Walki w mieście w myśli wojskowej Robotniczo-Chłopskiej Armii Czerwonej (1918–1946)

The author of the paper presented the views of theoreticians and commanders of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army (WPRA) for city fighting and conquering, since the uprising Red Army in February 1918 until the end of World War II. He discussed how the senior officers of the Red Army viewed the issue of the specificity of combat in an urbanized area – which is nowadays referred to as the black tactic. He also presented the problem – always important for commanders of both infantry, armored weapons, artillery and aviation – whether to capture cities from the front or rather encircle – forcing the enemy to withdraw his forces. The author discussed it mainly on the basis of the battles in Stalingrad and Berlin. The battles in the latter city are called the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation in the Soviet historiography. He also described the circumstances of the attack on Bobruisk during Operation Bagration. In the latter case, a dispute arose between Joseph Stalin, who was a supporter of a massive attack on this city, and Konstanty Rokossowski, who insisted on concentrically attacking along both banks of the Berezina. Interestingly, in this dispute, the Generalissimo finally agreed with K. Rokossowski. The author also presented the unsuccessful attempt to capture Kołobrzeg from the 45th Armored Brigade of the Guard of Col. Mikołaj Morgunow from the composition of the 1st Panzer Army of General Col. Mikhail Katukov and the successful campaign to capture Częstochowa from the march. The paper presents the views of the most important Soviet commanders of the Second World War: Grigory Zhukov, Konstanty Rokossowski, Ivan Koniev, Ivan Bagramian, Vasily Chukov, Grigory Nadysiew, and the German ones: Erich von Mannstein and Heinz Guderian

How were soldiers mentally prepared for combat in the 19th and 20th century? An attempt to look

The author undertook the task of presenting the issue, how in various armies of the world soldiers were mentally and mentally prepared to fight in the past century. He focused his attention mainly on World War II, but he described examples from the Vietnam War or the Arab-Israeli wars. References were also made to the examples of wars conducted in the 19th century. He discussed the issues of ideological preparation and the role of patriotic education. He devoted a lot of attention to the problems of battlefield stress or the desertions of soldiers. He ignored the issue of desertions caused by political views, focusing only on escapes caused by the fear of death or disability. He considered the question of whether the soldier really wants to kill the enemy, or is he aiming at the enemy, wanting to kill him. He was also interested in the question of how soldiers react to the loss of a friend? Does he only follow the orders of his superiors? A separate issue, which the author devoted to, was the question of how soldiers react to the discovered crimes of the enemy, describing the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp by American soldiers. He also described the preparation of Special Operations Execitive soldiers and other elite formations, especially those operating in the underground, to fight during World War II. He discussed their preparation for their missions behind the front lines. He paid special attention to the physical and mental preparation of sharpshooters and snipers, presenting some of the most famous of them. He devoted a lot of attention to showing the role of the commander, from the lowest to the highest level of command, both on the examples of World War II and the and the Arab-Israeli wars. Finally, he assessed the impact of hostilities on the personal lives of soldiers, also after their end.W artykule omówiono, jak w różnych armiach świata przygotowywano psychicznie i mentalnie żołnierzy do walki w minionym stuleciu. Skoncentrowano uwagę głównie na II wojnie światowej, ale opisano przykłady działań militarnych w Wietnamie czy w trakcie wojen arabsko-izraelskich. Odwołano się też do przykładów wojen prowadzonych w XIX w. Omówiono kwestie przygotowania ideowego oraz roli wychowania patriotycznego. Wiele uwagi poświęcono problemom stresu pola walki czy dezercjom żołnierzy. Pominięto kwestię dezercji spowodowanych poglądami politycznymi, skupiając się jedynie na ucieczkach wywołanych strachem przed śmiercią czy kalectwem. Podjęto rozważania nad zagadnieniem: czy tak naprawdę żołnierz chce zabić wroga, czy celuje do nieprzyjaciela, chcąc go zabić? Czy tylko wykonuje rozkazy przełożonych? W artykule uwzględniono problematykę reakcji żołnierza na stratę przyjaciela. Osobnym zagadnieniem jest stosunek do zbrodni wroga na przykładzie wyzwolenia obozu koncentracyjnego w Dachau przez żołnierzy amerykańskich. Opisano także przygotowanie żołnierzy Special Operations Execitive do walki w trakcie II wojny światowej oraz innych formacji elitarnych, a zwłaszcza osób działających w konspiracji. W artykule omówiono ponadto: przygotowanie do wypełnianych misji za linią frontu, kwalifikacje fizyczne i psychiczne strzelców wyborowych oraz snajperów, przedstawiając kilku najsłynniejszych z nich, rolę dowódcy (od najniższego do najwyższego szczebla dowodzenia), zarówno na przykładach II wojny światowej, ale też wojen arabsko-izraelskich. Na koniec oceniono, jak działania wojenne, także po zakończeniu, wpływają na życie osobiste żołnierzy

