Effects of chronic stress on the brain – the evidence from morphological examinations of hippocampus in a chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model in rats

Sekita-Krzak Joanna, Żebrowska-Łupina Iwona, Łupina Tomasz, Czajkowski Leszek, Cichacz-Kwiatkowska Beata, Robaczewska Joanna. Effects of chronic stress on the brain – the evidence from morphological examinations of hippocampus in a chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model in rats. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2016;6(12):384-399. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.203269 http://ojs.ukw.edu.pl/index.php/johs/article/view/4068 The journal has had 7 points in Ministry of Science and Higher Education parametric evaluation. Part B item 754 (09.12.2016). 754 Journal of Education, Health and Sport eISSN 2391-8306 7 © The Author (s) 2016; This article is published with open access at Licensee Open Journal Systems of Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper. Received: 01.12.2016. Revised 12.12.2016. Accepted: 14.12.2016. Effects of chronic stress on the brain – the evidence from morphological examinations of hippocampus in a chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model in rats Joanna Sekita-Krzak1, Iwona Żebrowska-Łupina2, Tomasz Łupina3, Leszek Czajkowski2, Beata Cichacz-Kwiatkowska1, Joanna Robaczewska4 1 Department of Histology and Embryology with the Lab of Experimental Cytology, Medical University, Lublin, Poland 2 Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University, Lublin, Poland 3 Department of Pulmonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University, Lublin, Poland 4 Department of Public Health, Collegium Medicum UMK, Poland Abstract Background. Chronic stress exposure deteriorates memory and increases the risk of psychiatric disorders, including depression. Objectives. The objective of this study was to perform morphological studies in experimental model of neuropsychiatric disorder and to assess histologically the effect of chronic unpredictable stress procedure (CUS) influence on hippocampus. Material and methods. Chronic unpredictable stress procedure (CUS) was applied for 8 weeks in rats by the modified method described by Katz et al. Experimental model of neuropsychiatric disorder was used based on morphological studies of hippocampal formation. Results. Stress-induced alterations were observed in the hippocampus. Nerve cell changes included neuron shrinkage and dendritic remodeling. The most vulnerable hippocampal cells to chronic stress were CA3 and CA4 pyramidal neurons. In dentate gyrus chronic stress led to granule neuron shrinkage and slight exacerbation of apoptosis in the polygonal cell layer. CUS led to statistically significant changes in quantitative characteristics of the CA3 and CA4 neuron size and nuclei diameter. Conclusions. Chronic stress induces degeneration of hippocampal neurons. The observed neuronal changes indicate the damage of the neurons did not involve neither apoptosis nor necrosis Similarity between histological changes obtained in 8-week long CUS procedure applied in our research and morphological changes described in depressed patients confirms the usefulness of the applied stress procedure as the experimental model of depression. Key words: stress, depression, hippocampus, chronic unpredictable stress procedure (CUS), animal model, morphology

