Inducible SOS Response System of DNA Repair and Mutagenesis in Escherichia coli

Chromosomal DNA is exposed to continuous damage and repair. Cells contain a number of proteins and specific DNA repair systems that help maintain its correct structure. The SOS response was the first DNA repair system described in Escherichia coli induced upon treatment of bacteria with DNA damaging agents arrest DNA replication and cell division. Induction of the SOS response involves more than forty independent SOS genes, most of which encode proteins engaged in protection, repair, replication, mutagenesis and metabolism of DNA. Under normal growth conditions the SOS genes are expressed at a basal level, which increases distinctly upon induction of the SOS response. The SOS-response has been found in many bacterial species (e.g., Salmonella typhimurium, Caulobacter crescentus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis), but not in eukaryotic cells. However, species from all kingdoms contain some SOS-like proteins taking part in DNA repair that exhibit amino acid homology and enzymatic activities related to those found in E. coli. but are not organized in an SOS system. This paper presents a brief up-to-date review describing the discovery of the SOS system, the physiology of SOS induction, methods for its determination, and the role of some SOS-induced genes

Atrial fibrillation in patients with atrial septal aneurysm

Background: To assess the incidence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) and the relationship between ASA morphology and the incidence of AF. Methods: Among 12,941 patients evaluated echocardiographically, 88 (0.68%) were diagnosed with ASA [with 35 (39.8%) males and 53 (60.2%) females; mean age, 54.3 &#177; 14.4 years]. The morphology of the aneurysm and the atria was evaluated by echocardiography, P wave dispersion was evaluated by 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) and the presence of AF was confirmed by 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring. ASA was diagnosed when the base of the aneurysm on echocardiography exceeded 15 mm and its protrusion exceeded 7.5 mm. Results: Paroxysmal AF was documented in 15 (17.0%) patients with ASA. We showed that the presence of AF depended on the area of the aneurysm, with the latter positively correlating with the area of the left atrium. We further found a significant relationship between the presence of atrial arrhythmia and the dispersion of P wave duration (p < 0.005). The remaining characteristics, such as gender and age, embolic events, interatrial shunt and comorbidities showed no correlation with the occurrence of AF. Conclusions: The occurrence of paroxysmal AF in patients with ASA depends on the area of the aneurysm and the increased area of the left atrium. Patients with ASA and paroxysmal AF display a significantly higher dispersion of sinus P wave duration versus patients with ASA but without paroxysmal AF. The presence of ASA structure oscillation, the direction of aneurismal protrusion and the presence of interatrial shunt do not significantly affect the incidence of AF. (Cardiol J 2007; 14: 580-584)

Gender-related benefit of transport to primary angioplasty: Is it equal?

Background. Infarct size is correlated with duration of coronary artery occlusion. Evidence suggests that transport for primary angioplasty improves outcomes, but there is no agreement regarding differences in prognosis between men and women. We compared outcomes in men and women with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) transferred from another hospital against those who had been transported directly to an invasive treatment center. Methods. Data was collected between June 2005 and May 2006 from a registry of 26,035 patients with STEMI and in whom primary angioplasty had been performed. Results. A total of 10,708 patients underwent primary angioplasty. Of these, 3,359 men and 1,469 women were transported directly, while 4,135 men and 1,745 women were transferred from another site. In-hospital mortality and at one month, six months and 12 months after hospital discharge was significantly higher in women than in men. The prognosis of women transported directly was similar to that of women transferred from another site. However, there was a tendency, albeit insignificant, towards higher mortality at six and 12 months in women transported from another hospital. Conclusions. To reduce mortality in STEMI, an immediate reperfusion must not be delayed. This conclusion is valid particularly for women who are at greater risk of death. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 3: 254&#8211;260

Acute myocardial infarction due to left main coronary artery disease: A large multicenter national registry

Background: Optimal management of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) dueto critical stenosis of an unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) is not established.However, data from observational studies and registries encourage to perform percutaneouscoronary intervention (PCI) in high risk patients. We investigated gender-related discrepancies,clinical course and prognosis in patients with acute MI and ULMCA as an infarct-relatedartery.Methods: A total of 643 consecutive patients (184 [28.6%] females and 459 [71.4%] males)with acute MI due to critical ULMCA stenosis were selected from the population of 121,526patients hospitalized due to acute coronary syndromes between 2003 and 2006. The primaryendpoints were in-hospital, 30-day, 6-month and 12-month mortality.Results: Women were older than men with signifi cantly higher proportion of women olderthan 65 and with unfavorable risk profi le. The management in men and women was similar.There was no signifi cant gender-related differences in mortality in all follow-up periods. Inmultivariate analysis cardiogenic shock, pulmonary edema, ST elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI) and advanced age signifi cantly increased mortality, whereas successful PCIdecreased mortality.Conclusions: No signifi cant differences in clinical course, treatment and prognosis betweenmen and women were noted. Mortality remained very high in both genders. The most unfavorableprognostic factors were cardiogenic shock, pulmonary edema, STEMI and advancedage. Percutaneous coronary angioplasty is feasible and offers high success rate in this subset ofpatients

Safety of dental extractions in patients on dual antiplatelet therapy : a meta-analysis

