The grand coalition government in Israel. New faces of the political crisis. OSW Commentary 2020-08-10.

After three rounds of early parliamentary elections in Israel, in May 2020 a grand coalition government was sworn in. The parties that make it up belong to a block of conservative and religious groups centred on the Likud bloc of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, together with the centre-left bloc associated with the Blue and Whites led by Binyamin Gantz. However, the appointment of a government does not mean the end of the political crisis. Uncertainty about the intentions of the central figure on Israel’s political scene, Prime Minister Netanyahu, continues. It is not clear whether he will hand over office to Gantz in November 2021 in accordance with the coalition agreement, or how he intends to deal with the trial that has just started in which he has been charged with corruption. Moreover, the ruling coalition has already been shaken by conflicts, a situation which has been exacerbated by the presence in the Knesset of an opposition which is strong and has been gaining increasing support in the polls. Matters have also been made more difficult by the challenges connected with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the country’s economic problems and the protests they have motivated

Probiotic Microorganisms in Dry Fermented Meat Products

In the modern lifestyle, food is supposed not only to feed the hunger but also to provide an appropriate amount and quality of nutrients necessary for proper functioning of the body. The interest of consumers in functional food, including fermented products with probiotic properties, has been growing for several years. Meat and meat products represent one of the most important components of contemporary human diet. Meat fermentation is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. This is a low‐energy, biological acidulation which results in unique flavour and palatability, colour, microbiological safety and tenderness. Changes of muscle form into fermented meat product are caused by homo‐ or heterofermentative starter cultures or “wild” microorganisms which lower the pH. Fermented meat products are one of the most cherished and valuable food products. Fermentation and ageing process would deliver most aromatic and rich in flavour products, which is incomparable with other processes. A new solution is dry‐aged meats with the use of new probiotic starter cultures with a high degree of health safety and long shelf life due to the inhibition of growth of the pathogenic microorganisms and therefore reduction of the formation of harmful compounds from protein transformation or lipid oxidation

Admission hyperglycemia in patients with acute coronary syndrome complicated by cardiogenic shock

Background: Many reports shoed that for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) increased admission blood glucose (ABG) level is associated with adverse outcomes. Although scientific reports on this issue are still inconsistent, many recent studies confirm that hyperglycemia is also an unfavorable prognostic factor in patients with ACS complicated by cardio­genic shock (CS). The aim of this study is to determine if hyperglycemia on admission can be a predictor of in-hospital death in patients with ACS complicated by CS. Methods: The study population consisted of 40 patients with ACS complicated by CS admit­ted to the Intensive Cardiac Therapy Clinic from January 2010 to May 2013 and treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. A control group was selected among patients with uncomplicated ACS. Results: Patients with CS had significantly higher levels of ABG (15.4 ± 6.26 vs. 7.97 ± ± 2.28 mmol/L, p < 0.01) in comparison with the control group. There was no statistically significant correlation between the level of glucose on admission and in-hospital mortality. Average ABG in patients who survived and in those who died were respectively 15.42 ± 5.61 vs. 15.40 ± 6.87 mmol/L, p > 0.05. Comparison in groups depending on ABG level and cal­culations with use of receiver-operating characteristics curves showed no relationship between the level of ABG and patients’ deaths. Conclusions: Hyperglycemia on admission is a clinical feature of patients with ACS who develop CS, however its prognostic value requires further studies

Assessing food selection of Warsaw primary school students during their school stay in the context of eating breakfast

