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Capacitive extracellular stimulation is a common method in implanted stimulation electrodes. The basis for investigating the transmission of stimuli from an electrode to adhered cells are in vitro experiments using calcium imaging or patch clamp measurements. Computational spatial models are used to simulate the mechanism of signal transmission at the cell-electrode interface but require high computing power. In this work, the Stern model to characterize the electrochemical double-layer (EDL) formation and a modified two-domain model are combined into a holistic equivalent circuit modelling capacitive cell stimulation. The described parameters can be directly associated with physicochemical effects. A simulation of the involved control and measurement systems allows the validation of the model with in vitro patch clamp recordings. The relationship of the cell’s distance to the electrode and efficacy of signal transmission could be observed. With this concept we aim to convert different complex approaches into a simple model and thus give an overview of the mechanisms of stimulation. We want to facilitate the interpretation of measured signals especially in voltage clamp measurements.

The aim of this article is to describe and analyze the contribution of Stanisław Poniatowski to the ethnological study of Siberia - the region that has always attracted travelers and discoverers. Even those who had been exiled by the tsarist regime in the second half of the 19th century not only intended to survive in the new, harsh environment, but also frequently conducted their own geographic, ethnographic, or botanical research. The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was also the time of the first academic expeditions to Siberia, such as the one led by Vladimir G. Bogoraz (1894-1896), a Russian ethnographer and linguist, during which systematic research in various fields of humanities and natural sciences was conducted. The scientific contribution of Stanisław Poniatowski to Siberian studies is based, in the first place on his extensive and detailed fieldwork which, nonetheless, would not be possible without the support given by the acclaimed Czech anthropologist Aleš Hrdlička. Thanks to his assistance, Poniatowski’s expedition could be carried on and produce unique ethnographic data on relatively unknown peoples of that region of Asia.

Choroby neuronu ruchowego (motor neuron disease, MND) to grupa schorzen, w ktorych dominują objawy kliniczne zajecia drogi ruchowej przez postepujący proces zwyrodnieniowy. W ich przebiegu obserwuje sie jednak takze dysfunkcje innych cześci ukladu nerwowego. W piśmiennictwie zwraca sie obecnie uwage na powiązanie MND z zaburzeniami funkcji poznawczych, objawami mozdzkowymi, zaburzeniami czuciowymi, czy takze ukladu pozapiramidowego i autonomicznego. Efektem tego mogą byc roznorodne objawy, wspolistniejące z deficytem ruchowym - glowną manifestacją choroby. W aspekcie klinicznym wazne jest wiedza o wspolwystepowaniu MND z innymi procesami neurodegeneracyjnymi. Stwierdzenie zajecia innych niz droga ruchowa cześci ukladu nerwowego moze byc pomocne w diagnostyce roznicowej poszczegolnych jednostek chorobowych w heterogennej grupie MND, moze takze byc wykorzystywane w monitorowaniu postepu choroby. Cześc objawow pozaruchowych moze wymagac podjecia pilnych dzialan terapeutycznych (na przyklad zaburzenia rytmu serca lub zaburzenia oddychania w przebiegu zajecia autonomicznego ukladu nerwowego).

Ring properties of amalgamated products are investigated. We offer new, elementary arguments which extend results from [5] and [12] to noncommutative setting and also give new properties of amalgamated rings.

Rozna odpowiedź na leczenie u pacjentow z przewleklą zapalną poliradikuloneuropatią demielinizacyjną (CIDP, chronic infl ammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy ) moze sugerowac odmienności w etiopatogenezie u poszczegolnych chorych. W artykule omowiono typową i atypową postac CIDP, ze szczegolnym uwzglednieniem statusu pacjentow pod wzgledem wykrywanych przeciwcial, z nastepczym wyodrebnieniem roznych postaci choroby z przewidywaną odpowiedzią na leczenie. Nieprawidlowe rozpoznanie CIDP ma znamienne implikacje dla rokowania i leczenia. Oznaczenie przeciwcial patogennych dla CIDP pomaga w planowaniu terapii. Istotne jest wyodrebnienie grupy chorych z krotkim czasem trwania okna skuteczności leczenia immunoglobulinami, a takze grupy z opornością na immunoglobuliny. W pierwszej grupie mozna osiągnąc efekt terapeutyczny po zwiekszeniu dawki i frakcjonowaniu leku.

