Buffer influence on magnetic dead layer, critical current and thermal stability in magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

We present a thorough research on Ta/Ru-based buffers and their influence on features crucial from the point of view of applications of MTJs, such as critical switching current and thermal stability. We investigate devices consisting of buffer/FeCoB/MgO/FeCoB/Ta/Ru multilayers for three different buffers: Ta 5 / Ru 10 / Ta 3, Ta 5 / Ru 10 / Ta 10 and Ta 5 / Ru 20 / Ta 5 (all thicknesses in nm). In addition, we study systems with a single FeCoB layer deposited above as well as below the MgO barrier. The crystallographic texture and the roughness of the buffers are determined by means of XRD and atomic force microscopy measurements. Furthermore, we examine the magnetic domain pattern, the magnetic dead layer thickness and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy fields for each sample. Finally, we investigate the effect of the current induced magnetization switching for nanopillar junctions with lateral dimensions ranging from 1 {\mu}m down to 140 nm. Buffer Ta 5 / Ru 10 / Ta 3, which has the thickest dead layer, exhibits a large increase in the thermal stability factor while featuring a slightly lower critical current density value when compared to the buffer with the thinnest dead layer Ta 5 / Ru 20 / Ta 5

Krwotok poporodowy – przyczyny, profilaktyka, farmakoterapia

Krwotok poporodowy stanowi jedną z głównych przyczyn umieralności kobiet po porodzie. Najczęstszym powo- dem jego wystąpienia jest atonia macicy, resztki łożyskowe w jamie macicy, uraz tkanek narządu rodnego lub zaburzenia układu krzepnięcia. Jedną z podstawowych zasad skutecznego leczenia krwotoku jest wczesne roz- poznanie z określeniem jego przyczyny oraz wdrożenie intensywnego leczenia. Poza zabiegowym postępowaniem przyczynowym, leczenie farmakologiczne stanowi nadal istotny element terapii krwotoku, zwłaszcza w przebiegu atonii macicy. W pracy przedstawiono aktualną wiedzę dotyczącą przyczyn, czynników ryzyka, a także sposobów farmakologicznego leczenia krwotoków poporodowych, z uwzględnieniem aktualnie obowiązujących rekomendacji.

A framework for the design, implementation, and evaluation of output-based surveillance systems against zoonotic threats

Output-based standards set a prescribed target to be achieved by a surveillance system, but they leave the selection of surveillance parameters, such as test type and population to be sampled, to the responsible party in the surveillance area. This allows proportionate legislative surveillance specifications to be imposed over a range of unique geographies. This flexibility makes output-based standards useful in the context of zoonotic threat surveillance, particularly where animal pathogens act as risk indicators for human health or where multiple surveillance streams cover human, animal, and food safety sectors. Yet, these systems are also heavily reliant on the appropriate choice of surveillance options to fit the disease context and the constraints of the organization implementing the surveillance system. Here we describe a framework to assist with designing, implementing, and evaluating output-based surveillance systems showing the effectiveness of a diverse range of activities through a case study example. Despite not all activities being relevant to practitioners in every context, this framework aims to provide a useful toolbox to encourage holistic and stakeholder-focused approaches to the establishment and maintenance of productive output-based surveillance systems

Gastrointestinal Disorders and Atopic Dermatitis in Infants in the First Year of Life According to ROME IV Criteria—A Possible Association with the Mode of Delivery and Early Life Nutrition

Background: Functional gastrointestinal disorders are very common condition. The aim of this study is to evaluate the implications of the mode of pregnancy termination and early infant feeding on the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders and atopic dermatitis at birth and 3, 6, and 12 months of age. Methods: This study included 82 pregnant women and their newborns born at term. All newborns were examined at birth and 3, 6, and 12 months of age according to the ROME IV criteria. Results: In children born after cesarean section, the incidence of regurgitation was significantly higher. In children fed mostly or exclusively with formula, dry skin with allergic features was observed more often compared to breastfed children, but this relation was statistically significant only at the age of 12 months. The use of antibiotic therapy increased the risk of allergic skin lesions by almost seven times at 3 months of life. Gastrointestinal disorders in the form of regurgitation, colic, and constipation occur within the period of up to 12 months of the child’s life and may be related to the mode of the termination of pregnancy via cesarean section and the use of artificial feeding or antibiotic therapy. The occurrence of atopic dermatitis in infants at 12 months of life is correlated with the mode of the termination of pregnancy after cesarean section. Conclusions: One of the risk factors for the occurrence of atopic dermatitis and gastrointestinal disorders in the period up to 12 months of the child’s life may be a cesarean section and the use of formula feeding or antibiotic therapy

