Thermal load at workstations in the underground coal mining: Results of research carried out in 6 coal mines

Background: Statistics shows that almost half of Polish extraction in underground mines takes place at workstations where temperature exceeds 28°C. The number of employees working in such conditions is gradually increasing, therefore, the problem of safety and health protection is still growing. Material and Methods: In the present study we assessed the heat load of employees at different workstations in the mining industry, taking into account current thermal conditions and work costs. The evaluation of energy cost of work was carried out in 6 coal mines. A total of 221 miners employed at different workstations were assessed. Individual groups of miners were characterized and thermal safety of the miners was assessed relying on thermal discomfort index. Results: The results of this study indicate considerable differences in the durations of analyzed work processes at individual workstations. The highest average energy cost was noted during the work performed in the forehead. The lowest value was found in the auxiliary staff. The calculated index of discomfort clearly indicated numerous situations in which the admissible range of thermal load exceeded the parameters of thermal load safe for human health. It should be noted that the values of average labor cost fall within the upper, albeit admissible, limits of thermal load. Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that in some cases work in mining is performed in conditions of thermal discomfort. Due to high variability and complexity of work conditions it becomes necessary to verify the workers’ load at different workstations, which largely depends on the environmental conditions and work organization, as well as on the performance of workers themselves. Med Pr 2016;67(4):477–49

Optimalization of fluorescence in situ hybridization conditions in mare oocytes and mouse embryos

The aim of the study was to optimize hybridization conditions of molecular probes specific for X sex chromosomes of the domestic horse in mare oocyte chromosomes. Mare oocytes, recovered from slaughterhouse ovaries by scraping the granulosa layer, were cultured in vitro. Metaphase II mature oocytes were treated with hypotonic solution and fixed, followed by hybridization of the molecular probe specific for the X chromosome of the domestic horse. Hybridization of probes specific for mouse heterosomes on mouse oocytes and early embryos was performed to verify the FISH technique. Of 438 oocytes analysed, 29% reached metaphase II. Despite many changes in the composition of hypotonic solutions and modification of the FISH protocol, the fluorescence signal was observed in mouse oocytes and embryos but not in mare oocytes

The influence of L-phenylalanine, methyl jasmonate and sucrose concentration on the accumulation of phenolic acids in Exacum affine Balf. f. ex Regel shoot culture

Phenolic acids are an important group of plant secondary metabolites with various, valuable therapeutic properties. Apart from plants growing in the open air, tissue cultures can be an alternative source of the secondary metabolites. The yield of their accumulation in in vitro cultures can be increased by different methods, including culture medium supplementation with precursors, elicitors and changing the standard amounts of the medium components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the precursor (L-phenylalanine), the elicitor (methyl jasmonate) and a higher sucrose concentration on the phenolic acids accumulation in the agitated shoot cultures of Exacum affine Balf. f. ex Regel (Gentianaceae). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the phenolic acids in methanolic extracts from the biomass were conducted by applying the HPLC method. Fourteen phenolic acids and cinnamic acid were found in all samples. The total content of free phenolic acids increased from approximately 0.242% to 0.635% (2.6-fold) and the total content of the whole phenolic acids (free and bound) - from 0.712% to 1.160% (1.6-fold). The studies show that the best variant for the accumulation of most of the identified phenolic acids contained 6% of sucrose (double the standard amount), L-phenylalanine 1.6 gL-1 of medium and methyl jasmonate 100 μM. The analysis of the results in the experiment presented here showed that it is possible to increase the accumulation of the phenolic acids in Exacum affine shoot cultures - by adding the precursor (L-phenylalanine), the elicitor (methyl jasmonate) and by increasing the sucrose concentration

Modification of equine sperm chromatin decondensation method to use fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is widely used in the study of chromosome structure and organization. Cytogenetic evaluation of chromosomes using FISH technique plays an increasingly important role in diagnosing karyotype changes in both somatic and reproductive cells. The aim of the study was to optimize the conditions of stallion sperm decondensation, which have a significant effect on the results of fluorescence in situ hybridization. Appropriate type and time of decondensation was chosen for the sperm of every stallion. It was found that decondensation performed using a preparation incubated in DTT solution for 1.5 minutes and in SDS solution for 10 seconds proved effective for stallions no. 1 and 2. An alternative decondensation method performed in an Eppendorf tube, with incubation in DTT solution for 1 minute and in SDS solution for 5 seconds proved effective for stallions no. 3 and 4. Decondensation using DTT and papain solution, a method successfully used for bull spermatozoa, proved inadequate for horse spermatozoa

Effect of Tin and Lead Chlorotriphenyl Analogues on Selected Living Cells

ABSTRACT: Three kinds of living cells, human embryonic kidney cells, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Escherichia coli, were tested for their sensitivity to chlorotriphenyltin and chlorotriphenyllead. The tin compound proved definitely more toxic than the lead derivative, particularly in the case of the human embryonic kidney cells devoid of any protective cell wall. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) comparative studies carried out by using a natural model liposome system (egg yolk lecithin) confirmed considerable changes within the lipid bilayer upon doping by the aforementioned additives, which may be crucial to the mechanism of the observed cell cleavage. The individual dopants revealed diverse impact upon the membrane's condition, chlorotriphenyltin distinctly fluidized the lipid system, whereas chlorotriphenyllead stiffened the medium within the membrane. A theoretical approach concerning such different behaviors of studied tin and lead analogues because of their high toxicity in living cells has been presented. C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 25:231-237, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com

