Morphological diversity of Pediastrum boryanum (Turp.) Menegh. and P. duplex Meyer in samples from Pond Okręt

Results of observing morphological diversity of P. boryanum and P. duplex occurring in samples from Pond Okręt are presented. The same teratological forms that were collected in the water body in 1968-1969 continued to inhabit it also after over a dozen years, in 1984-1987.Zadanie pt. Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki nr 885/P-DUN/2014 zostało dofinansowane ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę

Effects of drugs on the efficacy of radioiodine (131|) therapy in hyperthyroid patients

The treatment of hyperthyroidism is targeted at reducing the production of thyroid hormones by inhibiting their synthesis or suppressing their release, as well as by controlling their influence on peripheral tissue (conservative therapy, medical treatment). Radical treatment includes surgical intervention to reduce the volume of thyroid tissue or damage of the mechanisms of thyroid hormone synthesis by radioiodine (131|) administration. Radioiodine (131|) is a reactor radionuclide, produced as a result of uranium decomposition and emission of β and γ radiation. The therapeutic effects of the isotope are obtained by the emission of β radiation. In the paper, the effects of administered drugs (antithyroid, glucocorticosteroids, lithium carbonate, inorganic iodine, β-blockers) on the final outcome of radioiodine therapy in patients with hyperthyroidism are discussed

The influence of thiamazole, lithium carbonate, or prednisone administration on the efficacy of radioiodine treatment (131I) in hyperthyroid patients

Introduction: The effects of selected drugs (see below) on the efficacy of (131I) radioiodine therapy were examined. Material and methods: The study involved 200 hyperthyroid patients, treated with radioactive iodine. They were divided into five groups (40 persons in each). In Group I - patients were administered 131I and thiamazole; in Group II they were given - 131I and lithium carbonate; in Group III they were given - 131I only (the assumed absorbed dose - 150-200 Gy, the same as in Groups I and II, for which Group III was a control group); in Group IV they were given - 131I and prednisone; and in Group V they were given - 131I only (250-350 Gy, the same as in Group IV, for which Group V was a control group). Therapeutic results were analyzed after six months based on clinical and hormonal status. The evaluation also included effects of the initial hormonal status on the outcome of 131I therapy in Groups II and IV (v. respective controls, i.e. Groups III and V); such analysis was not performed in Group I because all the patients in that group were initially hyperthyroid. Results: In 145 patients (72.5%) the therapy with 131I was effective. In 55 patients (27.5%) the therapy was ineffective. The application of thiamazole during the peritherapeutic period in patients treated with 131I reduced the effectiveness of radioiodine, while lithium carbonate had no effect on the therapy outcome. Prednisone increased the effectiveness of the therapy with 131I. Normalisation of the initial concentration of TSH was advantageous for the 131I therapeutic outcome only when the assumed absorbed doses of 150–200 Gy were applied, while being of no avail for doses above 250 Gy. Conclusions: The present results indicate the necessity of careful analysis of administered drugs in hyperthyroid patients while qualifying them to 131I therapy. The initial concentration of TSH has no effect on the efficacy of radioiodine therapy in cases where absorbed doses are regarded to be ablative. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (1): 56-61)Wstęp: W pracy zbadano wpływ tiamazolu, węglanu litu i prednizonu na skuteczność leczenia jodem radioaktywnym pacjentów z nadczynnością tarczycy. Materiał i metody: Do badań zakwalifikowano 200 chorych z nadczynnością tarczycy, leczonych jodem radioaktywnym. Pacjentów podzielono na 5 grup (40 osób w każdej). W grupie I - poza 131I - chorzy dodatkowo otrzymywali tiamazol (preparat Thyrozol), w grupie II - oprócz 131I - węglan litu. Do grupy III zaliczono chorych, którzy otrzymali wyłącznie leczenie 131I przy założonej dawce pochłoniętej 150-200 Gy, czyli takiej samej, jak w grupie I i II; grupa III stanowiła grupę kontrolną dla tych dwóch grup. W grupie IV chorzy otrzymywali leczenie 131I oraz - w okresie okołoterapeutycznym - prednizon w dawce 1 mg/kg mc. W grupie V - chorzy otrzymali wyłącznie leczenie 131I (założona dawka pochłonięta 250-300 Gy), tak samo jak w grupie IV; grupa V stanowiła kontrolę dla grupy IV. Wyniki leczenia zanalizowano po sześciu miesiącach na podstawie badania klinicznego i hormonalnego. Do oceny włączono także wpływ początkowego stanu hormonalnego na skuteczność terapii 131I w grupach II i IV (względem odpowiednich grup kontrolnych, tj. grupy III i V). Takiej analizy nie przeprowadzono w grupie I, ponieważ wszyscy pacjenci w tej grupie mieli początkowo nadczynność tarczycy. Wyniki: U 145 pacjentów (72,5%) terapia 131I była skuteczna. U 55 pacjentów (27,5%) terapia okazała się nieskuteczna. Zastosowanie tiamazolu w okresie okołoterapeutycznym u pacjentów leczonych 131I zmniejszyło skuteczność radiojodu, podczas gdy leczenie węglanem litu nie miało wpływu na wyniki terapii. Prednizon zwiększył skuteczność leczenia 131I. Normalizacja początkowego stężenia hormonu tyreotropowego (TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone) wpływała korzystnie na wynik leczenia 131I tylko wtedy, gdy założona dawka pochłonięta wynosiła 150-200 Gy, podczas gdy dla dawek powyżej 250 Gy korzystnego wpływu nie stwierdzono. Wnioski: Wyniki pracy - będąc potwierdzeniem korzystnego wpływu steroidów i niekorzystnego wpływu leków przeciwtarczycowych na skuteczność 131I u pacjentów z nadczynnością tarczycy - wskazują na konieczność dokładnej analizy leków przyjmowanych przez pacjentów podczas kwalifikacji do terapii radiojodem. Początkowe stężenie TSH nie ma wpływu na skuteczność leczenia radiojodem, w przypadku kiedy dawki pochłonięte są zbliżone do dawek ablacyjnych. (Endokrynol Pol 2010; 61 (1): 56-61