Introduction: Safety of dental extractions in patients on chronic antiplatelet therapy either with only acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or clopidogrel or with both combined has been a matter of debate, with no clearly conclusive studies published. Aim: To perform a meta-analysis of published observational studies in order to study the effect of single and double antiplatelet therapy in comparison to controls on the occurrence of immediate local bleeding complications during dental extractions. Material and methods: PubMed/Scopus/Embase database search revealed 22 papers (13 original and 9 review), 3 of which were finally included in the meta-analysis. Phrases searched: dual[All Fields] AND antiplatelet[All Fields] AND (“therapy”[Subheading] OR “therapy”[All Fields] OR “therapeutics”[MeSH Terms] OR “therapeutics”[All Fields]) AND (“tooth extraction”[MeSH Terms] OR (“tooth”[All Fields] AND “extraction”[All Fields]) OR “tooth extraction”[All Fields]). Results: The overall event incidence (bleeding complication after extraction) in the entire population was 1.59% (42 events in 2637 patients). As compared to the control group, the use of double antiplatelet therapy DAPT was associated with on odd ratio OR of 40.23 (95% CI: 4.37–370.36) increase in risk of bleeding events occurrence (p = 0.0011). Significant heterogeneity was observed (p < 0.001; I2 of 76.7%). Conclusions: Dental extractions following strict procedural protocols in patients on double antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel and ASA are associated with an additional risk of immediate local bleeding complications

Mit, obrzęd i duchowość Afryki w Czarnych słowach Anny Świrszczyńskiej

Myth, Ritual and Spirituality of African people in Anna Świrszczyńska’s “Black Words”. The paper provides an analysis of poem collection entitled “Black words. Negro stylizations” published by polish poet Anna Świrszczyńska (Swir) in 1967. It studies the ways in which the African subjects are constructed, mostly in the aspect of their relations to the non-human beings: animals, monsters, plants and personalized natural phenomena. It is argued that Świrszczyńska refers to indigenous beliefs (animism, totemism, fetishism, magic) in order to question Western anthropocentrism and propose alternative perspectives, emphasizing fierce and unconscious human motivations. In the poems the radical otherness of black Africans is highlighted, but nonetheless the collection expresses a sense of solidarity, especially with black women and elderly people

Łagodna hipotermia terapeutyczna po nagłym zatrzymaniu krążenia w przebiegu ostrego zespołu wieńcowego — doświadczenia z wdrażania metody

Introduction. A mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) is a promising adjunct treatment in patients suffering from cardiac arrest.Material and methods. In 2012–2013 a 13 out of 216 consecutive patients admitted due to cardiac arrest were qualified to MTH. Cooling was started at the admission with the intravenous infusion of saline at a degree of 4°C, then continued with intravascular automated cooling system.Results. The study group consisted of five women and eight men (mean age 59 years). The most common mechanism of cardiac arrest was ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia due to acute myocardial infarction (92.3%). The mean time of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was 15 min 54 s. The mean time from cardiac arrest to the start of the cooling was 1h 10 min. During MTH an increase in white blood cell count and serum level of amylase and CRP was observed. The in-hospital mortality was 7/13 patients (53.8%). Patients who survived were younger (53.8 vs. 63.6 years), had lower incidence of coronary artery disease and ventricular fibrillation was the mechanism of cardiac arrest. In addition, patients who survived had prolonged time to ROSC (median time 19 min vs. 13 min) and reduced time: to the start of cold saline infusion (median time 58 min vs. 85 min), from cardiac arrest to the beginning of the intravascular cooling (median time 3 h 20 min vs. 3 h 50 min) and hospital stay (median time 471 h vs. 1232 h) in comparison with patients with fatal outcome. Five patients were discharged from the hospital in a good neurological condition (4 patients — 0 points and 1 patient — 1 point in Rankin scale).Conclusions. All the patients who survived and were treated with MTH, were discharged in a good neurological condition. The implementation of endovascular cooling device greatly improves precise temperature control in patients undergoing MTH.Mild therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest due to ACS.Wstęp. Łagodna hipotermia terapeutyczna (MTH) jest obiecującą metodą wspomagającą leczenie chorych po nagłym zatrzymaniu krążenia (NZK).Materiał i metody. W latach 2012–2013 spośród kolejnych 216 chorych po NZK do MTH zakwalifikowano 13 pacjentów. Schładzanie rozpoczynano w chwili przyjęcia wlewem dożylnym soli fizjologicznej o temperaturze 4°C, następnie kontynuowano hipotermię za pomocą zautomatyzowanego systemu wewnątrznaczyniowego.Wyniki. Badaną grupę stanowiło 5 kobiet i 8 mężczyzn (średni wiek 59 lat). Najczęstszym mechanizmem NZK były migotanie komór lub częstoskurcz komorowy w przebiegu zawału serca (92,3%). Średni czas do uzyskania spontanicznego krążenia (ROSC) wynosił 15 min 54 s, a od NZK do rozpoczęcia chłodzenia — 1 h 10 min. Podczas MTH obserwowano zwiększone leukocytozę, aktywności amylazy i stężenie CRP. W szpitalu zmarło 7 chorych (53,8%). Grupę pacjentów, którzy przeżyli, charakteryzowały: młodszy wiek (53,8 v. 63,6 roku), rzadszy wywiad choroby niedokrwiennej serca, częstsze występowanie migotania komór jako mechanizmu NZK, dłuższy czas do ROSC (mediana 19 v. 13 min), krótszy czas do rozpoczęcia wlewu zimnej soli fizjologicznej (mediana 58 v. 85 min), krótszy czas od NZK do rozpoczęcia chłodzenia śródnaczyniowego (mediana 3 h 20 min v. 3 h 50 min) oraz krótszy czas pobytu w szpitalu (mediana 471 v. 1232 h). Pięć osób wypisano ze szpitala w bardzo dobrym stanie neurologicznym (4 pacjentów — 0 pkt., 1 pacjent — 1 pkt w skali Rankina).Wnioski. Wszyscy pacjenci, którzy przeżyli, a byli leczeni za pomocą MTH, zostali wypisani w bardzo dobrym stanie neurologicznym. Stosowanie urządzenia do wewnątrznaczyniowego chłodzenia pozwala na precyzyjną kontrolę temperatury u pacjentów poddanych procedurze