Impact of online shopping frequency on overconsumption in European households : regional analysis with a focus on Poland

PURPOSE: The purpose of the article is to examine the impact of the frequency of online shopping on the reasons for getting rid of functional items from households.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Consumer culture provides people with new consumption patterns and attractive incentives that stimulate them to constantly acquire new goods and services. The attitude of consumerism leads to a situation in which the more a consumer possesses, the greater the desire to possess. Consumerism explains the pro-consumption attitude of members of highly developed societies, but it also permeates developing countries.FINDINGS: The article is based on secondary data and the results of the authors' own research, conducted on a representative sample of adult Poles. Based on the results of the survey, it can be observed that an increase in the frequency of online shopping results in an increase in the consumption of products and a greater need to get rid of functional items from households.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: It should not be forgotten that consumerism causes many negative effects on the environment. First of all, consumerism is the cause of waste of natural resources. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the activities of individuals and households have significant environmental consequences in the aggregate.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Based on the results of this article, significant improvements in the environment can result from a change in their behavior.The project is financed within the framework of the programme of the Minister of Science 416 and Higher Education entitled "Regional Excellence Initiative" in 2019-2022; project number 417 001/RID/2018/19; the amount of financing PLN 10,684,000.00.peer-reviewe

Improving osteoblasts cells proliferation via femtosecond laser surface modification of 3D-printed poly-ε-caprolactone scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications

Synthetic polymer biomaterials incorporating cells are a promising technique for treatment of orthopedic injuries. To enhance the integration of biomaterials into the human body, additional functionalization of the scaffold surface should be carried out that would assist one in mimicking the natural cellular environment. In this study, we examined poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) fiber matrices in view of optimizing the porous properties of the constructs. Altering the porosity of a PCL scaffold is expected to improve the material's biocompatibility, thus influencing its osteoconductivity and osteointegration. We produced 3D poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) matrices by a fused deposition modeling method for bone and cartilage tissue engineering and performed femtosecond (fs) laser modification experiments to improve the surface properties of the PCL construct. Femtosecond laser processing is one of the useful tools for creating a vast diversity of surface patterns with reproducibility and precision. The processed surface of the PCL matrix was examined to follow the effect of the laser parameters, namely the laser pulse energy and repetition rate and the number (N) of applied pulses. The modified zones were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal microscopy, X-ray computed tomography and contact angle measurements. The results obtained demonstrated changes in the morphology of the processed surface. A decrease in the water contact angle was also seen after fs laser processing of fiber meshes. Our work demonstrated that a precise control of material surface properties could be achieved by applying a different number of laser pulses at various laser fluence values. We concluded that the structural features of the matrix remain unaffected and can be successfully modified through laser postmodification. The cells tests indicated that the micro-modifications created induced MG63 and MC3T3 osteoblast cellular orientation. The analysis of the MG63 and MC3T3 osteoblast attachment suggested regulation of cells volume migration

Association of FTO and TMEM18 polymorphisms with overweight and obesity in the population of Polish children

Published Online: 2016-03-16The objective of the study was to verify whether or not FTO rs9939609, rs9926289 and TMEM18 rs4854344, rs6548238, rs2867125 variants are important risk factors for overweight and/or obesity in Polish children aged 6-16 (n=283). FTO rs 9939609 and rs9926289 exhibited a strong codominant obesity-predisposing effect of genotypes homozygous for minor alleles (OR=5.42, 95% CI: 2.04-14.39, p=0.0006). The important finding of the study is increased risk of overweight (OR=5.03, 95% CI: 1.15-21.93, p=0.0306) in individuals homozygous for the minor alleles rs4854344, rs6548238 and rs2867125 in the recessive inheritance model, while no other significant associations between TMEM18 variants and risk of obesity were found. Given the identified interaction TMEM18 genotype × BMI category (p=0.0077), it seems that the effect of homozygous for the minor alleles may be compared to a “weight guard”, which significantly increases the risk of overweight, but not of obesity, because it promotes weight gain only up to the threshold of obesity. Conclusion: The proposed hypothetical effect (“weight guard”) of homozygous for the minor alleles in the TMEM18 based on a rather small sample is a possible explanation of the effects of minor alleles, which minimize the risk of obesity.Iwona Rosset, Dominik Strapagiel, Aneta Sitek, Małgorzata Majewska, Lidia Ostrowska-Nawarycz, Elżbieta Żądzińsk