Wraz z rozpoczęciem nauki w szkole na ogół następuje pogorszenie sposobu żywienia się dzieci, co wynika między innymi z ich częściowego usamodzielnienia się w sferze wyboru żywności. Zjawisko to może być mniej nasilone u dzieci, które wyniosły z domu prawidłowo ukształtowane nawyki żywieniowe. Celem pracy była ocena wyborów żywieniowych dzieci w wieku szkolnym w kontekście spożywania przez nich śniadań oraz żywności spożywanej w czasie ich pobytu w szkole. Badaniem objęto 761 uczniów (396 dziewcząt i 365 chłopców, w wieku 6–13 lat) ze szkół podstawowych z Warszawy i okolic. Dane dotyczące sytuacji socjodemograficznej i wybranych elementów sposobu żywienia zebrano za pomocą kwestionariusza ankiety. Najczęstsze powiązania wyborów żywieniowych oceniono z wykorzystaniem analizy koszykowej. W badanej grupie I śniadanie codziennie spożywało 86% dzieci, zaś II śniadania − 73% dzieci. Codzienne zakupy w sklepiku szkolnym i automatach deklarowało 5% badanych, a nigdy nie robiło ich 33% badanych. Dzieci spożywające na I śniadania kanapki z dodatkiem warzyw lub owsiankę/zupę mleczną jadły bardziej prawidłowo skomponowane II śniadania (mniej słodyczy i więcej owoców lub warzyw) oraz rzadziej dokonywały w szkole zakupu słodyczy, słodkich bułek lub słonych przekąsek, w porównaniu z uczniami spożywającymi na I śniadania płatki wysokosłodzone lub kanapki bez dodatku war zyw. Dzieci spożywające niezbilansowane II śniadania częściej niż dzieci, których śniadania były lepiej skomponowane, dokonywały w szkole zakupu słodyczy i innych przekąsek. Rodzaj produktów spożywanych na śniadanie wpływał na wybór żywności spożywanej podczas pobytu w szkole. Wśród dzieci spożywających niezbilansowane śniadania zaobserwowano wyższą konsumpcję produktów niewskazanych.The beginning of school generally means deterioration of children’s dietary habits, which results, among others, in partial independence in the field of food choices. This phenomenon may be less severe in children who learned proper eating habits at home. The aim of this study was to assess food choices of school age children in the context of eating their breakfast and the food eaten during their stay at school. The research included 761 students (396 girls and 365 boys, aged 6−13) from primary schools in Warsaw and surrounding areas. The data on the socio-demographic situation and selected elements of the dietary habits were collected using a food questionnaire. The most common dietary choices were assessed using market basket analysis. In the study group 86% of the children consumed first breakfast on a daily basis, while 73% of children consumed second breakfast.5% of respondents declared daily shopping in the school shops and vending machines and 33% of the respondents never did it. Children who consumed sandwiches with the addition of vegetables or porridge/milk soup for breakfast, ate better-balanced second breakfast (less sweets and more fruits or vegetables) and bought less sweets, sweet rolls or salty snacks at school compared with students consuming for the first breakfast sweetened cereals or a sandwich without the addition of vegetables. Children who eat unbalanced second breakfast bought sweets and other snacks at school more often than children whose breakfasts were well-balanced. In conclusion, the type of products consumed at breakfast affected the choice of food eaten during the stay at school. Higher consumption of inadvisable products was observed among children who consume unbalanced breakfast

Mapping of policies affecting female migrants and policy analysis : the Polish case

The Polish policy towards foreigners is “European”; it does not have the features of the global policy, determined by the relevant UN documents concerning, among other things, the rights of migrants (human rights), fighting with discrimination of this category, particularly visible in correlation with gender, race, and the category male migrant/ female migrant. In numerous documents concern with the rights of female migrants is emphasized. In Poland, legislators do not pay attention to the sociological aspect of the issue. Detailed data concerning women are completely lacking. Poland has neither implemented policies with reference to the fight with discrimination in access to publicly provided goods and services, nor has a competent central body been appointed to support the fight against discrimination. Moreover, on 3 November 2005 the position of the Government Plenipotentiary for the Equal Status of Women and Men was closed down, whose tasks included fighting all kinds of discrimination and which undertook initiatives preventing racism, while one of its tasks was work on the preparation of the establishment of a special office dealing with discrimination. The attitude of public authorities to affirmative action must also be viewed negatively - so far no programmes have been planned concerning it; there is only the aforementioned provision, which unfortunately does not translate into appropriate legislative regulations or a policy promoting employment

