Nectar and pollen in Acer trees can contribute to improvement of food resources for pollinators.

In the present study, we quantified floral resources (nectar and pollen production) and their quality (nectar sugar composition, pollen protein content, pollen amino acid composition) in five Acer species (f. Sapindaceae) growing in forests and commonly planted in urban areas in the temperate zone. Acer trees provide high amounts of sugars and/or pollen.

The Influence of Skin Parameters and Body Composition on the Tolerance of Pain Stimulus Generated During Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) in Women - Pilot Study.

Purpose: This pilot study aims to explore how skin parameters and body composition impact the tolerance to EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) stimuli in women, particularly focusing on pain tolerance in response to varying intensities of EMS. This research seeks to understand what is essential for optimizing EMS applications.

Patients And Methods: The study involved 16 females (age 35.

Assessment of the photoprotection properties of hair cosmetics using the hemispherical directional reflectance method.

Background: Solar radiation is responsible for changes in the structure of human hair, the damages include proteins (65%-95%), lipids, and melanin. The aim was to examine the effectiveness of sunscreen in hair cosmetics and whether hair color affects it.

Materials And Methods: The study included nine women, divided according to hair color to three groups: light, dark, and gray hair.

Resistance of postprandial gastric functions and autonomic balance to taste stimulation.

Exposure to unpleasant tastes leads to disturbances of interdigestive gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) and may affect sympathetic/parasympathetic balance (SPB). We made a careful study to determine whether taste stimulation modulates the postprandial GMA, SPB, and gastric emptying (GE) of a solid meal. Eighteen healthy volunteers (9F/9M) entered the study.

Assessment of knowledge and selected attitudes among Silesians about effects of ultraviolet radiation on health.

Introduction: Both insufficient and excessive exposure to UV radiation (UVR) lead to serious health consequences: Caucasian people living in northern Europe commonly suffer from vitamin D deficiencies, constant increasing number of melanoma incidents is alarming.

Aim: Assessment of knowledge and selected attitudes among Silesians about ultraviolet radiation.

Material And Methods: Study involved 169 adult residents of the one Silesian city.

Scrutiny of C-phenylalanine breath test reproducibility.

We evaluated the reproducibility of the C-phenylalanine breath test (C-PheBT). On three separate days, 21 healthy volunteers (11 F and 10 M) underwent C-PheBT with 100 mg l-[1-C]phenylalanine taken orally. Short-term reproducibility was evaluated with paired examinations taken 3 days apart; paired examinations separated by 23 days (median) served for the medium-term reproducibility assessment.

Reproducibility of two ¹³CO₂ breath tests dedicated to assess pancreatic exocrine function.

The aim of this study was to check on the reproducibility of two breath tests intended to test the pancreatic exocrine function accomplished with (13)C-mixed triglyceride ((13)C-MTG) or cornflakes naturally enriched in (13)C ((13)C-CF). The (13)CO₂ content within breath samples was determined with isotope-selective non-dispersive infrared spectrometry. A 72-h monitoring performed in healthy subjects revealed that a statistically significant rise in breath (13)CO₂ occurs between the 1st and the 9th hour and between the 1st and the 24th hour after intake of a test meal containing 300 mg (13)C-MTG (n=10) or 100 g (13)C-CF (n=12), respectively.

Potent inhibitory effect of alcoholic beverages upon gastrointestinal passage of food and gallbladder emptying.

Background And Aims: Current knowledge about the effect of alcoholic beverages on postprandial functioning of the digestive system is scarce and inconsistent. This study addresses their influence upon meal movement along the gut and meal-induced gallbladder emptying.

Methods: Three examination blocks involved each 12 healthy volunteers.

On a refinement of the ¹³C-mixed TAG breath test.

The present study was aimed to improve and simplify the 13C-mixed TAG (13C-MTG) breath test while keeping it acceptable for the patient. Healthy volunteers (ten women and eight men) were examined on four occasions, receiving in a random order 300 mg 13C-MTG: (1) contained in two wafers; (2) administered with a 50 g wheat roll; as well as given with either (3) 10 or (4) 30 g butter, spread onto a 50 g wheat roll, as the test meal, respectively. Samples of expiratory air were taken for 6 h postprandially for the mass spectroscopic measurement of 13CO2 enrichment.