Characteristics of advanced methods used for typing bacterial isolates from mastitis with particular reference to Staphylococci.

Staphylococci are very common human and animal pathogens. A variety of staphylococcal virulence determinates leads to vast range of infections. One of them is mastitis which is a common disease of the mammary glands. The incidence of this disease is widespread all over the world and depends on bacterial virulence and on prevention programs. The influence of mastitis on human health is not globally evaluated, however, in veterinary fields loses in milk production caused by bovine mastitis are a constant economic problem. One of the most important parts of the mastitis control programs is accurate diagnosis of the inflammation and characterization of the etiological factors which leads to reduction of mastitis spread. Recent reports show that staphylococci are common bacterial etiological factors of mastitis, and this paper is an overview of the diagnostic typing methods used for characterization of staphylococcal isolates. A number of different techniques available to applicate is described. Phenotypic methods to identify and to differentiate isolates or discriminate virulence factors are still in use, however, some advanced genetic methods offering higher discriminatory power are reported as more accurate. In fact, nowadays the most powerful tool on that field is next generation sequencing (NGS) of the whole genome, but its high cost and requirement of special laboratory equipment makes it hard to use for routine diagnostics. That is why standard PCR techniques-based methods, and the sequencing of particular genes, are mostly used for typing bacterial isolates. Most of these techniques are characterized by a high discriminatory power, big epidemiological concordance, and repeatable results. The presented report describes the techniques used most frequent in mastitis diagnostics related to staphylococci typing and shows their advantages and disadvantages.

Recurrent mutations of BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2 in the population of breast and ovarian cancer patients in Southern Poland.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2 genes are well-established risk factors for the development of breast and/or ovarian cancer. The frequency and spectrum of mutations in these genes has not yet been examined in the population of Southern Poland. METHODS: We examined the entire coding sequences of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and genotyped a recurrent mutation of the PALB2 gene (c.509_510delGA) in 121 women with familial and/or early-onset breast or ovarian cancer from Southern Poland. RESULTS: A BRCA1 mutation was identified in 11 of 121 patients (9.1 %) and a BRCA2 mutation was identified in 10 of 121 patients (8.3 %). Two founder mutations of BRCA1 accounted for 91 % of all BRCA1 mutation carriers (c.5266dupC was identified in six patients and c.181 T > G was identified in four patients). Three of the seven different BRCA2 mutations were detected in two patients each (c.9371A > T, c.9403delC and c.1310_1313delAAGA). Three mutations have not been previously reported in the Polish population (BRCA1 c.3531delT, BRCA2 c.1310_1313delAAGA and BRCA2 c.9027delT). The recurrent PALB2 mutation c.509_510delGA was identified in two patients (1.7 %). CONCLUSIONS: The standard panel of BRCA1 founder mutations is sufficiently sensitive for the identification of BRCA1 mutation carriers in Southern Poland. The BRCA2 mutations c.9371A > T and c.9403delC as well as the PALB2 mutation c.509_510delGA should be included in the testing panel for this population.

Inkjet printed highly porous TiO2 films for improved electrical properties of photoanode.

The aim of presented work is to show the improvements obtained in the properties of TiO2 films for dye sensitized solar cells fabricated by inkjet printing using an innovative methodology. We describe the development and properties of TiO2-based inks used in a lab-scale printer, testing various commercial TiO2 pastes. The porosity of the deposited inkjet printed TiO2 films is much higher than using the conventional "doctor blade" deposition technique, as the ink solvent evaporates during the droplet fly from the nozzle to the substrate due to its picoliter volume and the applied heating of a printing stage (70°C). Thanks to higher surface area, the dye sensitized solar cells incorporating inkjet printed TiO2 film gave higher efficiencies (ηmax≈3.06%) than the more compact films obtained by the "doctor blade" method (ηmax≈2.56%). Furthermore, electrochemical analysis indicates that for whole tested thickness range, the inkjet printed layers have higher effective electron diffusion length indicating their better transport properties.

Quantum size effect on the paramagnetic critical field in free-standing superconducting nanofilms.

The quantum size effect on the in-plane paramagnetic critical field in Pb(1 1 1) free-standing nanofilms is investigated with the use of the spin-generalized Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. It is shown that the critical field oscillates as a function of the nanofilm thickness with the period ∼ 2 ML (even-odd oscillations), modulated by the beating effect. The calculated values of the critical field for different nanofilm thicknesses are analyzed in the context of the Clogston-Chandrasekhar limit. It is found that the critical field for superconducting nanofilms differs from this limit. This phenomena is explained in terms of quantization of the electron energy caused by the confinement of electron motion in a direction perpendicular to the film. The thermal effect and thickness-dependence of electron-phonon coupling on the value of the critical magnetic field are also studied.

Magnetoresistance anomalies resulting from Stark resonances in semiconductor nanowires with a constriction.