Short-Chain Fatty Acids, Maternal Microbiota and Metabolism in Pregnancy

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), as products of intestinal bacterial metabolism, are particularly relevant in the diagnosis of intestinal dysbiosis. The most common studies of microbiome metabolites include butyric acid, propionic acid and acetic acid, which occur in varying proportions depending on diet, age, coexisting disease and other factors. During pregnancy, metabolic changes related to the protection of energy homeostasis are of fundamental importance for the developing fetus, its future metabolic fate and the mother’s health. SCFAs act as signaling molecules that regulate the body’s energy balance through G-protein receptors. GPR41 receptors affect metabolism through the microflora, while GPR43 receptors are recognized as a molecular link between diet, microflora, gastrointestinal tract, immunity and the inflammatory response. The possible mechanism by which the gut microflora may contribute to fat storage, as well as the occurrence of gestational insulin resistance, is blocking the expression of the fasting-induced adipose factor. SCFAs, in particular propionic acid via GPR, determine the development and metabolic programming of the fetus in pregnant women. The mechanisms regulating lipid metabolism during pregnancy are similar to those found in obese people and those with impaired microbiome and its metabolites. The implications of SCFAs and metabolic disorders during pregnancy are therefore critical to maternal health and neonatal development. In this review paper, we summarize the current knowledge about SCFAs, their potential impact and possible mechanisms of action in relation to maternal metabolism during pregnancy. Therefore, they constitute a contemporary challenge to practical nutritional therapy. Material and methods: The PubMed database were searched for “pregnancy”, “lipids”, “SCFA” in conjunction with “diabetes”, “hypertension”, and “microbiota”, and searches were limited to work published for a period not exceeding 20 years in the past. Out of 2927 publication items, 2778 papers were excluded from the analysis, due to being unrelated to the main topic, conference summaries and/or articles written in a language other than English, while the remaining 126 publications were included in the analysis

Impact of Selected Eicosanoids in Normal and Pathological Pregnancies

Background: Pregnancy is a physiological state in which the female body undergoes a series of changes and adaptations to provide the best possible conditions for the growth and development of the forming baby. The internal adaptations that take place lead to the production of inflammation, which is necessary for the initial and final stages of pregnancy (embryo implantation and induction of labor). Gestational diabetes mellitus is considered to be the most common pathology during this period. However, many more serious health complications can arise, which include pre-eclampsia, fetal stunting, and preterm labor. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the levels of individual eicosanoids on the course of normal pregnancy and the possibility of pathologies including gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. Methods: Sixty-nine pregnant women who were overweight or obese before and during pregnancy were studied. Eicosanoids were extracted as appropriate and then determined using liquid chromatography. The levels of eicosanoids studied in pregnant women differed not only according to the week of pregnancy but also in relation to individual anthropometric and biochemical parameters. Results: There was a significant correlation between being overweight and having a high BMI before pregnancy—as well as biochemical parameters of lipid and carbohydrate profiles—and the occurrence of pathological conditions in pregnancy. Conclusions: Eicosanoids are involved in the pathology of pregnancy associated with the occurrence of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. Salicylic acid may find use in the treatment of pregnant women exposed to both phenomena, as well as in overweight and obese women found before pregnancy. Diets rich in natural salicylates, methods of administration, and pharmacotherapy and dosage need further study. Some of the mediators (lipoxin, prostaglandin and leucotrien) may be new diagnostic markers in pregnancy pathology and intervention pathways in the future

Riboflavin - properties, occurrence and its use in medicine

Riboflavin is built on an isoalloxazin ring, which contains three sixcarbon rings: benzoic, pyrazine and pyrimidine. Riboflavin is synthesized by some bacteria, but among humans and animals, the only source of flavin coenzymes (FAD, FMN) is exogenous riboflavin. Riboflavin transport in enterocytes takes place via three translocators encoded by the SLC52 gene. Deficiency of dietary riboflavin has wide ranging implications for the efficacy of other vitamins, the mechanism of cellular respiration, lactic acid metabolism, hemoglobin, nucleotides and amino acid synthesis. In studies it was found that, pharmacologic daily doses (100 mg) have the potential to react with light, which can have adverse cellular effects. Extrene caution should be exercised when using riboflavin as phototherapy in premature newborns. At the cellular level, riboflavin deficiency leads to increased oxidative stress and causes disorders in the glutathione recycling process. Risk factors for developing riboflavin deficinecy include pregnancy, malnutrition (including anorexia and other eating disorders, vegitarianism, veganism and alcoholism. Furthermore, elderly people and atheletes are also at risk of developing this deficiency. Widespread use of riboflavin in medicine, cancer therapy, treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, corneal ectasia and viral infections has resulted in the recent increased interest in this flavina

Implications of Indirect Biomarkers of Intestinal Permeability in the Stools of Newborns and Infants with Perinatal Risk Factors for Intestinal Colonization Disorders and Infant Feeding Patterns

Background: The intestinal microbiota of pregnant women and factors disturbing the microbial balance of their gastrointestinal tract during the perinatal period may be the cause of dysbiosis and thus intestinal permeability syndrome in their children. The purpose of this study was to analyze the implications of intestinal permeability parameters in the stools of newborns and infants with perinatal risk factors for intestinal colonization disorders (the route of delivery, antibiotic therapy in the neonatal period and the abandonment of breastfeeding). Methods: The study included 100 mother–child pairs. All children were born from uncomplicated and term pregnancies (between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation). In order to determine the parameters of dysbiosis and intestinal permeability, we determined the concentrations of zonulin and occludin in stool samples taken from all children at 0 (i.e., at birth), 3, 6 and 12 months of age. Elevated levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are associated with metabolic diseases and its presence may be indicative of TJ injury and the onset of leaky gut syndrome. To indirectly determine the presence of endotoxemia, the concentrations of lipopolysaccharide were also measured in stool samples taken from all children at 0, 3, 6 and 12 months of age. We analyzed the relationship between the markers studied and perinatal risk factors for impaired intestinal colonization, including the mode of delivery, the method of feeding, and a family history of allergy. Results: During the first 3 months of infant life, higher concentrations of fecal occludin and zonulin were most often accompanied by higher values of fecal LPS. Similarly, higher concentrations of zonulin were accompanied by higher values of occludin. There were no significant differences in the stool concentrations of the studied markers during the first year of life between children born by caesarean section and those born naturally. In addition, the method of feeding had no significant effect on the changes in the concentrations of the determined fractions. Antibiotic therapy was associated only with an increase in the fecal occludin concentration after birth, without any effect on zonulin, occludin or LPS levels. The use of probiotic therapy in infants resulted in a decrease in only LPS concentrations at 3 months of age, with no effect on zonulin or occludin concentrations at 0, 6 and 12 months. Conclusions: Perinatal factors related to intestinal permeability are important during the first 3 months of infant life. However, we found that the mode of delivery had no influence on the parameters of infant intestinal leakage during the first year of life. In addition, the mode of infant feeding—breast or exclusively formula—did not significantly affect the changes in the concentrations of LPS, zonulin or occludin in the stools of children. A short-term increase in occludin concentrations after delivery in the stools of children from mothers undergoing antibiotic therapy indicates a negative but reversible influence of intrapartum antibiotics on the intestinal integrity of children in the perinatal period. Probiotic therapy seems to have a positive effect on reducing endotoxemia in children during the first 3 months of life. The presence of LPS at 3 months did not affect intestinal tightness at any of the later measured periods of the infants’ lives

Solitary breast cancer metastasis to pelvic bone treated with a unique method of surgery combined with local doxorubicin administration

Treatment of bone metastasis is a major challenge for current and future orthopedic and oncology specialists. For the treatment of single metastases, there is a continuing search for effective local treatments that do not affect the whole patient. The current report describes the case of single breast cancer metastasis to the pelvic bone in a 50-year-old woman treated surgically by bone osteotomy combined with local doxorubicin application. The presence of cancer cells was confirmed by histopathological examination. After 6 months, the same defect was operated on again and a successful therapeutic result was confirmed by negative tumor pathology tests. The bone defect caused by osteotomy was reconstructed with allogenic bone grafts that healed completely over 14 months. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to combine the removal bone metastasis with direct local cytostatic drug administration without the use of a specific carrier, followed by successful bone reconstruction 6 months later using bone allografts. Thus, single bone metastasis may be successfully treated with resection and local cytostatic administration, enabling bone reconstruction in the postoperative period. The potential benefits of such treatments must be evaluated by considering the potential risks involved, including necrosis of surrounding soft tissues and general reactions to the chemotherapy. No data has been available until now regarding the risk of cancer disease generalization being influenced by such treatments, but patient quality of life can be improved significantly by the successful removal of a solitary bone metastasis. The present case report supports the continuation of research on improving local cytostatic drug administration during the treatment of bone metastasis

The Associations of SCFA with Anthropometric Parameters and Carbohydrate Metabolism in Pregnant Women

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) mediate the transmission of signals between the microbiome and the immune system and are responsible for maintaining balance in the anti-inflammatory reaction. Pregnancy stages alter the gut microbiota community structure, which also synthesizes SCFAs. The study involved 90 pregnant women, divided into two groups: 48 overweight/obese pregnant women (OW) and 42 pregnant women with normal BMI (CG). The blood samples for glucose, insulin, and HBA1c were analyzed as well as stool samples for SCFA isolation (C2:0; C3:0; C4:0i; C4:0n; C5:0i; C5:0n; C6:0i; C6:0n) using gas chromatography. The SCFA profile in the analyzed groups differed significantly. A significant positive correlation between C2:0, C3:0, C4:0n and anthropometric measurements, and between C2:0, C3:0, C4:0n, and C5:0n and parameters of carbohydrate metabolism was found. SCFA levels fluctuate during pregnancy and the course of pregnancy and participate in the change in carbohydrate metabolism as well. The influence of C2:0 during pregnancy on anthropometric parameters was visible in both groups (normal weight and obese). Butyrate and propionate regulate glucose metabolism by stimulating the process of intestinal gluconeogenesis. The level of propionic acid decreases with the course of pregnancy, while its increase is characteristic of obese women, which is associated with many metabolic adaptations. Propionic and linear caproic acid levels can be an important critical point in maintaining lower anthropometric parameters during pregnancy