Associations between the dopamine D4 receptor gene polymorphisms and personality traits in elite athletes

Personality traits and temperament may affect sports performance. Previous studies suggest that dopamine may play an important role in behavior regulation and physical exercise performance. The aim of this study is to determine associations between dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4 Ex3) polymorphisms and personality traits (such as neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeability and conscientiousness) in elite combat athletes. A total of 302 physically active, unrelated, self-reported Caucasian participants were recruited for this study. The participants consisted of 200 elite male combat athletes and 102 healthy male participants (control group). For personality trait measurements, the NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory (NEO-FFI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaires were used. For the genetic assays, blood was collected and all samples were genotyped using the real-time PCR method. A 2 x 3 factorial ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences on the Openness NEO Five Factor Inventory scale for both examined factors, i.e. sport status and genetics DTD4 Ex3. Combat athletes achieved higher scores on the Conscientiousness NEO-FFI scale when compared to controls (7.18 vs 5.98). On the other hand, combat athletes scored lower on the Openness scale in comparison with control group (4.42 vs. 4.63). Subjects with the DRD4 Ex3 s/s genotype had lower results on the openness scale in comparison with participants with the DRD4 Ex3 s/1 genotype (4.01 vs. 4.57) and higher DRD4 Ex3 1/1 genotype (4,01 vs. 3,50). In conclusion, we found an association between the dopamine D4 receptor gene in variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms and athletic status for two NEO-FFI factors: Openness and Conscientiousness. The DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism may be associated with the selected personality traits in combat athletes, thereby modulating athletes’ predisposition to participate in high risk sports

Efficiency of Environmental Protection Expenditures in EU Countries

Environmental protection policy is a widely discussed issue in scientific works. However, special attention should be also paid to the effectiveness of expenditures on environmental protection, and this is the main goal of this paper. The countries of the European Union were selected for this analysis due to the fact that, in recent years, this region has become an informal world leader with respect to the implementation of policy measures in the field of environmental protection. For that reason, the data envelopment analysis methodology was used, which allows the calculation of input-output efficiency for the years 2005–2015. The analysis shows that, among the 30 analyzed countries, the most effective in environmental protection actions is Finland. The hypothesis that higher environmental protection expenditures does not result in better environmental results has been confirmed. Our analysis confirmed the problem of the deteriorating efficiency of environmental expenditures across the selected European Union Member States, caused by increases in spending. This research may contribute to the discussion on environmental protection policy design and its assessment, as well as environmental policy results measurement.</jats:p

Height loss with advancing age in a hospitalized population of Polish men and women: magnitude, pattern and associations with mortality

The connection between the rate of height loss in older people and their general health status has been well documented in the medical literature. Our study was aimed at furthering the characterization of this interrelationship in the context of health indices and mortality in a hospitalized population of Polish adults. Data were collated from a literature review and from a longitudinal study of aging carried out in the Polish population which followed 142 physically healthy inmates, including 68 men and 74 women, for at least 25 years from the age of 45 onwards. Moreover, cross-sectional data were available from 225 inmates, including 113 men and 112 women. These subjects were confined at the same hospital. ANOVA, t-test, and regression analysis were employed. The results indicate that the onset of height loss emerges in the fourth and five decade of life and there is a gradual acceleration of reduction of height at later stages of ontogeny in both sexes. Postmenopausal women experience a more rapid loss of height compared with men. The individuals who had higher rate of loss of height (≥3 cm/decade) tend to be at greater risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. In conclusion, our findings suggest that a systematic assessment of the rate of loss of height can be useful for clinicians caring for elderly people because of its prognostic value in terms of morbidity and mortality

Photovoltaic Inverter Profiles in Relation to the European Network Code NC RfG and the Requirements of Polish Distribution System Operators

The presently observed rapid increase in photovoltaic (PV) micro-installation connections to low-voltage networks, resulting from numerous financial support programmes, European Union (EU) energy policy and growing social awareness of environmental and economic issues, raise the question if PV inverters widely available in EU market fulfil the numerous technical requirements specified in European and Polish regulations. The paper presents the results of an experimental study carried out on three PV Inverters widely available in the EU in accordance with the EU network code NC RfG, standard EN 50549-1:2019 and internal Polish distribution system operators’ (DSOs’) regulations, governing PV inverter cooperation with the low-voltage distribution network. The laboratory test stand scheme and its description are presented. In each test, at least one of the inverters encountered issues, either with the operation in required frequency ranges (one PV inverter), activating reactive power control modes (all three PV inverters), maintaining required power generation gradient after tripping (one PV inverter) or under-voltage ride through immunity (one PV inverter). The obtained results have shown that all tested PV inverters did not meet requirements that are the key to maintaining reliable and safe operation of transmission and distribution electrical networks

Study on Energy Efficiency and Harmonic Emission of Photovoltaic Inverters

The paper presents the results of an experimental study of 26 brand new photovoltaic (PV) inverters widely available for sale on the EU market; the study was conducted in 2021 by researchers at the AGH University of Science and Technology and Tauron Dystrybucja (Polish DSO). The purpose of the study was to compare and assess PV inverter performances in terms of their DC/AC conversion efficiencies, MPPT efficiencies, and harmonic current emissions. To examine the PV inverters, a laboratory test stand was prepared according to the standard EN 50530 and the technical report IEC/TR 61000-3-15. It was composed of a photovoltaic array simulator, a programmable regenerative AC voltage source, and a power analyzer. Each PV inverter was tested in various operating states determined by the DC voltage levels and the volume of active power generation. The results allowed for a benchmark assessment of PV inverters available on the market. The results showed how various energy efficiency indicators of individual PV inverters changed depending on their operating points. The results also revealed that, based on the performed harmonic emission tests, individual harmonics were within the normative requirements; however, in the case of several PV inverters, attention was drawn to the presence of relatively high switching frequency-related components exceeding permissible levels

Association of serum bilirubin with longevity: Evidence from a retrospective longitudinal study and cross-sectional data

Bilirubin is a potent antioxidant and an important anti-inflammatory factor. Therefore, there has been an increasing focus on serum bilirubin as a negative risk factor of cardiovascular mortality in men and an indicator of improved survival in both sexes, but the direct mechanisms of these links and the causes of sex differences are not well understood. Moreover, the evidence from longitudinal studies on effects of bilirubin on longevity is limited. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed two groups of older adults to explore age-dependent changes in serum bilirubin levels and their associations with long-term survival in both sexes. Longitudinal data from 142 individuals (68 men and 74 women) aged 45 to 70 years were compared with cross-sectional data from 225 individuals (113 men and 112 women). The latter group was divided into four categories of survival, i.e. 53, 63, 68, and 76+ based on data on lifespan. ANOVA, t-test, and regression analysis were run. The analysis of the longitudinal data showed an increase in serum total bilirubin levels in men (0.3038e0.093x, R2 = 0.667) and women (0.1838e0.0187x, R2 = 0.950), while the analysis of cross-sectional data revealed a U-shaped pattern of age-related changes in men (0.001x2 - 0.1263x + 4.4524, R2 = 0.999) but an inverted U-shaped pattern in women (0.0006x2 + 0.072x - 1.6924, R2 = 0.195). On balance, these results suggest that elevated but normal bilirubin levels might confer a survival advantage in older men but not women. Alternatively, the positive relationship between serum total bilirubin and lifespan was not causal but coincidental. Further studies are needed to elucidate the direct mechanisms of the association between serum bilirubin levels and longevity in elderly people of both sexes

Effects of aging on the function of the urinary system: longitudinal changes with age in selected urine parameters in a hospitalized population of older adults

Although normal aging does not have a pernicious effect on the homeostasis of fluids, renal reserve in elderly people can be depleted. The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between longitudinal changes with age in basic urine parameters (specific gravity and pH) in older men and women, depending on their body height and relative body weight. Longitudinal data on these two quantitative traits of the urine were available for 142 physically healthy individuals, including 68 men and 74 women. All subjects were 45 years of age at the beginning and 70 at the end of the period under investigation. All measurements were taken in accordance with internationally accepted requirements. Specific gravity was assessed using a hydrometer, and pH was measured using a pH meter. ANOVA, t-test, and regression analysis were performed. No significant sex differences in specific gravity or urine pH were observed. In both sexes, urine specific gravity decreased with age according to exponential model of regression. In men, there was a gradual increase in the pH of the urine until age 65, and the best fitting regression model was polynomial. In women, on the other hand, there was an exiguous decrease in urine pH throughout the period under study, and the best fitting regression model proved to be exponential. As the process of renal aging commences relatively early in ontogeny and manifests itself in many structural and functional changes, urinalysis and other more sophisticated methods of diagnosis of renal diseases are essential for proper assessment of health status of adults and older individuals. The rate of age-related changes in the analyzed traits of the urine was commensurate in both sexes, thereby revealing no evidence of significant sex differences in terms of renal aging in the period between 45 and 70 years of age

DRD4, DRD2, DAT1, and ANKK1 Genes Polymorphisms in Patients with Dual Diagnosis of Polysubstance Addictions

Background: Approximately 25&ndash;50% of people diagnosed with substance use disorder experience psychiatric disorders, and this percentage is even higher if subclinical psychopathological symptomatology is taken into consideration. &rdquo;Dual diagnosis&rdquo; implies the comorbidity of two disorders (mental disorder and addiction), but in a clinical setting, numerous dual diagnoses involve multiple addictions (polysubstance use means the concurrent use of more than one psychoactive substance). Clinical observations and epidemiological studies showed that the use of stimulants in combination with other substances results in additional risks. Apart from the clinical significance of the specificity of stimulants used in combination with other substances, only non-exhaustive research on the specificity of this comorbidity has been performed to date. The aim of the study was to analyze polymorphisms of the genes (DRD4 VNTR in exon III Ex3, DRD2 rs1076560, rs1800498, rs1079597, rs6276, as well as in the PROM promoter region (rs1799732, ANKK1 Tag1A rs1800497, DAT) in a group of patients diagnosed with polysubstance use disorder, including addiction to stimulants, and the co-occurrence of specific mental disorders in a group of patients diagnosed with polysubstance use disorder, including addiction to stimulants, compared to the group of patients diagnosed with polysubstance use disorder. Methods: The study group consisted of 601 male volunteers with psychoactive substance dependence (n = 300) and non-dependent controls (n = 301). The genomic DNA was extracted from venous blood using standard procedures. Genotyping was conducted with the real-time PCR method. All computations were performed using STATISTICA 13. Results: Psychotic disorders were significantly more common in the group of males with polysubstance addiction, including addiction to stimulants, compared to the group of males with polysubstance addiction without addiction to stimulants. In our own research, different statistical significances were found in the frequency of the DRD4 Ex3 gene polymorphism: s/s was more common in the study group. Psychotic disorders were more common in people addicted to stimulants compared to people addicted to other substances. Conclusions: In our study, psychotic disorders occurred more frequently in the study group of patients with polysubstance addiction, including addiction to stimulants, compared to the control group of patients with polysubstance addiction, but with no addiction to stimulants. Different statistical significances were found in the frequency of the DRD4 Ex3 gene polymorphism: s/s was more common in the study group, while the l/l genotype was less frequent in the study group. In DRD2 PROM rs 1799732, the del allele occurred more often than the ins allele in the study group. In the DRD4 Ex3 gene polymorphism, the s allele was more common in the study group, and the l allele was less frequent. In the DRD4 Ex3 gene polymorphism for the s/s genotype, psychotic disorders and generalized anxiety were more common, while for the s/l and l/l genotype, they were less frequent. The DRD4 Ex3 polymorphism s alleles were more common for depressive episode, dysthymia, and psychotic disorders as well as generalized anxiety disorder. We see a clear genetic aspect here. However, we want to be careful and draw no definite conclusions

The structure of multimorbidity in older age in residents of long-term care institutions

On the basis of a cross-sectional study among residents of two long-term care centers in the Lubuskie Voivodeship (i.e., Dom Pomocy Społecznej (DPS) - a residential home in Zielona Góra and Zakład Opiekuńczo-Leczniczy - a psychiatric care and treatment institution in Ciborz), the authors determined multimorbidity and polypragmasy in people over 60. The study material consisted of the medical data of persons who had been residents of the two institutions till 2013. The differences between DOS and ZOL in the number of diseases and drugs taken were established by using the Pearson's Chi-squared test and t-test. The most common disorders were: hypertension, circulatory collapse, atherosclerosis, dementing diseases, lesions of joints and bones, COPD, type II diabetes, gastrointestinal lesions, permanent atrial fibrillation, and cancer lesions. Statistically significant differences were revealed between the residents of DPS and ZOL in: the number of diagnosed diseases, taken medications, people with hypertension, circulatory collapse occurrences, dementing diseases, bone diseases, joint diseases, permanent atrial fibrillations, cancers, post-stroke conditions, and people with COPD.Na podstawie badań przekrojowych pensjonariuszy z dwóch różnych ośrodków opieki długoterminowej w województwie lubuskim (Dom Pomocy Społecznej w Zielonej Gó¬rze i Zakład Opiekuńczo-Leczniczym o profilu psychiatrycznym w Ciborzu) określono wielochorobowość i polipragmazje u osób po 60. roku życia. Materiał do badań stanowiły dane dotyczące historii chorób pochodzące od 207 osób przebywających do 2013 roku w dwóch ośrodkach opieki długoterminowej. Różnice w liczbie poszczególnych schorzeń i liczbie przyjmowanych leków pomiędzy dwoma instytucjami opieki długoterminowej oceniano za pomocą testu chi-kwadrat Persona i testu t. Najczęściej występowały następujące schorzenia: nadciśnienie tętnicze, niewydolność krążenia, miażdżyca, choroby otępienne zmiany chorobowe w obrębie stawów i kości, POChP, cukrzyca typu II, zmiany w przewodzie pokarmowym, utrwalone migotanie przedsionków i zmiany nowotworowe. Pomiędzy pensjonariuszami DPS-u i ZOL-u wykazano następujące istotne statystycznie różnice: w liczbie zdiagnozowanych przez lekarza chorób, liczbie przyjmowanych leków, częstości osób z nadciśnieniem tętniczym, częstości występowania niewydolności krążenia, liczbie chorób otępiennych, chorób w obrębie stawów i kości, utrwalonych migotań przedsionków, większej częstości chorób nowotwo¬rowych, większej ilości stanów po udarach mózgu oraz osób z POChP