Changes in IL-6, IL-12, IL-5, IL-10 and TGF-β1 Concentration in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia (TRS) Following Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)-A Pilot Study.

Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) may be considered as a neuro-immune disorder. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains an important therapeutic option for patients with TRS, however, its impact on cytokine profile is barely investigated. Therefore, this study attempts to establish associations between serum cytokines IL-6, IL-12, IL-5, IL-10 and TGF-β1 changes (pre- and post-ECT) and the effectiveness of ECT in TRS patients.

The effect of ionic covalent functionalization of polyoxometalate hybrid materials with coordinating subunits on their stability and interaction with DNA.

Inorganic-organic hybrid materials that combine both Polyoxometalates (POMs) and metal ion coordinating subunits (CSUs) represent promising multifunctional materials. Though their individual components are often biologically active, utilization of hybrid materials in bioassays significantly depends on the functionalization method and thus resulting stability of the system. Quite intriguingly, these aspects were very scarcely studied in hybrid materials based on the Wells-Dawson POM (WD POM) scaffold and remain unknown.

The Influence of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Plasma Level in Patients with Schizophrenia-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The main aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to establish whether there is a correlation between the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment and the reduction in psychotic symptoms in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. A systematic search of PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase was conducted up to March 2023. Inclusion criteria: studies in which adult patients with schizophrenia treated with antipsychotic medication received ECT therapy and had the BDNF level measured before and after ECT treatment.

Dynamic Cages-Towards Nanostructured Smart Materials.

The interest in capsular assemblies such as dynamic organic and coordination cages has blossomed over the last decade. Given their chemical and structural variability, these systems have found applications in diverse fields of research, including energy conversion and storage, catalysis, separation, molecular recognition, and live-cell imaging. In the exploration of the potential of these discrete architectures, they are increasingly being employed in the formation of more complex systems and smart materials.

Concentration of Selected Adipokines and Factors Regulating Carbohydrate Metabolism in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer in Respect to Their Body Mass Index.

Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are a group of tumors not common in European populations. So far, not much is known about the role of obesity, adipokines, glucose metabolism, and inflammation in the pathogenesis of HNC. The aim of the study was to determine the concentrations of ghrelin, omentin-1, adipsin, adiponectin, leptin, resistin, visfatin, glucagon, insulin, C-peptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) in the blood serum of HNC patients depending on their body mass index (BMI).

Grid-Type Quaternary Metallosupramolecular Compounds Inhibit Human Cholinesterases through Dynamic Multivalent Interactions.

We report the implementation of coordination complexes containing two types of cationic moieties, i. e. pyridinium and ammonium quaternary salt, as potential inhibitors of human cholinesterase enzymes.

Implantation of a Leadless Pacemaker after Incomplete Transvenous Lead Extraction in a 90-Year-Old Pacemaker-Dependent Patient.

Transluminal lead extraction (TLE) is a well-established procedure for the removal of damaged or infected pacing systems. Despite its high efficacy, the procedure is associated with significant risks, some of which may contribute to severe life-threatening complications. Herein, we present the case of a 90-year-old female who was 100% pacemaker-dependent (PM-dependent) and had ventricular lead fragmentation after the TLE procedure.

Antibacterial, Antifungal and Anticancer Activities of Compounds Produced by Newly Isolated Strains from the Szczelina Chochołowska Cave (Tatra Mountains, Poland).

Resistance of bacteria, fungi and cancer cells to antibiotics and other drugs is recognized as one of the major problems in current medicine. Therefore, a search for new biologically active compounds able to either kill pathogenic cells or inhibit their growth is mandatory. Hard-to-reach habitats appear to be unexplored sources of microorganisms producing previously unknown antibiotics and other molecules revealing potentially therapeutic properties.

Simultaneous Formation of a Fully Organic Triply Dynamic Combinatorial Library.

Here we report the simultaneous formation of doubly and triply dynamic libraries as a result of exchange reactions between functionalized organic building blocks. A combination of three different reversible covalent linkages involving a boronate ester transesterification along with an imine and disulfide exchange was employed to generate a new type of fully organic triply dynamic molecular assembly.

Effect of addition of dried potato pulp on selected quality characteristics of shortcrust pastry cookies.

Potato pulp is a nuisance waste from the production of potato starch, containing large amounts of dietary fiber; therefore, addition of the pulp to food may have a positive effect on the nutritional value of food products. To increase the amount of dietary fiber, shortcrust pastry cookies were baked by replacing some of the flour (20-100%) with an equivalent amount of dried potato pulp. In all the tested variants, correct confectionery products were obtained.

Effect of Acetylation on Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Commercial Pumpkin Protein Concentrate.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of acetylation with different doses of acetic anhydride on the chemical composition and chosen functional properties of commercial pumpkin protein concentrate (PPC). The total protein content decreased as compared to unmodified samples. Electrophoretic analysis revealed that in the acetylated pumpkin protein, the content of the heaviest protein (35 kDa) decreased in line with increasing concentrations of modifying reagent.

Production and Properties of Starch Citrates-Current Research.

