'Obwarzanek Krakowski' as a traditional food

The aim of this work was to evaluate the quality and to compare the traditional (‘obwarzanek krakowski’) with the non-traditional (‘obwarzanek’) bakery products. Four samples were analysed for chemical composition and texture and colour of crumb. The analysed products differed in the features of general appearance and chemical composition. The traditional products became much more hard during storage time than the non-traditional ones

Haptic user experience evaluation for virtual reality

Hapticians (engineers, researchers or designers) are developing 'haptic displays' to replicate the complexity of sensations and interactivity accommodated by the hand. Haptic displays hold potential in allowing users to interact with each other and manipulate things in virtual reality (VR), providing them with a limitless safe environment. However, technological advances alone are insufficient to develop a high-quality haptic user experience (UX). Research indicates that current evaluation instruments, guidelines and education on haptic engineering and perception do not address haptic interaction and experience design needs. This research investigates the problem, endeavouring to consolidate findings into helpful haptic UX evaluation instruments, design principles, and guidelines to support haptic design practice.</p

Physicochemical properties of starch-maltodextrin and starch-maltodextrin-glucose systems

Starch is a widely used food additive. The addition of other ingredients changes the physical properties of resulting systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the rheological characteristics and susceptibility to retrogradation of starch-maltodextrin and starch-maltodextrin-glucose systems. Flow curves of 5% starch - maltodextrin and starch-maltodextrin-glucose pastes were tested by using rotational rheometer. The susceptibility to retrogradation of 2% pastes starch-maltodextrin and starch-maltodextrin-glucose systems by means of turbidimetric method was evaluated. It was found that all samples (systems) were a non-Newtonian, pseudoplastic fluids, with tend to the yield stress. Moreover addition of low and high DE maltodextrins and glucose to the starch caused a decrease in the values of shear stress throughout whole shear rate range. Starch pastes with greater concentration of the maltodextrins had less tendency to retrogradation. Also addition of glucose to starch-maltodextrin systems reduce the susceptibility to retrogradation

Prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas: male-specific differences in pathogenesis, clinical presentation and treatment

Prolactinomas (PRLomas) constitute approximately half of all pituitary adenomas and approximately one-fifth of them are diagnosed in males. The clinical presentation of PRLomas results from direct prolactin (PRL) action, duration and severity of hyperprolactinemia, and tumor mass effect. Male PRLomas, compared to females, tend to be larger and more invasive, are associated with higher PRL concentration at diagnosis, present higher proliferative potential, are more frequently resistant to standard pharmacotherapy, and thus may require multimodal approach, including surgical resection, radiotherapy, and alternative medical agents. Therefore, the management of PRLomas in men is challenging in many cases. Additionally, hyperprolactinemia is associated with a significant negative impact on men’s health, including sexual function and fertility potential, bone health, cardiovascular and metabolic complications, leading to decreased quality of life. In this review, we highlight the differences in pathogenesis, clinical presentation and treatment of PRLomas concerning the male sex

Sonic hedgehog pathway dysregulation in skin basal-cell carcinoma of a Polish population

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway impairment plays a key role in the pathogenesis of basal-cell carcinomas (BCC), the most frequent skin tumor among Caucasians. Shh, Smo, and Gli2 family proteins are necessary for adequate and controlled cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to evaluate Shh, Smo, and Smo expression in BCC skin biopsies taken from sun-exposed areas. 41 BCC skin biopsies and 22 healthy skin specimens (the control group) taken from the same areas served as material for the study. All specimens were immunohistochemically stained with monoclonal antibodies directed against the chosen proteins. Shh and Smo expression (cytoplasmic pattern) were recorded semiquantitatively using a four-grade score (0–3). Gli2 expression (nuclear pattern) was determined using an image analysis system (semiautomatic function). The immunoexpression of the Shh and Smo proteins significantly increased in the BCC group, as compared with the normal controls (for Shh, the mean intensity was 1.67 in BCC vs. 1.17 in the control group, p &lt; 0.001; for Smo, the mean intensity was 1.46 in BCC vs. 0.99 in the control group, p &lt; 0.001). The staining for Gli2 in the BCC group was completely negative, but indicated the presence of Gli2 in the control patients (1.15 Gli2+ cells/100 cells). Sonic hedgehog pathway dysregulation may play an important role in skin cancerogenesis leading to BCC development

Therapeutic hypothermia in asphyxiated newborns: selective head cooling vs. whole body cooling — comparison of short term outcomes

