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Current trends in Safety area and the area of Quality Management systems (e.g. ISO 9001:2015) are oriented on looking for the solutions, which prevent the losses by effective and efficient tools. Economic crisis, migration and globalization bring continual changes or factors, which force the management to analyze and manage their “own” risks [15,16]. Integrated approach to the risk management in the man-machine-environment system (Directive 2006/42/EC) is oriented towards all components of this system in the form of a generic principle application, i.e. there are defined conditions for the risk management of the individual system parts so that the mutual interrelations of these parts could be taken into consideration with regard to application of the Generic Risk Assessment Model (GRAM). Analyses of the risk consequences within the framework of a civic community belong to the area of Security. The developed risk management models are intended for application of integrated approach to the perform analyses, taking into consideration specific hazards arising in the individual phases of machinery technical life cycle installed in various industrial technologies. The structure of GRAM model is formulated in the manner to cover some areas of hazards according company activities (in industrial area) and threats which follow from changeable environment conditions in existence of a company. The aim of GRAM is to give the company management the necessary information for their decision making processes to support control of the emerging and existing risk in integrated and dynamic way.

It has been previously shown that multimeric pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a key component of the cumulus oophorus extracellular matrix (ECM) in mice. In response to the ovulatory LH surge, the cumulus cells assemble a unique ECM that envelopes the oocyte and cumulus cell complex. Importantly, cumuli from PTX3(-/-) mice were defective in their ECM organization and their fertility was impaired. It has been demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 6 catalyzes the formation of heavy chains of (inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor) -hyaluronan complexes and these are then cross-linked via PTX3. This process is tightly regulated and requires the proteins to meet/interact in the correct order. Finally, in this way, the above-listed proteins form the cumulus oophorus ECM. We investigated whether PTX3 is expressed in the porcine preovulatory follicle. Porcine oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCC) and mural granulosa cells (MGC) from gilts were obtained either after stimulation in vivo with eCG/hCG (4, 8, 16, 24, and 32 h) or culture in vitro (4, 24, and 44 h) in FSH/LH-supplemented medium. The methods performed were real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and immunostaining. The expression of PTX3 transcripts was significantly increased 24 h after either in vivo hCG stimulation or in vitro FSH/LH treatment in both OCC and MGC. Western blot analysis with PTX3 antibody revealed that not only matrix extracts from in vivo-stimulated gilts contain high levels of PTX3 protein but also matrix extracts of FSH/LH-stimulated OCC cultured in medium supplemented either with follicular fluid or with porcine serum. The localization of PTX3 in the cumulus oocyte complex was confirmed by immunostaining. In conclusion, PTX3 is produced by porcine OCC and MGC both in vivo and in vitro with gonadotropin stimuli inducing cumulus expansion.

Objectives: To explore the association between hostility and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, and whether these associations are mediated by sense of coherence (SOC).Background: Intervention research has shown that a decrease in levels of hostility leads to an increase of HRQoL among individuals with CHD. However, the mechanisms that link hostility and HRQoL in CHD patients are not clear.Methods: 509 CHD patients (mean age 58.8 +/- 7.3, 29.3% female) were examined.Results: Hostility was associated with poorer mental HRQoL. Adding SOC to the model weakened the strength of the association between hostility and mental HRQoL. The effect of hostility on mental HRQoL was explained for 61.9% by SOC. Neither hostility nor SOC was associated with physical HRQoL.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that low SOC may partially explain the adverse effect of hostility on low mental HRQoL in CHD patients. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

This study was designed to determine whether inhibition of either cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) by indomethacin or progesterone receptor (PR) by PR antagonist, RU486, affects oocyte maturation, progesterone production, and covalent binding between hyaluronan (HA) and heavy chains of inter-α trypsin inhibitor, as well as expression of cumulus expansion-associated proteins (HA-binding protein, tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 6, pentraxin 3) in oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCCs). The experiments were based on freshly isolated porcine OCC cultures in which the consequences of PR and COX-2 inhibition on the final processes of oocyte maturation were determined. Granulosa cells (GCs) and OCCs were cultured in medium supplemented with FSH/LH (both 100 ng/mL) in the presence/absence of RU486 or indomethacin. Western blot analysis, (3)H-glucosamine hydrochloride assay, immunofluorescence, and radioimmunoassay were performed. Only treatment with RU486 (25 μM) caused a decrease in the number of oocytes that reached germinal vesicle breakdown and metaphase II stage compared with indomethacin (100 μM) or FSH/LH treatment alone after 44 h. All treated OCCs synthesized an almost equal amount of HA. Heavy chains (of inter-α trypsin inhibitor)-HA covalent complexes were formed during in vitro FSH/LH-stimulated expansion in RU486- or indomethacin-treated OCCs. Follicle-stimulating hormone/LH-induced progesterone production by OCCs was increased in the presence of RU486 after 44 h. In contrast, a decrease of FSH/LH-stimulated progesterone production by GCs was detected in the presence of either RU486 or indomethacin after 72 h. We suggest that the PR-dependent pathway may be involved in the regulation of oocyte maturation. Both PR and COX-2 regulate FSH/LH-stimulated progesterone production by OCCs and GCs.

