The levels of relaxin and amino acids play a critical role in women with variable degree of preparedness for labour

Underlying biochemical factors that contribute towards the preparedness for labour and ripening of the cervix remain largely unknown. We aimed to characterize metabolic and hormonal determinants that constitute the preparedness for labour in women. The aim of the research was to study the content of relaxin and amino acids involved in its formation in primiparous pregnant women with various degrees of birth preparedness. Materials and methods: Prospective study has been conducted on 115 primiparous women at 38-40 weeks of gestation. Biochemical methods were used to analyse relaxin and amino acid levels in pregnant women with varying degree of birth preparedness. Results: the obtained data from the study indicate importance role of relaxin in the underlying pathogenesis in women with variable degree of preparedness for labour. The results allow to use the levels of relaxin serum as a predictor of the state of the birth canal. Furthermore, the amino acids are known to participate in various critical metabolic processes and play an important role is orchestrating many essential pathways in the body. We present the analysis of amino acids involved in the formation of relaxin in the serum of pregnant women. Our analysis has shown that amino acid imbalance leads to disruption of energy metabolism and blood flow rate, resulting in metabolic, structural and functional changes in the cervix at the onset of labour. Conclusion: considering the mechanisms of the possible influence of relaxin and amino acids on the cervical ripening, we concluded that correcting amino acid imbalance and normalising relaxin levels should be included in preinduction of labour therapeutic regimen. This would be an important step in improving the perinatal outcome

Family environment and inclination to aggressive behavior in children of younger school age.

