A Comprehensive Investigation on Common Polymorphisms in the MDR1/ABCB1 Transporter Gene and Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer

ATP Binding Cassette B1 (ABCB1) is a transporter with a broad substrate specificity involved in the elimination of several carcinogens from the gut. Several polymorphic variants within the ABCB1 gene have been reported as modulators of ABCB1-mediated transport. We investigated the impact of ABCB1 genetic variants on colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. A hybrid tagging/functional approach was performed to select 28 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were genotyped in 1,321 Czech subjects, 699 CRC cases and 622 controls. In addition, six potentially functional SNPs were genotyped in 3,662 German subjects, 1,809 cases and 1,853 controls from the DACHS study. We found that three functional SNPs (rs1202168, rs1045642 and rs868755) were associated with CRC risk in the German population. Carriers of the rs1202168_T and rs868755_T alleles had an increased risk for CRC (Ptrend = 0.016 and 0.029, respectively), while individuals bearing the rs1045642_C allele showed a decreased risk of CRC (Ptrend = 0.022). We sought to replicate the most significant results in an independent case-control study of 3,803 subjects, 2,169 cases and 1,634 controls carried out in the North of Germany. None of the SNPs tested were significantly associated with CRC risk in the replication study. In conclusion, in this study of about 8,800 individuals we show that ABCB1 gene polymorphisms play at best a minor role in the susceptibility to CRC

Efficiency of selection in O type lines of sugar beet to biological and agronomic properties

Celem pracy była identyfikacja samozgodnych roślin w 5 liniach typu O. Ogółem zaizolowano po 3 pędy na każdej z 200 wybranych roślin. Część roślin nie zawiązała nasion. Do dalszej selekcji wybrano tylko te rośliny, które zawiązały minimum 150 nasion. Wybrane rośliny S1 ponownie izolowano i otrzymano pokolenie S2. Większość roślin była prawie jednolita co do pokroju, wielkości nasion i gęstego osadzenia na pędach nasiennych. Najlepsze potomstwa S2 rozmnożono w 37 szkółkach chowu siostrzanego. Wartość wybranych 11 potomstw S2 (Fl S2) porównano w doświadczeniach polowych. Plon korzeni zmniejszył się i wynosił 75,2-91,8%, a zawartość cukru była niższa lub zbliżona do średniej wzorca.The aim of the study was to identify self-compatible plants in five O type lines. In all, 200 mother plants, three stalks per plant, were isolated in paper bags. A part of plants did not set any seeds. Only the plants which set at least 150 seeds were taken to further selection. Selected S1 plants were bagged again to obtain the S2 generation. In S2 generation the majority of plants were nearly homogenous as to the habitus, seed size and dense seed distribution on the stalks. Best progenies of S2 were sib-mated in 37 isolated plots. The progeny of best 11 S2 generation (F1 S2) was compared in field trials. Rot yield of F1 S2 was depressed in comparison to standard and varied from 75.2 to 91.8%, whereas the sugar content was somewhat lower or close to standard mean

Variability of Pinus sylvestris L. seeds including seed coat colour

The aim of this work was to compare the variability of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris L. seeds collected in three forest sites in the Radomsko Forest District. This comparison was mainly based on viability and weight of 1000 seeds, which was then used to calculate seed value for each sample. Furthermore, seed size was assessed by measuring their length, width and area, using the WinSeedle software. All evaluated samples belonged to viability class I. Seeds originating from the Bąkowa Góra forest range were characterized by the highest weight, best viability and the largest size. In the next stage of our research, we performed an analysis of variability parameters taking the colour of the seed coat into consideration. For this analysis, the seeds were divided into three colour groups (fawn, brown, black) and their vitality and weight were assessed separately. The share of fawn seeds was 9.4%, brown 39.6% and black 50.9%. The weight of 1000 seeds and seed size parameters of fawn seeds were slightly higher than those of the black and brown seeds. The fawn and black seeds belonged to vitality class I, while brown seeds belonged to vitality class II. Despite the observed variability, seeds belonging to different colour groups did not show statistically significant differences in other measured parameters. The factor with the greatest impact on the seed parameters was the site of origin, which differed in their forest site type. Larger and heavier seeds came from the broadleaved forest site compared to the coniferous forest sites

Role of intermolecular interactions in assemblies of nanocontainers composed of carbon nanotubes and magnetic nanoparticles: A molecular dynamics study

10.1021/jp410736sJournal of Physical Chemistry C11821353-136

Influence of two different methods of nutrition education on the quality of life in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus - a randomized study

Background. Nutrition education is one of the most important factors determining the effectiveness of treatment and maintaining an adequate quality of life (QoL) in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Objective. The primary objective was to compare the influence of two methods of nutrition education on the QoL. The secondary objective was to identify other determinants of the QoL. Material and Methods. A randomized single-blind study was conducted between October 2017 and April 2019 at the Children’s Clinical Hospital in Warsaw. The study included 170 patients (aged 8-17) with at least 1-year history of type 1 diabetes, treated with insulin pumps. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (C) – traditional/ informative education methods, and an experimental group (E) – modern/interactive methods. PedsQL Diabetes Module 3.0 questionnaire was used in the assessment of the QoL. Total PedsQL score was the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes included the results obtained in five subscales of the questionnaire. The relationships between selected variables and changes in scores were also verified. Results. Data obtained from 136 patients were analyzed. In both groups no significant changes regarding total PedsQL were noted 6 months after the intervention. However, a significant reduction occurred as regards the scores of ‘Communication’ subscale in group C. Analyzing other determinants of the QoL, significant dependencies were observed between: the level of physical activity and a change in ‘Diabetes symptoms’ subscale, and the level of parents’ education and a change in ‘Treatment barriers’ subscale. Conclusions. Both methods of nutrition education exerted a comparable influence on the total QoL. However, modern methods were more effective in terms of the improvement in the aspect of communication. Additionally, moderate physical activity and parents’ tertiary education constituted valid determinants of various aspects of the QoL in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.Wprowadzenie. Edukacja żywieniowa stanowi jeden z najważniejszych elementów warunkujących skuteczność leczenia oraz utrzymanie odpowiedniej jakości życia dzieci i młodzieży z cukrzycą typu 1. Cel badań. Głównym celem badania było porównanie wpływu dwóch metod edukacji żywieniowej na jakość życia. Cel drugorzędny stanowiło zidentyfikowanie pozostałych czynników determinujących jakość życia. Materiał i metody. Przeprowadzono badanie randomizowane, pojedynczo zaślepione. Badanie było realizowane od października 2017 r. do kwietnia 2019 r. w Dziecięcym Szpitalu Klinicznym w Warszawie. Do badania zakwalifikowano 170 pacjentów (w wieku 8-17 lat) z cukrzycą typu 1 rozpoznaną przynajmniej rok wcześniej, leczonych za pomocą pomp insulinowych. Uczestnicy zostali losowo podzieleni na dwie grupy: kontrolną (C), w której zastosowano tradycyjne/informacyjne metody edukacji oraz eksperymentalną (E), w której wdrożono metody nowoczesne/interaktywne. Do oceny jakości życia wykorzystano kwestionariusz PedsQL Diabetes Module 3.0. Pierwszorzędowy punkt końcowy stanowiła całkowita punktacja uzyskana w kwestionariuszu. Do drugorzędowych punktów końcowych należały rezultaty osiągnięte w pięciu podskalach kwestionariusza. Zweryfikowano również występowanie zależności pomiędzy wybranymi zmiennymi a zmianami w punktacji. Wyniki. Przeanalizowano dane 136 pacjentów. Po upływie 6 miesięcy od zastosowanej interwencji w obydwu grupach nie odnotowano istotnych zmian w zakresie całkowitej punktacji. W grupie C stwierdzono jednak znamienne pogorszenie wyników w podskali „Komunikacja”. Analizując inne determinanty jakości życia pacjentów, zaobserwowano znamienne zależności pomiędzy: poziomem aktywności fizycznej a zmianą w podskali „Objawy cukrzycy” oraz stopniem wykształcenia rodziców a zmianą w podskali „Bariery związane z leczeniem”. Wnioski. Obydwie metody edukacji żywieniowej miały porównywalny wpływ na ogólną jakość życia. Metody nowoczesne były jednak skuteczniejsze w zakresie poprawy aspektu komunikacji. Co więcej, umiarkowany stopień aktywności fizycznej oraz wyższe wykształcenie rodziców stanowiły istotne determinanty różnych aspektów jakości życia dzieci i młodzieży z cukrzycą typu 1

Analysis of the diet quality and dietary habits of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Karolina Dłużniak-Gołaska,1 Mariusz Panczyk,2 Dorota Szostak-Węgierek,1 Agnieszka Szypowska,3 Beata Sińska4 1Department of Clinical Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 2Division of Teaching and Outcomes of Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 3Department of Pediatrics, The First Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 4Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland Introduction: The dietary habits of patients with type 1 diabetes are key elements of treatment as they facilitate the normalization of glycemia and maintenance of normal body weight (BW), lipid concentration, and the level of blood pressure. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze dietary habits and to verify the influence of the quality of diet on insulin dosage and selected clinical variables.Materials and methods: The study included 194 subjects (8–18 years old) suffering from type 1 diabetes and treated with the use of insulin pump. A modified KomPAN questionnaire was used to assess dietary habits and the frequency of the consumption of selected products. Two groups of patients were distinguished: G1 (poorer quality of diet) and G2 (better quality of diet). Clinical data were also collected.Results: Very low scores were noted in the whole study group as regards the index of healthy diet (27.6±11.1, 3.8–61.0). After dividing the participants into groups, it was observed that G1 included more boys (63.8%), and more girls were found in G2 (66.9%). G2 patients chose sweet and salty snacks and fried meals less frequently, and they consumed boiled dishes and avoided sweetening with sugar or honey more frequently. The following characteristics were observed in G1 patients: longer duration of the disease (6.5 vs 5.2 years), higher doses of insulin (0.86 vs 0.76 U/kg of BW/day), and being overweight (31.0% vs 17.6%) and underweight (19.0% vs 8.8%) noted twice more frequently. We did not observe differences concerning the concentration of glycated hemoglobin and lipids in the serum and the values of blood pressure.Conclusion: The findings revealed unsatisfactory dietary habits in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and indicated the necessity to analyze additional factors that might influence the quality of diet of the patients. Keywords: quality of diet, dietary habits, type 1 diabetes, index of healthy diet, index of unhealthy die

Non-spherical particles for optical trap assisted nanopatterning Non-spherical particles for optical trap assisted nanopatterning

Abstract Optical trap assisted nanopatterning is a laser direct-write technique that uses an optically trapped microsphere as a near-field objective. The type of feature that one can create with this technique depends on several factors, one of which is the shape of the microbead. In this paper, we examine how the geometry of the bead affects the focus of the light through a combination of experiments and simulations. We realize nanopatterning using non-spherical dielectric particles to shape the light-material interaction. We model the resulting nanoscale features with a finite difference time domain simulation and obtain very good agreement with the experiments. This work opens the way to systematic engineering of the microparticle geometry in order to tailor the near-field focus to specific nanopatterning applications