Background context In recent years, hypothermia has been described as a therapeutic approach that leads to potential protective effects via minimization of secondary damage consequences, reduction of neurologic deficit, and increase of motor performance after spinal cord injury (SCI) in animal models and humans. Purpose The objective of this study was to determine the therapeutic efficacy of hypothermia treatment on sensory-motor function and bladder activity outcome correlated with the white and gray matter sparing and neuronal survival after SCI in adult rats. Study design A standardized animal model of compression SCI was used to test the hypothesis that hypothermia could have a neuroprotective effect on neural cell death and loss of white and/or gray matter. Methods Animals underwent spinal cord compression injury at the Th8–Th9 level followed by systemic hypothermia of 32.0°C with gradual re-warming to 37.0°C. Motor function of hind limbs (BBB score) and mechanical allodynia (von Frey hair filaments) together with function of urinary bladder was monitored in all experimental animals throughout the whole survival period. Results Present results showed that hypothermia had beneficial effects on urinary bladder activity and on locomotor function recovery at Days 7 and 14 post-injury. Furthermore, significant increase of NeuN-positive neuron survival within dorsal and ventral horns at Days 7, 14, and 21 were documented. Conclusions Our conclusions suggest that hypothermia treatment may not only promote survival of neurons, which can have a significant impact on the improvement of motor and vegetative functions, but also induce mechanical allodynia.

Objective To determine whether inhibition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor tyrosine kinase with lapatinib affects oocyte maturation, expression of the cumulus expansion-associated genes such as tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 6 (TNFAIP6) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), and synthesis of hyaluronan (HA) and progesterone (P) by porcine oocyte cumulus complexes (OCC). Design Our work focuses on lapatinib, an orally active small molecule that selectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase domain of both EGF receptor and human EGF receptor 2, and downstream signaling. Setting A reproductive biology laboratory. Patient(s) Not applicable. Intervention(s) Porcine OCC were cultured in vitro in a medium with FSH/LH in the presence/absence of lapatinib. Main Outcome Measure(s) Methods performed: real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunofluorescence, RIA. Result(s) In FSH/LH-stimulated and expanded cumulus oophorus extracellular matrix, HA was detected with biotinylated HA-binding proteins. However, weaker HA- and weaker cytoplasmic TNFAIP6 were detected were detected in lapatinib-pretreated OCC. The expression of the two cumulus expansion-associated gene transcripts was significantly decreased and synthesis of HA by cumulus cells was reduced. Lapatinib (10 μM) inhibited FSH/LH-induced oocyte meiotic maturation. Progesterone production increased after OCC stimulation with FSH/LH and was significantly decreased by lapatinib (10 μM). Conclusion(s) Lapatinib inhibits oocyte maturation and reduces expression of cumulus expansion-associated transcripts, and synthesis of HA and P in OCC cultured in vitro in FSH/LH-supplemented medium.

The authors of the paper designed the project of the structure of billboard with size 8x18 m. The design includes reinforced concrete foundations, steel vertical column, two advertising boards. The grand view of boards arranged in “V” with 30 ¡ angle. For the possibility of emplacement advertising films ladders and walkways as well as supporting structure for mounting lights must be built. Nowadays in place of sticking promotional material a special film is used attached around the perimeter of grid system covered by the thin steel plate. The geometric non-linear theory of large deflections must be used for a description of behaviour of such a plate. Thin steel sheet changes its own circular frequency depending on the load level. In case of the wind load, it is necessary to analyze the possibility of resonant phenomena, as well.

The meiosis resumption process has been related to spontaneous cytoplasmic InsP3-dependent calcium oscillations in fully grown mouse oocytes. Our purpose was to determine whether the acquisition of meiotic competence during the growth phase of oogenesis was associated with that of Ca 2+ oscillations and whether these oscillations were dependent on the phosphoinositide cycle. We used confocal laser scanning microscopy to image free calcium ions in fluo-3/AM-loaded oocytes recovered from 12- to 26-day-old mice for 15 min following follicular release. As expected, oocytes isolated from 12-day-old mice were totally incompetent to undergo GVB in vitro, whereas the GVB rate increased progressively with mouse age and oocyte diameter. The percentage of oocytes exhibiting spontaneous calcium oscillations and that of oocytes resuming meiosis were similarly correlated with the female age, with incompetent oocytes failing to exhibit spontaneous Ca 2+ oscillations. It is noteworthy that regardless of the stage of growth, thapsigargin induced an ooplasmic calcium release from the InsP3-sensitive stores when it was added to the culture medium. However, intracytoplasmic microinjection of InsP3 induced a shorter sequence of Ca 2+ oscillations in 12-day-old mouse oocytes than in 15-day-old mouse oocytes and, whereas InsP3 increased the GVB rate at 15 days, it was unable to induce GVB at 12 days. These data lead us to conclude that the acquisition of meiotic competence is related to the functionality of the InsP3 pathway and, correspondingly, to the oocyte's ability to generate spontaneous cytoplasmic InsP3-dependent calcium oscillations.

