Quality of life in women with endometriosis: a cross-sectional survey

Quality of Life Research - The aim of the study was to assess QoL and identify and analyse its determinants in women with endometriosis. The study was performed in 2019 in health centres in Lublin...     

Vascular Centerline Extraction in 3D MR Angiograms for Phase Contrast MRI Blood Flow Measurement

The accuracy of 2D phase contrast (PC) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) depends on the alignment between the vessels and the imaging plane. PC MRA imaging of blood flow is challenging when the flow in several vessels is to be evaluated with one acquisition. For this purpose, semi-automatic determination of the plane most perpendicular to several vessels is proposed based on centerlines extracted from 3D MRA. Arterial centerlines are extracted from 3D MRA based on iterative estimation-prediction, multi-scale analysis of image moments, and a second-order shape model. The optimal plane is determined by minimizing misalignment between its normal vector and the centerlines’ tangent vectors. The method was evaluated on a phantom and on 35 patients, by seeking the optimal plane for cerebral blood flow quantification simultaneously in internal carotids and vertebral arteries. In the phantom, difference of orientation and of height between known and calculated planes was 1.2° and 2.5 mm, respectively. In the patients, all but one centerline were correctly extracted and the misalignment of the plane was within 12° per artery. Semi-automatic centerline extraction simplifies and automates determination of the plane orthogonal to one vessel, thereby permitting automatic simultaneous minimization of the misalignment with several vessels in PC MRA.     

Mechanisms of enhanced carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in adipose tissue in uremia.

OBJECTIVE: Hyperlipidemia is a permanent finding in advanced renal failure. It is supposed to be responsible for the accelerated arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular complications observed in patients with that disease. The background is partially determined, however, our knowledge in this matter is not yet satisfactory. METHODS: This study is based on the experimental rat model of chronic renal failure (CRF). Considering white adipose tissue (WAT) lipogenesis upregulation in CRF, along with the determination of acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) genes expression, we have measured WAT gene expression for sterol regulatory binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) at the level of protein mass and mRNA abundance. Furthermore, we have determined glucose uptake, glucose-to-CO 2 conversion rate, and glucose translocator (GLUT-4) gene expression in WAT. RESULTS: Upregulation of both FAS and ACC gene expression was found in WAT of CRF rats. It was accompanied by WAT SREBP-1 gene overexpression. Moreover, we have observed the increased glucose uptake, glucose to CO 2 conversion rate, and GLUT-4 gene expression in WAT of CRF rats in comparison with controls. CONCLUSION: SREBP-1 gene overexpression may contribute to enhanced lipogenesis upregulation in WAT of CRF rats. It is not excluded that the increased WAT glucose metabolism activity is also induced by this mechanism, although there is no evidence currently to that end. We hypothesize that the increased WAT lipogenesis capacity could be a part of mechanism(s) leading to CRF-induced hyperlipidemia.     

Effect of polyacid aqueous solutions on photocuring of polymerizable components of resin-modified glass ionomer cements.

OBJECTIVES: Resin-modified glass ionomer cements (RMGI) are hybrid materials prepared by incorporation of polymerizable components (typically 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with possible addition of multifunctional methacrylates) into a conventional acid-base mixture (a polymeric acid with powdered calcium fluoro-aluminosilicate glasses). During setting, the photopolymerization process and the acid-base reaction affect each other. The aim of this work was to examine the effect of a 45% aqueous solution of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and the liquid component of a commercial glass ionomer cement on HEMA and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) photopolymerization. METHODS: The polymerization was initiated by 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DMPA) and camphorquinone (CQ)/coinitiator system. The reaction course was monitored under Ar and air by isothermal differential scanning calorimetry. RESULTS: The main effect of addition of polyacid solution (PAA and commercial) up to 10wt% to HEMA on the polymerization initiated with DMPA was earlier onset of autoacceleration. For the process initiated by the CQ-based system, the addition of 5wt% of PAA solution strongly accelerated the polymerization and increased the conversion, both in Ar atmosphere as well as in air. TEGDMA photopolymerization was not influenced or slightly retarded by the presence of 3wt% of PAA solution (the upper limit of solubility), depending on the initiating system used. SIGNIFICANCE: Under initiation conditions used in curing of commercial dental products (CQ-based two component initiating system), the presence of polyacid-aqueous solution in HEMA-based photocurable component increases markedly the polymerization rate and the conversion both in Ar atmosphere as well as in air. This result contributes to a characterization of the setting process of RMGIs.     

Cadmium,zinc, copper and metallothionein levels in human liver

The concentrations of cadmium, zinc, copper and metallothionein in the autopsy samples of liver among the inhabitants of Lód? (Poland) were determined. The cadmium levels were low in the range of 1.5 to 5.8 micrograms/g. The concentration of metallothionein determined by the Hg-method was high (0.160-1.665 mumol Hg/g); it was mainly a Zn-thionein. The percentage of hepatic zinc bound in the MT-fraction increased with the overall content of zinc in the liver. The elevation of zinc in the liver occurs in the proportion required for the saturation of metal-binding ligands of metallothionein. The role of cadmium remains less clear. Our results suggest that the metallothionein level in the liver increase significantly in response to elevated cadmium concentrations. This response, however, is in high excess to the demand which is justified stoichiometrically.     

Kinetics of polymerization of mixed diacetylene single crystals determined from dielectric measurements

Results of investigations on the kinetics of thermal polymerization of mixed single-crystalline diacetylenes are reported. The polymerization was studied at 333 K on a series of mixed 1 (pTS)– 3 (pFBS) crystals of various compositions. The polymer contents were determined from the measurements of electric permittivities of the samples during polymerization. A simple qualitative model was put forward to explain changes in the kinetics of polymerization as function of the composition of mixed crystals. At early stages of polymerization, the process of initiation of the growth of polymer chains seems to be dependent on the concentration of defects associated with a misfit between pTS and pFBS molecules.     

Capsaicin cough sensitivity in allergic asthmatic patients increases during the birch pollen season.

BACKGROUND: A change in neural responsiveness may occur as the result of allergic inflammation in the lower airways as well as in the upper airways. In the lower airways, capsaicin cough sensitivity is known to reflect sensory neural reactivity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish whether allergic inflammation changes airway neural sensory reactivity during prolonged allergen exposure. METHODS: Ten nonsmoking patients with birch pollen-allergic asthma performed a capsaicin inhalation challenge twice, once in the off-pollen season and once during the pollen season. The number of coughs and symptoms induced by capsaicin were recorded and compared with those of healthy control subjects. RESULTS: The response to capsaicin, expressed as number of coughs, increased in a dose-dependent manner during both tests. Before the season, the response was similar to that of healthy control subjects, but during the pollen season, the reactivity was significantly increased. Variations in forced expiratory volume in 1 second were not significant before and after each challenge, and values did not change during the pollen season as compared with the winter season. CONCLUSIONS: Sensory reactivity in allergic asthmatic patients may be increased during prolonged allergen exposure as during the pollen season. This finding suggests that allergic inflammation in the lower and/or upper airways may trigger neurogenic mechanisms of significant clinical importance.