Altered Ultrasonic Vocalization and Impaired Learning and Memory in Angelman Syndrome Mouse Model with a Large Maternal Deletion from Ube3a to Gabrb3

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurobehavioral disorder associated with mental retardation, absence of language development, characteristic electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities and epilepsy, happy disposition, movement or balance disorders, and autistic behaviors. The molecular defects underlying AS are heterogeneous, including large maternal deletions of chromosome 15q11–q13 (70%), paternal uniparental disomy (UPD) of chromosome 15 (5%), imprinting mutations (rare), and mutations in the E6-AP ubiquitin ligase gene UBE3A (15%). Although patients with UBE3A mutations have a wide spectrum of neurological phenotypes, their features are usually milder than AS patients with deletions of 15q11–q13. Using a chromosomal engineering strategy, we generated mutant mice with a 1.6-Mb chromosomal deletion from Ube3a to Gabrb3, which inactivated the Ube3a and Gabrb3 genes and deleted the Atp10a gene. Homozygous deletion mutant mice died in the perinatal period due to a cleft palate resulting from the null mutation in Gabrb3 gene. Mice with a maternal deletion (m−/p+) were viable and did not have any obvious developmental defects. Expression analysis of the maternal and paternal deletion mice confirmed that the Ube3a gene is maternally expressed in brain, and showed that the Atp10a and Gabrb3 genes are biallelically expressed in all brain sub-regions studied. Maternal (m−/p+), but not paternal (m+/p−), deletion mice had increased spontaneous seizure activity and abnormal EEG. Extensive behavioral analyses revealed significant impairment in motor function, learning and memory tasks, and anxiety-related measures assayed in the light-dark box in maternal deletion but not paternal deletion mice. Ultrasonic vocalization (USV) recording in newborns revealed that maternal deletion pups emitted significantly more USVs than wild-type littermates. The increased USV in maternal deletion mice suggests abnormal signaling behavior between mothers and pups that may reflect abnormal communication behaviors in human AS patients. Thus, mutant mice with a maternal deletion from Ube3a to Gabrb3 provide an AS mouse model that is molecularly more similar to the contiguous gene deletion form of AS in humans than mice with Ube3a mutation alone. These mice will be valuable for future comparative studies to mice with maternal deficiency of Ube3a alone

Analiza świadomości i postaw polskich konsumentów wobec GMO w świetle badań ankietowych

The aim of the study was to determine the awareness and attitudes of Polish consumers towards GMO. The study was conducted among 202 respondents living in big cities and smaller towns and villages, using a survey questionnaire, made available online and in paper from. Analysis of the results showed that all respondents knew the term of "genetically modified organisms", but their level of awareness about GMOs was rather limited. Despite knowledge of the risks of genetic engineering threats, respondents declared that they not look for GMO-free products on the market and are willing to believe in producers’ ensuring of the safety of GMOs for health. In addition, available studies on the negative impact on laboratory animals and the environment of transgenic organisms do not affect their decision of food choices. Consequently, in order to raise consumer awareness of GMOs, it is necessary to broaden and intensify educational activities on the impact of transgenic organisms on health and the environment as well as on healthy nutrition, free from GMO-containing products.Celem badania było określenie świadomości i postaw polskich konsumentów dotyczących GMO. Badanie przeprowadzono wśród 202 respondentów mieszkających w dużych miastach i mniejszych miejscowościach oraz na wsi, przy użyciu kwestionariusza ankiety, udostępnionego w formie internetowej oraz papierowej. Analiza uzyskanych wyników pozwoliła na stwierdzenie, że wszyscy respondenci znali pojęcie „organizmy modyfikowane genetycznie”, jednak ich poziom świadomo- ści dotyczący GMO był dość ograniczony. Pomimo wiedzy na temat ryzyka zagrożeń ze strony inżynierii genetycznej, respondenci deklarowali, że nie szukają na rynku produktów bez GMO i są gotowi wierzyć w zapewnienia producentów o nieszkodliwości GMO dla zdrowia. Ponadto dostępne wyniki badań dotyczące negatywnego oddziaływania na zwierzęta laboratoryjne i środowisko organizmów transgenicznych nie wywierają wpływu na ich decyzje dotyczące wyboru żywności. Dlatego w celu podniesienia poziomu świadomości konsumentów w zakresie GMO należy poszerzać i intensyfikować działania edukacyjne dotyczące wpływu organizmów transgenicznych na zdrowie i środowisko, jak również na temat zdrowego żywienia, wolnego od produktów zawierających GMO

