Direct and remote outcome after treatment of tumours involving the subtemporal fossa and related structures with the extended subtemporal approach.

Background And Purpose: The aim of the study was to present our results of the surgical treatment of subtemporal fossa tumours and surrounding regions using the extended subtemporal approach.

Material And Methods: Twenty-five patients (10 women, 15 men) with subtemporal fossa tumours were included in the study. The neurological and performance status of the patients were assessed before and after surgery as well as at the conclu-sion of treatment.

Changes in the level of calcyon mRNA in the brain of rats exposed to cocaine, self-administered or received passively.

The level of mRNA encoding calcyon (measured by in situ hybridization), one of the dopamine receptor interacting proteins, has been examined in the rat brain in the established animal model used to study the mechanisms of cocaine addiction (cocaine self-administration involving a yoked procedure). Two weeks of cocaine self-administration (maintenance) did not affect the level of calcyon mRNA, regardless of the way cocaine was delivered, except for tuberculum olfactorium, where calcyon mRNA was increased after cocaine treatment. In the reinstatement phase of the experiment cocaine alone induced an increase in the calcyon mRNA expression in most of the brain region studied (caudate putamen; tuberculum olfactorium; paraventricular thalamic nucleus; ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus) but only in the yoked saline control group.

Ten-year probability of osteoporotic fracture in 2012 Polish women assessed by FRAX and nomogram by Nguyen et al.-Conformity between methods and their clinical utility.

Purpose: The aim of the cross-sectional study was to establish the degree of conformity between 10-year probability of osteoporotic fracture, assessed by FRAX, and using the nomograms, as proposed by Nguyen at al.

Methods: Postmenopausal Polish women (2012) were examined in their mean age of 68.5+/-7.

Percolation in polymer-solvent systems: a Monte Carlo study.

In this study we investigated the percolation in the system containing long flexible polymer chains. The system also contained explicit solvent molecules. The polymer chains were represented by linear sequences of lattice points restricted to a two-dimensional triangular lattice.

The effects of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors on maintenance of cocaine and food self-administration and on reinstatement of cocaine-seeking and food-taking behavior in rats.

Some empirical evidence suggests that the endocannabinoids (eCB) (e.g. anandamide) may play an important role in cocaine addiction.

Redirection of center-of-mass velocity during the step-to-step transition of human walking.

Simple dynamic walking models based on the inverted pendulum predict that the human body's center of mass (COM) moves along an arc during each step, with substantial work performed to redirect the COM velocity in the step-to-step transition between arcs. But humans do not keep the stance leg perfectly straight and need not redirect their COM velocity precisely as predicted. We therefore tested a pendulum-based model against a wide range of human walking data.

Dynamic arm swinging in human walking.

Humans tend to swing their arms when they walk, a curious behaviour since the arms play no obvious role in bipedal gait. It might be costly to use muscles to swing the arms, and it is unclear whether potential benefits elsewhere in the body would justify such costs. To examine these costs and benefits, we developed a passive dynamic walking model with free-swinging arms.

The efficacy of alendronate in wheelchair-bound patients: a 1-year prospective study.

The aim of the study was to establish the efficacy of 1-year alendronate treatment in 10 wheelchair-bound participants. In the study were included participants with z-score lower than -2.0 in one of three skeletal sites.

Direct and remote outcome after treatment of tumours involving the central skull base with the extended subfrontal approach.

Background And Purpose: To present our results of the surgical treatment of central skull base tumours using the extended subfrontal approach (ESA).

Material And Methods: Twenty-six patients (8 women, 18 men) with central skull base tumours were included in the study. The neurological and performance status of the patients was assessed before and after surgery as well as at the conclusion of treatment.

Direct and remote outcome after treatment of tumours involving the cavernous sinus and its surroundings.

Background And Purpose: The aim of this study was to present results obtained by the authors after surgical treatment of tumours involving the cavernous sinus (CS) and its surroundings.

Material And Methods: Thirty-eight patients (23 females and 15 males) with tumours of the CS and its surroundings were included in the study. The neurological condition of patients and their ability to perform activities of daily living were evaluated prior to treatment, postoperatively and after completion of therapy.

[Diagnostic value and safety of percutaneous kidney biopsy in experience of one clinical center].

Unlabelled: Percutaneous kidney biopsy is a widely applied diagnostic procedure providing with kidney tissue for microscopy.

Aim Of The Study: The assessment of diagnostic value of kidney tissue specimens gained by percutaneous biopsy and the assessment of that method's safety.

Material: 119 percutaneous kidney biopsies performed on patients of Pediatric Clinic in Zabrze from 1998 through 2007 were analysed.

A simple method for calibrating force plates and force treadmills using an instrumented pole.

We propose a new method for calibrating force plates to reduce errors in center of pressure locations, forces, and moments. These errors may be caused by imperfect mounting of force plates to the ground or by installation of a treadmill atop a force plate, which may introduce distorting loads. The method, termed the Post-Installation Least-Squares (PILS) calibration, combines features of several previous methods into a simple procedure.

