Kinetic and static perimetry after 16 years and additional OCT-A analysis in eyes with longlasting optic disc drusen

The aim of the study is to evaluate the progression of visual field (VF) defects over 16 years of observation and to assess abnormalities in vessels and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with optic disc drusen (ODD). Both static automated perimetry (SAP) and semi-automated kinetic perimetry (SKP) were performed in 16 eyes of 8 patients (mean age 54 years) with ODD among 26 eyes of 13 patients examined 16 years before. The area of I2e, I4e, III4e, and V4e isopters was measured in deg2. The MD and PSD parameters were estimated using SAP. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) was additionally performed in 16 ODD eyes and 16 eyes of 8 healthy subjects to estimate the RNFL thickness and vessel density of the optic nerve disc and the macula. The differences in all isopter areas of SKP and SAP parameters after 16 years were not significant. The analysis of OCT-A showed a significant reduction of the vessel density and RNFL of the peripapillary area in each segment in patients with ODD, compared with the control group. The highest reduction of RNFL was observed in the superior segment of the optic disc area (92.56μm vs 126.63μm) also the macular thickness was decreased in ODD patients, compared with the control group. In the macula, there was a significant vascular defect in the whole superficial layer and in the parafoveal deep layer. A strong significant correlation of the parafoveal deep plexus with MD and PSD parameters was detected. In conclusion, VF loss due to ODD after 16 years of the follow-up was not significant both in SKP and SAP. ODD caused a reduced vessel density and RNFL, as well as macular thickness in OCT-A. SAP parameters were influenced by parafoveal deep plexus

Analysis of the peripapillary and macular regions using OCT angiography in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Purpose: To measure RNFL and vasculature around the optic disc and in the macula in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: 24 eyes of patients with SZ and 16 eyes of patients with BD as well as 30 eyes of healthy subjects were examined with OCTA. The radiant peripapillary capillary (RPC) density and RNFL thickness were measured in the peripapillary area. Moreover, macular thickness and vessel density were measured in both superficial and deep layers. Results: Significantly decreased values of vessel density in the macular deep vascular complex were found in the eyes of patients with SZ, compared to BD and the control group. The macular thickness in the whole vascular complex and in the fovea was significantly lower in SZ and BD group than in the control group. The radiant peripapillary vascular density and RNFL thickness were similar across groups. Conclusions: The retinal microvascular dysfunction occurs in the macula in patients with SZ and BD, but not around optic disc. OCTA can become an essential additional diagnostic tool in detection of psychiatric disorders

Molecular Profile of Barrett's Esophagus and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in the Development of Translational Physiological and Pharmacological Studies

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a premalignant condition caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), where physiological squamous epithelium is replaced by columnar epithelium. Several in vivo and in vitro BE models were developed with questionable translational relevance when implemented separately. Therefore, we aimed to screen Gene Expression Omnibus 2R (GEO2R) databases to establish whether clinical BE molecular profile was comparable with animal and optimized human esophageal squamous cell lines-based in vitro models. The GEO2R tool and selected databases were used to establish human BE molecular profile. BE-specific mRNAs in human esophageal cell lines (Het-1A and EPC2) were determined after one, three and/or six-day treatment with acidified medium (pH 5.0) and/or 50 and 100 µM bile mixture (BM). Wistar rats underwent microsurgical procedures to generate esophagogastroduodenal anastomosis (EGDA) leading to BE. BE-specific genes (keratin (KRT)1, KRT4, KRT5, KRT6A, KRT13, KRT14, KRT15, KRT16, KRT23, KRT24, KRT7, KRT8, KRT18, KRT20, trefoil factor (TFF)1, TFF2, TFF3, villin (VIL)1, mucin (MUC)2, MUC3A/B, MUC5B, MUC6 and MUC13) mRNA expression was assessed by real-time PCR. Pro/anti-inflammatory factors (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) serum concentration was assessed by a Luminex assay. Expression profile in vivo reflected about 45% of clinical BE with accompanied inflammatory response. Six-day treatment with 100 µM BM (pH 5.0) altered gene expression in vitro reflecting in 73% human BE profile and making this the most reliable in vitro tool taking into account two tested cell lines. Our optimized and established combined in vitro and in vivo BE models can improve further physiological and pharmacological studies testing pathomechanisms and novel therapeutic targets of this disorder

Possibilities to improve soil physical properties in garlic cultivation with cover crops as living mulches

[EN] The cultivation system with cover crops as living mulches is growing in importance in the worldwide agriculture as it combines an economical effect with pro-ecological and soil protecting activities. The plant species tested in the research were not frost resistant: buckwheat, millet, white mustard and berseem clover. A control were the plots without cover crops. The intercrops were sown in the first decade of August, in autumn a grown biomass was a living mulch, and after being damaged by frost in spring, the mulch was covering ground surface. Winter garlic bulbs were planted in grown biomass of cover plants, in the first decade of September. In the first decade of November and in the first decade of April, the selected soil parameters were determined in the soil layer of 0¿10 cm: actual soil moisture (%), soil bulk density (Mg · m¿3), total porosity (%) and water stability of soil aggregates (%). The harvest of garlic was conducted in the first decade of July. Cover crops mulches had an influence on soil physical properties. In spring, the soil from plots with cover crops mulching characterized with the highest moisture, higher total porosity and soil aggregates stability as well as lower soil bulk density. In comparison to the control cultivation of winter garlic, without cover crops, the effect of plants used for mulching on marketable yield was not observed. Garlic plants intercropped with the white mustard mulch formed leaves and bulbs of higher weight in comparison to cultivation without cover crops.Research was financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland as part of the statutory activities of the Department of Vegetable Crops and Medicinal Plants, University of Life Sciences in Lublin.Salata, A.; Moreno-Ramón, H.; Ibañez Asensio, S.; Buczkowska, H.; Nurzynska-Wierdak, R.; Witorozec, A.; Parzymies, M. (2017). Possibilities to improve soil physical properties in garlic cultivation with cover crops as living mulches. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Hortorum Cultus. 16(6):157-166. https://doi.org/10.24326/asphc.2017.6.14S15716616

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Struktura plonu i cechy technologiczne owoców kilku odmian papryki słodkiej pochodzących ze zbioru jednorazowego

Sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. macrocarpum) is a valuable vegetable from the Solanaceae family. The increased interest in open field pepper cultivation results from higher demand for this vegetable of the processing industry. Preservation and freezing are the main directions of pepper processing. Due to a long growing period and high thermal requirements of this species, a based problem in open field pepper cultivation in Poland is to obtain the largest possible amount of fully red fruits. The present study, conducted during the period 2009–2010, evaluated quantity and quality yield of several sweet pepper cultivars that are currently most frequently grown in the Lublin region for the processing industry. Fruits were picked in a single harvest. The present study determined marketable yield and its structure, depending on the fruit colour stages, as well as basic technological traits of fruits such as fruit weight, pericarp thickness, share of placenta in fruit weight, and technological yield. ‘Socrates F1’, ‘King Arthur F1’, and ‘Red Knight F1’ were the most productive cultivars. The highest red fruit yield was obtained in the cultivars ‘King Arthur F1’ and ‘Red Knight F1’, and they also produced the largest fruits. Red fruits accounted for 50.8% of marketable yield, on average, for the cultivars compared. Among the domestic cultivars, ‘Caryca F1’ was distinguished by a thick pericarp and a high share of placenta in fruit weight. Technological yield of fruits of the evaluated cultivars was in the range of 83.5–91.7%.Papryka słodka Capsicum annuum L. var. macrocarpum jest cennym warzywem z rodziny psiankowatych. Wzrost zainteresowania uprawą papryki na polu wynika z większego zapotrzebowania przemysłu przetwórczego na to warzywo. Główne kierunki przetwarzania papryki to konserwowanie i mrożenie. Ze względu na długi okres wegetacji i duże wymagania termiczne tego gatunku podstawowym problemem w uprawie polowej papryki w Polsce jest uzyskanie jak największej ilości owoców w pełni wybarwionych. Podczas badaĔ przeprowadzonych w latach 2009–2010 oceniono wielkość i jakość plonu kilku odmian papryki słodkiej najczęściej obecnie uprawianych na Lubelszczyżnie z przeznaczeniem do przemysłu przetwórczego. Zbiór owoców przeprowadzono jednorazowo. Określono wielkość plonu handlowego i jego strukturę uwzględniającą fazy wybarwienia owoców oraz podstawowe cechy technologiczne owoców, takie jak masa, grubość perykarpu, udział łożyska w masie owocu i wydajność technologiczna. Najplenniejszymi odmianami były ‘Socrates F1’, ‘King Arthur F1’ i ‘Red Knight F1’. Największy plon owoców czerwonych oraz owoce o największej masie uzyskano u odmian ‘Red Knight F1’ i ‘King Arthur F1’. Średnio dla porównywanych odmian owoce czerwone stanowiły 50,8% plonu handlowego. Wśród odmian hodowli krajowej ‘Caryca F1’ wyróżniała się grubym perykarpem i dużym udziałem łożyska w masie owocu. Wydajność technologiczna owoców ocenianych odmian kształtowała się w granicach 83,5–91,7%

