Zygmunt FRAJZYNGIER, A Dictionary of Mupun. (Sprache und Oralitat in Afrika, 11) Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag, 1991, 102 pp., DM 65.

Review of Zygmunt FRAJZYNGIER, A Dictionary of Mupun. (Sprache und Oralitat in Afrika, 11) Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag, 1991, 102 pp., DM 65

Joseph McINTYRE, Hilke Meyer-Bahlburg (assisted by Ahmed Tijani Lawai), Hausa in the Media. A Lexical Guide. Hamburg: Helmut Buske Verlag, 1991, 289 pp.

Review of Joseph McINTYRE, Hilke Meyer-Bahlburg (assisted by Ahmed Tijani Lawai), Hausa in the Media. A Lexical Guide. Hamburg: Helmut Buske Verlag, 1991, 289 pp

History of the Dagomba Kingdom in some Hausa ajami manuscripts

The aim of this paper is to present and describe some sources on the Dagomba history in the Hausa Ajami manuscripts. According to oral tradition, the kingdoms of Dagomba and Mamprusi in present-day north-eastern Ghana should have come into being in the 15th century. It is commonly accepted that their founder was a certain Na Gbewa (spelled also Na Bawa) and his two sons. After they had quarelled, they separated and gave rise to two kingdoms which were independent from each other. In the end of the 16th century those states were conquered by Gbanya warriors of Mande origin who a little earlier had founded the Gonja kingdom. Until the 18th century the Gbanya exercised control over the Dagomba people. They imposed a sort of levy upon them, and had also a considerable influence on the internal matters of the Dagomba kingdom

Paul NEWMAN, Nominal and Verbal Plurality in Chadic. (Publications in African Languages and Linguistics, 12). Dordrecht: Foris Publications, 1990,164 pp.

Review of Paul NEWMAN, Nominal and Verbal Plurality in Chadic. (Publications in African Languages and Linguistics, 12). Dordrecht: Foris Publications, 1990,164 pp

Hans G. MUKAROVSKY (ed.), Proceedings of the Fifth International Hamito-Semitic Congress. (Veröffentlichungen der Institute für Afrikanistik und Egiptologie der Universität Wien, 56-57) Wien: Afro-Pub 1991,Volumes I (274 pp.) and II (344 pp.), AS 850.

Review of Hans G. MUKAROVSKY (ed.), Proceedings of the Fifth International Hamito-Semitic Congress. (Veröffentlichungen der Institute für Afrikanistik und Egiptologie der Universität Wien, 56-57) Wien: Afro-Pub 1991,Volumes I (274 pp.) and II (344 pp.), AS 850

Trudności diagnostyki pierwotnego aldosteronizmu - analiza materiału własnego

Introduction: During the last few years, increasing evidence suggests that primary aldosteronism is the cause of over 10% of arterial hypertension (AH). There are no "gold standard" methods for PA screening. The aim of study was plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), and ARR assessment as criteria for diagnosis of PA and their usefulness in clinical practice. Material and methods: Eighty-one consecutive patients were admitted for diagnosis of primary aldosteronism: 51 women and 30 men, aged 31-69 years. In each patient, PAC and PRA were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. In 65 patients, urine concentration of catecholamine metabolites was assayed, and in 51 patients, diagnostics for hypercortisolaemia was carried out. In patients with adrenal incidentaloma, 16-row computer tomography was performed. Results: The proportion of patients with PAC over 150 pg/ml was 35% (n = 28). The number of patients with PRA under 0.07 ng/ml/h was 19 (n = 15). The ratio of patients whose values of ARR exceeded over 20, 30, 40, 50, and 180 were 55, 47, 37, 28, and 15%, respectively. Conclusions: The most common indication for primary screening was the presence of incidentally found adrenal mass. The quotient of plasma aldosterone concentration/plasma renin activity at whichever cut-off point is not effective enough for the selection of patients for further diagnostics or its cessation. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (1): 2-5)Wstęp: W kilku ostatnich latach pojawiła się znaczna liczba doniesień sugerujących, że pierwotny aldosteronizm stanowi przyczynę ponad 10% przypadków nadciśnienia tętniczego (AH, arterial hypertension). Nie dysponujemy obecnie metodami skriningowymi pierwotnego aldosteronizmu (PA, primary aldosteronism), które można uznać za "złoty standard". Celem pracy była ocena reninowej aktywności osocza (PRA, plasma renin activity), stężenia aldosteronu w osoczu (PAC, plasma aldosterone concentration), wskaźnika aldosteron&#8211;renina (ARR, aldosterone&#8211;renin ratio) jako kryteriów rozpoznania PA i określenie ich przydatności w praktyce klinicznej. Materiał i metody: W badaniu wzięło udział 81 kolejnych pacjentów przyjetych w celu diagostyki PA: 51 kobiet i 30 mężczyzn w wieku 31-69 lat. U każdego chorego oznaczono PAC i PRA metodą radioimmunologiczną. U 65 pacjentów określono stężenie metabolitów katecholamin w moczu. U 51 przeprowadzono diagnostykę w kierunku hiperkortyzolemii. U pacjentów z incidentaloma nadnerczy wykonano 16-rzędową tomografię komputerową. Wyniki: Odsetek pacjentów z PAC > 150 pg/ml wynosił 35% (n = 28), zaś z PRA < 0,07 ng/ml/h 19% (n = 15). Wartości ARR przekraczające kolejne punkty odcięcia 20, 30, 40, 50 i 180 stwierdzono u odpowiednio 55, 47, 37, 28 i 15% badanych. Wnioski: Najczęstszym wskazaniem do skriningu w kierunku pierwotnego aldosteronizmu stanowiła obecność przypadkowo wykrytego guza nadnerczy. Iloraz aldosteronemii do aktywności reninowej osocza, bez względu na przyjęty punkt odcięcia, nie stanowi wystarczającego kryterium, będącego podstawą do prowadzenia dalszej diagnostyki lub jej zaniechania. (Endokrynol Pol 2010; 61 (1): 2-5

