Can the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme Be an Effective Strategy Leading to Positive Changes in Children's Eating Behaviours? Polish Evaluation Results.

Background: The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) was developed to form the habit of eating fruit and vegetables (F&V) among children. The survey aimed to identify both the strengths of the scheme and areas that required support and strengthening in the further implementation of school schemes.

Methods: The study was conducted from 2012 to 2015 among students of randomly selected 85 primary schools that participated in the programme (intervention group) or did not participate therein (control group).

Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms related to lifestyle and diet.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The most characteristic symptom of the disease is heartburn, which occurs at least once a week. The prevalence of the disease varies and, depending on the region of the world, it may affect from a few to over 30% of an adult population.

Intervention for improvement the diet and physical activity of children and adolescents in Poland.

Background: The effects of a two-year educational Programme "Keep Balance" addressed to children and adolescents have been evaluated. Its purpose has been to implement the rules of proper nutrition and increasing the level of physical activity on the population level.

Objective: The main objective of the evaluation was an indication if, after two years of programme activities, outcome indicators have been achieved.

Nanofiber mat spinal cord dressing-released glutamate impairs blood-spinal cord barrier.

An excessive glutamate level can result in excitotoxic damage and death of central nervous system (CNS) cells, and is involved in the pathogenesis of many CNS diseases. It may also be related to a failure of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB). This study was aimed at examining the effects of extended administration of monosodium glutamate on the BSCB and spinal cord cells in adult male Wistar rats.

Caffeine intake from carbonated beverages among primary school-age children.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess caffeine intake from cola beverages and energy drinks, as well as the consumption frequency among primary-school-age children in relation to other dietary habits.

Material And Methods: The study included 329 children (aged 11-13 years) from five randomly selected schools in Warsaw. Caffeine intake was assessed from a food frequency questionnaire.

Differences in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and underweight among children from primary schools in rural and urban areas.

Introduction: Overweight adversely affects not only the health and development of children and adolescents but also their health in adulthood, increasing the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases and disabilities. The frequency of nutritional disorders among children and adolescents is increasing in many countries worldwide, including Poland.

Objective: To demonstrate differences in the nutritional well-being of school-age children depending on the school location: rural and urban areas.

Protective effect of valproic acid on cultured motor neurons under glutamate excitotoxic conditions. Ultrastructural study.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that involves the upper and lower motor neurons and leads to the patient's death within 5 years after diagnosis. Approximately 2 per 100,000 people worldwide are affected every year. The only FDA-approved drug available for medical treatment is riluzole.

Factors within the family environment such as parents' dietary habits and fruit and vegetable availability have the greatest influence on fruit and vegetable consumption by Polish children.

Objective: To identify determinants of fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among school-aged children.

Design: A survey study was conducted in October 2010. The questionnaire contained questions concerning social and demographic data, lifestyle and dietary habits, particularly the frequency of F&V consumption, availability of F&V and knowledge about recommended amounts of F&V intake.

Non-woven nanofiber mats - a new perspective for experimental studies of the central nervous system?

(Sub)chronic local drug application is clearly superior to systemic administration, but may be associated with substantial obstacles, particularly regarding the applications to highly sensitive central nervous system (CNS) structures that are shielded from the outer environment by the blood-brain barrier. Violation of the integrity of the barrier and CNS tissues by a permanently implanted probe or cannula meant for prolonged administration of drugs into specific CNS structures can be a severe confounding factor because of the resulting inflammatory reactions. In this study, we tested the utility of a novel way for (sub)chronic local delivery of highly active (i.

Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: the role of diet.

Introduction: Nutrition can contribute to the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The relevant studies often provide contradictory results.

Aim: To determine GERD risk factors associated with dietary habits.

Secretory meningiomas: immunohistochemical pattern of lectin and ultrastructure of pseudopsammoma bodies.

Secretory meningioma is an infrequent histological subtype of benign, WHO grade I meningioma, that is characterized by focal epithelial and secretory transformation of meningothelial cells. The leading histopathological feature of neoplastic tissue is the presence of eosinophilic hyaline inclusions, defined as "pseudopsammoma bodies". These inclusions are mostly intracytoplasmic, different in size and often multiple.

Granulomatous inflammation of dura mater--a rare side effect after application of hemostatic and insulation materials in case of two-stage operation of huge meningioma.

Haemostatic and isolating materials may cause local reactions as a foreign body. The case presented here of intracranial granulomatous lesion pertains to a patient operated in two stages due to a huge meningioma. During the first operation the tumour was partially removed.

Giant cell glioblastoma with unique bilateral cerebellopontine angle localization considered as extraaxial tumor growth in a patient with neurofibromatosis Type 1.

Giant cell glioblastoma multiforme (GCGBM) is a rare variant of glioblastoma, occurring predominantly in the cerebral hemispheres. Its infratentorial localization has been documented occasionally, while GCGBM in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) region has not been described so far. We report a case of GCGBM presenting primarily as an extraaxial bilateral CPA tumor in a 29-year-old woman with neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1).

Immunodistribution of amyloid beta protein (Aβ) and advanced glycation end-product receptors (RAGE) in choroid plexus and ependyma of resuscitated patients.

RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end-products) participates in the influx transport of glycated Aβ (amyloid beta) from the blood to the brain. Because little is known of the RAGE operating in brain barriers such as those in the choroid plexus and ependyma, the aim of the present study was to examine the immunodistributions of RAGE and Aβ peptides in the choroid plexus where the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (B-CSF) is located, and in ependyma of the brain ventricles associated with functions of the cerebrospinal fluid-brain barrier (CSF-B). The study was performed on patients over 65 years successfully resuscitated after cardiac arrest with survival a few weeks.

[Evaluation of nutritive value of daily food rations consumed by children attending to primary schools in Warsaw].

Background: Meals served in schools are significant part of proper nutrition of children and adolescents.

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare nutritive value of daily food rations intake by children attending to primary schools in Warsaw who consumed school lunches regularly with those who don't consume school lunches.

Material And Methods: From 2009 to 2010, 380 children in age 11-13 years attending to five randomly selected schools from Warsaw were enrolled.

Neuroprotective effect of erythropoietin in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) model in vitro. Ultrastructural study.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a chemokine hormone that is widely distributed throughout the body including nervous system. For last years its role as cytokine involved in many physiological processes out of the bone marrow has been suggested. Moreover, it plays a very important role in CNS as potential neuroprotective agent.

Ten years observation and treatment of multifocal pilocytic astrocytoma.

Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) usually occurs in younger patients. It is a benign, generally well-delineated, WHO grade I tumour with favorable prognosis, which makes it different from diffuse astrocytomas, classified as higher grades of malignancy. A case study of PA was presented in a young female patient, observed and treated at the Neurosurgical Department for the period of 10 years, during which time she had frequent surgical procedures due to recurrence and dissemination of the tumour.

Occipital neuralgia: possible failure of surgical treatment - case report.

Surgical intervention in severe cases of occipital neuralgia should be considered if pharmacological and local nerve blocking treatment fail. The literature suggests two types of interventions: surgical decompression of the greater occipital nerve (GON) from the entrapment site, as a less invasive approach, and neurotomy of the nerve trunk, which results in ipsilateral sensation deficits in the GON innervated area of the skull. Due to anatomical variations in the division of the GON trunk, typical neurotomy above the line of the trapezius muscle aponeurosis (TMA) may not result in full recovery.

Asymptomatic and symptomatic glial cysts of the pineal gland.

Glial cysts of the pineal gland are benign and mostly asymptomatic incidental lesions found in the brain MRI or at autopsy examinations. In rare cases pineal cysts become symptomatic and require surgical intervention. Symptomatic glial cysts may be clinically and radiologically indistinguishable from cystic neoplasms of the pineal region; therefore, histopathological diagnosis is critical for further prognosis and therapy in operated patients.

CDP-choline protects motor neurons against apoptotic changes in a model of chronic glutamate excitotoxicity in vitro.

Cytidine-5-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline, citicoline) is an endogenous nucleoside involved in generation of phospholipids, membrane formation and its repair. It demonstrates beneficial effects in certain central nervous system injury models, including cerebral ischaemia, neurodegenerative disorders and spinal cord injury. Defective neuronal and/or glial glutamate transport is claimed to contribute to progressive loss of motor neurons (MNs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Advanced reactive astrogliosis associated with hemangioblastoma versus astroglial-vascular neoplasm ("angioglioma").

Hemangioblastomas of the central nervous system are often accompanied by a cyst exhibiting an extensive astroglial reaction. The cyst's wall might be composed of various astroglial elements including reactive pilocytic or gemistocytic and hypertrophic astrocytes. The small tissue samples composed of compact gliotic tissue are sometimes nonrepresentative for primary hemangioblastoma tumour and might be confused with both pilocytic and diffuse infiltrative astrocytoma.

Lectin binding pattern in meningiomas of various histological subtypes.

Altered tumour cell glycosylation in relation to cellular heterogeneity in human brain tumours remains relatively unexplored. It has been reported that meningiomas express variability in glycosylation properties; however only limited meningioma subtypes have been studied with lectins histochemistry. The aim of this study was to compare the binding pattern of biotinylated lectins in seven subtypes of histologically benign intracranial meningiomas (meningothelial, transitional, fibroblastic, psammomatous, secretory, microcystic and angiomatous types).

Faulty position of cerebellar cortical neurons as a sequel of disturbed neuronal migration.

The object of our report is the presentation of the morphological picture of cerebellar cortex malformation as a sequel of disturbed neuronal migration. In the disarranged tissue, cavities with a network of meningeal tissue and embedded pathological vessels were noted. The external granule cells did not form a proper external granule layer, but moved deeper, forming irregular aggregates.

Astroglial alterations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) model of slow glutamate excitotoxicity in vitro.

Chronic excitotoxicity mediated through defective glial and/or neuronal glutamate transport may contribute to several neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study was performed to determine the ultrastructural characteristics of astroglial changes concomitant with motor neuron (MN) degeneration in a model of slow excitotoxicity in vitro. The study was performed on organotypic cultures of rat lumbar spinal cord subjected to the glutamate uptake blockers threohydroxyaspartate (THA) and L-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate (PDC).

Autophagic degeneration of motor neurons in a model of slow glutamate excitotoxicity in vitro.

There is increasing evidence that so-called "autophagic cell death" participates in cell degeneration in certain pathological conditions. Autophagy might be involved in some neurodegenerative processes, including lateral amyotrophic sclerosis (SLA). The exact mechanism leading to progressive motor neuron (MN) loss remains unclear, but glutamate-mediated mechanism is thought to be responsible.