Introducing the H2020 AQUACROSS project: Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS EU policies.

The AQUACROSS project was an unprecedented effort to unify policy concepts, knowledge, and management of freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems to support the cost-effective achievement of the targets set by the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. AQUACROSS aimed to support EU efforts to enhance the resilience and stop the loss of biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems as well as to ensure the ongoing and future provision of aquatic ecosystem services. The project focused on advancing the knowledge base and application of Ecosystem-Based Management. Through elaboration of eight diverse case studies in freshwater and marine and estuarine aquatic ecosystem across Europe covering a range of environmental management problems including, eutrophication, sustainable fisheries as well as invasive alien species AQUACROSS demonstrated the application of a common framework to establish cost-effective measures and integrated Ecosystem-Based Management practices. AQUACROSS analysed the EU policy framework (i.e. goals, concepts, time frames) for aquatic ecosystems and built on knowledge stemming from different sources (i.e. WISE, BISE, Member State reporting within different policy processes, modelling) to develop innovative management tools, concepts, and business models (i.e. indicators, maps, ecosystem assessments, participatory approaches, mechanisms for promoting the delivery of ecosystem services) for aquatic ecosystems at various scales of space and time and relevant to different ecosystem types.

PM-SCL autoantibody positive scleroderma with polymyositis (mechanic's hand: clinical aid in the diagnosis).

This report concerns a 56-year-old-woman presenting PM-SCL autoantibody positive scleroderma with dermatomyositis (scleromyositis) and concomitant interstitial lung fibrosis. The recently observed overlapping syndrome is characterized by the presence of specific autoantibodies, HLA-type association and benign course. A new skin symptom ("mechanic's hands") predicts the disease, in particular the interstitial lung pathology, which is its most relevant internal manifestation.

Antibiotic-resistant acne: lessons from Europe.

BACKGROUND: Propionibacterium acnes and P. granulosum are widely regarded as the aetiological agents of inflammatory acne. Their proliferation and metabolism are controlled using lengthy courses of oral and/or topical antibiotics. Despite numerous reports of skin colonization by antibiotic-resistant propionibacteria among acne patients, accurate prevalence data are available only for the U.K. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of skin colonization by antibiotic-resistant propionibacteria among acne patients and their contacts from six European centres. METHODS: Skin swabs were collected from 664 acne patients attending centres in the U.K., Spain, Italy, Greece, Sweden and Hungary. Phenotypes of antibiotic-resistant propionibacteria were determined by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of a panel of tetracycline and macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin B (MLS) antibiotics. Resistance determinants were characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers specific for rRNA genes and erm(X), followed by nucleotide sequencing of the amplified DNA. RESULTS: Viable propionibacteria were recovered from 622 patients. A total of 515 representative antibiotic-resistant isolates and 71 susceptible isolates to act as control strains were characterized phenotypically. The prevalence of carriage of isolates resistant to at least one antibiotic was lowest in Hungary (51%) and highest in Spain (94%). Combined resistance to clindamycin and erythromycin was much more common (highest prevalence 91% in Spain) than resistance to the tetracyclines (highest prevalence 26.4% in the U.K.). No isolates resistant to tetracycline were detected in Italy, or in Hungary. Overall, there were strong correlations with prescribing patterns. Prevalence of resistant propionibacteria on the skin of untreated contacts of the patients varied from 41% in Hungary to 86% in Spain. Of the dermatologists, 25 of 39 were colonized with resistant propionibacteria, including all those who specialized in treating acne. None of 27 physicians working in other outpatient departments harboured resistant propionibacteria. CONCLUSIONS: The widespread use of topical formulations of erythromycin and clindamycin to treat acne has resulted in significant dissemination of cross-resistant strains of propionibacteria. Resistance rates to the orally administered tetracycline group of antibiotics were low, except in Sweden and the U.K. Resistant genotypes originally identified in the U.K. are distributed widely throughout Europe. Antibiotic-resistant propionibacteria should be considered transmissible between acne-prone individuals, and dermatologists should use stricter cross-infection control measures when assessing acne in the clinic.

Panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma clinically manifested as alopecia.

