The Connection Between Selected Caspases Levels in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid and Severity After Brain Injury.

Objective: The interaction between the brain and lungs has been the subject of many clinical reports, while the exact impact of brain injury on the physiology of the respiratory system is still subject to numerous experimental studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the activation of selected caspases levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (mini BALF) of patients after isolated brain injury and their correlation with the severity of the injury. Methods: The analysis was performed on patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for severe isolated brain injury from March 2018 to April 2020. All patients were intubated and mechanically ventilated. Mini BALF was collected within the first 6-8 h after trauma and on days 3 and 7 after admission. The concentrations of selected caspases were determined and correlated with the severity of brain injury evaluated by the Rotterdam CT Score, Glasgow Coma Score, and 28-day mortality. Results: Our results showed significantly elevated levels of selected caspases on days 3 and 7 after brain injury, and revealed apoptosis activation during the first 7 days after brain trauma. We found a significant different correlation between the elevation of selected caspases 3, 6, 8, and 9, and the Glasgow Coma Score, Rotterdam CT scale, and 28-day mortality. Conclusions: The increased levels of selected caspases in the mini BALF in our patients indicate an intensified activation of apoptosis in the lungs, which is related to brain injury itself via various apoptotic pathways and correlates with the severity of brain injury.

Detection and Recognition of Pollen Grains in Multilabel Microscopic Images.

Analysis of pollen material obtained from the Hirst-type apparatus, which is a tedious and labor-intensive process, is usually performed by hand under a microscope by specialists in palynology. This research evaluated the automatic analysis of pollen material performed based on digital microscopic photos. A deep neural network called YOLO was used to analyze microscopic images containing the reference grains of three taxa typical of Central and Eastern Europe. YOLO networks perform recognition and detection; hence, there is no need to segment the image before classification. The obtained results were compared to other deep learning object detection methods, i.e., Faster R-CNN and RetinaNet. YOLO outperformed the other methods, as it gave the mean average precision (mAP@.5:.95) between 86.8% and 92.4% for the test sets included in the study. Among the difficulties related to the correct classification of the research material, the following should be noted: significant similarities of the grains of the analyzed taxa, the possibility of their simultaneous occurrence in one image, and mutual overlapping of objects.

Postoperative Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections in Patients after Urogynecological Surgeries-Nonantibiotic Herbal (Canephron) versus Antibiotic Prophylaxis (Fosfomycin Trometamol): A Parallel-Group, Randomized, Noninferiority Experimental Trial.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common complications of urogynecological surgeries. The risk of UTIs is increased by the catheterization of the bladder, intraoperative cystoscopy, and urine retention after the procedure. Due to increasing antibiotic resistance, there is a need to search for new methods of postoperative UTI prevention. Canephron is a mixture of century herbs, lovage roots, and rosemary leaves with diuretic, spasmolytic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and nephroprotective properties. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the noninferiority of Canephron versus antibiotic prophylaxis with fosfomycin trometamol (FT), based on the collective results of postoperative urine culture analyses. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-five female patients were randomized into two groups before undergoing urogynecological surgeries, including a control group (n = 67), which received one dose of 3 g of FT the day after the procedure, and a study group (n = 58), which received Canephron three times a day for 14 days, starting the day after the procedure. All the patients were assessed using the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS). RESULTS: UTIs were observed in 6.4% of the patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the use of FT and Canephron in terms of UTIs (Chi^2 N-1 = 0.8837; p = ns). Additional factors, such as menopausal status and the type of procedure performed, increased the risk of developing a UTI. Factors such as the body mass index (BMI) and parity had no correlation. CONCLUSIONS: Canephron is noninferior to FT in the prevention of postoperative UTIs. The use of such a phytotherapeutic drug may help to decrease antibiotic consumption, which is closely connected to the growing trend of antibiotic resistance.

Quality of Sexual Life after Native Tissue versus Polypropylene Mesh Augmented Pelvic Floor Reconstructive Surgery.

