Hair Care in the Light of Selected Medieval Medical Treatises

 In the Middle Ages, hair was an element of great interest to men and women. Subject to daily treatments and activities, they played an important role in everyone‘s life. In medical treatises, compendia and handbooks from the 12th to the 14th century were the subjects of theoretical considerations and practical advice. According to the prevailing humoral theory, their colour, length, shape, and loss or excessive growth were meticulously analysed and explained. Attention was drawn to the issue of hair dyeing and the possibility of changing the colour. Particular attention was paid to baldness and greying, giving practical advice and simple or more complex recipes to prevent these processes. The source base is the works of St. Hildegard of Bingen, pope John XXI, Vincent of Beauvais, Taddeo Alderotti and Bernard de Gordon. In these sawmills, the issue of hair was highlighted, which in the Middle Ages played a significant role in the lives of both women and men

Micropropagation of Inula germanica L. from the Seedlings Explants

This is the first communication of micropropagation system for Inula germanica using seedling explants germinated in vitro. The development of this system gives the possibility of future reintroduction of I. germanica providing a way to stabilize or re-establish its population. Shoot tips and fragments of cotyledons, hypocotyls and roots were isolated from ten-day-old seedlings. Explants were put on MS medium containing 1.0 mg l-1 benzylaminopurine and 0.1 mg l-1 naphthaleneacetic acid and cultured under continuous white fluorescent light (45 μmol.m-2.s-1) at 26 ± 1 °C. The highest percentage of shoot organogenesis (83.3%) was recorded for hypocotyl, while the highest average number of shoots per explant (12.0) was recorded for shoot tips. In subsequent subcultures, multiplication rate decreased to 3.0-4.9 shoots per explant. Less than 19% shoots were able to root on the solid medium without auxins. The highest rooting efficiency (69.3%) was recorded for solid medium supplemented with indolebutyric acid, but growth of roots was inhibited. The percentage of rooted shoots (62.2%) and number of roots per shoot (2.4 per shoot) into the liquid medium were comparable to medium with 0.1 mg·l-1 indolebutyric acid. showing a positive impact on the process of acclimatization. The regenerated plants were able to flowering in the first year after acclimatization. Developed micropropagation system for I. germanica is efficient and can be a useful tool for the active protection of this species

New functionalisation reactions of graphitic carbon nitrides: Computational and experimental studies

The functionalisation of two-dimensional materials is key to modify their properties and facilitate assembly into functional devices. Here, new reactions have been proposed to modify crystalline two-dimensional carbon nitrides of polytriazine imide structure. Both amine alkylation and aryl-nitrene-based reactions have been explored computationally and with exploratory synthetic trials. The approach illustrates that alkylation is unfavourable, particularly at basal-plane sites. In contrast, while initial trial reactions were inconclusive, the radical-addition of nitrenes is shown to be energetically favourable, with a preference for functionalising sheet edges to minimise steric effects

Amphoteric dissolution of two-dimensional polytriazine imide carbon nitrides in water

Crystalline two-dimensional carbon nitrides with polytriazine imide (PTI) structure are shown to act amphoterically, buffering both HCl and NaOH aqueous solutions, resulting in charged PTI layers that dissolve spontaneously in their aqueous media, particularly for the alkaline solutions. This provides a low energy, green route to their scalable solution processing. Protonation in acid is shown to occur at pyridinic nitrogens, stabilized by adjacent triazines, whereas deprotonation in base occurs primarily at basal plane NH bridges, although NH 2 edge deprotonation is competitive. We conclude that mildly acidic or basic pHs are necessary to provide sufficient net charge on the nanosheets to promote dissolution, while avoiding high ion concentrations which screen the repulsion of like-charged PTI sheets in solution. This article is part of the theme issue 'Exploring the length scales, timescales and chemistry of challenging materials (Part 2)'

Approaching theoretical performances of electrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide generation by cobalt‐nitrogen moieties

Electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been intensively studied for environmentally benign applications. However, insufficient understanding of ORR 2 e−‐pathway mechanism at the atomic level inhibits rational design of catalysts with both high activity and selectivity, causing concerns including catalyst degradation due to Fenton reaction or poor efficiency of H2O2 electrosynthesis. Herein we show that the generally accepted ORR electrocatalyst design based on a Sabatier volcano plot argument optimises activity but is unable to account for the 2 e−‐pathway selectivity. Through electrochemical and operando spectroscopic studies on a series of CoN x /carbon nanotube hybrids, a construction‐driven approach based on an extended “dynamic active site saturation” model that aims to create the maximum number of 2 e− ORR sites by directing the secondary ORR electron transfer towards the 2 e− intermediate is proven to be attainable by manipulating O2 hydrogenation kinetics

An Ultrasensitive Biosensor for Detection of Femtogram Levels of the Cancer Antigen AGR2 Using Monoclonal Antibody Modified Screen-Printed Gold Electrodes.

