The Role of Epigenetic Factors in the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, the prevalence of which is increasing. Genetic, genomic, and epigenetic changes play a significant role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. This review summarizes the impact of epigenetics on the development of psoriasis and highlights challenges for the future. The development of epigenetics provides a basis for the search for genetic markers associated with the major histocompatibility complex. Genome-wide association studies have made it possible to link psoriasis to genes and therefore to epigenetics. The acquired knowledge may in the future serve as a solid foundation for developing newer, increasingly effective methods of treating psoriasis. In this narrative review, we discuss the role of epigenetic factors in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Phylogenetic Relatedness within the Internally Brooding Sea Anemones from the Arctic-Boreal Region.

Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial 16S rDNA, nuclear 28S rDNA, and morphological and ecological traits of Aulactinia, Urticina and Cribrinopsis sea anemones inhabiting the Arctic-boreal region indicate discordances between trees derived from molecular sequences and those based on morphological traits. Nuclear genes were more informative than mitochondrial and morphological datasets. Our findings indicate that 16S rDNA has limited applicability for phylogenetic analyses at lower taxonomic levels and can only be used for distinction of families. Although 28S rDNA allowed for the classification of distinct genera, it could not confirm that species of Urticina and Cribrinopsis, which appeared to be closely related, were correctly separated into two different genera. The nuclear tree revealed inconsistencies between specimens belonging to European Urticina crassicornis and Pacific U. crassicornis; the latter seems to be a different species. In contrast to Pacific U. crassicornis, the specimens collected from different localities in the Barents Sea are on the same tree branch. The same was observed for specimens of Aulactinia stella. Both species brood their young internally. The dispersal of sea anemones with brooding juveniles seems to be less limited than expected and might be sufficient to settle habitats more than a thousand kilometers away.

What do parents perceive are the barriers and facilitators to accessing psychological treatment for mental health problems in children and adolescents? A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies.

A minority of children and adolescents with mental health problems access treatment. The reasons for poor rates of treatment access are not well understood. As parents are a key gatekeeper to treatment access, it is important to establish parents' views of barriers/facilitators to accessing treatment. The aims of this study are to synthesise findings from qualitative and quantitative studies that report parents' perceptions of barriers/facilitators to accessing treatment for mental health problems in children/adolescents. A systematic review and narrative synthesis were conducted. Forty-four studies were included in the review and were assessed in detail. Parental perceived barriers/facilitators relating to (1) systemic/structural issues; (2) views and attitudes towards services and treatment; (3) knowledge and understanding of mental health problems and the help-seeking process; and (4) family circumstances were identified. Findings highlight avenues for improving access to child mental health services, including increased provision that is free to service users and flexible to their needs, with opportunities to develop trusting, supportive relationships with professionals. Furthermore, interventions are required to improve parents' identification of mental health problems, reduce stigma for parents, and increase awareness of how to access services.

Sulphate reducing activity detected in soil samples from Antarctica, Ecology Glacier Forefield, King George Island.

We determined sulphate-reducing activities in media inoculated with soils and with kettle lake sediments in order to investigate their potential in geomicrobiological processes in low-temperature, terrestrial maritime Antarctic habitats. Soil and sediment samples were collected in a glacier valley abandoned by Ecology Glacier during the last 30 years: from a new formed kettle lake sediment and forefield soil derived from ground moraine. Inoculated with these samples, liquid Postgate C and minimal media supplemented with various carbon sources as electron donors were incubated for 8 weeks at 4°C. High rates of sulphate reduction were observed only in media inoculated with soil. No sulphate reduction was detected in media inoculated with kettle lake sediments. In soil samples culture media calcite and elemental sulphur deposits were observed, demonstrating that sulphate-reducing activity is associated with a potential to mineral formation in cold environments. Cells observed on scanning microscopy (SEM) micrographs of post-culture-soil deposits could be responsible for sulphate-reducing activity.

Plasmid diversity in arctic strains of Psychrobacter spp.

Six strains of Psychrobacter spp. isolated from guano of little auks collected on Spitsbergen island (Arctic) carried nine plasmids that were fully sequenced. These replicons (ranging in size from 2917 to 14924 bp) contained either repA (ColE2-type) or repB (iteron-type) replication systems of a relatively narrow host range, limited to Psychrobacter spp. All but one of the plasmids carried predicted mobilization for conjugal transfer systems, encoding relaxases of the MOBQ, MOBV or MOBP families. The plasmids also contained diverse additional genetic load, including a type II restriction-modification system and a gene encoding a putative subunit C of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AhpC)-an antioxidant enzyme and major scavenger of reactive oxygen species. Detailed comparative sequence analyses, extended to all plasmids identified so far in psychrophilic bacteria, distinguished groups of the most ubiquitous replicons, which play a key role in horizontal gene transfer in cold environments.

[Assessment of decontamination processes: cleaning, disinfection and sterilization in dental practice in Poland in the years 2011-2012]. / Ocena procesów dekontaminacji: mycia, dezynfekcji i sterylizacji w praktyce stomatologicznej w Polsce w latach 2011-2012.

OBJECTIVE: Effective decontamination of instruments is a key element of infection control and the provision of high quality in dental care. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficiency of decontamination procedures including cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of re-usable instruments in dental practices in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The efficiency of disinfection and sterilization processes have been evaluated on the results of the questionnaires. The following information were taken into account: setting where disinfection and sterilization had been performed, preparation of dental equipment for sterilization (disinfection, washing and cleaning, packaging), the types of autoclaves and used types of sterilization cycles, routine monitoring and documentation of sterilization processes, treatment of handpieces and the frequency of surface decontamination. RESULTS: Data were collected from 43 dental practices (35 dental offices and 8 clinics). Disinfection and cleaning processes were performed manually in 63% of dental offices and ultrasonic baths were used in 53% of settings. Washer disinfectors were used in 23% of dental practices: in every researched clinic and in a few dental offices. All sterilization processes were performed in steam autoclaves, mainly in small steam sterilizers (81%). Dental handpieces were sterilized in 72% of practices, but only 33% of them performed sterilization in recommended cycle B. Sterilization processes were monitored with chemical indicators in 33% of practices. Biological monitoring of the processes was carried out at different intervals. Incorrect documentation of instruments and surfaces decontamination was recorded in several settings. CONCLUSIONS: There is still a need for improvement of decontamination processes in dental practice in Poland. Areas for improvement include: replacement of manual cleaning and disinfection processes with automatic processes, sterilization of dental handpieces after each patient, monitoring of a sterilization process with chemical and biological indicators. Reported incorrect procedures in decontamination of medical devices performed by questioned dentists and lack or inadequate response to asked questions indicate the lack of adequate knowledge about decontamination. Personnel who performs decontamination processes should be continuously trained.

[Proteus bacilli: features and virulence factors]. / Bakterie z rodzaju Proteus--cechy i czynniki chorobotwórczosci.

In this article, different aspects of virulence factors of Proteus bacilii (P. mirabilis, P. vulgaris, P. penneri i P. hauseri) are presented. These are opportunistic pathogens that cause different kinds of infections, most frequently of the urinary tract. These bacteria have developed several virulence factors, such as adherence due to the presence of fimbriae or afimbrial adhesins, invasiveness, swarming phenomenon, hemolytic activity, urea hydrolysis, proteolysis, and endotoxicity. Below we focus on data concerning the molecular basis of the pathogenicity of Proteus bacilli.