Association of Serum Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) and Children's Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII) with Recurrent Respiratory Infections in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

To assess the associations between serum and dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as well as the inflammatory potential of diet measured by the Children's Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII), and recurrent respiratory infections (RRIs) in children. We enrolled 44 children aged 3-16 years with RRIs and 44 healthy controls. Dietary intake was assessed using a 7-day food record from which PUFA intake and C-DII were calculated.

Discovery of a new bacterium, Microbacterium betulae sp. nov., in birch wood associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in woodworkers.

A Gram-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped mesophilic bacterium was isolated from birch wood, referred to as the AB strain. Allergological tests suggest that this strain may cause allergic alveolitis in sawmill workers. Employing a polyphasic taxonomic approach, the AB strain's 16S rRNA gene sequence showed high similarity to Microbacterium barkeri and M.

Identification of environmental Actinobacteria in buildings by means of chemotaxonomy, 16S rRNA sequencing, and MALDI-TOF MS.

Unlabelled: Actinobacteria are abundant in soil and other environmental ecosystems and are also an important part of the human microbiota. Hence, they can also be detected in indoor environments and on building materials, where actinobacterial proliferation on damp materials can indicate moisture damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the identification of 28 environmental strains of Actinobacteria isolated from building materials and indoor and outdoor air samples, mainly collected in the context of moisture damage investigations in buildings in Finland.

Faecal microbiota and fatty acids in feline chronic enteropathy.

Background: Feline chronic enteropathy is a set of disorders defined as the presence of clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease for at least three weeks. The most common final diagnoses are inflammatory bowel disease and alimentary small cell lymphoma. The etiopathogenesis of these diseases is incompletely understood; however, it is hypothesised that they involve a combination of factors, including altered composition and/or functionality of the intestinal microbiome.

Altered levels of fecal short-chain fatty acids are associated with subclinical inflammation and worse cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a multi-systemic disorder that is associated with lipid profile disturbances, altered glucose homeostasis and subclinical inflammation. It has been proposed that dysfunction of the gut-brain axis might underlie these alterations. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are considered to play a pivotal role in the gut-brain axis.

Biological and chemical contamination of illegal, uncontrolled refuse storage areas in Poland.

This study focused on assessing the microbiological and chemical contamination of air, soil and leachate in uncontrolled refuse storage areas in central Poland. The research included an analysis of the number of microorganisms (culture method), endotoxin concentration (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), heavy metals level (atomic absorption spectrometry), elemental characteristics (elemental analyser), cytotoxicity assessment against A-549 (human lung) and Caco-2 (human colon adenocarcinoma) cell lines (PrestoBlue™ test) and toxic compound identification (ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry). Microbial contamination differed depending on the dump and the group of tested microorganisms.

Homeostasis of the Intestinal Mucosa in Healthy Horses-Correlation between the Fecal Microbiome, Secretory Immunoglobulin A and Fecal Egg Count.

The defensive function of the intestinal mucosa depends both on the ability to secrete immunoglobulin A and communication with the mucus microbiome. In horses, the functioning of this system is also influenced by the presence of nematode eggs. Feces collected from healthy horses were examined to determine the fecal egg count, immunoglobulin A level (ELISA), microbiome composition (Next-Generation Sequencing, NGS, V3−V4 and V7−V9 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene analysis and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production ((high-performance liquid chromatography, HPLC).

Timber-colonizing gram-negative bacteria as potential causative agents of respiratory diseases in woodworkers.

Occurrence: Gram-negative bacteria occur commonly in the inner tissues of stored coniferous and deciduous timber, showing a marked variation in numbers. The greatest maximal numbers are found in the sapwood of coniferous timber. The common constituents of the Gram-negative biota are potentially pathogenic species of Enterobacteriaceae family of the genera Rahnella, Pantoea, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella.

Microbiological and toxicological hazard assessment in a waste sorting plant and proper respiratory protection.

Even though biological hazards in the work environments related to waste management were the subject of many scientific works, the knowledge of the topic is not extensive. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive assessment of microbiological and toxicological hazards at the workstations in a waste sorting plant and develop guidelines for selecting filtering respiratory protective devices that would consider specific workplace conditions. The research included the assessment of quantity (culture method), diversity (high-throughput sequencing), and metabolites (endotoxin - gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; secondary metabolites - liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry) of microorganisms occurring in the air and settled dust.

Microbiological and Toxicological Hazards in Sewage Treatment Plant Bioaerosol and Dust.

Despite the awareness that work in the sewage treatment plant is associated with biological hazards, they have not been fully recognised so far. The research aims to comprehensively evaluate microbiological and toxicological hazards in the air and settled dust in workstations in a sewage treatment plant. The number of microorganisms in the air and settled dust was determined using the culture method and the diversity was evaluated using high-throughput sequencing.

Post hoc analysis of fecal samples from responders and non-responders to Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 intervention.

We compared fecal samples from responders and non-responders to administration of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938. Data for this post hoc analysis were collected from an RCT assessing the efficacy of L. reuteri for the management of acute gastroenteritis.

Acute hypersensitivity pneumonitis in woodworkers caused by inhalation of birch dust contaminated with and .

Case Description: Five workers (2 males and 3 females) employed in a furniture factory located in eastern Poland developed hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) after the pine wood used for furniture production was replaced by birch wood. All of them reported onset of respiratory and general symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, general malaise) after inhalation exposure to birch dust, showed crackles at auscultation, ground-glass attenuations in HRCT examination, and lymphocytosis in the BAL examination. The diagnosis of acute HP was set in 4 persons and the diagnosis of subacute HP in one.

