Analysis of the impact of sex and age on the variation in the prevalence of antinuclear autoantibodies in Polish population: a nationwide observational, cross-sectional study

The detection of antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) is dependent on many factors and varies between the populations. The aim of the study was first to assess the prevalence of ANA in the Polish adult population depending on age, sex and the cutoff threshold used for the results obtained. Second, we estimated the occurrence of individual types of ANA-staining patterns. We tested 1731 patient samples using commercially available IIFA using two cutoff thresholds of 1:100 and 1:160. We found ANA in 260 participants (15.0%), but the percentage of positive results strongly depended on the cutoff level. For a cutoff threshold 1:100, the positive population was 19.5% and for the 1:160 cutoff threshold, it was 11.7%. The most prevalent ANA-staining pattern was AC-2 Dense Fine speckled (50%), followed by AC-21 Reticular/AMA (14.38%) ANA more common in women (72%); 64% of ANA-positive patients were over 50 years of age. ANA prevalence in the Polish population is at a level observed in other highly developed countries and is more prevalent in women and elderly individuals. To reduce the number of positive results released, we suggest that Polish laboratories should set 1:160 as the cutoff threshold

Influence of competition between Cr3+ and Cu2+ with Cd2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Pb2+ or Zn2+ on volume of their sorption and desorption in the top horizon of grey-brown podzolic soil derived from silt (Haplic Luvisols)

W badaniach modelowych określano (w układach trójskładnikowych) wpływ Cd2+, Co2+, Ni3+, Pb2+ i Zn2+ na sorpcję i desorpcję Cr3+ i Cu2+ w powierzchniowej warstwie gleby płowej wytworzonej z pyłu (Haplic Luvisols). Wyniki porównano z doświadczeniami przeprowadzonymi w układach jedno- i dwuskładnikowych. Kationy Cr3+ miały wpływ na wielkość niespecyficznej i specyficznej sorpcji Cu2+, i odwrotnie. W układach trójskładnikowych oba rodzaje sorpcji tych kationów były ograniczane najbardziej efektywnie przez Pb2+ i w małym stopniu przez kationy Cd2+, Co2+, Ni2+ i Zn2+. Kationy Cr3+ i Cu2+ ograniczały najbardziej sorpcję specyficzną Cd2+, Co2+, Ni3+ i Zn2+, i w mniejszym stopniu ich sorpcję niespecyficzną.Model testing of the influence of Cd2+, Co2+, Ni3+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ on Cr3+ and Cu2+ sorption and desorption in three-component systems in the top horizon of grey-brown podzolic soil derived from silt (Haplic Luvisols) was performed. The results were compared with experiments carried out with one- and two-component sets. Cr3+ cations had an effect on the volume of non specific and specific Cu2+ sorption and vice versa. In three-component systems, both kinds of sorption of these cations were limited most effectively by Pb2+ and, to a small degree, by Cd2+, Co2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ cations. Cr3+ and Cu2+ cations diminished most significantly the specific sorption of Cd2+, Co2+, Ni3+ and Zn2+ and, to a lesser extent, their non specific sorption

Adsorpcja, desorpcja i degradacja karbendazymu w glebie lessowatej

Studies on the adsorption, desorption, reaction kinetic and degradation of carbendazim in samples from Ap, Eg, Bt and 2Cca horizons of gleved lessive soil formed from loess-like formations (Gleyic Luvisol) were carried out. Degradation experiments were performed at 5 and 25 °C. Degradation data fitted very well to the exponential form of the three-half kinetic model and, to a much lesser extent, to the first-order kinetic model. This was probably due to the changes in microbial activity of biomass during the degradation process. Therefore, the zero-order kinetic equation was also used. The DT50 values from first-order equation at 25 st. C were 12.3, 20.2, 76.6 and 183.1 days for the Ap, Eg, Bt and 2CCa horizon, respectively. The activation energies Ea for all soil horizons were in the range of 52-67 kJ o mol-1. The adsorption process proceeded very quickly, within 2 hours equilibrium was achieved, and after maximum 8 hours in the case of desorption. Kinetics data fitted well to the two-site kinetic model. The achieved Freundlich isotherms were of L-type. The estimated Kd ads values were the largest in samples from Bt horizon - 32.89 and the smallest in samples from 2Ca horizon - 0.656. The same was in the case of desorption: 34.99 for Bt and 1.105 for 2CCa horizon. The results suggest that clay minerals play an important role in sorption-desorption processes of this compound in the soil. The calculated Groundwater Ubiquity Score (GUS) index assessed carbendazim on the border between non-leaching and transient compounds.Badania adsorpcji, desorpcji, kinetyki reakcji i degradacji karbendazymu przeprowadzono w próbkach z poziomu Ap, Eg, Bt i 2Cca gleby płowej opadowo-glejowej wytworzonej z utworów lessowatych (Gleyic Luvisol), Doświadczenia z degradacją przeprowadzono dla temp. 5 i 25 °C. Dane z degradacji były bardzo dobrze opisywane wykładniczą postacią modelu trzy i półrzędowej kinetyki i w dużo mniejszym stopniu przez model kinetyki pierwszorzędowej. Było to prawdopodobnie spowodowane zmianami mikrobiologicznej aktywności biomasy w czasie procesu degradacji. Dlatego zastosowano również równanie kinetyki rzędu zerowego. Wartości DT50 z równania pierwszego rzędu dla 25 °C dla poziomu Ap, Eg, Bt and 2CCa wyniosły odpowiednio 12,3, 20,2, 76,6 i 183,1 dni. Energie aktywacji Ea dla wszystkich poziomów gleby mieściły się w zakresie 52-67 kJ o mol-1. Proces adsorpcji przebiegał bardzo szybko i w czasie 2 godz. ustalała się równowaga, a w przypadku desorpcji po maksymalnie 8 godz. Dane kinetyczne były dobrze opisywane za pomocą modelu kinetyki dwucentrowej. Otrzymano izotermy Freundlicha typu L. Największe wartości Kd adss otrzymano dla próbek z poziomu Bt - 32,89, najmniejsze dla próbek z poziomu 2CCa - 0,656. Tak samo było w przypadku desorpcji: 34,99 dla poziomu Bt i 1,105 dla 2CCa. Wyniki wskazują, że minerały ilaste odgrywają ważną rolę w procesach sorpcyjno-desorpcyjnych tego związku w glebie. Wyznaczona wartość indeksu GUS wskazuje, że karbendazym jest na granicy pomiędzy związkami niepodatnymi na wymywanie i przejściowymi

