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W artykule przedstawione zostały metodologiczne aspekty pozwalające na zbudowanie rusztowania kategorialnego dla projektu „nowoczesna szkoła konserwatywna”. Autorka głębiej przygląda się metodologicznym i semantycznym argumentom pozwalającym zbliżyć do siebie konserwatyzm i nowoczesną dydaktykę. Kluczem otwierającym tę możliwość czyni opisaną przez Lecha Witkowskiego kategorię dwoistości. Zastosowanie tej kategorii pozwoliło na przedefiniowanie versus używanego w opozycji „konserwatyzm versus nowoczesne kształcenie”. Autorka opisuje możliwości otwarcia obu stanowisk – konserwatyzmu i nowoczesności – na siebie. Wejście w dialog, znalezienie pola wspólnego nie wygasza różnic. Te pozostają, a z nich wyprowadzane są siły dośrodkowe i odśrodkowe, powodujące napięcie i drganie całego pola. Kategoria dwoistości, ambiwalencji podkreśla to napięcie i ruch oscylacyjny. Ruch pomiędzy jednym a drugim biegunem naraża całość na pułapki magnetycznego przyciągnięcia przez któryś z biegunów, co może się wyrażać gwałtownym skrętem ku fundamentalnym elementom jednego ze stanowisk. Artykuł kończy przedstawienie pułapek, na które narażona jest nowoczesna szkoła konserwatywna, kryjących się w fundamentalizmie konserwatyzmu oraz dydaktyce krytycznej. ABSTRACT Conservatism and Modernity in Education: Duality – Openness – Pitfalls The article presents methodological aspects that allow building a categorical scaffolding for the “modern conservative school” project. The author takes a deeper look at the methodological and semantic arguments that make it possible to bring “conservatism” and “modern didactics” closer together. She makes the category of “duality” described by Lech Witkowski the key that opens up these possibilities. The use of the category of “duality” made it possible to redefine versus used in the opposition “conservatism versus modern education.” The author describes the possibilities of opening both positions – conservatism and modernity – towards each other. Entering into dialogue, finding a field of common ground does not extinguish differences. These remain, and from them centripetal and centrifugal forces are derived, causing tension and vibration in the entire field. The category of duality, ambivalence emphasizes this tension and oscillatory movement. The movement between one pole and the other exposes the whole to the pitfalls of magnetic attraction by either pole, which can express itself in a sharp turn toward the fundamental elements of either position. The article concludes with a presentation of the pitfalls to which the “modern conservative school” is exposed, which are hidden in the fundamentalism of conservatism and critical didactics.

The significance of the defined issue of psychological and pedagogical support of children affected by the russian military aggression in Ukraine (2022-2023) is substantiated in the article based on the analysis of scientific literature and monitoring of media resources. Several types of crimes against Ukrainian children are presented, such as kidnapping, deportation, forced russification, etc. The questionnaire has been developed and the results of the survey of Ukrainian and Polish students (prospective teachers) with pedagogical experience of dealing with temporarily displaced persons due to the war are presented. Typical challenges they face from a psychological and pedagogical perspective have been identified: psycho-emotional worries of students; communication problems in educational activities; homesickness (which can sometimes be accompanied by depression, sleep disorders and high levels of anxiety); adaptation to new surroundings; periodic air raids, military operations (like those in Ukraine); low motivation to study, lack of interest; double workload for students in Poland (studying in Ukrainian schools online and in foreign schools offline), etc. Based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the questionnaire findings, recommendations for the professional training of future teachers to deal with children in crisis, in particular children with war trauma, are proposed. The author emphasizes the importance of developing infomedia literacy, critical thinking, future teachers’ skills in creating a media lesson, and media hygiene as the use of electronic communication and distance learning is a priority in the post-war period and requires information safety from ideological manipulations. Considerable emphasis is given to the development of teacher resilience as the capacity of the human psyche to recover, increase stress resistance, and prevent burnout when dealing with students who have suffered from russian aggression or are experiencing other crisis conditions

