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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare condition. In this study we describe the diagnosis of the disease in a 73-year old female, presenting dementia. Diagnostic tests unveiled characteristic features of CJD. The diagnosis of CJD was confirmed. It is important to always take into consideration the diagnosis of CJD in the diagnostic process of dementia. Purpose: The aim of this scientific paper is to present symptoms and diagnostic methods of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease on the basis of a clinical case. Review Methods: We conducted our study as a literature review based on information gathered from PubMed, Embase, GoogleScholar using combinations of the following. As a part of study, we also present a case description from our materials from clinical practice.

Injuries in combat sports can happen to any athlete, regardless of gender, age, training experience or whether he or she is an amateur or a professional. The range of injuries varies from superficial, short-term damage to severe injuries with serious consequences, including death. There are many types of combat sports, each with different rules and specific injuries. Amongst various divisions of combat sports, one of the basic ones is the division into ground and stand-up sports. In the following work, using the available literature, we wanted to present the specifications of several of the most popular combat sports and compare their most common locations of injuries, types of injuries and mechanisms of their formation, paying attention to which of these categories a given sport belongs to. We also discuss differences in the rate of injury for different age, genders, prevalence of injuries during situations of practice and competition. In the end, it is presented what are the possible long-term complications of injuries in combat sports and which actions such as protective gear, bans on certain techniques or behavioural changes might reduce the injury rate to protect the athletes health, well-being and decrease the economic burden on healthcare systems.

Introduction: Over the years the participation of women in sports and physical activities has significantly increased. The rise in the number of female athletes has brought to attention the health issues specific to this population. The Female Athlete Triad is a syndrome in which the affected woman presents the combination of three intertwined conditions such as (1) low energy availability, (2) menstrual dysfunction, and (3) low bone mineral density. The crucial factor in the pathophysiology is energy imbalance, which leads to impairment of the reproductive and skeletal system, eventually having a very harmful effect on the whole organism and leading to appalling short-term and long-term consequences. It affects women of all ages and from every sports discipline, but most at risk are those in adolescence involved in sports that prioritize leanness and endurance. Purpose: The objective of this article is to review the current state of knowledge about the Female Athlete Triad, spreading awareness of this syndrome, which is still very low in society, and highlighting the importance of early identification and multidisciplinary treatment to prevent serious complications. Materials and methods: The review was based on a comprehensive analysis of the available literature sourced from PubMed, Google Scholar, and other scientific articles, which was searched by using listed keywords and analysed for topic relevance and knowledge currency.

In recent years, the popularity of drugs which were firstly introduced as treatment for diabetes type 2 has surged, because of their’s significant effect of managing the body weight especially for patients that suffer for diabetes type 2. Tirzepatide is a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like-peptide 1 receptor agonist. The aim of our study is to present reliable and up-to-date knowledge of effects that both drugs provide and their beneficial effects on health.

The Valsalva maneuver, named after Antonio Maria Valsalva, is one of the vagal maneuvers. It is defined as a forced expiration against a closed glottis, leading to an increase in intrathoracic and intra-abdominal pressure. Over the years it has become a subject of interest to many clinical researchers who have comprehensively studied its physiology and clinical significance. As a result, the application of the Valsalva maneuver has expanded to become a versatile technique applied across a wide range of medical specialties as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Additionally, it has found its use in sport among athletes. The aim of this article is to present the current state of knowledge about the clinical significance of the Valsalva maneuver and show that this simple physiological technique described in the 18th century remains a valuable tool in modern clinical practice and has found its use in sport. The review was based on chosen literature obtained from the PubMed electronic database, Google Scholar electronic database, and other scientific articles. Search terms included keywords listed below. Keywords: Valsalva maneuver; vagal maneuver; respiratory maneuver; autonomic system

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental illness that affects multiple areas of life. Patients with schizophrenia are prone to developing serious and even fatal disorders when it comes to their physical health. They have a higher mortality risk and an average of 14,5 years of potential life lost compared to the general population. Physical activity decreases mortality, reduces cardiovascular risk, and improves mental health. Within this article, we explore the topic of physical activity and its influence on the physical and mental health of schizophrenia patients and their treatment.

