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Chronic ocular pain is a common, debilitating chronic pain condition with significant morbidity and negative impact in patients' quality of life. Several, diverse types of insults to the ocular surface can lead to acute, and under certain conditions to chronic ocular pain, and these include toxic irritants. Exposure of ocular surface to toxic irritants, in addition to direct tissue injury, carries the capacity to generated intense immune and neuronal responses with hyper-excitability, sensitization and chronic pain. Because, chronic ocular pain subsequent to toxic exposures is relatively unrecognized clinical entity, this brief review highlights pertinent concepts of its epidemiology, pathogenesis/pathophysiology, clinical progression, with recommendations for its clinical management that clinicians may find helpful. Suppression of pain signaling, generating neuronal sensitization, and prevention of chronicity of neuropathic pain is particularly emphasized in this respect., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Graca, Sarantopoulos and Horn.)

La 1-2 x Ba x Bi x FeO 3 (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.20) nanoparticles were prepared by the auto-combustion method using glycine as a combustion fuel. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) measurements confirmed the orthorhombic structure of the synthesized compounds with the Pnma space group as a principal majority phase and showed the presence of a very minor secondary phase when x > 0.1. The nanosize criterion of the prepared compounds was confirmed from the crystallite size values calculated using the Williamson-Hall formalism. The relaxation process has been studied by the frequency dependence of the imaginary parts of impedance and modulus ( Z '' and M '') which satisfied the Arrhenius law. Nyquist plots allowed us to obtain an adequate equivalent circuit involving the grains and grain boundary contributions. The activation energies calculated from Z '', M '' and the resistance of both contributions deduced from the Nyquist plots are found to be very similar. The conduction mechanism has been analyzed using the temperature dependence of the exponent Jonscher's power law parameter which confirms the NSPT conduction mechanism type for all compounds with an enhancement of the binding energy of the charge carrier ( W H ) with the substitution., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

This work involves the synthesis and study of physical properties of the La 0.8 Ca 0.1 Pb 0.1 Fe 0.975 Mg 0.025 O 3 compound, which has been characterized by various experimental techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, SEM and complex impedance spectroscopy. The structural study showed that the La 0.8 Ca 0.1 Pb 0.1 Fe 0.975 Mg 0.025 O 3 compound crystallized in the orthorhombic structure with the Pnma space group. The particle size and the surface morphology of this compound have been analysed using SEM. The particle size was found to be around 120 nm and we confirmed that one particle contains more than one crystallite. Importantly, the studied compound presented a giant dielectric permittivity ( ε ' of around 9 × 10 4 at high temperature and low frequencies). An equivalent electric circuit has been deduced from the Nyquist plots of the complex impedance parts ( Z '' vs. Z ') to correctly describe the electrical behavior of the La 0.8 Ca 0.1 Pb 0.1 Fe 0.975 Mg 0.025 O 3 compound. The chosen circuit consists of two cells mounted in series corresponding to the grain and grain boundary contributions. The electrode contribution has been detected from the frequency dependence of the imaginary part of modulus where the activation energy of each constitution has been calculated. The relaxation process and the electrical conductivity are attributed to the same type of charge carriers characterized by similar values of the activation energy determined from loss factor tangent (tg( δ )), the imaginary part of the permittivity and the modulus spectrum., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

(La 0.8 Ca 0.2 ) 1- x Bi x FeO 3 ( x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20) (LCBFO) multiferroic compounds have been prepared by the sol-gel method and calcined at 800 °C. X-ray diffraction results have shown that all samples crystallise in the orthorhombic structure with the Pnma space group. Electrical and dielectric characterizations of the synthesized materials have been performed using complex impedance spectroscopy techniques in the frequency range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz and in a temperature range from 170 to 300 K. The ac-conductivity spectra have been analysed using Jonscher's power law σ ( ω ) = σ dc + Aω s , where the power law exponent ( s ) increases with the temperature. The imaginary part of the complex impedance ( Z '') was found to be frequency dependent and shows relaxation peaks that move towards higher frequencies with the increase of the temperature. The relaxation activation energy deduced from the Z '' vs. frequency plots was similar to the conduction activation energy obtained from the conductivity. Hence, the relaxation process and the conduction mechanism may be attributed to the same type of charge carriers. The Nyquist plots ( Z '' vs. Z ') at different temperatures revealed the appearance of two semi-circular arcs corresponding to grain and grain boundary contributions., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses is the scheme worked out by the International Labour Office in Geneva (ILO), to register radiographic chest abnormalities in a well-ordered, reproducible and comparable way. It is used for diagnosing abnormalities caused by dust exposure. Guidelines for the use of the ILO International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses contain detailed information and recommendations on how to use the classification, as well as how the chest X-ray examination should be performed and recorded. To facilitate the diagnosis of observed abnormalities the classification is completed by the set of standard radiograms illustrating typical irregularities referring to lungs and pleura, included in the classification. The article presents the key information on classification and the most important amendments adopted in the 2000 and 2011 ILO guidelines revisions. These changes refer to radiographs quality assessment, the way of presenting abnormalities registered in standard radiographs (QUAD set, digital images) and registration of failures not related to dust exposure. Particularly important complements result from the development of radiological imaging techniques. They are concerned about the classification of radiographic images of the chest recorded digitally. Med Pr 2016;67(6):833-837., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) relieve irritability within days in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD); however, the effects on other affective symptoms in PMDD remain to be demonstrated., Methods: We performed hourly ratings in women with PMDD to test the specificity of the therapeutic effects of SRIs and to determine whether the kinetics of these effects differ from those of the symptom offset accompanying menses. Twelve women with PMDD received fluoxetine (20 mg daily) during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Twelve other women with PMDD received no treatment. Outcome measures included a visual analogue scale completed hourly before and after either the start of SRIs or at menses-onset in the untreated women and the premenstrual tension syndrome (PMTS) scale completed daily. Data were analyzed by ANOVA-R., Results: Hourly VAS scores significantly improved after SRI in irritability as well as sadness, anxiety, and mood swings. Compared with the symptomatic pretreatment baseline, PMTS scores significantly improved on the second day after the start of SRI (p < .01). An identical time course of symptom improvement occurred after both SRI and menses-onset., Conclusion and Discussion: These data document that the rapid response to SRI was not limited to irritability. The similar kinetics in the remission of PMDD after SRIs and after menses-onset suggest both a phenotype reflecting the relative capacity to rapidly change affective state, and a possible therapeutic mechanism by which SRIs recruit this endogenous capacity to change state, normally expressed around menses-onset in women with PMDD., (© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The nanotribological responses of a series of nonionic polyoxyethylene surfactants (Tween 20, Tween 40, Tween 60, and Tween 80) were investigated after they were adsorbed from aqueous solution onto atomically smooth hydrophobic substrates. The hydrophobic surfaces were composed of a condensed monolayer of octadecyltriethoxysilane (OTE; contact angle theta>110 degrees ). The nanorheological measurements were performed using a modified surface forces apparatus after coating atomically smooth mica with these OTE monolayers, while adsorption measurements were performed using phase-modulated ellipsometry on silicon wafers coated with these same monolayers. The minimum surface-surface separation observed under high load in friction studies agreed quantitatively with the thickness obtained from ellipsometry. For Tweens 20, 40, and 60, the thickness of the adsorbed film increases with increasing alkyl chain length. Systematic investigations of the nanorheological response showed that there is a "solid-like" elastic response from confined surfactant layers, which is the case for the smallest separations to separations up to slightly larger than twice the adsorbed film thickness. In kinetic friction, these confined layers are characterized by a shear stress of approximately 3 MPa with minimal dependence on shear rate. The magnitude of the sliding shear stress is the same as the apparent yield stress at approximately 3 MPa; it is independent of alkyl chain length within the Tween family of surfactants and corresponds to a nominal friction coefficient of mu approximately 1. A similar friction coefficient is observed for boundary lubrication on the macroscopic scale in a tribometer utilizing hydrophobic surfaces and mu approximately 1.1 for Tweens 20, 40, and 60. These results suggest that while Tween molecules adsorb onto hydrophobic surfaces to form a robust separating layer, the lubricating properties of these layers are dominated by a highly dissipative slip plane, the same for all alkyl chain lengths.