Rhinosinusitis in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is categorised as a secondary, diffuse and inflammatory chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). It is one of the conditions that impacts the nasal microbiota. This study aimed to compare the nasal microbiomes of patients with GPA, CRS and NSP. A total of 31 patients were included in the study (18 GPA, 6 CRS and 7 nasal septum perforation (NSP)). In all patients, SNOT 22, a nasal endoscopy (Lund–Kennedy scale) and a brush swab were performed. The metagenomic analysis was carried out based on the hypervariable V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. At the genus level, statistically significant differences were observed in two comparisons: the GPA/NSP and the GPA/CRS groups. In the GPA/NSP group, the differences were related to four genera (Actinomyces, Streptococcus, Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, Paracoccus), while in the GPA/CRS group, they were related to six (Kocuria, Rothia, Cutibacterium, Streptococcus, Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, Tepidimonas). Patients with GPA had lower diversity compared to CRS and NSP patients. There were no statistically significant differences found for the Staphylococcus family and Staphylococcus aureus between the three groups.

Music is a multifaceted phenomenon: it carries the mission of aesthetic education and enlightenment, performs therapeutic functions and is not only a source of information, but also the subject of filling human consciousness with a sense of joy, drama, and a high spiritual beginning. All the above is provided due to the many components that constitute the whole picture of musical art. These include intonation and rhythm, tempo and dynamics, timbre and texture, and more voluminous components: genre and form. Each of its elements represents a certain category, which, in turn, carries a semantic load or semantic aspect belonging to it. Having a centuries-old history of existence, music and, accordingly, its components have undergone considerable evolution. The purpose of the study is to show the semantic aspects of musical language as an integral system in their continuous dynamics of development, updating, and complication of content. The history of sound creativity is a vivid picture of styles and techniques of writing, images, and themes inherent in a particular era. The above is inextricably linked with the deep evolution of semantic aspects that convey the content and importance of all the leading categories of music. They represent, regardless of the period, an integral system of elements, the transformation of which is discussed in this article. The definition of the boundaries of "evolution" in relation to music, the disclosure of its action at various levels (the evolution of musical thinking, the evolution of national style, artistic area, the evolution of individual compositional style), the development of the theory of evolution in the field of functioning of musical phenomena – these and other problems are priorities for modern scientific musicology and art criticism. Realising the complexity and globality of the problem posed, the basis of which is the consideration of musical phenomena in the aspect of the theory of evolution, this article includes one of the possible approaches to solving this issue, involving the "general theory of systems" created in the 20th century. For that reason, this publication is relevant. It combines the most important theses of researchers investigating the problem of the semantics of the musical language in the context of such disciplines as pedagogy, quantum physics, medicine, social science. The study searches for the materials on the studied subject, their systematisation, and provides a panoramic display of the analysis of the semantic aspects of musical art. The author also shares the prospects of analysis of the mentioned phenomenon. The need for this research is conditioned by the essence of the subject, since it constantly changes, gets enriched with new qualities, actively responding to what is happening in real-time.

REFERENCE TO THE WORLD OF NATURE IN SUGGESTIONS OF RESTAURANT NAMES IN THE ORIENTARIUM IN ŁÓDŹ The aim of the article is to indicate which lexical elements from the thematic field of nature were used by the Internet users during constructing the names of restaurants in the Orientarium in Łódź submitted to the competition organized on the official profile of Łódź on Facebook, with particular emphasis on the motivation of the examined propria and appellative bases. The material basis is 531 naming proposals in which a reference to the world of nature was visible. Semantic-pragmatic analysis with elements of structural analysis was used in the research. Internet users exposed their relationships with fauna and flora by placing the noun animal and its derivatives, using the adjectives natural and wild, recalling the characteristics of animals and their places of residence and foodacquisition. There were less frequent references to plants and water, as well as other natural phenomena.The largest group are chrematonyms based on the names of various animals. Many names havea positive value, which has a persuasive function. The presence of a plant or animal component allows you to show the relationship between the name and the location of the restaurant in Orientarium.

