The Development of Cortical Responses to the Integration of Audiovisual Speech in Infancy

In adults, the integration of audiovisual speech elicits specific higher (super-additive) or lower (sub-additive) cortical responses when compared to the responses to unisensory stimuli. Although there is evidence that the fronto-temporal network is active during perception of audiovisual speech in infancy, the development of fronto-temporal responses to audiovisual integration remains unknown. In the current study, 5-month-olds and 10-month-olds watched bimodal (audiovisual) and alternating unimodal (auditory + visual) syllables. In this context we use alternating unimodal to denote alternating auditory and visual syllables that are perceived as separate syllables by adults. Using fNIRS we measured responses over large cortical areas including the inferior frontal and superior temporal regions. We identified channels showing different responses to bimodal than alternating unimodal condition and used multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to decode patterns of cortical responses to bimodal (audiovisual) and alternating unimodal (auditory + visual) speech. Results showed that in both age groups integration elicits cortical responses consistent with both super- and sub-additive responses in the fronto-temporal cortex. The univariate analyses revealed that between 5 and 10 months spatial distribution of these responses becomes increasingly focal. MVPA correctly classified responses at 5 months, with key input from channels located in the inferior frontal and superior temporal channels of the right hemisphere. However, MVPA classification was not successful at 10 months, suggesting a potential cortical re-organisation of audiovisual speech perception at this age. These results show the complex and non-gradual development of the cortical responses to integration of congruent audiovisual speech in infancy

Związki pomiędzy roślinnością terenów poprzemysłowych a parametrami fizykochemicznymi podłoża

Określenie zależności między wybranymi gatunkami traw porastających teren dawnej huty cynku a parametrami fizyczno-chemicznymi podłoża. Potwierdzenie założenia, że odległość od emitora ma wpływ zarówno na zawartość metali ciężkich w glebach oraz w roślinach, jak również na biomasę roślin

Influence of androgen receptor in vascular cells on reperfusion following hindlimb ischaemia

AIMS:Studies in global androgen receptor knockout (G-ARKO) and orchidectomised mice suggest that androgen accelerates reperfusion of the ischaemic hindlimb by stimulating angiogenesis. This investigation used novel, vascular cell-specific ARKO mice to address the hypothesis that the impaired hindlimb reperfusion in G-ARKO mice was due to loss of AR from cells in the vascular wall. METHODS AND RESULTS:Mice with selective deletion of AR (ARKO) from vascular smooth muscle cells (SM-ARKO), endothelial cells (VE-ARKO), or both (SM/VE-ARKO) were compared with wild type (WT) controls. Hindlimb ischaemia was induced in these mice by ligation and removal of the femoral artery. Post-operative reperfusion was reduced in SM-ARKO and SM/VE-ARKO mice. Immunohistochemistry indicated that this was accompanied by a reduced density of smooth muscle actin-positive vessels but no change in the density of isolectin B4-positive vessels in the gastrocnemius muscle. Deletion of AR from the endothelium (VE-ARKO) did not alter post-operative reperfusion or vessel density. In an ex vivo (aortic ring culture) model of angiogenesis, AR was not detected in vascular outgrowths and angiogenesis was not altered by vascular ARKO or by exposure to dihydrotestosterone (DHT 10(-10)-10(-7)M; 6 days). CONCLUSION:These results suggest that loss of AR from vascular smooth muscle, but not from the endothelium, contributes to impaired reperfusion in the ischaemic hindlimb of G-ARKO. Impaired reperfusion was associated with reduced collateral formation rather than reduced angiogenesis

The role of the state in building nation's trust to the public administration on the example of expropriation procedure

Tematyka pracy licencjackiej dotyczy roli państwa w budowaniu zaufania obywateli do administracji publicznej na przykładzie ochrony prawa własności w ustawodawstwie Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej oraz koniecznej do stosowania w określonych przypadkach procedury wywłaszczenia. Omówienie problemów wynikających ze sprzecznych interesów państwa i obywatela. W pracy zostały przeanalizowane zapisy Konstytucji Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej oraz wybranych kodeksów pod kątem regulacji związanych z prawem własności i jego ochroną, a także zostały omówione wybrane zasady postępowania administracyjnego mające na celu ochronę interesu prywatnego obywatela. Następnie zostały przedstawione przepisy dotyczące wywłaszczenia, zgodnie z obowiązującą Ustawą o gospodarce nieruchomościami z 1997 roku. W ostatniej części pracy została podjęta próba skonfrontowania powyższych zapisów z praktyką oraz analiza najczęściej występujących problemów.The subject of my thesis is building nation’s trust to the public administration on the example of protection of the ownership rights by the state and the necessary use of the expropriation procedure in certain cases. I research the problems connected with contradictory goals of private interest and public interest. In my thesis I analyze the Polish Constitution, chosen legal codes and principles of administrative proceedings. In the last chapter I confront the regulations with the practice and analyze the most common problems

