Synergistic action of estradiol and PGE2 on endometrial transcriptome in vivo resembles pregnancy effects better than estradiol alone

Successful pregnancy establishment in mammals depends on numerous interactions between embryos and the maternal organism. Estradiol-17β (E2) is the primary embryonic signal in the pig, and its importance has been questioned recently. However, E2 is not the only molecule of embryonic origin. In pigs, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is abundantly synthesized and secreted by conceptuses and endometrium. The present study aimed to determine the role of PGE2 and its simultaneous action with E2 in changes in porcine endometrial transcriptome during pregnancy establishment. The effects of PGE2 and PGE2 acting with E2 were studied using an in vivo model of intrauterine hormone infusions, and were compared to the effects of E2 alone and conceptuses' presence on day 12 of pregnancy. The endometrial transcriptome was profiled using gene expression microarrays followed by statistical analyses. Downstream analyses were performed using bioinformatics tools. Differential expression of selected genes was verified by quantitative PCR. Microarray analysis revealed 2413 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the endometrium treated simultaneously with PGE2 and E2 (P < 0.01). No significant effect of PGE2 administered alone on endometrial transcriptome was detected. Gene ontology annotations enriched for DEGs were related to multiple processes such as: focal adhesion, vascularization, cell migration and proliferation, glucose metabolism, tissue remodeling, and activation of immune response. Simultaneous administration of E2 and PGE2 induced more changes within endometrial transcriptome characteristic to pregnancy than infusion of E2 alone. The present findings suggest that synergistic action of estradiol-17β and PGE2 resembles the effects of pregnancy on endometrial transcriptome better than E2 alone

Zastosowanie krajowej ramy kwalifikacji do rozwijania umiejętności podstawowych przez dorosłych w Irlandii

This article presents a  systemic approach to developing basic skills in Ireland. Non-formal adult education is based on mechanisms and tools supporting lifelong learning that have been in place in Ireland for several years and are set out in national legislation. These include developing and incorporating into the system the qualifications which involve basic skills, using the language of learning outcomes, offering learners the opportunity to take advantage of the validation of learning outcomes and thus to obtain qualifications referenced to the Irish Qualifications Framework. The article presents the activity of the non-governmental organisation National Adult Learning Agency (NALA) which was brought to life in order to support adults with low levels of basic skills. This section presents the innovative activities of the organisation, such as their system of educational support over the telephone, the online validation of learning outcomes, a guide for employees of labour offices, or the Internet platform for parents preparing them to support their children in the learning process. The next part of the article is devoted to issues related to the inclusion of basic skills in the qualifications referenced to the Irish Qualifications Framework. It presents examples of qualifications encompassing literacy, numeracy, digital skills, and social competences. The authors show that a national qualifications framework can be successfully used as a support for activities aimed at improving basic skills of adults. A qualifications framework organises, unifies, and establishes a clear system which can be very important to learners who are seeking appropriate support. It allows uniform assessment criteria to be applied to all individuals, while ensuring the quality of the services.Celem artykułu jest zaprezentowanie systemowego podejścia do rozwijania umiejętności podstawowych w Irlandii. Edukacja pozaformalna osób dorosłych opiera się na rozwiązaniach wspierających uczenie się przez całe życie, funkcjonujących w Irlandii od kilkunastu lat oraz zapisanych w krajowym ustawodawstwie. Zalicza się do nich m.in. opracowanie i włączanie do systemu kwalifikacji obejmujących umiejętności podstawowe, stosowanie języka efektów uczenia się, zaoferowanie uczestnikom działań edukacyjnych możliwości podejścia do walidacji efektów uczenia się i przez to uzyskania kwalifikacji odniesionych do Irlandzkiej Ramy Kwalifikacji. W artykule przedstawiono działalność organizacji pozarządowej National Adult Learning Agency (NALA), która powstała z myślą o wsparciu osób dorosłych o niskim poziomie umiejętności podstawowych. W tej części zaprezentowane zostały innowacyjne działania organizacji, takie jak: system wsparcia edukacyjnego przez telefon, walidacja efektów uczenia się online, przewodnik dla pracowników urzędów pracy czy platforma internetowa dla rodziców przygotowująca ich do wspomagania swoich dzieci w procesie nauczania. Kolejna część artykułu została poświęcona zagadnieniom związanym z uwzględnieniem umiejętności podstawowych w  kwalifikacjach odniesionych do Irlandzkiej Ramy Kwalifikacji. Zostały w niej przedstawione przykładowe kwalifikacje obejmujące rozumienie i przetwarzanie informacji, rozumowanie matematyczne, umiejętności cyfrowe oraz kompetencje społeczne. Autorki dowodzą, że krajowa rama kwalifikacji może być z powodzeniem wykorzystana jako wsparcie dla działań mających na celu podnoszenie umiejętności podstawowych przez osoby dorosłe. Rozwiązanie takie porządkuje, ujednolica i stwarza przejrzystą ofertę usług edukacyjnych, co może mieć duże znaczenie dla osób uczących się i poszukujących odpowiedniego wsparcia. Pozwala również na stosowanie jednolitych kryteriów weryfikacji, zapewniając jednocześnie odpowiednią jakość usług

