Oxytocin-Gly-Lys-Arg: A Novel Cardiomyogenic Peptide

Background: Oxytocin (OT), synthesized in the heart, has the ability to heal injured hearts and to promote cardiomyogenesis from stem cells. Recently, we reported that the OT-GKR molecule, a processing intermediate of OT, potently increased the spontaneous formation of cardiomyocytes (CM) in embryonic stem D3 cells and augmented glucose uptake in newborn rat CM above the level stimulated by OT. In the present experiments, we investigated whether OT-GKR exists in fetal and newborn rodent hearts, interacts with the OT receptors (OTR) and primes the generation of contracting cells expressing CM markers in P19 cells, a model for the study of early heart differentiation. Methodology/Principal Findings: High performance liquid chromatography of newborn rat heart extracts indicated that OT-GKR was a dominant form of OT. Immunocytochemistry of mouse embryos (embryonic day 15) showed cardiac OT-GKR accumulation and OTR expression. Computerized molecular modeling revealed OT-GKR docking to active OTR sites and to V1a receptor of vasopressin. In embryonic P19 cells, OT-GKR induced contracting cell colonies and ventricular CM markers more potently than OT, an effect being suppressed by OT antagonists and OTR-specific small interfering (si) RNA. The V1a receptor antagonist and specific si-RNA also significantly reduced OT-GKR-stimulated P19 contracting cells. In comparison to OT, OT-GKR induced in P19 cells less a-actinin, myogenin and MyoD mRNA, skeletal muscle markers. Conclusions/Significance: These results raise the possibility that C-terminally extended OT molecules stimulate C

Satisfaction level of health service on the neurological ward

Wstęp. Pomiar poziomu satysfakcji z usług medycznych jest najczęściej stosowanym wskaźnikiem, który ma istotne znaczenie dla jakości oferowanej opieki. Celem niniejszej pracy była ocena poziomu satysfakcji z usług medycznych wśród pacjentów po udarze mózgu leczonych na oddziale neurologii, a ponadto poznanie opinii zespołu pielęgniarskiego dotyczących swoich świadczeń wykonywanych na tym oddziale. Materiał i metody. Badaniami objęto 50 pacjentów po udarze mózgu leczonych w Klinice i Katedrze Neurologii z Oddziałem Udarów Mózgu CM UMK w Bydgoszczy oraz grupę 25 osób personelu pielęgniarskiego z wyżej wymienionej jednostki. W pracy posłużono się metodą sondażu diagnostycznego, narzędziem badawczym był kwestionariusz ankiety. Wyniki i wnioski. Na podstawie otrzymanych wyników wysunięto następujące wnioski: 1) pacjenci pozytywnie oceniają pracę zespołu pielęgniarskiego w ponad 90%. Podobne opinie uzyskano ze strony personelu pielęgniarskiego; 2) pacjenci są zadowoleni z pracy personelu lekarskiego - oceny pozytywne kształtują się powyżej 80%; 3) stopień zadowolenia z ogólnej opieki medycznej podczas pobytu w klinice jest przez większość respondentów oceniany jako dobry; niższą ocenę dał zespół pielęgniarski.Introduction. Measurement of satisfaction level of health service is the most often used rate which is very significant for the quality of offered care. The aim of this work was the assessment of satisfaction level of health service among patients after strokes, treated at neurological ward, as well as getting to know the opinions of nursing team about their service at this ward. Material and methods. The researches were carried out on the group of 50 patients after strokes who were treated at the Department and Clinic of Neurology with a Stroke Ward at Collegium Medicum; Nicolas Copernicus University in Bydgoszcz as well as on the group of 25 nursing team from the already mentioned unit. Results and conclusion. On the basis of achieved results the following motions were put forward: 1) the patients assess positively the work of nursing team at more than 90%. The similar opinions were expressed by the nursing team; 2) the patients assess positively the work of doctors team; positive opinions are going around 80%; 3) the level of satisfaction of general medical care during stay in hospital is assessed by the majority of respondents as good. A lower assessment was made by nursing team

An analysis and evaluation of the WeFold collaborative for protein structure prediction and its pipelines in CASP11 and CASP12

Every two years groups worldwide participate in the Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction (CASP) experiment to blindly test the strengths and weaknesses of their computational methods. CASP has significantly advanced the field but many hurdles still remain, which may require new ideas and collaborations. In 2012 a web-based effort called WeFold, was initiated to promote collaboration within the CASP community and attract researchers from other fields to contribute new ideas to CASP. Members of the WeFold coopetition (cooperation and competition) participated in CASP as individual teams, but also shared components of their methods to create hybrid pipelines and actively contributed to this effort. We assert that the scale and diversity of integrative prediction pipelines could not have been achieved by any individual lab or even by any collaboration among a few partners. The models contributed by the participating groups and generated by the pipelines are publicly available at the WeFold website providing a wealth of data that remains to be tapped. Here, we analyze the results of the 2014 and 2016 pipelines showing improvements according to the CASP assessment as well as areas that require further adjustments and research

Opieka pielęgniarska w udarach mózgu

The aim of this work is to show contemporary concepts concerning the proper care, rehabilitation as well as health education of patients who had strokes and for their families. All nursing and rehabilitation activities, presented in this work, are aimed at increasing patients’ chances of survival, achieving better physical fitness and self-reliance. This work was based on researches survey and available literature. The verification of collected material helped the authors to assess the degree of knowledge concerning strokes of healthy patients as well as preparation of stroke patients to selfcare. Moreover, this work includes issues concerning health education. Widely propagated educational activities could help the patient to overcome fear and could help to take a positive attitude towards the illness and his own. Nursing Topics 2010; 1 (1): 83-88Celem niniejszej pracy jest przedstawienie współczesnych koncepcji dotyczących prawidłowego pielęgnowania, rehabilitacji oraz edukacji zdrowotnej pacjentów po udarze i ich rodzin. Wszystkie czynności pielęgnacyjno-rehabilitacyjne zaprezentowane w pracy mają na celu zwiększenie szansy chorego na przeżycie, uzyskanie lepszej sprawności, a także samodzielności. Praca powstała na podstawie przeglądu badań oraz dostępnej literatury. Weryfikacja zebranego materiału pozwoliła autorom ocenić, jaki stopień wiedzy na temat udaru mózgu mają pacjenci nieudarowi, a także jakie jest przygotowanie pacjentów po udarze do samoopieki. W pracy omówiono również zagadnienia dotyczące edukacji zdrowotnej. Szeroko propagowane działania edukacyjne pozwalają pacjentowi przezwyciężyć lęk i pozytywnie nastawić się do choroby. Problemy Pielęgniarstwa 2010; 1 (1): 83-8

Detection of the OT system in the E15 mouse embryo by immunocytochemistry.

<p>Somite staining with OT-GKR antibody (<b>A</b>) and selective antibodies for OT (<b>B</b>) and OTR (<b>C</b>). TUNEL reaction displaying apoptosis (<b>D</b>)<b>.</b> Control staining of somites with OT-GKR-specific antibody reabsorbed with OT-GKR (<b>E</b>) Control staining of whole embryo with OT-GKR-specific antibody reabsorbed with OT-GKR (<b>F</b>). Immunodetection of OT-GKR in the fetal mouse heart at day E15 (arrow) (<b>G</b>). Polyclonal rabbit antibody specifically recognizing OT-GKR peptide was applied to detect OT-GKR. Staining was revealed by the biotin-streptavidin method. Higher magnification of OT-GKR staining in the fetal heart (<b>H</b>). Immunofluorescence of OT-GKR (Texas Red) in cryostat sections section of cardiac tissue (stained green by troponin Alexa Fluor 488 antibody) by (<b>I</b>)<b>.</b> Immunodetection in the heart of OTR (<b>J</b>)<b>,</b> OT (<b>K</b>), AVP (<b>L</b>), and V1R (<b>M</b>)<b>.</b> Control staining with OT-GKR-specific antibody reabsorbed with OT-GKR (<b>N</b>).</p

RT-PCR analysis of GATA-4 (A), Mef2c (B), myogenin (C) and MyoD (D) transcripts in EC P19 cells induced by OT or OT-GKR in the presence or absence of OT antagonist (OTA).

<p>NI indicates non-induced controls.</p

Schematic structure of the OT-GKR-IRES-EGFP DNA construct.

<p>Abbreviations: CMV, cytomegalovirus; EGFP, enhanced green fluorescent protein; OT, oxytocin. (<b>A</b>) pcDNA3.1/Amp-OT-GKR-IRES-EGFP transfection to EC P19 cells stimulates the expression of green fluorescence (<b>B</b>) and produces OT-GKR protein marked with VA-18 antibody in red (Texas Red) <b>(C)</b>. Blue DAPI staining of cell nuclei (<b>D</b>) and merged photo (<b>E</b>). Time course of appearance of beating cell colonies in non-induced EC P19 cells transfected with OT-GKR-IRES-EGFP and in normal EC P19 cells stimulated with OT-GKR (10⁻⁶ M), and non-induced controls (NI) (<b>F</b>).</p

List of the OTR, V1aR residues, involved in the List of the OTR interactions with OT-GKR, and OT; * - AVP agonist binding site; ** - OTA antagonist binding site.

<p>List of the OTR, V1aR residues, involved in the List of the OTR interactions with OT-GKR, and OT; * - AVP agonist binding site; ** - OTA antagonist binding site.</p

Molecular docking of 3-D models of activated human OTR and V1aR with OT/OT-GKR peptides obtained by the MolDock Optimizer algorithm from Molegro Virtual Docker.

<p>(<b>A</b>) The front upright view position (side view) of the OTR-OT- GKR complex structure. (<b>A1</b>) The section (rectangle) shown in panel A1 from the top a intracellular view (i.e. rotation by 90° out of plane) of the marked section in A, demonstrate OT-GKR (green) in active conformation inside the OT binding site (the transmembrane helices in red and the cavity in violet). (<b>B</b>) side view of the V1aR-OT- GKR complex, (<b>B1</b>) V1aR top view. (<b>C1</b>) detail of docking view of OTR-OT-GKR complex, and (<b>C2</b>) detail of V1aR-OT-GKR complex. <b>D</b> displays the schematic model of human OTRs with marked amino acid residues that are putatively involved in ligand-binding. The amino acid residues in black circles have been proposed as OT docking sites, and the red bars represent docking sites of OT-GKR. (<b>E</b>) Schematic model of human vasopressin V1aR binding with OT-GKR and OT. Amino acid residues are identified by a 1-letter code in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0013643#pone-0013643-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>.</p