[Variable magnetic fields in the treatment of tics disorders - preliminary results].

INTRODUCTION: Tics disorders is frequent pathological syndrome, particularly typical for children's age. The symptoms of this disease are differential, and their intensification individualized, which makes difficult unique recognition. Tics disorders concern the most often the muscles of face, head, upper limbs and trunk. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 16 patients (11 boys and 5 girls) with tics complex disorders about unknown etiology particularly relating of face and upper limbs muscles. In the treatment were the interventions with use a magnetotherapy and magnetostimulation applied. The procedures were ones daily by 3 weeks in two series executed. It author's pool was the frequency of occurrence tics disorders as well as the proportional opinion of effectiveness conducted treatment estimated. RESULTS: After 10 weeks in 14 patients was the decrease of occurrence frequency involuntary movements observed, in proportional scale about 75%. The results of subjective opinion of mood showed, that decrease the frequency tics disorders had in all children the direct shift on improvement their mood, and also satisfaction in their parents. CONCLUSIONS: The use of variable magnetic fields influenced on decrease the occurrence frequency tics disorders, and also on improvement quality of life the treated patients.

[Variable magnetic fields in the treatment of tics disorders - preliminary results].

INTRODUCTION: Tics disorders is frequent pathological syndrome, particularly typical for children's age. The symptoms of this disease are differential, and their intensification individualized, which makes difficult unique recognition. Tics disorders concern the most often the muscles of face, head, upper limbs and trunk. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 16 patients (11 boys and 5 girls) with tics complex disorders about unknown etiology particularly relating of face and upper limbs muscles. In the treatment were the interventions with use a magnetotherapy and magnetostimulation applied. The procedures were ones daily by 3 weeks in two series executed. It author's pool was the frequency of occurrence tics disorders as well as the proportional opinion of effectiveness conducted treatment estimated. RESULTS: After 10 weeks in 14 patients was the decrease of occurrence frequency involuntary movements observed, in proportional scale about 75%. The results of subjective opinion of mood showed, that decrease the frequency tics disorders had in all children the direct shift on improvement their mood, and also satisfaction in their parents. CONCLUSIONS: The use of variable magnetic fields influenced on decrease the occurrence frequency tics disorders, and also on improvement quality of life the treated patients.

[Assessment of antagonistic activity in vitro Lactobacillus spp. strains againts Clostridum difficile strains isolated from gastrointestinal tract of patients hospitalized in three hospitals in region Mazovia]. / Ocena antagonistycznego dzialania w warunkach in vitro szczepów z rodzaju Lactobacillus wobec toksynotwórczych szczepów Clostridium difficile wyhodowanych z przewodu pokarmowego pacjentów leczonych w szpitalach na terenie województwa mazowieckiego.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antagonistic activity of Lactobacillus strains against clinical C. difficile strains isolated from faecal samples of adults patients with diarrhea. A total 61 strains of C. difficile randomly selected isolated in the period 2007-2008 from the gastrointestinal tract of hospitalized patients in three hospitals province Mazovia, Poland. To determination of antagonistic activity ofprobiotic Lactobacillus spp. strains used four reference strains: Lactobacillus plantarum 2017405, Lactobacillus fermentum 353, Lactobacillus acidophilus DSM 21007 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. METHODS: Isolation of C. difficile was performed on selective Columbia agar supplemented with cycloserine/cefoxitine and amphothericin B (CLO medium, bioMérieux, France). The plates were incubated in an anaerobic chamber for 48 h at 37 degrees C. Isolates were identified as C. difficile by the characteristic morphology of the colonies and horse-like odour, green yellow fluorescence under UV. Toxigenicity of of C. difficile strains was determined in PCR to detection of fragments of genes encoding toxin A (tcdA), toxin B (tcdB) and binary toxin (cdtA and cdtB). The study of antagonistic activity four Lactobacillus spp. strains against 61 clinical C. difficile strains was performed according to standard methods. Lactobacillus strains were inoculated on MRS medium and incubated in oxygen-free atmosphere and cut the bars of MRS agar and applied to the plate with cultures of C. difficile strains. RESULTS: Assessment of antagonist activity of Lactobacillus spp. strains was performed by measuring the zone of inhibition of grown of C. difficile strains. The study shows that of probiotic Lactobacillus spp. strains interacted antagonistically in vitro against all toxigenic (A+B+CDT- and A+B+CDT+) of C. difficile strains. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in the antagonistic activity of Lactobacillus spp. strains against different toxigenic clinical C. difficile strains were not observed.