Most cardiac arrests in adults are related to coronary artery disease (CAD), and the role of early invasive cardiology procedures remains unclear.We investigated the prognosis for patients hospitalized for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) or in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) who were referred within 24 hours to a tertiary cardiology department, with a focus on the role of early coronary angiography (CA) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).This was an observational, single-center study using retrospective and prospective cohorts. Consecutive patients hospitalized for OHCA or IHCA and referred within 24 hours to a cardiology department were included in the study. Survival until hospital discharge was the primary outcome.One hundred and forty-eight patients aged 71 (14) years were included, 68 hospitalized for OHCA, and 80 patients after IHCA. Overall, in-hospital survival in the study group was 45% (66/148). In a multivariable logistic regression model, independent predictors of death were ejection fraction (EF) ≤30% (odds ratio [OR], 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-10.03), blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) ≤90% (OR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.19-6.46), non-ST-segement elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) (OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.02-7.21). The risk of death was lower in patients who underwent early CA (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.1-0.74) or received at least one defibrillation (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.05-0.27), even after adjustment for other factors.In this series from a tertiary cardiac center, patients who underwent early CA had improved outcomes after cardiac arrest. In the multivariable logistic regression model, lower SpO₂, lower EF, and NSTEMI were independent risk factors of death, whereas early CA and initial shockable rhythm improved survival.

Introduction Cancer therapies are currently more efficient at increasing the survival of patients (pts) with cancer. Unfortunately, the cardiovascular (CV) complications of cancer therapies may adversely affect improving results of treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of classical CV risk factors among pts with de novo diagnosis of cancer and thus identify the cohort of pts with potentially increased future risk of CV complications. Material and methods The analysis is based on the database of the multicentre ONCOECHO study. Pts before systemic treatment (chemotherapy or targeted therapy) were included. The diagnostic datasets of resting electrocardiogram, blood samples, and transthoracic echocardiogram were analysed in 343 consecutive pts who were free from any cardiovascular disease that could adversely affect the introduced treatment. Results Our cohort included 4.4% of pts with kidney cancer, 7.3% with colorectal cancer, 26.5% with haematological malignancies (HM), and 61.8% with breast cancer. The risk estimated by SCORE was 4.56 ±5.07%. Breast cancer pts had lower cardiovascular risk than those with HM (p = 0.001) and kidney cancer (p = 0.002). Additionally, the HM group had much higher levels of natriuretic peptides (p < 0.001) and creatinine (p = 0.008) than pts with breast cancer. The comparison with the NATPOL population data showed that our pts were more often smokers, hypertensives, and diabetics, but less frequently presented with hypercholesterolaemia. Conclusions Patients with new diagnosis of cancer, who are candidates for potentially cardiotoxic medical treatment, have increased prevalence of significant cardiovascular risk factors and therefore should be followed by a multidisciplinary team during the therapeutic process.

Encefalopatia wątrobowa (HE, hepatic encephalopathy ) jest bardzo rzadką przyczyną napadow drgawkowych o charakterze ogniskowym. Ustalenie wlaściwego rozpoznania wymaga zwykle przeprowadzenia szerokiej diagnostyki roznicowej. W pracy przedstawiono przypadek 53-letniej kobiety z przewleklym toksycznym uszkodzeniem wątroby, u ktorej stwierdzano objawy ogniskowego deficytu neurologicznego bezpośrednio po napadach drgawek, w zapisie elektroencefalograficznym — wyraźną lateralizacje zmian napadowych, a w badaniu rezonansu magnetycznego — zmiany w sekwencjach T1-zaleznych. Na podstawie przebiegu klinicznego oraz badan pomocniczych, po wykluczeniu zmian nowotworowych i zapalnych, ustalono rozpoznanie HE objawiającej sie napadami drgawkowymi o ogniskowym charakterze.

The main goal of this paper is to extend Flanigan’s theorem in [4] concerning ideal essential extensions of rings to left ideal essential extensions. Moreover, we give new proofs of two Flanigan’s theorems and answer a question raised by M. Petrich in [5] which is related to pure extensions of rings.

Background and aim of the study: Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is defi ned asimpaired face recognition in the absence of brain injury or intellectual defi cit. Becauseof the complexity of validated face memory and perception tests, its online distributiongreatly improves the effectiveness and convenience of conducting research. Assessmentof DP occurrence in the Polish population concerning study sample collection andcharacteristics.Material and methods: An online questionnaire consisting of the 20-item ProsopagnosiaIndex (PI20) was administered to assess self-reported problems with face recognition.Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) and Glasgow Face Matching Test (GFMT)were applied to assess respondents’ face memory and perception. Additional data onrespondents’ gender, age and handedness were also obtained. All of the components werearranged together using Google Forms tool. Respondents were recruited via social mediaannouncements. The study was conducted from 1st January to 31st March 2019. Each ofthe respondents was provided with personalised results analysis, which was sent with ane-mail. They were also able to stay in contact with research authors, asking additional questionsand giving remarks.Results: During the study, a total of 1349 questionnaires were collected, out of which1276 met inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. 66.1% of the respondent groupwere females and 33.9% males. The mean age was 28.3 ± 9.5 years (range: 14-75). Themean PI20 score was 49.6 ± 18 (range: 20-99). In 11.8% of respondents PI20 result indicatedself-reported mild, in 8.3% moderate and in 3.9% severe DP. The mean CFMT totalscore was 58.1 (median: 59, range: 26-72) and mean GFMT score was 33.9 (median: 34,range: 18-40). According to the cutoff values from original papers, 81 (6.3%) of respondentsscored below threshold in CFMT, 27 (2.4%) in GFMT. Out of 50 respondents whoself-reported symptoms indicating severe DP, only 15 (30%) scored below the cutoff inCFMT and 6 (12%) in GFMT. On the contrary, 30 (3.1%) and 16 (1.4%) out of 970 respondentsreporting no problems with face recognition had total scores below the cutoff inCFMT and GFMT, respectively.Conclusions: The estimated prevalence of developmental prosopagnosia in Polishpopulation is higher than in normative data. These discrepancies may result from specifi cdemographics of participant group more than an online-character of the study. It is important to focus on experiment design and methodology in order to maintain high quality ofcollected data. Development of country-specifi c norms and stimuli for face-recognitiontests should also be considered .

Unfolded protein response is a signaling cascade triggered by misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. Heat shock protein H4 (HSPH4) and A5 (HSPA5) are two chaperoning proteins present within the organelle, which target misfolded peptides during prolonged stress conditions. Epileptogenic insults and epileptic seizures are a notable source of stress on cells. To investigate whether they influence expression of these chaperones, we performed immunohistochemical stainings in brains from rats that experienced a status epilepticus (SE) as a trigger of epileptogenesis and from canine epilepsy patients. Quantification of HSPA5 and HSPH4 revealed alterations in hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex. In rats, SE induced up-regulation of HSPA5 in the piriform cortex and down-regulation of HSPA5 and HSPH4 in the hippocampus. Regionally restricted increases in expression of the two proteins has been observed in the chronic phase with spontaneous recurrent seizures. Confocal microscopy revealed a predominant expression of both proteins in neurons, no expression in microglia and circumscribed expression in astroglia. In canine patients, only up-regulation of HSPH4 expression was observed in Cornu Ammonis 1 region in animals diagnosed with structural epilepsy. This characterization of HSPA5 and HSPH4 expression provided extensive information regarding spatial and temporal alterations of the two proteins during SE-induced epileptogenesis and following epilepsy manifestations. Up-regulation of both proteins implies stress exerted on ER during these disease phases. Taken together suggest a differential impact of epileptogenesis on HSPA5 and HSPH4 expression and indicate them as a possible target for pharmacological modulation of unfolded protein response.

Nongenetic optical control of neurons is a powerful technique to study and manipulate the function of the nervous system. This research has benchmarked the performance of organic electrolytic photocapacitor (OEPC) optoelectronic stimulators at the level of single mammalian cells: human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells with heterologously expressed voltage-gated K+ channels and hippocampal primary neurons. OEPCs act as extracellular stimulation electrodes driven by deep red light. The electrophysiological recordings show that millisecond light stimulation of OEPC shifts conductance-voltage plots of voltage-gated K+ channels by ≈30 mV. Models are described both for understanding the experimental findings at the level of K+ channel kinetics in HEK cells, as well as elucidating interpretation of membrane electrophysiology obtained during stimulation with an electrically floating extracellular photoelectrode. A time-dependent increase in voltage-gated channel conductivity in response to OEPC stimulation is demonstrated. These findings are then carried on to cultured primary hippocampal neurons. It is found that millisecond time-scale optical stimuli trigger repetitive action potentials in these neurons. The findings demonstrate that OEPC devices enable the manipulation of neuronal signaling activities with millisecond precision. OEPCs can therefore be integrated into novel in vitro electrophysiology protocols, and the findings can inspire in vivo applications.

The aim of this article is to investigate the authenticity of Shaolin Temple and Chenjiagou Village in the context of intensified martial arts tourism and UNESCO documents. Desk research, structured interviews and participant observation were used to investigate the issue. The issue of cultural and natural heritage has become part of the modern image of a powerful new China. They particularly use these resources in cultural tourism, where boasting of heritage listed on UNESCO’s tangible and intangible heritage list is certainly an appropriate impression. The UNESCO intangible and tangible heritage list also includes objects related to martial arts tourism (Shaolin Temple, Chenjiagou Village). The article presents how Western (American, European) preferences and expectations are visible in the way of preserving and using these objects with an attempt to maintain UNESCO standards. It has been noticed that the added objects/events/shows are accepted by the Chinese as increasing the attractiveness of the place, even if they are not thematically and historically related to it. The authors checked whether a certain cultural compromise is possible or whether these places are a completely Westernized product, taking the form of theme parks or ethnoparks. For Western tourists, such phenomena are often synonymous with the commercialization and falsification of the authenticity of a place, which is why the role of cultural education is very important, both in China and in Western countries.

Temporal lobe epilepsy is triggered by an initial insult, such as status epilepticus, that initiates the process of epilepsy development. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a ubiquitously expressed molecular chaperone, involved in the inflammatory response that is upregulated after status epilepticus. Hsp70 has been described as an endogenous intracellular ligand of Toll-like receptor 4. It is released from damaged or necrotic tissue and by activated immune cells after an inflammatory event. So far, the time course and the pattern of epileptogenesis-associated alterations in Hsp70 expression have not been described in detail. Thus, we investigated immunohistochemical expression of Hsp70 in hippocampus, parahippocampal cortex, parietal cortex, amygdala, and thalamus following status epilepticus in a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy. The impact of status epilepticus on Hsp70 expression varied during different phases of epileptogenesis, displaying a stronger effect in the early post-insult phase, a milder and more localized effect in the latency phase and no relevant effect in the chronic phase. Cellular-level characterization revealed that Hsp70 colocalized with the neuronal marker NeuN and with Toll-like receptor 4. No colocalization with the astrocytic marker GFAP or the microglia marker Iba1 was found. The intense neuronal Hsp70 upregulation during the early post-insult phase might contribute to the onset of excessive inflammation triggering molecular and cellular reorganization and generation of a hyperexcitable epileptic network. Therefore, development of multi-targeting strategies aiming at prevention of epileptogenesis should consider Hsp70 modulation in the early days following an epileptogenic insult.