Tin sarcophagi of Sigismund Augustus and Anna Jagiellon. Conservation and restoration, history, ideological meaning

Znajdujące się w kryptach katedry na Wawelu metalowe sarkofagi królewskie to nie tylko wysokiej klasy dzieła sztuki o interesującym programie ideowym, ale także zabytki o ogromnej wartości historycznej. Prowadzony od 2015 r. program konserwacji i restauracji monarszych trumien jest okazją do ponownych studiów nad tymi obiektami. Artykuł prezentuje przeprowadzone w 2016 r. prace konserwatorskie i restauracyjne przy cynowych sarkofagach Zygmunta Augusta i Anny Jagiellonki, koncentrując się na dokonanych podczas tych zabiegów rekonstrukcjach oraz zastosowanych przez konserwatorów nowatorskich, autorskich rozwiązaniach konstrukcyjnych. Przedstawiono również historię obu zabytków, dokonywane przez lata przekształcenia i naprawy. Prezentacji badań towarzyszy próba uzupełnienia, m.in. o program heraldyczny, odczytanego przez Barbarę Tuchołkę-Włodarską programu ikonograficznego sarkofagu Zygmunta Augusta oraz przedstawienie po raz pierwszy treści ideowych sarkofagu Anny Jagiellonki.The metal royal sarcophagi located in the Wawel Cathedral crypts are not only high-class works of art with an interesting ideological program, but also monuments of great historical value. Program of conservation and restoration of the royal coffins, initiated in 2015, is an opportunity to re-examine these objects. The article presents conservation and restoration works carried out in 2016 at the tin sarcophagi of Sigismund Augustus and Anna Jagiellon, focusing on the reconstructions performed during these works and the innovative, original construction solutions applied by conservators. It also discusses the history of both monuments, their transformation and repairs made over the years. The research presentation is accompanied by an attempt to supplement the iconographic program of Sigismund Augustus’ sarcophagus, deciphered by Barbara Tuchołka-Włodarska, with, inter alia, a heraldic program, and the first-ever explanation of ideological content of Anna Jagiellon’s sarcophagus

A Novel Method for the Determination of Squalene, Cholesterol and Their Oxidation Products in Food of Animal Origin by GC-TOF/MS

Cholesterol present in food of animal origin is a precursor of oxysterols (COPs), whose high intake through diet can be associated with health implications. Evaluation of the content of these contaminants in food is associated with many analytical problems. This work presents a GC-TOF/MS method for the simultaneous determination of squalene, cholesterol and seven COPs (7-ketocholesterol, 7α-hydroxycholesterol, 7β-hydroxycholesterol, 25-hydroxycholesterol, 5,6α-epoxycholesterol, 5,6β-epoxycholesterol, cholestanetriol). The sample preparation procedure includes such steps as saponification, extraction and silylation. The method is characterized by high sensitivity (limit of quantification, 0.02–0.25 ng mL−1 for instrument, 30–375 μg kg of sample), repeatability (RSD 2.3–6.2%) and a wide linearity range for each tested compound. The method has been tested on eight different animal-origin products. The COP to cholesterol content ratio in most products is about 1%, but the profile of cholesterol derivatives differs widely (α = 0.01). In all the samples, 7-ketocholesterol is the dominant oxysterol, accounting for 31–67% of the total COPs level. The levels of the other COPs range between 0% and 21%. In none of the examined products are cholestanetriol and 25-hydroxycholesterol present. The amount of squalene, which potentially may inhibit the formation of COPs in food, ranges from 2 to 57 mg kg−1

