The effect of acute heat exposure on rat pituitary corticotroph activation: the role of vasopressin.

The increased ambient temperature affects the function of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Since the correlation among vasopressin (VP), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) responses to various stressors have been long recognized, the aim of this study was to reveal the aforementioned hormones production and morphology of the pituitary gland after exposure to acute heat. Rats were exposed to high ambient temperature (38 °C) for 20 or 60 minutes. The circulating hormones were determined by an ELISA test or chemiluminescence's method. The results obtained show the elevation in ACTH and CORT secretion depending on the duration of heat exposure. The VP concentration increased only after prolonged exposure to heat (60 min). The pituitary morphology was examined by routine and fluorescent immunohistochemistry as well as electron microscopy. Observed changes in the anterior and posterior pituitary well corresponded to circulating hormones, regarding the volume density of ACTH-immunopositive cells, percentage of ACTH immunopositive area v. total area and number of VP-immunopositive containing varicose fibers per total area. Acute heat exposure also induced changes in shapes of ACTH-immunopositive cells. Cells appeared stellate with numerous slender cytoplasmic processes and degranulated, which is the most obvious after 20 min. In addition, immunopositivity of endothelial and anterior pituitary cells for VP suggests its influence on ACTH secretion

The Merodon planifacies subgroup (Diptera, Syrphidae) : Congruence of molecular and morphometric evidences reveal new taxa in Drakensberg mountains valleys (Republic of South Africa)

Hoverflies (Syrphidae) represent an insect group of great importance in ecosystems and indicators of ecosystem change. The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (tribe Merodontini) is one of the most species-rich hoverfly genera, distributed across the Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions. The genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 is less diverse in the Afrotropical Region than in the Palaearctic (11 versus 160 known species). An ongoing study of the genus Merodon in Africa has revealed the existence of two new species into the taxon previously known as Merodon planifacies Bezzi, 1915. The M. planifacies subgroup belongs to the Afrotropical lineage of the Merodon desuturinus group. Morphological analysis of male genitalia has classified the available specimens of the M. planifacies taxon into two sets: the first one corresponds to M. planifacies with folded theca, while the other with smooth theca, later named Merodon capi complex was found exclusively at the Drakensberg mountains in the Republic of South Africa, specifically in the Cathedral Peak National Park and the Royal Natal National Park. Further, molecular and morphometric evidences revealed two cryptic taxa within this complex: M. capi sp. nov. Vujic et Radenkovic and Merodon roni sp. nov. Radenkovic et Vujic. (c) 2020 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Interest Rate and Growth in Developing Countries

When developing countries begin to raise the trajectory of long-term development, interest rates and local currencies grow higher. An increase in the real cost of capital, a decline in investment demands, as the IS-LM model envisages, may jeopardize growth. Can the interest rate policy be used to efficiently manage aggregate demand to sustain the initiated growth? It has proved quite successful at higher interest rate policy levels of development. In underdeveloped countries, this is not the case. Developing countries largely fail to succeed in ensuring the full operation of market mechanisms. Their financial market is underdeveloped, capital demand is chronically high, and therefore the manipulation of the discount rate is of little use. In recession, manipulating government expenditures, implementing deficit financing and controlling private and public consumption prove to be more efficient anti-recession instruments. Economic policy ought to provide a favorable environment for achieving developmental objectives: relative price stability and favorable interest rates. Underdeveloped countries need to control, channel and impose certain restrictions. The liberalization of capital transactions must not precede full convertibility of the local currenc

Application of the Concept of the Banking Secotr in Serbian Banking

A bank is a market institution which aims at achieving the best possible compatition possition within the financial market. Within a strong financial competition the only banks that survive are the ones which have a good product. Bank product is intended for a client as well as, satisfying their needs. A banking product, like any other, is preceded by market research, and thereafter marketed with full promotional support. The innovation strategy for banking product assortment is an essential part of banks’ business and development strategies. Transformed banks in Serbia have endorsed this concept, and keep enhancing the assortment of banking products in each segment of business. The Serbian banks’ planning of banking “productive” activities is becoming the basis for a strategic approach to the profit-based development

IZRAŽAVANjE STAVOVA U PISANjU: NEDOVOLjNO RAZVIJENA VEŠTINA KOD UČENIKA ENGLESKOG JEZIKA KAO STRANOG

Naučni skup „Nauka i nastava u vaspitno-obrazovnom kontekstu”, održan 23. oktobra 2020. godine na Pedagoškom fakultetu u Užicu Univerziteta u Kragujevcu.The topic of the current study is the interactional dimension of metadiscourse, as expressed through lexico-grammatical devices in beginner L2 writing of L1 Serbian/L2 English learners. The participants’ use of metadiscourse devices was chosen due to its particular relevance for the beginner L2 writing process at the tertiary level. The sample of participants included a total of 70 English language majors attending the University of Niš. The corpus consisted of the students’ expository paragraphs collected over a period of nine weeks during the 2019/2020 schoolyear. The taxonomy used in this particular study was that of Biber (2006) and Min et al. (2019), with a particular focus of hedges, stance adjectives, stance adverbs, and stance verbs. The results obtained imply that stance markers deserve a more prominent place in the EFL classroom.Publishe

Taking a stand: Stance strategies in l1 serbian english learners’ expository essays

© 2020 by University of Niš, Serbia. An important part of undergraduate essay writing is the argumentative/persuasive essay genre, which has been described as one of the keys to academic success in higher education (Chandrasegaran and Kong, 2006). It requires not only grammatical fluency and appropriate cohesion, but also that the author be able to take a stand on a particular issue. In an attempt to understand what strategies Serbian L1 English learners at the tertiary level use to take a stand, we analyzed a corpus of their expository (argumentative and opinion) essays. The essays were analyzed and coded for various linguistic structures used to convey taking a stand. These include nouns which are preceded by a sentence initial deictic This as a structure which encapsulates previous propositions, reported speech used to assign a stance to and take a stand on the reported speaker and the event, the passive voice, demonstrative pronouns, and the like. The quantitative analysis of this material was carried out with the aim of presenting our findings in the light of possible implications for teaching expository/persuasive writing at the tertiary level to NNS of English, in an attempt to bridge the intercultural gap that any NNS faces when forced to express their opinions in a language other than their own