Magnetotransport properties of a semiconductor nanowire with a constriction have been studied within the Landauer-Büttiker formalism in the presence of the axially oriented magnetic field at low temperatures. The one-electron quantum states in the nanowire have been calculated within the adiabatic approximation which takes into account the three-dimensional structure of the nanowire and allows us to study the effect of the transverse quantum states on the electronic current. The calculated current-voltage characteristics exhibit well pronounced peaks that result from the enhancement of the electron transmission by the Stark resonant states formed in the triangular quantum well near the constriction. The effect of the Stark resonances is clearly manifested in the magnetoresistance as a function of the drain-source voltage. The calculated magnetoresistance exhibits two interesting features: (i) rapid jumps at certain voltages, caused by the enhancement of the electron transmission by the Stark resonances, (ii) changes of sign that stem from the magnetic-field induced changes of the current-voltage characteristics slope. The influence of the constriction parameters (radius, length, smoothness of the potential barrier, position of the constriction in the nanowire) on the electronic current has also been analyzed. Since the effective potential barrier created by the constriction in the nanowire is similar to that generated by the negatively charged gate surrounding the nanowire, the presented results can also be applied to the description of the magnetoresistance in the gated nanowires.

The dynamics of heat shock system activation in Monomac-6 cells upon Helicobacter pylori infection.

Immune system cells, particularly phagocytes, are exposed to direct contact with pathogens. Because of its nature - elimination of pathogenes - their cytoprotective systems supposed to be quick and forceful. Physiological consequence of phagocytosis for the phagocyte is the apoptotic death to prevent the eventual survival of bacteria as intracellular parasites. However, in some cases, defense systems used by the bacteria force the immune cells to prolong the contact with the pathogen for its effective elimination. Experiments were performed on Monomac-6 cells exposed to live CagA, VacA expressing Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) over different period of time. Total cellular RNA, cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins were isolated for polymerase chain reaction, Western-blot and electrophoretic mobility shift assay, respectively. We found that Monomac-6 cells infection with H. pylori resulted in the translocation of the entire cellular content of the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) into the cytoplasm, where its presence could protect cell against toxic products of engulfed bacteria and premature apoptosis. At the same time the nuclear translocation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF-1) and activation of HSP70 gene transcription was noticed. Action of HSP70 might to postpone monocyte apoptosis through protecting cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins from damaging effect of bacterial products, what could be the defending mechanism against the toxic stress caused by engulfed bacteria and provide the immune cell with the sufficient amount of time required for neutralization of the bacteria from phagosomes, even at the expense of temporary lack of the protection of nuclear proteins.

[The effect of long-term administration of isosorbide 5-mononitrate (Mononit), nitric oxide donor, on gallbladder emptying in patients with chronic stable angina]. / Wplyw dlugotrwalego podawania 5-monoazotanu izosorbitolu (Mononitu), donatora tlenku azotu, na opróznianie pecherzyka zólciowego u osób ze stabilna choroba wiencowa.

In 13 patients (7 females and 6 males) with newly found, previously not treated, chronic stable angina the interprandial volume of the gallbladder and its emptying after treatment with isosorbide-5-mononitrate (Mononit) were examined. The volume of gallbladder was estimated with ultrasonography first after administration of 10 or 20 mg of Mononit twice a day and then in 3rd and 6th week of treatment. It was found that the intake of the single dose as well as the long treatment with Mononit had no effect on interprandial volume of gallbladder. However the intake of drug led to the significant inhibition of postprandial gallbladder's contractility both after the single dose and long term treatment with Mononit.

[Use of pleuro-peritoneal shunt in the treatment of chronic chylothorax]. / Zastosowanie zastawki oplucnowo-otrzewnowej do leczenia przewleklego chlonkotoku do jamy oplucnej.

Persistent chylothorax is usually treated by frequent aspirations or intercostal-tube drainage with interpleural installation of chemical or mechanical irritants. In 1986 Denver pleuroperitoneal shunt has been introduced. This is a single-unit silicone rubber conduit consisting of unidirectional valved pumping chamber located between pleural and peritoneal catheters. Manual compression of the shunt is required to achieve active pumping. The described unit is implanted subcutaneously in the lover thoracic and upper abdominal region in the anterior axillary line. We present a 38 year old patient with persistent chylothorax treated successfully by implantation of the described device.

Tactile influences on astronaut visual spatial orientation: human neurovestibular studies on SLS-2.

Human spatial orientation in spaceflight is initially disturbed by the absence of usable graviceptor information from the otolithic organs. Experiments measuring astronaut visually induced motion (vection) strength on various flight days during the first 10 days of the Spacelab Life Sciences-2 mission demonstrated two new phenomena in addition to confirming the initial increased weighting of visual and localized tactile cues. The reliance on tactile and visual noninertial cues apparently declined after a week in space, as the crew became able to utilize their internal reference frame. Subjects also showed that even nondirectional tactile cues served as a direction anchor and inhibited visually induced roll sensation relative to a new loosely tethered test condition. Individual perceptual styles were again revealed among the four astronauts tested. The readaptation to 1 G similarly shows a period of reinterpretation of inertial and visual cues to spatial orientation. The results are discussed in terms of an internal-model representation of body orientation, with time-varying weights applied to extrinsic and intrinsic signals.