New activity of yamamarin, an insect pentapeptide, on immune system of mealworm, Tenebrio molitor.

In insects, two types of the immune responses, cellular and humoral, constitute a defensive barrier against various parasites and pathogens. In response to pathogens, insects produce a wide range of immune agents that act on pathogens directly, such as cecropins or lysozyme, or indirectly by the stimulation of hemocyte migration or by increasing phenoloxidase (PO) activity. Recently, many new immunologically active substances from insects, such as peptides and polypeptides, have been identified. Nevertheless, in the most cases, their physiological functions are not fully known. One such substance is yamamarin - a pentapeptide isolated from the silk moth Antheraea yamamai. This yamamarin possesses strong antiproliferative properties and is probably involved in diapause regulation. Here, we examined the immunotropic activity of yamamarin by testing its impact on selected functions of the immune system in heterologous bioassays with the beetle Tenebrio molitor, commonly known as a stored grains pest. Our results indicate that the pentapeptide affects the activity of immune processes in the beetle. We show that yamamarin induces changes in both humoral and cellular responses. The yamamarin increases the activity of PO, as well as causes changes in the hemocyte cytoskeleton and stimulates phagocytic activity. We detected an increased number of apoptotic hemocytes, however after the yamamarin injection, no significant variations in the antibacterial activity in the hemolymph were observed. The obtained data suggest that yamamarin could be an important controller of the immune system in T. molitor.

[Ultrasonographic assessment in differential diagnosis of non-palpable breast tumors]. / Badania ultrasonograficzne w diagnostyce róznicowej niepalpacyjnych litych guzów sutka.

In this study we analyse the value of high frequency ultrasound as diagnostic tool in non-palpable breast nodules (NPBN). We selected 121 women with NPBN revealed by ultrasound (US). The size of the nodules varied from 3 mm to 32 mm. Women with NPBN detected by US underwent sonographically-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and/or histological examination. Based on the US examination findings, the disease was diagnosed as malignant in 6 cases, as benign in 90, and in 28 cases it was unclassified. 15 patients underwent surgery. In 8, the disease was histopathologically confirmed as carcinoma (US 2 unclassified), 7 were benign lesions. US with FNAB as tool in diagnosing NPBN is an accurate technique for distinguishing between benign and malignant NPBN observable sonographically.

Can we suspect fetal down syndrome by heart evaluation during the second half of pregnancy?

UNLABELLED: Thirty fetuses with Down syndrome, who had detailed fetal echocardiography and sonography at the tertiary center with videotape recordings, were retrospective analyzed by one observer with a specially prepared flow sheet. The mean gestational age of the fetuses at the time of the study was 31 +/- 5.6 (minimum 21, maximum 39) weeks. The 'main' fetal abnormalities were congenital heart defect (CHD): in 13 cases (43.3%) an abnormal 4-chamber view was recorded, including 6 cases (20%) of isolated CHD and 7 (23.3%) of coexisting CHD + extracardiac malformation. Of the 13 cases of CHD, there were 12 cases of atrio-ventricular canal and 1 case of ventricular septal defect. Normal heart anatomy was recorded in 17 cases (56.7%), including 2 with tricuspid value regurgitation. From the videotape recordings also some 'minor' abnormalities were noticed in a few cases such as: femur length shortening; sandal gap; pericardial effusion; macroglossia; echogenic bowel; absent diastolic flow in the umbilical artery, and others. The prevalence of CHD in the study group was similar to the prevalence of CHD in the comparison group of 20 newborns with Down syndrome, born during the same period of time at the same institution, who had not had prenatal scanning at all (chi2, p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: (1) the main 'major' abnormality which might be detected in a fetus with Down syndrome after 20 weeks of pregnancy is CHD, which was presented in 43.3% of this series; (2) the presence of any extracardiac malformation should prompt the sonographer for detailed heart evaluation, and (3) fetal echocardiography may increase the accuracy of 'genetic sonogram' in Down syndrome.

[Unsuccessful pregnancies in a genetic carrier of translocation 46,XX,t(4;5)(p11;q14)]. / Niepowodzenia rozrodu w wyniku nosicielstwa translokacji chromosomowej 46,XX,t(4;5)(p11;q14).

Authors presents 36-year old female patient with three spontaneous abortions as a result of carrier state of balanced reciprocal translocation. This chromosome anomalies has been classified like the translocations with the double risk of unbalanced fetal karyotype++. The zygote can be normal, trisomic for part of a chromosome or monosomic for part of a chromosome.

[Cytogenetic studies in fragile X syndrome]. / Badania cytogenetyczne w zespole "kruchego chromosomu X".

The main purpose of this work has been to find a method which would enable the diagnosis of FXS at the cytogenetic level. The studies are based on the analysis of chromosomes from 24 cultures on RPMI-1640 base with an addition of 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FUdR) as inhibitor of thymidylate synthetase. The results indicate, that the cultures with the addition of FUdR could considerably improve the expression of fragile X chromosome. It is of great importance, particularly un the cases in which the presence of this marker is very low. It was possibly to specify the significant percentage and the exact position of breaks, gaps and fragile sites, mostly present in autosomes. It could mean, that such factors may play a significant role, apart of X chromosome, in the pathogenesis of FXS. The results of work prove, that this kind of method could be used as a screening for cases with fragile X syndrome.

[Hypoplasia of Leydig's cells as a cause of male pseudohermaphroditism]. / Hipoplazja komórek Leydiga jako przyczyna meskiego pseudohermafrodytyzmu.

A case of male hermaphroditism is presented. It complied with all traditional criteria of male hermaphroditism due to Leydig's cells hypoplasia (anomaly of the internal genitalia, karyotype 46, XY, presence of the testicular tissue, no response of the hypoplastic Leydig's cells to HCG stimulation with simultaneous dramatic decrease in their number in the interstitial tissue. Emphasis is on the marked difference in incomplete virilization of the external genitalia related to the occurrence of Leydig's cells insufficiency.

Positive affect facilitates creative problem solving.

Four experiments indicated that positive affect, induced by means of seeing a few minutes of a comedy film or by means of receiving a small bag of candy, improved performance on two tasks that are generally regarded as requiring creative ingenuity: Duncker's (1945) candle task and M. T. Mednick, S. A. Mednick, and E. V. Mednick's (1964) Remote Associates Test. One condition in which negative affect was induced and two in which subjects engaged in physical exercise (intended to represent affectless arousal) failed to produce comparable improvements in creative performance. The influence of positive affect on creativity was discussed in terms of a broader theory of the impact of positive affect on cognitive organization.