Central European Samples Research Articles

Comparative analysis of geotypic variations in the proteome of Nostoc commune

ABSTRACT Cyanobacterium Nostoc commune is a filamentous terrestrial prokaryotic organism widely distributed, which suggest its high adaptive potential to environmental or abiotic stress. Physiological parameters and proteomic analysis were performed in two accession of N. commune with the aim to elucidate the differences of physiological trails between distant geotypes, namely Antarctic (AN) and central European (CE). The result obtained clearly showed that the AN geotype demonstrates elevated levels of total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and phycobiliproteins, indicative of its adaptation to environmental stress as referred by comparison to CE sample. Additionally, we employed LC-MS analysis to investigate the proteomes of N. commune from AN and CE geotypes. In total, 1147 proteins were identified, among which 646 proteins expressed significant (up-regulation) changes in both accessions. In the AN geotype, 83 exclusive proteins were identified compared to 25 in the CE geotype. Functional classification of the significant proteins showed a large fraction involved in photosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and protein biosynthesis. Further analysis revealed some defense-related proteins such as, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase, which are rather explicitly expressed in the AN N. commune. The last two proteins suggest a more stressful condition in AN N. commune. In summary, our findings highlight biochemical processes that safeguard the AN geotype of N. commune from extreme environmental challenges, not recorded in CE accession, probably due to less stressful environment in Europe. This study brings the first ever proteomic analysis of N. commune, emphasizing the need for additional investigations into the climate adaptation of this species with rather plastic genome.

Anatomy of the iliopsoas notch and its relationship with morphology of the proximal femur.

Discrepancy between the morphology of the acetabular margin and the design of hemispheric acetabular cups used in total hip arthroplasty may produce postoperative hip pain due to an iliopsoas impingement at the iliopsoas notch. This study aimed to determine the anatomical features of the iliopsoas notch in the Central European sample, and to test whether the morphology of the proximal femur affects the size of the iliopsoas notch. The sample was composed of 40 matched pairs of dry hip bones and corresponding femora. The depth and length of the iliopsoas notch were measured and correlated with the available demographic data. The anthropometric parameters of the proximal femur were calculated using image-analysis software, and their association with the measurements of the iliopsoas notch was tested. The iliopsoas notch was present in all specimens and featured four morphological configurations: curved (61.3%), angular (16.2%), irregular (16.2%), and straight (6.3%). Its size was found to be larger in males (P = 0.014 for depth, P < 0.001 for length). No significant difference existed between the sides. The height and age of the specimens did not correlate with the size of the iliopsoas notch. Furthermore, neither the femoral neck version, the lesser trochanteric version, nor the angle between the neck of the femur and the lesser trochanter influenced the dimensions of the iliopsoas notch. The iliopsoas notch is a consistent landmark of the acetabulum, although its anatomical appearance is widely variable. The iliopsoas notch arrangement cannot be predicted perioperatively based on the morphology of the proximal femur. The various shapes and sex-related differences detected in this study could be used for designing new hip implants or could be utilized during cup positioning in total hip arthroplasty.

An association between copy number variation of enhancer involved in craniofacial development and biogeographic ancestry.

Human facial morphology is a combination of many complex traits and is determined by a large number of genes and enhancers. Here, we report a Copy Number Variation (CNV) study of enhancer hs1431 in populations of Central European and South Siberian ancestry. Central European samples included 97 Poles, while South Siberian samples included 78 Buryats and 27 Tuvinians. CNVs were detected by real-time PCR, using ViiA™ 7 Real-Time PCR System (Applied Biosystems). We revealed significant differences in CNV of hs1431 enhancer between Polish and Buryat population (p=0.0378), but not between Central European and South Siberian population (p=0.1225). Our results suggest that an increase in copy number variation of hs1431 enhancer is associated with biogeographic ancestry. However, this result needs extending and replicating in larger cohorts. This is the first study revealing the presence of copy number variation of enhancer hs1431 in humans.

