Gestational Form of Supplemental Selenium (Se) Affects Steroidogenic Gene Expression in the Newborn Calf Testis

Selenium (Se) is an important trace mineral in the diet of cattle. Our objective was to determine whether the form of supplemental Se fed to the dam would affect the expression of genes regulating steroidogenesis in the newborn testis. Twenty-four Angus-cross cows were assigned randomly (n=8) to individual ad libitum access of a mineral mix containing 35 ppm of Se supplied as sodium selenite (inorganic, ISe; Prince Se), Sel-Plex (organic, OSe; Sel-Plex, Alltech) or a 50/50 mix of ISe/OSe (MIX) 4 months prior to breeding and throughout gestation. All male calves were castrated within 2 days of birth and total testis RNA was subjected to microarray analysis using the Affymetrix Bovine 1.0 ST array. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of differentially expressed genes, separated by one-way ANOVA (p\u3c0.05) and a post-hoc LSD test, identified eight mRNAs associated with steroidogenesis. Specifically, mRNAs involved in the conversion of testosterone to estradiol were increased in the testis of OSe-supplemented when compared to ISe-supplemented animals, and mRNAs encoding genes regulating the conversion of androstenedione to testosterone or androstenedione to estradiol were decreased in the testis of MIX-supplemented when compared to ISe-supplemented cows.Expression in the neonate may equate to differences in fertility in the adult animal

Początki kariery naukowej i praca dydaktyczna Józefa Garbacika w latach 30. XX wieku

The article discusses studies, didactic work and the first attempts at the academic activity of an interesting figure of the Kraków historical milieu of the twentieth century, Józef Garbacik, who came from the Jasło region. Characterised by a colourful personality, the medievalist took his first research steps after graduating from Jagiellonian University in the 1930s. In 1932, he obtained a PhD degree after defending his dissertation Studia nad stosunkami polsko-włoskimi w XV wieku [Studies on Polish-Italian relations in the 15th century]. Next, he was actively involved in the activities of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Kraków Branch of the Polish Historical Society, and started working in secondary education in Kraków and Kielce. Without giving up the path of academic development, he published works on broadly understood regional studies, travelled abroad to Italy, and expanded his research on the relations of the Kingdom of Poland with Venice and the Roman Curia.Artykuł omawia studia, pracę dydaktyczną i pierwsze próby aktywności naukowej ciekawej postaci krakowskiego środowiska historycznego XX w., jaką był – pochodzący z ziemi jasielskiej – Józef Garbacik. Charakteryzujący się barwną osobowością mediewista swoje pierwsze kroki badawcze stawiał po ukończeniu studiów na Uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim w latach 30. XX w. W 1932 r. uzyskał doktorat na podstawie rozprawy Studia nad stosunkami polsko-włoskimi w XV wieku. Potem aktywnie udzielał się w Polskiej Akademii Umiejętności i krakowskim Oddziale Polskiego Towarzystwa Historycznego oraz podjął pracę w szkolnictwie średnim w Krakowie i Kielcach. Nie rezygnując z drogi naukowego rozwoju, publikował prace dotykające szeroko pojętej regionalistyki, odbywał podróże zagraniczne do Italii i poszerzał swoje badania nad relacjami Królestwa Polskiego z Wenecją i Kurią Rzymską

