The characteristics of organic matter from the Triassic clays of NW margin of the Holy Cross Mts ( Poland) - preliminary report

The molecular character of organic matter in Triassic clays on the NW border of the Holy Cross Mts was determined in apolar, aromatic and polar fractions of extractable organic matter (OM) using GC-MS analysis. The contribution of terrestrial higher plants to the kerogene is revealed by the dominant presence of odd long-chain n-alkanes and by the occurrence of retene. Benzophenone, fluorenone, cyclopenta(def)phenanthrenone, antracenone and benzanthrone were among the compounds identified in polar fractions of the soluble organic matter. These commonly originate during strong oxidation of sedimentary organic matter. The aromatic fraction is characterised by the presence of phenyl derivatives (PhPAC) such as phenylnaphthalenes, terphenyls, phenyldibenzofurans and phenylphenanthrenes that are also products of the abiotic oxidation of organic matter. The oxidation processes that occurred during sedimentation and during early diagenesis resulted in a very significant decrease in the organic matter content in the clays. This decrease considerably influences their technological properties

Connecting Competition and Integration. A Concept of New Organizational Framework for Polish Local Bus Transport

At present Polish local bus transport (outside cities) requires radical changes. Up till now solutions based on market deregulation, lack of active transport authorities and a number of operators competing ‘on the road’ have stopped being effective – the decisive factors are rising costs, ever increasing market requirements and related declining incomes. It gives rise to the challenge of joining the existing potential of competing operators to a greater engagement of local authorities which will be forced to finance public service – expanding the transport offer, improvement of quality and subsequently also integration of fares, information and timetables. Another difficulty is that local governments do not possess competences enabling them to create public transport authorities and implement a ‘London’ model, which also succeeds in a number of Polish towns (Wolański, 2008). This paper is dedicated to an attempt to find the optimum solution to the existing problem. It is based on a project carried out at the turn of 2007 and 2008 at the request of Polish Chamber of Road Transport and Forwarding (PIGTSiS), which unites many local bus carriers, mainly deriving from the split of a former state-owned enterprise PKS. The expertise was obtained from a team consisting of: Prof. Olgierd Wyszomirski (head), Krzysztof Grzelec, Ph.D., Hubert Kołodziejski Ph.D., Marcin Gromadzki, Mariusz Józefowicz and Michał Wolański.Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. Faculty of Economics and Business. The University of Sydne

Maryjna droga kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego

Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński played very important role in the modern history of Poland, specially during the time of communist totalitarian regime. He was considered by many people as spiritual leader of Polish nation. It was thanks to him that catholic Church in Poland resisted against the atheistic pressure of the communist governments. The article examines the role of his Marian devotion in these difficult attempts. His relation with Virgin Mary reached the culmination point during his imprisonment, when he made the act of total consecration to Mary, according to the writings of saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, to save the Church in Poland and spirit of the nation. His pastoral programs which arised as its consequence had the decisive role to maintain the faith in Polish nation and had the influence on the universal Church.Kard. Stefan Wyszyński odegrał bardzo ważną rolę we współczesnej historii Polski, a szczególnie w czasie trwania komunizmu. Uważany był przez wielu za duchowego przywódcę narodu. Dzięki niemu Kościół katolicki w Polsce oparł się naciskom ze strony komunistycznego aparatu państwa. Artykuł ten analizuje rolę jego pobożności maryjnej w tych trudnych zmaganiach. Kulminacyjnym momentem na maryjnej drodze kard. Wyszyńskiego było złożenie aktu całkowitego ofiarowania się Maryi w duchu św. Ludwika Marii Grignion de Montfort, co uczynił podczas swojego uwięzienia w intencji ocalenia Kościoła w Polsce i ducha narodu. Programy duszpasterskie, które powstały jako owoc tego aktu, odegrały decydującą rolę w podtrzymaniu wiary w narodzie polskim oraz wpłynęły na Kościół powszechny

