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This article concerns the practice of conducting research by Polish public cultural institutions that seek to gain insight about themselves. Thus, the article fits into two theoretical areas of management sciences: learning organizations and knowledge management. We ask why in the opinion of cultural institutions is it worth (or not) conducting independent research? In search of answers, we conducted two complementary studies: a netnography-inspired online query of secondary sources regarding research conducted by Polish cultural organizations; and a survey among 392 such organizations that did or did not conduct research in 2016–2020. The collected material allowed us to discover that certain cultural organizations welcome research, treating it as an opportunity to obtain relevant information, introduce changes, and streamline operations. On the other hand, there are organizations that perceive research as a futile endeavor due to certain objective factors, mostly their own limited resources and the reluctance of potential respondents.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of different types of high-fat diets (HFDs) on the proteomic profile of mouse liver. The analysis included four dietary groups of mice fed a standard diet (STD group), a high-fat diet rich in SFAs (SFA group), and high-fat diets dominated by PUFAs with linoleic acid (LA, C18:2n–6) to α-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3n–3) ratios of 14:1 (14:1 group) and 5:1 (5:1 group). After three months of diets, liver proteins were resolved by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) using 17 cm non-linear 3–10 pH gradient strips. Protein spots with different expression were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF. The expression of 13 liver proteins was changed in the SFA group compared to the STD group (↓: ALB, APOA1, IVD, MAT1A, OAT and PHB, ↑: ALDH1L1, UniProtKB—Q91V76, GALK1, GPD1, HMGCS2, KHK and TKFC). Eleven proteins with altered expression were recorded in the 14:1 group compared to the SFA group (↓: ARG1, FTL1, GPD1, HGD, HMGCS2 and MAT1A, ↑: APOA1, CA3, GLO1, HDHD3 and IVD). The expression of 11 proteins was altered in the 5:1 group compared to the SFA group (↓: ATP5F1B, FTL1, GALK1, HGD, HSPA9, HSPD1, PC and TKFC, ↑: ACAT2, CA3 and GSTP1). High-PUFA diets significantly affected the expression of proteins involved in, e.g., carbohydrate metabolism, and had varying effects on plasma total cholesterol and glucose levels. The outcomes of this study revealed crucial liver proteins affected by different high-fat diets.

Background Food choices represent a highly significant approach to combat human obesity. Dietary intake of lipids, especially polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, is gaining popularity in the effort to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of obesity. Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) nuts are an abundant source of these dietary fatty acids. Moreover, they are a rich source of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol with a variety of health-beneficial properties. Scope and approach In this review, we summarize the literature reports examining physiological effects associated with pecan nuts consumption and described effects of their bioactive constituents. Key findings and conclusions The growing body of evidence suggests including pecan nuts into obesity management strategies. The consumption of pecan nuts can mitigate inflammation by reducing the extent of the synthesis of inflammatory mediator molecules. Pecan nuts can also counteract the pro-inflammatory effects of a diet rich in commonly overconsumed saturated fatty acids, characteristic of the Western diet. Additionally, consumption of pecans and other nuts has been linked to reduced risk of physiological parameters associated with cardiovascular disease or metabolic disorders. Diets enriched with tree nuts and peanuts can modulate the blood level of cholesterol, adiposity, and insulin resistance. Almonds and walnuts have been so far the most studied nuts, and studies with them have led to a greater understanding of the protective effects of diverse tree nuts on human physiology. In this review, we summarize the available data indicating that pecan nuts exert similar health-promoting benefits.

