Detection of Bronchial Neoplasia in Uranium Miners by Autofluorescence Endoscopy (SAFE-1000)

The increase in the detection rate for premalignant changes of bronchial epithelium was studied in 56 symptom-free volunteers from the risk group of Czech uranium miners (mean age 50.69 years, mean WLM 21.06 (1 Working Level Month is equal to the absorption of latent energy of 2.08 × 10–5 J/m3 in one month, i.e. 170 working hours)) by the additional employment of the System of Autofluorescence Endoscopy (SAFE-1000 Pentax) to conventional white-light bronchoscopy, comparing results with those of bronchial biopsy histopathology examination. Histopathology using hematoxylin and eosin staining confirmed intraepithelial neoplasias in 15 areas in 10 persons. White-light bronchoscopy sensitivity was 21.05%, and specificity 93.7% which an autofluorescence bronchoscopy sensitivity was 78.95% and specificity 81.89%

Suppression of Phospholipase Dγs Confers Increased Aluminum Resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the major stress in acidic soil that comprises about 50% of the world's arable land. The complex molecular mechanisms of Al toxicity have yet to be fully determined. As a barrier to Al entrance, plant cell membranes play essential roles in plant interaction with Al, and lipid composition and membrane integrity change significantly under Al stress. Here, we show that phospholipase Dγs (PLDγs) are induced by Al stress and contribute to Al-induced membrane lipid alterations. RNAi suppression of PLDγ resulted in a decrease in both PLDγ1 and PLDγ2 expression and an increase in Al resistance. Genetic disruption of PLDγ1 also led to an increased tolerance to Al while knockout of PLDγ2 did not. Both RNAi-suppressed and pldγ1-1 mutants displayed better root growth than wild-type under Al stress conditions, and PLDγ1-deficient plants had less accumulation of callose, less oxidative damage, and less lipid peroxidation compared to wild-type plants. Most phospholipids and glycolipids were altered in response to Al treatment of wild-type plants, whereas fewer changes in lipids occurred in response to Al stress in PLDγ mutant lines. Our results suggest that PLDγs play a role in membrane lipid modulation under Al stress and that high activities of PLDγs negatively modulate plant tolerance to Al

Ocrelizumab versus Interferon Beta-1a in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

Supported by F. Hoffmann–La Roche

Diagnosing COPD: advances in training and practice – a systematic review

Vladimir Koblizek,1,2 Barbora Novotna,1–3 Zuzana Zbozinkova,3 Karel Hejduk31Department of Pneumology, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; 2Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; 3Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech RepublicAbstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung syndrome, caused by long-term inhalation of noxious gases and particles, which leads to gradual airflow limitation. All health care professionals who care for COPD patients should have full access to high-quality spirometry testing, as postbronchodilator spirometry constitutes the principal method of COPD diagnosis. One out of four smokers 45 years or older presenting respiratory symptoms in primary care, have non-fully reversible airflow limitation compatible with COPD and are mostly without a known diagnosis. Approximately 50.0%–98.3% of patients are undiagnosed worldwide. The majority of undiagnosed COPD patients are isolated at home, are in nursing or senior-assisted living facilities, or are present in oncology and cardiology clinics as patients with lung cancers and coronary artery disease. At this time, the prevalence and mortality of COPD subjects is increasing, rapidly among women who are more susceptible to risk factors. Since effective management strategies are currently available for all phenotypes of COPD, correctly performed and well-interpreted postbronchodilator spirometry is still an essential component of all approaches used. Simple educational training can substantially improve physicians’ knowledge relating to COPD diagnosis. Similarly, a physician inhaler education program can improve attitudes toward inhaler teaching and facilitate its implementation in routine clinical practices. Spirometry combined with inhaled technique education improves the ability of predominantly nonrespiratory physicians to correctly diagnose COPD, to adequately assess its severity, and to increase the percentage of correct COPD treatment used in a real-life setting.Keywords: education, inhaled technique, overdiagnosis, primary care, spirometry, underdiagnosi

Tremorgenic mycotoxin poisoning in a dog: A case report

An eleven-year-old Pit Bull Terrier was presented to the veterinary practice with an acute onset of whole-body seizures. The clinical signs developed in a garden where the dog was kept that morning. There was a suspicion of tremorgenic mycotoxin poisoning by compost as the dog had vomited parts of compost right before the onset of the seizures and there was a pile of compost located in the garden. The dog underwent immediate decontamination following supportive treatment and recovered fully within 24 h of intensive care. The samples of the vomit and parts of the compost were cultivated. In the sample of the vomit, Penicillium sp. was found. Subsequently, tremorgenic mycotoxins paxilline, penitrem A and roquefortine C were determined chromatographically at significant concentrations in the vomit and a growth medium with cultivated Penicillium sp. The aim of this work is to describe the complex therapeutic and diagnostic approach to the patient with a suspected tremorgenic mycotoxin poisoning where a combination of mycological and chromatographic analyses was used to confirm the diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first confirmed case of canine tremorgenic mycotoxicosis in the Czech Republic and the first reported case of paxilline poisoning in a dog