Gender Stereotypes and Family Decision-Making: Comparative Study of Central Europe and Central Asia

Purpose: The article aims to examine the impact of women’s decision-making power in families on their gender stereotypes about business executives in the promising but insufficiently explored regions of Central Europe (CE) and Central Asia (CA). Methodology: The study utilized multiple linear regression and Spearman’s correlation coefficients to analyze survey data (No=6,869) from Central European (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) and Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan). Findings: Central Asian women demonstrated stronger gender stereotypes about business executives compared to the Central European sample. Equally shared power in decision-making with a part-ner has a positive impact on weakening women’s gender stereotypes about top managers. Men’s unilateral decision-making correlates with their spouses’ higher gender bias, whereas independent women’s decisions do not reveal a relationship with their gender stereotypes. Research limitations: The study does not control respondents’ marital and mother’s status and excludes one of the Central Asian states, namely Turkmenistan. Research implications: Policymakers can use the present findings to forecast how familialist pol-icies reproduce gender stereotypes and inhibit gender equality. The research complements the specificity of the vicious cycle linking gender roles and stereotypes in the context of CE and CA and expands the “family cage” phenomenon. Originality/value: First massive research on gender stereotypes about business executives embrac-ing the Visegrad Group and four Central Asian states. The study discovers the internal aspect of family impact on women’s views of top managers that has been neglected before.

Measuring Environmental Worldviews: Investigating the Dimensionality of the New Environmental Paradigm Scale for Children in a Large Central European Sample

A complex research program linked to the national Sustainability Thematic Week (STW) educational program was launched in 2020 to examine Hungarian primary and secondary school students’ environmental attitudes, behaviors, and awareness. The Hungarian newly developed version of the New Ecological Paradigm Scale for Children was used in a large sample (N = 9396). The results of a set of factor analyses suggested that the NEP Scale for Children cannot be considered unidimensional. We found three distinct and valid factors (Questioning of Human Intervention, Rights of Nature, and Eco-Crisis) with significant associations, having partially different directions, with gender, age, pro-environmental behavior, and economic-technical aspects of environmental worldviews, providing thus new evidence for the highly complex structural characteristics of pro-environmental attitudes and worldviews. Our results might contribute to solving the issues, misunderstandings, and challenges that are related to the dimensionality of the NEP Scale and, even after decades of use, make the comparison of international research difficult.

Sex determination accuracy using the human sacrum in a Central European sample.

The sacrum is often used for sex estimation of human remains. However, reported sexual classification accuracies based on the sacrum produce highly discrepant estimates ranging from 54% to 98% depending on the method and reference sample. Here, we therefore aim to evaluate the sacrum's efficacy in differentiating males from females by comparing three different approaches in a homogeneous Central European sample (n = 58, 27 males and 31 females) obtained from the 19th century Weisbach collection. Specifically, we investigated the sacrum by 1) a qualitative visual inspection, 2) traditional linear metrics, namely, sacral width, corpus width, and the associated corporo-basal index, and 3) geometric morphometrics (GM) using a 3D configuration of 100 landmarks and semilandmarks. Classification accuracies for the qualitative approach ranged from 69% to 81%. The investigated quantitative methods based on linear dimensions led to comparable classification accuracies of 62% for sacral width and 78% for the corporo-basal index. However, absolute corpus width had a stronger discriminative power (86%), similar to the PC scores from shape space (87%). Unexpectedly, the GM approach, which considered the shape of the entire sacrum, did not classify better than linear variables. This was exceeded only when sacrum shape was combined with corpus width or another measure of size, like the natural logarithm of the centroid size, yielding a classification accuracy of 95%. The male and female group means differed mainly in the general height-to-width relationship and corpus-to-alae proportions, corroborating patterns previously described in the literature. Our results suggest that the sacrum is markedly less effective than the hipbone for sex determination, which is at odds with its central position within the pelvic girdle and thus its supposed obstetric relevance.

Familial occurrence of skeletal developmental anomalies as a reflection of biological relationships in a genealogically documented Central European sample (19th to 20th centuries).