Celem rozdziału jest przedstawienie wyników zrealizowanego badania w działaniu dotyczącego zarządzania wiedzą oraz dzielenia się wiedzą w instytucji publicznej. Podjęty problem badawczy dotyczył tego, w jaki sposób można usprawnić proces zarządzania i dzielenia się wiedzą projektową w Muzeum Krakowa. Jako podmiot badania wybrano publiczną (samorządową) instytucję kultury - jedno z większych muzeów w Polsce. Do metod wykorzystanych podczas realizacji badania należą obserwacje, wywiady, badanie ankietowe oraz analiza dokumentów. W rozdziale przedstawiony został przebieg procesu badawczego, diagnoza problemów i wyzwań badanej instytucji w zakresie zarządzania wiedzą o projektach, analiza wyników oraz rekomendacje. Głównym rezultatem zrealizowanego badania jest opracowany plan wdrożeniowy, zawierający opis sytuacyjny projektowanej zmiany oraz propozycje rozwiązań dla zdiagnozowanego wyzwania. Zobrazowało ona także, że badanie w działaniu jest metodą badawczą nadającą się do wspierania procesów zarządzania wiedzą projektową w organizacjach publicznych. Tło teoretyczne dla rozważań podjętych w pracy stanowią koncepcje zarządzania wiedzą projektową oraz dzielenia się wiedzą o zrealizowanych projektach. This chapter aims at presenting the results of the research carried out as part of the action research project concerning knowledge management and knowledge sharing in a public institution. As a research subject, a public cultural institution in Poland was selected. The methods used during the implementation of the research include observations, interviews, questionnaire surveys, and document analysis. The chapter presents the course of the research process, a diagnosis of problems, and challenges of the institution under study as regards project knowledge management, analysis of results, and recommendations. The principal result of the study is the developed action plan that contains an overview description of the proposed change and suggestions for solutions for the diagnosed challenge. It also illustrated that action research is a research approach supporting project management processes in public organizations. The theoretical background for considerations undertaken in the work are the concepts of project knowledge management and sharing knowledge on the implemented projects.

There is growing evidence that advanced maternal age is a risk factor for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring. However, it remains unclear whether the altered brain programming induced by advanced maternal age is mediated by pre- or postnatal factors. Here, a mouse model was used to investigate whether pregnancy at advanced age may provoke behavioral and brain gene expression changes in offspring. Swiss Albino mice conceived by 3-month-old males and either 15–18-month-old (n = 11) or 3-month-old control females (n = 5), were delivered by cesarean section, fostered after birth by 3-month-old dams and subjected to a battery of behavioral tests. Furthermore, genome-wide mRNA expression was analyzed in the hippocampi of 4-month-old males offspring using microarrays. Offspring conceived by old mothers exhibited increased ultrasound vocalization activity during separation from the foster mother, increased anxiety-like behaviors in adult life, and altered patterns of hippocampal gene expression, compared to controls. These effects were not reversed by the postnatal maternal care provided by the young foster mothers, suggesting that the altered brain programming is already established at birth, consistent with prenatal effects related to maternal aging.

The gene () encodes a transcription factor belonging to the MEF2 family that plays an important role in myogenesis by transcriptional regulation of genes involved in skeletal muscle growth and development. Despite the established importance of the factors in the muscular growth and development, the temporal-spatial expression and biological function of have not been reported in cattle. The aim of this study was to analyze the level of expression in the developing longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) of 4 cattle breeds (Polish Holstein-Friesian [HF], Limousine [LIM], Hereford [HER], Polish Red [PR]), differing in terms of meat production and utility type, at 6, 9, and 12 mo of age. The genetic polymorphism and expression patterns in 6 tissues (heart, spleen, liver, semitendinosus muscle [ST], gluteus medius muscle [GM], and LM) were also investigated. The results showed that mRNA was expressed at a high level in adult skeletal and cardiac muscles. Moreover, expression was markedly greater in the GM than in the LM ( 0.05) and ST ( 0.01). An age-dependent and breed-specific comparison of mRNA level in skeletal muscle of HF, LIM, HER, and PR bulls showed that age was significant differentiating factor of transcript/protein abundance in the LM of HER and LIM ( 0.001) compared to HF and PR, for which the differences in mRNA level were not significant ( > 0.05). Regarding the breed effect on the expression, significantly greater mRNA/protein level was noticed in the LM of 9 and 12 mo-old HER than of LIM ( 0.01), HF ( 0.001), and PR ( 0.001). Four novel SNP, namely, (promoter), (exon 7), (exon 8), and (3'UTR), were identified. We found that 3'UTR variant, situated within the seed region of the miR-5187-3p and miR-6931-5p binding sites, was associated with the level of mRNA/protein in LM of 12-mo-old HF bulls. In addition, we observed a significant association between some carcass quality traits, including meat and carcass fatness quality traits, and various 3'UTR genotypes in the investigated population of HF cattle. Our finding provides new evidence of the significant role in the postnatal muscle growth and development in cattle, and indicates that can be a promising molecular marker for carcass quality-related traits in adult cattle.