Evolution of complex structures: minicollagens shape the cnidarian nematocyst.

The generation of biological complexity by the acquisition of novel modular units is an emerging concept in evolutionary dynamics. Here, we review the coordinate evolution of cnidarian nematocysts, secretory organelles used for capture of prey, and of minicollagens, proteins constituting the nematocyst capsule. Within the Cnidaria there is an increase in nematocyst complexity from Anthozoa to Medusozoa and a parallel increase in the number and complexity of minicollagen proteins.

Activation of endocannabinoid transmission induces antidepressant-like effects in rats.

Recent reports indicate that endocannabinoid (eCB) system may be involved in depression and in the antidepressant-like activity demonstrated in experimental models. The present study examined the effects of the eCB uptake inhibitor 4-hydroxyphenyl-5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenamide (AM404; 0.1-3 mg/kg), the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3-carbamoylbiphenyl-3-yl ester (URB597; 0.

A simple model of stiff and flexible polymer chain adsorption: the influence of the internal chain architecture.

In this study, we investigated the process of random sequential adsorption of stiff and flexible polymer chains on a two-dimensional square lattice. The polymer chains were represented by sequence of lattice points forming needles, T shapes, and crosses as well as flexible linear chains and star-branched chains consisted of three and four arms. The Monte Carlo method was employed to generate the model systems.

Minicollagen-15, a novel minicollagen isolated from Hydra, forms tubule structures in nematocysts.

Minicollagens constitute a family of unusually short collagen molecules isolated from cnidarians. They are restricted to the nematocyst, a cylindrical explosive organelle serving in defense and capture of prey. The nematocyst capsule contains a long tubule inside of its matrix, which is expelled and everted during an ultrafast discharge process.

Effects of neuroendocrine changes on results of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa.

Objectives: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by marked neuroendocrine and autonomic dysfunctions. In the recent studies using automatic blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), lower BP values and lack of circardian variation of BP in anorectic patients were demonstrated. Unfortunately effects of hormonal changes, that may explain BP abnormalities were not analysed together.

[Port device central venous access in children with chronic renal disease--personal experience].

Unlabelled: The application of central venous lines in children has been widely accepted in the case of pediatric cancer treatment. This is of particular importance when the treatment must be continued during the long period of time. The indication to long-term application of central venous lines became significantly frequent within last years.

Sequence-structure and structure-function analysis in cysteine-rich domains forming the ultrastable nematocyst wall.

The nematocyst wall of cnidarians is a unique biomaterial that withstands extreme osmotic pressures, allowing an ultrafast discharge of the nematocyst capsules. Assembly of the highly robust nematocyst wall is achieved by covalent linkage of cysteine-rich domains (CRDs) from two main protein components, minicollagens and nematocyst outer wall antigen (NOWA). The bipolar minicollagens have different disulfide patterns and topologies in their N and C-terminal CRDs.

Quantitative ultrasound in monitoring of skeletal status in adults with end-stage renal disease.

The aim of the longitudinal study was to assess skeletal status in 29 subjects (18 males and 11 females) with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) being on regular hemodialysis. Control group consisted of 494 healthy subjects (305 males and 189 females). Skeletal status was evaluated by quantitative ultrasound measurements at the hand phalanges using DBM Sonic 1200 (IGEA, Carpi, Italy), which measures amplitude-dependent speed of sound (Ad-SoS, in m/s), performed three times: at the baseline, six and 12 months later.

The advantages of a rolling foot in human walking.

The plantigrade human foot rolls over the ground during each walking step, roughly analogous to a wheel. The center of pressure progresses on the ground like a wheel of radius 0.3 L (leg length).

Densitometric and quantitative ultrasound measurements and laboratory investigations in wheelchair-bound patients.

Skeletal status and laboratory investigations may be influenced by immobilization. Thirty-six wheelchair-bound subjects and 19 age-matched controls were evaluated using measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) at the calcaneus and forearm (PIXI, Madison, WI), amplitude-dependent speed of sound at the hand phalanges (quantitative ultrasound-DBM Sonic 1200, IGEA, Modena, Italy), carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen and bone alkaline phosphatase. In the whole group and in the males, bone mineral density values were significantly lower in comparison with controls (calcaneus, forearm) and in females only for calcaneus.

Quantitative ultrasound and peripheral bone densitometry in patients with genetic disorders.

The aim of the study was comparison of quantitative ultrasound and densitometric peripheral measurements in subjects with genetic disorders. The study included 52 subjects (35 boys and 17 girls) in mean age 13.1 +/- 4.

Longitudinal changes in ultrasound measurements: a parallel study in subjects with genetic disorders and healthy controls.

Disturbances in skeletal status in subjects with genetic disorder may increase their fracture risk. The aim of the study was longitudinal observation of phalangeal speed of sound changes across the bone over a period of 2 y in 24 patients (14 boys and 10 girls, mean age 9.63 +/- 1.