Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz

About: Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz is a education organization based out in Bydgoszcz, Poland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Luminescence. The organization has 1109 authors who have published 2923 publications receiving 19548 citations. The organization is also known as: Casimir the Great University & Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy.

Seasonal variations of melatonin secretion in young females under natural and artificial light conditions in Fukuoka, Japan.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the seasonal variations of melatonin secretion of subjects and of their surrounding light conditions. Eight Japanese female students (20.1±2.6 yrs, Mean±SD) living in Fukuoka, Japan, participated in the present study. Saliva samples were collected every 3 hours over the course of a day, and the light intensity during daily life was measured every 1 min for 5 days in the four seasons. Almost all subjects had different melatonin secretory profiles in autumn, with only two subjects showing similar rhythms in all four seasons. The peak values of melatonin secretion calculated by a spline interpolation were higher in autumn than those in other seasons (p 1,000 lux was at least thirty minutes in all the seasons, and there were no significant differences among them. The relationship between peak level of melatonin secretion and amount of time of daytime light exposure to >1,000 lux was significant only in the autumn. During this season, there was a significant positive correlation (r=0.83, p<0.05, n=6), except for two subjects, whose melatonin secretion remained low.

A comprehensive study of structural and optical properties of ZnO bulk crystals and polycrystalline films grown by sol-gel method

Abstract: The presented article concerns the comparison between two different zinc-oxide structures - bulk crystals and polycrystalline thin films Bulk crystals were grown by a Bridgman method For thin-film production, a sol-gel spin-coated method was chosen A part of thin layers samples was annealed in 600 $$^{o}$$ C to induce recrystallization The morphological and structural properties of all samples were investigated using various microscopy techniques, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy Confocal and scanning electron microscopy, as well as XRD, was used to estimate the influence of the recrystallization process on the morphology of the samples The Raman vibrations in different scattering geometries were determined using polarized Raman spectra What is more, in the case of the non-annealed sol-gel layer, the localized reorientation of crystallites was observed, using Raman microscopy The morphology of the samples was compared to their optical properties, which were investigated by exploiting UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy Absorption spectroscopy allowed us to estimate the energy bandgap for different types of ZnO layers and to compare the values obtained for the ZnO crystal structure obtained by the Bridgman method The photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy were used to determine the possible defects correlated with the growth conditions

Analysis of the level of selected parameters of inflammation, circulating immune complexes, and related indicators (neutrophil/lymphocyte, platelet/lymphocyte, CRP/CIC) in patients with obstructive diseases

Abstract: Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disorder of the airways. An important element of COPD assessment is the evaluation of immune mechanisms involved in non-specific and specific response to ongoing inflammation. Aim of the study To evaluate the level of selected inflammatory and immunological parameters in patients with COPD, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and circulating immune complexes (CIC), as well as CRP/CIC index. Material and methods The study group consisted of 49 patients with obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD, asthma, and asthma-COPD overlap syndrome) hospitalised in the Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Pulmonology Centre in Bydgoszcz. Patients with COPD were divided into two subgroups, taking into account the severity of the disease according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD; stages B and D). The control group consisted of 30 healthy persons. Levels of CIC were determined by the method of Haskova, and the concentration of CRP in serum by the standard immunoturbidimetric method. Results The median values of examined parameters (neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio - NLR, platelet/lymphocyte ratio - PLR, CRP, CIC, and CRP/CIC index) were significantly higher among patients with obstructive diseases than in the control group. A tendency towards higher lymphocyte count, CRP, and CRP/CIC index in COPD stage D, compared to stage B, was observed. Conclusions Based on our results, we suggest that the role of non-specific inflammatory mechanisms may increase in more advanced COPD stages (D), compared to less advanced stages (B).