Characteristics of physical violence against pregnant women - analysis of medico-legal data and literature review

Pregnancy is a period which is especially sensitive to physical violence and its aftermath. Subjecting a pregnant woman to violence can have negative effects on both the mother as well as the child. In Poland, there are programs, such as the Blue Card, aimed at protection against violence, however the phenomenon is underestimated. Documentation covering forensic examinations carried out at the request of the police or privately at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Poznan in the years 2015-2020 was analyzed. Out of 7,689 cases, 22 were concluded to meet the criteria of violence against pregnant women. The cases were then further analyzed, consideration of the victim's age, professional status, relations with the perpetrator, form of physical violence, and medical assistance. The average age of the women at the time of the incident was 31.1 years. In 90.1% of the cases, the perpetrator was a known man, usually a current or former partner. The most common injuries were abrasions and bruises, while the most common locations of injuries were the head, neck, and arms. The most common forms of violence were grappling, kicking, and hitting with an open hand. Over 72% of the women sought medical attention after the incident. There is a need for educational programs concerning the effects of violence during pregnancy and ways to help. Gynecologists and midwives play an especially important role, by having direct contact with the patient, thus being able to quickly identify victims of violence and take actions to secure safe environment for the woman and the child.

The effect of benign prostatic hyperplasia on total antioxidant capacity and protein peroxidation in canine prostatic fluid and spermatozoa

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidative/oxidative status of spermatozoa and prostatic fluid in dogs with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by the determination of total antioxidant capacity and protein peroxidation markers. Study was conducted on 40 intact dogs of various breeds. The dogs were assigned to two groups: BPH group (n=20) and non-affected group (n=20). The second and third fractions of the ejaculate were collected separately by digital manipulation. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the concentrations of SH-groups in sperm and prostatic fluid were determined spectrophotometrically, the concentrations of bityrosine and formylkynurenine were determined using spectrofluorimetric methods. The mean values of TAC in spermatozoa and prostatic fluid were significantly lower (p<0.05), whereas the mean contents of biotyrosine and formylkinurenine were significantly higher (p<0.05) in BPH dogs compared to control dogs. There was no statistically significant difference in the content of SH group between dogs with BPH and control dogs (p>0.05). In conclusion, the results indicate that BPH in dogs is associated with reduced total antioxidant capacity and increased protein oxidation in the prostatic fluid and spermatozoa, and suggest the importance of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of this condition. The potential role of antioxidants in the prevention and therapy of canine BPH requires further studies.

Effects of surrounding landscape on the performance of Solidago canadensis L. and plant functional diversity on heavily invaded post-agricultural wastelands

High invasiveness and well-documented negative impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning make Solidago canadensis L. a species of global concern. Despite a good understanding of the driving factors of its invasions, it remains unclear how the surrounding landscape may shape invasion success of this species in human-transformed ecosystems. In our study, we investigated the impacts of different landscape features in the proximity of early successional wastelands on S. canadensis biomass allocation patterns. Further, we examined the relationships between the surrounding landscape, S. canadensis cover, and plant functional diversity, used as a supportive approach for the explanation of mechanisms underlying successful S. canadensis invasion. We found that increasing river net length had positive impacts on S. canadensis rhizome, stem, and total above ground biomass, but negative effects on leaf biomass, indicating that vegetative spread may perform the dominant role in shaping the competitiveness of this invader in riverine landscapes. A higher proportion of arable lands positively influenced S. canadensis above ground and flower biomass; thus promoting S. canadensis invasion in agricultural landscapes with the prominent role of habitat filtering in shaping vegetation structure. Concerning an increasing proportion of settlements, flower biomass was higher and leaf biomass was lower, thereby influencing S. canadensis reproductive potential, maximizing the odds for survival, and indicating high adaptability to exist in an urban landscape. We demonstrated high context-dependency of relationships between functional diversity components and surrounding landscape, strongly influenced by S. canadensis cover, while the effects of surrounding landscape composition per se were of lower importance. Investigating the relationships between the surrounding landscape, invasive species performance, and plant functional diversity, may constitute a powerful tool for the monitoring, controlling, and predicting of invasion progress, as well as the assessment of ecosystem invasibility.

Prevalence of Physical Violence in the Medical-Forensic Approach in the Years 2015-2020 in City and Neighboring Municipalities: Perspectives from Poland-Poznań Study

Forensic medical opinions serve the appropriate classification of a crime against health. Violence, a multifaceted phenomenon, requires forensic medical examination in the case of causing damage to health. Due to the effects caused by the perpetrator, the damage to health is divided into severe, medium, and light. This study analyzed 7689 incidents of violence from 2015-2020, taking place in the area subordinate to the Provincial Police Headquarters in Poznań, based on anonymized documentation of forensic medical examinations performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Poznań at the request of the Police and privately. The analysis took into account: units ordering the test, type of exposure, medical help, sex and age of the victim, places of the incident, classification and localization of injury, manner of impact, attitude of the perpetrator to the victim, profession of the victim, gender of the perpetrator, and remarks. In Poland, statistics on violence victims are underestimated, resulting from the low reporting of crimes committed to law enforcement authorities. There is a need for programs to educate the perpetrator of violence on methods of conflict resolution and programs to prevent violence, covering events taking place in public spaces.

