX) i fenoksybenzaminą (PhB) w prewencji niestabilności hemodynamicznej u pacjentów przygotowywanych do operacji guza chromochłonnego. Metody: Retrospektywną analizą objęto 44 chorych (16–80 lat, 29 kobiet) operowanych z powodu guza chromochłonnego, w tym 35 pacjentów leczonych DOX oraz 9 osób stosujących PhB. Wyniki: Średni czas przygotowania farmakologicznego do operacji w grupie DOX wynosił 38,8 dnia vs. 18,3 dnia w grupie PhB (p = 0,04). Nie odnotowano istotnych statystycznie różnic między DOX i PhB w śródoperacyjnym pomiarze ciśnienia tętniczego (BP) w zakresach &lt; 170/100 mm Hg (34% vs. 44%, p = 0,42) oraz ≥ 200/110 mm Hg (40% vs. 22%, p = 0,28); w zakresie średniego najwyższego skurczowego BP (195 ± 53 vs. 166 ± 42, p = 0,21) i rozkurczowego BP (98 ± 20 vs. 89 ± 46, p = 0,21); średniego najniższego skurczowego BP (87 ± 13 vs. 79 ± 17, p = 0.25) i rozkurczowego BP (49 ± 8 vs. 46 ± 12, p = 0,60). Z powodu wzrostu ciśnienia nitroprusydek sodu stosowano u 30% pacjentów z grupy DOX i u 11% osób z grupy PhB (p = 0,25). Adrenalektomię drogą laparoskopową wykonano u 97% chorych z grupy DOX i u 89% pacjentów z grupy PhB (p = 0,64). Odnotowano pooperacyjną hipotensję &lt; 90/60 mm Hg u 48% chorych z grupy DOX i u 43% osób z grupy PhB (p = 0,56). Ujemną, statystycznie istotną korelację stwierdzono między długością przyjmowania DOX a najwyższym śródoperacyjnym skurczowym BP (r = –0,45; p = 0,006) oraz rozkurczowym BP (r = –0,39; p = 0,019). Wnioski: Nie zaobserwowano istotnych klinicznie różnic między wynikami chorych przygotowywanych do operacji za pomocą DOX oraz PhB.

The attitude of kidney transplant recipients towards elective arteriovenous fistula ligation.

BACKGROUND:Arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) are a source of various complications. Among previously hemodialyzed kidney transplant recipients (KTxR), the AVF may persist over time. The patients' decisions whether to ligate the functioning AVF may be prompted by many factors. Our knowledge of benefits concerning the procedure as well as patients' attitude towards it is scarce. AIM:Evaluation of the patients' opinion on the persistent AVF ligation after a successful kidney transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS:An anonymous survey was carried out among 301 previously hemodialyzed KTxR. The patients were recruited during scheduled visits in the Transplantation Outpatient Unit. All subjects completed an anonymous questionnaire including questions about their attitude towards the matter in question. RESULTS:69 patients (22.9%) have considered AVF closure. The most common causes for such attitude were esthetic reasons (n = 29) and concerns about heart health (n = 13). Among those 69 subjects, 18 have presented with symptomatic AVF due to multiple symptoms. Symptomatic AVFs were localized on the forearm in 14 out of 18 cases. As many as 116 (38.5%) cases have never wanted to ligate the AVF and 116 (38.5%) subjects did not have a clear opinion. In our study we report 158 (52.5%) cases of non-functioning AVFs. The main reason for the above was spontaneous AVF thrombosis (121 cases). Only 24 subjects reported to rely on the physician-provided information about the AVF management. CONCLUSIONS:One fourth of KTRs have ever considered AVF ligation. There is a distinct need for educating patients on the possibilities of post-transplantation AVF management

Diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer in adult patients — Recommendations of Polish Scientific Societies and the National Oncological Strategy. 2022 Update [Diagnostyka i leczenie raka tarczycy u chorych dorosłych — Rekomendacje Polskich Towarzystw Naukowych oraz Narodowej Strategii Onkologicznej. Aktualizacja na rok 2022]

The guidelines Thyroid Cancer 2022 are prepared based on previous Polish recommendations updated in 2018. They consider international guidelines — American Thyroid Association (ATA) 2015 and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN); however, they are adapted according to the ADAPTE process. The strength of the recommendations and the quality of the scientific evidence are assessed according to the GRADE system and the ATA 2015 and NCCN recommendations. The core of the changes made in the Polish recommendations is the inclusion of international guidelines and the results of those scientific studies that have already proven themselves prospectively.These extensions allow de-escalation of the therapeutic management in low-risk thyroid carcinoma, i.e., enabling active surveillance in papillary microcarcinoma to be chosen alternatively to minimally invasive techniques after agreeing on such management with the patient. Further extensions allow the use of thyroid lobectomy with the isthmus (hemithyroidectomy) in low-risk cancer up to 2 cm in diameter, modification of the indications for postoperative radioiodine treatment toward personalized approach, and clarification of the criteria used during postoperative L-thyroxine treatment. At the same time, the criteria for the preoperative differential diagnosis of nodular goiter in terms of ultrasonography and fine-needle aspiration biopsy have been clarified, and the rules for the histopathological examination of postoperative thyroid material have been updated. New, updated rules for monitoring patients after treatment are also presented.The updated recommendations focus on ensuring the best possible quality of life after thyroid cancer treatment while maintaining the good efficacy of this treatment