Cell cycle checkpoints - molecular background

Cell cycle checkpoints are the surveillance mechanisms monitoring both the fidelity and accuracy of DNA replication and the segregation of chromosomes. By delaying progression through the cell cycle, checkpoints provide more time for repair before the critical phases of DNA replication and ensure the proper segregation of chromosomes during mitosis. The paper provides basic information about the molecular mechanisms operating in various cell cycle checkpoints activated by DNA damage or disturbances in mitotic spindle assembly

Środowiskowe uwarunkowania osadnictwa pradziejowego i wczesnośredniowiecznego w północnej części Borów Tucholskich

Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę

The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers’ absenteeism: infections, quarantines, sick leave — a database analysis of the Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1. in Bydgoszcz, Poland

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic through its impact on healthcare workers (HCWs) could result in possible disturbances in the stability of providing medical services. This paper aimed to analyse the influence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on HCWs regarding their absenteeism and availability to work. Materials and methods: An analysis of the Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1. in Bydgoszcz database was conducted regarding the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and quarantines of HCWs and the number of HCWs on sick leave for the period between the 1st of October 2020 and the 28th of February 2021. The population was analysed regarding occupational groups (doctors, nurses, administrative and technical workers, other medical staff members) and in the context of regional epidemiological trends. Results: Infection and quarantine rates were higher in HCWs than in the general population with nurses and doctors being the most affected groups. A significant increase in the number of HCWs on sick leave in 2020/2021 was observed in comparison with 2019/2020. Conclusions: Healthcare workers are a group significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The availability of workforce in the hospital has been impacted both directly (infections, quarantines) and indirectly (sick leave). Further studies in the area of HCWs’ security are needed

Non-invasive assessment of endothelial function — a review of available methods

The key role of the endothelium in vascular-dependent diseases led to an increase in scientific interest in examining the endothelial function as a tool for screening, as well as for monitoring of the disease and its treatment. In the period from 2016 till 2019, a high level of scientific interest in the assessment of endothelial function has been observed, as expressed in the number of published clinical trials between 369 and 477 per year with the total number of subjects between 49,634 and 75,934. Currently, none of the known methods of assessing vascular endothelial function is widely used in clinical practice. This may be a result of various factors: scientific (lack of standardization in terms of quantitative indicators of endothelial function), formal (lack of official recommendations for endothelial assessment), financial (the best-validated methods and devices are costly, which renders it unsustainable to use them in screening diagnostics) and technological (high susceptibility of many measurement methods to errors). Nevertheless, it can be expected that non-invasive methods for the early detection of endothelial dysfunction in screening programs will gradually gain importance

COVID-19 occurrence and symptoms depending on vaccination status: a retrospective single-centre analysis of 27,209 patients

Introduction: Widespread immunization is critical to bringing the COVID-19 pandemic to an end. The objective of this cross-sectional data analysis was to investigate the impact of vaccination on the frequency of COVID-19 occurrence and the presence of its symptoms and clinical presentations. Material and methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study, analysing medical records of patients hospitalized at the Dr Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1 in Bydgoszcz in the years 2019–2021. The analysis considered age, sex, vaccination status, the result of the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and disease symptoms and clinical presentations in accordance with ICD-10 codes. Results: The study group consisted of 27,209 patients. There were 1,393 persons (5.12%) who tested positive for COVID-19. The vaccinated patients accounted for 17.3% (n = 4,704). Those vaccinated were significantly less likely to test positive for COVID-19 (3.93% vs. 5.38%; p < 0.0001). Among unvaccinated patients with a positive test result for COVID-19, symptoms and/or clinical presentations occurred in 359 study participants (29.72%), while in vaccinated COVID-19-positive patients only in 49 persons (26.49%). The symptoms that occurred in both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients were mainly respiratory and circulatory. The most common clinical presentation, both in the group of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, was viral pneumonia, not elsewhere classified (J12), which occurred in 17.30% and 9.19% of patients, respectively (p = 0.005). Other symptoms and clinical presentations showing a statistically significant difference in the frequency of occurrence between the groups were pneumonia in diseases classified elsewhere (J17; p = 0.019) and abnormalities of breathing (R06; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Vaccination against COVID-19 protects against symptomatic disease

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital functioning and mortality among non-COVID-19 patients

Introduction: The pandemic resulted in significant changes in the work organization within medical facilities, mainly hospitals, which were handling the largest numbers of people infected with SARS-CoV-2. The objective of the study was to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the functioning of Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1 in Bydgoszcz as a whole, as well as consider individual departments. Material and methods: The data were acquired from the database of Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1 in Bydgoszcz and included: the average length of hospitalization, number of hospitalizations, and number of deaths, as well as COVID-19 status. Information was collected for each month in the 2020–2021 period with a distinction between specific departments. Results: The highest percentage of COVID-19 hospitalizations as well as the highest percentage of COVID-19 deaths were noted from October 2020 to May/June 2020 and in November and December 2021. Correlations between new monthly COVID-19 cases in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and several parameters (average length of hospitalization, total number of hospitalizations, mortality among non-COVID-19 patients) have been established for selected departments. Conclusions: The analysis of the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1 in Bydgoszcz, Poland, found in selected departments a significantly increased in-hospital mortality, decreased number of hospitalizations, and decreased length of stay. Departments exhibiting an opposite impact of the pandemic on the average length of hospitalization were identified

Metallo-Beta-Lactamases: NDM

New Delhi, an enzyme belonging to the Metallo-beta-lactamases and Carbapenemases group, is most commonly found in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. It determines these bacteria resistance to the majority of known antibiotics. NDM-1 was discovered in 2008 in a man treated in New Delhi for E. coli infection. Since the first appearance, 17 subtypes of this enzyme have been discovered. Its occurrence has been reported in Europe (Great Britain, France, Belgium - where even a national alert has been issued) as well as in the United States and in Africa. Most cases of New Delhi enzyme bacterial infections are reported in India or in people who have traveled to this country. There is no treatment method described so far. Therapy is based on antibiotic susceptibility test results. Colistin shows the highest effectiveness against NDM. There are also tests suggesting that Isomargololone and Nimbolide may be effective in most cases of NDM infection

Early administration of LEvosimendan in Patients witH decompensAted chroNic hearT failure (ELEPHANT) study. Rationale and protocol of the study

Dobutamine and levosimendan are both indicated for inotropic support in acute decompensated heart failure (HF). The study aimed to assess the impact of early administration of levosimendan (first iv therapeutic approach) versus dobutamine (first iv therapeutic approach) on in-hospital treatment expenses and clinical outcomes in patients with decompensated chronic HF. The ELEPHANT study was designed as a phase III, multicentre, randomized 1:1, double-blind, active-controlled trial that will include patients admitted to the hospital due to HF decompensation. Co-primary endpoints were defined as total in-hospital expenses/survivor and duration of hospitalization/survivor. Secondary efficacy endpoints: on the last day of hospitalization: occurrence of treatment side effects, body weight change during hospitalization, BNP change during hospitalization, in-hospital mortality, additional levosimendan administration due to the ineffectiveness of the initial treatment. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to the active group receiving continuous infusion 24 h of levosimendan 0.1 μg/kg/min or to the control group receiving continuous infusion 24 h of dobutamine 3 μg/kg/min. After the enrolment of 20 patients, results analysis will be performed (pilot phase — single centre). Based on this analysis conducted according to the intention-to-treat principle, the final population size will be defined. The multicentre phase of the study will be initiated after the pilot phase