'I Can Tell You It's a Bit of a Gamble': A Qualitative Analysis of How People Who Engage in Gaming and Gambling Understand a Link Between These Two Behaviours.

This article explores the attention given to potential motives and determinants of the transition process from video games to gambling. Forty individual interviews were conducted among active video game players (n = 20), and people diagnosed with a gambling disorder who had the experience of playing video games (n = 20). A qualitative thematic analysis was employed to explore the collected empirical data. The range of factors considered responsible for the transition from playing video games to gambling included experiencing similar emotional states, the presence of gambling in video games, advertising of gambling companies in video games, loot boxes. The awareness of factors associated with the development of gambling disorders among video game players has an important role in informing prevention policies in the rapidly changing video gaming and gambling market. Decision-makers should introduce effective regulation of the use of gambling components in video games to protect gamers against the gambling-related harm.

Bacteriophages and transplantation tolerance.

Our recent findings suggest that bacteriophages (phages) may not only eliminate bacteria, but also modulate immune functions. In this communication, we demonstrate that phages may strongly inhibit human T-cell activation and proliferation as well as activation of the nuclear transcription factor NF-kappaB in response to a viral pathogen. Phage administration in vivo can diminish cellular infiltration of allogeneic skin allografts. Thus, phage treatment should be considered in antibiotic-resistant posttransplantation infections. Furthermore, phages could find a broader application in clinical transplantation.

Interaction of M1 and M2 isozymes pyruvate kinase from human tissues with phospholipids.

The effect of pH and the presence of FBP on the interaction of skeletal muscle (PK-M1) and kidney or tumor meningioma (PK-M2) pyruvate kinase with the phospholipids liposomes were investigated by ultracentrifugation and steady-state kinetics and were compared with those results obtained using the bovine heart (PK-M1) isoenzyme which we previously studied. Pyruvate kinase specific activity increases upon the interaction with liposomes. The activation is specifically sensitive to presence of phosphatidylserine (PS) in liposomes. Liposomes made of phosphatidylcholine + phosphatidylserine mixture are good adsorptive systems for both human and bovine of M-type isozymes at low ionic strength. Interaction of PK-M1 with PS liposomes results in the change of Vmax and K(m) values for PEP without marked effect on Hill coefficients. Addition of PS liposomes to PK-M2 induces hyperbolic saturation curves for PEP.

Anticholinergic action of tricyclic antidepressant drugs on the circulatory system.

The action of some antidepressant drugs on the circulatory system was found to have an anticholinergic component.

New insights into the possible role of bacteriophages in transplantation.

Due to the increasing prevalence of drug-resistant bacterial infections in the "post-antibiotic era," bacteriophages (bacterial viruses, BP) may be useful to administer to transplant recipients without exposing them to an increased risk of rejection, which occurs consequent to some viral infections. Herein we present evidence that at least some coliphages (T4) do not pose such risk. Interestingly, they may produce immunosuppressive effects extending transplant survival. Our data suggest that BP may be used in clinical transplantation to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections and perhaps as an adjunct to immunosuppressive therapy.

The biological functions of beta3 integrins.

Integrins comprise a large family of alphabeta heterodimeric cell-surface receptors that are found in many animal species. They are expressed on a wide variety of cells. There are two members in the beta3 integrin family: alphaIIb beta3 and alpha(v)beta3. This class of adhesion receptors mediates cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. Dysregulation of the beta3 integrins is involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases (including cancer) and in transplant rejection. Integrins also play a key role in many virus infectious cycles. In this paper the biological functions of the beta3 family are reviewed, with particular interest in its role in cancer progression and metastasis.

Mutations in bacteriophage T4 genome.

Bacteriophage (phage) T4 belonging to T-even phages is one of the best known phages with a completely deciphered genome sequence. As a model of living systems, T4 phage has many technical advantages. It can be very easily grown in large quantities, manipulated by classical genetics, and engineered by site-directed mutagenesis. Many substances have been first tested for mutagenicity in T-even phages. The results of these tests were very often applicable to higher organisms due to similar mechanisms of mutagenesis. T4 phage is also important in phage therapy, which represents an alternative treatment of bacterial infections since the bacterial resistance to antibiotics has become a serious medical problem. The site-directed mutagenesis is a method that enables to introduce mutations which can influence phage affinity to bacteria and can be a practical technique for enriching phage collections and for widening specificity of phages for new bacterial strains now insensitive to phage therapy.

Antitumor activity of bacteriophages in murine experimental cancer models caused possibly by inhibition of beta3 integrin signaling pathway.