Starch modification by chemical reaction is widely used to improve the properties of native starch. Modified by citric acid, starch is characterized by specific properties resulting from the presence of citrate residues and as a result of cross-linking starch. The chemicals used for preparing starch citrates are safe for human health and the natural environment compared to the harsh chemicals used for conventional modifications.

Complex-decorated surfactant-encapsulated clusters (CD-SECs) as novel multidynamic hybrid materials.

Generation of well-defined organic-inorganic hybrid materials with controllable size and morphology is challenging and an active area of modern research in view of their unique properties and thus multifunctional applications. Specifically polyoxometalates (POMs) were recognized as a very promising group for the construction of those systems, nonetheless there are domains where the profound understanding of hierarchical mutual interactions and assembly are lacking. We present an efficient approach towards the synthesis of a novel group of POM-based nanocomposites that we name Complex-Decorated Surfactant Encapsulated-Clusters (CD-SECs).

Multivalent Metallosupramolecular Assemblies as Effective DNA Binding Agents.

We report the implementation of coordination chemistry onto the generation of new types of metallosupramolecular complexes with laterally appended cationic moieties for DNA binding in buffered aqueous media. Utilization of an N,N,O-type coordination pocket along with an octahedral zinc(II) metal ion allowed us to obtain mono- and tetranuclear complexes in both solution and solid state, as confirmed by NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, respectively. By using isothermal titration calorimetry and gel electrophoresis, multiply charged cationic assemblies were observed to effectively bind to DNA through multivalent electrostatic interactions.

Dynamic Covalent Chemistry under High-Pressure:A New Route to Disulfide Metathesis.

This work describes, for the first time, the application of combined pressure and temperature stimuli in disulfide metathesis reactions. In the system studied, above a pressure of 0.2 GPa, equimolar amounts of symmetric disulfides bis 4-chlorophenyl disulfide [(4-ClPhS) ] and bis 2-nitrophenyl disulfide [(2-NO PhS) ] react to give the heterodimeric product 4-Cl-PhSSPh-2-NO .

Switching Multivalent DNA Complexation using Metal-Controlled Cationic Supramolecular Self-Assemblies.

We provide a proof-of-principle that coordination chemistry drives the in situ self-assembly of an inactive ligand into a multivalent cluster capable of effectively complexing DNA. We show that metal coordination and scavenging can be used to switch the multivalency of the system. Thus, controlled DNA complexation and decomplexation could be achieved.

Generation of Multicomponent Molecular Cages using Simultaneous Dynamic Covalent Reactions.

Cage compounds are very attractive structures for a wide range of applications and there is ongoing interest in finding effective ways to access such kinds of complex structures, particularly those possessing dynamic adaptive features. Here we report the accessible synthesis of new type of organic cage architectures, possessing two different dynamic bonds within one structure: hydrazones and disulfides. Implementation of three distinct functional groups (thiols, aldehydes and hydrazides) in the structure of two simple building blocks resulted in their spontaneous and selective self-assembly into aromatic cage-type architectures.

Generation of a Multicomponent Library of Disulfide Donor-Acceptor Architectures Using Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry.

We describe here the generation of new donor-acceptor disulfide architectures obtained in aqueous solution at physiological pH. The application of a dynamic combinatorial chemistry approach allowed us to generate a large number of new disulfide macrocyclic architectures together with a new type of [2]catenanes consisting of four distinct components. Up to fifteen types of structurally-distinct dynamic architectures have been generated through one-pot disulfide exchange reactions between four thiol-functionalized aqueous components.

Current research addressing starch acetylation.

Though modification of starch through acetylation is known for about 150years, it is still an object of extensive studies at various research centers worldwide. This manuscript presents an overview of literature from the last 5years concerning starch acetylation. It also describes the applied raw materials, production procedures of acetylated starch and correlations between the degree of substitution with acetyl groups and properties of the modified preparations.

Anthocyanin and antioxidant activity of snacks with coloured potato.

Coloured-fleshed potatoes of four varieties were used as raw material for coloured flour and fried snack production. The effects of thermal processes traditionally used in dried potato processing and in snack pellet manufacturing on anthocyanin profiles, total polyphenols and antioxidant properties of obtained half- and ready products were studied. There was a significant influence of potato variety on the experimental flour and snack properties.

[Cognitive dysfunction after cardiac surgery].

In spite of the progress in medicine post operative cognitive deficiency (POCD) remains an important clinical problem. Since the introduction of cardiac surgery there have been frequent reports of its adverse neurological outcomes. Recent technological advances have contributed to a lesser occurrence of clinically evident complications such as coma, stroke, epilepsy or blindness.

Change in mechanical bowel obstruction demographic and etiological patterns during the past century: observations from one health care institution.

Objective: To compare epidemiological analysis concerning sex, age, location of blockage, and frequency of occurrence of etiological factors in 2 groups of patients treated for mechanical bowel obstruction 100 years apart.

Design: Epidemiological analysis of patients undergoing an operation for small-bowel obstruction (SBO) or large-bowel obstruction (LBO) from 1868 to 1898 (group 1) and from 2000 to 2003 (group 2).

Setting: Second Clinic of Surgery of the Jagiellonian University Medical College.