Celem artykułu jest ukazanie, w jaki sposób język potoczny, przede wszystkim słownictwo i frazeologia, może być wykorzystywany do budowania wspólnoty komunikacyjnej z odbiorcami w serwisie YouTube. Podstawę materiałową stanowią wypowiedzi Pauliny Mikuły propagujące posługiwanie się poprawnym językiem polskim wśród internautów z 50 losowo wybranych odcinków wyemitowanych na kanale “Mówiąc Inaczej”. Przeanalizowano, po jakie potocyzmy i w jakich sytuacjach sięga autorka wideobloga. Posługiwanie się leksyką i frazeologią potoczną, powoływanie się na przykłady z życia codziennego oraz nieunikanie słów wulgarnych i obraźliwych to celowe i świadome elementy kreowania wizerunku przez youtuberkę.

W artykule przedstawione zostało zagadnienie przestępstwa oszustwa. Wskazany czyn zabroniony przeanalizowano z punktu widzenia językoznawstwa oraz prawa. Badania językoznawcze odwołują się do przykładów zaczerpniętych z internetu z lat 2018–2021. Obejmują one wykorzystywane przez internautów nazwy sprawców, działalności przestępczej, charakterystycznych typów oszustw oraz osób nimi pokrzywdzonych. Leksykalne, semantyczne, gramatyczne bądź graficzne środki eufemizacji nadają komunikacji walor emocjonalności lub ekspresyjności. Analiza prawna wymienionego czynu zabronionego określa warunki, jakie spełnić musi dane zachowanie, aby stanowiło przedmiot odpowiedzialności karnej, oraz jakie konsekwencje grożą jego sprawcy.

Background Type I interferons (IFN-I) contribute to a broad range of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). Compelling evidence suggests that the measurement of IFN-I pathway activation may have clinical value. Although several IFN-I pathway assays have been proposed, the exact clinical applications are unclear. We summarise the evidence on the potential clinical utility of assays measuring IFN-I pathway activation.Methods A systematic literature review was conducted across three databases to evaluate the use of IFN-I assays in diagnosis and monitor disease activity, prognosis, response to treatment and responsiveness to change in several RMDs.Results Of 366 screened, 276 studies were selected that reported the use of assays reflecting IFN-I pathway activation for disease diagnosis (n=188), assessment of disease activity (n=122), prognosis (n=20), response to treatment (n=23) and assay responsiveness (n=59). Immunoassays, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and microarrays were reported most frequently, while systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, myositis, systemic sclerosis and primary Sjögren’s syndrome were the most studied RMDs. The literature demonstrated significant heterogeneity in techniques, analytical conditions, risk of bias and application in diseases. Inadequate study designs and technical heterogeneity were the main limitations. IFN-I pathway activation was associated with disease activity and flare occurrence in SLE, but their incremental value was uncertain. IFN-I pathway activation may predict response to IFN-I targeting therapies and may predict response to different treatments.Conclusions Evidence indicates potential clinical value of assays measuring IFN-I pathway activation in several RMDs, but assay harmonisation and clinical validation are urged. This review informs the EULAR points to consider for the measurement and reporting of IFN-I pathway assays.

Objectives To systematically review the literature for assay methods that aim to evaluate type I interferon (IFN-I) pathway activation and to harmonise-related terminology.Methods Three databases were searched for reports of IFN-I and rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases. Information about the performance metrics of assays measuring IFN-I and measures of truth were extracted and summarised. A EULAR task force panel assessed feasibility and developed consensus terminology.Results Of 10 037 abstracts, 276 fulfilled eligibility criteria for data extraction. Some reported more than one technique to measure IFN-I pathway activation. Hence, 276 papers generated data on 412 methods. IFN-I pathway activation was measured using: qPCR (n=121), immunoassays (n=101), microarray (n=69), reporter cell assay (n=38), DNA methylation (n=14), flow cytometry (n=14), cytopathic effect assay (n=11), RNA sequencing (n=9), plaque reduction assay (n=8), Nanostring (n=5), bisulphite sequencing (n=3). Principles of each assay are summarised for content validity. Concurrent validity (correlation with other IFN assays) was presented for n=150/412 assays. Reliability data were variable and provided for 13 assays. Gene expression and immunoassays were considered most feasible. Consensus terminology to define different aspects of IFN-I research and practice was produced.Conclusions Diverse methods have been reported as IFN-I assays and these differ in what elements or aspects of IFN-I pathway activation they measure and how. No ‘gold standard’ represents the entirety of the IFN pathway, some may not be specific for IFN-I. Data on reliability or comparing assays were limited, and feasibility is a challenge for many assays. Consensus terminology should improve consistency of reporting.

The subject of the article is the deliberate transformation of anthroponyms in advertising messages as a conscious marketing activity. The aim of the work is to present the resource of anthroponyms (names, surnames or pseudonyms), which are the basis of language games, as well as to discuss the methods of modification and the relationship between the anthrop­onym and the entire advertising message. The research material comes from the Lidl Polska fanpage on Facebook. It has been shown that associations related to authentic characters and heroes of artistic works play an important role. The positive features of the designate are tried to be transferred to the advertised product, often indicating tangential elements in the promotional post. Formal similarity is also important during creating modifications.

Artykuł opisuje antropocentryczne nacechowanie frazeologizmów, które zawierają w swej strukturze nazwy ptaków. Przedstawiony materiał pokazuje, że utrwalone w polskiej frazeologii relacje między ptakami i ludźmi są ważne. Zróżnicowane strukturalnie połączenia z ptasim komponentem w sposób metaforyczny charakteryzują człowieka. Doświadczenia i spostrzeżenia w nich skupione konotują zarówno pozytywne, jak i negatywne wartości, które dotyczą nie tylko wyglądu zewnętrznego, ale także intelektu, doświadczenia człowieka oraz ogólnych prawideł ludzkiej egzystencji.

Rhinosinusitis in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is categorised as a secondary, diffuse and inflammatory chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). It is one of the conditions that impacts the nasal microbiota. This study aimed to compare the nasal microbiomes of patients with GPA, CRS and NSP. A total of 31 patients were included in the study (18 GPA, 6 CRS and 7 nasal septum perforation (NSP)). In all patients, SNOT 22, a nasal endoscopy (Lund–Kennedy scale) and a brush swab were performed. The metagenomic analysis was carried out based on the hypervariable V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. At the genus level, statistically significant differences were observed in two comparisons: the GPA/NSP and the GPA/CRS groups. In the GPA/NSP group, the differences were related to four genera (Actinomyces, Streptococcus, Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, Paracoccus), while in the GPA/CRS group, they were related to six (Kocuria, Rothia, Cutibacterium, Streptococcus, Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, Tepidimonas). Patients with GPA had lower diversity compared to CRS and NSP patients. There were no statistically significant differences found for the Staphylococcus family and Staphylococcus aureus between the three groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celem artykułu jest analiza określeń nawiązujących do Żydów w wypowiedziach niedarzących się wzajemną sympatią kibiców dwóch klubów piłkarskich z Łodzi — Widzewa i ŁKS-u. Materiał egzemplifikacyjny został pozyskany z forów internetowych. Posługiwanie się etykietą Żyda odbywa się dwustronnie. Fani obu łódzkich klubów używają nie tylko ekspresywizmu Żyd, w języku kibiców zawsze będącego wyrazem deprecjacji i zniewagi, lecz także nacechowanych pejoratywnie jego derywatów oraz licznych określeń synonimicznych i metaforycznych, które mają na celu wyśmianie przeciwnika.

