ARP2/3 complex associates with peroxisomes to participate in pexophagy in plants.

Actin-related protein (ARP2/3) complex is a heteroheptameric protein complex, evolutionary conserved in all eukaryotic organisms. Its conserved role is based on the induction of actin polymerization at the interface between membranes and the cytoplasm. Plant ARP2/3 has been reported to participate in actin reorganization at the plasma membrane during polarized growth of trichomes and at the plasma membrane-endoplasmic reticulum contact sites.

CRISPR-Cas9 Arabidopsis mutants of genes for ARPC1 and ARPC3 subunits of ARP2/3 complex reveal differential roles of complex subunits.

Protein complex Arp2/3 has a conserved role in the nucleation of branched actin filaments. It is constituted of seven subunits, including actin-like subunits ARP2 and ARP3 plus five other subunits called Arp2/3 Complex Component 1 to 5, which are not related to actin. Knock-out plant mutants lacking individual plant ARP2/3 subunits have a typical phenotype of distorted trichomes, altered pavement cells shape and defects in cell adhesion.

Tubulin is actively exported from the nucleus through the Exportin1/CRM1 pathway.

Microtubules of all eukaryotic cells are formed by α- and β-tubulin heterodimers. In addition to the well known cytoplasmic tubulins, a subpopulation of tubulin can occur in the nucleus. So far, the potential function of nuclear tubulin has remained elusive.

[The review of questionnaires and scales evaluating patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

In patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), it is advisable to provide multidisciplinary care, due to rapid progression and specific disease symptoms, in order to maintain the best quality of life for the patient and their family. Abroad, questionnaires and scales are used to assess the patient´s health condition, to determine disease progression, followed by the provision of personalized care. The aim of this review article is to describe and analyze the scales used in evaluating ALS patients in both functional and psychosocial areas.

Predictors of Change in Quality of Life in Patients With End-Stage Disease During Hospitalization.

Background: Currently, there are no studies aimed at evaluating the quality of life (QoL) of patients with end-stage disease during hospitalization and the factors that influence it.

Aim: The aim of the research was to identify predictors of change in the QoL of patients hospitalized due to advanced stage of disease.

Methods: The sample consisted of 140 patients with end-stage disease who were hospitalized on this account.

5-Azacytidine mediated reactivation of silenced transgenes in potato (Solanum tuberosum) at the whole plant level.

Transient 5-azacytidine treatment of leaf explants from potato plants with transcriptionally silenced transgenes allows de novo regeneration of plants with restored transgene expression at the whole plant level. Transgenes introduced into plant genomes frequently become silenced either at the transcriptional or the posttranscriptional level. Transcriptional silencing is usually associated with DNA methylation in the promoter region.

Measuring quality of life of cognitively impaired elderly inpatients in palliative care: psychometric properties of the QUALID and CILQ scales.

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Czech versions of the Quality of Life in Late-Stage Dementia (QUALID) and the Cognitively Impaired Life Quality (CILQ) scales for use in the palliative care setting in terminally ill patients with cognitive impairment.

Methods: The sample comprised 306 cognitively impaired inpatients with advanced cancer and non-cancer conditions. In this cross-sectional study, two Quality of Life (QoL) measurements were performed at baseline and after five days.

Assessment of Quality of Life of Family Members of Inpatients with End-Stage Disease.

Background: An important aim of palliative care is to ensure the highest possible quality of life (QoL) for the family members of patients.

Aim: We aimed to determine the QoL of family members of hospitalized patients with end-stage disease, as well as differences in QoL based on socio-demographic characteristics and the patient's functional status, psychological distress, and QoL.

Methods: Study participants were 292 family members of terminally ill patients at University Hospital, Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Arp2/3 complex subunit ARPC2 binds to microtubules.

Arp2/3 complex plays a fundamental role in the nucleation of actin filaments (AFs) in yeasts, plants, and animals. In plants, the aberrant shaping and elongation of several types of epidermal cells observed in Arp2/3 complex knockout plant mutants suggest the importance of Arp2/3-mediated actin nucleation for various morphogenetic processes. Here we show that ARPC2, a core Arp2/3 complex subunit, interacts with both actin filaments (AFs) and microtubules (MTs).

Development and psychometric evaluation of patient needs assessment in palliative care (PNAP) instrument.