Small balsam ( Impatiens parviflora DC.), an invasive plant native to central Asia, is currently one of the most extensive invasive plants in Central Europe, including Poland. Its expansion may affect populations of native species, such as touch-me-not balsam (Impatiens noli-tangere). It is particularly dangerous in legally protected areas, where the possibilities of eradicating it are very limited. There is some hope for stopping its expansion by using pathogens as a biological weapon. In this case, useful may be host-specific rust fungus Puccinia komarovii var. komarovii . Our three-year observations of I. parviflora infection severity by P. komarovii var. komarovii carried out in Poland in Drawa National Park (DNP) and Wigry National Park (WNP) showed the higher incidence of rust on leaves in DNP, where the median blade infestation for two years was 51% of leaf coverage. In contrast, for three years in WNP, the median blade infestation amounted to only 25%. The most severe symptoms occurred during the summer months. However the percentage of leaf coverage by pathogen exhibited fluctuations depending on the year, implying an influence of environmental conditions that stabilized the infection each season. Molecular analyses, in addition to confirming the infection of the tested plants by P. komarovii var. komarovii , enabled the characterization of its population based on comparative analysis of ITS and LSU sequences. Clear differences were found between the studied isolates and P. komarovii from I. glanduliferae and I. brachycentra . There was no diversity among our isolates, but they differed from the sequences of Polish isolates originating from I. parviflora available in GenBank, which indicates some diversity of rust in a relatively small area. It probably results from sexual reproduction and may enable rapid adaptation of the pathogen to the region or host plant, or it may indicate certain “entry points” to Poland, where the isolates arrived from their native place of occurrence.

In this paper, a lab-on-chip system dedicated to fungi cultivation in Earth’s gravity and simulated microgravity, being a solution that could be used in future nanosatellite missions, is shown. For the first time, a fully glass lab-on-chip structure enabling the proper environment for cultivation of fungi species—Fusarium culmorum—is presented. Apart from the biological validation of the fungi cultures with the use of the lab-on-chip system, tests were carried out under induced microgravity utilising a Rotary Wall Vessel. Correct functioning of the lab-on-chip system was obtained, enabling the growth of fungi spores both in ground and in simulated microgravity conditions. Interestingly, culturing tests have shown that microgravity stimulates the growth of fungi notably, compared to the ground-based experimentation performed simultaneously. The findings of this study can provide substantial new knowledge on microscopic fungi cultivation in lab-on-chip devices, other soil organisms, as well as a potential behavior of these species in microgravity conditions. Culturing system shown in this work can help mycologists to provide better understanding of microscopic fungi nature and their development mechanisms at a single spore level. This opens the way towards regular usage of microfluidic tools in agriculture and horticulture fields and more importantly, in future research on microscopic fungi in space, e.g., as a part of nanosatellite missions.

The activity of some soil organisms can significantly influence the growth of plants. One of the more common are Collembola, which play an important role in suppressing soil-borne pathogens such as Fusarium spp. Here, Folsomia candida was taken for laboratory studies. The aim of the study was to assess whether springtails influence the growth of wheat and pea plants. The purpose was also to evaluate whether Collembola will reduce the occurrence of fungal diseases, presumably by feeding on fungi. The factors tested were (1) wheat grown individually or in the mixture with pea; (2) number of Collembola; and (3) the pathogenic presence of the plant fungus Fusarium culmorum. The experiment was carried out in four replicates for each treatment in two series. The soil used for the test was a mixture of field soil, sand, and peat. The following analyses were performed: measuring plant growth and decomposition rate, assessment of plant infection, and assessment of F. culmorum in springtails bodies. There was no effect of F. culmorum infection on plant growth, although the pathogen was present in the root neck of the plants incubated with this fungus. Collembola decreased the number of fungus colonies isolated from plants by about 45% in comparison to pots incubated without these organisms. The decomposition of plant biomass was accelerated by springtails by about 7% in the pots with moderate Collembola number. However, this was not related to improved plant growth. Additionally, F. culmorum was isolated from the bodies of Collembola, indicating its ability to feed on this fungus. To conclude, it was found that Collembola can decrease pathogenic fungal growth. This issue needs further studies in relation to other plants and fungus species, as well to study observed effects in the field conditions.