Celem artykułu jest przyjrzenie się reklamom telewizyjnym nawiązującym do izolacji społecznej wiosną 2020 roku w czasie pandemii COVID-19 pod kątem aksjologicznym. Za nadrzędne uznano zbadanie, za pomocą jakich środków werbalnych i pozawerbalnych eksponowano wartości witalne. Bazę materiałową stanowią 52 spoty reklamowe emitowane w polskiej telewizji. Eksponowanie wartości witalnych odbywało się za pomocą propagowania hasła #zostańwdomu, podpowiadania odbiorcom, z jakich usług można korzystać oraz jakim rozrywkom można się oddawać bez wychodzenia z domu, przypominania o bezpiecznych formach zakupów i kontaktu z innymi. Zachęcano do aktywności fizycznej i wspierania swojej odporności. Podkreślano troskę o seniorów i inne osoby najbardziej narażone na zakażenie COVID-19.

The turn-on mutations of the KRAS gene, coding a small GTPase coupling growth factor signaling, are contributing to nearly 25% of all human cancers, leading to highly malignant tumors with poor outcomes. Targeting of oncogenic KRAS remains a most challenging task in oncology. Recently, the specific G12C mutant KRAS inhibitors have been developed but with a limited clinical outcome because they acquire drug resistance. Alternatively, exploiting a metabolic breach of KRAS-mutant cancer cells related to a glucose-dependent sensitivity to oxidative stress is becoming a promising indirect cancer targeting approach. Here, we discuss the use of a vitamin C (VC) acting in high dose as an oxidative “Trojan horse” agent for KRAS-mutant cancer cells that can be potentiated with another oxidizing drug arsenic trioxide (ATO) to obtain a potent and selective cytotoxic impact. Moreover, we outline the advantages of VC’s non-natural enantiomer, D-VC, because of its distinctive pharmacokinetics and lower toxicity. Thus, the D-VC and ATO combination shows a promising path to treat KRAS-mutant cancers in clinical settings.

The use of vitamin C (VC) in high doses demonstrates a potent tumor suppressive effect by mediating a glucose-dependent oxidative stress in Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) mutant cancer cells. VC with arsenic trioxide (ATO) is a promising drug combination that might lead to the development of effective cancer therapeutics. Considering that a tumor suppressive effect of VC requires its high-dose administration, it is of interest to examine the toxicity of two enantiomers of VC (enantiomer d-optical isomer D-VC and natural l-optical isomer L-VC) in vitro and in vivo. We show that the combinations of L-VC with ATO and D-VC with ATO induced a similar cytotoxic oxidative stress in KrasG12D-expressing mutant cancer cells as indicated by a substantial increase in reactive oxidative species (ROS) production and depolarization of mitochondria. To examine the L-VC and D-VC toxicity effects, we administered high doses of D-VC and L-VC to CD1 mice and carried out an evaluation of their toxic effects. The daily injections of L-VC at a dose of 9.2 g/kg for 18 days were lethal to mice, while 80% of mice remained alive following the similar high-dose administration of D-VC. Following the drug injection courses and histopathological studies, we determined that a natural form of VC (L-VC) is more harmful and toxic to mice when compared to the effects caused by the similar doses of D-VC. Thus, our study indicates that the two enantiomers of VC have a similar potency in the induction of oxidative stress in cancer cells, but D-VC has a distinctive lower toxicity in mice compared to L-VC. While the mechanism of a distinctive toxicity between D-VC and L-VC is yet to be defined, our finding marks D-VC as a more preferable option compared to its natural enantiomer L-VC in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), as measured by ultrasound, has utility in stratification of the accelerated cardiovascular risk seen in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, the technique has limitations. Carotid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is emerging as a useful research tool in the general population, but has yet to be applied in RA populations. Our objectives were to describe the utility of carotid artery MRI (carotid-MRI) in patients with RA in comparison to healthy controls and to describe the association with RA disease phenotype. Methods Sixty-four patients with RA and no history of cardiovascular (CV) disease/diabetes mellitus were assessed for RA and CV profile, including homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). All underwent carotid-MRI (3 T), and were compared to 24 healthy controls. Univariable analysis (UVA) and multivariable linear regression models (MVA) were used to determine associations between disease phenotype and carotid-MRI measures. Results There were no significant differences in carotid arterial wall measurements between patients with RA and controls. Wall and luminal volume correlated with 10-year CV risk scores (adjusted as per 2017 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) guidance); rho = 0.33 (p = 0.012) and rho = 0.35 (p = 0.008), respectively, for Joint British Societies-2 risk score. In UVA, carotid-MRI volumetric measures predominantly were associated with traditional CV risk factors including age, ever-smoking and HOMA-IR (p

