HSPB1 (Heat-Shock 27 kDa Protein 1)

Review on HSPB1 (Heat-Shock 27 kDa Protein 1), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

37. Multicenter, randomized study assessing the impact of amifostine on normal tissue radiation tolerance during head and neck cancer radiotherapy

A prospective, randomized multicenter study was conducted to assess the value of amifostine (Ethyol®) as a radioprotectant in head and neck cancer radiotherapy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the addition of daily amifostine (150 mg/m2) on the degree of early (mucositis, dysphagia, xerostomia) and late (mucosal, cutaneous, salivary gland, mandible and spinal cord) radiation reactions. Assessed were also patients’ quality of life, local control and overall survival. Sixty two patients from five Polish institutions were randomly assigned to radiotherapy alone (Arm A – 28 patients) or radiotherapy + amifostine (Arm B – 34 patients). There were 43 men and 19 women. Primary tumor was located in the oral cavity (27 patients), oropharynx (25 patients), nasopharynx (2 patients) and larynx/hypopharynx (8 patients). In 43 patients radiotherapy was used as the sole modality of treatment and 19 patients were irradiated postoperatively. The side effects of amifostine were manageable. In 6 patients amifostine infusion had to be temporarily stopped due to hypotension and in 5 patients its administration was permanently terminated due to hypotension, nausea and vomiting, septicemia or fever and visual disturbances. The early results of the study, focusing on early radiation reactions, will be presented at the conference

Heat Resistance Mediated by a New Plasmid Encoded Clp ATPase, ClpK, as a Possible Novel Mechanism for Nosocomial Persistence of Klebsiella pneumoniae

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important opportunistic pathogen and a frequent cause of nosocomial infections. We have characterized a K. pneumoniae strain responsible for a series of critical infections in an intensive care unit over a two-year period. The strain was found to be remarkably thermotolerant providing a conceivable explanation of its persistence in the hospital environment. This marked phenotype is mediated by a novel type of Clp ATPase, designated ClpK. The clpK gene is encoded by a conjugative plasmid and we find that the clpK gene alone renders an otherwise sensitive E. coli strain resistant to lethal heat shock. Furthermore, one third of a collection of nosocomial K. pneumoniae isolates carry clpK and exhibit a heat resistant phenotype. The discovery of ClpK as a plasmid encoded factor and its profound impact on thermal stress survival sheds new light on the biological relevance of Clp ATPases in acquired environmental fitness and highlights the challenges of mobile genetic elements in fighting nosocomial infections

Quorum Sensing Primes the Oxidative Stress Response in the Insect Endosymbiont, Sodalis glossinidius

quorum sensing system relies on the function of two regulatory proteins; SogI (a LuxI homolog) synthesizes a signaling molecule, characterized as N-(3-oxohexanoyl) homoserine lactone (OHHL), and SogR1 (a LuxR homolog) interacts with OHHL to modulate transcription of specific target genes. and SOPE. and SOPE indicates the potential for neofunctionalization to occur during the process of genome degeneration

Impact of mining work conditions in health of employees work in coal mine

W artykule na podstawie danych statystycznych dotyczących emerytur i rent pobieranych z Funduszu Ubezpieczeń Społecznych podjęto próbę wskazania, iż warunki wykonywania pracy mogą mieć wpływ na długość życia oraz zdolności produkcyjne zatrudnionych pracowników.In the article on the basis of statistical data on pensions charged of Social Insurance Fund endeavors to point out that the conditions of work may have an impact on life expectancy and the production capacity of employees

Przegląd stosowanych metod oceny ryzyka zawodowego

The article presents the been reviewed most frequently used methods of risk assessment. They have been analyzed coefficients used in various methods of paying attention to the rules for their designation. Also important was the way we defined risk index and the rules of its interpretation in the various methods.W artykule przedstawiono przeglądowo najczęściej stosowane metody oceny ryzyka zawodowego. Analizie poddane zostały współczynniki stosowane w poszczególnych metodach ze zwróceniem uwagi na zasady ich wyznaczania. Istotnym był także sposób w jaki określa się wskaźnik ryzyka oraz zasady jego interpretacji w poszczególnych metodach