Bullying in persons with skin diseases.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies on bullying in skin diseases. Persons with skin diseases are especially prone to bullying. OBJECTIVES: This component of the project 'Bullying among Dermatologic Patients' aimed to study the prevalence and nature of bullying in patients with skin diseases from different countries and age groups. METHODS: Data were collected from participants of international social media groups for patients with skin diseases, in-patients and out-patients with skin diseases, and parents of children with skin diseases from six European countries. School and university students from Poland and Ukraine were asked to answer the question: Have you been bullied because of skin problems? RESULTS: Bullying was reported in 1016 patients with 36 different skin diseases. Prevalence of self-reported and parental-reported bullying was quite heterogeneous among different countries In total, self-reported bullying was noted by 25.6% of patients with skin diseases during face-to-face consultations, by 63.7% of respondents from international patients' groups and by 12.2% of school and university students. Parental-reported bullying was detected in 34.5% of 3-4 years old children with skin diseases. The peak of bullying prevalence occurred between the ages of 13 and 15. The most prevalent forms of bullying were verbal abuse and social isolation. Physical abuse was the least often reported form of bullying. Only 33.2% of participants talked to anyone about being bullied. Negative long-term effects of bullying were reported by 63% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Skin disease-related bullying was reported by patients in all centres of the project. The main manifestations of bullying were similar in different countries and among patients with different skin diseases. International activities aimed to decrease or prevent skin disease-related bullying in different age groups are needed. These activities should be multidirectional and target teachers, parents of classmates and classmates of children with skin diseases, patients' parents and patients themselves.

Information Theory: New Look at Oncogenic Signaling Pathways.

Sustained pro-proliferative signaling is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Although it is generally understood that the oncogenic signaling pathways are overactivated, or at least abnormally activated, in cancer cells, important mechanistic details of such abnormal activation remain unresolved. Among these details are such aspects of signaling as robustness, redundancy, signal amplification, and others, which touch upon the domain of information theory - the field of mathematics and engineering dealing with properties of information storage, encoding, and transmission. Information theory only recently has started to be applied to intracellular signaling. Here, we overview the recent advances provided by the information theory, focusing on the nuclear factor (NF)-κB, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pathways, which are frequently hijacked in cancer. Furthermore, we show how viewing previously untouched mechanics of oncogenic signaling through information theory applications may evolve into novel ways of anticancer drug discovery.

Trends in designing microbial silage quality by biotechnological methods using lactic acid bacteria inoculants: a minireview.

Ensiling is one of the best known method to preserve fodder. The forage before ensiling intended for silages usually contains a low number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), so it is necessary to apply starter cultures of selected strains. Traditionally, LAB starter cultures were applied to lower the pH by producing lactic acid and to inhibit the growth of undesirable epiphytic microorganisms by competing for nutrients. Nowadays, LAB inoculants have become an effective tool for creating microbial quality of silages by selecting species with extraordinary features. Epiphytic microflora characteristic of plant material used for the production of silages and the sources of undesirable microflora in the ensiling process are discussed. This review focuses on the most frequently studied issues related to the microbial silage quality and the recent trends in increasing the quality by LAB inoculants, with respect to recent directions for selecting types of modern LAB for inoculation. Among them, the main trends described were prevention of the growth of filamentous fungi and detoxification of mycotoxins by LAB inoculants, inhibition of yeast growth by LAB present in preparations and limiting the development of pathogenic bacterial microflora through controlled fermentation with the participation of LAB and the presence of their metabolites.

Improvement of the quality of maize grain silage by a synergistic action of selected lactobacilli strains.

As silage is one of the most important feed sources for dairy cattle it is recommended for farmers to preserve silage by fermentation. Interaction of the five strains of Lactobacillus genera [Lactobacillus buchneri A KKP 2047 p (LB), L. reuteri M KKP 2048 p (LR), L. plantarum K KKP 593 p (LPk), L. plantarum S KKP 2021 p (LPs), L. fermentum N KKP 2020 p (LF)] has been shown aiming to increase the safety of corn grain silage fodder. Experiments were conducted in polyethylene microsilos for 48 days and on production scale in an experimental farm for 3 years. Synergistic activity of the studied bacterial strains in terms of reducing aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A levels was clear in these experimental variants wherein to the inoculants of the LB + LR strains subsequent bacterial strains LPk, LPs and LF were sequentially added. Silages inoculated with five bacterial strains were free from pathogens and showed the lowest yeast and mold count values among all experimental variants. As a result of employing the preparation starter culture for ensiling corn grain there were obtained silages characterized by high stability, microbiological and chemical purity, thus safe in feeding livestock.

Guaianolides from Cichorium intybus and structure revision of Cichorium sesquiterpene lactones.

The isolation and structure elucidation of a new lactucopicrin derivative from Cichorium intybus is described, together with the revised structures of several sesquiterpene lactones previously isolated from Cichorium species. The known eudesmanolide magnolialide and the known guaianolide ixerisoside D, reported for the first time from the plant material, along with the previously known chicory sesquiterpene lactones have been also isolated and identified.

Sesquiterpenoids and phenolics from Crepis mollis.

From the roots of Crepis mollis, one new and two known guaianolides were isolated together with eight known guaianolide glycosides, one known germacranolide glycoside and two known phenylpropanoids. The structure and relative configuration of the new compound were established as 9alpha-hydroxy-4beta, 15, 11beta, 13-tetrahydro-dehydrozaluzanin C by spectral methods.

[Urinary tract infections in newborns]. / Zakazenia ukladu moczowego u noworodków.

The retrospective analysis had been performed on 3480 newborns weighted more than 1001 g, over the period of thirty one months. There was evaluated the frequency (1.25%), and clinical manifestation of the disease in newborns. Male and full term infants suffered from the disease more frequently then other evaluated infants. About half of cases were asymptomatic in the beginning of disease, and in the majority part of them, course of illness were non-characteristic. There was observed generalised oedema and swellings, irritability, intensive jaundice, dehydration, fever and poor peripheral perfusion. Laboratory findings manifested: anemia, hypoglycemia, higher WBC, metabolic acidosis, and especially hyperbilirubinemia, and in urine: pyuria and proteinuria mainly. In most cases of the disease urea and creatinine level in the serum were normal. The most dominant pathogenic agent was E. coli (above 72%).

[Complications during the neonatal period in newborns of adolescent mothers]. / Powiklania okresu noworodkowego u dzieci matek mlodocianych.

In 1990-1992 64 female and male newborns born by adolescent mothers were examined in Obstetrics Clinic of Pomeranian Medical Academy in Szczecin. There were analysed such factors as sex, gestational age, birth weight, clinical condition of newborns after birth, Apgar scores, frequency of perinatal trauma. It was observed that the percentage of prematurity, complications in neonatal adaptation, perinatal trauma and infections were significantly higher in the examined group. It was found that newborns from adolescent mothers formed a high risk group with neonatal complications. In consequence a great number of disorders can be expected in the postnatal development of newborns.

Econometric analysis of phase duration for blood morphology and basophil count alterations in chronic granulocytic leukaemia.

The retrospective analysis of 40 cases with chronic granulocytic leukemia revealed an average survival time of 39 months. Modal proportions between the chronic, accelerated and acute blastic crisis amounted to 25:6:8 months. The characteristic points and curves for peripheral white cell, blast cell, basophil cell and thrombocyte counts as well as haemoglobin levels were determined separately in 20 patients with long and in 20 with short survival time. Comparisons indicate among others that Busulphan sensitivity is an essential factor for a longer survival time of CGL patients.