Physical activity, arterial hypertension and waist circumference in men from Warmia and Masuria region in Poland

Introduction. Regular physical activity is a recognized method of non-pharmacological prevention many chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of physical activity and abdominal obesity in 631 randomly selected men from Warmia and Masuria region in Poland. Material and methods. 631 men from the Warmia and Mazury region in age of 19–82 years (47.2 } 13.7 years) were examined between Dec 2014 and Dec 2016. Participants completed standardized questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were performed. BP was measured. In serum of 398 participants glucose and lipidogram were measured. Analyses were performed separately for three groups depending on time of physical activity in week: ACT+ (meet WHO physical activity recommendations ≥ 150 min/week), ACT+/- (do not meet WHO recommendations < 150 min/week and ≥ 50 min/week) and ACT — (do sport occasionally or never). Two groups were performed depending on the BP: AHT+ (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg or antihypertensive therapy) and AHT — (BP values < 140/90 mmHg and no antihypertensive therapy). Results. ACT-, ACT+/- and ACT+ accounted respectively for 53%, 24% and 23%, AHT+ for 55.6% and men with waist circumference ≥ 94 cm for 63.9% of studied population. In ACT- increased BP was measured more frequently in comparison with ACT+. In ACT+ waist circumference, DBP and HR were lower and PP was higher in comparison to ACT-. Laboratory tests results did not differ between all three groups of respondents. It was observed that group of participants with waist circumference < 94 cm had lower values of blood pressure parameters in comparison to participants with waist circumference ≥ 94 cm. Conclusions. Only 1 out of 4 men in Warmia and Masuria region in Poland meets the WHO physical activity recommendations, 64% of them have abdominal obesity and more than a half had measured increased values of arterial blood pressure. These findings reveal increased risk o

Metabolic syndrome in male population of the Warmia and Masuria region in Poland

Wstęp. Celem pracy była ocena częstości występowania zespołu metabolicznego (MS) według zaleceń IDF 2005 wśrod mężczyzn w wojewodztwie warmińsko-mazurskim. Materiał i metody. Zbadano 631 mężczyzn w wieku 19–82 lat. Dane zebrano między XII 2014 r. a XII 2016 r. Każdy z badanych wypełnił standaryzowany kwestionariusz. Dokonano pomiarow antropometrycznych. Zmierzono ciśnienie tętnicze. W surowicy 398 mężczyzn (wiek: 48 } 13) zbadano poziom glukozy i lipidogram. Analizy przeprowadzono dla czterech grup wiekowych: < 30, 30–47, 48–64, ≥ 65 lat. Wyodrębniono grupy: MS+ badani spełniali kryteria MS oraz MS- badani nie spełniali tych kryteriow. Wyniki. MS rozpoznano u 45,7% badanych. Zaobserwowano istotny wzrost częstości występowania MS w grupach wiekowych: < 30 lat 9,5%, 30–47 lat 38,1%, 48–64 lat 53,2%, ≥ 65 lat 65,8%. Częstość występowania kryteriow MS (n = 398) wyniosła: obwod talii (≥ 94 cm) u 254 badanych (63,8%); stężenie triglicerydow (≥ 150 mg/dl lub leczenie hipertriglicerydemii) u 146 (36,7%); HDL (< 40 mg/dl lub leczenie dyslipidemii) u 83 (20,9%); glukoza na czczo (≥ 100 mg/dl lub leczenie cukrzycy) w 173 (43,5%), podwyższone ciśnienie tętnicze (SBP > 130 mmHg lub DBP ≥ 85 mmHg lub leczenie nadciśnienia tętniczego) u 313 (78,6%). Wnioski. Częstość występowania MS wśrod populacji męskiej Warmii i Mazur wynosiła 45.75% i wykazywała istotny wzrost z wiekiem. Wyniki potwierdzają konieczność wczesnego wykrywania MS u mężczyzn w tym regionie Polski.  Background. The objective of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in male population of the Warmia and Masuria region in Poland according to IDF 2005 recommendations. Material and methods. 631 men, aged 19–82 years (mean 47 } 14) were examined between Dec 2014 and Dec 2016. Standardized questionnaire was completed by the subjects. Anthropometric measurements were performed. Blood pressure was measured. Blood tests (serum fasting glucose, lipidogram) were performed in 398 men (age: 48 } 13years). Following age groups were identified: < 30YOA, 30–47YOA, 48–64YOA, ≥ 65YOA. Two groups of 398 men were defined: MS+ who fulfilled MS criteria, MS- who did not fulfill MS criteria. Results. MS was diagnosed in 45.7% of 398 men. There was a significant age-related increase in its prevalence: < 30years of age (YOA) 9.5%, 30–47YOA 38.1%, 48–64YOA 53.2%, ≥ 65YOA 65.8%. Prevalence of components of MS in study group (n = 398) was: waist circumference (≥ 94 cm) in 254 (63.8%); high triglycerides (≥ 150 mg/dl or hypertriglyceridemia treatment) in 146 (36.7%); low HDL (< 40 mg/dl or dyslipidemia treatment) in 83 (20.9%); fasting glucose (≥ 100 mg/dl or diabetes treatment) in 173 (43.5%); elevated blood pressure (SBP ≥ 130 mmHg or DBP ≥ 85 mmHg or treatment of hypertension) in 313 (78.6%). Conclusions. The prevalence of MS in male population of Warmia and Masuria was 45.7% with significant increase in age. The study confirms the necessity of early prevention of MS in that region of Poland.