Skeletal developmental anomalies (SDA) are a subject of constant interest across scientific disciplines, but still mostly as isolates and curiosities. The aim of this study was to find out to what extent the occurrence of SDA reflects documented biological relationships. The skeletal remains of 34 individuals with known genealogical data were available, members of one family over four generations (19th to 20th centuries, Bohemia, Czech Republic), including some inbred individuals. The occurrence of 89 SDA was assessed on the basis of scopic morphological evaluation and X-ray and CT examinations. The degree of similarity between individuals was calculated using a "similarity coefficient" (SC). A linear model was used to test the relationship between positive values of the SC and the relatedness of biologically related individuals. Simultaneously, based on population frequencies of the evaluated anomalies, those that could be considered familial were recorded. A statistically significant relationship between morphological similarity and the biological distance between individuals was found. The greatest similarity was found among close relatives such as parents and children, siblings, or grandparents and grandchildren. The effect of increased consanguinity on the occurrence of anomalies was not confirmed, however. Seventeen SDA shared by closely related individuals were found in the sample, supporting the documented family relationships among them. Eleven of these were selected as possibly familial, but only five were statistically significant: an elongated styloid process, a cervical block vertebrae (arch, facet joints), hamate hamulus aplasia, anteater nose sign, and incomplete fusion of the S1spinous process. There were also 28 cases of individual occurrences of 17 different SDA, without connection to the documented relationships between individuals.

Bacterial Communities Associated with Poa annua Roots in Central European (Poland) and Antarctic Settings (King George Island).

Poa annua (annual bluegrass) is one of the most ubiquitous grass species in the world. In isolated regions of maritime Antarctica, it has become an invasive organism threatening native tundra communities. In this study, we have explored and compared the rhizosphere and root-endosphere dwelling microbial community of P. annua specimens of maritime Antarctic and Central European origin in terms of bacterial phylogenetic diversity and microbial metabolic activity with a geochemical soil background. Our results show that the rhizospheric bacterial community was unique for each sampling site, yet the endosphere communities were similar to each other. However, key plant-associated bacterial taxa such as the Rhizobiaceae family were poorly represented in Antarctic samples, probably due to high salinity and heavy metal concentrations in the soil. Metabolic activity in the Antarctic material was considerably lower than in Central European samples. Antarctic root endosphere showed unusually high numbers of certain opportunistic bacterial groups, which proliferated due to low competition conditions. Thirteen bacterial families were recognized in this study to form a core microbiome of the P. annua root endosphere. The most numerous were the Flavobacteriaceae, suspected to be major contributors to the ecological success of annual bluegrass, especially in harsh, Antarctic conditions.

A descriptive study of patients diagnosed with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures at a tertiary epilepsy center in the Czech Republic: One-year follow-up

PurposeTo delineate sociodemographic data of a large sample of Czech Republic patients diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) at the time of diagnosis and at a follow-up visit one year after discharge.This study collected reports of past stressors, quality of relationships in childhood, family background, traumatic events, and recent adversities in patients diagnosed with PNES. MethodPatients (219w/79m, 37.56 (13.15) years, 12.13 (2.05) years of education) were assessed through a semi-structured interview on clinical and historical data while they were inpatients at the Epilepsy Center, Na Homolce Hospital, Prague. Subsequently, they were re-evaluated one year after discharge from the hospital with the same method. A comparison of this sample to normal controls was subsequently conducted. ResultsWe found a higher female (73.5%) predominance; mean duration of seizures was 69.14 months. The majority of patients were single (46.13%) or divorced (16.84%), and 48% received disability benefits. A diversity of developmental risk factors as well as immediate precursors of PNES onset were identified. One year after hospitalization, significant changes were found in all seizure and healthcare characteristics of our sample. When compared to healthy volunteers, the patients also presented with a higher prevalence of stressors and traumatic events in childhood. ConclusionsCross-cultural research contributes important information on the universal components of PNES as well as the unique features observed in distinct localities of differing cultures and ethnicities. This study allows for comparison of sociodemographic features in a Central European sample to the more frequently studied English-speaking samples.