Impacts of soil properties and functional diversity on the performance of invasive plant species Solidago canadensis L. on post-agricultural wastelands

Amongst the numerous consequences of the rapid development of agriculture and urbanization, biological invasions are highlighted as having the biggest impact on the functioning of ecosystems. One of the alien plant species, considered in Europe and Asia to be highly invasive, is Solidago canadensis L.; and its impact on the functioning of ecosystems has been studied in numerous respects. However, knowledge about how the physico-chemical parameters of soils and biotic interactions between species shape the performance of S. canadensis in a transformed landscape is still insufficient. The aim of this study was to assess how complex soil abiotic conditions and the functional diversity of co-occurring vegetation shape the performance of S. canadensis on the wastelands abandoned by agriculture. Apart from detailed investigations of soil properties and S. canadensis biomass, to achieve our study aims, we used parameters of functional diversity, which allowed us to identify the main ecological processes determining the community assembly processes. Under higher contents of loamy fractions in soil, but lower functional richness in surroundings, S. canadensis achieved larger cover. Alongside increasing functional richness and dispersion in co-occurring vegetation, this species has demonstrated sturdy attributes when competing for water and nutrients, expressed by a higher production of rhizomes and roots. Under elevated zinc and lead levels, as well as higher functional evenness in the surroundings, the flower biomass decreased, while the biomass of stems increased. Thus, S. canadensis exhibits a highly adaptive capacity to grow in soils contaminated by heavy metals, due to the buffer properties and life strategies allowing the use of resources absorbed in loamy soils. Environmental factors seem to be more responsible for the shaping of the performance and for the colonization success of S. canadensis than biotic interactions with plants occurring in the surroundings.

The accumulation of Mn and Cu in the morphological parts of Solidago canadensis under different soil conditions

Solidago canadensis L. is a drought-tolerant, invasive plant, characterized by a large biomass of underground and aboveground parts. The aim of this study was to assess the accumulation of manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) in the roots and rhizomes and the stems, leaves, and inflorescence parts in S. canadensis from two locations that differed in soil pH, organic carbon, and Mn and Cu concentrations. The concentration of the metals in the samples was determined by the AAS method; the pH was determined by the potentiometric method; and the content of organic carbon was determined using Tiurin's method. The concentration of Mn and Cu in the roots of S. candensis correlated with the concentrations of the metals in the soil without regard to the soil condition or its organic carbon content. With a low soil pH and organic carbon content, Mn accumulation per 1 ramet in the aboveground parts of S. canadensis consisted over 50% of the total Mn content in the plant. In neutral or alkaline soils, the amount of Mn per 1 ramet accumulated in underground parts was over 60%. Regardless of the soil conditions, about 35% of Mn accumulated in rhizomes. Approximately 60% of copper accumulated in the underground parts of S. candensis (45% in rhizomes) without regard to the soil reaction or organic carbon content. The ability of the plant to accumulate large amounts of metals disposes Solidago canadensis as a candidate for the phytoremediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals.

Solidago canadensis as a bioaccumulator and phytoremediator of Pb and Zn

Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.) is a plant that grows in a variety of environmental conditions. It shows high capability to spread in various habitats, including fallow lands and brownfield land. The research aimed at analyzing the content of Pb and Zn in the underground (roots, rhizomes) and aboveground parts (stems, leaves, inflorences) of Solidago canadensis (SC) originating from two locations that are clearly different in terms of metal content in soil. Statistically significant differences were determined in the content of Pb and Zn in soil and particular morphological parts of the plant, depending on the sampling location. It has been shown that in the conditions of increased (compared with natural) Pb and Zn content in the soil, SC may serve as a bioaccumulator of these metals. It was determined that SC can be used as a phytostabilizer of Pb and Zn in soils heavily contaminated with these elements. The content of Zn in the aboveground parts of SC indicates that this plant can also be used for phytoextraction of soils contaminated with this metal.

Application of aerobic microorganisms in bioremediation in situ of soil contaminated by petroleum products

Aerobic microorganisms able to biodegrade benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX) have been isolated from an area contaminated by petroleum products. The activity of the isolated communities was tested under both laboratory and field conditions. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene were added to the cultures as the sole carbon source, at a concentration of 500 mg/L. In batch cultures under laboratory conditions, an 84% reduction of benzene, 86% of toluene and 82% of xylene were achieved. In cultures with ethylbenzene as the sole carbon source, the reduction was around 80%. Slightly lower values were observed under field conditions: 95% reduction of benzene and toluene, 81% of ethylbenzene and 80% of xylene. A high biodegradation activity of benzene (914 microM/L/24h), toluene (771 microM/L/24h), xylene (673 microM/L/24h) and ethylbenzene (644 microM/L/24h) was observed in the isolated communities.