Nest building behavior has been intensely applied as a parameter for severity assessment in mice. In contrast, only a limited number of studies have reported nest building data from rats. Here, we assessed nest building in rats in two different facilities addressing the hypotheses that the vendor, previous experience with the nesting material as well as sex of the rats has an impact on the performance. Data from two study sites and three raters were compared to obtain information about the robustness of nest complexity scoring. The findings demonstrate a generally poor nest building performance in rats with a pronounced day-to-day fluctuation, and site-specific differences. Application of a newly developed scoring system resulted in an intermediate inter-rater reliability. Previous experience with the nesting material did not exert a consistent impact on nest complexity scores. Sex differences proved to depend on vendor and animal facility without consistent findings supporting a superior performance in female or male rats. In conclusion, our findings argue against a robust and consistent influence of sex and familiarity with the nesting material. The comparison between facilities suggests that local conditions need to be considered as influencing factors, which should be explored in more detail by future multicenter approaches. Considering the day-to-day fluctuation and the intermediate inter-rater reliability, we highly recommend to base nest complexity evaluation on means from several subsequent days analyzed by a group of experienced raters.

Elevated allostatic load (AL) index is a cumulative measure of biological dysregulations associated with stress exposure. It has been reported that stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the AL index has not been investigated in this population so far. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the AL index in patients with MS compared to healthy controls. A total of 90 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (76.7% females) and 47 healthy controls (76.6% females) were included in the study. The AL index was computed based on percentile distributions of 18 biomarkers. The AL index was significantly higher in patients with MS compared to healthy controls (2.74 ± 0.99 vs. 1.96 ± 0.71, p 0.001), even after adjustment for age and education. With respect to specific AL biomarkers, individuals with MS had significantly lower resting heart rate, the levels of high-density lipoproteins and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate as well as significantly higher level of hsCRP and albumin compared to healthy controls. There were no significant correlations of the AL index with depressive and anxiety symptoms, perceived stress, type D personality traits, insomnia, the odds of using specific coping strategies as well as MS-related clinical characteristics. These findings indicate that the AL index is increased in patients with MS. However, the exact mechanisms underlying this observation remain unknown and require additional studies.

Migraine and sleep disorders are common chronic diseases in the general population, with significant negative social and economic impacts. The association between both of these phenomena has been observed by clinicians for years and is confirmed by many epidemiological studies. Despite this, the nature of this relationship is still not fully understood. In recent years, there has been rapid progress in understanding the common anatomical structures of and pathogenetic mechanism between sleep and migraine. Based on a literature review, the authors present the current view on this topic as well as ongoing research in this field, with reference to the key points of the biochemical and neurophysiological processes responsible for both these disorders. In the future, a better understanding of these mechanisms will significantly expand the range of treatment options.

The most commonly used therapeutic option for the prevention of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation is new- or old-generation oral anticoagulants. New oral anticoagulants are at least as effective as old-generation oral anticoagulants in the prevention of ischemic stroke, with a reduced risk of life-threatening hemorrhage. Moreover, the constant monitoring of these drugs in the patient’s blood is not required during routine use. However, ischemic stroke can still occur in these patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of risk factors for ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation treated with new oral anticoagulants. Our multicenter retrospective study involved 2032 patients with acute ischemic stroke. The experimental group consisted of 256 patients with acute ischemic stroke and nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, who were treated with new oral anticoagulants. The control group consisted of 1776 ischemic stroke patients without coexisting atrial fibrillation. The results of our study show that patients with atrial fibrillation treated with new oral anticoagulants are more likely to display thrombotic, proatherogenic, and proinflammatory factors in addition to the embolic factors associated with atrial fibrillation. Therefore, solely taking new oral anticoagulants is insufficient in protecting this group of patients from ischemic stroke.