Exercise-related changes in the anabolic index (testosterone to cortisol ratio) and serum amyloid A concentration in endurance and racehorses at different fitness levels

Increased training loads in both human and equine athletes are generally implemented to improve their physical performance. These loads are tolerated only within appropriate training periodization with regard to recovery time. Otherwise, training overload causes failure in the systemic adaptation, which at first leads to overreaching, and progressively to overtraining syndrome (OTS). Exercise endocrinology, and anabolic/catabolic balance as an indicator of athlete performance status and OTS has continued to attract attention. In human medicine, changes in testosterone and cortisol levels, as well as the testosterone to cortisol ratio (T/C; anabolic index), are suggested to be sensitive stress markers. However, there is a lack of research investigating these parameters for use in equine sports medicine. The aim of the study was to investigate the differences in testosterone, cortisol, and T/C in response to a single training session in two types of equine sports: endurance and race, together with serum amyloid A (SAA), the main acute phase response indicator of physical effort, and the overall health status in horses. Two groups of horses were enrolled in the study: endurance (n = 12) and racehorses (n = 32) of different fitness level. Blood samples were obtained before and after the exercise. On average, T increased 2.5 times after the race training in experienced racehorses and dropped in endurance horses regardless the fitness level (p &lt; 0.05). In endurance horses, a decrease in T/C occurred after training in inexperienced horses (p &lt; 0.05). In racehorses, a T/C decrease occurred in the inexperienced group (p &lt; 0.05) and an increase in the experienced (p &lt; 0.01). In conclusion, T/C ratio was found to be a potentially reliable indicator of fitness status especially in racing horses. These findings provide insight into the physiological response of the horses to different types of exercise and the potential use of hormone levels as markers of performance and adaptation

Stress Response after Race and Endurance Training Sessions and Competitions in Arabian Horses

Assuring a high level of animal welfare is a critical aspect of contemporary animal husbandry. Equine athletes begin their careers at a very young age when they are still developing and they are both physically and mentally immature. Lack of scientific knowledge of the stress related to horse racing impedes the development of optimal training programs to attain equilibrium between the best sport results and optimal welfare. This study aimed to determine the influence of the intensity and type of physical activity on peripheral blood cortisol concentration. Thirty untrained Arabians, 9 endurance and 21 race horses were enrolled in this longitudinal study. Blood samples were analysed every 3-weeks in 4 training sessions and 2 races in racing horses and monthly after 2 training sessions and 1 competition in endurance horses. Cortisol concentration was measured at rest and 30 min. after physical effort. Racing horses were divided into two groups of the best and the worst performers. Cortisol concentration increased significantly after training and competition, however both in racing and endurance horses the increase was more intensive after competition. In the racing horses, cortisol concentration tended to gradually increase after the subsequent trainings during the racing season, however the starting gate did not appear to exert any impact on cortisol concentration. The best performing race horses appeared to have a lesser increase in cortisol concentration after the race than the worst performing horses, however the cortisol concentration after the race was not significantly different between these two groups of horses. This study suggests that an optimal training program can induce a stress response which is likely not to have any harmful impact on an athlete’s welfare. The more intense effort associated with competition events, both in race and endurance horses, results in a greater stress response, indicating that these kinds of events should be limited to assure animal welfare. Finally, better performance horses adapt more readily to physical activity as they experience less increase of serum cortisol concentration after the race

African Linguistics in Central and Eastern Europe, and in the Nordic Countries

Non peer reviewe