The Polish Ordinary Courts in Dialogue on International Law

The monograph is a result of the project nr 10-ECRP-028 International Law through the National Prism: the Impact of Judicial Dialogue The research is based on laws being in force on 2nd August 201

Macierzyństwo po żydowsku w narracjach matek żyjących w Polsce

This article discusses the maternal experiences of three women of Jewish origin. The data was collected by means of a free-text interview with narrative elements, and analyzed by means of the linguistic-narrative method of text analysis. The main question we seek to answer is: What types of motherhood do Jewish mothers represent? and What are the characteristics of each of them? The aims of the article are (1) to juxtapose the three styles of motherhood and describe each of them, and (2) to show the importance of the transfer of the culture of origin and upbringing for the performance of the parental role by Jewish women. In this paper, we discuss the cultural pattern of motherhood, by juxtaposing the figure of the Polish Mother with the Yiddish Mame. We then outline the detailed methodological design of the article. In the next section, we characterize three types of motherhood: mono-cultural, bicultural and multicultural. Our analysis leads to a conclusion indicating that despite contemporary social changes, mothers are still responsible for the religious upbringing of their children. At the same time, we point out the similarities between the Polish Mother and the Yiddish Mame.W niniejszym artykule prezentujemy macierzyńskie doświadczenia trzech kobiet żydowskiego pochodzenia. Dane zebrane zostały za pomocą wywiadu swobodnego z elementami narracji, a analizowane za pomocą językowo-narracyjnej metody analizy tekstu. Głównym pytaniem, na które staramy się znaleźć odpowiedź, jest: Jakie typy macierzyństwa prezentują matki Żydówki? I czym charakteryzuje się każdy z nich? Cele artykułu to: (1) Zestawienie trzech stylów macierzyństwa i charakterystyka każdego z nich, (2) Ukazanie znaczenia transferu kultury pochodzenia i wychowania dla pełnienia roli rodzicielskiej przez kobiety pochodzenia żydowskiego. W artykule przedstawiamy kulturowy wzór macierzyństwa, zestawiamy figurę Matki Polki z Jidysze Mame. Następnie prezentujemy szczegółowe założenia metodologiczne. W kolejnej części charakteryzujemy trzy typy macierzyństwa: jednokulturowe, dwukulturowe i wielokulturowe. Nasze analizy prowadzą do wniosków końcowych, wskazujących na to, że pomimo współczesnych przemian społecznych nadal za religijne wychowanie dzieci odpowiadają matki. Jednocześnie wskazujemy na podobieństwa pomiędzy matką-Polką a Jidysze Mame

The EU’s Sanctions Against Russia in the Context of Russian Aggression on Ukraine, and Their Judicial Control

In 2014, the Russian aggression against Ukraine began and it escalated even greater in February 2022. The Western states, including the Member States of the European Union, reacted and introduced a wide variety of sanctions, first in 2014, then in 2022, yet until now they have not led to the termination of the Russian–Ukrainian conflict and to the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Ukraine. The aim of this article is to analyse these sanctions and their development as well as the judicial control that was effectuated in relation to these measures by the Court of Justice of the European Union

Monocyte response receptors in BCG driven delayed type hypersensitivity to tuberculin.

Tuberculosis (TB) still remains the leading cause of mortality due to bacterial pathogen. The only currently available vaccine against TB, Bacille Calmette-GuĂŠrin (BCG) is at best credited with a 50% overall protective efficacy. Skin testing with purified protein derivative (PPD) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the method of detecting BCG-induced cell mediated immunity, in vivo. In the previous study we found that approximately 60% young volunteers with no history of TB, who had been subjected to neonatal BCG vaccination and revaccination(s) at school age, developed delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to tuberculin. The remaining volunteers were persistently tuberculin negative. Moreover, we found a significant association between BCG driven development of DTH to PPD and the polymorphism within the CD14 C/T(-159) gene for macrophage receptor recognising mycobacterial compounds. It has suggested that the CD14 gene variants may play a role in the appearance and persistence of DTH to PPD in BCG vaccinated subjects. In order to extend our study on a possible role of CD14 in BCG driven DTH response to PPD, we measured the expression of mCD14 on macrophages, stimulated or not stimulated with mycobacterial antigens, and the serum levels of sCD14. Considering the importance of CD14 - TLR2/TLR4 interactions in macrophage signalling, we determined the polymorphism of TLR2 and TLR4 genes as well as macrophage expression of TLR2 for the volunteers with and without skin reactivity to PPD. We observed a subtle but significant decrease in CD14 density on adherent monocytes from tuberculin positive versus tuberculin negative volunteers. However, we found no difference in CD14 density on monocytes enriched in CD14+ cells using anti-CD14 mAb coupled to magnetic beads. A significant increase in CD14 density was observed on macrophages stimulated with PPD and LPS but not with live BCG bacilli. However, this increase as well as serum levels of soluble sCD14 were similar in the volunteers with and without skin reactions to PPD. Thus, our suggestion on the role of CD14 in the generation of DTH to tuberculin in BCG vaccinated subjects should be further explored. The most important CD14 co-receptors are Toll-like receptors (TLRs) which activate nuclear factors for the production of inflammatory cytokines. However, we could see no association between the polymorphisms of TLR4 (Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile) and TLR2 genes (Arg753Gln and Arg677Trp) and skin responses to PPD. Also, the TLR2 density was similar on monocytes from tuberculin negative and tuberculin positive volunteers

