IntroductionNutrition can contribute to the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The relevant studies often provide contradictory results.AimTo determine GERD risk factors associated with dietary habits.Material and methodsA total of 513 subjects were included. The study group consisted of adults with a recent clinically confirmed diagnosis of GERD, and the control group were healthy adults. The research tool was a proprietary questionnaire. Risk factors were evaluated by logistic regression models.ResultsAn association was found between the severity of typical GERD symptoms and a certain diet (p < 0.001). The symptoms were experienced more often after fatty, fried, sour, or spicy food and sweets. The univariate logistic regression analysis showed the following risk factors: eating 1–2 meals per day (OR = 3.50, 95% CI: 1.75–6.98), everyday consumption of peppermint tea (OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.14–3.50), and eating one, big meal in the evening instead of dinner and supper (OR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.05–3.11). The multivariate analysis confirmed that frequent peppermint tea consumption was a risk factor (OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.08–3.70).ConclusionsTaking into consideration the results of this study, it seems that patients should be recommended to eat more than three meals a day and eat dinner and supper at appropriate times instead of one, big meal in the evening. The role of frequent peppermint tea consumption in GERD development requires further studies.

Objective: To identify determinants of fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among school-aged children. Design: A survey study was conducted in October 2010. The questionnaire contained questions concerning social and demographic data, lifestyle and dietary habits, particularly the frequency of F&V consumption, availability of F&V and knowledge about recommended amounts of F&V intake. Setting: Polish primary schools. Subjects: Children (n 1255) aged 9 years from randomly selected primary schools and their parents. Results: The children's consumption of fruit and of vegetables was influenced by the fruit consumption and vegetable consumption of their parents (r = 0·333 and r = 0·273, respectively; P = 0·001), parents encouraging their children to eat F&V (r = 0·259 and r = 0·271, respectively; P = 0·001), giving children F&V to take to school (r = 0·338 and r = 0·321, respectively; P = 0·001) and the availability of F&V at home (r = 0·200 and r = 0·296, respectively; P = 0·001). Parental education influenced only the frequency of fruit consumption (r = 0·074; P = 0·01). A correlation between parents' knowledge of the recommended intakes and the frequency of vegetable and fruit consumption by children was noticed (r = 0·258 and r = 0·192, respectively, P = 0·001). Conclusions: Factors within the family environment such as parents' dietary habits and F&V availability had the greatest influence on the F&V consumption by children. Educational activities aimed at parents are crucial to increase the consumption of F&V among children. Keywords Vegetable consumption Fruit consumption Children nutrition Determinants of consumptionChildhood is a crucial period within the process of shaping correct dietary habits, including the consumption of fruit and vegetables (F&V) (1) . Studies show that the dietary habits and preferences shaped during childhood and adolescence are continued into adult life (1,2) and that a diet rich in vegetables and fruit lowers the risk of many chronic diseases (3) . There are many factors which may influence the consumption of F&V by children. Apart from preferences, these factors include age, sex, domicile, social and economic factors, parents' education, parents' dietary habits concerning the consumption of F&V and the availability of F&V at home (4)(5)(6)(7) . Studies show that the consumption of F&V by children from different populations, including Polish children, is unsatisfactory, deviating from the recommendations on the amounts and well as the frequency of consumption (4,(8)(9)(10)(11) .F&V constitute a very important element of healthy nutrition. In a child's diet there should be approximately five portions of F&V each day. These foods are a vital source of antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and minerals. That is why they are a necessary element of a daily diet (3) . The majority of benefits from eating F&V result from the lowering of the risk of CVD, but F&V may also lower the risk of certain kinds of cancer. Research from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrit...