Prostaglandin F2α promotes embryo implantation and development in the pig

Successful establishment and development of pregnancy requires proper communication between developing conceptuses and the maternal reproductive tract. Prostaglandins are key players involved in the regulation of reproductive processes in mammals including pigs. Due to its luteolytic action, prostaglandin F2-alpha (PGF2α) is mainly considered as an undesirable factor during early pregnancy. However, its content in the uterine lumen is elevated in pigs and other mammals. Recently, we reported an important role of PGF2α in the endometrium during early pregnancy in the pig. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine whether PGF2α can act on porcine trophoblast and if so, to elucidate what effect it could exert. We detected increased expression of PGF2α receptor during the implantation period (from day 14 until day 19 of pregnancy). Global gene expression profiling using microarrays and quantitative PCR studies revealed that PGF2α acting on porcine trophoblast cells in vitro alters expression of genes potentially involved in processes related to implantation, such as: cell proliferation, focal adhesion, extracellular matrix binding, cell migration, cytoskeleton organization, immune interactions, ion homeostasis, and lipid metabolism. Using primary porcine trophoblast cells, we demonstrated that PGF2α stimulated trophoblast cell proliferation and adhesion to extracellular matrix protein. This was likely mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK1/3) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) since we observed increased phosphorylation of MAPK1/3 and FAK in trophoblast cells treated with PGF2α. To conclude, the present report indicates a novel role for PGF2α in the porcine conceptus as a para- and autocrine factor supporting pregnancy establishment

Physical activity during pregnancy — the state of Polish women’s knowledge

Objectives: Regular and moderate physical activity during uncomplicated pregnancy has been considered beneficial for both the expectant mother and her unborn child. It reduces the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preeclampsia. The aim of the study was to assess women’s knowledge concerning specific aspects of physical activity during uncomplicated pregnancy. Material and methods: A cross-sectional survey study on a sample of Polish women in a tertiary referral centre was performed. A questionnaire that was validated in the Polish language was based on the Committee Opinion of American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which was published in December 2015. Sociodemographic parameters in relation to specific aspects of physical activity during pregnancy were analysed. Results: A total of 259 (92.5%) women were aware of the beneficial impact of physical activity on the course of pregnancy. Higher education was associated with greater awareness (p = 0.001). Regarding the optimal frequency and recommended duration of exercise, the overall rates of correct answers were only 106 (38.1%) and 167 (59.6%), respectively. The most common sources of information on physical activity during pregnancy were the Internet (81, 50.0%) and books (62, 38.3%). Doctors and midwives instructed the respondents only in 36 (22.4%) and 31 (18.9%) cases, respectively. Conclusions: Women’s knowledge about physical activity during pregnancy seems satisfactory. However, awareness concerning the optimal duration and frequency of exercise, as well as recommended voluntary activities during pregnancy, should be improved. Medical professionals may also reinforce their role as a provider of reliable information, resulting in the prevention of many pregnancy complications

The Perception of Victims of Trafficking Women for Prostitution by Law Enforcement Officials – Results from Research Surveys

The subject of the following text was the image of victims of trafficking women for prostitution amongst police officers and border officers. For this purpose, surveyresearch was carried out on 114 officers from these units. Their results enabled anindication of how victims of trafficking women for prostitution are perceived amongst those surveyed. Law enforcement workers are a group that, because of the profession they do, maypotentially have the most frequent contact with human trafficking offenders. At thesame time, they are a part of society, so doubtlessly they are influenced by commonlyoccurring stereotypes and schemas. That is why it is essential to diagnose the methodsof perception of victims of human trafficking by law enforcement officers. The methodin which a victim of this crime is perceived may have a large significance, firstly for thesubjective treatment of aggrieved women, and secondly for prosecutors.The research results indicate that, in the opinion of the surveyed, victims arecharacterised above all as naive and submissive. Quite often, the respondents alsoindicated the aggrieved individuals had weak psyches, and were mindless and fearful.Excluding a few qualities characterising victims in a neutral manner, the vast majoritywere negatively coloured, putting the victim of human trafficking in a bad light. Theywere perceived as compliant, overly trusting, mentally weak and passive. On severaloccasions, answers appear in which victims were presented as greedy, devious womenwho had been lost to rapacity. In the question about the character qualities of victims,several people indicated their external appearance, which might signify a strongconnection between victims of the discussed crime and an attractive appearance. Mostlikely this is due to the fact that the researched form of human trafficking is linked withthe sexual sphere.The main source for acquiring knowledge on the subject of human traffickingwas acknowledged by the respondents as being the media as well as any training theyhad undergone. This may seem disturbing since the image of human trafficking inthe media, other than the fact it is heavily oversimplified, strongly relies on genderstereotypes which can affect perceptions and thus the way victims of human traffickingare processed. Other than this, a significant majority of police officers (84%) andborder guards (81%) had undergone training on the subject of human trafficking.Equally important is that a very small number of respondents had had in their lives anycontact with victims of human trafficking (17% of surveyed border officials and 35%of police officers). Despite this, almost everybody had deep-rooted definite beliefs todo with victims of female trafficking. Most of these convictions are therefore based onstereotypes.Amongst the respondents, there was a widespread conviction that victims of humantrafficking are predominantly women (around three quarters of all respondents). For thesurveyed, a victim of human trafficking is most often an aggrieved person forced intoprostitution – respondents said this form of crime was the most frequently occurring. A significant majority of the respondents acknowledged that the female-victim did notknow that they would be working as a prostitute. Most likely this is linked to the fact thatvictims of female trafficking are presented above all as young, inexperienced and naivegirls. This is at odds with the image of a calculating prostitute who knew the goal of herjourney. It is worth mentioning too about the distribution of answers to the questionin which surveyed police had to answer if it is more appropriate to quickly interrogatevictims or to grant them time to think. Almost 70% of those surveyed admitted theythought it more appropriate to quickly interrogate the victim. Particularly substantial were the justifications for the respondents’ choice of answers. Their analysis allows usto conclude that the respondents perceive victims of human trafficking instrumentally– above all, they see them as a tool for the effective prosecution of those committing human trafficking. This is shown by the fact they judged it important to interrogate thevictim as quickly as possible so that they could gather evidence. Some of the officersalso expressed their negative attitude to victims by accusing them of the possibility ofscheming, the susceptibility for lying or a desire for revenge on the perpetrators. Examining the research evidence suggests this is reflected in relation to the practicalconsequences of the perceptions of victims of human trafficking by law enforcementofficials as passive, naive and helpless women. Namely, these kinds of thoughts maylead to one of these victims, whose qualities fit with the commonly-held stereotypes,being identified by a law enforcement representative. Similarly, help may only be givento those people who the officers believe “really” need and deserve it (i.e. they fit theimage of a defenceless helpless “ideal” victim). Reaching law enforcement agencies andbeyond – such as the justice system – may only be achievable by those victims that fitthe stereotypes, while other people may be ignored – for example, those who had beenused for something other than sex, or older people, the active or those not physicallyattractive

The image of women trafficking victimis in the polish judicial decisions based on judgements on human trafficking criminal cases between 1997 and 2009

The article presents results of an analysis on Polish courts' judgements passed in criminal cases between 1997 and 2009 concerning human trafficking, i.e. former Article 253§1 and 204§4 Penal Code, conducted with an aim to investigate the image of the party injured as a result of such crime. The research included 59 court cases concerning sexual abuse of women, in which a judgement of conviction (either final and binding or not) was passed. The aim of the research was to the reconstruct the process in which a victim of women trafficking is seen by judges, to analyse the language used by judges in dealing with the victims, and to check if there is a specific model or models in the manner the victims' image is seen by judges. As part of this research, an analysis of semantic fields and qualitative analysis were conducted. The conclusions from the former show that the language used by judges when referring to the crime victims is highly diversified: ranging from formal, official registers ('the injured party', 'women', 'witness'), to vernacular and hardly formal, or even vulgar ('white slaves', 'roadside hookers'). As long as the first of the above registers does not carry any judgemental aspect in describing victims of human trafficking, the other style proves how negative the image is: one of a prostitute or a naïve, reckless girl. The semantic field analysis showed that among the expressions referring to the victims, the ones suggesting that the women got what they deserved were predominant. This language contains an element of the victim's causative involvement, suggesting that the women had some part of the blame for the circumstances, or that the circumstances were not as threatening or traumatising. It is often emphasised that the victims themselves agreed to travel, or had had prostitution experience before. Interesting conclusions can be drawn from analysis of semantic field equivalents, or in other words, the expressions used in lieu of the word 'victim'. Two groups emerge from among them: one, negative judgemental language used towards the injured party, and two, neutral. In the former group expressions such as: 'subject of trade', 'social outcast', 'property', 'human merchandise', 'merchandise subject to', 'a working girl', 'ladies of the evening', 'girls' are found. A considerable portion of these expressions indicates that the human trafficking victims are seen as de facto prostitutes ('prostitutes', 'roadside hookers', 'ladies of the evening'). Another thing that draws attention is the register of the language, with examples of colloquial or even vulgar words being used, which is certainly improper in documents of such importance. The fact that judges used inverted commas when they opting for some of these expressions in writing cannot serve as an excuse

