Acute daily exposure to ambient air pollution impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilator responses in young, healthy individuals.

Exposure to ambient air pollution influences cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. The differential effects of changing particulate or gaseous air pollution on endothelial function in young healthy individuals remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between exposures to different pollutants and vascular function in a group of 39 young (33±11 years old) subjects with low CV risk.

Systemic and local vascular inflammation and arterial reactive oxygen species generation in patients with advanced cardiovascular diseases.

Background: Systemic inflammation may cause endothelial activation, mediate local inflammation, and accelerate progression of atherosclerosis. We examined whether the levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines reflect local vascular inflammation and oxidative stress in two types of human arteries.

Methods: Human internal mammary artery (IMA) was obtained in 69 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and left anterior descending (LAD) artery was obtained in 17 patients undergoing heart transplantation (HTx).

Erythromycin Scavenging from Aqueous Solutions by Zeolitic Materials Derived from Fly Ash.

Erythromycin (EA) is an antibiotic whose concentration in water and wastewater has been reported to be above the standard levels. Since the methods used so far to remove EA from aquatic environments have not been effective, the development of effective methods for EA removal is necessary. In the present study, fly ash (FA)-based zeolite materials, which have not been investigated as EA sorbents before, were used.

Sensorless Control of the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor.

This paper describes the study and experimental verification of sensorless control of permanent magnet synchronous motors with a high precision drive using two novel estimation methods. All the studies of the modified Luenberger observer, reference model, and unscented Kalman filter are presented with algorithm details. The main part determines trials with a full range of reference speeds with a special near-zero speed area taken into account.

Comorbidity burden and clinical characteristics of patients with difficult-to-control rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: Difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a significant clinical problem despite no clear definition. We aimed to provide clinical characteristics and associated comorbidities of RA patients in relation to disease control.

Methods: RA characteristics and physician-recorded comorbidities were analyzed in a sample of 1937 RA patients.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis in Poland: a nationwide study.

Introduction: There are no reliable data regarding the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Poland.

Material And Methods: The first stage was a face-to-face survey on a nationwide representative sample of 3000 people, which identified respondents with a physician-confirmed diagnosis of RA. The second stage was a survey of RA patients, which characterized the disease course and treatment.

Microvascular dysfunction in ankylosing spondylitis is associated with disease activity and is improved by anti-TNF treatment.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent studies indicate that microvascular dysfunction may underlie cardiovascular risk in AS. We hypothesized, that microvascular morphology and dysfunction is linked to AS activity and is modifiable by TNF-α inhibitor (TNFi) treatment.

Assessment of the pollution and ecological risk of lead and cadmium in soils.

The aim of the study was to assess the content, distribution, soil binding capacity, and ecological risk of cadmium and lead in the soils of Malopolska (South Poland). The investigation of 320 soil samples from differently used land (grassland, arable land, forest, wasteland) revealed a very high variation in the metal content in the soils. The pollution of soils with cadmium and lead is moderate.

Concentration, sources and risk assessment of PAHs in bottom sediments.

The aims of the study were to investigate the concentration, sources and ecological risk of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in bottom sediments collected from nine reservoirs located in south-eastern Poland. The concentration of ∑PAHs in sediments ranged from 150 to 33,900 μg kg. The total PAH concentration in the bottom sediments was arranged in the following order: Rybnik > Rzeszów > Brzóza Królewska > Brzóza Stadnicka > Besko > Chechło > Ożanna > Głuchów > Narożniki.

Potential ecological risk assessment and predicting zinc accumulation in soils.

The aims of this study were to investigate zinc content in the studied soils; evaluate the efficiency of geostatistics in presenting spatial variability of zinc in the soils; assess bioavailable forms of zinc in the soils and to assess soil-zinc binding ability; and to estimate the potential ecological risk of zinc in soils. The study was conducted in southern Poland, in the Malopolska Province. This area is characterized by a great diversity of geological structures and types of land use and intensity of industrial development.

CD14CD16 "nonclassical" monocytes are associated with endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease.

Endothelial dysfunction and inflammation are key mechanisms of vascular disease. We hypothesised that heterogeneity of monocyte subpopulations may be related to the development of vascular dysfunction in coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, we examined the relationships between monocyte subsets (CD14CD16 "classical - Mon1", CD14CD16 "intermediate - Mon2" and CD14CD16 "nonclassical - Mon3"), endothelial function and risk factor profiles in 130 patients with CAD undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Radiation therapy complications in patients with primary invasive vaginal carcinoma.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to estimate acute and late complications of radiation therapy in primary invasive vaginal carcinoma (PIVC) patients.

