Effect of Chromosomal Localization of NGS-Based Markers on Their Applicability for Analyzing Genetic Variation and Population Structure of Hexaploid Triticale.

This study aimed to determine whether using DNA-based markers assigned to individual chromosomes would detect the genetic structures of 446 winter triticale forms originating from two breeding companies more effectively than using the entire pool of markers. After filtering for quality control parameters, 6380 codominant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers and 17,490 dominant diversity array technology (silicoDArT) markers were considered for analysis. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) values varied depending on the chromosomes and ranged from 0.30 (2R) to 0.43 (7A) for the SNPs and from 0.28 (2A) to 0.35 (6R) for the silicoDArTs. The highest correlation of genetic distance (GD) matrices based on SNP markers was observed among the 5B-5R (0.642), 5B-7B (0.626), and 5A-5R (0.605) chromosomes. When silicoDArTs were used for the analysis, the strongest correlations were found between 5B-5R (0.732) and 2B-5B (0.718). A Bayesian analysis showed that SNPs (total marker pool) allowed for the identification of a more complex structure (K = 4, ΔK = 2460.2) than the analysis based on silicoDArTs (K = 2, ΔK = 128). Triticale lines formed into groups, ranging from two (most of the chromosomes) to four (7A) groups depending on the analyzed chromosome when SNP markers were used for analysis. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) varied among individual chromosomes, ranging from 0.031 for 1A to 0.228 for 7R.

Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Characteristics and Management of Uveal Melanoma in the National Referral Center in Poland.

(1) Background: to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the characteristics and management of uveal melanoma (UM) in the National Referral Center in Poland. (2) Materials and Methods: the retrospective analysis of 1336 patients who were newly diagnosed with UM at the Department of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Oncology, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum Krakow, Poland between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2021. The demographic and clinical data were compiled, including localization, size, and treatment methods of tumors. (3) Results: In total, 728 patients with UM were included before the COVID-19 pandemic, in the years 2018-2019, and 608 were included during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the years 2020-2021. Fixed-base dynamics indicators for the incidence of uveal melanoma (base year 2018) in the National Referral Center in Poland were 80.22% and 86.81% in the years 2020 and 2021, respectively. UMs were statistically significantly larger and more frequently localized anterior to the equator of the eye globe in the year 2021 than in the year 2018 (Chi-square Pearson test p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0077, respectively). The rate of patients treated with enucleation increased from 15.94% in the year 2018 to 26.90% in the year 2021 (Chi-square Pearson test p = 0.0005). (4) Conclusions: Statistically significant differences were found in the management of uveal melanoma in the National Referral Center in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic with tumors being larger, more frequently localized anterior to the equator of the eye globe, and more often enucleated.

Predicting tumor recurrence on baseline MR imaging in patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma using deep machine learning.

Tumor recurrence affects up to 70% of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, depending on treatment option. Deep learning algorithms allow in-depth exploration of imaging data to discover imaging features that may be predictive of recurrence. This study explored the use of convolutional neural networks (CNN) to predict HCC recurrence in patients with early-stage HCC from pre-treatment magnetic resonance (MR) images. This retrospective study included 120 patients with early-stage HCC. Pre-treatment MR images were fed into a machine learning pipeline (VGG16 and XGBoost) to predict recurrence within six different time frames (range 1-6 years). Model performance was evaluated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC-ROC). After prediction, the model's clinical relevance was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis with recurrence-free survival (RFS) as the endpoint. Of 120 patients, 44 had disease recurrence after therapy. Six different models performed with AUC values between 0.71 to 0.85. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, five of six models obtained statistical significance when predicting RFS (log-rank p < 0.05). Our proof-of-concept study indicates that deep learning algorithms can be utilized to predict early-stage HCC recurrence. Successful identification of high-risk recurrence candidates may help optimize follow-up imaging and improve long-term outcomes post-treatment.

Sex Differences in the Treatment of Uveal Melanoma in a Group of 1336 Patients.

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the sex differences in the treatment of uveal melanoma (UM) in a group of 1336 patients from a national referral center during the period 2018-2021. (2) Materials and Methods: The study was designed in a retrospective manner. A total of 1336 patients who were newly diagnosed with UM at the Department of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Oncology, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, Krakow, Poland, between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2021, were included in the study. The demographic and clinical data were compiled, including the sex of patients and the treatment methods. (3) Results: In total, 1336 patients with ocular melanoma were identified, including 726 women (54.34%) and 610 men (45.66%). A total of 49.70% of tumors were localized in the right eye and 50.30% in the left eye. UMs were localized statistically significantly more frequently posterior to the equator of the eye globe in men than in women (79.67% vs. 74.10%, Chi^2 Pearson test p = 0.035). Tumors tended to be larger in men, but this difference was not clinically significant. Men were enucleated more often than women (23.44% vs. 18.04%, Chi^2 Pearson test p = 0.015). (4) Conclusions: Statistically significant sex differences were found in the treatment of uveal melanoma in a national referral center in Poland, with men being enucleated more often than women.

Machine Learning Models for Prediction of Posttreatment Recurrence in Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Pretreatment Clinical and MRI Features: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

BACKGROUND. Posttreatment recurrence is an unpredictable complication after liver transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is associated with poor survival. Biomarkers are needed to estimate recurrence risk before organ allocation. OBJECTIVE. This proof-of-concept study evaluated the use of machine learning (ML) to predict recurrence from pretreatment laboratory, clinical, and MRI data in patients with early-stage HCC initially eligible for liver transplant. METHODS. This retrospective study included 120 patients (88 men, 32 women; median age, 60.0 years) with early-stage HCC diagnosed who were initially eligible for liver transplant and underwent treatment by transplant, resection, or thermal ablation between June 2005 and March 2018. Patients underwent pretreatment MRI and posttreatment imaging surveillance. Imaging features were extracted from postcontrast phases of pretreatment MRI examinations using a pretrained convolutional neural network. Pretreatment clinical characteristics (including laboratory data) and extracted imaging features were integrated to develop three ML models (clinical model, imaging model, combined model) for predicting recurrence within six time frames ranging from 1 through 6 years after treatment. Kaplan-Meier analysis with time to recurrence as the endpoint was used to assess the clinical relevance of model predictions. RESULTS. Tumor recurred in 44 of 120 (36.7%) patients during follow-up. The three models predicted recurrence with AUCs across the six time frames of 0.60-0.78 (clinical model), 0.71-0.85 (imaging model), and 0.62-0.86 (combined model). The mean AUC was higher for the imaging model than the clinical model (0.76 vs 0.68, respectively; p = .03), but the mean AUC was not significantly different between the clinical and combined models or between the imaging and combined models (p > .05). Kaplan-Meier curves were significantly different between patients predicted to be at low risk and those predicted to be at high risk by all three models for the 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year time frames (p < .05). CONCLUSION. The findings suggest that ML-based models can predict recurrence before therapy allocation in patients with early-stage HCC initially eligible for liver transplant. Adding MRI data as model input improved predictive performance over clinical parameters alone. The combined model did not surpass the imaging model's performance. CLINICAL IMPACT. ML-based models applied to currently underutilized imaging features may help design more reliable criteria for organ allocation and liver transplant eligibility.

One Host-Multiple Applications: Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as Promising Model for Studying Human Cancers and Pathogenic Diseases.

In recent years, zebrafish (ZF) has been increasingly applied as a model in human disease studies, with a particular focus on cancer. A number of advantages make it an attractive alternative for mice widely used so far. Due to the many advantages of zebrafish, modifications can be based on different mechanisms and the induction of human disease can take different forms depending on the research goal. Genetic manipulation, tumor transplantation, or injection of the pathogen are only a few examples of using ZF as a model. Most of the studies are conducted in order to understand the disease mechanism, monitor disease progression, test new or alternative therapies, and select the best treatment. The transplantation of cancer cells derived from patients enables the development of personalized medicine. To better mimic a patient's body environment, immune-deficient models (SCID) have been developed. A lower immune response is mostly generated by genetic manipulation but also by irradiation or dexamethasone treatment. For many studies, using SCID provides a better chance to avoid cancer cell rejection. In this review, we describe the main directions of using ZF in research, explain why and how zebrafish can be used as a model, what kind of limitations will be met and how to overcome them. We collected recent achievements in this field, indicating promising perspectives for the future.

Concentration Dependence of Anti- and Pro-Oxidant Activity of Polyphenols as Evaluated with a Light-Emitting Fe2+-Egta-H2O2 System.

