Post-polio syndrome. Cases report and review of literature

It is estimated that around 15 million people survived polio infection worldwide since early twentieth century. In 1950 effective vaccination was used for first time. Since that time number of affected people decreased. The last epidemic of Haine–Medine disease in Poland was in 1950s. Another rare cases of infections were observed till 1970s. About at least 15 years after polio virus infection, slowly progressive muscle limbs paresis with muscle atrophy, joints pain, paresthesia were observed in polio survivors. That constellation of symptoms was called post-polio syndrome (PPS). PPS frequency among people after paralytic and nonparalytic polio infectious is ranged from 30% to 80%. Fatigue that leads to physical and mental activity deterioration is another important symptom that is observed in 90% of patients with PPS. Etiology of disease remains elusive. Probably it is an effect of spine frontal horns motoneurons damage during acute virus polio infection that leads to overloading and degeneration of remaining ones. The most important risk factors of PPS are female sex and respiratory symptoms during acute polio infection. Electromyography is an important part of PPS diagnostic process. Electrophysiological abnormalities are seen in clinically affected and unaffected muscles. The most frequent are fasciculations and fibrillations during rest activity, extension of motor unit area, time duration and amplitude. In this study we described three cases of people who developed PPS years after Haine–Medine disease and correlation between their EMG results and clinical status. We also analyzed electromyography results both after one month since first PPS signs occurred as well as after few years. Presentation of dynamic changes in EMG was the most important aim of that study

Brain strokes related to aortic aneurysma – the analysis of three cases

Brain stroke connected with aortic blood flow disturbances is a rare disease and its incidence is difficult to assume. Nevertheless, 10-50% of patients with aortic dissection may not experience any pain. In case of 18-30% patients with aortic dissection neurological signs are first disease presentation and among them ischemic stroke is the most common. The most popular aortic dissection classification is with use of Stanford system. Type A involves the ascending aorta and type B is occurring distal to the subclavian artery. Aortic dissection risk factors include hypertension, cystic medionecrosis, bicuspid aortic valve and Marfan’s or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Morphological and Chemical Traits as Quality Determinants of Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), on the Example of ‘Standard Winter’ Cultivar

Common thyme is regarded as one of the most important culinary plants. The purpose of the work was to determine the intraspecific variability of common thyme with respect to morphological and chemical characters including the content and composition of essential oil and phenolic compounds in the herb. The objects of the study were 12 clones, vegetatively multiplied from randomly selected individual plants of cultivar ‘Standard Winter’. The morphological observations and harvest of raw materials were carried out in the first year plants’ vegetation. The highest differences between clones were on fresh and dry weight of herb (CV = 0.38 and 0.36, respectively), width of leaves (CV = 0.21), and density of glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface of leaves (CV = 0.29). Examined clones were also differentiated as to the chemical features. Essential oil content (performed by hydrodestillation) and composition (by GC-MS and GC-FID) were determined and they ranged from 2.10 to 4.38 g × 100 g−1 DW. Here, thymol, γ-terpinen, and p-cymen were the dominant compounds. Clone no. 4 was distinctive as to the highest content of essential oil followed by the highest share of thymol (54.59%). The total content of phenolic acids and flavonoids (determined according to PPh 6th) also differed among clones (CV = 0.38 and 0.36, respectively). Using a validated HPLC-DAD method, the following compounds were identified: caffeic, rosmarinic, p-coumaric acids, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, naryngenin, and (−)-epicatechin. Here, rosmarinic acid followed by luteolin 7-O-glucoside were present in the highest amounts (611.47–2675.59 and 46.77–325.11 mg × 100 g−1 DW, respectively). The highest differences between clones were the contents of p-coumaric acid (CV = 0.59), luteolin 7-O-glucoside (CV = 0.50) and rosmarinic acid (CV = 0.40). Such a high range of variability can provide problems with raw material standardization. Nevertheless, it opens possibilities for breeders, whereas individual plants/clones may become valuable components for breeding

Developments at CERN-ISOLDE’s OFFLINE 2 mass separator facility for studies of molecular ion beams

ISOLDE’s Offline 2 laboratory has been upgraded to facilitate development for the production and study of molecular ion beams. New gas injection systems have been implemented for both molecular formation in the ion source and in the radio-frequency quadrupole ion trap used for beam preparation. MagneToF detectors and time-resolved single ion counting data acquisition have been implemented for low intensity beams and studies of laser-atom or laser-molecule interactions. We present a study of the formation and ionization of BaF+ using the upgraded facility

A common variant in RAB27A gene is associated with fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels in adults

BACKGROUND: Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a biomarker for eosinophilic inflammation in the airways and for responsiveness to corticosteroids in asthmatics. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify in adults the genetic determinants of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels and to assess whether environmental and disease-related factors influence these associations. METHODS: We performed a genome-wide association study of FeNO through meta-analysis of two independent discovery samples of European ancestry: the outbred EGEA study (French Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma, N = 610 adults) and the Hutterites (N = 601 adults), a founder population living on communal farms. Replication of main findings was assessed in adults from an isolated village in Sardinia (Talana study, N = 450). We then investigated the influence of asthma, atopy and tobacco smoke exposure on these genetic associations, and whether they were also associated with FeNO values in children of the EAGLE (EArly Genetics & Lifecourse Epidemiology, N = 8858) consortium. RESULTS: We detected a common variant in RAB27A (rs2444043) associated with FeNO that reached the genome-wide significant level (P = 1.6 7 10(-7) ) in the combined discovery and replication adult data sets. This SNP belongs to member of RAS oncogene family (RAB27A) and was associated with an expression quantitative trait locus for RAB27A in lymphoblastoid cell lines from asthmatics. A second suggestive locus (rs2194437, P = 8.9 7 10(-7) ) located nearby the sodium/calcium exchanger 1 (SLC8A1) was mainly detected in atopic subjects and influenced by inhaled corticosteroid use. These two loci were not associated with childhood FeNO values. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study identified a common variant located in RAB27A gene influencing FeNO levels specifically in adults and with a biological relevance to the regulation of FeNO levels. This study provides new insight into the biological mechanisms underlying FeNO levels in adults