Objective: Although assessment of palliative patients' needs is a key issue in palliative care, a suitable instrument for identification of such needs is not available in Central European countries. Our objectives were to produce an adequate tool for identifying the importance and satisfaction of palliative patients' needs and to verify its psychometric properties.

Method: The patient needs assessment in palliative care (PNAP) instrument was constructed based on a literature review and qualitative research (focus groups, n = 5).

Assessing Patients' Palliative Care Needs in the Final Stages of Illness During Hospitalization.

This study aimed to explore the palliative care needs of inpatients in the final stages of illness and to analyze the factors that influence them. The survey comprised 349 inpatients in the terminal stage of disease. Needs were assessed with the Patient Needs Assessment in Palliative Care (PNAP) questionnaire; mental status was evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire.

Association between unmet needs and quality of life in hospitalised cancer patients no longer receiving anti-cancer treatment.

Assessing the quality of life and unmet needs of cancer patients is an integral part of palliative care. This cross-sectional study sought to determine whether there is an association between quality of life and unmet needs, anxiety and depression in cancer patients who are no longer receiving anti-cancer treatment. The sample consisted of 93 patients from the oncology department at the University Hospital in Ostrava for whom further cancer treatment had been terminated as ineffective in halting the progression of their cancer.

[Evaluation of malnutrition of hospitalized children by the Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Paediatrics].

Background: Among the major tasks of medical and nursing care during child hospitalization belong nutritional risk screening and identification of patients requiring nutritional support. The main objective of the study was to verify the usefulness of rating scale The Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Paediatrics (STAMP) to assess the risk of development of malnutrition in hospitalized children.

Methods: To compare results of risk of development of child malnutrition was used the score of Paediatric nutritional risk.

[Effect of non-pharmacological methods for alleviation of pain in newborns].

Background: The aim of the paper is to analyze currently most used non-pharmacological methods for pain alleviation in newborns for the best evidence-based practice.

Methods: Source of the required data for the period 2000-2011 were electronic licensed and freely accessible databases. Evaluation found evidence (30 studies) was carried out according to the table-level evidence (Fineout-Overholt, Johnston 2005).

Moral judgment competence of nursing students in the Czech Republic.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the level of moral judgment competence in students of nursing at the University of Ostrava Faculty of Medicine, and whether it is influenced by the field of study, type of study, current year of study and age. The design of the study was cross-sectional. The survey sample comprised 662 full-time and part-time students of General Nursing and Midwifery.

The needs of mothers to newborns hospitalised in intensive care units.

Objective: The aim of the survey was to identify the needs of mothers to infants hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) and second, to assess the level of parental support provided by the health personnel.

Methods: The sample consisted of 147 mothers to infants hospitalized in ICUs. The research was conducted over six months in ICUs for newborns at two hospitals in Ostrava.

Variability of Actinobacteria, a minor component of rumen microflora.

Actinobacteria (Actinomycetes) are a significant and interesting group of gram-positive bacteria. They are regular, though infrequent, members of the microbial life in the rumen and represent up to 3 % of total rumen bacteria; there is considerable lack of information about ecology and biology of rumen actinobacteria. During the characterization of variability of rumen treponemas using non-cultivation approach, we also noted the variability of rumen actinobacteria.

The effect of psychological intervention on perceived pain in children undergoing venipuncture.

Aims: The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of structured psychological intervention on the level of perceived pain in children undergoing venipuncture. A second goal was to investigate how pain behavior during venipuncture is affected by age, sex, previous number of venipunctures, the presence of parents during the procedure and reason for the venipuncture.

Methods: Children with indications for venipuncture aged 5-10 years, were randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group.

Variability of treponemes in the rumen of ruminants.

Complete 16S rRNA sequences were determined of recently proposed new species of treponemes designated strain S and T. Sequence comparison indicated that both species belong to the Treponema saccharophilum cluster, having thus at least 5 cultivable representatives. Phylogenetic analysis of available GenBank 16S rRNA sequences revealed two phylogenetically distant treponema clusters (T.

Genome organization of Treponema zioleckii.

Genome analysis of Treponema zioleckii proved that, in this bacterium, besides chromosomal DNA, a relatively small extrachromosomal DNA element is present. This element was shown to be a double-stranded circular plasmid DNA of approximately 7 kbp; it was designated as pKT. The plasmid was characterized by molecular and bioinformatic analysis.