A brand new medical condition - 6 years old patient with neurological symptoms diagnosed with PIMS-TS (Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome – Temporally Associated with SARS-CoV-2) - case report

Children's multi-system inflammatory syndrome PIMS-TS is a completely new challenge for pediatricians, which has established a separate branch of the fight against the still active COVID-19 pandemic. It turns out that even a pediatric patient who has not suffered symptomatic infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as a result of contact with this pathogen, can develop a severe systemic inflammatory reaction rich in symptoms originating in almost every system of the human body. The first reports of the inflammatory syndrome that is the subject of this work come from May 2020. It is known that the symptoms of PIMS are caused by a multi-system inflammatory response in the body, potentially related to the immune system. The course of this disease may bring to mind other inflammatory diseases in children, such as Kawasaki disease, toxic shock syndrome and MAS macrophage activation syndrome

An Early Neolithic House in the Foothills:A Case Study of Pottery and Lithic Artefacts from the Biskupice Site 18 (Wieliczka Foothills, Southern Poland)

Highlights•Biskupice site (S Poland) represents the late Želiezovce phase (5300 to 5000 BCE).•Pottery was produced locally, and showed a use of animal fats for cooking.•The face vessel was of local origin, but influenced by Transcarpathian style.•Obsidian artefacts originated from the Carpathian 1a/1b chemical type, S-E Slovakia.•Transcarpathian contacts between LBK and Bükk culture were discussed.AbstractThe paper presents a comprehensive analysis of pottery and lithic materials found in archaeological features associated with an Early Neolithic house from Biskupice (southern Poland) to shed light on exchange networks of the first farmers in Central Europe. The research began with the discovery of a unique fragment of a face vessel made in the Želiezovce style, a motif primarily found in Moravia and north-eastern Austria. Therefore, specialised analyses were undertaken to determine whether the Biskupice fragment was locally produced or originated from areas south of the Sudetes and Carpathians. The study involved an examination of raw clay material and the technology used to create the anthropomorphic vessel, aiming to establish its provenance (local production versus import). Petrographic methods were employed to analyse a diverse group of vessel types for comparison. Additionally, a selected group of pottery fragments, including the face vessel, underwent lipid residue analysis to determine their potential use. The combination of microscopic examinations and lipid residues analysis was utilised to study the link between the physical properties and function of the vessels. Finally, the archaeological context of other artifacts from the same house, including lithic assemblages, was investigated to determine the presence of both local and imported raw materials in Biskupice. The main conclusion of the study indicates local production of pottery, including the face vessel, and lithic implements. Conversely, a Transcarpathian transfer of some technological and decorative ideas, as well as imports of raw material such as obsidian, were confirmed

Vacuolar organization in the nodule parenchyma is important for the functioning of pea root nodules

Different models have been proposed to explain the operation of oxygen diffusion barrier in root nodules of leguminous plants. This barrier participates in protection of oxygen-sensitive nitrogenase, the key enzyme in nitrogen fixation, from inactivation. Details concerning structural and biochemical properties of the barrier are still lacking. Here, the properties of pea root nodule cortical cells were examined under normal conditions and after shoot removal. Microscopic observations, including neutral red staining and epifluorescence investigations, showed that the inner and outer nodule parenchyma cells exhibit different patterns of the central vacuole development. In opposition to the inner part, the outer parenchyma cells exhibited vacuolar shrinkage and formed cell wall infoldings. Shoot removal induced vacuolar shrinkage and formation of infoldings in the inner parenchyma and uninfected cells of the symbiotic tissue, as well. It is postulated that cells which possess shrinking vacuoles are sensitive to the external osmotic pressure. The cells can give an additional resistance to oxygen diffusion by release of water to the intercellular spaces

The Linear Pottery culture face vessel from the site Biskupice 18, southern Poland

This paper presents the stylistic analysis of a unique face vessel fragment, found at a recently excavated settlement of the Linear Pottery culture near Biskupice, located in the Carpathian foothill region in southern Poland. The evaluation is based on a multivariate analysis of the stylistic features of 130 human face vessels from 91 Central European Neolithic sites of the Linear Pottery culture and the Alföld Linear Pottery culture, and is conducted with the help of multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). The main objective of the research is to find the closest analogies of the Biskupice by tracking similarities between the manner of execution of the combination of facial elements and accompanying motifs appearing on the Biskupice vessel and on other depictions of the human face. This investigation also aims to make inferences about the chrono-cultural connections of the first agrarian societies in the area of the Carpathian foothills with other regions of the Linear Pottery world