Carbon-nanotube-based stimuli-responsive controlled-release system.

A stimuli-responsive controlled-release delivery system based on carbon nanotubes is demonstrated. Through TEM, FTIR spectroscopic, and thermogravimetric analysis, functional groups have been successfully attached to the open ends of the tubes, thereby enabling functionalized silica spheres to preferentially attach to the ends. This, in essence, plugs the ends of the tube. Controlling release of encapsulated materials within the tubes is illustrated by fluorescein-filled carbon nanotubes. The discharge process can be triggered by exposure to 1,4-dithiothreitol (DTT) or at elevated temperature. Moreover, both triggering systems, DTT and temperature, provide rate of release control through increased DTT concentration or temperature choice, respectively. This delivery system paves the way for the development of a new generation of site-selective, controlled-release, drug-delivery systems, and interactive nanosensor devices.

Different Approaches to Oxygen Functionalization of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Their Effect on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polyamide 12 Based Composites.

In this work the preparation of polyamide 12 (PA12) based composites reinforced with pristine and surface-modified carbon nanotubes is reported. A qualitative and quantitative evaluation of multi-walled carbon nanotube functionalization with oxygen containing reactive groups achieved by different procedures of chemical treatment is presented. Simple strong oxidative acid treatment as well as chlorination with subsequent chloroacetic acid treatment were applied. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were also subjected to chlorine and ammonia in gaseous atmosphere with small differences in after-ammonia treatment. Commercial COOH-functionalized carbon nanotubes were compared with nanotubes that were laboratory modified. The effect of CNT functionalization was evaluated basing on the improvement of mechanical and thermal properties of polyamide 12 composites prepared by in situ polymerization. It was found that high concentration of oxygen-containing functional groups on nanotube surface is not sufficient to improve the composite performance if the structure of carbon nanotubes is defective. Indeed, the best effects were achieved for composites containing nanotubes modified under mild conditions, seemingly due to a compromise between morphology and surface chemical structure.

[Rehabilitation of children after craniocerebral injuries with particular attention paid to the reflex stimulation Powiertowski's method. Preliminary study]. / Usprawnianie dzieci po przebytych urazach czaszkowo-mózgowych ze szczególnym uwzglednieniem metody stymulacji odruchowej Hieronima Powiertowskiego. Doniesienie wstepne.

INTRODUCTION: An increasing number of craniocerebral injuries among children is becoming a serious therapeutic problem for emergency wards and for chronic treatment wards. The most important problem among these patients is a lengthening period of consciousness disorders. The aim of the study is to present a sample method of rehabilitation of children with brain injury. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The rehabilitation process comprised 15 children with brain injury, including 8 with cerebral hemisphere injury and 7 with brain stem injury. The method of early motion rehabilitation was applied. It was developed by H. Powiertowski in 1970's. In the years 1991-1999 the method was used at the Children's Ward of the Department of Rehabilitation by Professor Krystyna Dobosiewicz. RESULTS: As a result of the applied method, 13 out of 15 children with brain injuries regained consciousness. 2 girls with severe lesion of the brain, still unconscious were transferred to the intensive care ward in the place of residence. CONCLUSIONS: Powiertowski's method of motion stimulation, which is presented in this paper, turned out to be successful in the process of rehabilitation children with brain injury treated in the Department of Rehabilitation.

Hoffmann reflex in idiopathic scoliosis.

This study was carried out in order to determine the dependence of selected Hoffmann reflex parameters on type, progression and morphology of idiopathic scoliosis (IS). Data collected from 129 girls with IS (59 progressive and 70 non-progressive cases) aged 7-16 years and 24 healthy subjects were analysed. H-reflex index (IH) and H/M amplitude index (IH/M) were calculated. Progressive left lumbar scoliosis expressed a significant decrease of IH values and a distinct tendency to IH/M depletion compared to non-progressives and controls. Progressive right thoracic scoliosis expressed marked tendency to IH decrease compared to nonprogressive scoliosis. No significant differences in H-reflex parameters were observed between the convex and concave side of the curvature or between types of scoliosis. H-reflex analysis in idiopathic scoliosis supports the hypothesis of a primary neurological disorder in progressive IS.

