Osmoregulation is the homeostatic mechanism essential for the survival of organisms in hypoosmotic and hyperosmotic conditions. In freshwater or soil dwelling protists this is frequently achieved through the action of an osmoregulatory organelle, the contractile vacuole. This endomembrane organelle responds to the osmotic challenges and compensates by collecting and expelling the excess water to maintain the cellular osmolarity. As compared with other endomembrane organelles, this organelle is underappreciated and under-studied. Here we review the reported presence or absence of contractile vacuoles across eukaryotic diversity, as well as the observed variability in the structure, function, and molecular machinery of this organelle. Our findings highlight the challenges and opportunities for constructing cellular and evolutionary models for this intriguing organelle.
- MeSH
- Eukaryota * physiology MeSH
- Osmoregulation physiology MeSH
- Vacuoles * MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
INTRODUCTION: The Communist Party's reign in Czechoslovakia (1948-1989) saw the persecution of thousands of individuals. The State Security campaign "Asanace" (meaning "sanitation") was conducted to expel critics of the regime from the country using psychological and physical terror. Although stories of dissidents are frequently presented in public spaces, little is known about the experiences of their children. METHODS: To address this gap, we conducted interpretative phenomenological analyses of semi-structured in-depth interviews with five adult descendants of Czechoslovakian dissidents. RESULTS: Our analyses revealed that while participants appreciated and were inspired by their parents' dissident activities, they tend to distance themselves from it in order not to live in their parents' shadow. Furthermore, for them, the "Asanace" campaign primarily meant emigration, which in turn affected their sense of self and (national) identity dispersion. Consequently, they experienced feelings of being uprooted and different. Furthermore, they faced challenges acculturating. However, they also recognized their resilience as being rooted in their migration experience and the legacy of their parents' dissidence. DISCUSSION: By highlighting intergenerational differences and the impact of family legacy on individuals' strengths and weaknesses, this study contributes to our understanding of the psychological consequences of living in, escaping from and adjusting to life beyond oppressive regimes.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
OBJECTIVE: Children with ADHD often tend to underperform in school. This partial study aimed to find out if the school experience of adults with higher ADHD symptomatology differs from those with lower and no ADHD symptomatology. METHOD: Based on the results of ASRS questionnaires, the respondents were divided into three groups (low, medium, and high) according to the manifested ADHD symptomatology. We explored their school experiences by looking at their grades for behavior at school, notes regarding their attendance, school expulsion, and other school experiences. RESULTS: Children with higher ADHD symptomatology were significantly more likely to be expelled, receive notes for bad behavior, disturbing or forgetting as well as receive reprimands from teachers. CONCLUSION: Our results show that children with increased ADHD symptomatology experience more difficulties with school behavior, they are frequently reprimanded, and they do receive more negative feedback regarding their attendance and tardiness from teachers.
Článek se zaměřuje se na československý disent v souvislosti s aktivitami 25 psychologů, kteří podepsali Chartu 77 do roku 1989. Smyslem tohoto textu je shrnout základní informace o těchto jedincích, o jejich životě, díle a postojích. Text vychází z archivních materiálů a osobních svědectví. Popsán je tlak na adaptaci podle požadavků státní moci i snaha o vypuzení nepohodlných signatářů ze země. Stať se zaměřuje na aktivity psychologů-signatářů během normalizace v 70. a 80. letech 20. století i po roce 1989. Signatáři jsou interpretováni jako aktivní, občansky angažovaní, nezdolní a humanisticky orientovaní.
The article focuses on Czechoslovak dissent in the context of the activities of 25 psychologists who signed Charter 77 until 1989. The purpose of this text is to summarize basic information about these individuals, their life, work and attitudes. The authors draw on archival materials and personal testimonies. The pressure to adapt to the demands of state power and the efforts to expel inconvenient signatories from the country are described. The contribution focuses on the activities of psychologists-signatories during the normalization in the 1970s and 1980s and after 1989. The signatories are interpreted as active, civically engaged, resilient and humanistically oriented.
Úvod: Dysfagie má prevalenci v běžné populaci 6–16 %. Na diagnostiku a léčbu se zaměřuje multidisciplinární dysfagiologický tým ve složení klinický logoped, otorinolaryngolog a zdravotní sestra (podle pracoviště může být členem týmu i např. radiolog, nutriční specialista, fyzioterapeut apod.). K objektivnímu vyšetření je jako zlatý standard užíván FEES (Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing) a VFSS (Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study). Cíl práce: Cílem práce je retrospektivně zhodnotit přínos dysfagiologického týmu, který působí na otorinolaryngologickém oddělení Nemocnice České Budějovice, a. s. (NČB), v péči o pacienty po cévní mozkové příhodě (CMP) indikovaných k vyšetření z Komplexního cerebrovaskulárního centra (KCC) v letech 2016–2020. Materiál a metodika: Do retrospektivní studie bylo zařazeno 33 pacientů po CMP s klinickým podezřením na dysfagii, kteří byli doporučeni z KCC do Poradny pro poruchy polykání k objektivnímu vyšetření dysfagie. Výsledky: U 9 pacientů (27,3 %) byla při FEES vyloučena dysfagie, a byl tak umožněn perorální příjem bez omezení. Dysfagie byla při vyšetření potvrzena u 24 pacientů (72,7 %). U 10 pacientů (30,3 %) byla prokázána prodloužená faryngeální fáze polykání bez penetrace nebo aspirace stravy. Tři pacienti (9,1 %) měli při vyšetření penetraci sousta do dýchacích cest, ale nedosahovalo úrovně hlasivek a bylo kompletně vypuzeno (PAS 2). V 11 případech (33,3 %) byla prokázána aspirace, z toho se v devíti případech (27,3 % ze všech pacientů, 81,8 % z pacientů s aspirací) jednalo o tichou aspiraci bez snahy o vypuzení aspirátu z dýchacích cest (PAS 8). Závěr: U 31 pacientů (94,0 %) byl zaznamenán přínos vyšetření dysfagiologickým týmem. V případě 22 pacientů (66,7 %) šlo o úpravu alimentace a rehabilitace polykání při potvrzené dysfagii. U 9 pacientů (27,3 %) došlo ke zrušení restrikcí při falešně pozitivním screeningovém a klinickém vyšetření. Pozitivní efekt dlouhodobé rehabilitace polykání pozorujeme u 61,5 % sledovaných pacientů.
Introduction: The prevalence of dysphagia in the general population is 6–16%. The dysphagia team focuses on diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia. The dysphagia team consists of a clinical speech therapist, an otorhinolaryngologist and nurse (depending on the workplace). Other specialties such as radiologist, nutritionist and physiotherapist can also be a member of the team. FEES (Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing) and VFSS (Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study) are used as the gold standard for objective examination of the dysphagia. Aim of the work: The aim of the work is to evaluate retrospectively the contribution of the dysphagia team working in the department of otorhinolaryngology in Hospital České Budějovice, in the care of patients after stroke disease indicated for examination from the Complex Cerebrovascular Center (CCC) in 2016–2020. Material and methods: The retrospective study included 33 patients after stroke with clinical suspicion of dysphagia, who were referred from the CCC to the Counseling Center for Swallowing Disorders for objective examination of dysphagia. Results: In 9 patients (27.3%), dysphagia was ruled out during FEES, thus enabling oral intake without restrictions. Dysphagia was confirmed in 24 patients (72.7%). Ten patients (30.3%) had a prolonged pharyngeal swallowing phase without food penetration into the airways. Three patients (9.1%) had a bolus penetration into the airways during the examination, but it remained above the vocal cords and it was completely expelled from the airways (PAS 2). In 11 cases (33.3%) aspiration was found, of which nine cases (27.3% of all patients, 81.8% of patients with aspiration) involved silent aspiration without any attempt to expel bolus from the airways (PAS 8). Conclusion: In 31 patients (94.0%) the benefit of examination by the dysphagia team was noted. In the case of 22 patients (66.7%), it was an adjustment of nutrition and swallowing rehabilitation with confirmed dysphagia. Restrictions were lifted in 9 patients (27.3%) with false-positive screening and clinical examination. We observe a positive effect of long-term swallowing rehabilitation in 61.5% of the monitored patients.
Women expel fluids of various quantities and compositions from the urethra during sexual arousal and orgasm. These are classified as either female ejaculation (FE) or squirting (SQ). The aim of our analysis was to present evidence that FE and SQ are similar but etiologically different phenomena. A review of studies was performed on fluids expelled from the urogenital tract during female sexual activities using the Web of KnowledgeTM (Web of Science Core Collection) and MEDLINE (Ovid) databases from 1946 to 2021. Until 2011, all female orgasmic expulsions of fluids were referred to as FE. The fluid was known to be either from the paraurethral glands or as a result of coital incontinence. At present, SQ is considered as a transurethral expulsion of approximately 10 milliliters or more of transparent fluid, while FE is considered as a secretion of a few milliliters of thick fluid. The fluid in SQ is similar to urine and is expelled by the urinary bladder. The secretion in FE originates from the paraurethral glands and contains a high concentration of prostate-specific antigen. Both phenomena can occur simultaneously. The mechanisms underlying SQ and FE are entirely different. SQ is a massive transurethral orgasmic expulsion from the urinary bladder, while FE is the secretion of a very small amount of fluid from the paraurethral glands.
The mucus layer protects airway epithelia from damage by noxious agents. Intriguingly, Bordetella pertussis bacteria provoke massive mucus production by nasopharyngeal epithelia during the initial coryza-like catarrhal stage of human pertussis and the pathogen transmits in mucus-containing aerosol droplets expelled by sneezing and post-nasal drip-triggered cough. We investigated the role of the cAMP-elevating adenylate cyclase (CyaA) and pertussis (PT) toxins in the upregulation of mucin production in B. pertussis-infected airway epithelia. Using human pseudostratified airway epithelial cell layers cultured at air-liquid interface (ALI), we show that purified CyaA and PT toxins (100 ng/mL) can trigger production of the major airway mucins Muc5AC and Muc5B. Upregulation of mucin secretion involved activation of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and was blocked by the 666-15-Calbiochem inhibitor of CREB-mediated gene transcription. Intriguingly, a B. pertussis mutant strain secreting only active PT and producing the enzymatically inactive CyaA-AC- toxoid failed to trigger any important mucus production in infected epithelial cell layers in vitro or in vivo in the tracheal epithelia of intranasally infected mice. In contrast, the PT- toxoid-producing B. pertussis mutant secreting the active CyaA toxin elicited a comparable mucin production as infection of epithelial cell layers or tracheal epithelia of infected mice by the wild-type B. pertussis secreting both PT and CyaA toxins. Hence, the cAMP-elevating activity of B. pertussis-secreted CyaA was alone sufficient for activation of mucin production through a CREB-dependent mechanism in B. pertussis-infected airway epithelia in vivo.
- MeSH
- Adenylate Cyclase Toxin toxicity MeSH
- Bordetella pertussis metabolism pathogenicity MeSH
- Cell Line MeSH
- Respiratory System metabolism microbiology MeSH
- Epithelial Cells metabolism microbiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Mucin 5AC metabolism MeSH
- Mice, Inbred BALB C MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Whooping Cough metabolism microbiology MeSH
- Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein metabolism MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
1. elektronické vydání 1 online zdroj (250 stran)
1. elektronické vydání 1 online zdroj (250 stran)
An animal's gut microbiota (GM) is shaped by a range of environmental factors affecting the bacterial sources invading the host. At the same time, animal hosts are equipped with intrinsic mechanisms enabling regulation of GM. However, there is limited knowledge on the relative importance of these forces. To assess the significance of host-intrinsic vs environmental factors, we studied GM in nestlings of an obligate brood parasite, the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), raised by two foster species, great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and Eurasian reed warblers (A. scirpaceus), and compared these with GM of the fosterers' own nestlings. We show that fecal GM varied between cuckoo and warbler nestlings when accounting for the effect of foster/parent species, highlighting the importance of host-intrinsic regulatory mechanisms. In addition to feces, cuckoos also expel a deterrent secretion, which provides protection against olfactory predators. We observed an increased abundance of bacterial genera capable of producing repulsive volatile molecules in the deterrent secretion. Consequently, our results support the hypothesis that microbiota play a role in this antipredator mechanism. Interestingly, fosterer/parent identity affected only cuckoo deterrent secretion and warbler feces microbiota, but not that of cuckoo feces, suggesting a strong selection of bacterial strains in the GM by cuckoo nestlings.
- MeSH
- Microbiota * MeSH
- Parasites * MeSH
- Passeriformes * MeSH
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome * MeSH
- Songbirds * MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
