Change of the Structural Properties of High-Performance Concretes Subjected to Thermal Effects.

The paper refers to studies of the structure of high-performance concrete with polypropylene fibre at different dosages. The authors see a research gap in the study of the effect of adding polypropylene fibre on the parameters of concrete exposed to high temperatures. The study takes into account the thermal effect-groups of samples were heated to 200 °C, 400 °C and 600 °C. The authors carried out basic tests to describe the changes in density, ultrasonic tests, uniaxial compression strength tests and tensile tests by splitting. The positive effect of polypropylene fibres is mainly observed between 20 °C and 200 °C. The melting of polypropylene fibres causes a delay in the development of micro-cracks in the structure of these concretes compared to HPC. Adding polypropylene fibres to the mixtures also increased the speed of ultrasonic wave propagation in the medium. The research was deepened with tomographic imaging. A description of the splitting surface was carried out. The results of tensile by splitting tests clearly show an increase in the relative failure area for unheated concretes in proportion to the number of fibres used. Changes in splitting surfaces under the influence of temperature are graphically illustrated. Furthermore, differences in the samples under the influence of heating at high temperatures are presented. Finally, the porosity development of all sample groups before and after heating at all temperatures is described.

Application of X-ray Computed Tomography to Verify Bond Failures Mechanism of Fiber-Reinforced Fine-Grain Concrete.

This paper proposes the use of X-ray computed tomography (µCT, xCT) measurements together with finite element method (FEM) numerical modelling to assess bond failures mechanism of fiber-reinforced fine-grain concrete. Fiber-reinforced concrete is becoming popular for application in civil engineering structures. A dynamically developing topic related to concretes is the determination of bond characteristics. Nowadays, modern technologies allow inspecting the inside of the element without the need to damage its structure. This paper discusses the application of computed tomography in order to identify damage occurring in the structure of fiber-reinforced fine-grain concrete during bond failure tests. The publication is part of a larger study to determine the bonding properties of Ukrainian steel fibers in fine-grain concrete. The authors focused on the visual evaluation of sections obtained from tomographic data. Separately, the results of volumetric analysis were presented to quantitatively assess the changes occurring in the matrix structure. Finite element analysis is an addition to the substantive part and allows us to compare real damage areas with theoretical stress concentration areas. The result of the work is the identification of a path that allows verification of the locations where matrix destruction occurs.

A new and improved method based on polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for the determination of A1298C mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene.

Intracellular folate homeostasis and metabolism is regulated by numerous genes. Among them, 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is of special interest because of its involvement in regulation of the homocysteine level in the body as a result of folate metabolism. Moreover, some studies demonstrated that the homocysteine plasma level in individuals may be influenced by polymorphisms present in the MTHFR gene. Two common, clinically relevant mutations have been described: MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C. Although several laboratory techniques allow genotyping of both polymorphisms, PCR-RFLP analysis is simple to perform, relatively cheap, and thus one of the most utilized. In the case of A1298C, the PCR-RFLP technique that utilizes MboII endonuclease class II requires an acrylamide gel electrophoresis, since agarose gel electrophoresis is unable to resolve short deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments after restriction digestion. Agarose gel electrophoresis is commonly preferred over that of acrylamide. To resolve this inconvenience, a novel PCR-RFLP, AjuI-based method to genotype A1298C alleles has been developed that can be performed on standard agarose gel.

Cytological examination of pleural cavity lavage accompanied by the study of gene promoter hypermethylation of p16 and O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase genes in diagnostics of non-small cell lung cancer metastatic changes into pleura.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Metastases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) into pleura disqualify a patient from surgery and present a bad prognostic index. The aim of the study was to find out whether washing out the pleural cavity in such cases and examining obtained washings for presence of cancer cells will help to detect early NSCLC metastases into pleura, and also whether negative results of the cytology determine whether hypermethylation of these genes will increase the sensitivity of this examination. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study consisted of the examination of 76 patients, including 59 operated on for NSCLC and 17 operated on for other reasons. Pleural washing fluid collected during the surgery was subjected to cytological examination as well as examined to determine the presence of promoter region hypermethylation of p16 and MGMT genes. RESULTS: Positive cytological results of pleural lavage were confirmed in 4 persons (7%) with NSCLC. The presence of promoter region hypermethylation of one or both examined genes was found in 3 patients (18%) in the control group and in 47 (80%) in the study group. Sex, occupational exposure, smoking cigarettes, and NSCLC histological type did not have an influence on the presence of cancer cells or hypermethylation in the pleural lavage fluid. Positive cytology results were more frequent at the T4 stage of NSCLC. Hypermethylation was more frequent in the research group (p < 0.01). Cancer cells and hypermethylation did not occur more frequently in pleural lavage fluid of patients with metastases into pleura. CONCLUSIONS: The cytological examination and promoter region hypermethylation assessment of the p16 gene and MGMT gene in pleural lavage cells do not allow one to detect early metastasis of NSCLC into pleura.

Lung cancer in patients under the age of 40 years.