There are still controversies around reconstructive surgeries used in POP treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the QoSL after VNTR vs. TVM surgery due to POP via the use of PISQ-12 and FSFI questionnaires. The study included a group of 121 sexually active patients qualified for reconstructive surgery due to symptomatic POP, and 50 control. The average results of PISQ-12 before and after surgery were compared using the t-test. The significance of the mean differences in demographic groups was measured using the t-test for independent samples and one-way ANOVA. The results in the demographic groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Fifty-eight women had VNTR, while 63 had TVM. Results of PISQ-12 revealed significant improvement in the sexual life after reconstructive surgery (27.24 vs. 32.43; p < 0.001, t = 8.48) both after VNTR and TVM. There were no significant differences in the assessment of the QoSL according to PISQ-12 and FSFI results between both analyzed groups of patients (PISQ-12: VNTR vs. TVM; t-test p = 0.19 and FSFI: VNTR vs. TVM; Mann-Whitney U test p = 0.54). VNTR is the treatment of choice in the case of uncomplicated primary POP.

Reliability of the Polish Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12) and Assessment of Sexual Function before and after Pelvic Organ Prolapse Reconstructive Surgery-A Prospective Study.

It is estimated that 31-44% of all patients with symptomatic POP and/or UI suffer from sexual dysfunction. We aimed to validate the PISQ-12 in pre-and postmenopausal women and to assess the sexual function before and after POP reconstructive surgery. One hundred and forty sexually active patients were hospitalized due to symptomatic POP and 50 healthy controls were enrolled into the study. The patients were asked to complete PISQ-12, the FSFI and Beck's depression scale questionnaires twice. The Cronbach's alpha (α) was used to estimate the internal consistency. The scores were compared using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Improvement in the QoSL (quality of sexual life) was observed in each age group of women. Pre-menopausal patients' QoSL was much better, both before and after surgery (29.62 and 34.64 points, respectively). The correlation between questionnaires before surgery was 0.63, and after was -0.76. The α value for the PISQ-12 was 0.83 before the procedure and 0.80 afterwards. In all the groups, the test-retest reliability was good-ICC = 0.72. Vaginal reconstructive surgeries improve the QoSL. The only demographic factor influencing the QoSL was the menopausal status. The Polish version of the PISQ-12 is a reliable and responsive instrument for assessing the sexual function in patients with diagnosed POP and/or UI.

Analysis of changes in Betula pollen season start including the cycle of pollen concentration in atmospheric air.

Birch belongs to the most important allergenic taxa in Europe, therefore information on the start dates of the pollen season is very important for allergists and their patients as well as for climatologists. The study examined changes in the start of the birch pollen season as well as determined the trend of these changes. Pollen monitoring was performed in Lublin (eastern Poland) in the period 2001-2019 using the volumetric method. The Makra-test was used to detect periods with significantly higher or lower average of the onset than the average for the whole dataset. Two significant falls in the average of the pollen season start were found in 2007 and 2014. Besides, taking into account the 2-3-year rhythm of high and low concentrations of birch pollen in the atmospheric air, linear trends were fitted for the subsets of high and low abundance seasons. Significant changes in Betula pollen season start dates were only determined for the highly abundance seasons, while the results for seasons with a low concentration did not allow rejecting the hypothesis about the lack of a linear trend in the changes in the studied parameter. Moreover, a significant polynomial relationship was found between the beginning of a pollen season and the average values of monthly temperatures preceded a season. These analyses show that the start dates of the Betula pollen season are getting significantly earlier. The dynamics of changes differ between seasons with high and low concentrations of pollen.

Deep Learning Methods for Improving Pollen Monitoring.

The risk of pollen-induced allergies can be determined and predicted based on data derived from pollen monitoring. Hirst-type samplers are sensors that allow airborne pollen grains to be detected and their number to be determined. Airborne pollen grains are deposited on adhesive-coated tape, and slides are then prepared, which require further analysis by specialized personnel. Deep learning can be used to recognize pollen taxa based on microscopic images. This paper presents a method for recognizing a taxon based on microscopic images of pollen grains, allowing the pollen monitoring process to be automated. In this research, a deep CNN (convolutional neural network) model was built from scratch. Publicly available deep neural network models, pre-trained on image data (not including microscopic pictures), were also used. The results show that even a simple deep learning model produces quite good results when the classification of pollen grain taxa is performed directly from the images. The best deep learning model achieved 97.88% accuracy in the difficult task of recognizing three types of pollen grains (birch, alder, and hazel) with similar structures. The derived models can be used to build a system to support pollen monitoring experts in their work.

Identification of the Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 cutoff scores in urinary incontinent women.

PURPOSE: Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7) and The International Consultation on Incontinence (ICIQ-SF) Short Form are used to diagnose individuals with urinary incontinence (UI) and to assess the impact of the dysfunction on patient quality of life. While ICIQ-SF has fixed cutoff values-UDI-6 and IIQ-7 do not. We aimed to find the cutoff scores for UDI-6 and IIQ-7 in women with UI. METHODS: The study involved 205 women aged between 31 and 83 years-155 with, and 50 without UI symptoms. All participants completed all three questionnaires: ICIQ-SF, UDI-6 and IIQ-7. Patients were categorized according to their ICIQ-SF scores, as symptomatic ICIQ-SF ≥ 6 (n = 134) and asymptomatic ICIQ < 6 (n = 60). The Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve was used to test how well UDI-6 allowed a discrimination between patients suffering from UI and those who do not. Area under Curve (AUC) statistic was calculated to measure the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 Total Score efficiency. RESULTS: The cutoff values were selected. On the basis of the ROC curve analysis, the UDI-6 Total Score of 33.33 and IIQ-7 Total Score of 9.52 were determined to be the optimal cutoff for distinguishing between symptomatic and asymptomatic women (AUC = 0.94-UDI-6 and 0.91-IIQ-7). CONCLUSIONS: For UDI-6 scores more than 33.33 indicate higher distress caused by UI symptoms. Moreover, the higher impact of UI on health- related quality of life is seen in women who scored 9 or more in the IIQ-7 questionnaire, and such women felt impaired quality of life. Trial registration number NCT04433715, 11.06.2020 "retrospectively registered".

The use of Schirmer strips to measure salivary and lacrimal flow in non-Sjögren patients.

INTRODUCTION: Oral and ocular dryness are the most common symptoms reported during ophthalmological and dental examinations. It is becoming a serious and growing problem due to the huge variety of affecting factors and with population aging. OBJECTIVES: The purpose was to demonstrate an application of the Schirmer test for xerostomia. Subsequently, to compare and correlate the results achieved from the lacrimal Schirmer test and salivary Schirmer test in non-Sjögren patients. METHODS: Study group consisted of 642 patients with/without subjective or/and objective symptoms of dry eye or mouth who did not fulfill the criteria for diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome. The lacrimal Schirmer test (lST) and the salivary Schirmer tests (sST) were performed (sSTm was put on the floor of the mouth, sSTp in front of the parotid gland duct). The results were recorded after 1 min (sSTm), 3 min (sSTp), and 5 min (lST). RESULTS: The lST and sST test scores were considerably higher in the healthy group than in others, p < 0.001. The results of sST1 and sST2 decreased with the appearance of subjective and objective symptoms, p < 0.001. There were positive correlations between lST and sSTm outcomes between the groups, p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: We present the Schirmer test adapted to measure salivary gland hypofunction that is a time-saving tool in our daily practice. Results of this study reveal an excellent correlation between the eye Schirmer test and the salivary Schirmer tests. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The salivary Schirmer tests seem to be rapid, convenient, and reliable objective screening tools for salivary gland hypofunction in non-Sjögren patients.

Reliability of the Polish version of the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) questionnaire : Correlation of the OABSS with urodynamic study and the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 questionnaires.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Overactive bladder (OAB) and mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) are significant problems worldwide. Their broad definition makes them difficult to diagnose; therefore, specialists need a tool to confirm diagnosis. The Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) is used in the objective diagnosis of OAB. We aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of OABSS for patients in Poland suffering from OAB and MUI and to correlate it with UDI-6 and IIQ-7. METHODS: A total of 824 women suffering from urinary incontinence (UI) aged between 18 and 75 years were included. SUI (n = 290); OAB (n = 285) and MUI (n = 249) were confirmed by medical history and urodynamic study. Of the subjects, 821 women completed the Polish version of OABSS on two separate visits: weeks 0 and 2. In addition, they undertook UDI-6 and IIQ-7 during Week 2. The Cronbach's alpha (α) was used to estimate the internal consistency. Scores were compared using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: We observed statistically significant differences (p < 0.0005) between mean scores of OABSS among patients from the study groups OAB-SUI and MUI-SUI. We did not observe statistically significant differences between patients from the MUI and OAB groups (p > 0.11). Analysis also did not show statistically significant differences between visits. The internal consistency was very good: α = 0.89 (SUI); = 0.9 (OAB); = 0.82 (MUI). In all groups, test-retest reliability was excellent; ICC was >0.99. CONCLUSIONS: The Polish version of the OABSS is a reliable tool for females suffering from UI. However, OABSS does not distinguish patients with MUI from patients with OAB.

A study on the spatial and temporal variability in airborne Betula pollen concentration in five cities in Poland using multivariate analyses.

During the spring period, Betula pollen is the main cause of inhalant allergies in Poland and therefore it is important to monitor and forecast airborne pollen concentrations of this taxon. This study conducted a comparative analysis of the basic characteristics of Betula pollen seasons at the regional scale. The study was carried out from 2001 to 2016 in five cities in Poland: Lublin, Warsaw, Cracow, Sosnowiec, and Szczecin. To find the attributes of birch pollen seasons that mostly differentiated the individual cities, a general discriminant analysis (GDA) was performed, while a principal component analysis (PCA) allowed us to reduce the data space and present a scatterplot of PCA scores in order to compare pollen seasons in the individual cities. The contingency table was also analyzed to check whether there was a significant relationship between pollen counts in the studied years and cities. At most of the sites, biennial cycles of low and high pollen concentrations can be observed. Due to the high variation in seasons in each of these cities, two data groups were distinguished: Group 1 was composed of seasons with high pollen deposition (2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016), and Group 2 comprising the other seasons. Multivariate analyses were performed on both these groups as well as in the entire dataset. End98, Peak Value, and Annual Total had the highest discriminant power. In Group 1, Warsaw and Sosnowiec differed the most in the investigated parameters, while Cracow and Szczecin differed the least. In both groups, most seasons with the highest pollen birch concentration were observed in Lublin, followed by Warsaw, while in Cracow, the number of such seasons was the smallest.

RNA Sequencing Reveals Differential Gene Expression of Cerrena Unicolor in Response to Variable Lighting Conditions.

To elucidate the light-dependent gene expression in Cerrena unicolor FCL139, the transcriptomes of the fungus growing in white, blue, green, and red lighting conditions and darkness were analysed. Among 10,413 all-unigenes detected in C. unicolor, 7762 were found to be expressed in all tested conditions. Transcripts encoding putative fungal photoreceptors in the C. unicolor transcriptome were identified. The number of transcripts uniquely produced by fungus ranged from 20 during its growth in darkness to 112 in the green lighting conditions. We identified numerous genes whose expression differed substantially between the darkness (control) and each of the light variants tested, with the greatest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (454 up- and 457 down-regulated) observed for the white lighting conditions. The DEGs comprised those involved in primary carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, autophagy, nucleotide repair systems, signalling pathways, and carotenoid metabolism as defined using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The analysis of the expression profile of genes coding for lignocellulose-degrading enzymes suggests that the wood-degradation properties of C. unicolor may be independent of the lighting conditions and may result from the overall stimulation of fungal metabolism by daylight.

Analysis of Fraxinus pollen seasons and forecast models based on meteorological factors.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The timings of Fraxinus and Betula flowering and pollen release overlap, which may cause increased allergic reactions in sensitive people. The aim of the present study was to characterize Fraxinus pollen seasons in Lublin (central-eastern Poland) and to identify meteorological factors that most determine the occurrence of airborne pollen of this taxon, as well as obtain forecast models for the basic characteristics of the pollen season. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in Lublin during the period 2001-2016, employing the volumetric method. The seasons were compared by PCA (Principal Component Analysis). To determine relationships between meteorological conditions and the pattern of pollen seasons, regression analysis was used. Data for the period 2001-2015 were used to create forecast models by applying regression analysis, while the 2016 data served to verify these models. RESULTS: Season end date and seasonal peak date were characterized by the lowest variation. The biggest differences were found for peak value and total annual pollen sum. The average dates of occurrence of ash pollen grains in the air of Lublin were between 13 April 13 - 3 May 3, whereas, on average, the pollen peak date occurred on 23 April. The factor loading values for the PC1 variable indicate that it is most strongly correlated with peak value and total pollen sum, while the PC2 variable correlated with the pollen season start date and season duration (a negative correlation). Regression models were developed for the following pollen season characteristics: season start, end and duration, seasonal peak date, and total annual pollen sum. CONCLUSIONS: The fit of the forecast models was at the level of 62-94%. Analysis of the data showed that weather conditions mainly in February were important factors controlling the Fraxinus pollen season.

Selection of morphological features of pollen grains for chosen tree taxa.

The basis of aerobiological studies is to monitor airborne pollen concentrations and pollen season timing. This task is performed by appropriately trained staff and is difficult and time consuming. The goal of this research is to select morphological characteristics of grains that are the most discriminative for distinguishing between birch, hazel and alder taxa and are easy to determine automatically from microscope images. This selection is based on the split attributes of the J4.8 classification trees built for different subsets of features. Determining the discriminative features by this method, we provide specific rules for distinguishing between individual taxa, at the same time obtaining a high percentage of correct classification. The most discriminative among the 13 morphological characteristics studied are the following: number of pores, maximum axis, minimum axis, axes difference, maximum oncus width, and number of lateral pores. The classification result of the tree based on this subset is better than the one built on the whole feature set and it is almost 94%. Therefore, selection of attributes before tree building is recommended. The classification results for the features easiest to obtain from the image, i.e. maximum axis, minimum axis, axes difference, and number of lateral pores, are only 2.09 pp lower than those obtained for the complete set, but 3.23 pp lower than the results obtained for the selected most discriminating attributes only.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of Cerrena unicolor revealed differential expression of genes engaged in degradation of various kinds of wood.

To explore the number of enzymes engaged by Cerrena unicolor FCL139 for wood degradation, the transcriptomes of the fungus growing on birch, ash, maple sawdust and the control liquid medium were analyzed. Among 12,966 gene models predicted for the C. unicolor genome, 10,396 all-unigenes were detected, of which 9567 were found to be expressed in each of the tested growth media. The highest number (107) of unique transcripts was detected during fungus growth in the control liquid medium, while the lowest number (11) - in the fungal culture comprising maple saw dust. Analysis of C. unicolor transcriptomes identified numerous genes whose expression differed substantially between the mycelia growing in control medium and each of the sawdust media used, with the highest number (828) of upregulated transcripts observed during the fungus growth on the ash medium. Among the 294 genes that were potentially engaged in wood degradation, the expression of 59 was significantly (p < .01) changed in the tested conditions. The transcripts of 37 of those genes were at least four times more abundant in the cells grown in all sawdust media when compared to the control medium. Upregulated genes coding for cellulases and, to a lower extent, hemicellulases predominated during fungus growth on sawdust. Transcripts encoding cellulolytic enzymes were the most abundant in mycelia grown on birch and maple while lower number of such transcripts was detected in fungus growing on ash. The expression pattern of lignolytic activities-coding genes was strongly dependent on the type of sawdust applied for fungus growth medium.

Media optimization for economic succinic acid production by Enterobacter sp. LU1.

Enterobacter sp. LU1 could efficiently convert glycerol to succinic acid under anaerobic conditions after the addition of lactose. In this study, media constituents affecting both Enterobacter sp. LU1 biomass and succinic acid production were investigated employing response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design. Statistical methods led to the development of an efficient and inexpensive microbiological media based on crude glycerol, whey permeate as carbon sources and urea as a nitrogen source. The optimized production of bacterial biomass in aerobic conditions was predicted and the interactive effects between crude glycerol, urea and magnesium sulfate were investigated. As a result, a model for predicting the concentration of bacterial biocatalyst biomass was developed with crude glycerol as a sole carbon source. In addition, it was observed that the interactive effect between crude glycerol and urea was statistically significant. Response surface methodology was also employed to develop the model for predicting the concentration of succinic acid produced. Validity of the model was confirmed during verification experiments wherein actual results differed from predicted values by 0.77%. The applied statistical methods proved the feasibility for anaerobic succinic acid production on crude glycerol without expensive yeast extract addition. In conclusion, the RSM method can provide valuable information for succinic acid scale-up fermentation using Enterobacter sp. LU1.

Development and validation of the Polish version of the Urogenital Distress Inventory short form and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire short form.

OBJECTIVE: The Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ) measures the impact of urinary incontinence on activities, roles, and emotional states of women, whereas the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI) measures how troubling the symptoms are. The aim of this study was to develop and assess the effectiveness of a Polish version of the IIQ and UDI. STUDY DESIGN: The translation into Polish followed standardized procedures. 206 women aged between 31 and 83 years were included into the study. All patients were recruited from women attending the Outpatient Clinic of the 2nd Gynecology Department of the Medical University in Lublin. SUI was observed in 116 cases; OAB in 16 patients and 24 had MUI (confirmed by medical history, bladder diary and urodynamic investigation). 50 healthy women served as control. All patients completed the Polish version of the ICIQ - 'the gold standard' in UI diagnosis - as well as the newly translated Polish versions of the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 questionnaires at baseline. Moreover, 116 women repeated the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 self-assessment again 7days later. RESULTS: The internal consistency was tested by calculating Cronbach's alpha, using baseline scores. The high reliability of the scale indicates a value greater than 0.7. The reliability was calculated by way of the Intraclass Correlation (ICC) and was considered acceptable when ICC was≥0.7. In fact, ICC in all investigated groups was >0.95. The Cronbach's alpha values were as follows: for SUI patients - 0.74; for OAB - 0.78; and for MUI - 0.28 (the UDI-6 total score for the whole study group was 0.72). Cronbach's alpha total score for IIQ-7-0.89 (SUI group - 0.89; OAB group - 0.93; and MUI group - 0.77). Finally, the Cronbach's alpha total score for the ICIQ Questionnaire was 0.73 (SUI group - 0.71; OAB group - 0.65 and MUI group - 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: The Polish versions of the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 Questionnaires are reliable, valid, and responsive instruments for assessing the severity of symptoms and quality of life in females suffering from urinary incontinence.

Transcriptome-based analysis of the saprophytic fungus Abortiporus biennis - response to oxalic acid.

In this study, the transcriptomic-based response of the white rot fungus Abortiporus biennis to oxalic acid induction was reported. The whole transcriptome of A. biennis was analysed using the RNA-based sequencing technology and Solid 5500 platform. De novo assembly of reads generated 37,719 contigs. A molecular function for 26,280 unique transcripts was assigned. The analysis of the A. biennis transcriptome predicted 635 hypothetical open reading frames encoding carbohydrate active enzymes distributed in 122 families. 82 genes were identified, whose expression level was significantly changed after oxalic acid addition. Among them, 18 genes were up-regulated and 64 genes were down-regulated. Genes coding for putative cellulose and hemicellulose degrading enzymes were predominantly up-regulated in the mycelium induced with oxalic acid; it was in the case of cellulases and xylanases (hemicellulases), in particular, ß-glucosidase and endo-1,4-ß-xylanases. On the contrary, several genes coding for lignolytic enzymes were down-regulated, with the significant repression level in the case of versatile peroxidase. Finally, we identified putative genes involved in oxalate metabolism. Among the transcripts detected in the A. biennis transcriptome, one was annotated as coding for putative oxalate decarboxylase (ODC) and nine transcripts were annotated as formate dehydrogenases (FDH). The addition of oxalic acid to the culture caused upregulation of the gene coding for ODC and three genes for FDH. Amongst the transcripts of putative FDH genes, one designated as NODE_36057, demonstrated the highest induction level recorded in this study after the oxalic acid addition.

Urinary incontinence after hysterectomy- does type of surgery matter?

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of different types of hysterectomy on the development of postoperative urinary incontinence (UI). Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 392 women who underwent supracervical laparoscopic hysterectomy (SLH), total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), supervical abdominal hysterectomy (SH), or vaginal hysterectomy (VH) for benign indications 2010 and 2013. The patients reported no UI-related complaints before surgery. UI status was assessed 12 months postoperatively using the cough test and the 24-hour pad test. Results: UI developed within 12 months after surgery in 149 (38%) out of 392 women. No statistically significant correlation between the type of treatment and UI incidence was detected. The percentage of patients affected by UI did not differ between the study groups. Conclusions: Hysterectomy constitutes a risk factor for the development of urinary incontinence but the occurrence of postoperative UI does not depend on the type of surgery.