Modeling of bentazone leaching in soils with low organic matter content.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to estimate bentazone´s potential to leach to groundwater in the Arenosols developed from sand, Luvisols developed from loamy sand or sandy loam, and Luvisols or Cambisols developed from loess, and to identify the major factors influencing bentazone´s fate in the soils. Potato and maize cultivations were simulated using the FOCUS PELMO 5.5.3 pesticide leaching model. The amount of bentazone reaching groundwater was highly sensitive to degradation parameters, water-holding capacity, evapotranspiration, organic carbon content, and pH. The highest bentazone concentrations in percolate were noted in Arenosols. The risk of bentazone concentration exceeding 0.1 µg/L was low only in Arenosols with high organic carbon content (3.0% for topsoil or higher). In Luvisols developed from loamy sand or sandy loam, the estimated bentazone concentrations in percolate were highly dependent on the climate. In Luvisols or Cambisols developed from loess, concentrations of >0.1 µg/L were the least likely due to the high water-holding capacity and high organic carbon content of these soils. The study also revealed that the FOCUS Hamburg scenario, representing the coarsest soils in the European Union with relatively low organic carbon content, does not reflect the leaching potential of Arenosols and Luvisols

Interakcja wapnia z miedzią, kobaltem i chromem w glebach mineralnych

Model studies were conducted upon the course and the range of sorption-desorption processes of Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, and Cr³⁺ while saturating the three mineral soils with them, and also durning leaching with water, and CaCL in the forced flow conditions. Sorption of heavy metal cations was depended upon the soils surface area. Leaching of heavy metals, previously sorbed, with a calcium cation showed a variable value of their desorption, depending on the texture of soil

Rapid detection of \u3cem\u3eListeria monocytogenes\u3c/em\u3e in dairy samples utilizing a PCR-based fluorogenic 5′ nuclease assay

The presence of Listeria monocytogenes as a dairy food contaminant is a lethal threat to dairy industrialists; therefore, products tainted with L. monocytogenes must be quickly detected and removed from production. This fluorogenic PCR-based assay was developed to rapidly detect L. monocytogenes contamination in dairy samples before a final product is distributed. The detection method employed uses a PCR primer pair and a fluorogenic TaqMan probe which bind to a region of a virulence determinant gene specific to L. monocytogenes. As the DNA target is amplified, the 5′ nuclease activity of Taq DNA polymerase hydrolyzes the internal fluorogenic probe creating a change in fluorescence that can be monitored and automatically analyzed with a fluorometer. Sensitivity studies indicated a lower detection limit of under 10 CFU for pure culture extracts and spiked dairy enrichments. A study was performed on 266 dairy product samples obtained from Central California dairy production plants. Eighty-three of these samples were artificially spiked with both high and low concentrations of L. monocytogenes before an overnight enrichment in TSB/LiCl/colostin sulfate/moxalactam media. DNA from enriched samples was obtained using a rapid Chelex extraction specifically designed for dairy sample enrichments and automated analysis. The extraction was followed by the fluorogenic PCR assay and measurement of fluorescence increase. The assay was completed within 24 h, with an observed 95.2% sensitivity, 96.7% specificity, 92.9% positive predictive value, 97.8% negative predictive value, and 96.2% accuracy. According to specificity studies, five other bacterial species cross-reacted with the fluorogenic 5′ nuclease PCR. However, only one of these strains (Listeria grayi) was able to grow in the enrichment medium employed, and was not isolated from any of the 266 dairy product enrichments evaluated in this study. Therefore, this method provides a rapid, sensitive, and automatable analysis alternative to standard culture techniques for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in dairy samples