The profile of polyunsaturated fatty acids in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and association with disease activity.

We investigated the association between dietary intake of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), serum profiles, and immune and inflammatory markers in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in relation to onset, activity, and duration. A total of 66 JIA patients and 42 controls were included. Serum PUFA levels were assessed by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, a dietary intake by 7-day dietary record method, and IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17A levels using ELISA.

Influence of Cu-Ti thin film surface properties on antimicrobial activity and viability of living cells.

The paper describes properties of thin-film coatings based on copper and titanium. Thin films were prepared by co-sputtering of Cu and Ti targets in argon plasma. Deposited coatings consist of 90at.

Assessment of microbial contamination within working environments of different types of composting plants.

Unlabelled: The objective of the study was to determine the degree of microbiological contamination, type of microflora, bioaerosol particle size distribution, and concentration of endotoxins in dust in different types of composting plants. In addition, this study provides a list of indicator microorganisms that pose a biological threat in composting facilities, based on their prevalence within the workplace, source of isolation, and health hazards. We undertook microbiological analysis of the air, work surfaces, and compost, and assessed the particle size distribution of bioaerosols using a six-stage Andersen sampler.

An airborne actinobacteria isolated from bioaerosol of a mushroom compost facility.

are widely distributed in many environments and represent the most important trigger to the occupant respiratory health. Health complaints, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis of the workers, were recorded in a mushroom compost facility (MCF). The studies on the airborne bacteria were carried out to find a possible microbiological source of these symptoms.

[Identification of environmental Actinobacteria representing an occupational health risk].

Actinobacteria, the etiologic agents of tuberculosis, actinomycosis, respiratory infections and pathological skin lesions, are also classified as hazardous biological agents at the workplace. An increased number of Actinobacteria primarily occurs at the workplaces in composting plants, agriculture, waste management facilities, libraries and museums. Robust identification of Actinobacteria requires a polyphasic diagnostic strategy including an assessment of morphological, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic features as well as genotyping.

[Influence of Cu and Nb additives on specific surface properties and biological activity of transparent TiO2 thin-film coatings].

Background: Titanium dioxide is widely used as a bacteriostatic and non-toxic material. It is important, therefore, to modify its properties, for greater biological activity.

Objectives: The aim of this study was comparison of the specific surface properties and the biological activity of TiO2 and TiO2 with niobium and copper additives--TiO2:(Nb,Cu) thin films.

[A method of manufacture and characteristic of surface properties and biological activity of thin-film coatings of Cu-Ti system].

Background: Biomaterials in the form of thin-film coatings as-deposited on different substrates are nowadays increasingly popular. In particular coatings based on a combination of biocompatible materials (eg. titanium) with metals of high biological activity (eg.

Synthesis of novel isothiazolopyridines and their in vitro evaluation against Mycobacterium and Propionibacterium acnes.

In this paper we describe synthesis, structures and some physicochemical properties of 20 isothiazolopyridines 8-13 substituted differently into an isothiazole ring as well as their in vitro antibacterial assays against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, Mycobacterium fortuitum PCM 672 and Propionibacterium acnes PCM 2400. Compound 13a was found to be the most active derivative against M. tuberculosis H37Rv, demonstrating 100% growth inhibition of microorganisms in the primary screen (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] 6.

Endotoxin markers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with interstitial lung diseases.

Background: Exposure to inhaled endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides, LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria commonly found in indoor environments and assessed in secondary tobacco smoke, has been associated with airway inflammation and asthma exacerbation. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) from patients with interstitial lung diseases (sarcoidosis, lung fibrosis, smoking-related ILD, eosinophilic disorders) was analyzed for the markers of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin).

Methods: BALf was obtained from patients with diffuse lung diseases: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (n = 42), sarcoidosis (n = 22), smoking-related-ILD (n = 11) and eosinophilic disorders (n = 8).

Light insensitive silver(I) cyanoximates as antimicrobial agents for indwelling medical devices.

Ten silver(I) cyanoximates of AgL composition (L = NC-C(NO)-R, where R is electron withdrawing groups: -CN, -C(O)NR(2), -C(O)R' (alkyl), -C(O)OEt, 2-heteroaryl fragments such as 2-pyridyl, 2-benzimidazolyl, 2-benzoxazolyl, 2-benzthiazolyl) were synthesized and characterized using spectroscopic methods and X-ray analysis. Crystal structures of four complexes were determined and revealed the formation of two-dimensional (2D) coordination polymers of different complexity in which anions exhibit bridging or combined chelate and bridging binding modes. In these compounds, anions are in the nitroso form.

[Role of endotoxin in pathomechanism of sepsis].

The nosocomial infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, in this number Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have severe course and relatively high prevalence of sepsis cases. Pathomechanism of sepsis is related to activation and release of bacterial endotoxin, which is a macromolecule engaged in initiation of cytokine cascade. These mediators are responsible for heavy tissues and organs devastation.

Respiratory disorders in two workers of customs depositories occupationally exposed to mouldy tobacco.

Work-related respiratory symptoms, including dyspnoea, cough, fever, tiredness and malaise, were recorded in two customs officers employed in 2 depositories of confiscated cigarettes, of which one showed signs of dampness. Microbiological sampling of the air and the cigarettes stored in a damp depository revealed the presence of potentially pathogenic fungi and bacteria and the biochemical markers of bacterial lipopolysaccharide and fungal biomass. The Penicillium species (P.