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The most characteristic symptom of the disease is heartburn, which occurs at least once a week. The prevalence of the disease varies and, depending on the region of the world, it may affect from a few to over 30% of an adult population. It is estimated that in Poland this disease may affect up to 35.5% of adults reporting abdominal ailments. If untreated, the disease can lead to serious complications including precancerous conditions and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Pharmacotherapy is considered as the first-line treatment in GERD patients but lifestyle modifications, including diet changes, are an important element supporting the treatment of the disease. Many factors may contribute to the development of the disease. Among them, there are non-modifiable factors such as age, sex or genetic factors and modifiable factors, e.g. lifestyle, diet, excessive body weight. This review focuses on GERD risk factors related to lifestyle and nutrition that include both dietary components and nutritional behaviour. Lifestyle risk factors that may contribute to GERD symptoms include excessive body weight, particularly obesity, moderate/high alcohol consumption, smoking, postprandial and vigorous physical activity, as well as lack of regular physical activity. Many studies indicate fatty, fried, sour, spicy food/products, orange and grapefruit juice, tomatoes and tomato preserves, chocolate, coffee/tea, carbonated beverages, alcohol as triggers for GERD symptoms. Eating habits such as irregular meal pattern, large volume of meals, eating meals just before bedtime may correlate with the symptoms of GERD. The role of lifestyle, diet and eating habits as risk factors for GERD is not clearly understood, and the results of the available studies are often contradictory. Determination of modifiable risk factors for this disease and its symptoms is important for effective dietary prevention and diet therapy of GERD.

There is increasing evidence that so-called "autophagic cell death" participates in cell degeneration in certain pathological conditions. Autophagy might be involved in some neurodegenerative processes, including lateral amyotrophic sclerosis (SLA). The exact mechanism leading to progressive motor neuron (MN) loss remains unclear, but glutamate-mediated mechanism is thought to be responsible. Previous ultrastructural studies by the authors performed on a model of SLA in vitro, based on chronic glutamate excitotoxicity, revealed a subset of morphological features characteristic to different modes of neuronal death, including autophagic degeneration. The contribution of this pathway of MNs death is evaluated in organotypic cultures of rat lumbar spinal cord chronically exposed to specific glutamate uptake blockers: DL-threo-beta-hydroxyaspartate (THA) and L-transpyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate (PDC). The study documents the various steps of authophagy in slowly evolving process of MN neurodegeneration. The cells undergoing autophagy usually exhibited sequestration of some parts of cytoplasm with normal and/or degenerated organelles, whereas other parts of cytoplasm as well as neuronal nucleus remained unchanged. The advanced autophagic changes were often associated with other modes of MN death, especially with apoptosis. Numerous MNs revealed apoptotic nuclear features with typical peripheral margination of nuclear chromatin, accompanied by severe autophagic or autophagic-necrotic degeneration of the cytoplasm. These results support the opinion of unclear distinction between different modes of cell death and indicate the involvement of autophagey in MNs neurodegeneration in vitro.

Giant cell glioblastoma multiforme (GCGBM) is a rare variant of glioblastoma, occurring predominantly in the cerebral hemispheres. Its infratentorial localization has been documented occasionally, while GCGBM in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) region has not been described so far. We report a case of GCGBM presenting primarily as an extraaxial bilateral CPA tumor in a 29-year-old woman with neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1). The patient died shortly after surgery of the right CPA tumor. Postmortem study of the brain revealed large tumor masses, located in the CPA bilaterally, encasing the brainstem base and cisternal portions of the cranial nerves. Tumor masses were demarcated from the brainstem and cerebellum and covered by leptomeninges. Microscopically, a slight subpial tumor seeding from the leptomeninges into the brain parenchyma was observed in the right CPA region. The tumor showed highly pleomorphic, giant and multinucleated cells, densely cellular sheets of poorly differentiated cells and pseudopalisading necroses. Tumor cells were positive for GFAP, S-100 protein, and p53 and negative for neuronal antigens. The MIB-1 labeling index was very high in densely cellular areas. To our knowledge this is the second report of GCGBM in an NF1 patient and the first reported case of GCGBM presenting as an extraaxial leptomeningeal lesion with bilateral CPA localization, which might be considered as primary leptomeningeal gliomatosis.