Sex and gender matter in all aspects of life. Humans exhibit sexual dimorphism in anatomy, physiology, but also pathology. Many of the differences are due to sex chromosomes and, thus, genetics, other due to endocrine factors such as sex hormones, some are of social origin. Over the past decades, huge number of scientific studies have revealed striking sex differences of the human brain with remarkable behavioral and cognitive consequences. Prenatal and postnatal testosterone influence brain structures and functions, respectively. Cognitive sex differences include especially certain spatial and language tasks, but they also affect many other aspects of the neurotypical brain. Sex differences of the brain are also relevant for the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, which are much more prevalent in the male population. Structural dimorphism in the human brain was welldescribed, but recent controversies now question its importance. On the other hand, solid evidence exists regarding gender differences in several brain functions. This review tries to summarize the current understanding of the complexity of the effects of testosterone on brain with special focus on their role in the known sex differences in healthy individuals and people in the autism spectrum.
This paper presents biological notes on two species of Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae that emerged from old spongy-woody galls of Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu, 1951 collected in Sicily (Italy) in April 2015: Leptophyes sicula Kleukers, Odé et Fontana, 2010 (Phaneropterinae) and Cyrtaspis scutata (Charpentier, 1825) (Meconematinae). Between the end of April and the first few days of May a total of 30 neanids emerged from the galls, were reared and their life-cycle recorded. While L. sicula laid eggs in groups, C. scutata laid single eggs inside the galls; both species in a few years have adapted to exploiting this new shelter for egg laying. No interaction with the gall inducing insect was noted., Giuliano Cerasa, Bruno Massa., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The 13th African Small Mammal Symposium (ASMS) was organized on September 16-21, 2019, at Mekelle University in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia. Starting in 1977, these symposia are organized every four years and since 2003 have been held in tropical Africa. The aim of the meetings is to promote communication among researchers and students interested in various aspects of the biology of African small mammals (mainly rodents, insectivores, bats, afrotherians, small carnivores and primates), which are significantly understudied in comparison with their larger relatives. In this editorial contribution, which introduces a special issue of Journal of Vertebrate Biology on African small mammals, we would like to briefly summarize the history of these meetings and to pinpoint the major trends in research on African small mammals, based on an analysis of the presentations at these meetings.
Fatty acid (FA) profiles as potentially relevant components of Crohn’s disease (CD) have been insufficiently analysed. We sought to explore the plasma profiles of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in newly diagnosed untreated active CD. We included 26 consecutive CD pediatric patients (<19 years) and 14 healthy controls (HCs). Disease characteristics, including inflammatory markers, dietary histories, and the Pediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (PCDAI), were obtained. The profiles of plasma FAs in plasma lipid classes were analysed by gas chromatography with FID detection of methyl esters. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein level and fecal calprotectin level (all p<0.001) were significantly higher in CD patients than in HCs. Most changes were observed in plasma phospholipids (PLs), such as a higher content of n-3 and changes in n-6 long-chain PUFAs in the CD group. The CD group had a lower ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs in PLs (p<0.001) and triacylglycerols (TAGs) (p<0.01). Correlations of the FA content in plasma PLs with disease activity scores of CD were also observed, which were positive for the sum of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) as well as oleic acid (18:1n-9) (both p<0.05). The metabolism of PUFAs is significantly altered even in treatment-naïve newly diagnosed active pediatric CD, and the content of major FAs in PLs correlates with disease activity and inflammatory markers, thus probably contributing to the still unclear early disease pathogenesis., Jan Schwarz, Marek Vecka, František Stožický, Renáta Pomahačová, Barbora Staňková, Eva Tvrzická, Marcela Kreslová, Romana Zahálková, Josef Sýkora., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) are the most common endocrinological diseases worldwide. Relation between these diseases explains several hypotheses. One of them is influence of some adipocytokines. This study evaluated association between three adipocytokines (adiponectin, resistin and visfatin) and thyroid and glycid status in patients with DM2 and AIT compared to the control group (CG). The group consisted of four subgroups: patients with DM2 without thyreopathies, patients with AIT on substitution therapy without diabetes and prediabetes, patients with DM2 and AIT on substitution therapy and healthy subjects as the CG. We investigated parameters of thyroid and glucose metabolism and serum levels of three adipocytokines. The mean level of resistin in the group of patients with diabetes and thyroiditis was significantly higher than in patients with thyroiditis without diabetes and than in the CG. We found a weak negative correlation between visfatin and fasting glucose levels in patients with thyroiditis without diabetes. We detected a weak negative correlation between resistin and glycated hemoglobin and a weak negative correlation between visfatin and thyroid gland volume in patients with diabetes without thyroiditis. In the CG we determined a weak positive correlation between visfatin and free thyroxin. Our results are consistent with several studies, which confirmed association between AIT and adipocytokines.
The aim was to investigate: changes of inflammatory, stress and
cardiac response in patients undergoing open heart surgeries up
to five days after the procedure; the association between
inflammatory, stress and cardiac response and whether changes
in a certain marker can predict short-term patient outcome.
Ninety patients were divided into three groups, 30 participants
each (on-pump, off-pump revascularization and valve
replacement group). The following markers were measured:
complete blood count, CRP, IL-6, IL-10, leptin, resistin, monocyte
chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), cortisol, CK and hsTnT in
5 points. Resistin increased in all three groups. Lower IL-10 levels
were found after the surgery and higher levels of leptin and MCP1 in the off-pump than in the on-pump group. Off-pump group
had higher values of IL-6, IL-10, leptin, resistin and MCP-1 and
lower levels of CK and hsTnT 24 after surgery than the on-pump
group. We found significant correlation between MCP-1 and
resistin. The difference between resistin at time points 2 and 3
significantly predicted transfusion needs; while the difference
between CRP and resistin before and at the end of the surgery
together with the difference between leukocytes at the end and
24 hours after the surgery predicted the use of inotropic
agents/vasopressors. Cardiac surgeries cause an increase of
inflammatory, stress and cardiac markers. Only resistin correlated
with MCP-1 which confirms the link between resistin secreted
form infiltrated macrophages and enhanced release of MCP-1.
Field observations in the northwest of Naein (Central Iran zone) indicate various types of alteration products have extended into pyroclastic and volcanic units with Oligo- miocene age. It seems the Zefreh (with NW- SE trend) and Kachumesqal (with E-W trend) faults are effective factors in the formation of Neysian and Barzavand copper deposits respectively. Alteration in Barzavand copper deposit (with stratabound form) includes pyritization, propylitization, zeolitization, saussuritization, uralitization and silicification, while in Neysian (with oval form) include phyllic, advanced argillic, argillic and propylitic. Geochemical studies in Barzavand show the positive correlation between (La/Lu)N, (La/Yb)N and (La/Sm)N and CaO (r= 0.70 to 0.96) related to propylitization of host rock basalt and increase in pH of fluids responsible for mineralization that play important role in differentiation of lanthanides in study area. The Barzavand copper deposit has submarine volcanism, diagenesis, burial metamorphism and weathering stages during its evolution. Remarkable geochemical features in Neysian include high (La/Lu)N, Ba and Sr values than La, Ce and Y. It seems that extensive alteration occurred along with hypogene and supergene processes in Neysian. According to alteration properties, mineralogy and the whole-rock geochemistry, the Barzavand and Neysian copper deposits are most similar to Manto- type and porphyry copper deposits respectively.
When insect herbivores develop over many generations on the same plant species, their descendants may evolve physiological adaptations that enable them to develop more successfully on that plant species than naïve conspecifics. Here, we compared development of wild and lab-reared caterpillars of the cabbage moth, Mamestra brassicae, on a cultivar of cabbage Brassica oleracea (cv. Cyrus) and on a wild plant species, sorrel, Rumex acetosa, on which the wild strain had been collected and reared for two earlier consecutive generations. The lab strain had been reared on the same cabbage cultivar for more than 20 years representing > 200 generations. Survival to adult did not vary with strain or plant species. Both strains, however, developed significantly faster when reared on R. acetosa than B. oleracea. Pupae from the field strain were larger when reared on B. oleracea than on R. acetosa, whereas the identity of the plant species did not matter for the lab strain. Our results show that long-term rearing history on cabbage had little or no effect on M. brassicae performance, suggesting that some generalist herbivores can readily exploit novel plants that may be chemically very different from those on which they have long been intimately associated., Jeffrey A. Harvey, Eke Hengeveld, Miriama Malcicka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The present nuclear and cell body diameter measurements demonstrated size differences of the approximate cell space estimate occupied by the cell nucleus during the cell differentiation in lymphocytic, granulocytic and erythroid cell lineages. These lineages were used as convenient models because all differentiation steps were easily identified and accessible in diagnostic peripheral blood or bone marrow smears of blood donors (BDs), patients suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and refractory anemia (RA) of the myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The cell space occupied by the nucleus was constant and did not change during the cell differentiation in the lymphocytic cell lineages of BDs and CLL patients despite the decreased cell size. In contrary, the cell space occupied by the nucleus markedly decreased in differentiating cells of granulocytic and erythroid lineages of patients suffering from CML. In the erythroid cell lineage in patients with RA of MDS the small reduction of the cell space occupied by the nucleus during the differentiation was not significant. The measurements also indicated that in progenitor cells of all studied cell lineages nuclei occupied more than 70 % of the cell space. Thus, the nucleus-cytoplasmic morphological and functional equilibrium appeared to be characteristic for each differentiation step and each specific cell lineage., Karel Smetana, Hana Klamová, Dana Mikulenková, Jaroslav Čermák, Petra Otevřelová, Josef Karban, Marek Trněný., and Obsahuje bibliografii