A 45-year-old women presented with multifocal scalp lesions with the clinical impression of alopecia areata. Histological findings first suggested cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis, although a 'burned-out' panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma could not be excluded. After a 20-month follow-up period, assessment of the T-cell receptor gamma-chain gene rearrangement verified the diagnosis of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma. This case is interesting because of its isolated scalp manifestation as well as its indolent course.

Bullous pyoderma gangrenosum as a manifestation of leukemia cutis.

The authors present the case of a 67-year-old patient in whom bullous pyoderma gangrenosum was the first symptom of acute myeloid leukemia. Histologically leukemic cells were found in the skin infiltrate, on the basis of which this lesion satisfied the criteria of leukemia cutis. It was underlined that in the background of such atypical bullous cases there are often hemoblastoses or their malignant transformation. Finally the connection between bullous pyoderma gangrenosum and atypical vesiculous Sweet syndrome is discussed.

Ulcus vulvae acutum.

An acute vulvar ulcer was diagnosed based on a case history of a 17-year-old girl with genital ulcers. No relevant causative factors could be established. The gangrenous form of the disease, cutaneous anergy, and the cultured anaerobic pathogens suggested the possibility of an infectious pathogenesis.

Autophagic and apoptotic types of programmed cell death exhibit different fates of cytoskeletal filaments.

Programmed cell death comprises several subtypes, as revealed by electron microscopy. Apoptosis or type I programmed cell death is characterized by condensation of cytoplasm and preservation of organelles, essentially without autophagic degradation. Autophagic cell death or type II programmed cell death exhibits extensive autophagic degradation of Golgi apparatus, polyribosomes and endoplasmatic reticulum, which precedes nuclear destruction. In the present study, we analysed the fate of cytokeratin and F-actin during autophagic cell death in the human mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7 because recent studies suggest that an intact cytoskeleton is necessary for autophagocytosis. Programmed cell death was induced by 10(-)(6) M tamoxifen. For quantitative light microscopic analysis, autophagic vacuoles were visualized by monodansyl cadaverin, which stains autophagic vacuoles as distinct dot-like structures. In control cultures, the number of monodansylcadaverin-positive cells did not exceed 2%. Tamoxifen induced a dramatic increase 2-4 days after treatment to a maximum of 60% monodansylcadaverin-positive cells between days 5 and 7. Cell death, as indicated by nuclear condensation, increased more gradually to about 18% of all cells on day 7. In cells with pyknotic nuclei cytokeratin appeared disassembled but retained its immunoreactivity; actin was still polymerized to filaments, as demonstrated by its reaction with phalloidin. Western blot analysis showed no significant cleavage of the monomeric cytokeratin fraction. For comparison, apoptotic or type I cell death was studied using the human colon cancer cell HT29/HI1 treated with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor tyrphostin A25 as a model. Cleavage of cytokeratin was already detectable in early morphological stages of apoptosis. F-actin was found to depolymerize; its globular form could be detected by antibodies; western blot analysis revealed no products of proteolytic cleavage. In conclusion, in our model of apoptosis, early stages are associated with depolymerization of actin and degradation of intermediate filaments. In contrast, during autophagic cell death intermediate and microfilaments are redistributed, but largely preserved, even beyond the stage of nuclear collapse. The present data support the concept that autophagic cell death is a separate entity of programmed cell death that is distinctly different from apoptosis.

Monocytic aleukemic leukemia cutis.

The authors present a case of monocytic aleukemic leukemia cutis in which skin symptoms were the sole manifestation of the leukemia during the first year and a half of the disease. Diagnostic difficulties, the importance of immunohistochemical markers, and the prognosis and therapy of aleukemic leukemia cutis are discussed.

[Leukemic neutrophilic dermatosis]. / Leukaemiás neutrophil dermatosis.

A case of a 67 year-old female patient with acute myeloid leukemia is presented. As the first manifestation of the disease, the patient had symptoms of Sweet's syndrome, later signs of gangrenous pyoderma have developed. This transient form is termed as a "leukemic neutrophilic dermatosis". The authors focus on the important diagnostic and prognostic value of this entity.

[Monocytic aleukemic leukemia cutis]. / Monocytaer aleukaemiás leukaemia cutis.

The authors present a 39 year old female patient with acute monoblastic leukemia, at whom during a year and a half the disease was manifested only with specific skin symptoms (leukemia cutis). Diagnostic difficulties, importance of immunhistochemic markers, as well as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic role of aleukemic leukemia cutis are discussed.