Hydroxyl radical (•OH) scavenging and the regeneration of Fe2+ may inhibit or enhance peroxidative damage induced by a Fenton system, respectively. Plant polyphenols reveal the afore-mentioned activities, and their cumulative net effect may determine anti- or pro-oxidant actions. We investigated the influence of 17 phenolics on ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) from a modified Fenton system (92.6 µmol/L Fe2+, 185.2 µmol/L EGTA (ethylene glycol-bis(ß-aminoethyl-ether)-N,N,N',N,-tetraacetic acid) and 2.6 mmol/L H2O2 pH = 7.4). A total of 8 compounds inhibited (antioxidant effect), and 5 enhanced (pro-oxidant effect) UPE at all studied concentrations (5 to 50 µmol/L). A total of 4 compounds altered their activity from pro- to antioxidant (or vice versa) along with increasing concentrations. A total of 3 the most active of those (ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside; mean UPE enhancement by 63%, 5% and 445% at 5 µmol/L; mean UPE inhibition by 28%, 94% and 24% at 50 µmol/L, respectively) contained catechol or methoxyphenol structures that are associated with effective •OH scavenging and Fe2+ regeneration. Most likely, these structures can determine the bidirectional, concentration-dependent activity of some phenolics under stable in vitro conditions. This is because the concentrations of the studied compounds are close to those occurring in human fluids, and this phenomenon should be considered in the case of dietary supplementation with isolated phenolics.

Incidence and survival of ocular melanoma in National Cancer Registry of Poland in 2010-2017.

BACKGROUND: Oncology trends are based on data coming from different countries and ocular melanoma is the most common primary eye cancer in adults. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence and characteristics of ocular melanoma in the overall population of Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The retrospective survey of both the National Cancer Registry (NCR) and National Health Fund (NHF) databases was performed to identify all ocular melanoma cases in Poland in 2010-2017. RESULTS: The mean incidence of ocular melanoma was 8.76/1,000,000 person-years; the lowest incidence was observed in the 19-29 age group (1.17/1,000,000 person-years) and the highest in the group over 70 (22.88/1,000,000 person-years). There were no statistically significant trends in the incidence rates over the study period. The overall incidences of uveal, eyelid and conjunctival melanoma were 6.67/1,000,000, 0.47/1,000,000 and 0.28/1,000,000 person-years, respectively. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 60.76%; the higher risk of death was associated with male sex (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.2959), older age at diagnosis (HR = 1.0379), chemotherapy treatment (HR = 1.6774), metastasis (HR = 1.5716), loco-regional hyperplasia (HR = 1.5936), and systemic tumor spread (HR = 3.9872), compared to the carcinoma in situ. The risk of death was reduced by radiotherapy treatment (HR = 0.6645). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence rate of ocular melanoma in Poland is in the middle of the range worldwide, and the 5-year OS is relatively low.

Demonstration of Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy of Transition Metals Using Xe/He Double Stream Gas Puff Target Soft X-ray Source.

A near 1-keV photons from the Xe/He plasma produced by the interaction of laser beam with a double stream gas puff target were employed for studies of L absorption edges of period 4 transitional metals with atomic number Z from 26 to 30. The dual-channel, compact NEXAFS system was employed for the acquisition of the absorption spectra. L1-3 absorption edges of the samples were identified in transmission mode using broadband emission from the Xe/He plasma to show the applicability of such source and measurement system to the NEXAFS studies of the transition metals, including magnetic materials.

The Association between Diabetes Mellitus and Keratoplasty in Poland in the Years 2013-2017.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to assess the incidence and characteristic of corneal grafts and its association with diabetes mellitus in Poland in the years 2013-2017. METHODS: The retrospective survey of the National Database of Hospitalizations was performed to identify all the corneal transplantations in Poland between January 2013 and December 2017. The comorbid diseases, in particular diabetes mellitus, were verified in the patients' medical history. The logistic regression was applied to demonstrate the factors related to urgent surgeries. RESULTS: In total, 5069 corneal grafts in 4710 patients were reported in the years 2013-2017. The number of CTs gradually increased by 37% from 914 (2.37 surgeries per one hundred thousand population) in the year 2013 to 1250 (3.25 surgeries per one hundred thousand population) in 2017, the final year of the study. CT incidence was the highest in subjects aged 70 years or older: 13.18 per one hundred thousand population in the year 2017. On average, about 22.43% of procedures were performed in patients with DM. The chance of urgent surgery was mostly correlated with full thickness CT and patients' age. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the relatively low value of CT in Poland, there was an increasing number of CTs in the analyzed period.

Incidence and Characteristics of Retinoblastoma in Poland: The First Nationwide Study 2010-2017.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the incidence and characteristics of retinoblastoma in the overall population of Poland. Methods: The retrospective survey of both National Health Fund (NHF) and National Cancer Registry (NCR) databases were performed to identify all retinoblastoma cases in Poland in the years 2010-2017. Results: During 2010-2017, the mean age-standardised incidence of retinoblastoma (the unit of incidence is per 1,000,000 person-years) was 10.15 (95% CI 7.23-13.08) among children aged 0 to 4 years and 5.39 (95% CI 4.18-6.60) in those aged 0 to 9 years. During 2010-2014 (to allow 5 years of follow-up), the mean incidence of retinoblastoma by birth cohort analysis in Poland was 4.89 (95% CI 4.04-5.74) per 100,000 live births, corresponding to an incidence of 1 per 20,561 (95% CI 15,855-25,267) live births. In Poland, 14.6% of children with retinoblastoma had enucleation of the eye globe, 76.8% received different types of chemotherapy combined with focal treatment, 5.9% were treated with external beam radiotherapy, and 2.7% were treated with focal treatments only. Conclusions: The incidence of retinoblastoma and the pattern of medical management of retinoblastoma in Poland was similar to that reported in developed countries in Western Europe, Asia, and North America.

Amino Acid and Peptide-Based Antiviral Agents.

A significant number of antiviral agents used in clinical practice are amino acids, short peptides, or peptidomimetics. Among them, several HIV protease inhibitors (e. g. lopinavir, atazanavir), HCV protease inhibitors (e. g. grazoprevir, glecaprevir), and HCV NS5A protein inhibitors have contributed to a significant decrease in mortality from AIDS and hepatitis. However, there is an ongoing need for the discovery of new antiviral agents and the development of existing drugs; amino acids, both proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic in nature, serve as convenient building blocks for this purpose. The synthesis of non-proteinogenic amino acid components of antiviral agents could be challenging due to the need for enantiomerically or diastereomerically pure products. Herein, we present a concise review of antiviral agents whose structures are based on amino acids of both natural and unnatural origin. Special attention is paid to the synthetic aspects of non-proteinogenic amino acid components of those agents.

Synthetic strategies in construction of organic macromolecular carrier-drug conjugates.

Many metabolic inhibitors, considered potential antimicrobial or anticancer drug candidates, exhibit very limited ability to cross the biological membranes of target cells. The restricted cellular penetration of those molecules is often due to their highhydrophilicity. One of the possible solutions to this problem is a conjugation of an inhibitor with a molecular organic nanocarrier. The conjugate thus formed should be able to penetrate the membrane(s) by direct translocation, endocytosis or active transport mechanisms and once internalized, the active component could reach its intracellular target, either after release from the conjugate or in an intact form. Several such nanocarriers have been proposed so far, including macromolecular systems, carbon nanotubes and dendrimers. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of the current status of rational design and synthesis of macromolecular organic nanocarrier-drug conjugates, with special attention focused on the mode of coupling of a nanocarrier moiety with a "cargo" molecule through linking fragments of non-cleavable or cleavable type.

Incidence and Characteristics of Endophthalmitis after Cataract Surgery in Poland, during 2010-2015.

Background: The assessment of the incidence and characteristic of acute and chronic postoperative endophthalmitis (POE) after cataract surgery in Poland during 2010-2015. Patients and methods: All hospitalizations of patients, in the National Database of Hospitalizations, who underwent cataract surgery alone or in combined procedures in Poland between January 2010 and December 2015, with a billing code of endophthalmitis, were selected. Acute endophthalmitis was identified if symptoms occurred within 1-42 days from the cataract surgery and chronic endophthalmitis if symptoms occurred ≥43 days after cataract surgery, respectively. Results: In total, 1331 cases of POE after 1,218,777 cataract extractions were identified. The overall incidence of POE decreased from 0.125% in 2010 to 0.066% in 2015. In multiple logistic regression analyses, increasing age was significantly associated with acute POE, while type II diabetes mellitus, extracapsular cataract extraction, and one-day surgery were significantly associated with chronic POE. The combined cataract surgery and male sex were significant risk factors for both acute and chronic POE. A total of 62.51% of all eyes affected by POE received antibiotic treatment and 37.49% had vitrectomy treatment. Conclusions: During the study period, the total incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery decreased significantly.

Spin-Orbit Interaction and Induced Superconductivity in a One-Dimensional Hole Gas.

Low dimensional semiconducting structures with strong spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and induced superconductivity attracted great interest in the search for topological superconductors. Both the strong SOI and hard superconducting gap are directly related to the topological protection of the predicted Majorana bound states. Here we explore the one-dimensional hole gas in germanium silicon (Ge-Si) core-shell nanowires (NWs) as a new material candidate for creating a topological superconductor. Fitting multiple Andreev reflection measurements shows that the NW has two transport channels only, underlining its one-dimensionality. Furthermore, we find anisotropy of the Landé g-factor that, combined with band structure calculations, provides us qualitative evidence for the direct Rashba SOI and a strong orbital effect of the magnetic field. Finally, a hard superconducting gap is found in the tunneling regime and the open regime, where we use the Kondo peak as a new tool to gauge the quality of the superconducting gap.

Incidence and Characteristics of Cataract Surgery in Poland, during 2010-2015.

Background: To assess the incidence and characteristic of cataract surgery in Poland from 2010 to 2015 and to interpret these findings. Patients and methods: Data from all patients who underwent cataract surgery alone or in combined procedures in Poland between January 2010 and December 2015 were evaluated. Patient data were from the national database of hospitalizations maintained by National Health Fund. Data on the population of Poland were obtained from Central Statistical Office of Poland. Results: In total, 1,218,777 cataract extractions (alone or combined with other procedures) were performed in 1,081,345 patients during 2010-2015. Overall, the incidence of cataract surgery increased from 5.22/1000 person-years in 2010 to 6.17/1000 person-years in 2015. Phacoemulsification was performed in 97.46% of cataract extractions, and 3.02% of cataract extractions were combined procedures. The rate of one-day procedures increased from 28.3% in 2010 to 43.1% in 2015. The probability of second-eye surgery 12 months after the first-eye surgery increased from 44% in 2010 to 73% in 2015 (log-rank test p < 0.0001). Conclusion: In Poland, from 2010 to 2015, the total incidence of cataract surgery, the number of people who underwent surgery, and the number of one-day cataract surgeries increased significantly.

The assessment of testosterone and radioisotopic index of bone metabolism and bone mineral density in men with testosterone deficiency after one year of testosterone therapy.

BACKGROUND: Testosterone deficiency in men is characterized by typical symptoms of hypogonadism and negative influence on the preservation of bone mass. In this study, we analysed the relationship between testosterone concentration and bone metabolism. Moreover, we assessed the impact of one-year compensation of testosterone deficiency in elderly men on bone metabolism and bone mineral density. Radioisotopic methods of bone metabolism assessment provide new research opportunities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Men with total testosterone concentration (TT) ≤ 3 ng/ml were included into this study. Patients with disorders or injuries of bone system, elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA), enlarged prostate, disorders of thyroid and liver, diabetes mellitus or a history of chemotherapy as well as those treated for a long time with antibiotics were excluded from this study. The results of 50 men aged 57.52 ± 6.71 years obtained before the treatment (I test) and after one year of oral testosterone supplementation (test II) were analysed in this study. The following examinations and analyses were performed: interview and physical examination, orthopaedic, neurological and urological consultations, blood biochemistry, determination of hormones levels, assessment of Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TDS), densitometric and radioisotope assessment of bone metabolism. Moreover, radioisotopic index of bone metabolism was calculated. Testosterone therapy with oral preparation Undestor Testo Caps (Organon) containing 40 mg of testosterone lasted for 12 months. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistica 12 and Excel 2010 programs. Correlations between results before and after treatment were analysed. RESULTS: After 12 months of treatment, testosterone concentration increased by mean 78% and the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) decreased by 62%. TDS index increased from 0.53 ± 0.21 (in test I) to 1.91 ± 0.60 (in test II). After the therapy this index was significantly higher in all men (p < 0.0001). Moreover, BMD was also improved following therapy, however, the difference between test I and II was statistically insignificant. The greatest change was found in case of IBM (Index of Bone Metabolism). We observed a positive correlation between IBM and BMD before treatment (r = 0.7991), however, its strength decreased after one-year therapy (r = 0.6757). CONCLUSIONS: In our opinion, IBM is more sensitive than other methods of the assessment of changes occurring in bone system under the influence of testosterone therapy. The observed changes in IBM were proportional to changes in testosterone concentration. Testosterone level, TDS and radioisotopic assessment of bone metabolism may be used as prognostic and therapeutic factors of osteoporosis and bone fractures in elderly men.

The Prevalence of Age-Related Eye Diseases and Cataract Surgery among Older Adults in the City of Lodz, Poland.

Purpose. To determine the prevalence of age-related eye diseases and cataract surgery among older adults in the city of Lodz, in central Poland. Material and Methods. The study design was cross-sectional and observational study. A total of 1107 women and men of predominantly Caucasian origin were successfully enumerated and recruited for the study. All selected subjects were interviewed and underwent detailed ophthalmic examinations. Results. Overall 8.04% (95% CI 6.44-9.64) subjects had cataract surgery in either eye. After excluding subjects with bilateral cataract surgery, the prevalence of cataract was 12.10% (95% CI 10.18-14.03). AMD was found in 4.33% (95% CI 3.14-5.54 ) of all subjects. Of them 3.25% (95% CI 2.21-4.30 ) had early AMD and 1.08% (95% CI 0.47-1.69) had late AMD. Various types of glaucoma were diagnosed in 5.51% (95% CI 4.17-6.85) of subjects and 2.62% (95% CI 1.68-3.56) had OHT. The prevalence rates of DR and myopic macular degeneration were 1.72% (95% CI 0.95-2.48) and 0.45% (95% CI 0.06-0.85), respectively. All multiple logistic regression models were only significantly associated with older age. The highest rate of visual impairment was observed among subjects with retinal diseases. Conclusions. The study revealed high prevalence of age-related eye diseases in this older population.

Consumption of strawberries on a daily basis increases the non-urate 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of fasting plasma in healthy subjects.

Strawberries contain anthocyanins and ellagitanins which have antioxidant properties. We determined whether the consumption of strawberries increase the plasma antioxidant activity measured as the ability to decompose 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) in healthy subjects. The study involved 10 volunteers (age 41 ± 6 years, body weight 74.4 ± 12.7 kg) that consumed 500 g of strawberries daily for 9 days and 7 matched controls. Fasting plasma and spot morning urine samples were collected at baseline, during fruit consumption and after a 6 day wash-out period. DPPH decomposition was measured in both deproteinized native plasma specimens and pretreated with uricase (non-urate plasma). Twelve phenolics were determined with HPLC. Strawberries had no effect on the antioxidant activity of native plasma and circulating phenolics. Non-urate plasma DPPH decomposition increased from 5.7 ± 0.6% to 6.6 ± 0.6%, 6.5 ± 1.0% and 6.3 ± 1.4% after 3, 6 and 9 days of supplementation, respectively. The wash-out period reversed this activity back to 5.7 ± 0.8% (p<0.01). Control subjects did not reveal any changes of plasma antioxidant activity. Significant increase in urinary urolithin A and 4-hydroxyhippuric (by 8.7- and 5.9-times after 6 days of supplementation with fruits) was noted. Strawberry consumption can increase the non-urate plasma antioxidant activity which, in turn, may decrease the risk of systemic oxidants overactivity.

[Character of refractive errors in population study performed by the Area Military Medical Commission in Lodz]. / Charakterystyka wad refrakcji u osób badanych przez Terenowa Wojskowa Komisje Lekarska w Lodzi.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of refractive errors in population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective review of medical examinations for entry to the military service from The Area Military Medical Commission in Lodz. Ophthalmic examinations were performed. We used statistic analysis to review the results. RESULTS: Statistic analysis revealed that refractive errors occurred in 21.68% of the population. The most commen refractive error was myopia. CONCLUSIONS: 1) The most commen ocular diseases are refractive errors, especially myopia (21.68% in total). 2) Refractive surgery and contact lenses should be allowed as the possible correction of refractive errors for military service.