The impact of mechanical pretreatment on biogas production from waste materials of the chemical and brewing industries

Respirometric tests, carried out in OxiTop system, were used to determine biogas production (BP) from two waste materials, willow bark residue (W) from the chemical industry and brewer’s spent grain (BSG) from the brewing industry. Moreover, the kinetics of BP and the loss of organic compounds (expressed as COD) were investigated. In this investigation, W and BSG were used both in their unchanged forms and after mechanical pretreatment (grinding to a diameter of 1 mm) (W_G and BSG_G). The initial organic load in the bioreactors was 4 kg OM/m3. The BP from W was 154.1 dm3/kg DM (166.6 dm3/kg OM), and from BSG, it was 536.9 dm3/kg DM (559.5 dm3/kg OM). This probably resulted from the fact that the content of lignin that was hard to biodegrade was higher in W than in BSG. Mechanical pretreatment increased BP from W_G to 186.7 dm3/kg DM (201.9 dm3/kg OM), and from BSG_G to 564.0 dm3/kg DM (588.7 dm3/kg OM). The net biogas yield from W and BSG increased by 17% (35 dm3/kg OM) and 5 % (29 dm3/kg OM), respectively. The kinetic coefficient of BP (kB) and the rate of BP (rB) of W were lower than those of BSG. Mechanical pretreatment increased the kB and rB of biogas production from both waste materials

Estradiol-17β Regulates Expression of Luteal DNA Methyltransferases and Genes Involved in the Porcine Corpus Luteum Function In Vivo

The corpus luteum (CL) is a temporary endocrine gland vital for pregnancy establishment and maintenance. Estradiol-17β (E2) is the major embryonic signal in pigs supporting the CL’s function. The mechanisms of the luteoprotective action of E2 are still unclear. The present study aimed to determine the effect of E2 on luteal expression of factors involved in CL function. An in vivo model of intrauterine E2 infusions was applied. Gilts on day 12 of pregnancy and the estrous cycle were used as referential groups. Concentrations of E2 and progesterone were elevated in CLs of gilts receiving E2 infusions, compared to placebo-treated gilts. Estradiol-17β stimulated luteal expression of DNA-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), but decreased expression of DNMT3B gene and protein, as well as DNMT3A protein. Similar results for DNMT3A and 3B were observed in CLs on day 12 of pregnancy compared to day 12 of the estrous cycle. Intrauterine infusions of E2 altered luteal expression of the genes involved in CL function: PTGFR, PTGES, STAR, HSD17B1, CYP19A1, and PGRMC1. Our findings indicate a role for E2 in expression regulation of factors related to CL function and a novel potential for E2 to regulate DNA methylation as putative physiological mechanisms controlling luteal gene expression

Estradiol-17β-induced changes in the porcine endometrial transcriptome in vivo

Estradiol-17β (E2) is a key hormone regulating reproductive functions in females. In pigs, E2, as the main conceptus signal, initiates processes resulting in prolonged corpus luteum function, embryo development, and implantation. During early pregnancy the endometrium undergoes morphological and physiological transitions that are tightly related to transcriptome changes. Recently, however, the importance of E2 as a primary conceptus signal in the pig has been questionable. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the effects of E2 on the porcine endometrial transcriptome in vivo and to compare these effects with transcriptome profiles on day 12 of pregnancy. Microarray analysis revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to E2 with overrepresented functional terms related to secretive functions, extracellular vesicles, cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, tissue rearrangements, immune response, lipid metabolism, and many others. Numerous common DEGs and processes for the endometrium on day 12 of pregnancy and E2-treated endometrium were identified. In summary, the present study is the first evidence for the effect of E2 on transcriptome profiles in porcine endometrium in vivo in the period corresponding to the maternal recognition of pregnancy. The presented results provide a valuable resource for further targeted studies considering genes and pathways regulated by conceptus-derived estrogens and their role in pregnancy establishment