The study concerned workplace mobbing, a phenomenon affecting about 3-20% of the Polish population. The aim of the article is to distinguish the manifestations of mobbing, to study the coexistence of ...mobbing manifestations, and to search for the relationships between the symptoms of mobbing, reactions to mobbing and methods of dealing with mobbing used by victims.
Information on the above variables was obtained using a questionnaire on mobbing, risk factors, and responses to mobbing. The questionnaire was completed by 781 people (women: 66%, men: 34%). The average age of the respondents was 29 years. The current statistical analysis included: distinguishing the manifestations of mobbing by means of a confirmatory factor analysis, studying the coexistence of mobbing manifestations by means of a cluster analysis, and detecting the relationships between mobbing manifestations, reactions to mobbing and ways of dealing with it based on the system of structural equations.
The results of the research revealed 3 categories of relationships: a co-occurrence of mobbing manifestations, a relationship of mobbing manifestations with reactions to mobbing, and a relationship of mobbing reactions with methods of dealing with mobbing.
Mobbing was found in 22% of the examined group. The study revealed the existence of 5 clusters of mobbing manifestations (i.e., subgroups of respondents characterized by experiencing at least 1 of the mobbing manifestations). In the most numerous clusters in which the symptoms of mobbing were diagnosed, unfriendly working conditions prevailed. In the context of mobbing, people were found to more often react with passivity or with using interpersonal coping methods. However, they rarely turned to institutions for help or used aggression against the mobber. Med Pr. 2022;73(1):1-12.
Proinsulin 5'VNTR polymorphism determines susceptibility to type 1 diabetes (T1DM). The authors tested whether it affects intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) results.
To evaluate a possible ...relationship between 5'VNTR proinsulin gene (INS) polymorphism and glucose, insulin and C-peptide levels during IVGTT among siblings of children suffering from T1DM.
Fourteen patients - siblings of children with type 1 diabetes, positive for at least one autoantibody, underwent IVGTT with glucose, insulin and C-peptide concentrations measurement.
Mean age of patients equaled 10.71 ± 4.15 years. Eight individuals were homozygous for class I/I and six were class III/I heterozygotes. No significant differences in blood glucose levels during the IVGTT were observed (p=0.67). However, lower insulin (p=0.03) and C-peptide (p=0.01) levels were observed in I/I homozygotes in post-challenge timepoints. No significant differences were observed in baseline fasting insulin, glucose and C-peptide levels.
The class III allele in the 5'VNTR promoter region of INS is associated with a greater functional reserve of β cells in response to a direct hyperglycemic stimulus in individuals with a familial background of T1DM.
Vitamin D3 has a preventive, anti-inflammatory effect. However, there are still few studies linking the effects of athlete training to vitamin D3 supplementation and the immune response. The study ...evaluated the impact of vitamin D3 supplementation on interleukin 6 (IL-6) release during physical exercise in relation to C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in healthy male athletes. Twenty-five soccer players were divided into two groups—with (GS) and without (GN) vitamin D3 supplementation in a dose of 20,000 IU twice a week for 8 wk (about 6,000 IU/d). At the baseline (T1) and at the end (T2) of the training cycle serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D, IL-6 and CRP were measured. In the GS group, we observed a significant increase in 25(OH)D concentration (p=0.004), and non-significantly increased levels (p>0.05) of IL-6 and CRP. At the baseline, CRP in the supplemented athletes who had suboptimal vitamin D3 concentration in T1 (GSO) was significantly higher than in those with an optimal baseline vitamin D3 level (GO) (p=0.028). However, in GO in T2, a non-significant trend of negative correlation (p=0.055) between 25(OH)D concentration and IL-6 level was found. In the total study group (TG), a statistically significant (p=0.021) negative correlation in T1 was observed between 25(OH)D and CRP. However, our results do not support the immune-modulatory effect of vitamin D3 supplementation in a dose of 6,000 IU/d in athletes, in relation to IL-6 production and its subsequent stimulatory effect on CRP releasing.
Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) demonstrate deficits in social functioning that contribute to early withdrawal from school and delinquency, as well as the development of ...anxiety and depression. Dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, and social behavior. Thus, we evaluated whether neonatal ethanol exposure (in an animal model of FASDs) has an impact on social recognition memory using the three-chamber social novelty discrimination test during early and middle adolescence in male and female rats, and whether the modafinil analog, the novel atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor CE-123, can modify this effect. Our study shows that male and female rats neonatally exposed to ethanol exhibited sex- and age-dependent deficits in social novelty discrimination in early (male) and middle (female) adolescence. These deficits were specific to the social domain and not simply due to more general deficits in learning and memory because these animals did not exhibit changes in short-term recognition memory in the novel object recognition task. Furthermore, early-adolescent male rats that were neonatally exposed to ethanol did not show changes in the anxiety index but demonstrated an increase in locomotor activity. Chronic treatment with CE-123, however, prevented the appearance of these social deficits. In the hippocampus of adolescent rats, CE-123 increased BDNF and decreased its signal transduction TrkB receptor expression level in ethanol-exposed animals during development, suggesting an increase in neuroplasticity. Thus, selective dopamine reuptake inhibitors, such as CE-123, represent interesting drug candidates for the treatment of deficits in social behavior in adolescent individuals with FASDs.
•Roxithromycin was incorporated into poly(epsilon-caprolactone) nanoparticles.•Nanoparticles were applied on human skin as a suspension or lecithin organogel.•Fluorescence was observed deep in hair ...follicles for both formulations.•Preferential targeting of nanoparticles to the pilosebaceous unit was proved.
Drug delivery into hair follicles with the use of nanoparticles (NPs) is gaining more importance as drug-loaded NPs may accumulate in hair follicle openings. The aim was to develop and evaluate a pluronic lecithin organogel (PLO) with roxithromycin (ROX)-loaded NPs for follicular targeting. Polymeric NPs were evaluated in terms of particle shape, size, zeta potential, suspension stability, encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release. Lyophilized NPs were incorporated into the PLO and rheological measurements of the nanoparticles-embedded organogels were done. The fate of the NPs in the skin was traced by incorporation of a fluorescent dye into the NPs. As a result, ROX was efficiently incorporated into polymeric NPs characterized by the appropriate size (approximately 300nm) allowing drug delivery to hair follicles. In ex vivo human skin penetration studies, horizontal skin sections revealed fluorescence deep in the hair follicles. Although the organogel has higher affinity to the lipidic follicular area than an aqueous suspension of NPs, it did not seem to improve penetration of the NPs along the hair shaft. The results proved that it was possible to achieve preferential targeting to the pilosebaceous unit using polymeric NPs formulated either into the aqueous suspension or semisolid topical formulation.
Cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus have significantly increased in recent years. Researchers worldwide are combining their knowledge of biology, medicine, tissue engineering, and microtechnology to ...develop new effective treatments. An important aspect of current research is to develop of a complete model of three-dimensional pancreatic islets to test various factors that affect disease development and evaluate new therapies and drugs. Several methods have allowed the development of three-dimensional research models. The use of Lab-on-a-chip systems with appropriate microstructure geometry is a promising solution to macroscale problems. Such a device allows the development of a complete platform reflecting conditions that prevail in the body. Organ-on-a-chip platforms are successfully used mainly in studies of lung, heart, and liver diseases. This review presents the current state of knowledge on the creation of three-dimensional pancreatic islet structures in both microscale and microfluidic systems. We highlight the most important aspects of developing the geometry of such devices. We also discuss analytical detection methods that are suitable for detecting hormones that are secreted from pancreatic islets and, in combination with appropriate Lab-on-a-chip systems, can be used as a Micro Total Analysis System (μTAS).
•In this review a current knowledge on the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus is presented.•Overview of current methods used to create three-dimensional pancreatic islet models.•A critical review of the geometric solutions used in microfluidic systems has been presented.•Methods of detecting hormones were reviewed.
Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) describes a group of extremely rare hereditary disorders with an estimated prevalence of 1–3/1,000,000. Mitochondrial membrane protein associated ...neurodegeneration (MPAN) is the third most common form of NBIA, accounting for 10% of NBIA cases globally and up to 50% of cases in Poland. This survey was conducted by the Association NBIA Poland to collect data on the functioning of patients with NBIA/MPAN based on self-reported EQ-5D-5L (EuroQoL 5-Dimension 5-Level) scores. A total of 50 patients living in Poland, including 26 patients with NBIA/MPAN, participated in the study. The mean age of NBIA/MPAN patients was 22 years; the mean age at symptom onset is 10 years. At the time of the survey, most patients were disabled and required assistance with daily activities. More than 50% of participants needed help with hygiene or dressing, and 40% were unable to walk on their own. Nearly 50% of patients declared symptoms indicating lowered mood. The survey showed that NBIA/MPAN leads to significant disability within a short period of time after symptom onset. Intensive work is underway to discover the role of the C19orf12 protein and develop therapeutic strategies. Actions are necessary to improve the comfort of everyday life of patients with NBIA/MPAN and to improve access to rehabilitation, including home-based programmes.
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