Various neuromodulation methods including Deep Brain Stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle combined with psychopharmacotherapy of treatment-resistant depression—Case report

BackgroundTreatment-resistant depression remains one of the main concerns of modern psychiatry. Novel methods such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (including deep and theta burst protocols, iTBS) and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) can be considered as alternative treatment options.Case presentationTwenty-nine-year-old Caucasian female, single, higher-educated was treated with major depressive disorder initially with standard pharmaco- and psychotherapy. Due to diagnosed treatment resistance additional therapeutic approaches were introduced sequentially: Electroconvulsive therapy (efficient only 4 months) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation, iTBS improved just insomnia). Finally the patient was enrolled to the Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) study with the medial forebrain bundle target. After 20 months of active DBS a reduction of over 80% of depressive symptom severity was observed (Montgomery-Asberg and Hamilton Depression Rating Scales), together with an 87% reduction of anxiety symptoms intensity (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) and a 90% increase in social and occupational functioning. Subjective assessment of the patient performed with questionnaires and visual analog scales showed less pronounced improvement in terms of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and high reduction of anhedonia. Some mild, transient side effects of neurostimulation were eliminated with an adjustment in stimulation parameters.ConclusionsThe presented clinical case confirms the possibility of achieving remission after the use of MFB DBS in treatment-resistant depression, but postponed for many months. Nevertheless, personalization of every combined therapy with DBS is necessary with exploration of individual factors as past traumas and personality traits. More reports on long-term observations in DBS treatment in TRD trials (especially focused on MFB target) are needed

The verification of the graduates’ competencies as the element of education safety

Uczelnia przygotowując programy kształcenia uwzględnia potrzeby edu-kacyjne interesariuszy oraz konfrontuje je z popytem na pracę na rynku. Uzyskanie wysokiego poziomu kompetencji przez absolwenta szkoły wyższej zwiększa jego szanse na zatrudnienie. Celem artykułu jest weryfikacja kompetencji absolwentów z oczekiwaniami pracodawców przy podejmowaniu decyzji w procesach rekrutacyj-nych. Efektem analiz jest stwierdzenie iż, zapotrzebowanie na kompetencje pracow-ników ze strony pracodawców ma uzasadnienie w podaży posiadanych kompetencji przez absolwentów na rynku pracy.While designing curriculums the university takes into account educa-tional needs of stakeholders and confronts them with the demand for labour on the market. Achieving a high level of competencies by the graduate of the higher school increases their chances of being employed. The purpose of this article is to verify the graduates’ competencies with the employers’ expectations while making decisions in the recruitment processes. The result of the analysis is the finding that the employers’ demand for employees’ skills is justified in the supply of graduates’ competencies on the labour market

Analýza herbicidu profluralin a jeho interakce s DNA

The increasing use of pesticides is a major health issue. There is therefore a need for improved analytical methods and more knowledge on the interaction of pesticides with living organisms. Here, we developed the analysis of profluralin in water and soils by cyclic voltammetry, square-wave voltammetry and square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry. We also studied the interaction between profluralin and double-stranded DNA. Results of cyclic voltammetric studies indicate that the reduction processes have an irreversible and adsorption-like character, as a possible consequence of the reduction of nitro groups of profluralin. Quantification was found linear from 60 to 800 nmol L-1 with a detection limit of 17 nmol L-1 using square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Results of interactions with double-stranded DNA from salmon sperm revealed that profluralin forms a complex with DNA by electrostatic binding. Values of Gibbs free energy confirmed that formation of profluralin-DNA complex is spontaneous and favourable.Byla vyvinuta analytická metoda pro stanovení herbicidu profluralin cyklickou voltametrií, square wave voltametrií a adsorptivní square wave voltametrií v půdách a vodě. Byla také studována interakce mezi profluralinem a dvojřetězcovou DNA. Výsledky studie pomocí cyklické voltametrie ukazují, že redukce nitro skupin profluralinu má irreverzibilní charakter a je řízena adsorpcí. Adsorptivní square wave voltametrií byl zjištěn lineární rozsah stanovení od 60 nmol l-1 do 800 nmol l-1 a detekční limit 17 nmol l-1. Bylo zjištěno, že profluralin spontánně vytváří komplexy s dvouřetězcovou DNA z lososího sperma elektrostatickou vazbou

The Influence of Graphene Oxide Composition on Properties of Surface-Modified Metal Electrodes

The present paper describes the effect of the concentration of two graphene oxides (with different oxygen content) in the modifier layer on the electrochemical and structural properties of noble metal disk electrodes used as working electrodes in voltammetry. The chemistry of graphene oxides was tested using EDS, FTIR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and combustion analysis. The structural properties of the obtained modifier layers were examined by means of scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry was employed for comparative electrochemical studies