The Condyloma acuminata - the review of the treatment methods

Introduction and purpose: Condyloma acuminata, a benign manifestation of HPV infection, is a common sexually transmitted disease. Condyloma acuminata most commonly affects the anogenital area, but can also occur in the oral cavity. Macroscopically the lesions present as raised, fleshy papules, sometimes flat and broad, pedicled or cauliflower-like. Generally, the lesions are multiple, and as they grow, tend to coalesce into larger ones. Due to the lack of symptoms, condyloma acuminata are often found incidentally during routine medical appointments, e.g. in gynecologist’s offices. Additional symptoms and signs are pain, minor bleeding and pruritus. Patients suffering from condyloma acuminata are often in psychological and psychosexual distress.  This work aims to provide a summary of the currently available treatment options based on scientific reports to date. A brief description of the state of knowledge: Among the factors that increase the risk of the HPV infection are age, lifestyle, promiscuity, smoking, HIV infection, a history of chlamydia or gonorrhea infections. To date, no treatment algorithm has been developed for condyloma acuminata. Two vaccines are on offer as primary prevention, Gardasil and Cervarix. The available treatment options are divided into two main groups: patient-administered and physician administered. Surgical methods have the highest therapeutic efficacy. Condyloma acuminata has a high recurrence rate. Usually, a multi-session combination treatment is needed to reach total remission. Summary (conclusions): The treatment of condyloma acuminata includes personalized targets due to their diverse clinical picture and the limitations of certain patient groups. The available treatment options do not exhaust the needs of patients suffering from condyloma acuminata. Further research into the effectiveness of specific treatments is advisable

Endothelial response to glucocorticoids in inflammatory diseases

The endothelium plays a crucial role in inflammation. A balanced control of inflammation requires the action of glucocorticoids (GCs), steroidal hormones with potent cell-specific anti-inflammatory properties. Besides the classic anti-inflammatory effects of GCs on leukocytes, recent studies confirm that endothelial cells also represent an important target for GCs. GCs regulate different aspects of endothelial physiology including expression of adhesion molecules, production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and maintenance of endothelial barrier integrity. However, the regulation of endothelial GC sensitivity remains incompletely understood. In this review, we specifically examine the endothelial response to GCs in various inflammatory diseases ranging from multiple sclerosis, stroke, sepsis, and vasculitis to atherosclerosis. Shedding more light on the cross talk between GCs and endothelium will help to improve existing therapeutic strategies and develop new therapies better tailored to the needs of patients

Possibilities in the application of solid lipid nanoparticles in combination with 5-fluorouracil to overcome the drugresistance of non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549

Introduction: Multidrug resistance of non-small cell lung cancer cells is associated with a high percentageof therapeutic failures. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of solid lipid nanoparticles as atransporter of the conventionally used cytostatic (5-fluorouracil) to overcome the resistance of A549 cells.Material and methods: MTT assay was used to assess the differences in viability of cells treated with5-fluorouracil alone or in combination with different types of solid lipid nanoparticles. Type of cell deathand distribution of cell cycle phases were evaluated using flow cytometry.Results: The use of nanoparticles as a 5-fluorouracil transporter reduced the viability of A549 cells to agreater extent than the cytostatic alone. This was mainly due to the increase in apoptosis, but also necrosisand cell cycle arrest.Conclusion: Our results indicate the great potential of nanotechnology in the treatment of non-small celllung cancer. By using nanoparticles, it is possible to sensitise tumour cells to cytostatics to which theyare normally resistant. In addition, literature data confirm the safety of solid lipid nanoparticle application

The influence of house dust extract on normal lung cell Mrc5 and non-small lung carcinoma A549

Introduction. Desensitisation is a therapeutic method of allergic disease treatment, but its impact on the cellular level remains to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of house dust extract on two cell lines types: non-small lung cancer A549 and non-cancerous lung fibroblast Mrc5. Furthermore, we analysed cell viability, type of cell death, and reorganisation of mainly cytoskeletal proteins such as vimentin, F-actin, and b-tubulin. Material and methods. To determine the cell viability, the MTT test was used. The type of cell death was analysed using double staining of annexin V and iodide propidium. The reorganisation of cytoskeletal proteins was evaluated by fluorescent staining and microscopy observation. Results. Our data presented non-statistical differences in a population of live, apoptotic, and necrotic cells. We did not observe significant abnormalities in cytoskeletal reorganisation. Moreover, Mrc5 cell line exhibited a lower sensitivity for house dust extract in comparison to A549 cell line. Conclusions. Our study suggests that desensitisation has no significant influence on survival and cytoskeleton in both cell lines, which correlate with potential use of this method in cancer patients. Obviously, the choice of these kinds of treatment should be used carefully in consultation with a specialist. Additionally, to our knowledge, it was the first presentation of the influence of house dust extract on cells in the context of the main cytoskeletal reorganisations.