Tibial nerve somato-sensory evoked potentials in idiopathic scoliosis.

Background. For many years the etiology of idiopathic scoliosis has been a topic of interest for researchers and clinicists. Material and methods. We examined somatosensory evoked potentials from the tibial nerves (tSSEP) in 120 children with idiopathic scoliosis, of whom 40 showed abnormal results and were retested by tSSEP one year later. The progressive nature of the scoliosis was evaluated on the basis of clinical and radiological examination. This group of 40 children was divided into two subgroups: Group I, consisting of 25 children with progressive scoliosis, and Group II, consisting of 15 children with non-progressive scoliosis. The groups were cross-referenced for one-curve scoliosis (21 children) and two-curve scoliosis (19 children). These children had been treated conservatively by asymmetrical three-plane trunk mobilization using the Dobosiewicz method. Results. Of the 40 children with abnormal results in the first tSSEP examination, 70% still had pathological recordings in the second examination. 65% of this group had progressive scoliosis, as compared to only 40.8% in the entire study population of 140 children. In the follow-up x-ray we found slight but statistically significant regressio of the Cobb angle and rotation. The radiological changes had no significant relation to changes in the tSSEPs. There was no statistically significant different in quantitative pathology on the tSSEPs between progressive and non-progressive scoliosis. Conclusions. These results may be an argument in favor of the hypothesis that idiopathic scoliosis results from a dysfunction of the sensory pathways.

[Developmental age idiopathic osteoporosis--diagnostics and rehabilitation]. / Osteoporoza idiopatyczna wieku rozwojowego--diagnostyka i rehabilitacja.

Developmental age idiopathic osteoporosis is a rare metabolic disease, which pathomechanism is different from involutional osteoporosis. Its etiology still remains unknown. An onset of the disease is rapid, affecting previously healthy children of both sexes aged 3.5-15. A rapid loss of bone mass is especially remarkable. Clinical picture of the disease includes pain localised initially in feet, then in thoraco-lumbar section of the vertebral column, gradually progressive deformation of the longitudinal axes of limbs, gait pathology and progressive depletion of a lower limb muscle strength. The onset of the disease is non-specific. Diagnosis is possible on the basis of roentgen imaging depicting rarefaction of cancellous layer of the bone, numerous infractions of long bones and typical for osteoporotic deformation of vertebral shafts with reduction of their vertical dimension. Current research presents two-staged method of rehabilitation applied in developmental age osteoporosis. The main principle of treatment is based on increasing axial load of lower limbs in antigravitational position causing joint surfaces to be pushed together. Final stage of rehabilitation includes interval training on a moving track.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and its soluble receptors VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 in the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We investigated the serum concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its two soluble receptors, sVEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-2, in a group of 60 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 20 healthy controls, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We examined a possible association between serum levels of these proteins and certain clinical and laboratory parameters as well as SLE activity. VEGF, sVEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-2 were detectable in all patients with SLE and in all normal individuals. The VEGF level was higher in active SLE (mean, 300.8 pg/ml) than in inactive SLE (mean, 165.9 pg/ml) (p < 0.05) or in the control group (mean, 124.7 pg/ml) (p < 0.04). The highest sVEGFR-1 concentrations were also detected in active SLE patients (mean, 42.2 pg/ml) and the lowest in inactive disease (mean, 32.0 pg/ml) (p < 0.01). In contrast, the levels of sVEGFR-2 were lower in SLE (mean, 12557.6 pg/ml) than in the control group (mean, 15025.3 pg/ml) (p < 0.05). We found a positive correlation between sVEGFR-1 concentration and the SLE activity score p = 0.375 (p < 0.004) and a negative, but statistically insignificant correlation between sVEGFR-2 and SLE activity (p = -0.190, p > 0.05). Treatment with steroids and cytotoxic agents did not influence VEGF or its soluble receptors levels. In conclusion, in SLE patients the levels of VEGF and sVEGFR-1 are higher in patients with active SLE than in inactive disease or healthy persons. In contrast, the level of sVEGFR-2 is lower in active SLE than in inactive disease. The imbalance between VEGF and its soluble receptors may be important in SLE pathogenesis.