[Non-smokers about smokers]. / Niepalacy o palaczach.

Although the knowledge that smoking is a health hazard is widely accessible, this addiction remains serious social problem among young generation. It poses a great challenge to therapists, economic consequences impair both national and family budgets and that is a reason why governments and publicly-founded institutions promote anti-nicotine behaviours. But still rate of young smokers is very high. Aim of work was to get a real picture of smokers seen through nonsmoker's eyes. The used questionnaire was prepared exclusively for that survey. There were 97 students of medicine that participated in the poll. The poll showed 70 of them had a negative picture of smokers. Soft personality given in to addiction was the main feature. The knowledge about compounds of tobacco smoke was very poor, much like its influence on the human body. Survey showed general need for further education in that matter during medical studies.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - biomarkers of oxidative stress and methylation and transsulfuration cycle. / Zaburzenia ze spektrum autyzmu (ASD) ­ biomarkery stresu oksydacyjnego oraz cyklu metylacji i transsulfuracji.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects people from all regions of the globe, regardless of nationality, living standards or social group. Currently, it is assumed that ASD pathogenesis is multifactorial because there is no one specific cause of the disorder. According to literature, ASD may result from genetic defects, metabolic disorders or exposure to environmental factors. There is a number of hypotheses that attempt to explain the intensity of emotional and behavioral symptoms or the increased sensory threshold that is characteristic of ASD. It is suggested that neurological changes may be due to oxidative stress occurring in early brain tissue development and reduced antioxidative barrier. Due to the abnormalities in the synthesis of neurotransmitters, often occurring in ASD, autism is investigated for disorders of vital biochemical processes of methylation and transsulfuration. Finding a biomarker for a disturbed oxidative-reduction equilibrium, methylation pathway pathology, or other reason could be an important diagnostic tool and the base for individual treatment for patients with varying degrees of severity. This work provides a review of the potential biological indicators for ASD taking into account the occurrence of oxidative stress and the methylation and transsulfuration cycles.