The evaluation of medical college students' preparation to propagate health education.

The propagation of health education is within the range of nurses' professional duties. It necessitates the use of specific methods and techniques of work. "Inasmuch as the doctor treats, it is the nurse who creates best possible conditions for recovering and keeping health conditions permitting treatment or prevention" (3, 12). The increased level of general education among people and changes in modern nursing make the nurse face new tasks in her work. Nurse must be qualified in the field of health education if she works in the out-patient medical service as well as in hospital. She must be able to convince people about the necessity of changing life style, harmful and improper habits. The fulfillment of this difficult, yet important task may change patient's and his family's health habits and behaviour. So, nowadays the nurse must combine two functions: health-nursing called health-missioner's work with sick-nursing (1, 4, 9). Work in the field of health education requires high level of professional knowledge, skills, methods, recognition of educational and sanitary needs of a social group, personal direct influence based on proper social attitude, which is very important (10, 11). Health education is best and most effectively propagated in situations of individual contact with the patient (7). Patients seeking help in medical service institutions are interested in their health and want to do something in the field (8). The analysis of nurse's and midwife's positions shows that work in out-patient health service and in hospital offers a close contact with the patient and his environment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The influence of selenium on the reproduction of rats.

Selenium is a vestigial element indispensable for man and animal, having adverse effects when in bigger quantities. Among the diseases resulting from selenium deficiency in animals the most important are nutritional muscular dystrophy, exudative disthesis (most common in poultry), and nutritional hepatic dystrophy. In the man chronic intoxication occurs most of all, which is observed in selenium bearing regions. Taking into consideration geographic distribution on some of the diseases beneficial influence of selenium is observed in cardiac and vascular diseases, and hypertension. The correlation between selenium deficiency and mortality caused by neoplasm is also notable. It is unquestionable that selenium inhibits the activity of enzymes, especially those containing sulfohydryl groups. The stabilization of lysosomal membranes leads to the presumption that selenium prevents peroxidation processes in tissues and cell membranes. The influence of selenium on reproduction is also worth noticing. Its supply turns out to be effective in cases of infertility of sheep, and partly in rats, pigs, and poultry. The embryo dies in pigs fed on fodder poor in selenium and vitamin E. The degeneration of the ovaries and placenta accretion occur in cows in cases of selenium deficiency. The excess of selenium can affect negatively the reproductive system. The element is thought to be a teratogenic agent. Since it permeates through the placenta and lactic gland easily, the symptoms of selenosis appear in new-born animals; many of them have developmental anomalies occurring at the same time. In birds the decrease in laying eggs and their incubation occur in case of selenium deficiency.

[Histopathologic and histochemical examination of rat liver after prolonged experimental application of potassium bichromate]. / Badania histopatologiczne i histochemiczne watroby szczura pozostajacego pod wplywem dlugotrwalego doswiadczalnego stosowania dwuchromianu potasu.

The rats were given potassium bichromate (K2Cr2O7) in dose of 2 and 5 mg/kg of body weight and magnesium chloride (MgCl2) in dose of 500 mg/kg for a period of 30 days. The two compounds were also given conjointly (K2Cr2O7-5 mg+MgCl2-500 mg). There were carried out histopathological as well as histochemical examinations of acid phosphatase activity, alkaline phosphatase activity and adenosine triphosphatase activity in the liver. With small doses (2 mg) of potassium bichromate no changes have been stated. With larger doses (5 mg) of potassium bichromate an increase of histochemical reaction to acid phosphatase as well as forming of histopathological changes such as parenchymatous degeneration, steatosis of hepatocytes and their necrobiosis have been observed. There has not been found any protective action of magnesium chloride on the cytotoxic activity of potassium bichromate on the liver cell.

[Effect of potassium dichromate on histopathologic changes in testicles of white rats and results of atomic pilograms on fur]. / Wplyw dwuchromianu potasu na zmiany histopatologiczne w jadrach szczurów bialych i wyniki atomopilogramów siersci.