We conducted a study within the framework of the interdisciplinary European Mercury Emission from Chloralkali Plants (EMECAP) project to assess exposure to mercury (Hg) and the contribution of Hg emissions from a mercury cell chloralkali plant to urinary mercury (U-Hg) in adults living near the plant. We collected data from questionnaires and first morning urine samples from 75 subjects living near the Tarnow plant in Poland and 100 subjects living in a reference area. Median U-Hg was 0.32 mug/g creatinine (microg/gC) and 0.20 microg/gC, respectively. The median U-Hg was also higher in the amalgam-free subjects living near the plant (0.26 microg/gC) than in the reference group (0.18 microg/gC), but no such association was found in a multivariate analysis. There was a statistically significant positive association between U-Hg and number of teeth with amalgams, a negative association with age and a tendency towards higher U-Hg in female subjects. In the amalgam-free subjects there were statistically significant effects of female sex and fish consumption, and a negative association with age. The additional long-term average air Hg concentration from the plant, based on EMECAP environmental measurements and modelling, was estimated to be 1-3.5 ng/m(3) for the residential study area and should have a very small effect on U-Hg. The other Hg emission sources such as coal combustion facilities located nearby should be taken into account in assessing the overall impact of air Hg on U-Hg in this area.

We performed environmental burden of disease (EBD) assessment of the neurotoxic effects of lead in the Polish urban children, in accordance with the WHO guidelines. The EBD assessment was based on the data on blood lead levels (BLL) of more than 8500 children from the lead biomonitoring programme conducted in the urban centre of the Upper Silesia Province, Poland between 1993 and 2000. In order to make the EBD assessment region specific, in the projections to years 2001 and 2005 we used 4% annual decrease in BLL, derived from the earlier analysis of the Silesian BLL data instead of the WHO proposed 7.8%. Mean BLL in the Silesian children projected for the year 2001 was higher (4.9 microg/dL) than the corresponding value for the WHO EurB region (3.9 microg/dL). The incidence rate of mild mental retardation (MMR) in the Silesian children was twice as high as in the EurB region for the year 2001, meaning more than two additional cases of MMR due to lead exposure per 1000 children aged 0-1 year, compared with 1 in 1000 children in the EurB region.

The permanent lesion of damaged recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) often manifests as an irreversible dysfunction of phonation and is the most common complication following thyroid surgery. The frequency of this complication ranges from 0.5 to 5% in different thyroid surgery centres and increases in case of both recurrent goiter and complete thyroidectomy due to thyroid cancer. The RLN lesion varies from irreversible, persistent and transient dysfunction with good prognosis of complete recovery. The time of RLN function recovery ranges from several weeks to two years (mainly 6 months). The aim of this study was to evaluate early and persistent RLN paralysis. We operated in our clinic 2323 patients between 1994 and 1997. 2137 patients were operated for the first time due to benign goiter. On the 3rd post-operative day 190 patients (8.9%) presented RLN paralysis of different grade. The follow-up examination (indirect laryngoscopy) was performed in 100 patients with early RLN paralysis in the period between 6 months and 3 years after surgery. The complete RLN recovery was diagnosed in 78%. The permanent paralysis was diagnosed in 1.9% of operated patients. In the light of law and medical aspects we suggest obligatory laryngological examination with the evaluation of vocal cords mobility before surgery and on the 3rd post-operative day in order to identify early RLN lesion. Permanent RLN paralysis may be diagnosed on the basis of multiple laryngological examination in the period between 3 and 24 months after surgery.

Preface: Nonpalpable nodules in the thyroid are frequent and estimated to be found in 50% of people above 50 year of age when goiter in adult population is found in 4-10%. Thyroid nodules in 5% are of neoplastic character and their diligent investigation is necessary with USG, FNA and certain biochemical factors evaluation. Screening is an important part of diagnosing thyroid gland., Material and Methods: Prophylactic examination donated by Krakow's City Government was performed in 140 persons aged 18-71 among whom 93.3% were women. Clinical examination, USG, FNA (when it was necessary), and TSH serum level evaluation were conducted in these patients., Results: In 42.2% (group I) no abnormalities were detected. In 28.5% (group II) USG revealed thyroid nodules when clinical examination was negative. In 29.3% (group III) the presence of palpable nodules was confirmed by USG. In consecutive groups I-III following factors were presented: mean age, frequency of performed FNA's and thyroids volume., Conclusion: USG is an efficient method in prophylaxis of thyroid disorders.