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The specific activity of natural gamma emitters like actinium (228Ac), bismuth (212Bi, 214Bi), lead (212Pb, 214Pb), potassium (40K), radium (224Ra), thallium (208Tl) and artificial radioisotope caesium (137Cs) was measured in 2005 in the surface layer of marine sediments in the northern Svalbard: Wijdefjorden, Woodfjorden, Vestfjorden and Bockfjorden as well as in the freshwater reservoirs in Andre Land. Nonuniform spatial distribution of these radionuclides was found. Sediment sample from Bockfjorden had the highest specific activities of all natural radionuclides. The specific radioactivity of 137Cs was much lower than specific radioactivities of natural radionuclides but there were differences between investigated locations. The distribution of 137Cs is similar to persistent organic pollutants of the lake sediments in the area.

The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been transformed with the introduction of biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARD) and more recently, targeted synthetic DMARD (tsDMARD) therapies in the form of janus-kinase inhibitors. Nevertheless, response to these agents varies such that a trial and error approach is adopted; leading to poor patient quality of life, and long-term outcomes. There is thus an urgent need to identify effective biomarkers to guide treatment selection. A wealth of research has been invested in this field but with minimal progress. Increasingly recognized is the importance of evaluating synovial tissue, the primary site of RA, as opposed to peripheral blood-based investigation. In this mini-review, we summarize the literature supporting synovial tissue heterogeneity, the conceptual basis for stratified therapy. This includes recognition of distinct synovial pathobiological subtypes and associated molecular pathways. We also review synovial tissue studies that have been conducted to evaluate the effect of individual bDMARD and tsDMARD on the cellular and molecular characteristics, with a view to identifying tissue predictors of response. Initial observations are being brought into the clinical trial landscape with stratified biopsy trials to validate toward implementation. Furthermore, development of tissue based omics technology holds still more promise in advancing our understanding of disease processes and guiding future drug selection.

Uncultured mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are increasingly used in therapies; however, the effects of donor age on their biological characteristics and gene expression remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate age-related changes in bone marrow (BM) MSCs following minimal or no culture manipulation. Iliac crest BM was aspirated from 67 healthy donors (19-89 years old) and directly used for the colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) assay or CD45lowCD271+ cell enumeration. The colonies were analysed for colony area and integrated density (ID) when grown in standard MSC media or media supplemented with human serum from young (YS) or old (OS) donors. There was a notable age-related decline in the number of MSCs per millilitre of BM aspirate revealed by the CFU-F assay (r=−0.527, p