Material And Methods: The analysis was performed for the group of 152 PIVC patients given radical radiotherapy in the Krakow Branch of Centre of Oncology during the 1967-2005 period. Twenty five (16.

Prognostic factors in patients with primary invasive vaginal carcinoma.

Aim Of The Study: Aim of the study was the assessment of prognostic factors in the group of primary invasive vaginal carcinoma (PIVC) patients subjected to radical radiation therapy

Material And Methods: The analysis was performed for the group of 152 PIVC patients treated with intracavitary brachytherapy alone (16.5%), the combination of brachytherapy and external radiotherapy (78.9%), or external radiotherapy alone (4.

[Oxidative stress and vascular function].

The maintenance of blood vessel homeostasis is closely associated with Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (ROS and RNS) production in the blood vessel wall. The main molecules taking part in this process are nitric oxide (NO), superoxide anion (O2*-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and their derivatives. The production of these factors occurs in health and disease, however the increased ROS release is often referred to as oxidative stress.

Quality of life in cervical cancer patients treated with radiation therapy.

Aims And Objectives: To evaluate the quality of life in hospitalised patients with cervical cancer treated by radiation therapy.

Background: Aside from clinical variables, the quality of life should be considered in the planning and monitoring of the therapeutic process in patients with cancer. Although it is widely known that this parameter can have a considerable impact on the therapeutic outcome, it is not routinely screened in oncological patients.

Local inflammation is associated with aortic thrombus formation in abdominal aortic aneurysms. Relationship to clinical risk factors.

Intraluminal thrombus formation in aortic abdominal aneurysms (AAA) is associated with adverse clinical prognosis. Interplay between coagulation and inflammation, characterised by leukocyte infiltration and cytokine production, has been implicated in AAA thrombus formation. We studied leukocyte (CD45+) content by flow cytometry in AAA thrombi from 27 patients undergoing surgical repair.

Clinico-morphological parameters affecting survival of patients with advanced cervical cancer.

The aim of the study was to investigate the prognostic significance of selected clinico-morphological parameters including Ki-67 antigen expression and microvessel density. The data of 122 patients with squamous cell carcinoma, FIGO stages IB-IIIB and treated with radiochemotherapy and brachytherapy were studied. Significant prognostic factors for disease-free survival in univariate analysis were the FIGO stage and the presence of atypical mitoses in carcinoma cells.

Radiotherapy-induced lumbosacral plexopathy in a patient with cervical cancer: a case report and literature review.

Radiotherapy-induced lumbosacral plexopathy in cervical cancer treatment is a very rare, but extremely serious complication. The clinical course is associated with severe bilateral lower leg pain, reduced sensation, different degrees of weakness, paresis or paralysis, and sometimes also urinary or fecal incontinence. Patient quality of life becomes significantly deteriorated.

Hematogenous metastases in patients with Stage I or II endometrial carcinoma.

Aims: The aim of this study was to present the characteristics, methods of treatment, and the survival of patients with hematogenous metastases from endometrial carcinoma, free from local and other distant recurrences.

Patients And Methods: In 1,610 endometrial carcinoma patients managed with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, we defined hematogenous metastases as a tumor spread to the lung or other sites via hematogenous routes.

Results: A total of 110 patients with stage I and II endometrial carcinoma, presenting with 134 metastases sites (69 in the lungs, 32 in the liver, 23 in the bones, and 10 in the brain), were observed.

Vaginal and pelvic recurrences in stage I and II endometrial carcinoma--survival and prognostic factors.

Aim Of The Study: The analysis of prognostic factors and treatment outcomes in 106 patients with Stage I and II endometrial carcinoma (EC) treated between 1980 and 2005 in the Center of Oncology, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Institute, Kracow, Poland, who developed vaginal or pelvic recurrences.

Material And Methods: The median age of patients was 61. Stage IB and IC of EC was diagnosed in 48 (45.

[Hereditary ovarian cancer. The role of BRCA1 gene dysfunction in response to chemotherapy].

Hereditary ovarian cancer is often believed to be as a distinct disease. It is diagnosed earlier than its sporadic type; serous subtypes and more advanced stages are usually observed. Mutations of genes like BRCA1, BRCA2, MMR (MLH1, MSH2, PMS1, PMS2) are strictly associated with the heredity of ovarian and also breast cancer.

[The prevalence of BRCA1 mutations among families at high-risk of breast and ovarian cancer in province of Malopolska between 2004-2009].

Introduction: Germinal mutations of BRCA1/BRCA2 genes are one of the important reasons of breast and ovarian cancer development. The prevalence of BRCA1 mutations in Polish population is relatively frequent, particularly among families at high-risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer. Moreover, the presence of "founder effect" is characteristic for those families.