Visualising user–website interaction: description and evaluation of a teaching method

This paper presents a teaching method applied in a usability research course that is part of a bachelor degree programme at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice. The method employs visualisation techniques of the user–website interaction, a design practice popular in other fields, but less often used in usability studies. The theoretical background of the data visualisation method, as well as examples of its use in research, are presented and discussed in this paper. In addition to presenting the method, the paper evaluates and analyses how students have responded to it. Using the technology acceptance model, we identified the perceived usability of the method as the main factor influencing students’ behavioural intention to use it in the future

CRP – a valuable source of information or just a laboratory test?

Background and Purpose: Laboratory tests are an inseparable element in modern medicine. They provide us with valuable clues for making a diagnosis or monitoring treatment. One of the most frequently ordered biochemical tests is the determination of the level of CRP in the blood. The aim of the study is to present the clinical usefulness of this study and to present knowledge about C-reactive protein.   Current state of knowledge: It is produced mainly by the liver, but the latest reports confirm local synthesis, among others, in arterial endothelial cells. The most common reason for the increase in the level of CRP is the appearance of infection, during which time its concentration may increase by up to 1000 times. Elderly patients have a weaker immune system response than younger patients, therefore the rise in CRP may be less pronounced. Other reasons are autoimmune diseases, cancer, or acute or chronic inflammation. As a result of cel damage, pro-inflammatory cytokines are secreted, which stimulate the production of CRP. Most scientific sources consider CRP ≥ 10 mg/L to be significant. Values of 3-10mg/L are considered a slight increase in CRP levels. Such CRP values were found in about 1/3 of the American population. Conclusions:  The CRP level should not be interpreted as an isolated medical parameter, but in conjunction with other tests and the patient's current state of health. Based on the amount of CRP in the blood and changes in its concentration over time, we can check the response to treatment and predict the course of some diseases

2D and 3D culture of stem cells

Wstęp i cel: Komórki macierzyste są szeroko stosowane w wielu naukach, szczególnie w chorobach. Dzięki swoim właściwościom proliferacyjnym i zdolności do tworzenia się w innych elementach organizmu zastosowanie w mechanizmie regeneracyjnym, przy zachowaniu charakterystycznych parametrów oparzeń, odbudowie układu krwiotwórczego. później je pozyskać z wielu dzieci m.in. składników tłuszczowej, szpiku kostnego, krwi pępowinowej czy mleka kobiecego.  Obecny stan wiedzy: Dlatego ważne jest, aby wykorzystać metodę hodowli, dzięki której w krótkim czasie możemy uzyskać wyniki badań, które pozwolą wykonać życie i zróżnicowanie się w innych typach. Do hodowli jest uzyskiwana ilość ilości energii, źródło węgla, składniki odżywcze i powietrze. Najpowszechniej jest metodą 2D, która jest dość tania i skuteczna do wykonania. Metoda 3D, choć droższa i wyższa pracochłonna, jest wyższa wydajna. Metodą 3D, czyli sferyczną, mamy możliwość uzyskania środowiska, które zapewnia warunki in vivo, których nie uzyskujemy metodą 2D. Komórki hodowane sferycznie dobrze bodźce ze środowiska w trzech wymiarach, na poziomie komórka-komórka i komórka-macierz zewnątrzkomórkowa.Wykorzystaj dodatkowy przepływ cytokin, składników odżywczych, czynników wzrostu i chemokin. Wnioski: W przyszłości metoda 3D może wyprzeć metody hodowli 2D. Zapewnij warunki zbliżone do tych w wynikach, możemy ocenić wyniki testów analizowanych na zwierzętach. Obecnie w takich kulturach coraz częściej testuje się leki stosowane w onkologii i określa się ich efekt terapeutyczny

SIBO - the present knowledge within the contekst of clinical dependencies and therapy

Introduction: The gut microbiome is an integral part of the body, and the eubiosis conditio significantly  influences homeostasis. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is connected with an increased numer of bacteria, it causes gastrointestinal symptoms. The main symptoms are abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea. SIBO correlates with the occurrence of other chronic diseases. The basis of treatment are antibiotics. There are also scientific reports on supplementing pharmacological therapy with dietary management. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to review the current knowledge on the bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine. Particular attention took notice of to the relationship  between SIBO and other chronic diseases as well as potential and applied treatments. Material and methods: The review includes publications published in 2020-2023 and certain works published earlier, in the years 2008-2017. Data were collected using PubMed, ScienceDirect i Google Scholar. Results: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is heterogeneous disorder. Its symptoms are nonspecific. SIBO is related to several different diseases and corresponds with them. Empirical treatment consists in administration of antibiotics. Supplementing therapy with alternative methods for example probiotic and diet therapy  promotes success in treating. Conclusions: The lack of standarized therapeutic menagment and focused on bacterial eradication only approach makes, SIBO is recurrent ailment. More research is needed. The important thing is holistic approach on etiology, pathogenesis and therapy