In Poland, children are exposed to lead from the combustion of leaded gasoline and industrial processes. Since the early 1990s, emission levels have declined, and a ban on leaded petrol is anticipated in 2005. Major industrial sources are located in Silesia Province and the copper mining centre (Legnica region). Concerns about, lead exposure in children date back to the 1980s; mean blood lead levels (BILL)reported in children living near lead smelters in Silesia exceeded 20microg/dl. in the 1990s, mean BLLs were decreasing, both in urban children and those living near lead industry. Lower than the CDC action level of 101microg/dl, they were however higher than mean values in children from the other countries, where leaded gasoline had already been banned. Childhood lead poisoning prevention requires a comprehensive approach, involving different sectors. Medical prevention focuses on the early detection of exposed child by the blood lead testing and individual case management. An increasing body of evidence, indicating adverse effects even below the current "safe" level of 101microg/dl, argues for intensification of the primary prevention, which requires legal, economic and technical measures. Public health efforts should contribute to the reduction and elimination of sources of exposure in child's environment and public education campaigns.

Purpose: Although p53 mutations occur in alkylating agent-related leukemias, their frequency and spectrum in leukemias after ovarian cancer have not been addressed. The purpose of this study was to examine p53 mutations in leukemias after ovarian cancer, for which treatment with platinum analogues was widely used., Experimental Design: Adequate leukemic or dysplastic cells were available in 17 of 82 cases of leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome that occurred in a multicenter, population-based cohort of 23,170 women with ovarian cancer. Eleven of the 17 received platinum compounds and other alkylating agents with or without DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors and/or radiation. Six received other alkylating agents, in one case, with radiation. Genomic DNA was extracted and p53 exons 5, 6, 7, and 8 were amplified by PCR. Mutations and loss of heterozygosity were analyzed on the WAVE instrument (Transgenomic) followed by selected analysis by sequencing., Results: Eleven p53 mutations involving all four exons studied and one polymorphism were identified. Genomic DNA analyses were consistent with loss of heterozygosity for four of the mutations. The 11 mutations occurred in 9 cases, such that 6 of 11 leukemias after platinum-based regimens (55%) and 3 of 6 leukemias after other treatments (50%) contained p53 mutations. Two leukemias that occurred after treatment with platinum analogues contained two mutations. Among eight mutations in leukemias after treatment with platinum analogues, there were four G-to-A transitions and one G-to-C transversion., Conclusions: p53 mutations are common in leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome after multiagent therapy for ovarian cancer. The propensity for G-to-A transitions may reflect specific DNA damage in leukemias after treatment with platinum analogues.

A case of malignant hemangioendothelioma, developing in a goiter of a 52-year-old woman is presented. This bleeding tumor of the thyroid gland has caused four operations within one month. Histologically, the tumor was composed of widely dilated, ramifying and intercommunicating vascular spaces lined by atypical malignant endothelial cells. Positive immunohistochemical reactions with endothelial markers including factor VIII-related protein, and CD34 and non reactivity with epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and thyroglobulin, confirmed the endothelial origin of this tumor.

The authors presented 4 cases of primary malignant neoplasm of the intestine caused by small intestine obstruction. These patients underwent emergency surgery. In all cases, a segmental resection of the intestine was performed. There were two cases of adenocarcinoma and two cases of carcinoid. Three patients were complementarily treated using chemotherapeutics. One of them died two years post operation. The last three patients survived 0.5-5 years post operation.

The authors present a case of acquired, untreated pseudarthrosis of the tibia which resulted in adaptation to the weight-bearing function by the fibula. The case described shows the adaptation abilities of the bone tissue which, when subjected to unusual loading, undergoes the necessary reconstruction.

The authors presented 6 cases of malignant neoplasms of intestine. Five of them were undergone emergency surgery, while one elective, due to complaints notified previously for a longer time. In all cases a segmental resection of intestine was done. Two patients were complementarily treated using chemiotherapeutics. Three patients survived 2-5 years after the operation. The last three patients are under the further follow up.

The paper presents clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and therapeutic results in the group of patients with a primary gastrointestinal lymphomas. All of the patients had a surgical procedure: 5 of them were operated on according to a fixed plan and 3 had an emergency operation. 6 patients were subjected to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The patients were analyzed along with the obtained therapeutic results.

Since 1986 till 1996 in the Third Department of Surgery of the Collegium Medicum of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, nine patients with biliary ileus were operated. Initial diagnosis, additional tests results, concomitant diseases, kinds of operative procedures and complications were analysed. Biliary ileus is still generally recognized during operation. Endoscopy, X-ray examination with contrast, ultrasound, and computed tomography are worth recommendation in preoperative diagnosis. Early decision about operative treatment and application of antibiotic prophylaxis may have an influence on improvement of treatment results.