The impact of humic and fulvic acids on the dynamic properties of liposome membranes: the ESR method.

This paper presents the results of research on the influence of two fractions of humic substances (HS): fulvic acids (FA) and humic acids (HA), as a function of concentration, on the liposome membranes formed from egg yolk lecithin (EYL). The concentration of HS in relation to EYL changed from 0% to 10% by weight. The influence of HS on various areas of membranes: interphase water-lipid, in the lipid layer just below the polar part of the membrane and in the middle of the lipid bilayer, was investigated by different spin labels (TEMPO, DOXYL 5, DOXYL 16). The study showed that HA slightly decreased the fluidity of the analyzed membranes on the surface layer, while FA significantly liquidated the center of the lipid bilayer. The strong effect of both fractions of HS on the concentration of free radicals as a function of time was also described.

Is acute hepatitis B still a nosocomially-acquired infection in Poland? A case-controlled study of transmission routes in a hospital sample.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of medically linked risk factors for acute HBV infection in the Podlasie region of North-Eastern Poland. The records of 107 adult patients and 214 age- and sex-matched controls hospitalized in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Bialystok, Podlasie Region during the period 1997-2000 with the diagnosis of acute hepatitis B were reviewed. On multivariate analysis, household contact with hepatitis B [odds ratio (OR) = 18.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-165.5] and a history of injections (OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.5-4.7) in the preceding 6 months were independently associated with acute HBV infection. In conclusion, our data indicate that despite a significant decline in the incidence of hepatitis B, injections are still involved in the spread of HBV in Poland.