Influence of Nanoalumina Particles on the Static and High-Cycle Fatigue Properties of Peel-Loaded Adhesive-Bonded Joints

Results of research are aimed at determining the possibility of improving the static and fatigue properties of peel-loaded adhesive-bonded joints of S235JR steel with an alumina nanopowder dispersed in an epoxy adhesive. The static properties were assessed in a T-peel test. The high-cycle fatigue strength tests were carried out on an electromagnetic inductor with the resonance frequency of the joint specimen. High-cycle fatigue was analyzed at the limited number of cycles 2 10⁶. The tests were conducted on the specimens bonded with an Epidian 57 epoxy adhesive and a PAC hardener, whose properties were modified through the introduction of an alumina nanopowder. Four versions of the filled epoxy adhesive were examined, 0.5, 1.5, 2, and 3 wt.% of the dried nanopowder were dispersed in the epoxy adhesive. Fatigue strength tests revealed a significant improvement of the fatigue lifetime of adhesive-bonded joints due to the addition of fillers. In the best case a more than five-fold increase in the fatigue lifetime was obtained (from 199,500 to 1000,000 cycles). The fatigue strength for the best case increased by about 19%

Zespół metaboliczny wśród mężczyzn z województwa warmińsko-mazurskiego w Polsce

Wstęp. Celem pracy była ocena częstości występowania zespołu metabolicznego (MS) według zaleceń IDF 2005 wśród mężczyzn w województwie warmińsko-mazurskim. Materiał i metody. Zbadano 631 mężczyzn w wieku 19–82 lat. Dane zebrano między grudniem 2014 a grudniem 2016 roku. Każdy z badanych wypełnił standaryzowany kwestionariusz. Dokonano pomiaroów antropometrycznych. Zmierzono ciśnienie tętnicze. W surowicy 398 mężczyzn (wiek: 48 ± 13 roku) zbadano poziom glukozy i lipidogram. Analizy przeprowadzono dla czterech grup wiekowych: < 30, 30–47, 48–64, ≥ 65 lat. Wyodrębniono grupy: MS+ — badani spełniali kryteria MS, oraz MS– — badani nie spełniali tych kryteriów. Wyniki. MS rozpoznano u 45,7% badanych. Zaobserwowano istotny wzrost częstości występowania MS w grupach wiekowych: < 30 lat — 9,5%, 30–47 lat — 38,1%, 48–64 lat — 53,2%, ≥ 65 lat — 65,8%. Częstość występowania kryteriów MS (n = 398) wynosiła: obwód talii ≥ 94 cm u 254 badanych (63,8%), stężenie triglicerydów ≥ 150 mg/dl lub leczenie hipertriglicerydemii u 146 (36,7%), HDL < 40 mg/dl lub leczenie dyslipidemii u 83 (20,9%), glukoza na czczo ≥ 100 mg/dl lub leczenie cukrzycy u 173 (43,5%), podwyższone ciśnienie tętnicze SBP > 130 mm Hg lub DBP ≥ 85 mm Hg, lub leczenie nadciśnienia tętniczego u 313 (78,6%) osób. Wnioski. Częstość występowania MS wśród populacji męskiej Warmii i Mazur wynosiła 45,75% i wykazywała istotny wzrost wraz z wiekiem. Wyniki potwierdzają konieczność wczesnego wykrywania MS u mężczyzn w tym regionie Polski

PDlim2 Selectively Interacts with the PDZ Binding Motif of Highly Pathogenic Avian H5N1 Influenza A Virus NS1

