Bound water structure on the surfaces of Usnea antarctica as observed by NMR and sorption isotherm

Hydration courses and proton free induction decays are recorded at 30 MHz for Usnea antarctica thalli hydrated from gaseous phase. NMR data combined with gravimetry allow one to distinguish two fractions of tightly bound water, and loosely bound/free water pool. No water fraction "sealed" in thallus structures is present in U. antarctica

Evaluation of peritoneal tissue by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

Abdominal surgeries alter the integrity of the peritoneal layer and cause imbalances among immunological, inflammatory and angiogenic mechanisms within the tissue. During laparoscopic procedures a protective function of the peritoneal layer can be disturbed by the gas used to create a pneumoperitoneum. The aim of this study was to characterize peritoneal tissue by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as a reference for future investigations on the influence of surgical procedures on the physicochemical state of the peritoneum. Thirty-seven patients participated in the study. Patients were divided into three groups according to the type of surgery: group H — patients who underwent hernia repair; group Ch — patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy; and group C — patients operated due to rectal cancer. It was observed that onset temperature (To), denaturation temperature (Tm) and change of enthalpy (ΔH) during thermal denaturation of peritoneal collagen in were significantly different for these three groups of patients. The mean values of onset temperature (To) and denaturation temperature (Tm) in group H were significantly lower, while DH in this group was significantly higher than in the two other groups (Ch and C). This preliminary study does not answer whether the differences in collagen denaturation found in peritoneal tissue from different groups of patients resulted from a different inherent state of the tissue, or from surgical procedures. However, the results suggest that DSC is an appropriate method to study subtle changes in the physicochemical condition of the peritoneum using small samples obtained during surgical procedures. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 700–705

Crystal Structure of Bombyx mori Lipoprotein 6: Comparative Structural Analysis of the 30-kDa Lipoprotein Family

The 30-kDa lipoprotein (LP) family of mulberry silkworm comprises major hemolymph proteins specific to the fifth instar larvae. The family consists of 46 members, 24 of which are referred to as typical 30-kDa LPs. To date, two crystal structures of 30-kDa LPs from Bombyx mori have been described (Bmlp3 and Bmlp7). Here, we present the crystal structure of Bmlp6, another 30-kDa LP member. Bmlp6 is comprised of two domains characteristic of this family, the VHS-type N-terminal domain and b-trefoil C-terminal domain. The structures of the three 30-kDa LPs have been compared and a number of differences are noted, including loop conformation, the surface electrostatic potential, and the potential binding cavities. We discuss the observed structural differences in the light of the potential different roles of the particular 30-kDa LP members in silkworm physiology

Oznaczanie geograficznego pochodzenia produktu w czasach „konsumenckiego patriotyzmu”

Pochodzenie nabywanego produktu należy do istotnych kryteriów podejmowanej przez konsumentów decyzji zakupowej. W ostatnim czasie istotnie wzrosło zainteresowanie produktami rodzimymi, które zostały wytworzone w Polsce z polskich materiałów. Trend ten bywa wykorzystywany przez nieuczciwych przedsiębiorców, którzy w komunikacji kierowanej do konsumentów wprowadzają w błąd odnośnie do tej okoliczności. Zdarzają się jednak sytuacje oznaczenia produktu, które potencjalnie mogłoby zostać uznane za nierzetelne na gruncie przepisów konsumenckich, opiera się jednak na przepisach odrębnych, mających administracyjno-celny charakter. W takim wypadku przedsiębiorca wpada niejako w pułapkę regulacji prawnych, chociaż nie wprost sprzecznych, to mogących się nie pokrywać, a tym samym naraża się na konsekwencje prawne niezastosowania się do którejś z nich. W artykule poruszono ten problem, wskazując które z powszechnie obowiązujących regulacji potencjalnie mogą stanowić wyzwanie w praktyce obrotu konsumenckiego. Omówiono także dotychczasową praktykę orzeczniczą Prezesa UOKiK w tym zakresie i zaprezentowano postulaty co do stosowania obecnych regulacji oraz ewentualnych zmian w prawie

Development and maturation of the immune system in preterm neonates : results from a whole genome expression study

To expand the knowledge about the consecutive expression of genes involved in the immune system development in preterm neonates and to verify if the environment changes the gene expression after birth we conducted a prospective study that included three cohorts: (A) extremely (gestational age (GA): 23–26 weeks; n=41), (B) very (GA: 27–29 weeks; n=39), and (C) moderately preterm infants (GA: 30–32 weeks; n=33). Blood samples were drawn from the study participants on the 5th and 28th day of life (DOL). The mRNA samples were evaluated for gene expression with the use of GeneChip Human Gene 1.0ST microarrays. Differential expression analysis revealed small subsets of genes that presented positive or negative monotone trends in both the 5th (138 genes) and 28th DOL (308 genes) in the three subgroups of patients. Based on pathway enrichment analysis, we found that most of the pathways that revealed a positive monotone trend were involved in host immunity. The most significantly GA dependent pathways were T-cell receptor signaling pathway and intestinal immune network for IgA production. Overall 4431 genes were differentially expressed between the 5th and 28th DOL. Despite differences in gestational age, patients with the same postconceptional age have a very similar expression of genes