The aim of this study was to examine the differences in parental attitudes, different forms of parental agression and tosee what type of enviormental conditions that are common for kids behaving agressively. Based on interviews the children were put into the following groups, pepretrators, victims accomplices observators and the rest not fulfilling any of these criteria.The parental attitudes were measured with the parental attitude scale by M. Plopy and the different forms of agression was measured with the agression questionaire by Buss and Plomin and the living conditions were measured by surveys.On the outset of this project we believed there might be a link between, parental attitudes, agressive parents and a common enviorment which the kids were brought up in.The studies confirmed the association between the severity of stressors in the form of chronic illness in the family and the child receiving the role of victim or aggressor.The studies did not show that the family s wealth nor the time spent with the child had any influence on its on role as victim or agressor.The testing partially confirmed the hypothesis assuming correlation between paretns and the attitudes of the children, namely, significant differences between groups of parents were shown in the protecting Excessive Stance, Stance Excessive requirements, and the Stance of Autonomy. There were no differences in the Acceptance-Rejection Stance and inconsistencies in the impact of gender and children as a factor differentiating the parental attitude.It was not proved that the common types of agression transmitted by the parents had an influence on the children.The only factor that was found as influencing the agression was when the mothers were diagnozed as suspicous.It was established that long term ilness in the family has an influence on the level of agression. Futhermore it was concluded that the stances overly protective and overly demanding had a correlation with augmented levels of agression.The autonomy' attitude varied between the childrens gender. The higher scores on a scale of parental autonomy, the greater the perpetration of aggression among both boys and girls. The results of the same mothers were similar. However the results of the fathers differed in the groups of boys and girls. Higher scores on the scale of autonomy of the fathers were associated with more aggressive behavior among boys, but did not differ among groups of girls, that is, the higher the autonomy of the fathers of the higher level of aggression in boys but not girls.Based on the results can therefore be concluded that the aggressive behavior of children is affected, inter alia, Overly Demanding attitude of parents (especially mothers), the attitude of excessively protecting both parents and the attitude of the personal autonomy The hypothesis assuming the relationship between different forms of aggression in parents and aggressive tendencies in children has been confirmed only in the scale of VI Suspicion, and detailed hypotheses related to the scales: Attack ( Verbal Aggression, and Indirect Aggression assuming their impact on children's behavior in context of aggression have not been confirmed.Celem pracy było zbadanie różnic w postawach rodzicielskich, różnych formam agresji rodziców i wybranych warunków środowiska rodzinnego, pomiędzy grupami dzieci poklasyfikowanych ze względu na zachowania w kontekście agresji. Na podstawie wywiadu, dzieci zaklasyfikowano do następujących grup: Sprawcy, Ofiary, Sprawco-ofiary oraz Obserwatorzy, i dzieci „Pozostałe” nie spełniające kryteriów przynależności do grup.Postawy rodzicielskie zbadano za pomocą Skali Postaw Rodzicielskich M. Plopy, różne formy agresji u rodzicó1)w mierzono za pomocą Kwestionariusza Nastroje i Humory Bussa i Plomina, natomiast środowisko rodzinne weryfikowano za pomocą pytań z ankiety.W hipotezach założono związek postaw rodzicielskich, agresywności rodziców oraz wybranych cech kontekstu rodzinnego z agresją u dzieci.W badaniach potwierdzono związek pomiędzy nasileniem stresorów w postaci choroby przewlekłej w rodzinie, a przyjmowaniem przez dziecko roli ofiary lub agresora.Nie potwierdziły się natomiast hipotezy zakładające związek takich zmiennych, jak sytuacja materialna oraz długość czasu spędzanego z dzieckiem z postawami agresywnymi dzieci. Częściowo potwierdziła się hipoteza zakładająca związek postaw rodzicielskich z zachowaniem dzieci, a mianowicie istotne różnice pomiędzy grupami rodziców wykazano w Postawie Nadmiernego Ochraniania, Postawie Nadmiernego Wymagania, oraz w Postawie Autonomii. Nie stwierdzono różnic w Postawie Akceptacja-Odrzucenie i Niekonsekwencji oraz we wpływie płci dzieci jako czynniku różnicującym postawy rodzicielskie.Nie stwierdzono także związku pomiędzy wybranymi formami agresji rodziców, a agresywnością u dzieci. Jedynie wyniki matek w skali Podejrzliwość miały związek z zachowaniem agresywnym dzieci.Główne wnioski płynące z badań są takie iż, stres w postaci obecności choroby przewlekłej w rodzinie ma związek z agresją u dzieci, co może być inspiracją do szerszych badań w tym temacie. Potwierdziły się założenia postawy Nadmierne Ochranianie i Nadmierne Wymaganie częściej występuje u rodziców dzieci określanych jako Sprawcy, czyli można stwierdzić, że postawy te wpływają na występowanie agresji u dzieci. Postawa Autonomii okazała się różnić ze względu na płeć dzieci. Im wyższe wyniki w skali Autonomia u rodziców, tym większe sprawstwo agresji zarówno wśród chłopców, jak i u dziewczynek. Wyniki samych matek okazały się analogiczne. Natomiast wyniki ojców różniły się w grupach chłopców i dziewczynek. Wyższe wyniki ojców w skali Autonomia miały związek z większą ilością zachowań agresywnych wśród chłopców, ale nie różnił się wśród grup dziewczynek, czyli im wyższa autonomia u ojców tym wyższy poziom agresji u chłopców, ale nie u dziewczynek.Na podstawie wyników można zatem stwierdzić, że na zachowanie agresywne dzieci mają wpływ między innymi postawa Nadmiernie Wymagająca rodziców, (a szczególnie matek), postawa Nadmiernie Ochraniająca obojga rodziców oraz postawa Autonomii. Hipoteza zakładająca związek pomiędzy różnymi formami agresji u rodziców, a tendencjami agresywnymi u dzieci została potwierdzona jedynie w zakresie skali VI Podejrzliwość, natomiast hipotezy szczegółowe związane ze skalami: Atak (jako agresja fizyczna), Agresja Słowna i Agresja Pośrednia zakładające ich wpływ na zachowania dzieci w kontekście agresji nie zostały potwierdzone

Comparative genomics reveals high biological diversity and specific adaptations in the industrially and medically important fungal genus Aspergillus.

BackgroundThe fungal genus Aspergillus is of critical importance to humankind. Species include those with industrial applications, important pathogens of humans, animals and crops, a source of potent carcinogenic contaminants of food, and an important genetic model. The genome sequences of eight aspergilli have already been explored to investigate aspects of fungal biology, raising questions about evolution and specialization within this genus.ResultsWe have generated genome sequences for ten novel, highly diverse Aspergillus species and compared these in detail to sister and more distant genera. Comparative studies of key aspects of fungal biology, including primary and secondary metabolism, stress response, biomass degradation, and signal transduction, revealed both conservation and diversity among the species. Observed genomic differences were validated with experimental studies. This revealed several highlights, such as the potential for sex in asexual species, organic acid production genes being a key feature of black aspergilli, alternative approaches for degrading plant biomass, and indications for the genetic basis of stress response. A genome-wide phylogenetic analysis demonstrated in detail the relationship of the newly genome sequenced species with other aspergilli.ConclusionsMany aspects of biological differences between fungal species cannot be explained by current knowledge obtained from genome sequences. The comparative genomics and experimental study, presented here, allows for the first time a genus-wide view of the biological diversity of the aspergilli and in many, but not all, cases linked genome differences to phenotype. Insights gained could be exploited for biotechnological and medical applications of fungi