Relationship between lower limb position and pelvic floor muscle surface electromyography activity in menopausal women: a prospective observational study

Tomasz Halski,1 Kuba Ptaszkowski,2 Lucyna Słupska,1 Robert Dymarek,3 Małgorzata Paprocka-Borowicz2 1Department of Physiotherapy, Opole Medical School, Opole, 2Department of Clinical Biomechanics and Physiotherapy in Motor System Disorders, 3Department of Nervous System Diseases, Faculty of Health Science, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland Objectives: In physiotherapeutic practice, special attention is being given to the reciprocal anatomical, physiological, and biomechanical relationship of the pelvis and the structures connected to it. However, the scientific literature shows mainly the theoretical information about their mutual connections. The lack of information about these relations from a practical aspect coupled with the paucity of scientific papers on the impact of posture changes on the pelvic floor led the authors to conduct this study. The primary aim of this study was to compare the resting and functional bioelectrical activities of pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) depending on three different positions of the lower limbs (positions A, B, and C) in the supine position.Materials and methods: This was a prospective observational study evaluating resting and functional activities of the PFM depending on the position of the lower limbs. The study was carried out at the Department and Clinic of Urology, University Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland and the target group were women in the menopausal period. Bioelectrical activity of PFM was recorded using a surface electromyographic instrument in the supine position. Results of the values obtained in A, B, and C positions were compared using a one-way analysis of variance.Results: In position A, the average resting surface electromyography (sEMG) activity of PFM was 6.9±2.6 µV; in position B, the result was 6.9±2.5 µV and in position C, the resting sEMG activity was 5.7±1.8 µV (P=0.0102). The results of the functional bioelectrical activity of PFM were as follows: position A – 20.3±11.8 µV, position B – 19.9±10.6 µV, and position C – 25.3±10.9 µV (P=0.0104).Conclusion: The results showed that in the supine position, the PFM achieved the lowest resting activity and the highest functional activity. Therefore, the supine position can be recommended for the diagnosis and therapy of weakened PFM. Keywords: pelvic floor muscles, menopause, surface electromyography, synergistic muscl

Toxicity of parasites and their unconventional use in medicine

Introduction. Over 300 species of parasites can possibly be passed on humans. Most of the parasitic infections are defined based on their pathogenicity; however, some positive effects of a parasite existence within the human body have recently been suggested. Beneficial outcomes of parasite infections might result from the production and release of metabolites, modification of host immune response or products uptake of the host. Objective. The aim of the study was a comprehensive analysis of a wide range of effects of parasites on the human body, including an overview of the toxic and positive effects. State of knowledge. In the light of the latest research presenting the unconventional use of parasites in medicine, the widely understood of their impact on the human body can also be considered in a positive context. Clinical cases from diseases caused by the toxic effects of parasites, as described in recent years, indicate that the problem of parasitic infections still persists. Despite a great deal of knowledge about the toxic effects of parasites on the human organism and, above all, despite the improvement in sanitary conditions, there is a resurgence of parasitic infections, as evidenced, e.g. by the examples presented in this review. Conclusions. The examples of positive effects of parasites presented so far give hope for the future in terms of fighting many diseases for which pharmacological treatment has not yet brought a positive effect. A better understanding of those processes might lead to the development of new methods of unconventional medical treatment

Assessment of bioelectrical activity of synergistic muscles during pelvic floor muscles activation in postmenopausal women with and without stress urinary incontinence: a preliminary observational study

