p38 MAPK signaling during murine preimplantation development.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways mediate some important cellular processes and are likely to also regulate preimplantation development. The role of p38 MAP kinase signaling during murine preimplantation development was investigated in the present study. p38 MAPK, p38-regulated or -activated kinase (PRAK; MK5), map kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2), and heat shock protein 25 (hsp25) mRNAs and proteins were detected throughout preimplantation development. Two-cell stage embryos cultured in the presence of SB220025 and SB203580 (specific inhibitors of p38 MAPK alpha/beta), progressed to the eight-cell stage with the same frequency as controls; however, treated embryos halted their development at the 8- to 16-cell stage. In addition, embryos treated with p38 MAPK inhibitors displayed a complete loss of MK2 and hsp25 phosphorylation and also a complete loss of filamentous actin as indicated by the absence of rhodamine-phalloidin staining. In these inhibitor-treated groups, the embryos were composed of a mixture of compacting and noncompacting cells, and the embryos were one to two cell divisions behind controls. Treated embryos remained viable as the developmental blockade was rescued by removing embryos from the drug treatment and placing them in drug-free medium until they progressed to the blastocyst stage. This study demonstrates that p38 MAPK activity is required to support development through the murine preimplantation interval

Wpływ stanu powierzchni na adhezję materiału kompozytowego do szkliwa

This work presents a method of measuring the maximum stress that a composite sample fixed on a tooth surface will withstand. The test was carried out for 3 different surface conditions of enamel: no processing, after treatment with a diamond drill, and after treatment with a diode laser. The force of adhesion was measured in an Instron 5960 testing machine. The results demonstrate a significant effect of the surface condition on the adhesion of the composite to the enamel.Praca przedstawia metodę pomiaru maksymalnego naprężenia jakie wytrzyma próbka kompozytu umocowana na powierzchni zęba. Badanie przeprowadzono dla 3 różnych stanów powierzchni szkliwa: bez obróbki, po obróbce wiertłem diamentowym oraz po obróbce laserem diodowym. Siłę adhezji zmierzono w maszynie wytrzymałościowej Instron 5960. Wyniki potwierdzają znaczący wpływ stanu powierzchni na adhezję kompozytu do szkliwa

Incidence of positive screening for obstructive sleep apnea in patients with isolated cleft lip and/or palate

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with isolated cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). METHODS: The present prospective study was performed at a pediatric tertiary care centre. Consecutive patients evaluated at the cleft clinic from January 2011 to August 2013 were identified. Patients' families prospectively completed the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ), a validated tool used to predict moderate to severe OSA. Patients with CL/P and an underlying syndrome or other craniofacial diagnosis were excluded. A positive OSA screen was recorded if the ratio of positive to total responses was >0.33. Risk factors associated with a positive screen were identified using the Student's t or ANOVA test. RESULTS: A total of 867 patients completed the PSQ, 489 of whom with isolated CL/P met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 8.4 years. The overall incidence of positive screening was 14.7%. The most commonly reported symptoms among positive screeners were 'fidgets with hands or feet' (73.6%), 'interrupts others' (69.4%) and 'mouth breather during the day' (69.4%). The most sensitive items were 'stops breathing during the night' and 'trouble breathing during sleep', with positive predictive values of 0.78 and 0.67, respectively. Sex, body mass index, ancestry and cleft type were not significantly associated with increased risk for positive screening. CONCLUSION: One in seven children with isolated CL/P screened positively for OSA according to the PSQ. This finding highlights the potential importance of routine screening in this at-risk group

Prevalence of healthcare-associated cervicitis and antimicrobial resistance of the responsible pathogens in Ukraine: results of a multicenter study (2019-2021)

The aim: To obtain the first estimates of the current prevalence of healthcare-associated cervicitis (HACs) and antimicrobial resistance of responsible pathogens in Ukraine. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective multicentre cohort study was based on surveillance data from January 1st, 2019 to December 31st, 2021 in Ukraine. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was determined by Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion test according to the protocol of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. Results: Of the 6,885 participants in this study, 1746 women (25.5%) met the clinical definition of cervicitis. Prevalence of HACs and cervcits caused sexually transmitted pathogens were 12.7% and 8.3%, respectively. The incidence of HACs among women with a history of gynecological procedures was 25.4%. The main causes of HACs were legal induced abortions (28.8%), vaginal hysterectomy (23.9%), and postpartum instrumental examination (12.8%). The predominant pathogens of HACs were: Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis. Methicillin-resistance was observed in 20.8% of S. aureus (MRSA). Vancomycin resistance was observed in 7.4% of isolated enterococci (VRE). Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was observed in 13.1% Klebsiella spp. and E.coli 17.5% isolates. Carbapenem resistance was identified in 11.6% of P.aeruginosa isolates. The prevalence of ESBL production among E. coli isolates was significantly higher than in K. pneumoniae (33.5%, vs 8.7%). The overall proportion of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) production among Enterobacteriaceae was 34.6%. Conclusions: This study showed that the prevalence of healthcare-associated cervicitis in Ukraine is high, and many cases were caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens

Apoptosis is a natural stimulus of IL6R shedding and contributes to the proinflammatory trans-signaling function of neutrophils

Interleukin 6 (IL6) trans-signaling has emerged as a prominent regulator of immune responses during both innate and acquired immunity. Regulation of IL6 trans-signaling is reliant upon the release of soluble IL6 receptor (sIL6R), which binds IL6 to create an agonistic IL6/sIL6R complex capable of activating cell types that would not normally respond to IL6 itself. Here we show that intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic stimulation by DNA damage, cytokine deprivation, and Fas stimulation promotes shedding of sIL6R. Apoptosis-induced shedding of the IL6R was caspase dependent but PKC independent, with inhibition of ADAM17 preventing IL6R shedding. Such insight is relevant to the control of acute inflammation, where transition from the initial neutrophil infiltration to a more sustained population of mononuclear cells is essential for the resolution of the inflammatory process. This transitional event is governed by IL6 trans-signaling. This study demonstrates that IL6R is shed from apoptotic human neutrophils. In vivo studies in a murine inflammation model showed that neutrophil depletion resulted in reduced local sIL6R levels and a concomitant decrease in mononuclear cells, suggesting that apoptosis-induced IL6R shedding from neutrophils promotes IL6 trans-signaling and regulates the attraction of monocytic cells involved in the clearance of apoptotic neutrophils