AIM OF THE STUDY: In the paper clinical cases of individuals diagnosed with lung cancer below the age of 40 years have been analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: THE ANALYSIS INCLUDED: sex, age, clinical symptoms found before and at the moment of diagnosis, character of changes visible in radiological imaging, time that passed from the first symptoms to reporting to a doctor and to establishing a diagnosis, type of diagnostic method used in establishing the final diagnosis, histopathologic type of cancer, degree of cancer progression. RESULTS: The results have been compared with a peer group who had been diagnosed 20 years earlier. Currently 7% of patients were diagnosed at the age of 25 or younger, whereas in the previous cohort patients in this age constituted 2%. The predominant pathological type was adenocarcinoma (currently 33%, previously 4%) in contrast to the earlier group in which 57% of patients had small cell lung cancer (57%). The incidence is equally distributed between both sexes, although there is an evident increase in female lung cancer cases. In the majority of patients the clinical presentation is a peripheral mass on chest X-ray. 20% of patients present pleural effusion on diagnosis. Patients reported the following complaints: breathlessness, chest pain, weight loss and fatigue. The majority of cases were diagnosed in advanced stages on the basis of a bronchoscopy acquired specimen. Time course from symptoms to diagnosis tends to be shorter than 20 years ago.

[Designing and optimization of real-time RT-PCR technique for the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome in blood serum as internal laboratory quality control]. / Opracowanie i optymalizacja techniki real-time rt-pcr do detekcji genomu wirusa zapalenia watroby typu c (HCV) w surowicy krwi dla celów kontroli wewnatrzlaboratoryjnej.

The need of hepatitis C virus (HCV) monitoring in serum samples of infected persons is of particular importance, because of chronic and non-symptomatic disease course of hepatitis C infection. We developed a novel "in-house" method variant for the detection of HCV genetic material in human blood serum. Detection technique is based on reverse transcription-real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-rPCR). We designed and analyzed several HCV 5' UTR-complementary PCR starter and probe sequence sets and we chose one set of highest HCV detection potency. Optimal concentration of starters and probe has been found. The 226-base pair long fragment of constitutively expressed glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene served as internal endogenous control and should be added to each analysis in order to ensure that no PCR inhibitors are present. All parameters were optimized for Mx3005 QPCR System (Agilent Technology).

[Influence of flexible bronchoscopy on the concentration of exhaled nitric oxide]. / Wplyw bronchofiberoskopii na stezenia tlenku azotu w wydychanym powietrzu.

INTRODUCTION: Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is noninvasive parameter useful on estimation of airways inflammation, especially useful in monitoring of asthma inflammation. The aim of the study was estimation of bronchial tree inflammation after flexible bronchoscopy (FB) using eNO concentration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 41 patients (aged 29 to 74 yrs) eNO measurements using Sievers 280 Nitric Oxide Analyzer were performed before and 24 hours after FB. In control group (12 healthy persons aged 22 to 65 yrs) eNO measurements were also performed twice at 24 hours interval. RESULTS: In examined patients the mean eNO concentration before FB (15.0 +/- 8.0 ppb) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in controls (6.9 +/- 5.6 ppb). In examined patients we did not observe the significant changes in eNO after FB (15.0 +/- 8.0 vs. 17.0 +/- 7.9 ppb). The procedure of bronchial washing, bronchial brush or bronchial biopsy did not influence the results in examined patients. In control group the mean eNO results before and after 24 hours were similar (6.9 +/- 5.6 ppb vs. 7.1 +/- 5.9). The relative eNO changes after 24 hours of observation (decreases and increases), expressed as a per cent of parts per billion (% of ppb), were similar both in examined patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: BF and associated procedures does not influence on eNO concentration.

[A mutation within DYS389I locus in the missing person identification case]. / Mutacja locus DYS3891 wykryta podczas identyfikacji zaginionej osoby.

An identification case is presented, in which a body of a deceased man was not recognized by his brother due to the corpse decomposition. The comparative material included DNA originating from the brother of the missing individual. In the Hemogenetics Laboratory of the Forensic Medicine Department, Jagiellonian University Medical College, bone tissue samples were genotyped for 16 STR loci on the chromosome Y and found concordant with the brother's reference sample, except a single locus DYS389I. Extended analysis for 15 autosomal STR loci confirmed that these men were brothers. Thus, a new mutation was encountered in DYSS389I. When included in the biostatistical calculations, the mutation did not diminish the cumulative likelihood ratio of sibship because of the very high likelihood based on autosomal loci analysis and nonexistence of the Y chromosome haplotypes in the known population databases.

[Allelic variant 6' at locus D13S317 in a paternity casework; a semi-automatic genotyping problem]. / Wariant alleliczny ukladu D13S317.6' w badaniu spornego ojcostwa; znaczenie w genotypowaniu pólautomatycznym.

During a routine paternity casework, performed with automated genotyping using an AmpFISTR Identifiler kit, an inconsistency affecting maternal segregation of D13S317 allele was encountered, manually detected as a variant allele in the mother and child. Alleles of the putative father were transmitted in 13 out of 15 autosomal STR loci, but in CSF1PO locus, there was an apparent mutation. We, therefore, directly sequenced the variant D13S317 allele in the mother and the child and compared the results to the available data on variant alleles within this STR locus. The variant allele consisted of 6 TATC repeats and an additional AATC motif, thus, by a similarity to the previously reported variant, it was labeled D13S317.6'. It seems that the variant allele is quite rare in the Polish population, however, its electrophoretic mobility between preceding TH01 alleles and that of D13S317 one, requires a careful scrutiny of automated genotyping traces to avoid misinterpretation of the results.