In a step taken towards improving the new system for the satellite monitoring of the Baltic Sea environment, officially started in Poland recently (SatBałtyk System, see http://www.satbaltyk.pl), a new set of simple statistical formulas was derived. These combine the empirically determined spectral values of remote-sensing reflectance Rrs(λ) with the mass concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and particulate organic carbon (POC) in southern Baltic surface waters. The new formulas are based on 73 empirical data sets gathered during 4 research cruises on board r/v Oceania during spring and late summer in the open waters of the southern Baltic and coastal regions of the Gulf of Gdańsk. Correlations of SPM and POC concentrations with reflectance or reflectance ratios in various spectral bands were tested. Several variants of candidate statistical relationships, which can be used later in the construction of simple local remote sensing algorithms for the waters in question, are introduced here. These relationships utilise either absolute values of Rrs at a selected waveband, mostly from the yellow, red or near infrared part of the light spectrum, or Rrs ratios for two different wavebands, mostly ratios of blue to yellow, blue to red and blue to infrared or green to yellow and green to red spectral band. From the numerous simple approximate relationships established, the following two, characterised by large correlation coefficients r2 and small standard error factors X, may serve as examples: SPM [g m−3] = 1480(Rrs(710))0.902 (with the factors r2 = 0.86; X = 1.26) (the unit of Rrs(λ) is [sr−1]) and POC [g m−3] = 0.814(Rrs(555)/Rrs(589))−4.42 (r2 = 0.75; X = 1.37). From the practical standpoint, taking into consideration light wavelengths that are close to or concurrent with the currently available spectral bands used in satellite observations of the Baltic Sea, another two formulas (using the same spectral ratio) are worth pointing out: SPM [g m−3] = 2.6(Rrs(490)/Rrs(625))−1.29 (r2 = 0.86; X = 1.25) and POC [g m−3] = 0.774(Rrs(490)/Rrs(625))−1.18 (r2 = 0.66; X = 1.44). The paper also presents a number of intermediate statistical relationships between SPM and POC concentrations, Rrs spectra and light backscattering coefficients in order to illustrate the simplified physical justification for some of the observed direct statistical relationships, presented as the main content of this work.

With the increasing importance of early type 2 diabetes (DM2) and obesity detection, it is useful to reevaluate leptin role in these conditions. Our study aimed at investigating circulating leptin concentrations in a group of patients with DM2, and at assessing in detail whether leptin concentrations correlate with selected biochemical, clinical parameters and markers of systemic inflammation in patients with DM2 and in healthy volunteers. In our work, we analysed samples and data drawn from 71 patients aged 61.4 ± 11.7 years, who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, as well as from a healthy control group (HC) consisting of 51 healthy subjects with a mean age of 57.8 ± 13.7 years. Therein, the concentration of leptin in the DM2 patients was significantly higher than in the HC (p < 0.01), with median value of 16.59 (IQR 8.58-33.39) ng/ml in the DM2, vs median value of 6.66 (IQR 4.52-21.40) ng/ml in the HC. In the analysis of variance, higher leptin concentrations were revealed in the DM2 group as compared to the HC, and this figure remained significant after adjusting for gender and age (p < 0.001). Moreover, it was independent of HOMA-IR (p = 0.003). However, the differences in leptin levels between the groups disappeared when additional adjustments for anthropometric parameters (BMI, waist circumference) were applied (p = 0.088). Beyond the aforementioned, significant positive correlations were found in the DM 2 group between leptin level and CRP (r=0.256; p < 0.05) and IL-6 (r = 0.345; p < 0.01). Among the selected variables, only gender and BMI were included in the predictive model explaining the variability of leptin, and, in total, were responsible for 72.6% of the original variation of the studied adipocytokine. The results of this study have led to conclusion that leptin may participate in the complex pathogenesis of DM2 and be a predictor of the development of this disease. As higher concentrations of leptin coexist with obesity, and this situation correlates positively with markers of inflammation (CRP, IL-6), leptin level, hence, should be considered in the pathogenesis of DM2.