Treatment of acute basilar artery occlusion: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) results in strokes characterized by poor outcome. Intravenous and intraarterial thrombolysis with rt-PA (IV rt-PA and IA rt-PA, respectively) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) are the most commonly used techniques to treat BAO, but their efficacy remains unclear. Unlike in previous papers, we compared all three methods of the treatment in a single work, including an update of meta-analysis regarding each of the three therapeutic approaches with recent trials. Methods We systematically reviewed all original studies testing the efficacy of any of the three basic methods of BAO treatment dated up to the end of Jan 2017. Results The final analysis included 31 studies that summarized 1358 patients. These subjects were organized into three therapeutic groups: IV rt-PA, IA rt-PA±IV rt-PA, MT±IV rt-PA±IA rt-PA. The weighted pooled estimates of a favorable outcome (mRS 0–2) were 32.57% (95% CI 16.44–51.03%/I2=67.5%, p=0.0795) in the first group, 22.56% (95% CI 16.85–28.79%/I2=52.1%, p=0.027) in the second group, and 37.04% (95% CI 32.27–41.92%/I2=32%, p=0.0895) in the third group. The Q-test subgroup analysis revealed the statistical superiority of MT±IV rt-PA±IA rt-PA over IA rt-PA±IV rt-PA (mRS 0–2: p=0.0003, mRS 6: p=0.0010) and over any rt-PA administration (either IV rt-PA or IA rt-PA±IV rt-PA) (mRS 0–2: p=0.0006, mRS 6: p=0.0056). Conclusions Current data on the effects of the three basic approaches of the treatment of BAO are insufficient to generate high-class EBM guidelines. MT seems to be the most effective method of the treatment of acute BAO. The efficacy of IV or IA thrombolytic therapy in this indication remains unclear

Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous rtPA in Ischemic Strokes Due to Small-Vessel Occlusion: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (iv-rtPA) has been routinely used to treat ischemic stroke for 25 years, following large clinical trials. However, there are few prospective studies on the efficacy and safety of this therapy in strokes attributed to cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). We evaluated functional outcome (modified Rankin scale, mRS) and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) using all available data on the effects of iv-rtPA in SVD-related ischemic stroke (defined either using neuroimaging, clinical features, or both). Using fixed-effect and random-effects models, we calculated the pooled effect estimates with regard to excellent and favorable outcomes (mRS=0-1 and 0-2 respectively, at 3 months), and the rate of sICH. Twenty-three studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria, 11 of which were comparative, and there were only 3 randomized clinical trials. In adjusted analyses, there was an increased odds of excellent outcome (adjusted OR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.29-1.82, I2: 0%) or favorable outcome (adjusted OR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.31-2.15,I2: 0%) in patients who received iv-rtPA compared with placebo. Across the six studies which reported it, the incidence of sICH was higher in the treatment group (M-H RR = 8.83, 95% CI: 2.76-28.27). The pooled rate of sICH in patients with SVD administered iv-rtPA was only 0.72% (95% CI: 0.12%-1.64%). We conclude that when ischemic stroke attributed to SVD is considered separately, available data on the effects of iv-rtPA therapy are insufficient for the highest level of recommendation, but it seems to be safe. Although further therapeutic trials in SVD-related ischemic stroke appear to be justified, our findings should not prevent its continued use for this group of patients in clinical practice

Obtaining and Application of New Cellulose- and Graphene Oxide-Based Adsorbents for Treatment of Industrial Waste Containing Heavy Metals

