The Dependence of Electrode Impedance on the Number of Performed EEG Examinations.

In clinical practice, it is recommended to employ reusable electrodes for the registration of brain waves. Before registering EEG signals, the EEG technician checks the condition of all the electrodes, i.e., the occurrence of mechanical damage and the color of the electrode coating. It should be noticed that there is still no information on the permissible number of EEG examinations performed with one set of electrodes. After placement of the electrodes on the patient's head, the scalp-electrode impedance is measured with the use of EEG equipment. When the scalp-electrode impedance achieves a value above 5 kΩ, it is necessary to replace the given electrode or to re-execute skin abrasion. The Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) method was used in order to estimate the permissible number of EEG examinations performed with one set of electrodes. Ten new reusable electrodes were tested. Then, the tests were repeated after subsequent uses of those electrodes. The conducted tests led us to the conclusion that the permissible number of examinations performed with one set of electrodes is up to twenty except for the gold electrodes for which it is up to ten. Furthermore, the use of the EIS method revealed variability of impedance in the case of new electrodes.

How many enzyme molecules are needed for discrimination oriented applications?

Chemical reactions establish a molecular mechanism for information processing in living organisms. Here we consider a simple enzymatic reaction model that can be used to discriminate parameters characterizing periodic reagent inflow. Numerical simulations based on the kinetic equations show that there exist a range of inflow frequencies and amplitudes in which the time evolution of the system is very sensitive to small changes in the values of these parameters. However, the kinetic equations are derived for the thermodynamic limit, whereas in a real biological medium, like a cell, the number of enzyme molecules is an integer and finite. We use stochastic simulations to estimate discriminator reliability as a function of the number of enzyme molecules involved. For systems with 10 000 molecules the functionality predicted by kinetic equations is confirmed. If the number of molecules is decreased to 100, discrimination becomes unreliable.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease diagnosed in utero. Review.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of most common inherited renal diseases. It is estimated that very early onset ADPKD affects even 2% patients. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of genetics, prenatal diagnosis and prognosis in very early onset autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Role of First Trimester Screening Biochemical Markers to Predict Hypertensive Pregnancy Disorders and SGA Neonates-A Narrative Review.

Early recognition of high-risk pregnancies through biochemical markers may promote antenatal surveillance, resulting in improved pregnancy outcomes. The goal of this study is to evaluate the possibilities of using biochemical markers during the first trimester of pregnancy in the prediction of hypertensive pregnancy disorders (HPD) and the delivery of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates. A comprehensive search was conducted on key databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, for articles relating to the use of biochemical markers in the prediction of HPD and SGA. The findings show that changes in the levels of biomarkers in the early pregnancy phases could be an important indicator of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The literature shows that low PAPP-A (pregnancy-associated plasma protein A) and PlGF (placental growth factor) levels, low alkaline phosphatase (AP), higher sFlt-1 (soluble fms-like Tyrosine Kinase-1) levels, higher AFP (alfa fetoprotein) levels, and elevated levels of inflammatory markers such as ß-HGC (free beta human chorionic gonadotropin), interferon-gamma (INF-γ), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) may be associated with risks including the onset of HPD, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and delivery of SGA neonates. Comparatively, PAPP-A and PlGF appear to be the most important biochemical markers for the prediction of SGA and HPD.

ICTP concentration in cervical-vaginal fluid as a potential marker of membrane collagen degradation before labor.

OBJECTIVES: Numerous physical and chemical processes lead to rupture of membranes. Within the fetal membranes there are numerous types of metalloproteinases, which cause collagen type I degradation. The C-terminal telopeptide of colagen type I (ICTP) is the breakdown product of type I collagen. The aim of the study was to determine whether ICTP is secreted into the vaginal-cervical fluid (VCF) in the case of physiological rupture of the membranes of the fetus before delivery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in March 2021 at the Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland. Twenty-three cases were included in the study. During routine gynecological examination with the use of specula, VCF was collected twice in a volume of 50 µL. The obtained material was then subjected to enzyme immunoassay using the Human C-telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) ELISA Kit (Catalog Number. CSB-E10363h). The concentration of ICTP in the sample was calibrated. The concentration range that the device can detect was 25 ng /mL-800 ng/mL. RESULTS: The presence of ICTP in the VCF was confirmed. The minimum concentration was 43.72 ng/mL, the maximum was 762.59, in five cases the concentration was outside the maximum scale of the device. CONCLUSIONS: ICTP was confirmed in the VCF of pregnant women before physiological delivery. Further studies are required to accurately evaluate ICTP as a marker of the processes of collagen degradation in fetal membranes in the mechanism of physiological labor and premature rupture of the membranes.

Ultrasonographic Signs of Cytomegalovirus Infection in the Fetus-A Systematic Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection during pregnancy is a significant risk factor for fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. CMV detection is based on the traditional ultrasound (US) and MRI (magnetic resonance) approach. METHODS: the present review used the PRISMA protocol for identification of studies associated with CMV infection and sonographic analysis. Various search terms were created using keywords which were used to identify references from Medline, Pubmed, PsycInfo, Scopus and Web of Science. RESULTS: sonographic analysis of the cCMV infection identified several of the key features associated with fetuses. The presence of abnormal patterns of periventricular echogenicity, ventriculomegaly and intraparenchymal calcifications is indicative of CMV infection in the fetus. Hyperechogenic bowels were seen frequently. These results correlate well with MRI data, especially when targeted transvaginal fetal neurosonography was carried out. CONCLUSIONS: ultrasonography is a reliable indicator of fetal anomalies, due to cCMV. Fetal brain and organ changes are conclusive indications of infection, but many of the ultrasonographic signs of fetal abnormality could be due to any viral infections; thus, further research is needed to demarcate CMV infection from others, based on the ultrasonographic approach. CMV infection should always be an indication for targeted fetal neurosonography, optimally by the transvaginal approach.

Cytomegalovirus Infection in Pregnancy Prevention and Treatment Options: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a significant health concern affecting numerous expectant mothers across the globe. CMV is the leading cause of health problems and developmental delays among infected infants. Notably, this study examines CMV infection in pregnancy, its management, prevention mechanisms, and treatment options. METHODS: Specifically, information from the Cochrane Library, PUBMED, Wiley Online, Science Direct, and Taylor Francis databases were reviewed along with additional records identified through the register, the Google Scholar search engine. Based on the search, 21 articles were identified for systematic review. RESULTS: A total of six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were utilized for a meta-analytic review. As heterogeneity was substantial, the random effects model was used for meta-analysis. Utilizing the random-effects model, the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) approach, the estimate of effect size (d = -0.479, 95% CI = -0.977 to 0.019, p = 0.060) suggests the results are not statistically significant, so it cannot be inferred that the prevention methods used were effective, despite an inverse relationship between treatment and number of infected cases. The findings indicated that several techniques are used to prevent, diagnose, and manage CMV infection during pregnancy, including proper hygiene, ultrasound examination (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), amniocentesis, viremia, hyperimmunoglobulin (HIG), and valacyclovir (VACV). CONCLUSIONS: The current review has significant implications for addressing CMV infection in pregnancy. Specifically, it provides valuable findings on contemporary management interventions to prevent and treat CMV infection among expectant mothers. Therefore, it allows relevant stakeholders to address these critical health concerns and understand the effectiveness of the proposed prevention and treatment options.

Realistic parameters for simple models of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction.

We use experimental results to estimate the values of parameters of simple models describing the time evolution of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction proceeding in droplets surrounded by hydrocarbons. The equations with fitted parameters correctly describe the period of oscillations for a large class of experimental conditions at which the reaction is performed.

Abscisic acid does not influence the subcellular distribution of the HYL1 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana.

HYL1 is a nuclear protein involved in the processing of miRNAs but its exact function remains unknown. Arabidopsis thaliana hyl1 mutants exhibit hypersensitivity to ABA. We decided to answer the question whether ABA affects the HYL1 protein localization within the cell and show that it does not. We also studied the expression of HYL1 in different tissues and organs. In this paper we show for the first time the expression profile of the HYL1 protein using anti-HYL1 antibodies. The protein is present in seedlings and mature plants in all organs studied, with the highest amount in inflorescences. A. thaliana HYL1 protein has several repetitions of a 28-amino-acid sequence at the C-terminus that confer protein instability. Our bioinformatic analysis of HYL1 homologs in different Brassica species shows that this repetition is typical only for Arabidopsis. This may suggest a relatively late evolutionary acquisition of the C-terminal domain.