Male rats were administered, for the period of 30 days, potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) in a dose of 2 and 5 mg/kg of body weight and magnesium chloride (Mg Cl2) in a dose of 500 mg/kg of body weight. These two substances were also administered jointly (K2C2O7-5 mg/kg and MgCl2-500 mg/kg of body weight). In the testicles of animals receiving K2Cr2O7 in a dose of 5 mg/kg of body weight in groups III and IV there were observed changes of significant degree, mainly degenerative and multifocal, which consisted in degenerative changes of various degrees and changes of necrotic epithelium cells which, in turn, consist in cell hyper- or hypochromasia of chromatolysis or pycnosis and, too, in lesions of testicle epithelium of the spermatic epithelium cells. The cells of the Leydig intraparenchymatous gland did not reveal any histopathological changes as well as changes in the increase of hyatochemical tests. The highest concentration of chrome was in the hair of the animals receiving K2Cr2O7 in a dose of 5 mg/kg of body weight.

The influence of agonists and antagonists of dopaminergic system on the formation of audiogenic seizures in rats during the ethanol abstinence period.

There have been numerous studies on the influence of ethanol on neurotransmitters, with conflicting results for the individual transmitters. It also refers to dopamine Hunt and Majchrowicz have found that dopamine circulation lowers after a prolonged administration of ethanol. The results of other experiments point out that such a long-lasting activity of ethanol has no influence on dopamine circulation. Tabakoff and Hoffman indicated that dopamine synthesis is lowered during the symptoms of ethanol abstinence. Griffiths et al. as well as Wajda et al. have proved that the level of dopamine in the striatum occurring at ethanol abstinence increases and comes back again to its initial value after 18 or 48 hrs. Fadda et al., while examining the prolonged influence of ethanol upon dopamine metabolism, has shown that after 24 hrs since the stop in ethanol administration, there has been an increase of dopamine level in the rat's frontal lobe of cortex cerebri. In other structures of the brain the dopamine level has not been changed. Darden and Hunt obtained the results showing a considerable decrease of dopamine liberation in the striatum during abstinence periods. In view of the biochemical research it is difficult to estimate explicitly the role of dopaminergic system in the appearance of dependence and symptoms of ethanol abstinence in the experimental animals. Some behavioral observations carried out on animals during the ethanol abstinence suggest that the prolonged administering of ethanol brings about hypofunction of central dopaminergic neurons.

[Evaluation of school children's health status in Lublin during the years 1969-1988]. / Ocena stanu zdrowia mlodziezy szkolnej miasta lublina w latach 1969-1988.

The research has been carried out in the primary schools of Lublin. The state of health of children and youth has been evaluated in the course of 20 years. Together there have been analyzed 48,416 (28.7%) health cards of children classified to dispensary groups. The total number of children and youth in primary schools is 168,614. There has been found: a) an increase in the number of children suffering from sight disorders on the average by 3% each 5 years; b) a considerable increase (71.2%) in locomotive organ diseases; c) the least number of children and youth classified to dispensary groups was in the years 1974-1975 (25.3%) and in 1979-1980 (24.41%) in comparison with the earlier years 1969-1970 (31.15%) and the later ones 1984-1985 (32.49%) and 1987-1988 (29.99%).

The influence of bromocriptine on sexual activity in ethanol-exposed male rats.

Long-lasting intake of ethanol and its influence on certain changes in the activity of male sexual hormones is the subject of numerous experiments. It is suggested that the decreased libido, hypotrophy of testicles and impotence in individuals subjected to ethanol, are connected with the lowered level of testosterone. Various mechanisms may be responsible for such an activity of ethanol. There has been pointed out that long-lasting intake of ethanol quickens the metabolism of testosterone in the liver. The results of other experiments indicate that ethanol and/or its metabolite, acetaldehyde decrease the biosynthesis of testosterone in the Leydig cells. It has been proved, too, that ethanol reduces the number of testicular gonadotropin receptors what, additionally, decreases the synthesis of testosterone. Another reason for the disordered function of gonads in alcoholics may be the influence of ethanol on the central nervous system structures. Particularly, it refers to the neurones of hypothalamus because they can regulate excretion of the hormones of anterior pituitary gland. In this way, hypothalamus may affect not only the level of the hormones produced by gonades but also to release pituitary prolactin. The present state of research indicates that ethanol results in clear changes in the function of the dopaminergic system of the brain. The influence of ethanol upon the neurones of this system depends on its dose and the period of activity. Most researches point out that prolonged administration of ethanol leads to hypofunction of dopaminergic neurones of the brain.