Stres w pracy nauczyciela

The article is devoted to the issue of occupational stress, regarding educational professions. The tension is caused, among others, by social beliefs related to the privileged professional position of educators, the necessity to implement numerous, often contradictory or unrealistic expectations, as well as the attitudes presented by students, parents or superiors. What is more, maintaining balance between personal and professional life and the inconveniences resulting from physical conditions also turns out to be problematic. In the light of current knowledge on the possibilities of coping with stress, we can specify certain counter-measures, the implementation of which can bring improvement in terms of teachers’ functioning and well-being. This issue is important especially in the light of knowledge about the impact of the tension consequences not only on the teacher but also on the recipient of their actions – the student.Artykuł poświęcony jest tematyce stresu zawodowego, dotyczącego zawodów o charakterze edukacyjnym i wychowawczym. Napięcie wzbudzają między innymi przekonania społeczne o uprzywilejowanej pozycji zawodowej dydaktyków, konieczność realizacji licznych, często sprzecznych czy nierealistycznych oczekiwań oraz postawy prezentowane przez uczniów, rodziców czy przełożonych. Problematyczne okazuje się także utrzymanie równowagi pomiędzy życiem osobistym a zawodowym oraz uciążliwości wynikające z warunków fizycznych. W świetle obecnej wiedzy na temat możliwości radzenia sobie ze stresem wyróżnić możemy określone środki zaradcze, których wdrożenie może przynieść poprawę funkcjonowania i dobrostanu nauczycieli. Kwestia ta jawi się jako istotna zwłaszcza w świetle wiedzy o wpływie konsekwencji napięcia nie tylko na osobę nauczyciela, ale także odbiorcy jego działań – ucznia

Application of microextraction by packed sorbent to isolation of psychotropic drugs from human serum

A method of microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) followed by liquid chromatography with diode array detection has been developed and optimized for the extraction of six tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, nortriptyline, imipramine, desipramine, doxepin, nordoxepin) from human serum. The optimal parameters of MEPS extraction (type of sorbent, volume of sample, composition, and volume of washing and elution solutions) for these drugs in spiked samples were defined. The developed MEPS procedure was validated and then successfully applied to the analysis of serum reference material. The limit of detection (0.02–0.05 μg/mL), intraday (2.7–8.8%) and interday (4.4–11.6%) precision (RSD), and the accuracy of the assay (94.5–108.8%) at three concentration levels—0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 μg/mL—were estimated. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by the analysis of certified reference material. Moreover, the validated procedure was compared with the solid-phase extraction technique. Finally, microextraction by packed sorbent was assessed as a suitable tool in forensic and clinical methods for serum sample preparations

Identification of lipid derivatives in Hep G2 cells

Metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids results in biosynthesis of mediators with different physiological effects. These metabolites include prostaglandins, prostacyclins, isoprostanes and others that are important signalling molecules and regulate a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes including inflammation. Prostaglandins and isoprostanes are produced by either non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation or by enzyme-induced peroxidation (cyclooxygenases and lipoxygenases). They are used as biomarkers of oxidative stress. The aim of our study was to assess the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) supplementation with added benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) on HepG2 cells by using a UHPLC/MS-TOF method. This rapid and simple method was developed for the identification, separation and quantification of 8-iPGF3α, PGF3α, 8-isoPGF2α and 5-iPF2α in cultured cells. The UHPLC/MS-TOF method was validated. The calculated limit of detection was in the range of 0.16-0.50 ng/mL, precision (% RSD): 1.2-2.1% and recoveries better than 88%. This method empowered qualitative and quantitative analysis of the selected individual prostaglandins derived from arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid from cell extracts

Single molecule fluorescence reveals dimerization of myristoylated Src N-terminal region on supported lipid bilayers

The proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src is a key ele- ment of signaling cascades involved in the invasive and meta- stasis-forming capacity of cancer cells. While membrane ty- rosine-kinase receptors are known to dimerize, Src is classified as a non-receptor kinase and assumed to remain always mono- meric. Here we demonstrate the formation of stable dimers by the first domains of myristoylated Src previously shown to be sufficient for Src trafficking. Src dimers fused to green fluo- rescent protein (GFP) on supported lipid bilayers were identi- fied using single-molecule photobleaching experiments. Com- petition with a protein containing only native Src domains without GFP confirms that dimerization is a previously over- looked intrinsic property of Src. Dimerization is concomitant to membrane binding by the myristoylated forms of Src and may constitute a new regulation layer for the Src oncogene