Mercury distribution in the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) from the Krogulna ponds and Nysa Kłodzka River (Poland)

Mercury belongs among the highly hazardous substances present in the environment and represents a great health risk for many animals including predatory and piscivorous birds. The aim of this study was to assess the total mercury content in the main detoxifying organs (liver and kidney) and in the muscles of adult great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) caught at two localities (the Krogulna ponds and the Nysa Kłodzka River) in southern Poland. The aim was to compare the locality with the iron ore mining history (the Krogulna ponds) with a site without such load (the Nysa Kłodzka River). The total mercury content in the great cormorants decreases as follows: kidneys > liver > muscle in both monitored localities and significantly differs between the localities. The average mercury content varied from 0.58 ± 0.38 mg/kg (muscle) to 1.39 ± 1.42 mg/kg (kidney) in the cormorant from the Krogulna ponds and from 1.09 ± 0.40 mg/kg (muscle) to 3.12 ± 1.55 mg/kg (kidney) in the cormorant from the Nysa Kłodzka River. The accumulation of mercury does not correlate with the mining history as it was higher at the Nysa Kłodzka River, but it is probably influenced by the different fish stocks in these two localities (omnivorous fish in the Krogulna ponds versus predatory fish in the Nysa Kłodzka River)

Postawy pacjentów chorych na cukrzycę wobec ich choroby

Background. Education of diabetic patients is integral to effective treatment. Material and methods. In the presented work, we studied Eastern Slovakian patients with diabetes type 2 with or without insulin treatment. We focused on their diabetic self-care and compared their attitudes, education on their disease, and treatment provided by professionals. There were 411 patients in the insulin-treated group. We used the standardized Diabetes Care Profile questionnaire (DCP). Results. The groups had very different attitudes toward diabetic self-care. Patients with provided professional self-care education scored higher in all areas of diabetic care. Appropriate education influenced knowledge and consequently the management and attitudes of diabetic patients toward their disease. Educated patients scored higher in the categories ‘Self-care ability’, ‘Importance of care’, ‘Self-care adherence’, ‘Diet adherence’, ‘Medical barriers’, ‘Exercise barriers’, ‘Monitoring barriers’ and ‘Understanding practice’ (p < 0.01). Patients who had not received diabetes education presented higher scores in emotional areas, i.e., negative and positive attitudes toward diabetes mellitus (p < 0.01). Conclusions. We concluded that it is beneficial for a structured e ducational process to be integrated in diabetes treatment.Wprowadzenie. Edukacja pacjentów chorych na cukrzycę stanowi integralną część ich skutecznego leczenia. Materiał i metody. W prezentowanym badaniu porównano postawy w zakresie samodzielnej profilaktyki cukrzycy w dwóch grupach pacjentów cierpiących na cukrzycę typu 2, która wymaga insulinoterapii, w odniesieniu do szkoleń edukacyjnych dotyczących ich choroby oraz leczenia prowadzonego przez specjalistów. Badaną grupę stanowiło 411 pacjentów cierpiących na cukrzycę typu 2 leczoną za pomocą insuliny, którzy pochodzą ze wschodniej części Słowacji. Zastosowano standardowy kwestionariusz DCP (ang. Diabetes Care Profile), wykorzystywany do oceny czynników społecznych i psychologicznych wśród cukrzyków. Wyniki. Postawy dwóch porównywanych grup pacjentów wobec cukrzycy różniły się istotnie w zakresie samodzielnej profilaktyki. Pacjenci z zapewnionym profesjonalnym szkoleniem dotyczącym samodzielniej profilaktyki uzyskiwali wyższe oceny we wszystkich obszarach związanych z monitorowaniem i leczeniem cukrzycy. Prawidłowy proces edukacyjny ma wpływ na poziom wiedzy, a tym samym na działania podejmowane przez pacjentów i ich postawy wobec choroby. Pacjenci, którzy otrzymali odpowiednie przeszkolenie, lepiej kontrolowali sfery takie jak „Umiejętności dot. samodzielnej profilaktyki”, „Znaczenie samodzielnej profilaktyki”, „Przestrzeganie zasad samodzielnej profilaktyki”, „Przestrzeganie diety”, „Ograniczenia natury medycznej”, „Ograniczenia w wykonywaniu ćwiczeń”, „Ograniczenia w monitorowaniu” oraz „Rozumienie procedur” (p < 0,01). Z kolei pacjenci nieposiadający odpowiedniej wiedzy prezentowali lepsze wyniki w obszarach związanych ze sferą emocjonalną – negatywnym i pozytywnym nastawieniu do cukrzycy (p < 0,01). Wnioski. W kontekście uzyskanych wyników, zintegrowanie ustrukturyzowanego procesu edukacyjnego z leczeniem osób chorujących na cukrzycę wydaje się konieczne