In order to examine the value of assuming constant pulmonary venous admixture with respect to changes in inspired oxygen fraction (FIO2) and time during sustained unilateral hypoxia, we studied venous admixture for 6 h in 27 anaesthetized rabbits in which the left lung was filled with liquid, isosmotic with plasma. In one group of 10 rabbits the right lung was ventilated for 6 h with FIO2 = 1; in a second group of 10 the right lung was ventilated with FIO2 = 1 for 2.5 h and then with FIO2 = 0.3 for 3.5 h. A third group was similarly studied by changing from FIO2 = 1 to FIO2 = 0.5. We found that hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction continued to intensify over 3 h. At 3-6 h, with FIO2 = 0.3, venous admixture (0.32 (SEM 0.03)) was higher than baseline (0.13 (0.01), t = 0 min during bilateral oxygenation) by twice the elevation above baseline of the venous admixture (0.22 (0.01)) in the group with FIO2 = 1. The finding of a marked increase in venous admixture with decreasing FIO2 is discussed in relation to current models of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction.

The influence of in vivo administration of cadmium on hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome b5 content, aniline hydroxylase, p-nitroanisole O-demethylase, and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activities was investigated in guinea pigs with low (2 mg/animal/day) and high (100 mg/animal/day) ascorbic acid intake. Male guinea pigs received 10 mg Cd/L drinking water for 5 and 12 weeks. Cadmium administration resulted in significant decreases in cytochrome P-450 content and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity in the group of guinea pigs with low ascorbic acid intake, while the decreases were less evident in guinea pigs with high ascorbic acid intake. The activities of aniline hydroxylase and O-demethylase were not apparently changed by Cd administration, except for the group of guinea pigs with high ascorbic acid intake in 12th week of cadmium treatment, when increased activities were observed. These findings suggest that hepatotoxic effect of cadmium manifested by inhibition of hepatic microsomal metabolism may be in part beneficially moderated by enhanced ascorbic acid intake.

The domestic blue fox ( Alopex lagopus ) is extensively farmed in Scandinavia, and represents a genetic reserve, as well as a model for basic reproductive studies for the wild arctic fox, which is a canid species threatened by extinction. The development of in vitro techniques may be a way to preserve genetic material from the wild fox population. The scope of this paper was to review the authors' first experiments with maturation and fertilization in vitro (IVM, IVF) of fox oocytes. IVF was attempted after collection of in vivo matured oocytes 2 days after maximum vaginal electrical resistance, from 6 farmed blue fox females in natural oestrus. IVM was carried out in oocytes collected from ovaries of 29 vixens in pro-oestrus, i.e. prior to the preovulatory LH peak. The oocytes for IVM were cultured in bovine IVM media (M199, 10% FCS, w/wo FSH), but without LH. In the IVF experiment, 2 of 36 inseminated ova developed beyond the 4-cell stage. One embryo developed to a morula 144 h after insemination. In the IVM experiment 325 oocytes were evaluated, 91% (w/FSH) vs 78% showed germinal vesicle breakdown. GVBD was observed after 24 h in culture (19% w/FSH vs 27%), MI was reached at 48 h (70% vs 40%), MII at 48–72 h (48% vs 22%), but the majority of MII were seen at 96 h after insemination (73% vs 66%). Duration of IVM (96 h) was somewhat longer than observed in vivo (72 h). Although dissociation of cumulus cells was observed, corona radiata cells were tightly connected with the oocytes, suggesting incomplete cytoplasmatic maturation.

With cats anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbital we studied how veratrine-induced reflexes interact with cough. Cough was elicited by mechanical stimulation of tracheobronchial mucosa and its intensity was evaluated from the changes in oesophageal pressure. Veratrine injected intravenously produced apnoea, bradycardia and long-lasting hypotension. With each dose the intensity of cough was significantly decreased during the apnoea. When the mechanical stimulus was repeated during the breathing following apnoea with remaining hypotension, cough intensity parameters were not changed from control. Veratrine injected intracardially caused bradycardia, hypotension, and decreases in respiratory rate and tidal volume. The intensity of cough elicited just after injection of veratrine was also significantly decreased. We suggest that veratrine-induced reflexes depress the cough reflex mainly by inhibitory reflexes arising from cardiac receptors. The inhibition of cough is probably mediated indirectly via the inhibition of medullary respiratory neurons.