Manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2): is there a center in the universe of mitochondrial redox signaling?

It is becoming increasingly clear that mitochondria drive cellular functions and in vivo phenotypes by directing the production rate and abundance of metabolites that are proposed to function as signaling molecules (Chandel 2015; Selak et al. 2005; Etchegaray and Mostoslavsky 2016). Many of these metabolites are intermediates that make up cellular metabolism, part of which occur in mitochondria (i.e. the TCA and urea cycles), while others are produced "on demand" mainly in response to alterations in the microenvironment in order to participate in the activation of acute adaptive responses (Mills et al. 2016; Go et al. 2010). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are well suited for the purpose of executing rapid and transient signaling due to their short lived nature (Bae et al. 2011). Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), in particular, possesses important characteristics including diffusibility and faster reactivity with specific residues such as methionine, cysteine and selenocysteine (Bonini et al. 2014). Therefore, it is reasonable to propose that H2O2 functions as a relatively specific redox signaling molecule. Even though it is now established that mtH2O2 is indispensable, at least for hypoxic adaptation and energetic and/or metabolic homeostasis (Hamanaka et al. 2016; Guzy et al. 2005), the question of how H2O2 is produced and regulated in the mitochondria is only partially answered. In this review, some roles of this indispensable signaling molecule in driving cellular metabolism will be discussed. In addition, we will discuss how H2O2 formation in mitochondria depends on and is controlled by MnSOD. Finally, we will conclude this manuscript by highlighting why a better understanding of redox hubs in the mitochondria will likely lead to new and improved therapeutics of a number of diseases, including cancer.

Reliability of ground reaction forces in the aquatic environment.

The aim of this study was to verify the reliability of the kinetic parameters of gait using an underwater force platform. A total of 49 healthy participants with a median age of 21years were included. The kinetic gait data were collected using a 0.6×0.6×0.1m aquatic force plate (Bertec®), set in a pool (15×13×1.30m) with a water depth of 1.20m and water temperature of 32.5°C. Participants walked 10m before reaching the platform, which was fixed to the ground. Participants were instructed to step onto the platform with their preferred limb and data from three valid attempts were used to calculate the average values. A 48-h interval between tests was used for the test-retest reliability. Data were analyzed using interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and results demonstrated that reliability ranged from poor to excellent, with ICC scores of between 0.24 and 0.87 and mean differences between (d¯)=-0.01 and 0.002. The highest reliability values were found for the vertical (Fz) and the lowest for the mediolateral components (Fy). In conclusion, the force platform is reliable for assessing the vertical and anteroposterior components of power production rates in water, however, caution should be applied when using this instrument to evaluate the mediolateral component in this environment.

Transforming communication and safety culture in intrapartum care: a multi-organization blueprint.

Effective, patient-centered communication facilitates interception and correction of potentially harmful conditions and errors. All team members, including women, their families, physicians, midwives, nurses, and support staff, have a role in identifying the potential for harm during labor and birth. However, the results of collaborative research studies conducted by organizations that represent professionals who care for women during labor and birth indicate that health care providers may frequently witness, but may not always report, problems with safety or clinical performance. Some of these health care providers felt resigned to the continuation of such problems and fearful of retribution if they tried to address them. Speaking up to address safety and quality concerns is a dynamic social process. Every team member must feel empowered to speak up about concerns without fear of put-downs, retribution, or receiving poor-quality care. Patient safety requires mutual accountability: individuals, teams, health care facilities, and professional associations have a shared responsibility for creating and sustaining environments of mutual respect and engaging in highly reliable perinatal care. Defects in human factors, communication, and leadership have been the leading contributors to sentinel events in perinatal care for more than a decade. Organizational commitment and executive leadership are essential to creating an environment that proactively supports safety and quality. The problem is well-known; the time for action is now.

Transforming communication and safety culture in intrapartum care: a multi-organization blueprint.