Integrative revision of Dianthus superbus subspecies reveals different degrees of differentiation, from plasticity to species distinction

Within many species, confusions occur between infraspecific taxa, recurrent ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity. Subspecies are often debated when they are supported only by slight morphological differentiation coupled to habitat variation. In this context we tested the evolutionary support of the four contested subspecies of Dianthus superbus. Based on 147 Eurasian accessions, our integrative study combines three complementary approaches: (i) Genetic differentiation, with neutral genetic markers, i.e. 326 AFLP markers, 25 nuclear microsatellites and nrDNA ITS ribotypes; (ii) morphological differentiation, with 20 morphometric characters measured in situ and ex situ to assess phenotypic variation; (iii) ecological differentiation, indirectly based on 128 floral volatile compounds under selection of habitat-specific pollinators. Phylogenetic, morphometric and biochemical analyses support the distinction between European and East Asian samples, with an intermediate position of Central Asian samples. However, in Europe, phylogenetic markers only slightly distinguish West from Central European samples, without support for subspecies. Morphometric differentiation was found for subsp. alpestris. This morphotype was stable ex situ under different climatic conditions, and also supported by slight differences in volatile scents and phenology. Infraspecific taxonomy still reveals interesting polymorphisms, but also calls for a revision toward refined taxa. Dianthus superbus subspecies highlighted three dissimilar cases: (i) the East Asian subsp. longicalycinus must be considered as a distinct species; (ii) the morphometric and ecological distinction of subsp. alpestris supports its ecotypic differentiation despite a lack of phylogenetic divergence; (iii) subsp. sylvestris was not supported by any markers, arguing for an artefact of phenotypic plasticity under different environmental conditions.

A new pill clam from an unusual habitat: the interstitial Pisidium interstitialis n. sp. (Bivalvia: Sphaeriidae) from southwestern and Central Germany

AbstractA new species of pill clam, Pisidium interstitialis n. sp. (Bivalvia: Sphaeriidae), is described from wet meadows bordering a small creek in the Odenwald, southwestern Germany, and from a similar habitat in the Thuringian Schistic Mountains, Central Germany. It can be differentiated from the known European Pisidium species on the basis of shell morphology and DNA sequence data for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S rRNA genes. Despite critical evaluation of a large number of potential names from the current synonymies of morphologically similar Pisidium species, no available name was found. Pisidium interstitialis n. sp. is most similar to P. personatum Malm, 1856, and P. casertanum (Poli, 1791), both of which occur syntopically with the new species. Typical specimens of the new species can be readily identified on the basis of shell morphology. However, P. personatum and P. casertanum are morphologically highly variable, so that occasional overlap in conchological characters between these two species and P. interstitialis n. sp. does occur. Although these three taxa co-occur, microhabitat analyses using a special sampling technique showed that P. interstitialis n. sp. exhibits an exclusively interstitial lifestyle, living outside open water bodies. While other Pisidium species may live in the interstitial water of semi-terrestrial habitats, this is the first time that an exclusively interstitial lifestyle has been observed for Pisidium and this may explain why P. interstitialis n. sp. has remained undiscovered for so long. To date, despite the examination of large quantities of Central European samples of Pisidium, the new species is only known from the two areas reported in our study. It seems likely that further surveys will show that P. interstitialis n. sp. has a wider and more continuous distribution.

Tin isotope ratios in Early and Middle Bronze Age bronzes from central and southeastern Europe

The paper presents the results of two case studies. A first sample set includes tin isotopic compositions of 15 bronzes from three large hoards of the Early Bronze Age Únětice Culture in Central Germany. A major research question was, whether local tin from the Saxon-Bohemian Ore Mountains or from different sources was used to produce the artefacts. The tin isotope composition in the bronzes of these comparably early hoards of the classical phase of the Únětice Culture shows a small variation. The second sample set comprises 16 isotopically investigated objects from Romania and Hungary, belonging to hoards and settlements. In addition, the tin isotopic compositions of a dagger and an axe from Crete were examined. Considering the large geographical distance between the finds a major research question was, whether the tin isotope composition of central and southeastern European bronzes differ, and whether the isotopic compositions of the Aegean bronzes differ from those of the Carpathian Basin. Generally, it can be said that the tin isotope composition in this second sample set show a slightly larger variation than observed in the bronzes of the Únětice Culture. The Cretan objects show 124/120Sn isotope compositions, which are higher than the southeastern as well as the central European samples. This suggests that different tin sources might have been used to manufacture the bronzes. The paper discusses the variation of the tin isotope compositions and their bearing on the debate about tin trade in Europe.

