The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts. June 4-7, 2019, Szczyrk, Polan

The Helicobacter pylori Genome Project : insights into H. pylori population structure from analysis of a worldwide collection of complete genomes

Helicobacter pylori, a dominant member of the gastric microbiota, shares co-evolutionary history with humans. This has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations associated with the geographic origin of the host and with differential gastric disease risk. Here, we provide insights into H. pylori population structure as a part of the Helicobacter pylori Genome Project (HpGP), a multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at elucidating H. pylori pathogenesis and identifying new therapeutic targets. We collected 1011 well-characterized clinical strains from 50 countries and generated high-quality genome sequences. We analysed core genome diversity and population structure of the HpGP dataset and 255 worldwide reference genomes to outline the ancestral contribution to Eurasian, African, and American populations. We found evidence of substantial contribution of population hpNorthAsia and subpopulation hspUral in Northern European H. pylori. The genomes of H. pylori isolated from northern and southern Indigenous Americans differed in that bacteria isolated in northern Indigenous communities were more similar to North Asian H. pylori while the southern had higher relatedness to hpEastAsia. Notably, we also found a highly clonal yet geographically dispersed North American subpopulation, which is negative for the cag pathogenicity island, and present in 7% of sequenced US genomes. We expect the HpGP dataset and the corresponding strains to become a major asset for H. pylori genomics

INFLUENCE OF ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN WITHIN THE NECESSARY SCOPE

Przedmiotem rozważań jest ustalenie wpływu instytucji określonej w art. 308 k.p.k. tzw. czynności w niezbędnym zakresie, czynności niecierpiących zwłoki, postępowania zabezpieczającego, postępowania w niezbędnym zakresie na realizację funkcji przygotowawczej stadium przygotowawczego procesu karnego. Analizie z punktu widzenia ich funkcji dyrektywalnej i opisowej poddane zostały cele postępowania przygotowawczego typizowane w art. 297 § 1 pkt 4 i 5 k.p.k., zgodnie z którymi już w stadium przygotowawczym ma nastąpić wszechstronne wyjaśnienie okoliczności sprawy oraz zebranie, zabezpieczenie i utrwalenie dowodów dla sądu tak, aby rozstrzygnięcie sprawy nastąpiło na pierwszej rozprawie głównej. Takie ukształtowanie funkcji przygotowawczej przesądza o aktualnie obowiązującym modelu postępowania przygotowawczego, mającym co do zasady charakter kompleksowy. Rozpoczynając od ustalenia zakresu przedmiotowego postępowania w niezbędnym zakresie, uwzględniając sytuacje, w których jest ono faktycznym wszczęciem postępowania w sprawie, a więc inauguruje fazę in rem, oraz faktycznym wszczęciem ścigania karnego, rozpoczynając fazę ad personam, dochodzimy do wniosku, że przeszkody prawne przekształcenia postępowania przygotowawczego z fazy ad rem do fazy ad personam nie kolidują z prowadzeniem czynności zabezpieczających, a w ich ramach wszechstronnego zabezpieczania, gromadzenia i utrwalania materiału dowodowego. Dokonano też oceny skutków wadliwego przeprowadzenia lub nieprzeprowadzenia postępowania w niezbędnym zakresie dla losów toczącego się postępowania karnego, m.in. rozważając możliwość jego konwalidacji, w kontekście instytucji zwrotu sprawy przez sąd przed rozpoczęciem rozprawy głównej do uzupełnienia istotnych braków postępowania przygotowawczego.The paper focuses on the determination of the influence of so called activities undertaken within the necessary scope, activities to be performed without delay, proceedings to secure evidence and proceedings within the necessary scope or limits as referred to in article 308 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on the realisation of the preparatory function of the preparatory stage of a criminal process. The objectives of preparatory proceedings referred to in article 297 1 p.4 and article 5 of the Code have been analysed from the point of view of their directival and descriptive function. According to the provisions of those articles, the circumstances of the matter must be fully and comprehensively determined, all evidence collected and secured, and traces fixed, already at the preparatory stage of those proceedings. This will, in turn, allow the court to adjudicate in the matter already at the first main trial. Such a view of the preparatory function requires from the existing model of preparatory proceedings to be of a comprehensive character. An analysis of the existing solution has proved that the legal obstacles of the transition of the preparatory proceedings from the ad rem phase to the ad personam phase are not in conflict with the activities securing evidence. The effects of a faulty performance of preparatory proceedings or failure to carry out such proceedings within the scope and limits necessary for the criminal proceedings as well as their validation have been also analysed in the context of a possibility of the court turning down the matter due to material defects of the preparatory proceedings

Mineral Constituents Profiling of Ready-To-Drink Nutritional Supplements by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry

Nutritional drinks (NDs) are medicinal food products intended for people with different health issues constricting nutrients provision. Eight varieties of milkshake style NDs were analyzed in this work. Prior to element analysis, they were freeze-dried, and concentrations of twenty macro- and microelements in analyzed samples were simultaneously measured by ICP-OES after their mineralization in a closed-vessel microwave-assisted digestion system. Results of this analysis indicated that these NDs must be considered as nutrient-dense foods, taking into account mineral constituents. Consumption of two bottles of such NDs per day provides very a high amount or even an excess of human daily requirements set as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). Generally, concentrations of determined elements in examined NDs were consistent with data given on the labels—most of differences did not exceed 30% (median: −5.91%, standard deviation: 14%). Discovered very strong and moderate positive correlations between concentrations of major and essential elements (Ca, Mg, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) were likely due to their incorporation into formulations of analyzed NDs. However, relationships between contents of trace elements were the result of concomitance of these elements in substrates used for examined products production or contamination of substrates

The Identity and Mineral Composition of Natural, Plant-Derived and Artificial Sweeteners

The qualitative X-ray phase analysis of natural and artificial food sweeteners was applied to trace the authenticity of such food additives. The mineral composition of different sweeteners commonly added to foods was studied to estimate their mineral profiles and assess the risk related to the toxic elements intake caused by sweetener consumption. The concentration of twenty elements (Ag, Al, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti, V, and Zn) was measured using the inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) method after the representative samples were wet-digested with a concentrated nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide mixture in a closed-vessel microwave-assisted system. Differences between the mineral compositions of the examined sweeteners were statistically evaluated and discussed. The relationships between the concentrations of the elements determined in the analyzed sweeteners were also investigated. The successful application of the X-ray powder diffraction method proved the identity of all investigated sweeteners; all the analyzed products contained the expected sweetening agent. The results of the quantification of all the elements in the examined sweeteners indicated that these products cannot be considered nutritionally dense. Hence, the presence of toxic elements like Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb distinctly indicates the need to test such products to guarantee their quality and ensure consumer safety

Modular Ceramic-Polymeric Device for Analysis of Selected Elements in Liquid Using Microplasma

Miniaturization of devices for analysis of chemical composition is being still developed. In this article we present a portable device with a microplasma excitation source. The microdischarge is ignited inside a ceramic structure between a solid anode and a liquid cathode. As a result of cathode sputtering of the solution, it is possible to determine its chemical specimens by analysis of emission spectra of the microdischarge. We fabricated cathodes with a microfluidic compartment and two types of anodes. Devices were tested experimentally. Spectroscopic properties of the microdischarge and its analytical performance depended on the used ceramic structure, the surface area of the cathode aperture and the flow rate of the solution

Pentraxin 3 Levels in Young Women with and without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in relation to the Nutritional Status and Systemic Inflammation

Objective. The aim of the study was to assess PTX3 levels in PCOS and non-PCOS women in relation to nutritional status and circulating markers of inflammation. Methods. The study enrolled 99 stable body mass PCOS women (17 normal weight, 21 overweight, and 61 obese) and 61 non-PCOS women (24 normal weight, 19 overweight, and 18 obese). Body composition was assessed by bioimpedance, and plasma levels of pentraxin 3 (PTX3), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) were measured. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was made. Results. Plasma PTX3, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels and HOMA-IR were higher in PCOS than in non-PCOS group p<0.001. There were positive correlations between log10 (PTX3) and log10 (BMI), waist circumference and fat percentage, as well as log10 (HOMA-IR) and free androgen index but negative between log10 (estradiol) levels in PCOS. While in the non-PCOS group, the correlations between log10 (PTX3) and log10 (BMI), waist circumference and fat percentage, as well as log10 (HOMA-IR) were negative. The positive correlations between PTX3 and MPC-1 and log10 (IL-6) were shown in the PCOS group only. In multivariate regression analyses, variability in PTX3 levels in the PCOS group was proportional to log10 (BMI), waist circumference, and fat percentage, but inversely proportional to log10 (estradiol) levels. While in the non-PCOS group, PTX3 levels were inversely proportional to all anthropometric parameters. Conclusions. Our results show that the decrease in PTX3 levels observed in obese is distorted in PCOS by microinflammation, and possibly, dysfunction of stroma adipose tissue and liver steatosis is reflected by enhanced insulin resistance

PolEval 2019 : the next chapter in evaluating Natural Language Processing tools for Polish

PolEval is a SemEval-inspired evaluation campaign for natural language processing tools for Polish. Submitted tools compete againstone another within certain tasks selected by organizers, using available data and are evaluated according to pre-established procedures.It is organized since 2017 and each year the winning systems become the state-of-the-art in Polish language processing in the respectivetasks. In 2019 we have organized six different tasks, creating an even greater opportunity for NLP researchers to evaluate their systemsin an objective manner