The cytotoxic effect of copper (II) complexes with halogenated 1,3-disubstituted arylthioureas on cancer and bacterial cells

A series of eight copper (II) complexes with 3-(4-chloro-3-nitrophenyl)thiourea were designed and synthesized. The cytotoxic activity of all compounds was assessed in three human cancer cell lines (SW480, SW620, PC3) and human normal keratinocytes (HaCaT). The complexes 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 were cytotoxic to the studied tumor cells in the low micromolar range, without affecting the normal cells. The complexes 1, 3, 7 and 8 induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in all cancer cell lines, but not in the HaCaT cells. They provoked early apoptosis in pathological cells, especially in SW480 and PC3 cells. The ability of compounds 1, 3, 7 and 8 to diminish interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration in a cell was established. For the first time, the influence of the most promising Cu (II) complexes on intensities of detoxifying and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging the enzymes of tumor cells was studied. The cytotoxic effect of all copper (II) conjugates against standard and hospital bacterial strains was also proved

Comparison of nested, multiplex, qPCR; FISH; SeptiFast and blood culture methods in detection and identification of bacteria and fungi in blood of patients with sepsis

BACKGROUND: Microbiological diagnosis of sepsis relies primarily on blood culture data. This study compares four diagnostic methods, i.e. those developed by us: nested, multiplex, qPCR (qPCR) and FISH with commercial methods: SeptiFast (Roche) (SF) and BacT/ALERT® 3D blood culture system (bioMérieux). Blood samples were derived from adult patients with clinical symptoms of sepsis, according to SIRS criteria, hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit. RESULTS: Using qPCR, FISH, SF, and culture, microbial presence was found in 71.8%, 29.6%, 25.3%, and 36.6% of samples, respectively. It was demonstrated that qPCR was significantly more likely to detect microorganisms than the remaining methods; qPCR confirmed the results obtained with the SF kit in all cases wherein bacteria were detected with simultaneous confirmation of Gram-typing. All data collected through the FISH method were corroborated by qPCR. CONCLUSIONS: The qPCR and FISH methods described in this study may constitute alternatives to blood culture and to the few existing commercial molecular assays since they enable the detection of the majority of microbial species, and the qPCR method allows their identification in a higher number of samples than the SF test. FISH made it possible to show the presence of microbes in a blood sample even before its culture

Relationship between stereoscopic vision, visual perception, and microstructure changes of corpus callosum and occipital white matter in the 4-year-old very low birth weight children

Aim. To assess the relationship between stereoscopic vision, visual perception, and microstructure of the corpus callosum (CC) and occipital white matter, 61 children born with a mean birth weight of 1024 g (SD 270 g) were subjected to detailed ophthalmologic evaluation, Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP-3), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at the age of 4. Results. Abnormal stereoscopic vision was detected in 16 children. Children with abnormal stereoscopic vision had smaller CC (CC length: 53±6 mm versus 61±4 mm; p<0.01; estimated CC area: 314±106 mm2 versus 446±79 mm2; p<0.01) and lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values in CC (FA value of rostrum/genu: 0.7±0.09 versus 0.79±0.07; p<0.01; FA value of CC body: 0.74±0.13 versus 0.82±0.09; p=0.03). We found a significant correlation between DTVP-3 scores, CC size, and FA values in rostrum and body. This correlation was unrelated to retinopathy of prematurity. Conclusions. Visual perceptive dysfunction in ex-preterm children without major sequelae of prematurity depends on more subtle changes in the brain microstructure, including CC. Role of interhemispheric connections in visual perception might be more complex than previously anticipated

Potrzeby i warunki edukacji na rzecz zrównoważonego rozwoju w Polsce

The paper describes carefully selected issues of education for sustainable development realized within formal- and non-formal sectors in Poland. Based on the current national requirements of the formal education we estimated what are real needs and conditions to fulfill the tasks of sustainable development in the Polish schooling in the light of the international and national law. Furthermore, the relation of education for sustainable development at the university level with its’ effectiveness at K-12 schooling is presented. In the second part of the paper, the non-formal education is analyzed particularly its’ real necessities, state, methodology and efficiency in raising environmental awareness of the Polish society.Niniejsza praca ukazuje wybrane problemy edukacji dla zrównoważonego rozwoju w Polsce w systemie formalnym i nieformalnym. Opierając się o analizę Podstawy Programowej Kształcenia Ogólnego z roku 2009 oceniono jakie są potrzeby i warunki realizowania problematyki zrównoważonego rozwoju w systemie edukacji formalnej w świetle obowiązujących międzynarodowych i krajowych regulacji prawnych. W artykule wykazano związek kształcenia w szkołach wyższych ze skutecznością edukacji dla zrównoważonego rozwoju na wcześniejszych etapach edukacyjnych. Zanalizowano także realne potrzeby, warunki, warsztat metodyczny jak i jego efektywność w podnoszeniu świadomości ekologicznej społeczeństwa polskiego w ramach systemu edukacji nieformalnej.&nbsp