Does preservation modify the essential oil content and chemical composition of leaf celery (Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum Alef.)?

Preservation of spice plants usually leads to changes in the structure and content of biologically active substances. The present study determined the effect of lyophilization and convection drying on the content and chemical composition of the essential oil from leaves of two leaf celery cultivars. Compared to lyophilization, convection drying allows a larger amount of essential oil to be retained in leaves of leaf celery (respectively by 0.48 and 0.21%). The oil obtained from the material preserved using the convection method had higher amount of limonene, γ-terpinene, (Z)-β-ocimene and β-selinene than that extracted from the lyophilized material, whereas the essential oil from freeze-dried celery had more myrcene and 9H-purin-6-ol than oil from convection-dried celery

Efektywność niektórych zabiegów agrotechnicznych w kształtowaniu wielkości i jakości plonu selera listkowego (Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum Alef.)

Leaf celery (Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum Alef.) is a vegetable with spicy and medicinal properties. A study on the effect of seeding rate and irrigation on yield of two leaf celery cultivars: ‘Gewone Snij’ and ‘Green Cuttnig’, was carried out at the Felin Experimental Farm of the University of Life Sciences in Lublin during the period 2009–2010. Seeds were sown in the field in the last decade of April in rows 25 cm apart. Two seeding rates were used: 15 and 25 kgāha-1. Plant irrigation was applied during critical periods of soil water deficit. The raw material was harvested twice: in the 2nd decade of August and in the 2nd decade of October. The investigated factors were shown to have a significant effect on leaf celery yield. A significantly higher content of essential oil was found in the leaves of both celery cultivars harvested on the first date. The highest essential oil yield was obtained from irrigated plants of the cultivar ‘Green Cutting’ harvested in the 2nd decade of August. The main components of the essential oil of leaf celery were limonene and myrcene.Seler listkowy Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum Alef. jest warzywem przyprawowym o właściwościach leczniczych. W latach 2009–2010 w Gospodarstwie Doświadczalnym Felin Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Lublinie przeprowadzono badania nad wpływem normy siewu i nawadniania na plonowanie dwóch odmian selera listkowego: Gewone Snij i Green Cuttnig. Nasiona wysiano na polu rzędowo, co 25 cm, w ostatniej dekadzie kwietnia. Zastosowano dwie normy siewu: 15 i 25 kg·ha-1. W krytycznych okresach niedoboru wody w glebie stosowano nawadnianie roślin. Zbiór surowca przeprowadzono dwukrotnie: w II dekadzie sierpnia i II dekadzie października. Wykazano, że badane czynniki, tj. norma siewu, odmiana i nawadnianie miały istotny wpływ na wielkość plonu selera listkowego. Termin zbioru ziela miał istotny wpływ na zawartość olejku eterycznego. Największy plon olejku eterycznego uzyskano z nawadnianych roślin odmiany Green Cutting, zbieranych w II dekadzie sierpnia. Głównymi składnikami olejku były limonen i mircen