Objectives: Therapeutic hypothermia TH became broadly used in the management of the asphyxiated newborns. Although two cooling methods are used, so far the superiority of none of them has been established. The purpose of the study is to compare two cooling methods: selective head cooling (SHC) and whole body cooling (WBC) Material and methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in newborns with HIE. The patients received one of methods: SHC or WBC. The eligibility criteria were similar to previous studies. Stability of cardio-respiratory parameters and short term outcomes were analyzed. Results: 78 neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to perinatal asphyxia were involved in this study. The SHC group consisted of 51 newborns, the WBC group consisted of 27 patients. Both study groups had similar baseline characteristics and condition at birth. There were no significant differences in hospital course, neurological status and adverse effects associated with cooling procedure between groups. Analyzing the rate of thrombocytopenia and the number of transfusions of blood components no statistically significant differences were found between the groups. Conclusions: Results of our study indicate that two compared methods of TH despite varied target core temperature ranges do not differ significantly according to clinical course and risk of adverse events. Further observations are conducted and we look forward to the results of the long neurodevelopmental care

Deep Chandra X-ray Imaging of a Nearby Radio Galaxy 4C+29.30: X-ray/Radio Connection

We report results from our deep Chandra X-ray observations of a nearby radio galaxy, 4C+29.30 (z=0.0647). The Chandra image resolves structures on sub-arcsec to arcsec scales, revealing complex X-ray morphology and detecting the main radio features: the nucleus, a jet, hotspots, and lobes. The nucleus is absorbed (N(H)=3.95 (+0.27/-0.33)x10^23 atoms/cm^2) with an unabsorbed luminosity of L(2-10 keV) ~ (5.08 +/-0.52) 10^43 erg/s characteristic of Type 2 AGN. Regions of soft (<2 keV) X-ray emission that trace the hot interstellar medium (ISM) are correlated with radio structures along the main radio axis indicating a strong relation between the two. The X-ray emission beyond the radio source correlates with the morphology of optical line-emitting regions. We measured the ISM temperature in several regions across the galaxy to be kT ~ 0.5 with slightly higher temperatures (of a few keV) in the center and in the vicinity of the radio hotspots. Assuming these regions were heated by weak shocks driven by the expanding radio source, we estimated the corresponding Mach number of 1.6 in the southern regions. The thermal pressure of the X-ray emitting gas in the outermost regions suggest the hot ISM is slightly under-pressured with respect to the cold optical-line emitting gas and radio-emitting plasma, which both seem to be in a rough pressure equilibrium. We conclude that 4C+29.30 displays a complex view of interactions between the jet-driven radio outflow and host galaxy environment, signaling feedback processes closely associated with the central active nucleus.Comment: ApJ in pres

Samotność idei? : społeczeństwo obywatelskie we współczesnym świecie

Publikacja recenzowana / Peer-reviewed publicationCelem niniejszej pracy jest próba przedstawienia kształtu obecnych relacji i stosunków między społeczeństwem obywatelskim a wspomnianymi ideami czy procesami społecznymi.Książka, którą oddajemy do rąk Czytelników jest zbiorem prac studialnych o zróżnicowanym poziomie analizy. Dla części autorów jest to próba pierwszej, samodzielnej pracy naukowo-badawczej, dla innych - kolejna okazja do podzielenia się przemyśleniami, ugruntowanymi wieloletnim doświadczeniem badawczym i studiami.Wszystkich połączyło i skłoniło do współpracy zainteresowanie tym samym - losem społeczeństwa obywatelskiego w zderzeniu z problemami współczesności

Percutaneous revascularization for ischemic left ventricular dysfunction: Cost-effectiveness analysis of the REVIVED-BCIS2 trial

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is frequently undertaken in patients with ischemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The REVIVED (Revascularization for Ischemic Ventricular Dysfunction)-BCIS2 (British Cardiovascular Society-2) trial concluded that PCI did not reduce the incidence of all-cause death or heart failure hospitalization; however, patients assigned to PCI reported better initial health-related quality of life than those assigned to optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of PCI+OMT compared with OMT alone. METHODS: REVIVED-BCIS2 was a prospective, multicenter UK trial, which randomized patients with severe ischemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction to either PCI+OMT or OMT alone. Health care resource use (including planned and unplanned revascularizations, medication, device implantation, and heart failure hospitalizations) and health outcomes data (EuroQol 5-dimension 5-level questionnaire) on each patient were collected at baseline and up to 8 years post-randomization. Resource use was costed using publicly available national unit costs. Within the trial, mean total costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the perspective of the UK health system. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated using estimated mean costs and QALYs in both groups. Regression analysis was used to adjust for clinically relevant predictors. RESULTS: Between 2013 and 2020, 700 patients were recruited (mean age: PCI+OMT=70 years, OMT=68 years; male (%): PCI+OMT=87, OMT=88); median follow-up was 3.4 years. Over all follow-ups, patients undergoing PCI yielded similar health benefits at higher costs compared with OMT alone (PCI+OMT: 4.14 QALYs, £22 352; OMT alone: 4.16 QALYs, £15 569; difference: −0.015, £6782). For both groups, most health resource consumption occurred in the first 2 years post-randomization. Probabilistic results showed that the probability of PCI being cost-effective was 0. CONCLUSIONS: A minimal difference in total QALYs was identified between arms, and PCI+OMT was not cost-effective compared with OMT, given its additional cost. A strategy of routine PCI to treat ischemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction does not seem to be a justifiable use of health care resources in the United Kingdom