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50 % (on average over 36 and 45 % in green and roasted coffee extracts, respectively). Significant differences between the AC values determined for CB and PA samples were noticed only for the MCA and DPPH methods which reflect the different molecular mechanisms underlying each of the assays. Additionally, the statistical methods, including principal component analysis, applied to results of antioxidant capacity obtained with different analytical techniques confirmed their feasibility to distinguish between coffee brews with different degrees of roasting, regardless of coffee origin. Abstract The antioxidant capacity (AC) of boiled-type coffee brews (CB) and phenolic acids (PA) isolated from them, obtained from the caffeinated and decaffeinated beans of different geographical origins and species and with different roasting degrees, was examined. The AC of PA and CB samples was tested in five antioxidant assays: a total antioxidants reducing capacity assay using a Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (FCR), a ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, a DPPH · radical-scavenging activity (DPPH) assay, a metal chelating activity (MCA) assay and a total radical trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) assay. In most samples, the total amount of phenolic acids, determined by HPLC, decreased with the increasing degree of roasting the coffee beans, leading to reduced AC. All used methods showed that CB exhibits higher AC compared with the PA samples. Phenolic acids isolated from CB samples have the main contribution (on average over 95 and 84 % in green and roasted coffee extracts, respectively) in AC of the CB samples in FCR, FRAP and TRAP assays, whereas in DPPH and MCA tests, the phenolic acid contribution in AC of CB samples was below Keywords

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BackgroundObservational studies on osteoporotic fractures in patients with type 2 diabetes indicate their increased incidence compared to those without diabetes, but results are inconsistent. Currently, type 2 diabetes is not considered as an independent risk factor for low-energy fractures in elder subjects. The aim of the study was to assess the association between type 2 diabetes and risk for hip and vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women.Materials and methodsWe searched Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane databases for articles published before September 2013. Studies assessing fractures in women aged >50 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, regardless of the diabetes treatment, were deemed eligible. To estimate fracture risk meta-analysis in a random effect model was performed. The results were shown by the odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was tested using a Q-Cochrane test (significance was analyzed with p < 0.10) and I 2 measure.ResultsA total of 15 observational studies (11 cohort and 4 cross-sectional, 263.006 diabetics and 502.115 controls) were included. Thirteen papers provided information on the incidence of hip fractures, and seven on vertebral ones. The meta-analysis revealed type 2 diabetes was associated with higher risk for hip fracture (OR 1.296, 95 % CI (1.069–1.571), but not vertebral fracture (OR = 1.134, 95 % CI (0.936–1.374). There was significant heterogeneity between hip fracture studies. American origin was identified as a potential source of such heterogeneity.ConclusionsThe results of our meta-analysis indicate there is an increased risk for hip fracture in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes.

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The goal of the study was to investigate the possibility of an association between polymorphisms and single alleles of BsmI, ApaI, TaqI of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene with bone mineral density (BMD) and prevalence of vertebral/non-vertebral fractures in a group of postmenopausal Polish women with osteoporosis. The study group comprised of 501 postmenopausal females with osteoporosis (mean age 66.4 ± 8.9), who were diagnosed on the basis of either the WHO criteria or self-reported history of low-energy fractures. The three polymorphisms were determined by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism). BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). 285 fractures were reported in the whole group (168 vertebral and 117 non-vertebral). Incidence of non-vertebral fractures was significantly higher in the carriers of single alleles a of ApaI, b of BsmI and T of TaqI VDR gene polymorphisms (p = 0.021, 0.032, 0.020, respectively). No significant associations between allelic variants of the studied polymorphisms and BMD or fracture incidence were found. (1).The presence of single alleles a,b and T of ApaI, BsmI, TaqI VDR gene polymorphisms respectively, might serve as an indicator of non-vertebral fractures. (2). Lack of association between the VDR gene polymorphisms and BMD suggests that VDR contributes to low-energy fractures also through other ways.

The results presented here serve to remind us that varicella may to lead to severe complications in unvaccinated children and adolescents, and demonstrate the benefits of varicella vaccination. Most children hospitalized with varicella were immunologically healthy. Meningitis was more common in older children (>6 years of age). Streptococcus pyogenes was the most commonly identified bacterial pathogen.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic immune-mediated disorder, whose etiology is not fully understood and for which no effective treatment is available. Recently, research has focused on the dysbiosis of gut microbiome in UC. However, the results so far remain inconsistent and insufficient to understand the microbial component in UC pathogenesis. In this study, we determine specific changes in the gut microbial profile in Polish UC patients compared to healthy subjects for the first time. Using 16S rRNA gene-based analysis we have described the intestinal microbial community in a group of 20 individuals (10 UC patients and 10 controls). Our results after multiple hypothesis testing correction demonstrated substantially lower gut microbiome diversity in UC cases compared to the controls and considerable differences at the phylum level, as well as among 13 bacterial families and 20 bacterial genera (p < 0.05). UC samples were more abundant in Proteobacteria (8.42%), Actinobacteria (6.89%) and Candidate Division TM7 (2.88%) than those of healthy volunteers (2.57%, 2.29% and 0.012%, respectively). On the other hand, Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia were presented at a lower level in UC relative to the controls (14% and 0% vs 27.97% and 4.47%, respectively). In conclusion, our results show a reduced gut microbial diversity in Polish UC patients, a reduction of taxa with an anti-inflammatory impact and an increased abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria.