Articulatory undershoot of vowels in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder and early Parkinson's disease.

Imprecise vowels represent a common deficit associated with hypokinetic dysarthria resulting from a reduced articulatory range of motion in Parkinson's disease (PD). It is not yet unknown whether the vowel articulation impairment is already evident in the prodromal stages of synucleinopathy. We aimed to assess whether vowel articulation abnormalities are present in isolated rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) and early-stage PD. A total of 180 male participants, including 60 iRBD, 60 de-novo PD and 60 age-matched healthy controls performed reading of a standardized passage. The first and second formant frequencies of the corner vowels /a/, /i/, and /u/ extracted from predefined words, were utilized to construct articulatory-acoustic measures of Vowel Space Area (VSA) and Vowel Articulation Index (VAI). Compared to controls, VSA was smaller in both iRBD (p = 0.01) and PD (p = 0.001) while VAI was lower only in PD (p = 0.002). iRBD subgroup with abnormal olfactory function had smaller VSA compared to iRBD subgroup with preserved olfactory function (p = 0.02). In PD patients, the extent of bradykinesia and rigidity correlated with VSA (r = -0.33, p = 0.01), while no correlation between axial gait symptoms or tremor and vowel articulation was detected. Vowel articulation impairment represents an early prodromal symptom in the disease process of synucleinopathy. Acoustic assessment of vowel articulation may provide a surrogate marker of synucleinopathy in scenarios where a single robust feature to monitor the dysarthria progression is needed

Microwave radiation and its application on construction materials

Drying structures using high-frequency electromagnetic radiation or microwave technology is currently gaining much more usage in the engineering practice. The goal of the method is the quickest elimination of water in construction (wall, floor structure, etc.). Microwave is a part of the electromagnetic radiation of frequency between 300 MHz and 300 GHz and wavelength between 1 mm and 1 m. The frequency of 2.45 GHz and 122 mm wavelength is used for engineering practice. Due to the effect of microwave radiation the divergent homogeneity of temperature field of different building materials can be observed. This article discusses the spread of thermal field depending on the volume of water and thereby the size of mass humidity of the given material (timber). The temperature fields will be observed by a thermo camera, always after a certain time cycles of the heating

Comparison of the Level of Boron Concentrations in Black Teas with Fruit Teas Available on the Polish Market

The determination of boron by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry has been carried in water-soluble and acid soluble (total content) fractions of 36 samples of traditional black tea and fruit brew. The estimation of the impact of the type of tea on the concentration of boron in water-soluble and acid extracts and potential human health risk from the daily intake of boron was carried out in this study. The levels of boron differed significantly in black and fruit tea types. The mean total content of boron ranged from 8.31 to 18.40 mg/kg in black teas, from 12.85 to 15.13 mg/kg in black tea with fruit flavor, and from 12.09 to 22.77 mg/kg in fruit brews. The degree of extraction of boron in black tea ranged from 8% to 27% and for fruit tea from 17% to 69%. In addition, the values below 25% were of black teas with fruit flavors. The daily intake of B from tea infusions (three cups/day) is still within the average daily intake except for some of the fruit brews which exceed acceptable regulations of the daily intake of total boron by humans. Hence, it may not produce any health risks for human consumption, if other sources of metal contaminated food are not taken at the same time

Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection in the grey partridge Perdix perdix: outbreak description, histopathology, biochemistry and antioxidant parameters

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The grey partridge is an important game bird in Europe that has declined considerably over the last decades. The production and release of farm-bred birds can be threatened by infectious agents. The objective of this study was to describe the outbreak, pathology, and blood and tissue biochemical responses in a flock of grey partridges naturally infected with <it>Mycoplasma gallisepticum</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Morbidity and mortality rates were 100% and 60%, respectively. Necropsy revealed an accumulation of caseous exudate within the infraorbital sinuses, tracheitis, pneumonia and airsacculitis. There were significant increases in activities of lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and amylase, and levels of total protein and glucose in <it>Mycoplasma</it>-infected birds when compared to control. Catalase showed significantly lower activity in the heart, lungs, liver and gonads of <it>Mycoplasma</it>-infected birds. Glutathione-S-transferase activity was elevated in the eye and the associated infraorbital sinus and kidneys, and decreased in the liver. Decreased levels of reduced glutathione were found in the heart, kidneys, liver and gonads. The activity of glutathione reductase was lower only in the lungs. Compared to healthy birds, mycoplasmosis in the grey partridge caused significant differences in the level of lipid peroxidation in lungs and plasma (p < 0.05), while the ferric reducing antioxidant power was lower in the heart and kidneys (p < 0.01). Significant correlations among responses of the antioxidant parameters were found namely in the heart, lungs, spleen, liver and plasma. There were also numerous significant inter-tissue correlations of all the studied antioxidant parameters.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrates the high susceptibility of grey partridges to natural infection by <it>M. gallisepticum</it>, the severity of the disease based on histopathology, and the modulation of blood chemical profiles and oxidative stress-associated parameters in the avian hosts, thus enhancing the understanding of the pathogenesis of mycoplasmosis in birds. Moreover, the reported reference values can be useful for the evaluation of the state of health in grey partridges.</p

Sunflower Plants as Bioindicators of Environmental Pollution with Lead (II) Ions

In this study, the influence of lead (II) ions on sunflower growth and biochemistry was investigated from various points of view. Sunflower plants were treated with 0, 10, 50, 100 and/or 500 μM Pb-EDTA for eight days. We observed alterations in growth in all experimental groups compared with non-treated control plants. Further we determined total content of proteins by a Bradford protein assay. By the eighth day of the experiment, total protein contents in all treated plants were much lower compared to control. Particularly noticeable was the loss of approx. 8 μg/mL or 15 μg/mL in shoots or roots of plants treated with 100 mM Pb-EDTA. We also focused our attention on the activity of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and urease. Activity of the enzymes increased with increasing length of the treatment and applied concentration of lead (II) ions. This increase corresponds well with a higher metabolic activity of treated plants. Contents of cysteine, reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and phytochelatin 2 (PC2) were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Cysteine content declined in roots of plants with the increasing time of treatment of plants with Pb-EDTA and the concentration of toxic substance. Moreover, we observed ten times higher content of cysteine in roots in comparison with shoots. The observed reduction of cysteine content probably relates with its utilization for biosynthesis of GSH and phytochelatins, because the content of GSH and PC2 was similar in roots and shoots and increased with increased treatment time and concentration of Pb-EDTA. Moreover, we observed oxidative stress caused by Pb-EDTA in roots where the GSSG/GSH ratio was about 0.66. In shoots, the oxidative stress was less distinctive, with a GSSG/GSH ratio 0.14. We also estimated the rate of phytochelatin biosynthesis from the slope of linear equations plotted with data measured in the particular experimental group. The highest rate was detected in roots treated with 100 μM of Pb-EDTA. To determine heavy metal ions many analytical instruments can be used, however, most of them are only able to quantify total content of the metals. This problem can be overcome using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, because it is able to provide a high spatial-distribution of metal ions in different types of materials, including plant tissues. Data obtained were used to assemble 3D maps of Pb and Mg distribution. Distribution of these elements is concentrated around main vascular bundle of leaf, which means around midrib

L'itinéraire de la signifiance éthique dans "Autrement qu'être ou au-delà de l'essence" d'Emmanuel Levinas

Le présent travail tente de retracer le parcours de la signifiance éthique. Bien que le trait structurel décisif du mouvement de signifiance éthique soit le pour l autre , nous montrons qu en suivant la double méthode phénoménologique de la concrétisation-et-emphase, Levinas accomplit ce mouvement par d autres traits structurels: à sens unique , à partir de soi , malgré soi , autre dans le même , je est un autre , pour rien et par l autre . Le chapitre II apporte un trait signifiant limite l un pour tous les autres , articulant l éthique avec la justice. Néanmoins, la liste établie n est pas exhaustive, mais simplement indicative. Ce travail n est qu une digression dans le mouvement de la signifiance éthique, mouvement infini, qui précède diachroniquement toute tentative d en rendre compte et qui interrompt le sens que l auteur de ces lignes croît mettre dans les mots. Les différentes recherches constituant le présent travail peuvent dès lors être interprétées comme différentes modalités de ce Dédire du Dit qu est la mise en évidence de l exception du tiers exclu notre seul accès au Dire. Dans cette perspective, le chapitre I cherche à dépasser la dichotomie signification vécue / signification thématisée, le chapitre II la dichotomie langue / parole, le chapitre III la distinction entre sens et non-sens. L alternance du sens détermine le statut des trois premiers chapitres: thématiser l avant de la signifiance éthique est impossible sans thématiser l après de la signifiance ontologique, qui, elle, est toujours déjà interrompue par l après de l après de l alternance du sens, et ainsi de suite.The paper here presented attempts to retrace the course of the ethical signifying. Although the main characteristic feature of this movement of signifying is the for-the-other , we show that following the double phenomenological method called concretisation-and-emphasis, Levinas accomplishes this movement by means of other features: unique sense , starting from the self , despite oneself , the other in the same , I am an other , for nothing and by the other . The chapter II brings a borderline feature one-for-all-the others which articulates ethics with justice. Eventhough, this list is not exhaustive, but simply indicative. This paper is not anything more than a digression in the movement of ethical signifying, an infinite movement, which precedes diachronically every attempt to give an account of it and interrupts the sense that the author believes putting in words. Then the investigations here presented can be interpreted as different modalities of the Un-saying (Dédire in french) of the Said which consists in putting in evidence the exception of the excluded third our only acces to the Saying. In this perspective, chapter I tries to exceed the dichotomy lived significance / thematised significance, chapter II the dichotomy langue / parole, chapter III the distinction between sense and non-sense. The alternance of sense defines the status of the first three chapters: to thematise the before of the ethical signifying is impossible without thematising the after of the ontological signifying, which is always already interrupted by the after the after of the alternance of sense, and so on.DIJON-BU Doc.électronique (212319901) / SudocSudocFranceF