Association of FTO gene with obesity in Polish schoolchildren

The goal of the study was verification of fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene polymorphisms as significant risk factors of obesity in the population of Polish children. Body mass index (BMI) and DNA were evaluated, where DNA was extracted from saliva, collected from 213 children at the age of 6-13 years. DNA was genotyped by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and HRM (high resolution melting) techniques, as well as by direct sequencing. Three (3) FTO polymorphisms were identified: rs9939609, rs9926289 and rs76804286, the last polymorphism located between the first two. For the first time, absolute linkage disequilibrium (LD) of FTO gene rs9939609 and rs9926289 polymorphisms was confirmed in data for the Polish population (D’=1, r2=1). The lack of a complete dependence among the three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the FTO gene was a consequence of the concurrence of homozygotes with minor alleles A of rs9939609+rs9926289 of FTO (AA+AA) with major alleles of rs76804286 (GG). A case-control association analysis for BMI in obese children (n=51), as compared to normal-weight children (n=162), was based on the effects of genotypes homozygous for the minor alleles of the studied SNPs in recessive and codominant inheritance models (assuming an independent effect of each genotype). A comparison of children with normal BMI with obese children indicate a strong co-dominant effect of a genotype in homozygotes of minor alleles (AA+AA) of completely linked rs9939609+rs9926289 (OR at age 8.89 ± 1.54 years=4.87, 95% CI 1.81-13.12, p=0.002). An almost five-fold increase of obesity risk in the examined children indicates that the genetic factors, associated with excessive body weight gain, exert stronger effects in the early period of ontogenetic development vs. puberty and adulthood. The role of genetic factors in predisposing to obesity declines with age.Aneta Sitek, Iwona Rosset, Dominik Strapagiel, Małgorzata Majewska, Lidia Ostrowska-Nawarycz, Elżbieta Żądzińsk

In Vitro Interaction of Lithium on Phospholipids in Human Erythrocytes

Lithium salts are used in the treatment of mania and as prophylaxis against manic depressive disorder. The aim of these studies was the in vitro investigation of the effect of lithium on phospholipids of human erythrocyte membranes. Erythrocytes were treated with lithium for 1 h. Phospholipids phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylocholine (PC) were separated from erythrocyte ghosts and determined by HPLC. Blood samples from healthy adults were investigated. A very strong decrease in PC content in erythrocyte membranes due to lithium in vitro treatment was found, as well as a statistically significant increase in PI content

Raman-based spectrophenotyping of the most important cells of the immune system

INTRODUCTION: Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are a heterogeneous population of cells that includes T and B lymphocytes. The total number of lymphocytes and their percentage in the blood can be a marker for the diagnosis of several human diseases. Currently, cytometric methods are widely used to distinguish subtypes of leukocytes and quantify their number. These techniques use cell immunophenotyping, which is limited by the number of fluorochrome-labeled antibodies that can be applied simultaneously. OBJECTIVE: B and T lymphocytes were isolated from peripheral blood obtained from healthy human donors. METHODS: The immunomagnetic negative selection was used for the enrichment of B and T cells fractions, and their purity was assessed by flow cytometry. Isolated cells were fixed with 0.5% glutaraldehyde and measured using confocal Raman imaging. K-means cluster analysis, principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant methods were applied for the identification of spectroscopic markers to distinguish B and T cells. HPLC was the reference method for identifying carotene in T cells. RESULTS: Reliable discrimination between T and B lymphocytes based on their spectral profile has been demonstrated using label-free Raman imaging and chemometric analysis. The presence of carotene in T lymphocytes (in addition to the previously reported in plasma) was confirmed and for the first time unequivocally identified as β-carotene. In addition, the molecular features of the lymphocytes nuclei were found to support the discriminant analysis. It has been shown that although the presence of carotenoids in T cells depends on individual donor variability, the reliable differentiation between lymphocytes is possible based on Raman spectra collected from individual cells. CONCLUSIONS: This proves the potential of Raman spectroscopy in clinical diagnostics to automatically differentiate between cells that are an important component of our immune system

How does gender influence the recognition of cardiovascular risk and adherence to self-care recommendations? : a study in polish primary care

Background: Studies have shown a correlation between gender and an ability to change lifestyle to reduce the risk of disease. However, the results of these studies are ambiguous, especially where a healthy lifestyle is concerned. Additionally, health behaviors are strongly modified by culture and the environment. Psychological factors also substantially affect engagement with disease-related lifestyle interventions. This study aimed to examine whether there are differences between men and women in the frequency of health care behavior for the purpose of reducing cardiovascular risk (CVR), as well as cognitive appraisal of this type of risk. We also aimed to identify the psychological predictors of engaging in recommended behavior for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease after providing information about this risk in men and women. Methods: A total of 134 consecutive eligible patients in a family practice entered a longitudinal study. At initial consultation, the individual’s CVR and associated health burden was examined, and preventive measures were recommended by the physician. Self-care behavior, cognitive appraisal of risk, and coping styles were then assessed using psychological questionnaires. Six months after the initial data collection, the frequency of subjects’ self-care behavior was examined. Results: We found an increase in health care behavior after providing information regarding the rate of CVR in both sexes; this increase was greater for women than for men. Women followed self-care guidelines more often than men, particularly for preventive measures and dietary advice. Women were more inclined to recognize their CVR as a challenge. Coping style, cognitive appraisal, age, level of health behaviors at baseline and CVR values accounted for 48% of the variance in adherence to self-care guidelines in women and it was 52% in men. In women, total risk of CVD values were most important, while in men, cognitive appraisal of harm/loss was most important. Conclusions: Different predictors of acquisition of health behavior are encountered in men and women. Our results suggest that gender-adjusted motivation models influencing the recognition process need to be considered to optimize compliance in patients with CVR

Changes in Phospholipid Composition Studied by HPLC and Electric Properties of Liver Cell Membrane of Ethanol-Poisoned Rats

Ethanol introduced into the organism undergoes rapid metabolism to acetaldehyde and then to acetic acid. The process is accompanied by formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which damage mainly lipids of membrane cells. The effects of ROS can be neutralized by administering preparations with antioxidant properties. The natural preparations of this kind are teas