Langerhans cell (LC) proliferation mediates neonatal development, homeostasis, and inflammation-associated expansion of the epidermal LC network

Most tissues develop from stem cells and precursors that undergo differentiation as their proliferative potential decreases. Mature differentiated cells rarely proliferate and are replaced at the end of their life by new cells derived from precursors. Langerhans cells (LCs) of the epidermis, although of myeloid origin, were shown to renew in tissues independently from the bone marrow, suggesting the existence of a dermal or epidermal progenitor. We investigated the mechanisms involved in LC development and homeostasis. We observed that a single wave of LC precursors was recruited in the epidermis of mice around embryonic day 18 and acquired a dendritic morphology, major histocompatibility complex II, CD11c, and langerin expression immediately after birth. Langerin+ cells then undergo a massive burst of proliferation between postnatal day 2 (P2) and P7, expanding their numbers by 10–20-fold. After the first week of life, we observed low-level proliferation of langerin+ cells within the epidermis. However, in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis (AD), a keratinocyte signal triggered increased epidermal LC proliferation. Similar findings were observed in epidermis from human patients with AD. Therefore, proliferation of differentiated resident cells represents an alternative pathway for development in the newborn, homeostasis, and expansion in adults of selected myeloid cell populations such as LCs. This mechanism may be relevant in locations where leukocyte trafficking is limited

CD1a expression in psoriatic skin following treatment with propylthiouracil, an antithyroid thioureylene

BACKGROUND: The antithyroid thioureylenes, propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (MMI), are effective in the treatment of patients with plaque psoriasis. The mechanism of action of the drugs in psoriasis is unknown. Since the drugs reduce circulating IL-12 levels in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism, the effect of propylthiouracil on CD1a expression in psoriatic lesions was examined in biopsy samples of patients with plaque psoriasis. CD1a is a marker of differentiated skin antigen presenting cells (APC, Langerhans cells). Langerhans cells and skin monocyte/macrophages are the source of IL-12, a key cytokine involved in the events that lead to formation of the psoriatic plaque. METHODS: Biopsy specimens were obtained from six patients with plaque psoriasis who were treated with 300 mg propylthiouracil (PTU) daily for three months. Clinical response to PTU as assessed by PASI scores, histological changes after treatment, and CD1a expression in lesional skin before and after treatment were studied. RESULTS: Despite significant improvement in clinical and histological parameters the expression of CD1a staining cells in the epidermis did not decline with propylthiouracil treatment. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that the beneficial effect of propylthiouracil in psoriasis is mediated by mechanisms other than by depletion of skin antigen-presenting cells

Despite the presence of UVB-induced DNA damage, HLA-DR+ cells from ex vivo UVB-exposed human skin are able to migrate and show no impaired allostimulatory capacity

In this study, we investigated the effect of ultraviolet B radiation on human Langerhans cell function. Normal human skin was irradiated ex vivo with single doses of ultraviolet B. For assessment of T-cell stimulatory function, cells that spontaneously migrated from epidermal sheets were used, whereas full-thickness skin biopsies were used to investigate alterations in migratory properties. The cells migrating from ultraviolet B-exposed epidermal sheets demonstrated a decrease in the percentage of HLA-DR positive Langerhans cells, as well as a reduced capacity to induce proliferation of allogeneic T cells, when compared with cells migrating from nonexposed sheets. When a correction was made for the decreased number of HLA-DR positive Langerhans cells migrating from ultraviolet B-exposed epidermis, however, it appeared that the capacity to induce T-cell proliferation was identical for Langerhans cells migrating from ultraviolet B-exposed and nonexposed epidermis. The presence of ultraviolet B-induced DNA damage could be demonstrated in the Langerhans cells from ultraviolet B-treated skin, indicating that the cells had received significant doses of ultraviolet B. As regards the effect of ultraviolet B on migratory properties of Langerhans cells, we found not only that reduced numbers of CD1a-positive Langerhans cells migrated from the ultraviolet B-exposed full-thickness skin, but also that there was a reduction in CD1a-positive Langerhans cells in the epidermis. This implies that ultraviolet B induces death of Langerhans cells as well as loss of cell surface molecules rather than altering Langerhans cells migration, whereas the Langerhans cells that were still able to migrate fully retained the capacity to activate allogeneic T cells