Maps and territories: Russia in the newest Polish literature

Wydział Filologii Polskiej i KlasycznejCelem rozprawy jest analiza wybranych konfiguracji przestrzennych w polskiej wyobraźni zbiorowej, ich powiązań i wzajemnych wpływów. Zainteresowania autorki skupiają się wokół sposobów przedstawiania stosunków przestrzennych związanych umiejscowieniem terytorium Rosji na mapach budowanych przez polskich pisarzy. Przedmiotem analizy jest literatura polska opublikowana w ćwierćwieczu od 1989 do 2014 roku. Rozprawa zbudowana jest z pięciu rozdziałów, które odpowiadają pięciu mapom, czyli sposobom postrzegania przestrzeni Rosji w najnowszej literaturze polskiej. Autorka analizuje mapy: peryferii i centrum, przestrzeni Katynia i Smoleńska, Sybiru i Syberii, duchowości oraz fantazmatyczne mapy Federacji Rosyjskiej. Rozważania zostały uporządkowane zgodnie z malejącą realnością przestrzeni, których dotyczyły mapy i zgodnie z rosnącym poziomem autorskiej wyobraźni, od tych, które bezpośrednio odnoszą się do rzeczywistych, możliwych do zlokalizowania przestrzeni, po te wyobrażone, istniejące jedynie w literackich narracjach i wyobrażeniach zbiorowości. Ten układ pozwala pokazać, w jaki sposób za pośrednictwem literatury dochodzi do odrealnienia terytorium Rosji, na jakiej podstawie powstają wyobrażone mapy Rosji, kto je konstruuje i w jaki sposób się przenikają. Rozważania nie są układem chronologicznym, lecz pokazują powiązania, zależności i sprzężenia. Analiza map Rosji we współczesnej polskiej literaturze pokazuje, że obraz ten jest niezwykle złożony, silnie uzależniony od historycznych zaszłości i mocno sprzężony z emocjami oraz afektami.The present research aims at analysis of the selected spatial configurations in Polish collective imagination, their connections and mutual impact. The Author’s scope of interests focuses on the methods of representation of spatial relations related to placement of Russian territory on the maps developed by the Polish writers. The research subject is Polish literature published in the quarter-century from 1989 until 2014. The present research paper consists of five chapters corresponding to five maps, i.e. ways of perceiving territory of Russia in the newest Polish literature. The Author analyses maps of: outskirts and centre, territories of Katyn and Smolensk, Sybir and Siberia, spirituality as well as phantasmatic maps of Russian Federation. Reflections have been structured according to descending spatial realness, to which the maps concerned, as well as according to ascending level of original imagination, starting from those directly related to real territories which can be easily located, ending with imagined, existing only in literary narrations and imaginations of community. This structure allows showing how through literature it comes to derealisation of Russian territory, on what basis imagined maps of Russia are being developed, who develops them and how they are being infused. Reflections are not a chronological structure, yet they show connections, dependencies and connexions. Analysis of maps of Russia in the modern Polish literature shows that the image is extremely complicated, strongly depending on historical events and heavily interconnected with emotions and affects

Maps and territories: Russia in the newest Polish literature

Wydział Filologii Polskiej i KlasycznejCelem rozprawy jest analiza wybranych konfiguracji przestrzennych w polskiej wyobraźni zbiorowej, ich powiązań i wzajemnych wpływów. Zainteresowania autorki skupiają się wokół sposobów przedstawiania stosunków przestrzennych związanych umiejscowieniem terytorium Rosji na mapach budowanych przez polskich pisarzy. Przedmiotem analizy jest literatura polska opublikowana w ćwierćwieczu od 1989 do 2014 roku. Rozprawa zbudowana jest z pięciu rozdziałów, które odpowiadają pięciu mapom, czyli sposobom postrzegania przestrzeni Rosji w najnowszej literaturze polskiej. Autorka analizuje mapy: peryferii i centrum, przestrzeni Katynia i Smoleńska, Sybiru i Syberii, duchowości oraz fantazmatyczne mapy Federacji Rosyjskiej. Rozważania zostały uporządkowane zgodnie z malejącą realnością przestrzeni, których dotyczyły mapy i zgodnie z rosnącym poziomem autorskiej wyobraźni, od tych, które bezpośrednio odnoszą się do rzeczywistych, możliwych do zlokalizowania przestrzeni, po te wyobrażone, istniejące jedynie w literackich narracjach i wyobrażeniach zbiorowości. Ten układ pozwala pokazać, w jaki sposób za pośrednictwem literatury dochodzi do odrealnienia terytorium Rosji, na jakiej podstawie powstają wyobrażone mapy Rosji, kto je konstruuje i w jaki sposób się przenikają. Rozważania nie są układem chronologicznym, lecz pokazują powiązania, zależności i sprzężenia. Analiza map Rosji we współczesnej polskiej literaturze pokazuje, że obraz ten jest niezwykle złożony, silnie uzależniony od historycznych zaszłości i mocno sprzężony z emocjami oraz afektami.The present research aims at analysis of the selected spatial configurations in Polish collective imagination, their connections and mutual impact. The Author’s scope of interests focuses on the methods of representation of spatial relations related to placement of Russian territory on the maps developed by the Polish writers. The research subject is Polish literature published in the quarter-century from 1989 until 2014. The present research paper consists of five chapters corresponding to five maps, i.e. ways of perceiving territory of Russia in the newest Polish literature. The Author analyses maps of: outskirts and centre, territories of Katyn and Smolensk, Sybir and Siberia, spirituality as well as phantasmatic maps of Russian Federation. Reflections have been structured according to descending spatial realness, to which the maps concerned, as well as according to ascending level of original imagination, starting from those directly related to real territories which can be easily located, ending with imagined, existing only in literary narrations and imaginations of community. This structure allows showing how through literature it comes to derealisation of Russian territory, on what basis imagined maps of Russia are being developed, who develops them and how they are being infused. Reflections are not a chronological structure, yet they show connections, dependencies and connexions. Analysis of maps of Russia in the modern Polish literature shows that the image is extremely complicated, strongly depending on historical events and heavily interconnected with emotions and affects