The multi-functional NS1 protein of influenza A virus is a viral virulence determining factor. The last four residues at the C-terminus of NS1 constitute a type I PDZ domain binding motif (PBM). Avian influenza viruses currently in circulation carry an NS1 PBM with consensus sequence ESEV, whereas human influenza viruses bear an NS1 PBM with consensus sequence RSKV or RSEV. The PBM sequence of the influenza A virus NS1 is reported to contribute to high viral pathogenicity in animal studies. Here, we report the identification of PDlim2 as a novel binding target of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 strain with an NS1 PBM of ESEV (A/Chicken/Henan/12/2004/H5N1, HN12-NS1) by yeast two-hybrid screening. The interaction was confirmed by in vitro GST pull-down assays, as well as by in vivo mammalian two-hybrid assays and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. The binding was also confirmed to be mediated by the interaction of the PDlim2 PDZ domain with the NS1 PBM motif. Interestingly, our assays showed that PDlim2 bound specifically with HN12-NS1, but exhibited no binding to NS1 from a human influenza H1N1 virus bearing an RSEV PBM (A/Puerto Rico/8/34/H1N1, PR8-NS1). A crystal structure of the PDlim2 PDZ domain fused with the C-terminal hexapeptide from HN12-NS1, together with GST pull-down assays on PDlim2 mutants, reveals that residues Arg16 and Lys31 of PDlim2 are critical for the binding between PDlim2 and HN12-NS1. The identification of a selective binding target of HN12-NS1 (ESEV), but not PR8-NS1 (RSEV), enables us to propose a structural mechanism for the interaction between NS1 PBM and PDlim2 or other PDZ-containing proteins

MERS-CoV 4b protein interferes with the NF-κB-dependent innate immune response during infection

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a novel human coronavirus that emerged in 2012, causing severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), with a case fatality rate of ~36%. When expressed in isolation, CoV accessory proteins have been shown to interfere with innate antiviral signaling pathways. However, there is limited information on the specific contribution of MERS-CoV accessory protein 4b to the repression of the innate antiviral response in the context of infection. We found that MERS-CoV 4b was required to prevent a robust NF-κB dependent response during infection. In wild-type virus infected cells, 4b localized to the nucleus, while NF-κB was retained in the cytoplasm. In contrast, in the absence of 4b or in the presence of cytoplasmic 4b mutants lacking a nuclear localization signal (NLS), NF-κB was translocated to the nucleus leading to the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This indicates that NF-κB repression required the nuclear import of 4b mediated by a specific NLS. Interestingly, we also found that both in isolation and during infection, 4b interacted with α-karyopherin proteins in an NLS-dependent manner. In particular, 4b had a strong preference for binding karyopherin-α4 (KPNA4), which is known to translocate the NF-κB protein complex into the nucleus. Binding of 4b to KPNA4 during infection inhibited its interaction with NF-κB-p65 subunit. Thereby we propose a model where 4b outcompetes NF-κB for KPNA4 binding and translocation into the nucleus as a mechanism of interference with the NF-κB-mediated innate immune response

Completion of Hepatitis C Virus Replication Cycle in Heterokaryons Excludes Dominant Restrictions in Human Non-liver and Mouse Liver Cell Lines

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is hepatotropic and only infects humans and chimpanzees. Consequently, an immunocompetent small animal model is lacking. The restricted tropism of HCV likely reflects specific host factor requirements. We investigated if dominant restriction factors expressed in non-liver or non-human cell lines inhibit HCV propagation thus rendering these cells non-permissive. To this end we explored if HCV completes its replication cycle in heterokaryons between human liver cell lines and non-permissive cell lines from human non-liver or mouse liver origin. Despite functional viral pattern recognition pathways and responsiveness to interferon, virus production was observed in all fused cells and was only ablated when cells were treated with exogenous interferon. These results exclude that constitutive or virus-induced expression of dominant restriction factors prevents propagation of HCV in these cell types, which has important implications for HCV tissue and species tropism. In turn, these data strongly advocate transgenic approaches of crucial human HCV cofactors to establish an immunocompetent small animal model

Learning a lesson from a famous puppet player Susumu Tange : A good practice of "Practical training of child-care skills" in Kyoto Women's college

textabstractCoronaviruses can cause respiratory and enteric disease in a wide variety of human and animal hosts. The 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) first demonstrated the potentially lethal consequences of zoonotic coronavirus infections in humans. In 2012, a similar previously unknown coronavirus emerged, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), thus far causing over 650 laboratory-confirmed infections, with an unexplained steep rise in the number of cases being recorded over recent months. The human MERS fatality rate of∼30% is alarmingly high, even though many deaths were associated with underlying medical conditions. Registered therapeutics for the treatment of coronavirus infections are not available. Moreover, the pace of drug development and registration for human use is generally incompatible with strategies to combat emerging infectious diseases. Therefore, we have screened a library of 348 FDA-approved drugs for anti-MERS-CoV activity in cell culture. If such compounds proved sufficiently potent, their efficacy might be directly assessed in MERS patients. We identified four compounds (chloroquine, chlorpromazine, loperamide, and lopinavir) inhibiting MERS-CoV replication in the lowmicromolar range (50% effective concentrations [EC50s], 3 to 8 μM). Moreover, these compounds also inhibit the replication of SARS coronavirus and human coronavirus 229E. Although their protective activity (alone or in combination) remains to be assessed in animal models, our findings may offer a starting point for treatment of patients infected with zoonotic coronaviruses like MERS-CoV. Although they may not necessarily reduce viral replication to very low levels, a moderate viral load reduction may create a window during which to mount a protective immune response. Copyrigh