Skeletal aging is associated with reduced proliferative potential of bone marrow (BM) multipotential stromal cells (MSCs). Recent data suggest the involvement of type 1 interferon (IFN1) signalling in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) senescence. Considering that BM-HSCs and BM-MSCs share the same BM niche, we investigated IFN1 expression profile in human BM-MSCs in relation to donor age, culture-expansion and IFN1 (α and β) stimulation. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting was used to purify uncultured BM-MSCs from younger (19–41, n = 6) and older (59–89, n = 6) donors based on the CD45lowCD271+ phenotype, and hematopoietic-lineage cells (BM-HLCs, CD45+CD271−) were used as controls. Gene expression was analysed using integrated circuits arrays in sorted fractions as well as cultured/stimulated BM-MSCs and Y201/Y202 immortalised cell lines. IFN1 stimulation led to BM-MSC growth arrest and upregulation of many IFN1-stimulated genes (ISGs), with IFNβ demonstrating stronger effects. Uncultured MSCs were characterised by a moderate-level ISG expression similar to Y201 cells. Age-related changes in ISG expression were negligible in BM-MSCs compared to BM-HLCs, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in BM-MSCs did not significantly correlate with donor age. Antiaging genes Klotho and SIRT6 correlated with more ISGs in BM-MSCs than in BM-HLCs. In patients with osteoarthritis (OA), BM-MSCs expressed considerably lower levels of several ISGs, indicating that their IFN1 signature is affected in a pathological condition. In summary, BM-MSCs possess homeostatic IFN1 gene expression signature in health, which is sensitive to in vitro culture and external IFN1 stimulation. IFN signalling may facilitate in vivo BM-MSC responses to DNA damage and combating senescence and aberrant immune activation.

Aging at the cellular level is a complex process resulting from accumulation of various damages leading to functional impairment and a reduced quality of life at the level of the organism. With a rise in the elderly population, the worldwide incidence of osteoporosis (OP) and osteoarthritis (OA) has increased in the past few decades. A decline in the number and “fitness” of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in the bone marrow (BM) niche has been suggested as one of the factors contributing to bone abnormalities in OP and OA. It is well recognized that MSCs in vitro acquire culture-induced aging features such as gradual telomere shortening, increased numbers of senescent cells, and reduced resistance to oxidative stress as a result of serial population doublings. In contrast, there is only limited evidence that human BM-MSCs “age” similarly in vivo . This review compares the various aspects of in vitro and in vivo MSC aging and suggests how our current knowledge on rejuvenating cultured MSCs could be applied to develop future strategies to target altered bone formation processes in OP and OA.

Monoclonal protein (M-protein) is produced by a malignant clone of plasma cells. Detected in serum and/or urine, this typically indicates multiple myeloma (MM) or other monoclonal gammopathy (MG). In a majority of MM cases, with the production of intact monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig), malignant plasmocytes and/or B lymphocytes often produce excessive amounts of free light chains (FLCs). Excessive synthesis of FLCs lowers the ability of renal proximal tubules to re-absorb FLCs, which results in abnormally high levels of FLCs in the urine (Bence Jones protein, BJP). In laboratory practice, there are tests available for the quantitative measurement of only FLCs κ and λ or for total light chains (TLCs). These tests measure both free forms and bound in the (Ig) molecules forms as light chains that are evident in the serum and in urine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the FLCs and TLCs approaches in screening serum and urine samples of patients with MM, doing so in comparison to the results of immunofixation (IFE) assessment. A second purpose was to assess the suitability of the collected material for obtaining the most reliable results. The results of serum FLCs (sFLCs) assays suggest that this approach is of the highest reliability and diagnostic usefulness in the detection of MG with excess production of FLCs, in comparison to other available tests. In our work, when κ band light chains were detected in serum IFE (sIFE), 91% patients had their FLCs concentrations beyond the reference range, whereas 89% patients had increased λ FLCs when λ band light chains were detected in sIFE. We also found abnormal sFLC κ/λ ratios in 86.4% and 88.9% of all subject patients who had κ or λ band light chains detected in their sIFE, respectively.