Nuclear Pedigree Criteria for the Identification of Individuals Suspected to be at Risk of an Inherited Predisposition to Renal Cancer

Renal clear cell carcinomas represent about 3% of all visceral cancers and account for approximately 85% of renal cancers in adults. Environmental and genetic factors are involved in the development of renal cancer. Although to date there are 19 hereditary syndromes described in which renal cell cancer may occur, only four syndromes with an unequivocal genetic predisposition to renal cell carcinoma have been identified: VHL syndrome (mutations in the VHL gene), hereditary clear cell carcinoma (translocations t(3:8), t(2:3)), hereditary papillary carcinoma (mutations in the MET protooncogene) and tuberous sclerosis (mutations in the TSC1 and TSC2 genes). Little is known genetically about the other forms of familial renal cell cancer. Since there is a growing awareness about the necessity of early intervention, clinical criteria have been developed that aid in the identification of hereditary forms of renal cancer. The aim of the current study was to identify minimal inclusion criteria so that nuclear pedigree families can be ascertained for risk assessment and/or kidney tumour screening. The results reveal that inclusion features described herein, such as (a) renal clear cell cancer diagnosed before 55 years of age, and (b) renal clear cell cancer and gastric cancer or lung cancer among first degree relatives, are useful in identifying suspected hereditary clear cell renal cancer patients

Unaprijeđeni algoritmi za izravno upravljanje momentom

In the paper a new way of DTC control method analysis to explain flux and current distortion at a low speed of motor operation is discussed. As a result, a new DTC-_ algorithm is proposed. It is important that the DTC-_algorithm uses the same switching table as the DTC method. The modified DTC algorithms are free from the disadvantages of the conventional DTC method i.e. hexagonal flux and strongly deformed current at a low speed range. The dynamical properties of the new algorithms are similar to the conventional DTC method. The correctness of the proposed methods has been confirmed by laboratory investigations.Ovaj se rad bavi novim načinom analize izravnog upravljanja momentom (DTC) radi objašnjenja distorzije toka i struje na malim brzinama vrtnje motora. Kao rezultat, predložen je novi DTC-_ algoritam. Pritom je značajno da novi DTC-_ algoritam koristi istu tablicu prekapčanja kao i DTC metoda. Modificirani DTC algoritmi su bez nedostataka karakterističnih za konvencionalne DTC metode, poput heksagonalnog toka i izrazito izobličene struje pri niskim brzinama. Dinamička svojstva novih algoritama su slična konvencionalnoj DTC metodi. Predložene metode su potvr.ene laboratorijskim ispitivanjima

Color stability of dental temporary composite materials assessed in vitro

Aim of the study. The purpose of this study was to evaluate color stability of temporary prosthetic materials to staining drinks, including tea, coffee and blackcurrant juice, and distilled water. Material and methods. Color was assessed using a reflection spectrophotometer according to the CIELAB color scale, using two illuminants: D65 (daylight) and A (incandescent bulb). Results. Luxatemp, Dentalon plus, Structur 2 SC, Protemp II, and Zhermacryl STC exhibited poor color stability, becoming generally darker (â^†L < 0) and yellowier (â^†b* > 0), with Luxatemp and Dentalon plus being less prone to discoloration than the others. Conclusions. Temporary prosthetic materials may suffer strong discoloration (â^†E > 6.0) upon prolonged exposure to potentially staining beverages, and some of them even upon soaking in distilled water

Industrial legacy towards modern urban environment: a comparative study of Wroclaw and Brno

The paper examines the spatial structure of industrial production in the urban environment of two Central European cities, Wroclaw and Brno, and their changes during the transformation from centrally controlled to capitalist economies. The study used mapping techniques to analyse the spatial distribution of industrial activities, focusing on the representation of industrial sectors and major industrial enterprises in both cities. The research aimed to evaluate the spatial impacts of deindustrialization on the urban environment and subsequently interpret the functional and structural changes in the cities. Standard methodological procedures in regional sciences, including descriptive statistics and ArcGIS visualization, were employed. The results revealed similarities and differences in the transformation of the two cities and indicated the substantial scale of their post-industrial transformation. Major structural changes have occurred since the 1990s. The last two decades have been directed towards creating modern post-industrial environments while retaining the significant and visible industrial heritage

Color and Luminescence stability of selected dental materials in vitro

To study luminescence, reflectance, and color stability of dental composites and ceramics. Materials and Methods: IPS e.max, IPS Classic, Gradia, and Sinfony materials were tested, both unpolished (as-cast) and polished specimens. Coffee, tea, red wine, and distilled water (control) were used as staining drinks. Disk-shaped specimens were soaked in the staining drinks for up to 5 days. Color was measured by a colorimeter. Fluorescence was recorded using a spectrofluorometer, in the front-face geometry. Time-resolved fluorescence spectra were recorded using a laser nanosecond spectrofluorometer. Results: The exposure of the examined dental materials to staining drinks caused changes in color of the composites and ceramics, with the polished specimens exhibiting significantly lower color changes as compared to unpolished specimens. Composites exhibited lower color stability as compared to ceramic materials. Water also caused perceptible color changes in most materials. The materials tested demonstrated significantly different initial luminescence intensities. Upon exposure to staining drinks, luminescence became weaker by up to 40%, dependent on the drink and the material. Time-resolved luminescence spectra exhibited some red shift of the emission band at longer times, with the lifetimes in the range of tens of nanoseconds. Conclusions: Unpolished specimens with a more developed surface have lower color stability. Specimens stored in water develop some changes in their visual appearance. The presently proposed methods are effective in evaluating the luminescence of dental materials. Luminescence needs to be tested in addition to color, as the two characteristics are uncorrelated. It is important to further improve the color and luminescence stability of dental materials

5-Deazaalloxazine as photosensitizer of singlet oxygen and potential redox-sensitive agent

Flavins are a unique class of compounds that combine the features of singlet oxygen generators and redox-dependent fluorophores. From a broad family of flavin derivatives, deazaalloxazines are significantly underdeveloped from the point of view of photophysical properties. Herein, we report photophysics of 5-deazaalloxazine (1a) in water, acetonitrile, and some other solvents. In particular, triplet excited states of 1ain water and in acetonitrile were investigated using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) transient absorption spectroscopy. The measured triplet lifetimes for 1a were all on the microsecond time scale (approximate to 60 mu s) in deoxygenated solutions. The quantum yield of S-1 -> T-1 intersystem crossing for 1ain water was 0.43 based on T1 energy transfer from 1a to indicaxanthin (5) acting as acceptor and on comparative actinometric measurements using benzophenone (6). 1a was an efficient photosensitizer for singlet oxygen in aerated solutions, with quantum yields of singlet oxygen in methanol of about 0.76, compared to acetonitrile similar to 0.74, dichloromethane similar to 0.64 and 1,2-dichloroethane similar to 0.54. Significantly lower singlet oxygen quantum yields were obtained in water and deuterated water (Phi(Delta)similar to 0.42 and 0.44, respectively). Human red blood cells (RBC) were used as a cell model to study the antioxidant capacity in vitro and cytotoxic activity of 1a. Fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) data were analyzed by fluorescence lifetime parameters and distribution for different parts of the emission spectrum. Comparison of multidimensional fluorescent properties of RBC under physiological-like and oxidative-stress conditions in the presence and absence of 1a suggests its dual activity as probe and singlet-oxygen generator and opens up a pathway for using FLIM to analyze complex intracellular behavior of flavin-like compounds. These new data on structure-property relationship contribute to the body of information required for a rational design of flavin-based tools for future biological and biochemical applications.National Science Centre, Poland 2017/27/B/ST4/02494 (OPUS), NCN CEUS-UNISONO 2020/02/Y/ST4/00042, 2018/29/B/ST4/01498 (Opus), POIR.04.04.00-00-441F/17-00, Grant Agency of the Czech Republic 2013/08/T/ST4/00640 (Etiuda), Foundation for Polish Science 21-14200K, Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014-2020 POIR.04.02.00-00-C004/19-00, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland DIR/WK/2018/06info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rocznik Lubuski (t.31, cz.2): Pogranicze Lubusko-Brandenburskie po II wojnie światowej

Pogranicze Lubusko-Brandenburskie po II wojnie światowejPod redakcją:<br> Czesława Osękowskiego<br>i RobertaSkobelskieg

High resolution imaging reveals heterogeneity in chromatin states between cells that is not inherited through cell division

BACKGROUND: Genomes of eukaryotes exist as chromatin, and it is known that different chromatin states can influence gene regulation. Chromatin is not a static structure, but is known to be dynamic and vary between cells. In order to monitor the organisation of chromatin in live cells we have engineered fluorescent fusion proteins which recognize specific operator sequences to tag pairs of syntenic gene loci. The separation of these loci was then tracked in three dimensions over time using fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: We established a work flow for measuring the distance between two fluorescently tagged, syntenic gene loci with a mean measurement error of 63 nm. In general, physical separation was observed to increase with increasing genomic separations. However, the extent to which chromatin is compressed varies for different genomic regions. No correlation was observed between compaction and the distribution of chromatin markers from genomic datasets or with contacts identified using capture based approaches. Variation in spatial separation was also observed within cells over time and between cells. Differences in the conformation of individual loci can persist for minutes in individual cells. Separation of reporter loci was found to be similar in related and unrelated daughter cell pairs. CONCLUSIONS: The directly observed physical separation of reporter loci in live cells is highly dynamic both over time and from cell to cell. However, consistent differences in separation are observed over some chromosomal regions that do not correlate with factors known to influence chromatin states. We conclude that as yet unidentified parameters influence chromatin configuration. We also find that while heterogeneity in chromatin states can be maintained for minutes between cells, it is not inherited through cell division. This may contribute to cell-to-cell transcriptional heterogeneity. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12860-016-0111-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users