Successful treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most lethal tumor of the brain, is presently hampered by (i) the limits of safe surgical resection and (ii) “shielding” of residual tumor cells from promising chemotherapeutic drugs such as Gemcitabine (Gem) by the blood brain barrier (BBB). Here, the vastly greater GBM cell‐killing potency of Gem compared to the gold standard temozolomide is confirmed, moreover, it shows neuronal cells to be at least 104‐fold less sensitive to Gem than GBM cells. The study also demonstrates the potential of an electronically‐driven organic ion pump (“GemIP”) to achieve controlled, targeted Gem delivery to GBM cells. Thus, GemIP‐mediated Gem delivery is confirmed to be temporally and electrically controllable with pmol min−1 precision and electric addressing is linked to the efficient killing of GBM cell monolayers. Most strikingly, GemIP‐mediated GEM delivery leads to the overt disintegration of targeted GBM tumor spheroids. Electrically‐driven chemotherapy, here exemplified, has the potential to radically improve the efficacy of GBM adjuvant chemotherapy by enabling exquisitely‐targeted and controllable delivery of drugs irrespective of whether these can cross the BBB., An electronically‐driven ion pump is engineered for the targeted delivery of the charged chemotherapeutic gemcitabine to brain cancer cells. Delivery of drug ions over a cation exchange membrane at currents in the nanoampere range triggers brain cancer cell death and microtumor disintegration. Local gemcitabine treatment offers a therapeutical window, in contrast to standard treatment.

Zaburzenia psychiczne występują u chorych na padaczkę znamiennie częściej niż w populacji ogólnej, a także niż w przebiegu innych przewlekłych schorzeń. Współistnieniu tych zaburzeń sprzyja specyfika padaczki jako schorzenia ośrodkowego układu nerwowego ze złożonymi następstwami somatycznymi, psychicznymi i społecznymi. Ponadto sugerowane są wspólne patomechanizmy padaczki i zaburzeń psychicznych, związane z zaburzeniami czynności bioelektrycznej oraz neuroprzekaźnictwa w poszczególnych obszarach mózgu. Autorzy przedstawiają przegląd głównych typów zaburzeń psychicznych obserwowanych u chorych na padaczkę: zaburzenia psychotyczne, afektywne, lękowe, zaburzenia osobowości i zachowania. Omawiają ich epidemiologię i obraz kliniczny, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem ich związku czasowego z napadami padaczkowymi oraz czynników ryzyka. Podkreślają problemy związane z diagnostyką różnicową oraz opracowaniem optymalnej strategii terapeutycznej. Zaburzenia psychiczne wywierają istotny wpływ na jakość życia i funkcjonowania chorych na padaczkę. Pogłębienie wiedzy na temat wzajemnych relacji między tymi schorzeniami oraz interdyscyplinarna współpraca neurologa i psychiatry sprzyjają wczesnemu, właściwemu rozpoznaniu zaburzeń psychicznych w tej grupie chorych oraz skutecznemu ich leczeniu.

BACKGROUND The effect multiple sclerosis (MS) has on the social functioning and integration of patients has been recently considered as an important factor of the disease. OBJECTIVES To assess social participation of MS patients with regard to demographic and disease-related variables. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study comprised 201 MS patients: 140 women, 61 men, aged 24-69 years. The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) was applied to assess the aspects of social functioning and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was applied to evaluate the level of depression. Disease duration, degree of disability in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), most disabling symptoms and type of treatment were determined. WHODAS 2.0 scores (total and within particular domains) and their relationships with age, gender, disease-related variables and level of depression were analyzed. RESULTS The results of WHODAS 2.0 for 27.4% of patients exceeded the 90th percentile compared to the population norms (with the highest scores for "getting around" and "participation in society" domains). The results of BDI and WHODAS 2.0 were strongly correlated (p < 0.001; β = 0.73) and mobility impairment was related to both of them (p < 0.001; β = -0.12 and 0.25, respectively). Other disabling symptoms were associated with scores in domains "understanding and communicating", "getting around" and "participation in society". CONCLUSIONS Social participation of the MS patients is affected by the impact of disease and associated with depression. Particular symptoms of neurological deficit (motor and visual impairment, fatigue) influence social functioning more than general disease-related variables.