Association, school, cooperative: the polyphony of the Węgajty Theatre

The text presents the process of transformation of the organizational structure of the Węgajty Theatre and the related reformation of the group dynamics and methods of creative work. In the group’s complex organizational history, the turning point was the loss of permanent institutional support in 2011. After twenty-five years of work under the auspices of various cultural institutions in Olsztyn, the Węgajty Theatre was forced to function as a non-governmental organization. The text shows the impact of the grant system on the Theatre's activities and its strategies developed for conducting artistic work. Węgajty's most crucial activity, if the group is considered as a formation project, is the work of the Other Theatre School. The original form of artistic education is combined at the School with a return to socially engaged issues. The text also presents the pros and cons of a social cooperative created at the Węgajty Theatre to stabilize its financial situation

Students’ attitudes of the faculty of health sciences to persons with disabilities

Wstęp. Stosunek do osób niepełnosprawnych radykalnie zmieniał się na przestrzeni wieków. Cel pracy. Ocena postaw studentów wobec osób niepełnosprawnych. Materiał i metody. Badania oparte na autorskim kwestionariuszu ankiety przeprowadzone w grupie 228 studentów. Wyniki. Respondenci w swoim otoczeniu mieli osoby niepełnosprawne (12%) i w 60,4% deklarowali gotowość niesienia im pomocy. Pojęcie „niepełnosprawność” kojarzyło się im z reguły z brakiem całkowitej sprawności ruchowej (21,5%). W opinii 26% badanych stosunek społeczeństwa do niepełnosprawnych jest raczej niedobry, ale powinni oni zawierać małżeństwo (95%), mieć dzieci (81%), pracować (95%), jeździć samochodem (96%), uczyć się w klasach integracyjnych (81%), a opiekować się nimi powinna z reguły rodzina (81%). Najchętniej (67,5%) studenci opiekowaliby się osobami słabo słyszącymi, a najrzadziej (30,3%) z widocznym zniekształceniem, oszpeceniem ciała. Badani preferowali model separacyjny funkcjonowania osoby niepełnosprawnej (32%). Największą trudnością w funkcjonowaniu osób niepełnosprawnych było znalezienie pracy (21%), a grupą o największych problemach — osoby z głębszymi zaburzeniami mowy i osoby niesłyszące (po 21%). Badani uważali niepełnosprawnych za biernych w życiu zawodowym i społecznym (po 38%), a wszelkie kampanie społeczne ich dotyczące za potrzebne (22%) lub drażniące (22%). Aż 88% respondentów nie potrafiło wymienić żadnej organizacji działającej na rzecz osób niepełnosprawnych. Wnioski. Opinie studentów na temat stosunku społeczeństwa do osób niepełnosprawnych oraz jego przygotowania do opieki nad nimi były podzielone. Studenci preferowali model separacyjny funkcjonowania osoby niepełnosprawnej oraz uważali, że są one bierne w życiu zawodowym i społecznym. Badani deklarowali gotowość niesienia pomocy niepełnosprawnym, ale uzależniali powyższe od rodzaju niepełnosprawności. Większość respondentów nie potrafiła wymienić kampanii społecznych i organizacji działających na rzecz osób niepełnosprawnych oraz znanych osób niepełnosprawnych, mogących posłużyć za wzór dla innych osób. Problemy Pielęgniarstwa 2012; 20 (4): 487–496Introduction. Attitude towards the disabled persons changed vitally over the centuries. The aim of the study. To assessment of students’ attitudes toward disabled persons. Material and methods. The study was conducted based on the original questionnaire, addressed a group of 228 students. Results. Almost 12% of respondents have or had in their environment people with disabilities and 60.4% declared their willingness to help them. The term „disability” reminded them of the rules of the lack of mobility of the total (21.5% of respondents). People’s attitude toward people with disabilities is in the opinion of 26% is rather bad. In the opinion of respondent’s people with disabilities can get married (95%), have children (81%), work (95%), drive a car (96%), to learn in the classroom integration (81%), and take care of them should generally family (81%). Most (67.5%) students looked to be hard-of-hearing people, and the least (30.3%) persons and visible deformity, disfigurement of the body. Respondents preferred separation model functioning person with a disability (32%). The greatest perceived difficulty was finding people with disabilities jobs (21%). The group considered the biggest problems people with people with deeper speech disorders and deaf people (21%). Respondents considered passive disabilities in working life and society (38% of responses), and all their public awarepaździerness campaigns on the need or irritation (22%). However, 88% of respondents could not name any organization acting on behalf of people with disabilities. Conclusions. Students’ opinions on the attitude of society towards people with disabilities and their preparation to care for them were divided. Students preferred model of disability separation operation and believed that they are passive in working life and society. The respondents declared their readiness to provide assistance to disabled people, but it depended on the disability type. Most respondents could not mention social campaigns and organizations for disabled people and famous people with disabilities, which may serve as a model for other people. Nursing Topics 2012; 20 (4): 487–49