Chemotherapy in disseminated thymoma - case report, own experience

Grasiczaki należą do nowotworów, które powstają z tkanki nabłonkowej grasicy. Zabieg chirurgiczny odgrywa główną rolę w leczeniu grasiczaków, ale chemioterapia może znacząco wpływać na polepszenie prognoz dla tej grupy pacjentów. Skuteczna chemioterapia może mieć charakter leczenia neoadjuwantowego przed zabiegiem operacyjnym, uzupełniającego po zabiegu, stanowić element leczenia skojarzonego z radioterapią lub być stosowana w przebiegu rozsiewu choroby. Celem pracy jest przedstawienie przypadku 66-letniego chorego, u którego rozpoznano zaawansowanego grasiczaka i zastosowano z dobrym efektem leczenie systemowe dwóch linii. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2011; 79, 3: 222-226Thymomas are thymic epithelial neoplasms. Surgery plays a major role in thymoma treatment but chemotherapy can significantly improve prognoses for this group of patients. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (before surgery), adjuvant chemotherapy (after surgery), chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy and palliative chemotherapy in dissemination stage could be required in effective therapy. The aim of this paper is description of the effective systemic second line treatment in the case of 66 years old patient with advanced thymoma. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2011; 79, 3: 222-22

Thermal load at workstations in the underground coal mining: Results of research carried out in 6 coal mines

Background: Statistics shows that almost half of Polish extraction in underground mines takes place at workstations where temperature exceeds 28°C. The number of employees working in such conditions is gradually increasing, therefore, the problem of safety and health protection is still growing. Material and Methods: In the present study we assessed the heat load of employees at different workstations in the mining industry, taking into account current thermal conditions and work costs. The evaluation of energy cost of work was carried out in 6 coal mines. A total of 221 miners employed at different workstations were assessed. Individual groups of miners were characterized and thermal safety of the miners was assessed relying on thermal discomfort index. Results: The results of this study indicate considerable differences in the durations of analyzed work processes at individual workstations. The highest average energy cost was noted during the work performed in the forehead. The lowest value was found in the auxiliary staff. The calculated index of discomfort clearly indicated numerous situations in which the admissible range of thermal load exceeded the parameters of thermal load safe for human health. It should be noted that the values of average labor cost fall within the upper, albeit admissible, limits of thermal load. Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that in some cases work in mining is performed in conditions of thermal discomfort. Due to high variability and complexity of work conditions it becomes necessary to verify the workers’ load at different workstations, which largely depends on the environmental conditions and work organization, as well as on the performance of workers themselves. Med Pr 2016;67(4):477–49

Application of arm-specific painting probes of horse X chromosome for karyotype analysis in an infertile Hutsul mare with 64,XX/65,XX + XP karyotype: Case report

A 5-year-old infertile Hutsul mare was subjected to cytogenetic analysis. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using the equine Xp and Xq chromosome painting probes was carried out on chromosome preparations obtained after blood lymphocyte culture. These probes were generated by chromosome micro-dissection and a large number of spreads was analysed (525). The karyotype formula of the analysed mare was 64,XX/65,XX+Xp with the ratio of the two lines being 99.4 and 0.6, respectively. The goal of the study was to apply chromosome microdissection and the FISH technique for cytogenetic diagnostics

The influence of L-phenylalanine, methyl jasmonate and sucrose concentration on the accumulation of phenolic acids in Exacum affine Balf. f. ex Regel shoot culture

Phenolic acids are an important group of plant secondary metabolites with various, valuable therapeutic properties. Apart from plants growing in the open air, tissue cultures can be an alternative source of the secondary metabolites. The yield of their accumulation in in vitro cultures can be increased by different methods, including culture medium supplementation with precursors, elicitors and changing the standard amounts of the medium components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the precursor (L-phenylalanine), the elicitor (methyl jasmonate) and a higher sucrose concentration on the phenolic acids accumulation in the agitated shoot cultures of Exacum affine Balf. f. ex Regel (Gentianaceae). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the phenolic acids in methanolic extracts from the biomass were conducted by applying the HPLC method. Fourteen phenolic acids and cinnamic acid were found in all samples. The total content of free phenolic acids increased from approximately 0.242% to 0.635% (2.6-fold) and the total content of the whole phenolic acids (free and bound) - from 0.712% to 1.160% (1.6-fold). The studies show that the best variant for the accumulation of most of the identified phenolic acids contained 6% of sucrose (double the standard amount), L-phenylalanine 1.6 gL-1 of medium and methyl jasmonate 100 μM. The analysis of the results in the experiment presented here showed that it is possible to increase the accumulation of the phenolic acids in Exacum affine shoot cultures - by adding the precursor (L-phenylalanine), the elicitor (methyl jasmonate) and by increasing the sucrose concentration