The possible role of anaerobic bacteria in chronic prostatitis.

Prostatis, the most common urological disease in men, afflicts between 25 and 50% of all adult men. Four clinical categories are recognized: acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis, non-bacterial prostatitis and prostatodynia. The role of Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and the different anaerobes in chronic bacterial prostatitis is still a matter of debate. During this study, the urethral discharge and the prostatic fluid obtained after prostatic massage of 50 patients with chronic prostatitis, confirmed by clinical examination and resistant to empirical quinolone therapy, were cultured under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The parallel specimens from 24 patients exhibited high colony counts of Gram-positive and Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria, either alone (18 cases) or in combination with aerobic bacteria (6 cases). The specimens obtained after prostatic massage of the remaining 26 patients were completely negative for both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. No Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum or Trichomonas vaginalis were isolated from these patients. Patients with chronic prostatitis who gave positive culture results for anaerobes were treated with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid or clindamycin for 3-6 weeks. After treatment, samples were again taken and cultured for all pathogens known to cause prostatitis. These post-therapeutic samples revealed a decrease or total elimination of the symptoms, and no anaerobic bacteria could be detected.

[Examination of the sentinel lymph node in malignant melanoma]. / A szentinel nyirokcsomó vizsgálatának jelentösége melanoma malignumban.

The authors report about a new "lymphatic-mapping" method (by means of patent blue staining) by which it is able to detect regional (sentinel) lymph node, into which the first metastasis is occurred. Experiences were made known with 15 patients. The by "lymphatic mapping" detected and removed sentinel lymph node has an, important role not only in determination of staging, but also in indication of prophylactic block-dissection, too.

[Diagnostic role of skin manifestation]. / A börtünetek diagnosztikus szerepe.

Onto the common integument, as the largest "screen" of our organism, symptoms of numerous inner-organic diseases may exert projection. Of them important diagnostic conclusions are to be drawn, among which several ones are essential in modern medicine as well. Set out from symptom samples observed on skin, cutaneous symptoms and connections having recent diagnostic significance come to our demonstration.

[Perianal ulceration as the leading symptom of childhood Langerhans-cell histiocytosis]. / Perianalis fekély, mint a gyermekkori Langerhans-sejtes histiocytosis vezetö tünete.

The authors present a case history for a two-year-old boy in whom the study of perianal ulcer helped to diagnose the Langerhans cell histiocytosis. The authors emphasize the diagnostic value of intertriginous ulcers in identifying the above-mentioned disease.

[Successful management of malum perforans resulting from spina bifida]. / Spina bifida occulta következtében kialakuló malum perforans sikeres kezelése.

Authors observed a boy presented a protrusion positioned lumbosacral, existing since his birth. Later, on inner side of both heels ulcers began to take shape, being not curable by local treatment. Neurologic examination verified severe radicular lesion, magnetic resonance investigation showed lumbosacral lipo-meningocele. After its surgical treatment, ulcers on soles healed up. Neurotropic ulcer develops on sites exposed to pressure, being generally painless. Several sickness may lead to its development. In childhood occurrence is relatively rare. At this age mostly various closure troubles of medullary tube may stand in the background. To successful treatment of malum perforans--besides local therapy--that of underlying illness is essential as well.

Concepts of cell death and application to carcinogenesis.

The occurrence of cell death as a physiologic event in multicellular organisms has been known for more than 150 yr. In 1972, the term apoptosis was introduced on morphological grounds. The hypothesis that all kinds of cell death can be categorized as either "apoptotic" or "necrotic" is not generally confirmed. Cells seem to use different pathways for suicide, as reflected by different morphology: condensation-prominent, Type I or apoptosis; autophagy-prominent, Type II; and so forth. Type II cell death was found in mammary tissue and mammary tumor cells and in a variety of other organs. For unequivocal identification of the various types of cell death, morphological, biochemical, and functional criteria may be used in combination. During tumor development in various organs of animals and humans, not only rates of cell proliferation but also rates of cell death may increase with increasing malignancy. Morphological and functional criteria (antipromotion, withdrawal of survival factors) indicate that cell death in tumors frequently is of an active nature.