The paper presents the results of studies on the preparation and properties of composite granules produced by phase inversion from cellulose (CEL) solutions in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazole acetate (EMIMAc), containing nano-addition in the form of graphene oxide (GO) in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Water absorption and sorption of such compounds as FeCl3, methylene blue (MB) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied. In addition, attempts were made to investigate the sorption properties of the obtained cellulose granules in terms of metals removal from electroplating wastewater. Among the many components, iron and lead were found to have the highest concentration (~ 1 mg Fe/dm3; ~2 mg Pb/dm3) in the tested wastewater sample. The qualitative and quantitative composition of the wastewater was examined by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The studies show that doping of cellulose with graphene oxide clearly affects the physical properties of this biopolymer. GO improves the water absorption of CEL/GO composite cellulose granules only in the concentration above 0.05% w/w. For a concentration of 0.1% w/w of GO in cellulose, water absorption is increased by ~108% compared to pure cellulose granules. In addition, the use of dry and wet granules in the study changes their sorption properties with respect to all tested substances. Studies on test solutions have shown that the sorption of cellulose granules decreases with increasing molar mass of test compounds, in the following order: FeCl3, methylene blue (MB) and bovine albumin (BSA). This means that the cellulose granules obtained in the experiment are made up of small micropores, which makes the diffusion of compounds of high molecular weight difficult. The best sorption results were obtained for ferric ions and amounted to 66-72% for FeCl3 solution, and ~92% for the wastewater that was sorbed on pure cellulose granules

RrmA regulates the stability of specific transcripts in response to both nitrogen source and oxidative stress

Differential regulation of transcript stability is an effective means by which an organism can modulate gene expression. A well-characterized example is glutamine signalled degradation of specific transcripts in Aspergillus nidulans. In the case of areA, which encodes a wide-domain transcription factor mediating nitrogen metabolite repression, the signal is mediated through a highly conserved region of the 3′ UTR. Utilizing this RNA sequence we isolated RrmA, an RNA recognition motif protein. Disruption of the respective gene led to loss of both glutamine signalled transcript degradation as well as nitrate signalled stabilization of niaD mRNA. However, nitrogen starvation was shown to act independently of RrmA in stabilizing certain transcripts. RrmA was also implicated in the regulation of arginine catabolism gene expression and the oxidative stress responses at the level of mRNA stability. ΔrrmA mutants are hypersensitive to oxidative stress. This phenotype correlates with destabilization of eifE and dhsA mRNA. eifE encodes eIF5A, a translation factor within which a conserved lysine is post-translationally modified to hypusine, a process requiring DhsA. Intriguingly, for specific transcripts RrmA mediates both stabilization and destabilization and the specificity of the signals transduced is transcript dependent, suggesting it acts in consort with other factors which differ between transcripts

Rozpowszechnienie nadciśnienia tętniczego w grupie przewlekle palących — wyniki programu wczesnego wykrywania raka płuc MOLTEST BIS