Ceramic Matrix Composites Obtained by the Reactive Sintering of Boron Carbide with Intermetallic Compounds from the Ti-Si System

In this study, we investigated the effect of adding two different intermetallics, Ti5Si3 and TiSi2, for the preparation of TiB2-SiC-B4C composites. As part of the research, stoichiometric composites consisting only of two phases TiB2 and SiC were obtained. The TiB2-SiC-B4C composites were prepared via pressureless sintering. The presence of the phases in the sintered composites was confirmed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The SEM-EDS examination revealed that the TiB2 and SiC phases were formed during the composite process synthesis and were distributed homogeneously in the B4C matrix. The obtained results allowed us to usually exceed 2000 °C and the use of specialized equipment for firing, that is, vacuum or protective atmosphere furnaces as well as control and measurement equipment. Such an approach generates high costs that are decisive for the economics of the technological processes. In the case of our compositions, it is possible to lower the temperature to 1650 °C. The TiB2-SiC-B4C composites were classified as UHTCs

In vitro expanded stem cells from the developing retina fail to generate photoreceptors but differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes.

Cell transplantation to treat retinal degenerative diseases represents an option for the replacement of lost photoreceptor cells. In vitro expandable cells isolated from the developing mammalian retina have been suggested as a potential source for the generation of high numbers of donor photoreceptors. In this study we used standardized culture conditions based on the presence of the mitogens FGF-2 and EGF to generate high numbers of cells in vitro from the developing mouse retina. These presumptive 'retinal stem cells' ('RSCs') can be propagated as monolayer cultures over multiple passages, express markers of undifferentiated neural cells, and generate neuronal and glial cell types upon withdrawal of mitogens in vitro or following transplantation into the adult mouse retina. The proportion of neuronal differentiation can be significantly increased by stepwise removal of mitogens and inhibition of the notch signaling pathway. However, 'RSCs', by contrast to their primary counterparts in vivo, i.e. retinal progenitor cells, loose the expression of retina-specific progenitor markers like Rax and Chx10 after passaging and fail to differentiate into photoreceptors both in vitro or after intraretinal transplantation. Notably, 'RSCs' can be induced to differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes, a cell type not generated by primary retinal progenitor cells. Based on these findings we conclude that 'RSCs' expanded in high concentrations of FGF-2 and EGF loose their retinal identity and acquire features of in vitro expandable neural stem-like cells making them an inappropriate cell source for strategies aimed at replacing photoreceptor cells in the degenerated retina

Ocena wpływu zabiegów krioterapii ogólnoustrojowej na wybrane wskaźniki skóry pacjenta z atopowym zapaleniem skóry (AZS)

Case report: The case report regards a 33-year-old male patient living in a big city. The patient has been suffering from atopic dermatitis since infancy.  Results: SCORAD index evaluating the AD intensity level changed after 15 whole-body cryotherapy sessions. Before the treatments, the patient achieved 42.9 points on the above-mentioned scale. After the 15th treatment the sum of points amounted to 36.8, and after 3 weeks since the therapy was discontinued — 33.9 points.  Changes in the level of hydration of both healthy skin and skin with AD symptoms were also observed.  Conclusion: Due to these properties, the hypothesis has been put forward that systemic cryotherapy can be a complementary method in the treatment of AD.Opis przypadku: Opis przypadku dotyczy 33-letniego pacjenta mieszkającego w dużym mieście. Pacjent od niemowlęctwa cierpi na AZS. Badany uczestniczył w 15 zabiegach krioterapii ogólnoustrojowej.  Wyniki: Wskaźnik SCORAD oceniający poziom nasilenia AZS zmienił się po zakończeniu badań. Pacjent przed zabiegami uzyskał 42,9 punktu w powyższej skali. Po 15. zabiegu suma punktów wyniosła 36,8, a po 3 tygodniach od zakończenia terapii — 33,9. Zaobserwowano również zmiany w poziomie nawilżenia naskórka zarówno skóry zdrowej, jak i skóry z objawami AZS.  Wniosek: Ze względu na uzyskane wyniki postawiono hipotezę, że krioterapia ogólnoustrojowa może być metodą uzupełniającą leczenie w terapii AZS.

Table of used primers.

<p>Table of used primers.</p