This research provides a brief overview of the context for the military’s effort to build cultural capacity in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa. It goes on to highlight the newest CIMIC doctrine about the importance of culture, the explanation of idea and importance of cultural awareness and the cultural context of the region of Sub-Saharan Africa with the ideology of post-tribal societies. It gives particular attention to the situation in Africa and misunderstanding as it goes with “westernization” of peacekeeping operations.

For centuries, Sea has played an important role in geopolitical thought and geopolitical analyses. The dichotomy between Land and Sea has been explored since ancient times and received seep attention from thinkers like Alexander Dugin. Since the end of the nineteenth century, the attention of researchers like A. T. Mahan and H. J. Mackinder, followed by German and Soviet traditions, were adopting a holistic perspective on Sea while retaining a national point of view. Twenty-first-century outlook needs to take into attention the need for dynamic instead of static perception of Sea connecting it with multidimensional aspects of maritime outlook. Security and socio-economic considerations need to be treated as a complex matrix for developing broad view of the Sea to better understand and plan for behavior of states and other geopolitical actors.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how military training is being conducted by NATO coalition forces in Iraq. Thus, the intent of this paper is to discuss the implications of existing misalignments between the military forces that are providing the training and those receiving it. To that end, we have used an exploratory case study research, which included multiple sources of data collection for corroboration and triangulation purposes. The results that emerged from the content analysis showed two types of outcomes that may be relevant to improve the military training in Iraq. The first outcome is identified as the intangible actions, which were mainly focused on social relations, with the intent of narrowing the cultural gap between the international coalition and Iraqi forces. Without surprising, a second outcome is identified as tangible actions, which were associated with training programs and the establishment of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) relevant to small and medium military units. Future research should focus on programs of “training the trainers” in order to develop long-term teaching and move forward with sustainable Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Nowadays, the intensive cardiac care unit (ICCU) provides care for patients with acute coronary syndrome, acute and exacerbated chronic heart failure, cardiogenic shock, sudden cardiac arrest, electrical storm, as well as with indications for urgent cardiac surgical treatment. Most of these patients require the use of 1, 2, or frequently even 3 drugs that act on the blood coagulation pathway. While antithrombotic drugs prevent thromboembolic events, they are associated with a higher risk of bleeding. In this population of patients, bleeding may often have a worse impact on prognosis than the primary disease. In this expert opinion of the Association of Intensive Cardiac Care, we presented practical guidelines on the management of bleeding in patients hospitalized at the ICCU, including bleeding risk reduction and treatment recommendations. Because of multiple comorbidities and diverse organs that may be the source of bleeding, we provided also recommendations from specialists in other fields of medicine. We hope that this document will facilitate the management of one of the most challenging populations at the ICCU.

Strong evidence exists that Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated effects on microglia functional states can promote ictogenesis and epileptogenesis. So far, research has focused on the role of high-mobility group box protein 1 as an activator of TLRs. However, the development of targeting strategies might need to consider a role of additional receptor ligands. Considering the fact that heat shock protein A1 (hsp70) has been confirmed as a TLR 2 and 4 ligand, we have explored the consequences of its overexpression in a mouse kindling paradigm. The genetic modulation enhanced seizure susceptibility with lowered seizure thresholds prior to kindling. In contrast to wildtype (WT) mice, HSPA1A transgenic (TG) mice exhibited generalized seizures very early during the kindling paradigm. Along with an increased seizure severity, seizure duration proved to be prolonged in TG mice during this phase. Toward the end of the stimulation phase seizure parameters of WT mice reached comparable levels. However, a difference between genotypes was still evident when comparing seizure parameters during the post-kindling threshold determination. Surprisingly, HSPA1A overexpression did not affect microglia activation in the hippocampus. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that hsp70 can exert pro-convulsant effects promoting ictogenesis in naïve animals. The pronounced impact on the response to subsequent stimulations gives first evidence that genetic HSPA1A upregulation may also contribute to epileptogenesis. Thus, strategies inhibiting hsp70 or its expression might be of interest for prevention of seizures and epilepsy. However, conclusions about a putative pro-epileptogenic effect of hsp70 require further investigations in models with development of spontaneous recurrent seizures.