Effective, patient-centered communication facilitates interception and correction of potentially harmful conditions and errors. All team members, including women, their families, physicians, midwives, nurses, and support staff, have a role in identifying the potential for harm during labor and birth. However, the results of collaborative research studies conducted by organizations that represent professionals who care for women during labor and birth indicate that health care providers may frequently witness, but may not always report, problems with safety or clinical performance. Some of these health care providers felt resigned to the continuation of such problems and fearful of retribution if they tried to address them. Speaking up to address safety and quality concerns is a dynamic social process. Every team member must feel empowered to speak up about concerns without fear of put-downs, retribution, or receiving poor-quality care. Patient safety requires mutual accountability: individuals, teams, health care facilities, and professional associations have a shared responsibility for creating and sustaining environments of mutual respect and engaging in highly reliable perinatal care. Defects in human factors, communication, and leadership have been the leading contributors to sentinel events in perinatal care for more than a decade. Organizational commitment and executive leadership are essential to creating an environment that proactively supports safety and quality. The problem is well-known; the time for action is now.

Transforming communication and safety culture in intrapartum care: a multi-organization blueprint.

Effective, patient-centered communication facilitates interception and correction of potentially harmful conditions and errors. All team members, including women, their families, physicians, midwives, nurses, and support staff, have roles in identifying the potential for harm during labor and birth. However, the results of collaborative research studies conducted by organizations that represent professionals who care for women during labor and birth indicate that health care providers may frequently witness, but may not always report, problems with safety or clinical performance. Some of these health care providers felt resigned to the continuation of such problems and fearful of retribution if they tried to address them. Speaking up to address safety and quality concerns is a dynamic social process. Every team member must feel empowered to speak up about concerns without fear of put-downs, retribution, or receiving poor-quality care. Patient safety requires mutual accountability: individuals, teams, health care facilities, and professional associations have a shared responsibility for creating and sustaining environments of mutual respect and engaging in highly reliable perinatal care. Defects in human factors, communication, and leadership have been the leading contributors to sentinel events in perinatal care for more than a decade. Organizational commitment and executive leadership are essential to creating an environment that proactively supports safety and quality. The problem is well-known; the time for action is now.

Levels of maternal care.

In the 1970s, studies demonstrated that timely access to risk-appropriate neonatal and obstetric care could reduce perinatal mortality. Since the publication of the Toward Improving the Outcome of Pregnancy report, more than 3 decades ago, the conceptual framework of regionalization of care of the woman and the newborn has been gradually separated with recent focus almost entirely on the newborn. In this current document, maternal care refers to all aspects of antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care of the pregnant woman. The proposed classification system for levels of maternal care pertains to birth centers, basic care (level I), specialty care (level II), subspecialty care (level III), and regional perinatal health care centers (level IV). The goal of regionalized maternal care is for pregnant women at high risk to receive care in facilities that are prepared to provide the required level of specialized care, thereby reducing maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States.

Periviable birth: executive summary of a joint workshop by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

This is an executive summary of a workshop on the management and counseling issues of women anticipated to deliver at a periviable gestation (broadly defined as 20 0/7 through 25 6/7 weeks of gestation), and the treatment options for the newborn. Upon review of the available literature, the workshop panel noted that the rates of neonatal survival and neurodevelopmental disabilities among the survivors vary greatly across the periviable gestations and are significantly influenced by the obstetric and neonatal management practices (eg, antenatal steroid, tocolytic agents, and antibiotic administration; cesarean birth; and local protocols for perinatal care, neonatal resuscitation, and intensive care support). These are, in turn, influenced by the variations in local and regional definitions of limits of viability. Because of the complexities in making difficult management decisions, obstetric and neonatal teams should confer prior to meeting with the family, when feasible. Family counseling should be coordinated with the goal of creating mutual trust, respect, and understanding and should incorporate evidence-based counseling methods. Since clinical circumstances can change rapidly with increasing gestational age, counseling should include discussion of the benefits and risks of various maternal and neonatal interventions at the time of counseling. There should be a plan for follow-up counseling as clinical circumstances evolve. The panel proposed a research agenda and recommended developing educational curricula on the care and counseling of families facing the birth of a periviable infant.

Periviable birth: executive summary of a joint workshop by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

This is an executive summary of a workshop on the management and counseling issues of women anticipated to deliver at a periviable gestation (broadly defined as 20 0/7 through 25 6/7 weeks of gestation) and the treatment options for the newborn infant. Upon review of the available literature, the workshop panel noted that the rates of neonatal survival and neurodevelopmental disabilities among the survivors vary greatly across the periviable gestations and are significantly influenced by the obstetric and neonatal management practices (eg, antenatal steroid, tocolytic agents, and antibiotic administration; cesarean birth; and local protocols for perinatal care, neonatal resuscitation, and intensive care support). These are, in turn, influenced by the variations in local and regional definitions of limits of viability. Because of the complexities in making difficult management decisions, obstetric and neonatal teams should confer prior to meeting with the family, when feasible. Family counseling should be coordinated with the goal of creating mutual trust, respect, and understanding and should incorporate evidence-based counseling methods. Since clinical circumstances can change rapidly with increasing gestational age, counseling should include discussion of the benefits and risks of various maternal and neonatal interventions at the time of counseling. There should be a plan for follow-up counseling as clinical circumstances evolve. The panel proposed a research agenda and recommended developing educational curricula on the care and counseling of families facing the birth of a periviable infant.

Position statement on fetal myelomeningocele repair.

Following the promising multicenter randomized trial results of in utero fetal myelomeningocele repair; we anticipate that an increasing number of tertiary care centers may want to offer this therapy. It is essential to establish minimum criteria for centers providing open fetal myelomeningocele repair to ensure optimal maternal and fetal/pediatric outcomes, as well as patient safety both short- and long-term; and to advance our knowledge of the role and benefit of fetal surgery in the management of fetal myelomeningocele. The fetal myelomeningocele Maternal-Fetal Management Task Force was initially convened by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to discuss the implementation of maternal fetal surgery for myelomeningocele. The decision was made to develop the optimal practice criteria presented in this document for the purpose of medical and surgical leadership. These criteria are not intended to be used for legal or regulatory purposes.

Obstetrician/gynecologists and postpartum mental health: differences between CME course takers and nontakers.

INTRODUCTION: Continuing medical education (CME) courses are an essential component of professional development. Research indicates a continued need for understanding how and why physicians select certain CME courses, as well as the differences between CME course takers and nontakers. PURPOSE: Obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNs) are health care providers for women, and part of their purview includes mental health, such as postpartum depression (PPD) and psychosis (PPP). This study evaluated OB-GYNs' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior (KAB) regarding PPD/PPP, and compared characteristics of CME course takers and nontakers. METHOD: A survey was sent to 400 OB-GYNs. RESULTS: Response rate was 56%. One-third had taken a CME course on PPD/PPP. Those who consider themselves a "specialist" were less likely to have taken a CME course on postpartum mental health than those who consider themselves "both primary care provider and specialist." Non-CME course takers rely on clinical judgment more. They also are less likely to track patients' psychiatric histories and they utilize validated assessments less frequently. However, CME course takers and nontakers did not differ on knowledge or belief items. CONCLUSION: CME courses on PPD/PPP were associated with increased screening and utilization of validated assessments. There was no association between having taken a course and several knowledge questions. It is unclear if CME courses are effective in disseminating information and altering KAB.

Single institution series of nodular fasciitis in children.

Nodular fasciitis often resembles malignant sarcomas from a clinical and pathologic perspective. We describe the case of an infant that presented with a supraclavicular nodular fasciitis that recurred after an initial gross total resection. A review of pathology records at the Children's Hospital of Alabama led to the identification of 18 nodular fasciitis cases between 1997 and 2009, all of which underwent surgical excisions. Patient characteristics were similar to previous studies that detected a broad range of ages at diagnosis, a male predominance, and a predilection for the head and neck. Only one tumor recurred after the initial surgical intervention. All patients ultimately recovered with minimal morbidity.