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The events of the spring 2011 linked to the outbreak of a new strain of Eschericha coli bacteria reflected worldwide in the media. Just like two years earlier in the case of pandemic influenza A-H1N1, also this time there was panic in media, flood of news, often contradictory and mutually exclusive information and attempts to make reliable evaluations of what exactly been happening. Known for decades Eschericha coli bacterium, probably as a result of human activity (excessive use of antibiotics) appeared in the form of new, dangerous strain. What's worse, it was also shown that both European Commission and WHO agencies are having serious problems while dealing with similar, outbreak-like situations. The problem is not with dealing with epidemic itself, but rather with population hysteria, public opinion and media in general. In this article an attempt has been made to characterize the bacteria Escherichia coli, the most common form of infection and health threats, as well as a brief description of the epidemic in 2011 and actions taken by European Union and governments of countries where disease appeared.

Successful delivery of progenitor cells to the injury zone is a prerequisite for any effect of myocardial regeneration therapy. This key issue, however, has received far less attention than, for instance, a potential need for cell type selection or ex-vivo expansion, the optimal timing of cell application or multimodal functional evaluation after cellular transplantation. By combining myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging and 99Tc-HMPAO-labelled autologous bone marrow-derived CD34+ cells visualisation, we show in a 63-year-old man with a large anterior myocardial infarction that transcoronary applied cells (via the central lumen of an inflated over-the-wire balloon positioned in the stent implanted in primary PCI) graft preferentially to the infarct border zone. This is consistent with the idea that the area of myocardial 'irreversible' injury (i.e. the no-perfusion zone on perfusion scintigraphy or late enhancement zone on magnetic resonance) remains largely inaccessible to transcoronary-applied cells; thus other techniques need to be considered if the cell delivery is aimed at the zone of irreversible injury. The potency of such combined high-resolution visualisation provides grounds for comparing the efficacy of different methods of cell delivery after a recent myocardial infarction in man.

Background: Impaired left ventricular (LV) function with decreased ejection fraction (EF) is a frequent finding in patients with ischaemic heart disease. As a non-invasive method, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has become an important diagnostic method in cardiology within the past decade, especially for assessing myocardial function., Aim: The purpose of this study is to compare EF estimated with 99mTc gated SPECT (GSPECT) and with CMR., Methods: The study was performed in a group of 35 patients (11 F, 24 M; mean age 57 SD 10) after myocardial infarction. EF in CMR procedure was calculated using cine gradient echo sequences. GSPECT measured EF was estimated by Tc 99., Results: The mean value of EF measured with scintigraphy was 50.5 +/- 17%, and measured with CMR 48.3 +/- 15%. The difference in mean values of EF was not statistically significant., Conclusions: 1. EF in CMR was highly concordant with GSPECT. 2. The mean value of EF measured with CMR in 75% of study patients was smaller than in the scintigraphy group, but the difference was not statistically significant. 3. CMR is a simple, precise and reproducible diagnostic method for monitoring left ventricle systolic function, and which is an additional non-invasive imaging technique in cardiac diagnosis.