Kuba Ptaszkowski,1 Małgorzata Paprocka-Borowicz,2 Lucyna Słupska,2 Janusz Bartnicki,1,3 Robert Dymarek,4 Joanna Rosińczuk,4 Jerzy Heimrath,5 Janusz Dembowski,6 Romuald Zdrojowy6 1Department of Obstetrics, 2Department of Clinical Biomechanics and Physiotherapy in Motor System Disorders, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Health Center Bitterfeld/Wolfen gGmbH, Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany; 4Department of Nervous System Diseases, 5Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Health Science, 6Department and Clinic of Urology, Faculty of Postgraduate Medical Training, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland Objective: Muscles such as adductor magnus (AM), gluteus maximus (GM), rectus abdominis (RA), and abdominal external and internal oblique muscles are considered to play an important role in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and the relationship between contraction of these muscles and pelvic floor muscles (PFM) has been established in previous studies. Synergistic muscle activation intensifies a woman’s ability to contract the PFM. In some cases, even for continent women, it is not possible to fully contract their PFM without involving the synergistic muscles. The primary aim of this study was to assess the surface electromyographic activity of synergistic muscles to PFM (SPFM) during resting and functional PFM activation in postmenopausal women with and without SUI.Materials and methods: This study was a preliminary, prospective, cross-sectional observational study and included volunteers and patients who visited the Department and Clinic of Urology, University Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland. Forty-two patients participated in the study and were screened for eligibility criteria. Thirty participants satisfied the criteria and were categorized into two groups: women with SUI (n=16) and continent women (n=14). The bioelectrical activity of PFM and SPFM (AM, RA, GM) was recorded with a surface electromyographic instrument in a standing position during resting and functional PFM activity.Results: Bioelectrical activity of RA was significantly higher in the incontinent group than in the continent group. These results concern the RA activity during resting and functional PFM activity. The results for other muscles showed no significant difference in bioelectrical activity between groups.Conclusion: In women with SUI, during the isolated activation of PFM, an increased synergistic activity of RA muscle was observed; however, this activity was not observed in asymptomatic women. This may indicate the important accessory contribution of these muscles in the mechanism of continence. Keywords: pelvic floor muscles, postmenopausal period, stress urinary incontinence, surface electromyography, synergistic muscl

Probing behavior of Aphis fabae and Myzus persicae on three species of grapevines with analysis of grapevine leaf anatomy and allelochemicals

AbstractThe peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and the black bean aphid Aphis fabae Scopoli are polyphagous and cosmopolitan hemipterans, therefore they can infest grapevines in all areas of cultivation. Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) technique was applied to monitor the probing behavior of A. fabae and M. persicae on Vitis amurensis Rupr., Vitis riparia Michaux, and Vitis vinifera L. The content of major flavonoids and stilbenoids in grapevine leaves and epidermal thickness, distance between abaxial leaf surface and phloem, and the simulated shortest pathway from epidermis to phloem that might have affected aphid probing were also analyzed. Aphid probing was limited mainly to non-vascular tissues on the three studied grapevine species. Phloem phase occurred in 32%, 14%, and 6% of A. fabae and in 76%, 39%, and 74% of M. persicae on V. amurensis, V. riparia and V. vinifera, respectively. Phloem phase consisted of only salivation into sieve elements and lasted less than 2.5 minutes on average in all aphids. The time to reach the first phloem phase on grapevines was 5.0 hours in A. fabae and 2.6–3.6 hours in M. persicae. Of the analyzed flavonoids, catechin, epicatechin, and quercetin occurred in all grapevine species, while rutin – in V. amurensis and V. riparia and isorhamnetin only in V. amurensis. Of the analyzed stilbenoids, piceid occurred in all grapevines, resveratrol in V. amurensis and V. vinifera, and ε-viniferin only in V. vinifera. Aphid behavior demonstrated that V. amurensis, V. riparia and V. vinifera are not attractive host plants to A. fabae and M. persicae. It is likely that the content of flavonoids and stilbenoids contributes to the limited susceptibility of the three grapevine species to A. fabae and M. persicae, while the observed slight differences in the anatomical structure of the leaves seem not significant in this context