Cloning and Characterization of a Thermostable Endolysin of Bacteriophage TP-84 as a Potential Disinfectant and Biofilm-Removing Biological Agent

The obligatory step in the life cycle of a lytic bacteriophage is the release of its progeny particles from infected bacterial cells. The main barrier to overcome is the cell wall, composed of crosslinked peptidoglycan, which counteracts the pressure prevailing in the cytoplasm and protects the cell against osmotic lysis and mechanical damage. Bacteriophages have developed two strategies leading to the release of progeny particles: the inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis and enzymatic cleavage by a bacteriophage-coded endolysin. In this study, we cloned and investigated the TP84_28 endolysin of the bacteriophage TP-84, which infects thermophilic Geobacillus stearothermophilus, determined the enzymatic characteristics, and initially evaluated the endolysin application as a non-invasive agent for disinfecting surfaces, including those exposed to high temperatures. Both the native and recombinant TP84_28 endolysins, obtained through the Escherichia coli T7-lac expression system, are highly thermostable and retain trace activity after incubation at 100 °C for 30 min. The proteins exhibit strong bacterial wall digestion activity up to 77.6 °C, decreasing to marginal activity at ambient temperatures. We assayed the lysis of various types of bacteria using TP84_28 endolysins: Gram-positive, Gram-negative, encapsulated, and pathogenic. Significant lytic activity was observed on the thermophilic and mesophilic Gram-positive bacteria and, to a lesser extent, on the thermophilic and mesophilic Gram-negative bacteria. The thermostable TP84_28 endolysin seems to be a promising mild agent for disinfecting surfaces exposed to high temperatures

Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in broiler chicken flocks in northern Poland in 2014–2016