Population specificity of sex estimation from vertebrae

Vertebral measurements have been shown to provide accurate classification of sex. However, the use of vertebral discriminant functions (DFs) in forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology is limited due to the unknown degree of their population specificity. Additionally, the performance of vertebral DFs has not yet been assessed at higher posterior probability thresholds. In this study, we tested the performance of previously published DFs for sex classification from Th12 and L1 vertebrae within a range of 0.5–0.95 posterior probabilities in a model of geographically distant population based on an autopsy Central European (CE) sample (Czech Republic; n=72) from the 1930s. Further, we derived new pooled DFs from a sample representing ecogeographically diverse populations, new DFs derived from the autopsy CE sample, and new Medieval CE DFs derived from the Pohansko sample (n=129) and evaluated their performance at our testing autopsy CE sample. Most vertebral measurements showed population specificity in sex assessment. However, we identified two Th12 measurements (anteroposterior body diameter and mediolateral body diameter) usable for sex estimation across populations. We showed that the accuracy of vertebral DFs can be increased to 95% of correctly classified individuals in up to 64% of the studied sample by setting a higher posterior probability threshold. Finally, we showed that even the DFs derived from relatively small subsamples (30% of the population size) can provide accurate sex classification. This finding highlights the applicability of the hybrid approach in sex classification from vertebrae. To facilitate sex classification from vertebrae, we provide a software tool for sex classification from any vertebral measurement and reference samples tested in this study including the previously published DFs.

Tracing the maternal origin of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) on the northern range margin in Central Europe

The maternal origin of isolated populations of the common wall lizard (Podracis muralis) in the Czech Republic, representing the north-eastern range border of the species, was addressed. We compared mitochondrial DNA sequences of the cytochrome b gene of samples from these populations with those from within the continuous range in Slovakia, the northern Balkan region, and those available from previous studies. We recorded five main haplogroups in the studied region, with all available Central European samples belonging to the same haplogroup. The star-like structure of this haplogroup suggests a scenario of relatively recent, post-glacial population expansion, which is further supported by a coalescent-based demographic analysis. The presence of unique haplotypes in two of the three isolated Czech populations together with close phylogenetic relationships to adjacent Slovak populations suggests either autochthonous origin or human-mediated introductions from geographically and genetically closest populations. We therefore support conservation programs for all three isolated Czech populations.

Role of combined prenatal and postnatal paracetamol exposure on asthma development: the Czech ELSPAC study

BackgroundPrenatal and postnatal paracetamol exposure has been previously associated with asthma development in childhood in Western populations. We explore the association between prenatal and postnatal paracetamol exposure and asthma development...

Cultural inter-population differences do not reflect biological distances: an example of interdisciplinary analysis of populations from Eastern Adriatic coast.

AimTo compare the population group from the Šopot graveyard with population groups from traditional Croatian medieval graveyards by using anthropological, craniometrics, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis and to examine if the cultural differences between population groups reflect biological differences.MethodsWe determined sex, age at death, pathological, and traumatic changes of skeletal remains from the Šopot graveyard and compared them with a cumulative medieval sample from the same region. We also performed principal component analysis to compare skeletal remains from Šopot with those from Ostrovica and other Central European samples according to 8 cranial measurements. Finally, we compared 46 skeletons from Šopot with medieval (Ostrovica) and contemporary populations using mDNA haplogroup profiling.ResultsThe remains from Šopot were similar to the cumulative sample in lifestyle and quality of life markers. Principal component analysis showed that they were closely related to Eastern Adriatic coast sites (including Ostrovica and Šopot) in terms of cranial morphology, indicating similar biological makeup. According to mDNA testing, Šopot population showed no significant differences in the haplogroup prevalence from either medieval or contemporary populations.ConclusionThis study shows that the Šopot population does not significantly differ from other medieval populations from this area. Besides similar quality of life markers, these populations also had similar biological markers. Substantial archeological differences can therefore be attributed to apparent cultural influences, which in this case do not reflect biological differences.