Physical rehabilitation of patients with heart diseases is a well-known therapeutical method used in patients with heart failure. However there is no consensus regarding rehabilitation program for these patients. The aim of this study was to assess tolerance of physical exercise and parameters of heart rate variability in patients with chronic heart failure who were exercised using different models of training. 42 patients (mean age 55.9 +/- 8.2) with chronic heart failure (NYHA class II and III) were included into this study. They were divided randomly into three groups, each number 14 patients: group A--patients who were trained according to model with progressive increase of workload, group B--patients with interval training, and group C--patients who were not trained at all. The study groups did not differ in average age, BMI, NYHA class, or pharmacological treatment. All patients from groups A and B were rehabilitated during six months, 3 times per week for 1.0 hour each time. All patients were submitted to the following examinations before and after six months of training: echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise test and 24-hour ECG recording with evaluation of time-domain HRV parameters. In groups A and B we observed an improvement in exercise capacity, which was more pronounced in group A. This improvement was observed as increase in total exercise time when compared with group B and C (839.1 +/- 98.3 sec vs 472.4 +/- 39.7 sec vs 347.92 +/- 61.0 sec respectively at p < 0.0001), and increase in workload (6.28 +/- 0.8 MET vs 3.9 +/- 0.2 MET vs 2.6 +/- 0.63 MET respectively in the study groups). We also found improved cardiopulmonary exercise test. After six months we observed significant differences in all parameters between group A and C, and in VO2max between group B and C (16.5 +/- 1.9 vs 14.1 +/- 1.9 ml/kg/min, p < 0.01) and in VE/VCO2 (37.8 +/- 4.2 vs 40.4 +/- 6.7 l/min, p < 0.01). After 6 months we also found significant differences between group A and B in HRV parameters which reflect total activity of the autonomous system (SDNN--174.0 vs 96.0 at p < 0.0001; SDANNI--138.1 vs 83.2 at p < 0.0001) and between group A and group C (174.0 vs 78.4, p < 0.0001). In parameters that reflect parasympathetical activity of the autonomous system there were significant changes between group A and group B (rMSSD--42.5 vs 24.7 at p < 0.001, pNN50 18.5 vs 4.2, p < 0.001) and between group A and group C (rMSSD--42.5 vs 16.7 at p < 0.001, pNN50 18.5 vs 4.2 at p < 0.001). Regular exercise training in patients with chronic heart failure, using especially the progressive increase of workload, improves exercise capacity without any negative influence on systolic and diastolic function parameters of the left ventricle. In these patients we may also observe beneficial changes in HRV parameters.

Aim: Influence of physical exercise on psychomotor growth of children is well known. In present study we tried to evaluate influence of two different physical training programs carried out in schools, on parameters of cardiovascular and respiratory system. In addition we tried to evaluate the possible influence of diet on children growth., Material and Methods: Children from two schools were studied. Group I: 56 children (aged 10-12) from swimmers classes of the School of Sport Championship, who participated in 8 hours/week of physical exercises in addition to 10 hours/week of swimming exercises. Group II: 28 children (aged 10-12) from standard school, who participated in 3 hours/week of physical exercises. In both groups medical examination, spirometry, blood pressure and heart rate measurement, and diet analysis were performed at baseline and after maximal physical extortion., Results and Conclusions: 1. Spirometry analysis showed statistical differences between the groups, which were impaired in children from school with standard physical training program. 2. We observed worse adaptation to physical exercise of cardiovascular and respiratory system in from school with standard physical training program, as compared to children from group I. 3. No statistical differences in nutrition were shown between the groups. 4. Vitamins, iron and magnesium seem to have good influence on respiratory system adaptation to physical exercise. 5. In general, we observed better total capacity of cardiovascular and respiratory system in connected with better interest in correct nutrition in group I as compared to group II.

The aim of the study was to evaluate frequency of overweight and underweight, and estimation of components of body mass (body fat, lean body mass, body water) in 176 people: 61 men with aethanol dependency (group 1), 37 opiate addicted men (group 2), 32 men in control group (group 3), 14 opiate addicted women (group 4) and 32 women after first suicidal attempts who were treated in the Department of Clinical Toxicology (group 5). All of the patients had their Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated. The components of body mass were calculated using the method of bioelectrical impendance with Maltron. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica Software. The greatest differences were observed between group 2 and group 1. In both groups more underweight, less overweight with less total body fat was observed, with the increase in body water. In both women groups no overweight or obesity were observed, but there were significant differences between various body components masses. Deficiencies in body fat were observed in 86% women from group 4 and in 50% women from group 5. On the other hand excess of body water was observed in 93% from group 4 and only in 47% from group 5. Our studies shown that even among the persons with correct weight calculated using the BMI method some abnormalities can be observed in body fat, lean body mass and body water. We therefore conclude that only by measuring components of total body mass we may evaluate etiology of overweight and obesity.