A three-dimensional atlas of human dermal leukocytes, lymphatics, and blood vessels.

Dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages (Mφ), and T cells are major components of the skin immune system, but their interstitial spatial organization is poorly characterized. Using four-channel whole-mount immunofluorescence staining of the human dermis, we demonstrated the three-dimensional distribution of CD31(+) blood capillaries, LYVE-1(+) lymphatics, discrete populations of CD11c(+) myeloid DCs, FXIIIa(+) Mφ, and lymphocytes. We showed phenotypic and morphological differences in situ between DCs and Mφ. DCs formed the first dermal cellular layer (0-20 μm beneath the dermoepidermal junction), Mφ were located deeper (40-60 μm), and CD3(+) lymphocytes were observed throughout (0-60 μm). Below this level, DCs, T cells, and the majority of Mφ formed stable perivascular sheaths. Whole-mount imaging revealed the true extent of dermal leukocytes previously underestimated from cross-section views. The total area of apical dermis (0-30 μm) contained approximately 10-fold more myeloid DCs than the entire blood volume of an average individual. Surprisingly, <1% of dermal DCs occupied lymphatics in freshly isolated skin. Dermal DCs rapidly accumulated within lymphatics, but Mφ remained fixed in skin explants cultured ex vivo. The leukocyte architecture observed in normal skin was distorted in inflammation and disease. These studies illustrate the micro-anatomy of dermal leukocytes and provide further insights into their functional organization

Compte-rendu de la journée d’étude « Qualité de vie et cohésion au travail »

Les élèves conservatrices et conservateurs promus DCB30 proposent un retour sur la journée d’étude consacrée à la qualité de vie et cohésion au travail qu’ils ont organisée le 21 mai 2021. Cette journée s’est déclinée autour de deux conférences introductives sur le thème de la qualité de vie au travail, des ateliers pour permettre à de futurs cadres de réfléchir et de mettre en place des actions relatives à ces thèmes et enfin des retours d’expériences

The intimate relationship between human cytomegalovirus and the dendritic cell lineage.

Primary infection of healthy individuals with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is normally asymptomatic but results in the establishment of a lifelong infection of the host. One important cellular reservoir of HCMV latency is the CD34+ haematopoietic progenitor cells resident in the bone marrow. Viral gene expression is highly restricted in these cells with an absence of viral progeny production. However, cellular differentiation into mature myeloid cells is concomitant with the induction of a full lytic transcription program, DNA replication and, ultimately, the production of infectious viral progeny. Such reactivation of HCMV is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in a number of immune-suppressed patient populations. Our current understanding of HCMV carriage and reactivation is that cellular differentiation of the CD34+ progenitor cells through the myeloid lineage, resulting in terminal differentiation to either a macrophage or dendritic cell (DC) phenotype, is crucial for the reactivation event. In this mini-review, we focus on the interaction of HCMV with DCs, with a particular emphasis on their role in reactivation, and discuss how the critical regulation of viral major immediate-early gene expression appears to be delicately entwined with the activation of cellular pathways in differentiating DCs. Furthermore, we also explore the possible immune consequences associated with reactivation in a professional antigen presenting cell and potential countermeasures HCMV employs to abrogate these

Allergic diseases in the elderly

Demographic distribution of the population is progressively changing with the proportion of elderly persons increasing in most societies. This entails that there is a need to evaluate the impact of common diseases, such as asthma and other allergic conditions, in this age segment. Frailty, comorbidities and polymedication are some of the factors that condition management in geriatric patients. The objective of this review is to highlight the characteristics of allergic diseases in older age groups, from the influence of immunosenescence, to particular clinical implications and management issues, such as drug interactions or age-related side effects