An Investigation into the Relation between the Technique of Movement and Overload in Step Aerobics

The aim of this research was to determine the features of a step workout technique which may be related to motor system overloading in step aerobics. Subjects participating in the research were instructors (n=15) and students (n=15) without any prior experience in step aerobics. Kinematic and kinetic data was collected with the use of the BTS SMART system comprised of 6 calibrated video cameras and two Kistler force plates. The subjects’ task was to perform basic steps. The following variables were analyzed: vertical, anteroposterior, and mediolateral ground reaction forces; foot flexion and abduction and adduction angles; knee joint flexion angle; and trunk flexion angle in the sagittal plane. The angle of a foot adduction recorded for the instructors was significantly smaller than that of the students. The knee joint angle while stepping up was significantly higher for the instructors compared to that for the students. Our research confirmed that foot dorsal flexion and adduction performed while stepping up increased load on the ankle joint. Both small and large angles of knee flexion while stepping up and down resulted in knee joint injuries. A small trunk flexion angle in the entire cycle of step workout shut down dorsal muscles, which stopped suppressing the load put on the spine

Correct human cardiac nomenclature

Proper heart’s nomenclature is very important in daily clinical practice and research studies, andwhen it is consistent, it can facilitate better communication between different medical specialists. Thegeneral rule of the anatomy is to describe organs and their structures in attitudinally correct position.However, the use of the old-fashioned Valentine position (where the heart is described as if it werestanding on its apex) is still in use to describe important cardiac structures. Upon closer analysis, all main chambers of the heart and their associated subcomponents have mislabeled structures that should be renamed. In this article we aimed to emphasize the limitations of Valentinian nomenclature, presentproper anatomical names of the most important heart’s structures and advocate to change certain mis-labeled anatomical structures. Attitudinally correct designations presented in this study will benefit allmedical specialties, and they will reinforce the importance of consistent orientational naming. Correctnaming of heart’s structures will also help improve communication between different medical specialists

Predicted health care profile after transition to adult care in Turner syndrome children—experience of single center

IntroductionTurner Syndrome (TS) is caused by the complete or partial loss of one of the X chromosomes in all or some female cell lines. The variable genotypes are responsible for a large phenotypic diversity, nevertheless most studies emphasize a weak correlation between genotype and phenotype. The study aimed to assess the occurrence of defects and diseases depending on the karyotype in patients with TS and correlation with the predicted health care profile after the transition to adulthood.Materials and methods45 patients of the Department of Endocrinology and Pediatrics of the Medical University of Warsaw in 1990–2002 were analyzed. Girls were divided into 2 subgroups: “A”, which included 16 patients with the karyotype 45,X, and “B”, which included 29 girls with mosaic karyotypes. Based on the literature data, characteristic phenotypic features and the typical defects or diseases accompanying TS were selected, and the frequency of their occurrence was compared in both subgroups. Accordingly to this data, the predicted medical care profile was determined.ResultsIn our study, patients with complete monosomy of the X chromosome had more characteristic phenotypic features. They needed sex hormone replacement therapy more often and started to menstruate spontaneously much less frequently (only 18.18% in monosomy vs. 73.91% in mosaic patients, p = 0.006). In patients with monosomy, congenital defects of the circulatory system were found more often (46.67% vs. 30.77%). The diagnosis in patients with mosaic karyotype was more often delayed, therefore the optimal time of growth hormone therapy was shorter. In our study, the X isochromosome determined the higher prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis (83.33% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.049). We didn't find a correlation between the type of karyotype and health care profile after the transition, most of the patients needed more than 2 specialists. Most often, they required: gynecologists, cardiologists, and orthopedics.ConclusionsAfter the transition from pediatric to adulthood, patients with TS need multidisciplinary care, but not all need the same kind of assistance. The phenotype and comorbidities determine the profile of patients' health care, however it wasn't directly related to the type of karyotype in our study