Background The aim of the study was to assess microstructural changes within strategic brain regions in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), with regard to various aspects of disability. Material and methods The study comprised 50 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (37 women, 13 men, mean age 36.4 yrs) and 27 age- and sex-matched controls. Using DTI, fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were obtained within corpus callosum (CC), both thalami (TH) and middle cerebellar peduncles (MCP). Disability was assessed using Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), MS Functional Composite (MSFC), Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). DTI indices were compared between the patients and controls and in the MS group - referred to disability measures. Results Significant decrease in FA and increase in ADC within CC and both TH were found in MS patients compared to the controls. DTI indices within CC and TH correlated significantly with SDMT score, and within TH and MCP - with MSFC manual dexterity measure. Conclusions Changes in DTI measures in normal appearing white and grey matter in the MS patients indicate subtle alterations of the tissue integrity. An occult damage to the strategic brain regions may contribute to various aspects of disability due to MS.

Launched in 2010, the so-called "Arab Spring" caused an increased migration of people from both the Middle East and Africa to Europe. In the face of such a large number of refugees, the European Union announced a migration crisis. This crisis has increased the risk factor of road transport along selected European routes. The aim of this publication is to present the impact of immigrant activities on the Calais - United Kingdom route section on the assessment of the risk of cargo transportation in international distribution. The risk assessment was carried out from the point of view of enterprises providing road transport services in international distribution. The research used direct interviews conducted with the managerial staff and drivers in selected road transport companies that handle transport on the route under investigation.

Objectives: Stress is supposed to be linked with a background of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the disease course. Design: The study aimed to assess the level of stress and coping strategies in MS patients within a year of follow-up and to investigate the relationships between these aspects and factors related—or not—to MS. Methods: In 65 patients with MS, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Type D Scale (DS14) and Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (COPE) were performed at baseline and after a year. Baseline PSS-10, DS-14 and COPE scores were analyzed with regard to demographics, MS duration, treatment, indices of disability and self-reported stressful events (SEs). Final PSS-10 and COPE results were analyzed with reference to MS activity and SE within a year of follow-up. Results: Initially, 67% of patients reported a moderate or high level of stress and 31% met Type-D personality criteria. Diverse coping strategies were preferred, most of which were problem-focused. The negative affectivity DS-14 subscore (NEG) was correlated with disability level. Non-health-related SEs were associated with higher PSS-10 and NEG scores. After a year, the mean PSS-10 score decreased, while COPE results did not change significantly. Non-health-related SEs were associated with a higher PSS-10 score and less frequent use of acceptance and humor strategies. Those with an active vs. stable MS course during the follow-up did not differ in terms of PSS-10 and COPE results. Conclusions: MS patients experienced an increased level of stress. No significant relationships were found between stress or coping and MS course within a year. Non-health-related factors affected measures of stress more than MS-related factors.

Many studies have confirmed the positive effect of statins in the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke. Although several studies have concluded that statins may also be beneficial in patients with atrial fibrillation-related stroke, the results of those studies are inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of pre-stroke statin therapy on atrial fibrillation-related stroke among patients with a well-controlled atrial fibrillation. This retrospective multicenter analysis comprised 2309 patients with acute stroke, with a total of 533 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. The results showed a significantly lower neurological deficit on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at hospital admission and discharge in the group of atrial fibrillation-related stroke patients who took statins before hospitalization compared with those who did not (p &lt, 0.001). In addition, in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in the atrial fibrillation-related stroke patients not taking statins before hospitalization than in those who did (p &lt, 0.001). Based on the results of our previous research and this current study, we postulate that the addition of a statin to the oral anticoagulants may be helpful in the primary prevention of atrial fibrillation-related stroke.