The detection of cancer antigens is a major aim of cancer research in order to develop better patient management through early disease detection. Many cancers including prostate, lung, and ovarian secrete a protein disulfide isomerase protein named AGR2 that has been previously detected in urine and plasma using mass spectrometry. Here we determine whether a previously developed monoclonal antibody targeting AGR2 can be adapted from an indirect two-site ELISA format into a direct detector using solid-phase printed gold electrodes. The screen-printed gold electrode was surface functionalized with the anti-AGR2 specific monoclonal antibody. The interaction of the recombinant AGR2 protein and the anti-AGR2 monoclonal antibody functionalized electrode changed its electrochemical impedance spectra. Nyquist diagrams were obtained after incubation in an increasing concentration of purified AGR2 protein with a range of concentrations from 0.01 fg/mL to 10 fg/mL. In addition, detection of the AGR2 antigen can be achieved from cell lysates in medium or artificial buffer. These data highlight the utility of an AGR2-specific monoclonal antibody that can be functionalized onto a gold printed electrode for a one-step capture and quantitation of the target antigen. These platforms have the potential for supporting methodologies using more complex bodily fluids including plasma and urine for improved cancer diagnostics

Hatred in mass media : diagnosis and research

Książka dotyczy rozmaitych form ekspresji nienawiści w mediach masowych. Przedstawia sposoby definiowania mowy nienawiści oraz komunikacji nienawistnej oraz różne techniki jej badania. Zawiera liczne opracowania case studies różnych form nienawiści w mediach, analizowanej przy pomocy różnych technik badawczych. Może mieć zastosowania edukacyjne, przede wszystkim jednak stanowi próbę autorskiego medioznawców spojrzenia na zagadnienie komunikacji nienawistnej. Autorzy stawiają bowiem - i starają się udowodnić - tezę, iż komunikacja nienawistna wykracza poza obszar mowy nienawiści sensu stricto, i jest znacznie szerszym zagadnieniemThe book is devoted to the various forms of expression of hatred in the mass media. It presents different ways of definition of the hate speech and hateful communication, and different techniques of their analysis. It contains many case studies of different forms of hateful communication in the media, analysed with different analytical tools. It can have some education uses. Nevertheless, it represents , above all, the attempt of the media scholars' particular outlook on the issues of hateful communication. The authors attempt to present and corroborate their thesis that the hateful communication does reach autside the limits of the hate speech in itself, and constitutes a much wider problem

Determinants Affecting the Rationing of Nursing Care and Professional Burnout among Oncology Nurses

Rationing of nursing care (RNC) is characterized by the omission of any aspect of the required patient care, resulting in incomplete or delayed nursing activities. Oncology nurses are exposed to a very high psychological burden, which can lead to the development of professional burnout syndrome (PBS). The level of PBS might be related to life and job satisfaction. This study aimed to identify determinants affecting RNC and reveal the relationship between RNC, life and job satisfaction, and the PBS levels among oncology nurses. The sample was a hundred oncology nurses from four hospitals in Poland with a mean age of 43.26 ± 10.69 years. The study was conducted from March 2019 to February 2020. The self-administered sociodemographic questionnaire and validated scales determining missed nursing care, job and life satisfaction, and life orientation were used: Basel Extent of Rationing of Nursing Care-Revised (BERNCA-R), Satisfaction with Job Scale (SWJS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The mean BERNCA score was 1.55 ± 0.15, which indicates the frequency of RNC was between “never” and “rarely”. The mean SWJS score was 11.71 ± 5.97, which showed that nurses were “dissatisfied” and “rather dissatisfied” with their job. A low SWLS score was reported by 59% of nurses, which means that more than half of the respondents described their life satisfaction as low. In LOT-R, 66% of nurses reported pessimistic and 31% neutral life orientation. The mean overall MBI score was 49.27 ± 19.76 points (EE = 63.56 ± 25.37, DEP = 37.2 ± 24.95, and lack of PA = 47.05 ± 22.04), which means that half of the nurses perceived burnout and half did not. Additionally, the higher the job satisfaction (SWJS), the more frequent the RNC (BERNCA) (p < 0.05). The greater the EE, the stronger the sense of lack of PA, and the higher the PBS (MBI) level, the less frequent the RNC (BERNCA). In conclusion, there is a phenomenon of omission of some aspects of care among oncology nurses, but it is not frequent and concerns areas not directly related to therapeutic tasks, but requiring effort and not resulting in quick noticeable effects. It depends only little on life satisfaction and more on job satisfaction and PBS level. The results may indicate the professionalism of Polish nurses, their responsibility towards their patients’ life and health, and the sense of mission that enables them to perform their duties regardless of the external and internal difficulties. The presence of the PBS phenomenon in oncology nurses highlights the need for continued research in this area

The Impact of <i>Nigella sativa</i> Essential Oil on T Cells in Women with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Background: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease mediated by T cells. It is characterized by the presence of thyroid autoantibodies in the serum, such as anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab) and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TG-Ab). The essential oil extracted from Nigella sativa seeds is rich in bioactive substances, such as thymoquinone and cymene. Methods: Therefore, we examined the effect of essential oil from Nigella sativa (NSEO) on T cells from HT patients, especially their proliferation capacity, ability to produce cytokines, and susceptibility to apoptosis. Results: The lowest ethanol (EtOH) dilution (1:10) of NSEO significantly inhibited the proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from HT patients and healthy women by affecting the percentage of dividing cells and the number of cell divisions. In addition, 1:10 and 1:50 NSEO dilutions induced cell death. Different dilutions of NSEO also reduced the concentration of IL-17A and IL-10. In healthy women, the level of IL-4 and IL-2 significantly increased in the presence of 1:10 and 1:50 NSEO dilutions. NSEO did not influence the concentration of IL-6 and IFN-γ. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that NSEO has a strong immunomodulatory effect on the lymphocytes of HT patients

Analiza objawów ogólnoustrojowych w przebiegu COVID-19

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection, may have a more or less severe course. The aim of this study was to analyse the symptoms which occurred in a group of people who tested positively for the presence of the genetic material of the virus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analysis was based on the results of 337 questionnaires collected from Polish patients – 185 (55%) females and 152 (45%) males aged 18–86. The questionnaire included 26 questions, of which 11 were related to systemic symptoms. The frequency of their occurrence and their severity were determined according to Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). RESULTS: The most common symptoms that occurred in over 50% of the respondents included: general weakness (91% of the respondents, severity of 6.25 on VAS), musculoskeletal pain (77%, VAS 5.67), headache (65%, VAS 5.37) and cough (56%, VAS 4.76). Runny nose, fever above 38℃ and sore throat were less common and occurred in 39% of the subjects. The least frequent symptoms were diarrhoea (23%), skin lesions (7%) and vomiting (3%). When determining the correlation coefficient, it was also found that dyspnoea occurred most often with general weakness (r = 1), whereas general weakness was less frequently associated with musculoskeletal pain (r = 0.8). No statistically significant relationships were found between the frequency of the symptoms and age, gender or the presence of comorbidities in the respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The observations showed that in the analysed group of people with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the disease had a mild-to-moderate course. General weakness, musculoskeletal pain, cough, and upper respiratory tract infection symptoms were the most common.WSTĘP: COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), choroba wywołana infekcją SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), może charakteryzować się mniej lub bardziej nasilonym przebiegiem. Celem niniejszego opracowania była analiza objawów, jakie wystąpiły w grupie osób z dodatnim wynikiem testu na obecność materiału genetycznego wirusa. MATERIAŁ I METODY: Analizę przeprowadzono na podstawie wyników ankiety przeprowadzonej wśród 337 polskich pacjentów – 185 (55%) kobiet oraz 152 (45%) mężczyzn w wieku 18–86 lat. Kwestionariusz zawierał 26 pytań, z czego 11 dotyczyło objawów ogólnoustrojowych. Określono częstość ich występowania oraz nasilenie w skali VAS (Visual Analogue Scale). WYNIKI: Do najczęstszych objawów, występujących u ponad 50% ankietowanych, należą: ogólne osłabienie (91% ankietowanych, nasilenie 6,25 w skali VAS), bóle układu mięśniowo-szkieletowego (77%, VAS 5,67), bóle głowy (65%, VAS 5,37) oraz kaszel (56%, VAS 4,76). Chorobie rzadziej towarzyszyły katar, gorączka powyżej 38°C oraz bóle gardła, które wystąpiły u 39% pacjentów. Najrzadziej występowały biegunka (23%), zmiany skórne (7%) oraz wymioty (3%). Określając współczynnik korelacji, stwierdzono również, iż duszności występowały najczęściej z ogólnym osła-bieniem (r = 1), natomiast rzadziej ogólnemu osłabieniu towarzyszyły bóle mięśniowo-szkieletowe (r = 0,8). Nie stwierdzono statystycznie istotnych zależności między częstością występowania danych objawów a wiekiem, płcią czy chorobami współistniejącymi u ankietowanych. WNIOSKI: Obserwacje wykazały, iż w analizowanej grupie zakażonych SARS-CoV-2 choroba miała przebieg łagodny lub umiarkowany. Najczęstszymi objawami były: ogólne zmęczenie, bóle mięśniowo-szkieletowe, kaszel oraz objawy nieżytu górnych dróg oddechowych