Bacteriophages (phages) as bacterial viruses are generally believed to have no intrinsic tropism for mammalian cells. In this study the interactions between phages and various eukaryotic cells were investigated. Binding of phages to the membranes of cancer and normal blood cells was observed. Moreover, it was shown that the wild-type phage T4 (wtT4) and its substrain HAP1 with enhanced affinity for melanoma cells inhibit markedly and significantly experimental lung metastasis of murine B16 melanoma cells by 47% and 80%, respectively. A possible molecular mechanism of these effects, namely a specific interaction between the Lys-Gly-Asp motif of the phage protein 24 and beta3-integrin receptors on target cells is proposed. It was also shown that anti-beta3 antibodies and synthetic peptides mimicking natural beta3 ligands inhibit the phage binding to cancer cells. This is in line with the well-described beta3 integrin-dependent mechanism of tumor metastasis. It is concluded that the blocking of beta3 integrins by phage preparations results in a significant decrease in tumor invasiveness.

[Effect of flavonoid fractions of Solidago virgaurea L on diuresis and levels of electrolytes]. / Wplyw frakcji flawonoidowych gatunków rodzaju Solidago L. na diureze i stezenie elektrolitów.

The flavonoid fractions of Solidago virgaurea L.S. gigantea Ait., S. canadensis var. canadensis and S. canadensis var. "scabra" flowers were administrated p.o. to rats and showed diuretic activity. Increase in overnight diuresis reached 57-88%. Decrease of overnight excretion of potassium and sodium also occurred after administration of form examined fractions. The flavonoids from S. virgaurea and S. canadensis var. canadensis caused increased excretion of calcium with urine.

[Electroencephalographic studies in thrombosis of extracranial arteries]. / Badanie EEG w zakrzepach tetnic pozaczaszkowych.

In 60 patients with arteriographically confirmed changes in extracranial arteries EEG investigations were carried out. In 15 of them surgical interventions were performed for restoring the patency of the involved artery. EEG curves were studied for finding abnormalities in cases of changes in definite groups of arteries (internal carotid, arteries of the aortic arch), and correlations were sought for between the extent of thrombosis and EEG curves. In the patients treated surgically EEG curves were compared before and after the operation. The author concludes that changes limited to the internal carotid artery lying which is situated nearer to the head can produce larger foci of cerebral ischaemia and greater intensity of EEG changes. In the surgically treated patients EEG records were improved after the operation in most cases, which shows that restoration of arterial patency exerts a favourable effect on the cerebral circulation evidenced in EEG improvement.

[Care of patients with cerebrovascular disorders in the health service area of one of Warsaw's neurological hospital departments. I. Hospital admissions]. / Opieka nad chorymi z zaburzeniami krazenia mózgowego w obszarze dzialania jednego z warszawskich oddzialów neurologicznych. I. Przyjecia do szpitala.

A group of patients hospitalized in the period from Oct 1 1978 to March 31 1980 for cerebrovascular disease was analysed in a Warsaw neurological hospital department. It was estimated that in this time period the annual number of patients admitted with acute and subacute episodes of cerebral circulatory failure was 90 per 100 thousand of the population in the catchment area of the hospital. About one-fifth of all admissions were due to haemorrhagic strokes, in 40% of cases ischaemic stroke was diagnosed, in 16% the character of stroke was unrecognized, 9% had transient brain ischaemia, and 15% had other vascular syndromes. The mean duration of hospital stay of the admitted patients was about 29 days, and that of the discharged patients was 38 days. The mortality was 40%. Differences were found in the index of admissions, pattern of diagnoses and mortality between patients from the catchment area and those from a more distant area, which may suggest a bias in the admissions of cerebrovascular disease cases indicating that the availability of the services of the hospital department depends on organizational factors such as distance of the place of residence from the hospital and connections between inpatient and outpatient health services. It may be estimated that in that time period the department admitted not more than 50-60% of stroke cases from its catchment area, including 60-80% from the city district near the hospital and 30% from a more distant districts.

[The care of patients with cerebral circulatory disorders in the catchment area of one of Warsaw's neurological hospital departments. II. Indications for active ambulatory care of patients discharged from the hospital]. / Opieka nad chorymi z zaburzeniami krazenia mózgowego w obszarze dzialania jednego z warszawskich oddzialów neurologicznych. II. Wskazania do ambulatoryjnej opieki czynnej chorych wypisanych ze szpitala.

In a continuation of the analysis of patients hospitalized for cerebrovascular disease their status upon discharge from the hospital was estimated. It was thought that at least 18% of the admitted patients and about 31% of the discharged patients aged below 80 years were suitable for outpatient rehabilitation treatment after discharge because of motor or speech disturbances, and about 9% of the discharged patients required speech reeducation due to aphasia. Among patients after cerebrovascular episodes qualified after discharge for ambulatory active care because of persistent motor deficit or speech disturbances those with past ischaemic stroke prevailed, they were aged mostly 70-79 years. It may be estimated that at least 7% of patients discharged home after stroke (and about 4% of all admitted cases) require special care and nursing because of coexistence of other serious diseases or previously suffered disability. They are potential candidates for care in welfare homes, and when they remain in their homes they depend on the help and care, in different grades, on the assistance of a nurse or at least an unqualified welfare worker.