Clinical manifestations of neuroborreliosis in children – review of literature

Introduction: The most common tick-borne disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is Lyme disease. It is characterized by a variety of disorders: dermatological, rheumatological, cardiological and neurological. Neuroborreliosis is defined as an involvement of the nervous system, and it is the second most common form of infection in children (10-15% of those infected). The aim of the study: To review the available materials and presentation of the current state of knowledge on the various manifestations of neuroborreliosis in children. Material and method: Databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar were searched. Literature was searched using the keywords: Lyme disease, neuroborreliosis, borreliosis, facial nerve paralysis, and pediatric population. The materials obtained in this way were analyzed in terms of compliance with the subject of the work. Results: Typical clinical manifestations of neuroborreliosis in children are facial nerve palsy and meningitis. Neuroborreliosis is the cause of 50% of all cases of bilateral facial nerve palsy in children. Multiple cranial and peripheral neuritis, myelitis, cerebral vasculitis and, consequently, the formation of intracranial aneurysms are less common manifestations of infection. Conclusions: The symptoms of neuroborreliosis are non-specific. This makes it difficult to make an accurate diagnosis. Even if no information on tick bite or erythema migrans has been obtained from the clinical history, neuroborreliosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially in Lyme-endemic areas

Teplizumab - current state of knowledge on the effects of teplizumab in preventing the development of type 1 diabetes in people at risk

Background and Purpose: Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease from the group of metabolic disorders, where the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells of the pancreas, leading to hyperglycemia and the need for lifelong exogenous insulin supplementation. This results in increased morbidity, life threatening complications, shortened lifespan and quality of life. So there is an urgent need to develop prevention and treatment for people at risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Current state of knowledge: Recently, there has been significant progress in the field of immunotherapy with therapeutic strategies that focus on stopping the disease in the presymptomatic stage by preserving residual beta-cell function. Randomized, double-blind clinical trials of teplizumab were conducted in relatives of patients with established type 1 diabetes who had not yet been diagnosed with the disease, but were at high risk of developing clinical disease, based on these studies The FDA has approved teplizumab, under trade name Tzield, as a treatment to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes. Conclusion: The reviewed research papers present strong evidence that teplizumab halts the severe decline in beta cells and possibly improves their function after treatment in a high-risk population. In addition, the effect persists

SIBO - the present knowledge within the contekst of clinical dependencies and therapy

Introduction: The gut microbiome is an integral part of the body, and the eubiosis conditio significantly  influences homeostasis. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is connected with an increased numer of bacteria, it causes gastrointestinal symptoms. The main symptoms are abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea. SIBO correlates with the occurrence of other chronic diseases. The basis of treatment are antibiotics. There are also scientific reports on supplementing pharmacological therapy with dietary management. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to review the current knowledge on the bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine. Particular attention took notice of to the relationship  between SIBO and other chronic diseases as well as potential and applied treatments. Material and methods: The review includes publications published in 2020-2023 and certain works published earlier, in the years 2008-2017. Data were collected using PubMed, ScienceDirect i Google Scholar. Results: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is heterogeneous disorder. Its symptoms are nonspecific. SIBO is related to several different diseases and corresponds with them. Empirical treatment consists in administration of antibiotics. Supplementing therapy with alternative methods for example probiotic and diet therapy  promotes success in treating. Conclusions: The lack of standarized therapeutic menagment and focused on bacterial eradication only approach makes, SIBO is recurrent ailment. More research is needed. The important thing is holistic approach on etiology, pathogenesis and therapy

Influence of perinatal factors on gene expression of IAPs family and main factors of pluripotency: OCT4 and SOX2 in human breast milk stem cells : a preliminary report

Due to their therapeutic potential, mesenchymal stem cells are the subject of intensive research on the use of their potential in the treatment of, among others, neurodegenerative diseases or immunological diseases. They are among the newest in the field of medicine. The presented study aimed to evaluate the expression of eight genes from the IAP family and the gene regulating IAP—XAF1—in stem cells derived from human milk, using the qPCR method. The relationships between the expression of genes under study and clinical data, such as maternal age, maternal BMI, week of pregnancy in which the delivery took place, bodyweight of the newborn, the number of pregnancies and deliveries, and the time elapsed since delivery, were also analyzed. The research was carried out on samples of human milk collected from 42 patients hospitalized in The Clinic of Obstetrics and Perinatology of the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4, in Lublin. The conducted research confirmed the expression of the following genes in the tested material: NAIP, BIRC2, BIRC3, BIRC5, BIRC6, BIRC8, XIAP, XAF1, OCT4 and SOX2. Moreover, several dependencies of the expression of individual genes on the maternal BMI (BIRC5, XAF1 and NAIP), the time since childbirth (BIRC5, BIRC6, XAF1 and NAIP), the number of pregnancies and deliveries (BIRC2, BIRC5, BIRC6 and XAF1), the manner of delivery (XAF1 and OCT4), preterm labor (BIRC6 and NAIP) were demonstrated. Additionally, we found positive relationships between gene expression of BIRC7, BIRC8 and XAF1 and the main factors of pluripotency: SOX2 and OCT4. This work is the first to investigate the expression of genes from the IAPs family in mother’s milk stem cells