Zoonotic serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica are an important biological factor that poses a threat to public health, and broilers are often asymptomatic carriers of these bacteria. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Salmonella serotypes in broiler chicken flocks in northern Poland in 2014–2016. The study was conducted on commercial flocks monitored by the Institutes of Veterinary Hygiene in Gdańsk and Olsztyn in 2014–2016. A total of 4,331 samples were investigated. Identification of Salmonella spp. was performed by a culture-dependent method followed by biochemical and serological confirmation tests, in accordance with Polish Standards. The total percentage of infected flocks in northern Poland reached 1.57%. The prevalence of Salmonella spp. in broiler chickens decreased from 2.19% in 2014 to 1.22% in 2016. The percentage of flocks infected with S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium was 1.18% and 0.12%, respectively (S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium were detected in 1.29% of flocks). The most common serotypes that had not been covered by the control programme were S. Mbandaka (0.14%), S. Infantis (0.07%) and, sporadically, S. Kentucky and S. Anatum. The percentage of infected flocks was higher (by 0.26%) in the Pomeranian Region than in the Region of Warmia and Mazury, and it increased over the analyzed period – the highest number of positive samples were found in 2016 (2.04%). In the Region of Warmia and Mazury, the percentage of infected flocks was highest in 2014 (3.08%); in 2014–2016, the number of positive samples decreased steadily to reach 0.41% in 2016. In the analyzed regions, the incidence of human salmonellosis was correlated with the percentage of infected broiler flocks

Comparison of Thermal Characteristics and Fatty Acids Composition in Raw and Roasted Cocoa Beans from Peru (Criollo) and Ecuador (Forastero)

The aim of this research was to complete the characteristics of cocoa beans and cocoa butter extracted from two different Theobroma cacao species: Criollo originated from Peru and Forastero originated from Ecuador, both in the version of raw (unroasted) and roasted beans. Before extraction, the cocoa beans were characterized by proximate analysis. The determination of fatty acids composition was carried out by gas chromatography (GC). The positional distribution of fatty acids in the sn-2 positions of triacylglycerols (TAGs) was also determined. The thermogravimetric analyses (TGA/DTG) were performed under the nitrogen and oxygen atmosphere of roasted and unroasted cocoa beans. The kinetic information was helpful to assess the oxidative stability of cocoa butter. The cocoa butter extracted from unroasted Forastero from Ecuador had the highest values of oxidation activation energy Ea. The melting characteristics of cocoa butter extracted from roasted Criollo species were very similar to their unroasted versions. The same trend was not observed for Forastero species. TGA and DTG were revealed to be useful tools for the analysis of whole cocoa beans and the fats extracted from these cocoa beans

Wielki przemysł, wielka cisza. Zakłady przemysłowe w Łodzi 1945-2000

W niniejszej publikacji przybliżamy historie największych zakładów przemysłowych okresu PRL i łódzkiego świata pracy – codziennego doświadczenia pracownic i pracowników. Mamy nadzieję, że książka pozwoli lepiej zrozumieć Łódź i jej przemysłowe dziedzictwo. Jest to także podsumowanie kilkuletniej pracy interdyscyplinarnego zespołu osób związanych z Łódzkim Stowarzyszeniem Inicjatyw Miejskich Topografie, które od dekady tworzy Cyfrowe Archiwum Łodzian Miastograf.pl i stara się zachować pamięć o ostatnich etapach trwania wielkiej przemysłowej Łodzi. Żyjąc i pracując w postindustrialnych realiach, każdego dnia zdajemy sobie sprawę, jak silnie tamten czas oddziałuje na losy miasta i jego mieszkańców.Projekt został dofinansowany z Programu Patriotyzm Jutra – Muzeum Historii Polski oraz przez Urząd Miasta Łodzi

The Influence of a Chocolate Coating on the State Diagrams and Thermal Behaviour of Freeze-Dried Strawberries

Chocolate-coated fruit is becoming more and more popular as a tasty snack. The subjects of the research were freeze-dried strawberries and dark and milk chocolate-coated freeze-dried strawberries. The DSC curves, sorption isotherms, and glass transition temperature were determined. The state diagrams of the freeze-dried strawberries and dark and milk chocolate-coated freeze-dried strawberries were investigated. The modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) technique was used to determine the glass transition temperature. The DSC diagrams of the studied samples showed differences in shape and course. The sorption isotherms of the freeze-dried strawberries and dark and milk chocolate-coated strawberries belonged to type II according to BET classification. A coating of milk or dark chocolate resulted in a significant reduction in the hygroscopic behaviour of the freeze-dried strawberries and could be considered a promising way to improve the shelf life of the product and improve the nutritional value for commercial production purposes