Wstęp Nadciśnienie tętnicze oraz palenie papierosów stanowią istotny problem zdrowotny i społeczny w populacji polskiej. Wciąż około 24% Polaków nałogowo pali papierosy. Mimo wysokiego ryzyka powikłań naczyniowo-sercowych i onkologicznych, istnieje niewielka liczba publikacji oceniających stan zdrowia wieloletnich palaczy. Materiały i metody W ramach programu Moltest Kardio+ zbadano 425 mieszkańców (223 mężczyzn, 52,47%) województwa pomorskiego. Do badania kwalifikowano osoby w wieku od 50 do 79 lat, z wywiadem tytoniowym powyżej 30 paczkolat. Badanie składało się z jednej wizyty, podczas której zebrano wywiad, wykonano pomiary antropometryczne oraz 3-krotny pomiar ciśnienia tętniczego. Otrzymane wyniki porównano z populacją ogólną (badanie NATPOL 2011). Wyniki Nie zaobserwowano różnic pomiędzy wartościami SBP i DBP w populacji Moltest Kardio+ i NATPOL 2011. Rozpowszechnienie nadciśnienia tętniczego nie różniło się istotnie w obu populacjach. Zauważono istotne statystycznie różnice w SBP w zależności od wypalonych paczkolat. Kobiety z grupy Moltest miały istotnie niższe BMI od kobiet z populacji ogólnej, natomiast u mężczyzn wartości BMI były istotnie wyższe. Wnioski Średnie wartości SBP i DBP oraz rozpowszechnienie nadciśnienia tętniczego nie różni się istotnie w badanych grupach. Liczba paczkolat w wywiadzie miała znaczący wpływ na wartości SBP wśród palaczy. Zaobserwowano całkowicie odmienne związki palenia papierosów i wartości wskaźnika BMI u kobiet i mężczyzn. Większe rozpowszechnienie zaburzeń masy ciała i współwystępowanie nadciśnienia tętniczego i nałogowego palenia tytoniu w populacji mężczyzn wymaga wzmożonych działań prewencyjnych ze względu na wysokie ryzyko sercowo-naczyniowe. Introduction Arterial hypertension (AH) and cigarette smoking are a leading health and social problem in Polish population. Still around 24 % of Poles are chronic smokers. Despite the high risk of cardio-vascular and oncological complications the number of papers assessing wellbeing and health condition of chronic smokers is low. Materials and methods As part of the Moltest Kardio+ program 425 citizens of pomorskie voivodeship (223 males, 52,47%) were examined. Inclusion criteria were age between 50 and 79 years and history of smoking with more than 30 packyears. Program consisted of one visit during which medical history, anthropometric measurements and three separate blood pressure measurements were taken. The results were then compared to the general population (NATPOL 2011 study). Results There were no differences between SBP and DBP values in Moltest Kardio+ and NATPOL 2011 populations. Prevalence of AH was not significantly different in both populations. Significant differences in SBP according to number of packyears were noted. In Moltest study women had significantly lower BMI than those in general population, whereas men’s BMI was significantly higher. Conclusions Mean SBP and DBP values and prevalence of AH are not significantly different in these two groups. Number of packyears had a significant effect on SBP values in smokers. Entirely opposite relations between smoking and BMI index values were observed in female and male smokers. Higher prevalence of body mass disorders and concomitance of AH and chronic smoking in male smokers resulting in increased cardiovascular risk requires to undertake more intense preventive measures.Wstęp. Nadciśnienie tętnicze oraz palenie papierosów stanowią istotny problem zdrowotny i społeczny w populacji polskiej. Wciąż około 24% Polaków nałogowo pali papierosy. Mimo wysokiego ryzyka powikłań naczyniowo-sercowych i onkologicznych, istnieje niewielka liczba publikacji oceniających stan zdrowia wieloletnich palaczy. Materiał i metody. W ramach programu Moltest Kardio+ zbadano 425 mieszkańców (223 mężczyzn, 52,47%) województwa pomorskiego. Do badania kwalifikowano osoby w wieku od 50 do 79 lat, z wywiadem tytoniowym powyżej 30 paczkolat. Badanie składało się z jednej wizyty, podczas której zebrano wywiad, wykonano pomiary antropometryczne oraz 3-krotny pomiar ciśnienia tętniczego. Otrzymane wyniki porównano z populacją ogólną (badanie NATPOL 2011). Wyniki. Nie zaobserwowano różnic pomiędzy wartościami SBP i DBP w populacji Moltest Kardio+ i NATPOL 2011. Rozpowszechnienie nadciśnienia tętniczego nie różniło się istotnie w obu populacjach. Zauważono istotne statystycznie różnice w SBP w zależności od wypalonych paczkolat. Kobiety z grupy Moltest miały istotnie niższe BMI od kobiet z populacji ogólnej, natomiast u mężczyzn wartości BMI były istotnie wyższe. Wnioski. Średnie wartości SBP i DBP oraz rozpowszechnienie nadciśnienia tętniczego nie różni się istotnie w badanych grupach. Liczba paczkolat w wywiadzie miała znaczący wpływ na wartości SBP wśród palaczy. Zaobserwowano całkowicie odmienne związki palenia papierosów i wartości wskaźnika BMI u kobiet i mężczyzn. Większe rozpowszechnienie zaburzeń masy ciała i współwystępowanie nadciśnienia tętniczego i nałogowego palenia tytoniu w populacji mężczyzn wymaga wzmożonych działań prewencyjnych ze względu na wysokie ryzyko sercowo-naczyniowe