Homogenization of values in magazines for girls

W artykule omawiany jest sposób kreowania świata wartości w wybranych czasopismach dla dziewczynek. Analizie zostały poddane głównie wartości poznawcze i moralne. Argumentujemy, że eksplikacja wartości ma charakter rozmyty i ujednolicony. Z analizy tekstów zawartych w czasopismach wynika, że nadrzędną wartością jest w nich konsumpcjonizm. Głównym celem popularnych pism dla dziewczynek jest wychowanie konsumentek nastawionych na gromadzenie wrażeń związanych z posiadaniem i wyglądem zewnętrznym.In the article titled "Homogenization of values in magazines for girls" the way of creating the world of values in selected magazines for girls is discussed. The cognitive and moral values were mainly analyzed. We argue that the explication of values is fuzzy and unified. The analysis of the texts contained in the journals shows that consumerism is the supreme value in them. Upbringing of consumers focused on gathering impressions related to possession and appearance is the main aim of popular magazines for girls

Interaction of Helicobacter pylori with C-Type Lectin Dendritic Cell-Specific ICAM Grabbing Nonintegrin

In this study we asked whether Helicobacter pylori whole cells and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) utilize sugar moieties of Lewis (Le) antigenic determinants to interact with DC-SIGN (dendritic cell specific ICAM grabbing nonintegrin) receptor on dendritic cells (DCs). For this purpose the soluble DC-SIGN/Fc adhesion assay and the THP-1 leukemia cells with induced expression of DC-SIGN were used. We showed that the binding specificity of DC-SIGN with H. pylori LeX/Y positive whole cells and H. pylori LPS of LeX/Y type was fucose dependent, whereas in LeXY negative H. pylori strains and LPS preparations without Lewis determinants, this binding was galactose dependent. The binding of soluble synthetic LeX and LeY to the DC-SIGN-like receptor on THP-1 cells was also observed. In conclusion, the LeXY dependent as well as independent binding of H. pylori whole cells and H. pylori LPS to DC-SIGN was described. Moreover, we demonstrated that THP-1 cells may serve as an in vitro model for the assessment of H. pylori-DC-SIGN interactions mediated by LeX and LeY determinants

Underplated melts control sulfide segregation at the continental crust-mantle transition

Exposures of the Earth’s crust-mantle transition are scarce, thus, limiting our knowledge about the formation of subcontinental underplate cumulates, and their significance for metal storage and migration. Here, we investigated chalcophile metals to track sulfide crystallization within the Contact Series, an <150-m-thick pyroxenite-gabbronorite sequence, formed by mantle-derived melts, highlighting the boundary between the Balmuccia mantle peridotite and gabbronoritic Mafic Complex of the Ivrea-Verbano Zone. Within the Contact Series, numerous sulfides crystallized in response to the differentiation of mantle-derived underplated melts. Such sulfide-controlled metal differentiation resulted in anomalous Cu contents (up to ~380 ppm), compared to reference mantle (~19 ppm) and crustal samples (~1 ppm). We propose that the assimilation of continental crust material is a critical mechanism driving sulfide segregation and sulfide-controlled metal storage. Our results evidence that sulfides are trapped in the underplated mafic-ultramafic cumulates and that their enrichment in Cu may provide essential implications for crustal metallogeny

Caspase-1 engagement and TLR-induced c-FLIP expression suppress ASC/caspase-8-dependent apoptosis by inflammasome sensors NLRP1b and NLRC4

The caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD)-based inflammasome sensors NLRP1b and NLRC4 induce caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis independent of the inflammasome adaptor ASC. Here, we show that NLRP1b and NLRC4 trigger caspase-8-mediated apoptosis as an alternative cell death program in caspase-1(-/-) macrophages and intestinal epithelial organoids (IECs). The caspase-8 adaptor FADD was recruited to ASC specks, which served as cytosolic platforms for caspase-8 activation and NLRP1b/NLRC4-induced apoptosis. We further found that caspase-1 protease activity dominated over scaffolding functions in suppressing caspase-8 activation and induction of apoptosis of macrophages and IECs. Moreover, TLR-induced c-FLIP expression inhibited caspase-8-mediated apoptosis downstream of ASC speck assembly, but did not affect pyroptosis induction by NLRP1b and NLRC4. Moreover, unlike during pyroptosis, NLRP1b- and NLRC4-elicited apoptosis retained alarmins and the inflammasome-matured cytokines interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) and IL-18 intracellularly. This work identifies critical mechanisms regulating apoptosis induction by the inflammasome sensors NLRP1b and NLRC4 and suggests converting pyroptosis into apoptosis as a paradigm for suppressing inflammation

NAIP and CARD-only proteins in inflammasome signaling

The primary role of the innate immune system is to recognize and respond to harmful external and internal insults including microbial pathogens, harmful environmental factors and host-derived stress signals. Protection of the organism relies on the ability of the innate immune system to discriminate deleterious infectious agents and stress factors from innocuous selfcomponents and the commensal micro-organisms that inhabit mucosal interfaces. Germlineencoded Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) are key components of the innate immune system that enable such adequate responses. PRRs sense unique, evolutionarily conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that are frequently essential for establishing infection in its hosts and for survival of the pathogen in this hostile environment. In addition, PRRs scan the presence of self-molecules at extra- and intracellular locations that normally should be devoid of such factors, which serves as an indication of significant cellular stress. Such proxy molecules are referred to as danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) or alarmins, and include ATP, HMGB1, interleukin (IL)-1α and hyaluronic acid. Although the innate immune system was long held to mount a non-discriminatory response to pathogens (as opposed to the tailored response of the adaptive immune system), it is now well-established that PRRs engage specific signaling cascades, the combination of which results in adequate inflammatory and host defense responses to fight the infectious agent. Many PRRs control signaling pathways that engage transcription factors to produce acute phase proteins, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that attract and instruct other immune and regulatory cells. In contrast, a subset of PRRs of the Nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) and Leucine-rich Repeat (LRR)-containing (NLR), AIM2-like receptor (ALR) families and the protein Pyrin drive post-translational mechanisms that orchestrate assembly of inflammasomes - intracellular multiprotein platforms that promote autocatalytic activation of procaspase-1. Activated caspase-1 drives proteolytic maturation of pro-IL-1β and pro-IL-18 into their bioactive forms, as well as their subsequent release into the extracellular environment. IL-1β and IL-18 exert their downstream inflammatory and immune effects through their cognate receptors on both hematopoietic and stromal cells1. In addition, caspase-1 promotes an inflammatory mode of cell death termed pyroptosis, which is characterized by cell swelling, nuclear condensation and rapid cell membrane rapture and extracellular release of the cellular content. Pyroptosis is thought to contribute to host defense by eliminating intracellular replicative niches of pathogens and by preventing the further spread of the infectious agents to neighboring tissues2. These (and potentially other effector mechanisms) render inflammasome-driven responses a rapid and powerful response mechanism that itself may become a potential threat to the organism if their activation, strength and resolution are not carefully controlled. Consistently, multiple checkpoints balance inflammasome signaling in order to preserve or return to homeostasis after a microbial or other threat has been resolved. In addition, multiple gain-of-function mutations in inflammasome genes have been reported that cause excessive or uncontrolled inflammasome activation, which underlies destructive autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases in man. Current understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control and modulate activation of the distinct inflammasomes is only starting to emerge, and further clarification of these processes is bound to illuminate novel disease mechanisms and highlight new anchor points for diagnosis and therapy of inflammatory diseases. The work described in this thesis contributed to these efforts. Part I of the Introduction reviews contemporary understanding of the regulatory checkpoints of inflammasome activation and modulation. In Part II of the Introduction, I focus on describing dominant-negative and decoy inhibitors and their roles in inflammasome biology, with an emphasis on members of the caspase recruitment domain (CARD)-only proteins (COP) and pyrin (PYD)-only proteins (POP). Part I of the Results section of this thesis reports our work on characterizing the roles of Nlrc4 phosphorylation and the NLR member Naip5 in activation of the Nlrc4 inflammasome in murine macrophages. In Part II of the Results section, I discuss our work detailing the regulatory roles of the human COP protein Inhibitory CARD (INCA) on the distinct known inflammasome pathways. Finally, Part III of the Results section provides an overview of our experiments suggesting the existence of a caspase-1 activityinduced processing of Nlrc4 independently of the proteasome. The thesis is completed with a General Discussion and Future Perspectives chapter in which I discuss our results from a broader perspective of the field, and highlight new questions that emerged from this work as a foundation for potentially interesting novel discoveries in the future