Substantial genetic structure among stocked and native populations of the European grayling (Thymallus thymallus, Salmonidae) in the United Kingdom

While currently in a state of recovery in the United Kingdom (UK), the grayling (Thymallus thymallus) remains of conservation interest due to its historical decline, socio-economic value and the potential impact of hatchery-reared stock fish on the genetic structure and diversity of wild populations. However, little is known about the levels and distribution of genetic diversity among UK grayling populations. To this end, 27 UK populations of grayling were genotyped across 10 microsatellite loci and sequenced at the mtDNA D-Loop. All populations clustered into four higher-level groups: Northern England, Southern England, Wales, and group consisting of a mixture of native and introduced populations. Ten populations showed evidence of bottleneck or founder effects, and the effective population size (Ne) was low in all populations. In most cases, historical stocking records agreed with the genetic relationships revealed in the study. A D-Loop haplotype network supported the groupings observed in the nuclear data, while phylogenetic inference places the UK populations amongst Central European samples. The combined datasets demonstrate that many of the UK populations can be treated as separate Management Units and we recommend that to preserve population specific genetic diversity, that stocking should be an intervention of last resort. However, if stocking is deemed essential, brood stock should originate from the river to be stocked.

Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of cranio-facial sexual dimorphism in a Central European sample of known sex

This article presents an approach for estimating the sexual dimorphism of adult crania using three-dimensional geometric morphometric methods. The study sample consisted of 139 crania of known sex (73 males and 66 females) belonging to persons who lived during the first half of the 20th century in Bohemia. The three-dimensional co-ordinates of 82 ecto-cranial landmarks and 39 semi-landmarks covering the midsagittal curve of the cranial vault were digitised using a MicroScribe G2X contact digitiser. The purposes of the investigation were to define the regions of the cranium where sexual dimorphism is most pronounced and to investigate the effectiveness of this method for determining sex from the shape of the cranium. The results demonstrate that it is better to analyse apportionable parts of the cranium rather than the cranium as a whole. Significant sexual differences (significance was determined using multivariate analysis of variance) were noted in the shape of the midsagittal curve of the vault, upper face, the region of the nose, orbits, and palate. No differences were recorded either in the shape of the cranium as a whole or in the regions of the base and the neurocranium. The greatest accuracy in determining sex was found in the region of the upper face (100% of study subjects correctly classified) and the midsagittal curve of the vault (99% of study subjects correctly classified).

The DISC locus and schizophrenia: evidence from an association study in a central European sample and from a meta-analysis across different European populations

Association studies, as well as the initial translocation family study, identified the gene Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) as a risk factor for schizophrenia. DISC1 encodes a multifunctional scaffold protein involved in neurodevelopmental processes implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia. The present study explores the contribution of the DISC locus to schizophrenia using three different approaches: (i) systematic association mapping aimed at detecting DISC risk variants in a schizophrenia sample from a central European population (556 SNPs, n = 1621 individuals). In this homogenous sample, a circumscribed DISC1 interval in intron 9 was significantly associated with schizophrenia in females (P = 4 x 10(-5)) and contributed most strongly to early-onset cases (P = 9 x 10(-5)). The odds ratios (ORs) were in the range of 1.46-1.88. (ii) The same sample was used to test for the locus-specific SNP-SNP interaction most recently associated with schizophrenia. Our results confirm the SNP interplay effect between rs1538979 and rs821633 that significantly conferred disease risk in male patients with schizophrenia (P = 0.016, OR 1.57). (iii) In order to detect additional schizophrenia variants, a meta-analysis was performed using nine schizophrenia samples from different European populations (50 SNPs, n = 10 064 individuals maximum, n = 3694 minimum). We found evidence for a common schizophrenia risk interval within DISC1 intron 4-6 (P = 0.002, OR 1.27). The findings point to a complex association between schizophrenia and DISC, including the presence of different risk loci and SNP interplay effects. Furthermore, our phenotype-genotype results--including the consideration of sex-specific effects--highlight the value of homogenous samples in mapping risk genes for schizophrenia in general, and at the DISC locus in particular.

Alleles of alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism genes modulate susceptibility to oesophageal cancer from alcohol consumption

Alleles of alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism genes modulate susceptibility to oesophageal cancer from alcohol consumption