Background The level of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can affect many cellular systems and function via nuclear receptors or the bioactive lipid regulation of gene expression. The objective of this study was to investigate changes in the muscle transcriptome and the biological functions regulated by increased consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the pig gluteus medius muscle. Results The transcriptome of the gluteus medius muscle was studied for pigs subjected to either a control diet or a diet supplemented with linseed and rapeseed oil to increase polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to generate the muscle tissue transcriptome database pointing differentially expressed genes (DEG). Comparative expression analyses identified 749 genes significantly differing at least in the twofold of change between two groups of animals fed with divergent level of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The expression of 219 genes was upregulated, and the expression of 530 genes was downregulated in the group of pigs supplemented with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in relation to control group pigs. Results of RNA-seq indicated a role of fatty acid in the regulation of the expression of genes which are essential for muscle tissue development and functioning. Functional analysis revealed that the identified genes were important for a number of biological processes including inflammatory response, signaling, lipid metabolism, and homeostasis. Conclusions Summarizing, obtained results provide strong evidence that omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids regulate fundamental metabolic processes in muscle tissue development and functioning. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12263-017-0552-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

We analysed the polymorphism of cross-amplified microsatellite loci in two endangered butterflies of the genus Phengaris, which inhabit warm grasslands. Specimens of P. arion and P. 'rebeli' collected in Poland showed contrasting levels of variability in the investigated loci. All six tested microsatellites were highly variable in P. arion, whereas in P. 'rebeli' one locus was monomorphic and the other four loci showed a rather low level of polymorphism. Genetic differentiation was small or moderate among P. arion populations and high among P. 'rebeli' populations. We hypothesise that these differences reflect: (1) the relatively high genetic variability of P. arion compared with other members of the genus, indicated by previous studies on allozymes; (2) the small, in the majority of cases, genetic differentiation among populations of P. arion, which suggests recent gene flow; (3) a decrease in the genetic variability and increased isolation of peripheral populations of P. 'rebeli'. In both species, the occurrence of "null" alleles was suggested for some loci, which should be taken into consideration in future studies of the population structure. Additional analysis performed on the corrected frequency of alleles indicated that "null" alleles constitute only a minor problem when estimating genetic differentiation, using FST and AMOVA, however they strongly influence estimates of heterozygosity and FIS, and inferences about the number of genetic groups and assignment of individuals, especially in the case of ' P. rebeli'.

The optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is important for keeping the homeostasis of biological processes and metabolism, yet the underlying biological mechanism is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to identify changes in the pig liver transcriptome induced by a diet enriched with omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and to characterize the biological mechanisms related to PUFA metabolism. Polish Landrace pigs (n = 12) were fed diet enriched with linoleic acid (LA, omega-6) and α-linolenic acid (ALA, omega-3) or standard diet as a control. The fatty acid profiling was assayed in order to verify how feeding influenced the fatty acid content in the liver, and subsequently next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG) between transcriptomes between dietary groups. The biological mechanisms and pathway interaction networks were identified using DAVID and Cytoscape tools. Fatty acid profile analysis indicated a higher contribution of PUFAs in the liver for LA- and ALA-enriched diet group, particularly for the omega-3 fatty acid family, but not omega-6. Next-generation sequencing identified 3565 DEG, 1484 of which were induced and 2081 were suppressed by PUFA supplementation. A low ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids resulted in the modulation of fatty acid metabolism pathways and over-representation of genes involved in energy metabolism, signal transduction, and immune response pathways. In conclusion, a diet enriched with omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids altered the transcriptomic profile of the pig liver and would influence animal health status. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12263-016-0517-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.