Application of microbiological quantitative methods for evaluation of changes in the amount of bacteria in patients with wounds and purulent fistulas subjected to phage therapy and for assessment of phage preparation effectiveness (in vitro studies).

PURPOSE: Quantitative microbiological studies may provide important information required for successful phage therapy (PT), however methods for PT monitoring of purulent wounds and fistulas has never been reported before. Therefore our goal was to determine and apply microbiological quantitative methods (MQMs) for monitoring experimental PT. METHODS: Samples from agar plates with growing bacteria were collected using dry and wet sterile compresses, or swabs. After shaking the sample in saline the amount of bacteria in suspension was determined. The method was standardized. The MQM using compress was applied for comparison of in vitro activity of phage preparations with other agents for wound rinsing. The usefulness of this swabbing method was tested in the Phage Therapy Unit for monitoring of experimental PT of patients with chronic wounds or purulent fistulas. RESULTS: Minimum, maximum and standard deviation values used for standardization of the studied method showed that data repeatability was good; thus the method was used for quantitation of bacteria taken both from plates in vitro and patients samples. Effectiveness of phage preparations was compared to gentamicin in vitro. Phages were as effective as antibiotics in reducing the amount of bacteria on agar plates, and this effect was not only due to simple mechanical removal of bacteria, but dependent on their antibacterial activity. We have also observed that the results of bacteria quantitation may correlate with the local status of a wound/fistula in a particular stage of PT. CONCLUSION: The standardized swabbing method of bacteria quantitation can be used for PT monitoring. Presented MQMs are simple and may help to monitor the therapy process and to decide on its duration, frequency and a kind of the phage applied. They can also be applied in other antibacterial treatment strategies.

Molecular modification of T4 bacteriophage proteins and its potential application - review.

Bacteriophage T4 is a virus with well-known genetics, structure, and biology. Such techniques as X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction allowed describing its structure very precisely. The genome of this bacteriophage was completely sequenced, which opens the way for the use of many molecular techniques, such as site-specific mutagenesis, which was widely applied, e.g., in investigating the functions of some essential T4 proteins. The phage-display method, which is commonly applied in bacteriophage modifications, was successfully used to display antigens (PorA protein, VP2 protein of vvIBDV, and antigens of anthrax and HIV) on T4's capsid platform. As first studies showed, the phage-display system as well as site-specific mutagenesis may also be used to modify interactions between phage particles and mammalian cells or to obtain phages infecting species other than the host bacteria. These may be used, among others, in the constantly developing bacteriophage therapy. All manipulations of this popular bacteriophage may enable the development of vaccine technology, phage therapy, and other branches of biological and medical science.

Possible association between phages, Hoc protein, and the immune system.

Mammals have become "an environment" for enterobacterial phage life cycles. Therefore it could be expected that bacteriophages adapt to them. This adaptation must comprise bacteriophage proteins. Gp Hoc seems to have significance neither for phage particle structure nor for phage antibacterial activity. It is evidently not necessary for the "typical" antibacterial actions of bacteriophages. But the rules of evolution make it improbable that gp Hoc really has no function, and non-essential genes of T4-type phages are probably important for phages' adaptation to their particular lifestyle. More interesting is the eukaryotic origin of gp Hoc: a resemblance to immunoglobulin-like proteins that reflects their evolutionary relation. Substantial differences in biological activity between T4 and a mutant that lacks gp Hoc were observed in a mammalian system. Hoc protein seems to be one of the molecules predicted to interact with mammalian organisms and/or modulate these interactions.

Genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships of the troglodytic "living fossil" Congeria kusceri (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae).

Population genetic theory predicts that long-term isolation of "living fossils" in relic habitats might reduce genetic variability due to small population sizes and inbreeding. The recent description of a troglodytic "living fossil" Congeria kusceri--the only known subterranean bivalve mollusc--from a genus thought to be extinct since the Miocene, offers a unique opportunity to examine this hypothesis. Here, we use DNA sequences from two mitochondrial genes to compare levels of genetic variability and to test phylogenetic relationships of C. kusceri with surface-dwelling dreissenid relatives. Phylogenetic analyses of sequences from the cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) and 16S rDNA genes reveal that Mytilopsis is the sister genus to Congeria and this clade forms the sister taxon to Dreissena. Relatively high levels of DNA diversity characterized the population of C. kusceri (haplotypic diversity= 0.50 for 16S rDNA and 0.66 in the COI gene), in contrast to no intraspecific variability in populations of Dreissenapolymorpha, D. bugensis, Mytilopsisleucophaeta, and Corbiculafluminea. Maintenance of genetic variability in C. kusceri may result from long-term population size stability, which merits further investigation. This underground species apparently was buffered from the climatic changes and resultant population bottlenecks that affected its surface-dwelling relatives during the Pliocene and Pleistocene Ice Ages.