Milonga in recreational space of Łódź

Artykuł opiera się głównie na analizie środowiska związanego z tańczeniem tanga w Łodzi. Celem autorek jest pokazanie milongi jako produktu rekreacyjnego oraz ukazanie wyjątkowości tego wydarzenia tanecznego. Opracowanie powstało na podstawie badań terenowych przeprowadzonych przez autorki podczas milong odbywających się w Łodzi od marca do czerwca 2018 r. Badania pozwoliły ustalić m.in. fakty dotyczące początków tanga argentyńskiego w Łodzi, a także miejsca, w których można nauczyć się kroków i tańczyć tango. Ponadto szczegółowo opisano historię milong, ich specyfikę, zasady uczestnictwa oraz miejsca, w których te wydarzenia się odbywają. Z punktu widzenia artykułu najciekawsze okazały się jednak wywiady z uczestnikami milong, które pozwoliły określić znaczenie tego zjawiska. Wyraźnie widać odejście od klasycznego pojmowania tańca, jako formy aktywnego wypoczynku, na rzecz głębszych doświadczeń, przeżyć, poznania kultury oraz środowisk, z których wywodzą się tango argentyńskie i milongi. W końcowej fazie opracowania autorki zaprezentowały sylwetki uczestników milong.Milonga is not only a place, where you can dance argentine tango. It is also a definition of fast variation of this dance style, but according to the authors of this article, the most important meaning is an event, where people are dancing argentine tango. This text is based on the environment of tango lovers in Łódź. The purpose of this article is to show milonga and to mention the uniqueness of this dance event. The article was based on field study carried out during milongas in Łódź from March to June 2018. The research helped to find information about beginning of argentine tango in Łódź, but also places, where you can learn basic steps to dance tango. Furthermore, authors precisely described history of milonga, character of events, rules of participation and locations, where these events take place. Moreover, the research shows that the most interesting were interviews with milonga’s participants, which helped to determine the importance of milonga. It shows the difference between argentine tango and other dance styles and proves that the classical viewpoint of dancing argentine tango has changed. It is no longer only the active form of spending free time, but also feelings, experience and knowledge about argentine tango’s culture and milonga’s environment. The closing phase of the article shows the milonga’s dancers profile

The Effect of Genistein Supplementation on Cholesterol Oxidation Products and Fatty Acid Profiles in Serums of Rats with Breast Cancer

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of genistein on the level of cholesterol, oxysterols, and composition of fatty acids, as well as enzymatic activity of desaturases, in rats with breast cancer. The animals were supplemented with nano-, micro-, and macrogenistein. Rats were treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene to induce mammary adenocarcinoma. In the case of animals supplemented with genistein, an increase in the intensity of the carcinogenesis process was observed. Genistein supplementation also affected the cholesterol and oxysterols levels, as well as the composition of fatty acids, in the serum of rats with neoplastic disease. Dietary supplementation with nanogenistein significantly increased the level of cholesterol (p = 0.02) and cholesterol oxidation products (p = 0.02), which may have significant impacts on cancer development and progression

Zinc Affects Cholesterol Oxidation Products and Fatty Acids Composition in Rats’ Serum

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of the nanosized or microsized zinc (Zn) particles on fatty acid profile, enzyme activity and the level of cholesterol, squalene and oxysterols in rats with breast cancer. Rats (female, n = 24) were divided into the following groups: control, and two test groups, whose diets were enriched with either Zn microparticles (342 nm) or Zn nanoparticles (99 nm). All rats were treated twice with the carcinogenic agent; 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. In rats whose diet was enriched with zinc (especially in the form of nanoparticles), the number and sizes of tumors were lower. Diet supplementation also significantly reduced the cholesterol (p = 0.027) and COPs (cholesterol oxidation products) levels (p = 0.011) in rats serum. Enriching the diet with Zn microparticles decreased the Δ6-desaturase activity (p < 0.001). Zn influences fatty acids’ profile in rats’ serum as well as inhibiting desaturating enzymes. A reduced amount of pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid derivatives may be the expected effect

The Influence of Supplementation with Zinc in Micro and Nano Forms on the Metabolism of Fatty Acids in Livers of Rats with Breast Cancer

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of zinc supplementation (in the form of nano or microparticles) on the profile and metabolism of fatty acids in the liver microsomes of rats with induced breast cancer. The activity of desaturases (Δ5, Δ6, Δ9) and the level of cholesterol and its oxidized derivatives were measured. The aim of this study was also to determine the effect of various forms of zinc supplements on rats that were on 5-, 12- and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic (5-, 12- and 15-HETE) and hydroxyoctadecadienoic (HODE) acids, and the level of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Female Spraque-Dawley rats (n = 24) were divided into 2 groups that were supplemented with zinc in the micro form (342 nm) or nano form (99 nm) particles, respectively, and a group with a standard diet (control group). All animals received 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene twice for the induction of breast cancer. Dietary nano-Zn supplementation increased vaccenic acid content (p = 0.032) and decreased Δ6-desaturase activity (p = 0.006), whereas micro-Zn increased cholesterol (p = 0.006), ∑COPs (total cholesterol-oxidation products) (p = 0.019) and PGE2 (p = 0.028) content. Dietary enrichment with Zn microparticles resulted in lower concentrations of the metabolites 15-, 12- and 5-HETE and HODE. Our study indicates that the effect of zinc supplementation on the metabolism of fatty acids in the liver microsomes under neoplastic conditions depends on the form in which it is administered