[Premorbid adjustment and quality of life in schizophrenia]. / Przystosowanie przedchorobowe, a jakosc zycia chorych na schizofrenie.

UNLABELLED: The Premorbid Adjustment Scale by Cannon-Spoor (PAS) is a rating scale which was designed to evaluate the degree of achievement of developmental goals at each of several periods of a subject's life before the onset of schizophrenia. AIM OF THE STUDY: The evaluation of PAS in schizophrenic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study premorbid adjustment level was correlated with QOL (Quality of Life Scale (QLS) by Henrichs) in a group of 120 subjects that fulfilled ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: This study supported that poor premorbid adjustment can be manifested by poorer QOL among schizphrenics, especially, the lower adjustment in adolecscence, the poorer QOL.

Buttressing effects on haloarene deprotonation: a merely kinetic or also thermodynamic phenomenon?

(2,6-Dichlorophenyl)- and (2,6-dibromophenyl)trialkylsilanes undergo hydrogen/metal interconversion preferentially at the 4- rather than 3-position. However, the organometallic species generated by such a "meta metalation" are thermodynamically less stable (i.e., more basic) than those that would result from an ordinary "ortho metalation". This was demonstrated by equilibration experiments based on permutational halogen/metal interconversion. A new buttressing effect can explain the unprecedented regioselectivity. It is supported by X-ray structures that reveal marked deformations of the benzene ring in halophenylsilanes. [structure: see text]

[Comparison of subjective and objective quality of life in a group of schizophrenic patients]. / Porównanie subiektywnej i obiektywnej oceny jakosci zycia w grupie chorych na schizofrenie.

AIM: The aim of this study is a comparison of subjective and objective quality of life in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: The research was carried out on 120 in- and out-patients (from 19 to 65 years) who fulfilled ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. The quality of life was assessed by means of two instruments: Quality of Life Scale (QLS, Heinrichs et al. 1984), Self-Report Quality of Life Measure for People with Schizophrenia (SQLS, Wilkinson et al. 2000). The basic statistical methods used were: correlation analysis between measurable variables with Pearson's index (P), t-Student test, analysis of variance, factor analysis. RESULTS: In the investigated group there is no correlation between subjective and objective quality of life. Sex does not influence a correlation between these variables. Subjective and objective quality of life correlate with each other only in out-patients' group (P = -0.386). The factor analysis of SQLS distinguished 7 factors: mood; everyday activities, side effects connected with movement; side effects- others; support; interpersonal contacts; others; this division differs completely from a division on subscales. The factor analysis of QLS distinguished 3 factors: intrapsychic functioning; social functioning; functioning in roles; this division is similar to a division on subscales. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that in the schizophrenic patients' group using subjective and objective ways to assess the quality of life determines a difference of the obtained results. Only the subjective measurement fulfills the assumption of quality of life definition, that is why the usefulness of QLS in assessing quality of life is rather restricted.

[Delusional disorders in the course of tick-born encephalitis and borreliosis in patients with hemophilia A and posttraumatic epilepsy--diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties]. / Zaburzenia urojeniowe (podobne do schizofrenii) w przebiegu kleszczowego zapalenia mózgu i boreliozy u chorego z hemofilia typu A i padaczka pourazowa--trudnosci diagnostyczne i terapeutyczne.

The aim of our work was to present the difficulties of the diagnosis and treatment which occurred during hospitalization of a 22-year-old patient diagnosed with type A hemophilia, posttraumatic epilepsy and carrier state of viral hepatitis C. The patient was transferred from Psychiatric Ward of Hospital in Parczew to the Psychiatric Clinical Hospital of Medical University in Lublin due to difficulties in settlement of diagnosis and to lack of the treatment effects. The anamnesis results showed that patient had triple febrile episodes after a trip to Romania; the last one included extreme excitement with suicidal attempt, nihilistic and catastrophic delusions. A co-traveler colleague was diagnosed with borreliosis. In our clinical ward many diagnostic procedures were conducted, obtaining significant increase of Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies, due to which suitable treatment was initiated and minimum improvement of psychical state was obtained. The patient was tested many times by internist, neurologist, and specialist in infectious diseases. In the CT and EEG test no pathological state was revealed in CNS, only the results of the test in the direction of tick bone encephalitis (TBE) showed TBE. During a 3-month period a schizophreniphorm syndrome was observed: he refused consumption of meals, behaved aggressively, had auditory hallucinations, expressed many delusions, was periodically in disturbed consciousness, turned himself in many famous characters (e.g. Wlad Palownik, Pope, Koziolek Matolek, Boguslaw Linda). After four months of hospitalization we reached full remission of physical and mental state and the patients was discharged from hospital.