Unlabelled: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of myocardial revascularization (PTCA, CABG) on right and left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, and segmental wall motion in patients with coronary artery disease. The study population consisted of 27 patients, ranging in age from 36 to 67 years (mean age 51.1 +/- 8.8). CABG and PTCA were performed in 17 and 10 patients, respectively. All patients underwent radionuclide angiocardiography at baseline and 3 months after the procedure. The following parameters were measured: ejection fraction (EF), 1/3EF, maximal emptying rate (MER), maximal filling rate (MFR), 1/3 filling fraction (1/3FF), and segmental wall motion in segments S1 to S9. Increased left ventricular EF was observed in 29.4% of patients after CABG and in 40% of patients after PTCA. Segmental wall motion in the revascularized area also improved except for septal segments in the left ventricle in patients after CABG. Global right ventricular function remained practically unchanged both after CABG and PTCA. However, EF of right ventricular septal segments increased after CABG: S1--24.58 +/- 11.7% vs 33.4 +/- 14.7%, S9--35.52 +/- 13.7% vs 46.8 +/- 15.9%., Conclusion: Myocardial revascularization improves left ventricular systolic and diastolic function with no effect on global right ventricular performance. After CABG the ejection fraction of septal segments was altered. Successful PTCA of LAD improves EF of septal segments in the left ventricle.

In the present study vascular density was measure in histopathological slides of the simple goiter (15 cases) and of the same proliferative condition of the thyroid gland (113 cases) including adenoma (29 cases) and carcinoma (16 cases). Epithelial antibody CD31 and vWF identified vessels with the help of semiautomatic image analysis system. It has been shown that the highest values were typical for neoplastic tumors. However significant overlap has been shown. Statistically significant differences were very weakly seen between neoplasm's and thyroid hyperfunction. Also differences between carcinomas and adenomas were of low significance. Probably this is because of great heterogeneity of carcinomatosus neoplasms included in this study. Unexpectedly there were also no statistically significant differences between simple goiter, hyperplasia and thyroid hyperfunction.

Among the patients directed to the Department of Endocrinology of the Institute of Internal Medicine for diagnostic examinations of the thyroid, 726 (647 women and 79 men, of age between 16 and 79 years) were qualified to surgery after scintigraphic detection of cold nodules. From this group, 474 patients had thin-needle biopsy specimens taken for cytologic examination. The results of the latter examinations have been compared with those of histologic examination performed on the tissue removed during surgery. The occurrence of a malignant tumor (in 99.1%--thyroid cancer) was found in 108 patients (22.8%) from the group having thin-needle biopsy performed. Comparison of the results of cytologic examination with those of postoperative histologic examination demonstrated low sensitivity of biopsy examination (50.0%), as opposed to high specificity (96.2%) and high accuracy (85, 3%). Analysis of the false-negative results (54/108) revealed that the main causes of errors are difficulties in differentiation of adenoma from follicular carcinoma. Widening of the indications to surgery by a group of patients with adenoma will increase sensitivity to 84.8% and will require including into the operated group of about 50% of patients with scintigraphically diagnosed cold nodules: The introduction of the new term: "urgent strumectomy", has been proposed; also a diagnostic algorithm, useful for early diagnosis of malignant tumors of the thyroid, has been discussed.

In 12 cats a defect of the cranial bone was reconstructed by a tarflen (PTFE) plate (tarflen - Polish teflon). The experiment was made in order to estimate the usefulness of this prosthesis in cranioplastic surgery. The tarflen plates were produced in Tarnów (Poland). In the observation of 3 months the implanted tarflen plates examined. Histopathological studies showed that tarflen behaves like a chemically inactive substance.

The studies on infiltrations consisting of reactive cells, i.e. lymphocytes, macrophages and neutrophils within and in the vicinity of neoplastic tissue were performed in order to elucidate the nature of the growth and to asses the role of these cells in human tumors. The objective methods for both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the infiltrating cells are necessary to obtain comparable results. We report our studies on the numbers and types of reactive cells present in 3 transplantable murine tumors with different immunogenicity (SaL-1, LLC, MCA-Sa). The cytological characterization of cells was performed as following: after enzymic digestion of the tissue the cell suspension was then passed through Millipore filters and dyed. The preliminary evaluation of the percentage of lymphocytes T found in the tumor infiltrations was performed using cytotoxicity test with monoclonal antithymocytic serum (Monoclonal Anti-Mouse Thy 1, 2). We have shown that there are differences in the number and type of reactive cells in infiltrations of the three different tumor tested. With the increasing mass of tumors the percent of reactive cells decreases proportionally.