Extradermal melanin transfer? : lack of macroscopic spleen melanization in old C57BL/6 mice with de-synchronized hair cycle

In quest of alternate, extradermal path of melanin transfer from skin to the visceral organs, we suggested that some portions of such melanin may be deposited in the spleen, which in young black C57BL/6 mice is often melanized. Here, we confirm these observation using young C57BL/6 female mice (up to 17 weeks) and show that this phenomenon cannot be observed in old animals where the hair cycle is not synchronized any more. The experiments were carried out both on spontaneous and depilation-induced hair cycle. We have checked it as a side-observation over many other experiments carried out on young and old C57BL/6 female mice (up to 2.5 years of life). The presence or absence of melanin in the spleens was checked macroscopically, and histologically by Fontana-Masson (FM) staining, and synchronization of the hair cycle - by standard histomorphometric analysis of the back skin hair follicles. In about 40% of old spleens black FM-stainable 'debris' could be found under closer histological examination. This study shows that, at least in part, the phenomenon of splenic melanosis in C57BL/6 mice can be correlated with the synchronized skin melanization parallel to the hair cycle progress, and that splenic melanin undergoes gradual degradation during the mouse life

Reklama audiowizualna a zachowania żywieniowe dzieci w wieku przedszkolnym

The goal of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the time spent in front of a computer or TV and eating habits in kindergarten children. The study was conducted in May and September 2012 in two kindergartens in Krakow (n=61) and in a kindergarten in Podłęże, a village near Krakow (n=34). The average age of the studied children was 5.02±1.17. 40 parents of boys and 55 parents of girls took part in the study. The differences in responses related to gender and place of living were checked. The analyses of correlations among particular factors, including BMI, were conducted by means of the Spearman rank. Most of the kindergarten children (60%) spent an hour or less in front of TV. No relation between the time spent in front of TV or computer and gender or place of living or BMI interpretation was noticed. The time devoted to watching TV was connected with the frequency of snacks and fast-food consumption. The higher the education of mothers the less frequently children eat in front of TV. The frequency of sweetened beverages was also linked with the time spent in front of a computer. The relation between time spent in front of TV or computer and frequency of high energy food consumption among children was confirmed in the study. An effort should be made to educate parents about probable increased risk of children’s obesity connected with watching media advertising

Applicability of the silver amalgam electrode in voltammetric determination of zinc and copper in gastric juice and gastric mucosa of rats

The aim of the work was to compare two analytical methods of trace analysis in respect to their applicability in heavy metals determination in biological samples. Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) may be considered as the method of choice in such analyses due to its accuracy, precision and low detection limit. On the other hand, voltammetric methods seem to be as useful, but rarely applied. Having in mind that there is no universal analytical method, we have compared two AAS and voltammetric methods as the tools for Zn and Cu determination in the samples collected from rat gastric juice and gastric mucosa. Construction of the renewable silver amalgam film electrode (Hg(Ag)FE) for stripping voltammetry was described. Detailed optimization of measurements procedure and sample preparation for differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP ASV) and AAS were also performed and presented. The obtained results of quantitative analysis of the chosen parameters by means of both methods are discussed

Labor induction at full-term and post-term pregnancies

Introduction: Induction of labor is an intervention in the obstetrics, which aim is to achieve cervical ripening and stimulate contractions of uterus before beginning of labor. The purpose of our study was to evaluate effi cacy of combinations of vaginal misoprostol, intracervical dinoprostone and Foley catheter at term with regard to mode of delivery and rate of emergency C-sections due to birth asphyxia. Material and Methods: 403 singleton pregnant women, who underwent pharmacological labor induction at term, were reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 main cohorts due to beginning of induction algorithm: vaginal misoprostol (66) or intracervical dinoprostone (337) consisting of 3 subgroups - PGE2 alone (184), PGE2+Foley catheter (125), PGE2+Foley catheter+PGE1 (28). Results: Comparison of maternal age, presence of cervical dilation and parity revealed no major diff erences between cohorts. Eff ectiveness of labor induction with misoprostol, dinoprostone and dinoprostone followed by Foley catheter were respectively 90.9%, 51.3%, and 82.8%. Addition of PGE1 was eff ective in 83% of patients with negative response to PGE2 followed by Foley catheter. Th ere was no statistically signifi cant diff erence in rate of C-sections between dinoprostone and misoprostol cohorts, C-section due to birth asphyxia were insignifi cantly more frequent in PGE1 than in PGE2 cohort. Efficacy in the subgroup administered only dinoprostone was signifi cantly higher in 40th than in 41th (p = 0.016). Conclusions: Intracervical dinoprostone seems to be safer, but less effective in labor induction than vaginal misoprostol. Following PGE2 by other methods increased effi cacy of induction in this cohort

Prevalence and factors associated with thinness in rural Polish children

A lot of attention has been focused on obesity, however, the other extreme—thinness—may lead to inhibition of physical and intellectual development. The aim was to assess the prevalence of thinness and determine the associated factors in children from rural populations. We used data from the cross-sectional sample of 3048 children, examined in schools from a district in southern Poland. The sample included 89% of the district departments, and included a proportion of rural and small town populations—a representative one for the region. Thinness was determined based on the criteria proposed by Cole and Lobstein. Biological, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were analysed. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of thinness was 11.5% in boys and 13.5% in girls. In the younger group, it was similar in boys and girls at 11.8%; whereas in the older group, it was 11.1% and 14.5%, respectively. The prevalence of thinness Grade 3 in girls was two times higher than in boys. The increased index of leisure time physical activity was connected with thinness in prepubertal boys. The mechanism determining the development of thinness is very complex and further exploration of this trend is recommended

Financial and organizational aspects of the functioning of primary health care during the COVID-19 pandemic

PURPOSE: The aim of this scientific study is to analyze selected issues related to the functioning and financing of Polish Primary Health Care units in the initial period of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The following research methods were used, the historicallegal method – selected legal acts and communiques issued by public administration bodies during the initial period of the pandemic, the dogmatic-legal method – a systematic and linguistic interpretation of legal acts, reports, and information on websites was carried out.FINDINGS: The research results allow to draw de lege ferenda conclusions regarding the improvement of organizational functioning of Primary Health Care units. These conclusions will be helpful if new infectious diseases appear in the future. Making the rules for financing Primary Health Care units more stable will enable public authorities to better prepare for potential crisis situations.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Solutions regarding the financing of healthcare services provided by Polish Primary Health Care facilities in the initial phase of the pandemic had a fundamental impact on the evolution of financing these medical entities in the subsequent stages of combating the pandemic and after its end.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The article is an original analysis of actions aimed at solving the organizational and financial problems of Primary Health Care units. The article may provide an impetus for an international discussion on the organization and financing of such health care entities.peer-reviewe

The functioning of the Polish health care system during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the opinion of primary health care patients

PURPOSE: The aim of this scientific study is to analyze selected issues related to the functioning of Polish Primary Health Care units in the initial period of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The analysis focused on the access to health services provided by Primary Health Care doctors and quality of those services, as well as issues related to the so-called tele-advice. Changes introduced in this respect directly affected the provision of health services to patients in their place of residence. The surveys we conducted were aimed at identifying the problems encountered by patients of these health care units. The following research methods were used in the study: the historical-legal method – selected legal acts and communiques issued by public administration bodies during the initial period of the pandemic were analyzed; the dogmatic-legal method – a systematic and linguistic interpretation of legal acts, reports, and information on websites was carried out; the survey method – surveys conducted among patients of Primary Health Care.FINDINGS: The research results allow to draw de lege ferenda conclusions regarding the improvement of organizational functioning of Primary Health Care units. These conclusions will be helpful if new infectious diseases appear in the future. Making the rules for accessing Primary Health Care units more stable will enable public authorities to better prepare for potential crisis situations.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The conducted empirical research can be utilized by decisionmakers, individuals managing the Polish health care system, and those managing/running Primary Health Care facilities. The responses obtained from the respondents indicate the strengths and weaknesses in organizing the health care process in a non-standard situation, such as during a pandemic. With their help, it is possible to better organize the process of patient contact and treatment in a crisis situation, during so-called extraordinary states.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The article is an original analysis of patients' opinions on the access to health care services provided by Primary Health Care facilities. The results of empirical research conducted among representatives of Polish society may serve as a basis for making comparisons in this area with other countries. The article may provide an impetus for an international discussion on the scope and quality of services provided by such health care entities.peer-reviewe

Physico-chemical and biological evaluation of doxycycline loaded into hybrid oxide-polymer layer on TiMo alloy

Oxide-polymer coatings were formed on the surface of the vanadium-free Ti-15Mo titanium alloy. The Ti alloy surface was modified by the plasma electrolytic oxidation process, and then, the polymer layer of a poly (D, Llactide- co-glycolide) with doxycycline was formed. The polymer evenly covered the porous oxide layer and filled some of the pores. However, the microstructure of the polymer surface was completely different from that of the PEO layer. The surface morphology, roughness and microstructure of the polymer layer were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a confocal microscope. The results confirmed the effectiveness of polymer and doxycycline deposition in their stable chemical forms. The drug analysis was performed by highperformance liquid chromatography. The $^{1}$H NMR technique was used to monitor the course of hydrolytic degradation of PLGA. It was shown that the PLGA layer is hydrolysed within a few weeks, and the polyglycolidyl part of the copolymer is hydrolysed to glycolic acid as first and much faster than the polylactide one to lactic acid. This paper presents influence of different microstructures on the biological properties of modified titanium alloys. Cytocompatibility and bacterial adhesion tests were evaluated using osteoblast-like MG-63 cells and using the reference S. aureus and S. epidermidis strains. The results showed that the optimum concentration of doxycycline was found to inhibit the growth of the bacteria and that the layer is still cytocompatible