[The relationship between quality of life of schizophrenic patients and clinical parameters of psychosis]. / Zwiazek jakosci zycia chorych na schizofrenie z parametrami klinicznymi psychozy.

The aim of this study was an analysis of relationship between the quality of life of schizophrenic patients and clinical parameters (positive symptoms, negative symptoms, symptoms of depression, time from start of treatment, total time of all hospitalizations). The research was carried out on 120 in- and out-patients (from 19 to 65 years of age) who fulfilled ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. They were in a stable state of improvement during actual treatment. The following instruments were used: Quality of Life Scale--QLS (Heinrich et al., 1984), Calgary Depression Scale--CDS (Addington et al., 1990), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale--BPRS (Overall, Gorham, 1962)--short form to assess positive symptoms, Brief Negative Symptoms Assessment--BNS. The basic statistical method used was correlation analysis between measurable variables with Pearson's index (P). In investigated group the quality of life correlates essentially with negative symptoms (P = -0.838), positive symptoms (P = -0.350), total time of all hospitalizations (P = -0.371), but there is not correlation between the quality of life and symptoms of depression and time from start of schizophrenia treatment. This study shows that the improvement of quality of life of schizophrenic patients is possible by effective treatment mainly negative symptoms, also positive symptoms and shortening of hospitalizations. It seems that QLS is less sensitive to changes in symptoms of depression.

(222)Rn activity concentration differences in groundwaters of three Variscan granitoid massifs in the Sudetes (NE Bohemian Massif, SW Poland).

Based on research conducted in three Variscan granitoid massifs located within the crystalline Bohemian Massif, the authors confirmed that the higher the degree of their erosional dissection, the smaller the concentration of (222)Rn in groundwaters circulating in these massifs. This notion implies that radon waters and high-radon waters, from which at least some of the dissolved radon should be removed before feeding them as drinking water to the water-supply system, could be expected in granitoid massifs which have been poorly exposed by erosion. At the same time, such massifs must be taken into account as the areas of possible occurrence of radon medicinal waters, which in some countries can be used for balneotherapy in health resorts. Slightly eroded granitoid massifs should be also regarded as very probable radon prone areas or areas of high radon potential.

222Rn and 226Ra activity concentrations in groundwaters of southern Poland: new data and selected genetic relations.

Since 2008, the authors have been conducting research into 222Rn and 226Ra activity concentrations in shallow circulation groundwaters in southern Poland. Measurements have been performed with a liquid-scintillation method and ultra low-level liquid-scintillation spectrometers α/ß Quantulus 1220. The research carried out so far has demonstrated that in the Sudetes groundwaters with high activity concentrations of 222Rn and 226Ra are common. In other studied areas in southern Poland no shallow circulation groundwaters with high radon or radium concentrations have been found yet. The conducted research has demonstrated that the activity concentration of 222Rn dissolved in shallow circulation groundwaters in the Sudetes depends chiefly on the amount of radon, which after being released as gas from reservoir rocks is dissolved in waters flowing through these rocks. At the same time, the concentration of 222Rn dissolved in some shallow circulation groundwaters in the Carpathians is influenced significantly by the amount of radon produced from the decay of its parent ion 226Ra2+ dissolved in these waters.

One dimensional chemical signal diode constructed with two nonexcitable barriers.

Excitable chemical systems can process information coded in excitation pulses. Here we demonstrate the simplest realization of a chemical signal diode that transmits pulses in one direction only. It is constructed with only two different nonexcitable barriers. The proposed diode has been tested in numerical simulations and in experiments with Ru-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction.