Inner Ear Malformations in Congenital Deafness Are Not Associated with Increased Risk of Breech Presentation.

BackgroundThere is speculation that an immature vestibular system may be associated with breech presentation at delivery. Our aim was to determine whether syndromes with congenital inner ear malformations were accompanied by a higher frequency of breech presentation/malpresentations than in the general population (2%-3%). Methods: A review was conducted for published literature using PubMed/MEDLINE (1936-2016), to determine frequency of breech presentation and transverse lie in cases with congenital deafness (Michel aplasia, Wildervanck syndrome, Mondini-Alexander dysplasia, Waardenburg syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, Large vestibular aqueductal syndrome, Pendred syndrome, Oculo-aurico-vertebral spectrum, Jervel and Lange-Nielsen syndrome, Usher syndrome, and Scheibe dysplasia) and vestibular nerve aplasia. Results: Identified were total of 122 cases. The frequency of breech presentation was 1.64%, and of transverse lie 1.64%, giving a total of 3.28% malpresentations. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that congenital malformations of the vestibular apparatus are not associated with the increased risk of breech presentation at delivery.

Cognitive impairment and depression after acute myocardial infarction: associations with ejection fraction and demographic characteristics.

Cognitive impairment and depression are often associated with acute myocardial infarction, however, the risk factors for their occurrence after myocardial infarction are still unclear. To determine the effect of reduced ejection fraction and demographic characteristics on the occurrence of cognitive impairment and depression after myocardial infarction. In the prospective study, the final sample consisted of 82 patients. Based on the value of the ejection fraction, the patients were divided into those with a value of < 40% and those having a value of ≥ 40%. Demographic data (age, gender, education), and data on comorbidities, were collected from the patients' medical history. The instruments of studies were: Mini-mental test and Beck depression inventory. The occurrence of cognitive impairment and depression was not, to a significant degree, associated with the level of ejection fraction. In contrast, demographics have shown positive predictive effects. Among demographic characteristics, the age of the patient proved to be a significant predictor for the occurrence of cognitive impairment (p = 0.004). The probability of cognitive impairment increases 1.16 times for each year of life. Significant depression predictor was female gender (p = 0.014). The probability of depression was 3.5 times greater for female gender. Cognitive impairment after acute myocardial infarction is more common in older patients, and depression in more common in women.

Association between the SMN2 gene copy number and clinical characteristics of patients with spinal muscular atrophy with homozygous deletion of exon 7 of the SMN1 gene.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by degeneration of alpha motor neurons in the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata, causing progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. The aim of this study was to determine association between the SMN2 gene copy number and disease phenotype in Serbian patients with SMA with homozygous deletion of exon 7 of the SMN1 gene. METHODS: The patients were identified using regional Serbian hospital databases. Investigated clinical characteristics of the disease were: patients' gender, age at disease onset, achieved and current developmental milestones, disease duration, current age, and the presence of the spinal deformities and joint contractures. The number of SMN1 and SMN2 gene copies was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS. Among 43 identified patients, 37 (86.0%) showed homozygous deletion of SMN1 exon 7. One (2.7%) of 37 patients had SMA type I with 3 SMN2 'copies, 11 (29.7%) patients had SMA type II with 3.1 +/- 0.7 copies, 17 (45.9%) patients had SMA type III with 3.7 +/- 0.9 copies, while 8 (21.6%) patients had SMA type IV with 4.2 +/- 0.9 copies. There was a progressive increase in the SMN2 gene copy number from type II towards type IV (p < 0.05). A higher SMN2 gene copy number was associated with better current motor performance (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the Serbian patients with SMA, a higher SMN2 gene copy number correlated with less severe disease phenotype. A possible effect of other phenotype modifiers should not be neglected.

Breech presentation and the cornual-fundal location of the placenta.

AIM: To investigate the association of cornual-fundal location of the placenta and breech presentation at term delivery. METHODS: This study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Novi Sad, in 2011. The inclusion criteria were delivery at ≥37 weeks of gestation, singleton gestation, and cornual-fundal location of the placenta determined by ultrasonography at ≥37 weeks of gestation when 3/4 or more of the placenta was in the cornual-fundal region. RESULTS: Out of 2750 ultrasound examinations performed, 143 showed cornual-fundal location of the placenta (frequency 5.2%). Eighty six cases had cephalic presentation (60.14%) and 57 (39.86%) had breech presentation. Of the remaining cases with non- cornual-fundal location, 2585 had cephalic presentation and 22 (0.84%) had breech presentation. The difference in the frequency of breech presentation between the cornual-fundal and non-cornual-fundal groups was significant (χ(2)=77.78, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Cornual-fundal location of the placenta may be an important clue in resolving the etiology of a number of cases of breech presentation at term delivery.

Phosphocholine-binding antibody activities are hierarchically encoded in the sequence of the heavy-chain variable region: dominance of self-association activity in the T15 idiotype.

A methodology based on the representation of each amino acid of a protein sequence by the electron-ion interaction potential and subsequent analysis by signal processing was used to determine the characteristic or common frequency (in Hz) that reflects the biological activity shared among phosphocholine (PC)-binding antibodies. The common frequency for the variable portion of the heavy chain (VH) of the PC-specific antibodies is found to be at f = 0.37 Hz. The VH sequences of the PC-binding antibodies exhibit three subsites for the PC moiety where hypervariable region 2 (CDR2) plays a role in the interaction with the phosphate group. Mutations in this VH region have an impact on the ability of mutant variants to bind PC and its carrier molecule, as well as on the characteristic frequency shift toward f = 0.12 Hz for mutants failing to bind both hapten and carrier. The VH sequence of mutants that retain the ability to bind PC still shows f = 0.37 Hz, suggesting that this frequency determines PC binding. However, this statement was not confirmed as mutation in another PC subsite impairs PC binding but retains both the phosphate-group recognition and the frequency at f = 0.37 Hz. Herein, this finding is discussed to promote the idea that the VH sequence of the PC-binding antibodies encodes the subsite for phosphate-group binding as a dominant functional activity and that only CDR2 of the T15-idiotype antibodies together with FR3 region form an autonomous self-association function represented by the T15VH50-73 peptide with f = 0.37±0.05 Hz. Thus, these data confirmed that T15VH50-73 peptide might be used in superantibody technology.

Significance of adequate postural control in the appearance of habitual upright bipedal locomotion.

Analysis of qualitative indicators of stability of the body during different types of locomotion in primates suggests that bipedal locomotion is not variation of some other type of locomotion. Transition from quadrupedal to bipedal locomotion is accompanied by a qualitative difference in body stability. Because of assuming an upright bipedal posture, the center of mass is lifted, the surface of the base of support is reduced, and the body structure does not provide passive stability in relation to inertial moments of the body around Y-axis. Additional head movements, trunk rotations, forelimb manipulations with objects and surveying the surroundings are necessary for survival, but they increase the degree of freedom of movement and further complicate the task of maintaining balance in the case of a postural change from erect quadrupedal to erect bipedal. This article presents a hypothesis that the transition from quadrupedal to habitual upright bipedal locomotion was caused by qualitative changes in the nervous system that allowed controlling the more demanding type of locomotion. The ability to control a more demanding posture increases possibilities of interactions between the organism and the complex environment and consequently increases the survival rate, breeding possibilities, and chances for occupying a new environmental niche. Existing data show that ability to execute the more demanding type of locomotion was made possible because of changes in the frontal lobe and pyramidal system. Only after the more demanding posture was enabled by changes in the nervous system, could advantages of bipedal over quadrupedal locomotion be utilized, including better scanning of the environment, carrying food and infants, simultaneous upper extremity movements and observation of the environment, limitless manipulation of objects with upper extremities above the individual, and less space for rotating around the Z-axis. The aforementioned advantages of habitual bipedal over quadrupedal locomotion are present in physically complex environments, such as the forest, which is associated with the appearance of habitual bipedal locomotion.

Comparative effect of bisoprolol and losartan in the treatment of essential hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of bisoprolol and losartan on subjects with essential hypertension, by conducting heart rate variability (HRV) analysis of ECG signals. Our intention was to establish the set of linear and nonlinear heart rate variability parameters, which could be used as a noninvasive markers in the treatment of hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty subjects with essential hypertension included in this study were divided in two groups. During the four weeks medical treatment, the first group was administered with daily oral dose of 5 mg of bisoprolol and the second with daily oral dose of 50 mg of losartan. We recorded ECG signals, and performed HRV analysis of consecutive RR time intervals, before and after a month of pharmacological therapy. RESULTS: IN THE CASE OF BISOPROLOL, STATISTICALLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OF HRV PARAMETERS WERE: TP (1814.1 ± 1731.3 ms(2) vs. 761.3 ± 725.0 ms(2), P < 0.0001), RR (870.2 ± 105.7 ms vs. 1027.2 ± 150.0 ms, P < 0.0001), HR (70.81 ± 8.42 bp/min vs. 60.10 ± 9.52 bp/min, P < 0.0001). In the case of losartan, the most significant changes were: SDNN (43.16 ± 17.27 ms vs. 237.98 ± 118.54 ms, P = 0.002), rmSDD (27.09 ± 18.27 ms vs. 46.82 ± 37.71 ms, P = 0.003), SD2 (55.18 ± 20.6 vs. 70.67 ± 26.12, P < 0.019) and DF2 (0.69 ± 0.21 vs. 0.86 ± 0.25, P < 0.014). CONCLUSION: Effects of bisoprolol and losartan were especially manifested among the set of linear HRV parameters. As a consequence of effect of losartan, we singled out the nonlinear parameters SD2 and DF2.

Spectral and fractal measures of cerebellar and cerebral activity in various types of anesthesia.

The features of rat cerebral and cerebellar electrocortical activity (ECoG) under different types of anaesthesia (nembutal, ketamine or zoletil) were examined by the distribution of spectral entropy across frequency bands of ECoG and by calculation of fractal dimension determined on the basis of Higuchi's algorithm. Spectral entropy, as a measure of activity, in the case of cerebrum had greater values than the spectral entropy of cerebellum in low frequency ranges, regardless of the type of applied anesthetic. Various anesthetics evoked different effects on spectral entropy of electrocortical activity: spectral entropy of delta range greatly dominated under nembutal anesthesia, while ketamine or zoletil appeared to affect the spectral entropy of higher frequency ranges. The pronounced effect of ketamine or zoletil anesthesia on spectral entropy of higher frequency was confirmed by the higher values of Higucihi's fractal dimension (FD) of ECoGs, with a tendency of higher FD values in cerebellar activity than cerebral activity.

Fractal dimension values of cerebral and cerebellar activity in rats loaded with aluminium.

Aluminium interferes with a variety of cellular metabolic processes in the mammalian nervous system and its intake might increase a risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). While cerebral involvement even at the early stages of intoxication is well known, the role of cerebellum is underestimated. Our aim was to investigate cerebral and cerebellar electrocortical activity in adult male rats exposed to chronic aluminium treatment by nonlinear analytic tools. The adult rats in an aluminium-treated group were injected by AlCl(3), intraperitoneally (2 mg Al/kg, daily for 4 weeks). Fractal analysis of brain activity was performed off-line using Higuchi's algorithm. The average fractal dimension of electrocortical activity in aluminium-treated animals was lower than the average fractal dimension of electrocortical activity in the control rats, at cerebral but not at cerebellar level. The changes in the stationary and nonlinear properties of time series were more expressed in cerebral electrocortical activity than in cerebellar activity. This can be useful for developing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in neurodegenerative diseases.

Wavelet and fractal analysis of rat brain activity in seizures evoked by camphor essential oil and 1,8-cineole.

We investigated the rat brain activity in acute seizures evoked by camphor essential oil or its main constituent 1,8-cineole by wavelet (primarily) and fractal analysis. Experiments were performed on anesthetized animals before and after intraperitoneal camphor oil or cineole administration. The properties of frequency bands in pre-ictal, ictal and inter-ictal stages have been determined by wavelet analysis. The domination of delta frequency band was confirmed in obtained brain activities, which participate with approximately 45% of mean relative wavelet energy (MRWE) in control signals and arise up to approximately 76% MRWE in energy spectrum during the ictal stage (after drug administration). Other frequency bands decreased during ictal stage and arised in inter-ictal stage. There was a dosedependent response of cineole effect: increase in cineole concentration leaded to the higher values of relative wavelet energy (RWE) of delta frequency band while there were slight changes of the mean fractal dimension (FD) values as a measure of system complexity.

The righting reflex from a supine to a prone position in the guinea pig fetus.

The aim of this study was to examine the righting reflex from a supine to a prone position in the albino guinea pig fetus. Ultrasound examinations of one-fetus gestations were performed in the period from the 31st to the 66th day of gestation. The experimental and control group each encompassed 6 fetuses. Fetuses were brought into supine positions relative to the gravity vector by manipulating the pregnant females into the appropriate positions. The control group received 15 mg/kg of diazepam intraperitoneally before the examination to show whether changes in fetal position occurred as the result of passive rotation. In the experimental group, each fetus was examined every other day (summary results: absent 69 times, prone position 10 times, lateral position 29 times). In the control group, each fetus was examined every five days (summary results: absent 42 times). The absence of the righting reflex in the control group was statistically significant (chi(2) = 18.66, df = 1, p = 0.000, p < 0.05). The experimental group fetuses assumed a prone position more frequently in the period from the 51st to the 66th day of gestation than in the period from the 31st to the 50th day of gestation (chi(2) = 4.17, df = 1, p = 0.0412, p < 0.05), suggesting maturation of the righting reflex.