Comparison of Universal mtDNA Primers in Species Identification of Animals in a Sample with Severely Degraded DNA.

Analysis of mitochondrial DNA, specifically the cytochrome b gene (cyt b), has become an essential tool for species identification. In the case of degraded samples, in which DNA is fractionated, universal primers, which are highly effective at amplifying the target region, are necessary. The material analysed in this study was a keychain made of bone, which was secured at a border crossing due to the suspicion that it was made of ivory.

Changes in the Level of DNA Methylation in under the Influence of Physical and Chemical Factors.

The effects of physical factors such as radiation (electromagnetic, microwave, infrared, laser, UVC, and X-ray) and high temperature, as well as chemical factors (controlled atmosphere) on the level of global DNA cytosine methylation in ATCC 10231 cells were investigated. Prolonged exposure to each type of radiation significantly increased the DNA methylation level. In addition, the global methylation level in cells increased with the incubation temperature.

Genetic differences in variants of the AMD virus at the site of a disease outbreak.

Aleutian Mink Disease Virus (AMDV) results in mink breeding losses due to frequent abortion, low fecundity and high juvenile mortality. Due to the high persistence of pathogen in the environment and lack of causative treatment there is a need for research on alternative methods to eliminate the pathways of the spread of the virus and extinguish current outbreaks. The aim of the study was to investigate molecular variation of AMDV on a farm where mass deaths of mink took place.

Genotypes and Variants of BKPyV in Organ Donors after Brain Death.

Kidney transplantation from a donor with latent BKPyV might be the cause of serious complications, such as BK virus-associated nephropathy. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of BKPyV infection in donors after brain death (DBDs), to analyse the molecular variation of BKPyV and to compare clinical and inflammation parameters of DBDs infected with various genotypes of BKPyV. BKPyV was investigated in blood and urine samples of 103 DBDs using PCR followed by sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, and the viral load was assessed by qPCR.

The prevalence of virulence determinants in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from different infections in hospitalized patients in Poland.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is responsible for hard-to-treat infections. The presence of 19 virulence genes in 120 MRSA isolates obtained from hospitalized patients and genetic relationships of these isolates were investigated. The eno (100%) and ebps (93.

Molecular Epidemiology and Variation of the BK Polyomavirus in the Population of Central and Eastern Europe Based on the Example of Poland.

The BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a widespread pathogen in humans. Polymorphism of the region encoding the VP1 protein of BKPyV provides the basis for classifying the virus into types and subtypes, whose frequency varies depending on geographic location. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of BKPyV in the Polish population and to assess its variation by analysing polymorphism in the typing region.

BK Polyomavirus-Biology, Genomic Variation and Diagnosis.

The BK polyomavirus (BKPyV), a representative of the family Polyomaviridae, is widespread in the human population. While the virus does not cause significant clinical symptoms in immunocompetent individuals, it is activated in cases of immune deficiency, both pharmacological and pathological. Infection with the BKPyV is of particular importance in recipients of kidney transplants or HSC transplantation, in which it can lead to the loss of the transplanted kidney or to haemorrhagic cystitis, respectively.

The Effects of Prenatal Supplementation with β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate and/or Alpha-Ketoglutaric Acid on the Development and Maturation of Mink Intestines Are Dependent on the Number of Pregnancies and the Sex of the Offspring.

Prenatal and postnatal supplementation with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) and alpha-ketoglutaric acid (AKG) affects the development and maturation of offspring. Both substances have the potential to stimulate cell metabolism via different routes. However, parity affects development and may alter the effects of dietary supplementation.

Detection of mink astrovirus in Poland and further phylogenetic comparison with other European and Canadian astroviruses.

Mink astrovirus infection remains a poorly understood disease entity, and the aetiological agent itself causes disease with a heterogeneous course, including gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. This paper presents cases of astrovirus infection in mink from continental Europe. RNA was isolated from the brains and intestines of animals showing symptoms typical of shaking mink syndrome (n = 6).

Effectiveness of various methods of DNA isolation from bones and teeth of animals exposed to high temperature.

In the event of fires, natural disasters, and other events associated with high temperature, bones and teeth are the only source of genetic material for identifying human or animal carcasses. To obtain reliable final results of identification tests, the use of appropriate nucleic acid extraction methods is crucial. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of selected methods of DNA isolation from animal burnt bones and teeth.

Severe asynapsis in spermatocytes of interspecific hybrids of the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the blue fox (Alopex lagopus) leads to pachytene I arrest as a result of sustained H2AXγ phosphorylation.

Infertility is frequently associated with meiotic anomalies which can result in the production of chromosomally abnormal gametes or be concomitant with meiotic arrest. We investigated whether spermatocytes of male interspecific hybrids of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) presented alterations in chromosomal synapses and meiotic checkpoint signalling. Using the immunofluorescence technique with SP1 and SP3 proteins, bivalent structures and their deviations (multivalents, univalents and not fully conjugated bivalents) were analyzed on meiotic preparations.

Breeding parameters on a mink farm infected with Aleutian mink disease virus following the use of methisoprinol.

Aleutian mink disease virus is one of the greatest threats to modern mink farming. The disease reduces fecundity and causes high mortality among kits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of methisoprinol in counteracting the effects of Aleutian disease, both by inhibiting replication of the virus and by mitigating the harmful effects of the disease on the fecundity and weight of infected animals.

Aleutian Mink Disease Virus in the breeding environment in Poland and its place in the global epidemiology of AMDV.

Aleutian mink disease (AMD) leads to an increase in mortality of animals and causes losses in mink farming. The study investigated the presence of AMDV in tissue and environmental samples from farmed mink in Poland, and selected samples were genetically characterized. Blood, spleens and swabs from the breeding environment were collected on 27 farms in seven voivodeships in Poland (n = 250).

Comparative analysis of cat bone marrow and adipose tissue cell cultures.

Cell culture transplantation is very promising in the treatment of various diseases. Cells obtained from a number of sources have been analysed to provide a basis for further studies in the area of regenerative medicine. The objective of the study was to compare morphological and phenotypic changes in cat adipose tissue and bone marrow cell cultures from the first to fifth passages.

Molecular markers used in forensic genetics.

Forensic genetics is a field that has become subject to increasing interest in recent years. Both the technology and the markers used for forensic purposes have changed since the 1980s. The minisatellite sequences used in the famous Pitchfork case introduced genetics to the forensic sciences.

Algorithm for establishing the time of death of a dog based on temperature measurements in selected sites of the body during the early post-mortem period.

Post-mortem measurements were made of the body temperature of dogs. The aim of the study was to evaluate and verify a reliable mathematical model that can be used to establish the time elapsed since the death of a dog during the initial post-mortem period at room temperature, using the eye (vitreous body), internal organs (heart, liver, kidney and lung), and rectum as sites for temperature measurement. The measurements were performed at six points in the body using an electronic thermometer in conjunction with a temperature probe.

A comparative molecular characterization of AMDV strains isolated from cases of clinical and subclinical infection.

The Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) is one of the most serious threats to modern mink breeding. The disease can have various courses, from progressive to subclinical infections. The objective of the study was to provide a comparative molecular characterization of isolates of AMDV from farms with a clinical and subclinical course of the disease.

Immunophenotypic characteristics and karyotype analysis of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells of rabbits during in vitro cultivation.

The aim of this study was to establish the immunophenotypic profile and karyotypic stability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of rabbits at the early passages in vitro following the application of different methods of dissociation of cellular material. MSCs were obtained from the femur bone marrow of three clinically healthy rabbits under general anaesthesia. Bone marrow aspirate was seeded in Petri dishes and cultured in a CO2 incubator with 5% CO2 at 37.

Comparative molecular analysis of strains of the Aleutian Disease Virus isolated from farmed and wild mink.

Introduction And Objective: Aleutian Disease is a significant biological factor causing substantial losses in mink farming. The virus inducing the disease also infects wild populations which may constitute an asymptomatic reservoir. To compare genetic variants of the AMD virus occurring in wild and farmed mink populations, an analysis was performed on a fragment of the VP2 protein sequence of the virus infecting both populations, taken from different living environments.

Effects of maternal treatment with β-hydroxy-β-metylbutyrate and 2-oxoglutaric acid on femur development in offspring of minks of the standard dark brown type.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the diet, mother type and sex of the offspring on the mechanical and geometric parameters of long bones as well as bone tissue density in minks. Primiparous and multiparous dams were supplemented with β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (a metabolite of leucine, at the daily dosage of 0.02 g/kg of body weight) and/or 2-oxoglutaric acid (a precursor of glutamine, at the daily dosage of 0.

Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns in Women with Positive Urine Culture: Does Menopausal Status Make a Significant Difference?

. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is considered one of the most common bacterial infections in women. The aim of this study was to investigate the types of uropathogens present, as well as the degree of antimicrobial drug resistance seen among premenopausal ( = 2748) and postmenopausal ( = 1705) women with uncomplicated UTI.

High molecular polymorphism of the hypervariable region in the VP2 gene of Aleutian mink disease virus.

Parvoviruses exhibit extreme genetic plasticity. The VP2 protein, containing a hypervariable region, is of particular importance. A single nucleotide change in this part of the genome and its effect on the amino acid sequence may significantly affect the range of infected hosts, tropism for specific tissues, or virulence.

Multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat fingerprinting as a method for rapid and cost-effective typing of animal-associated Staphylococcus aureus strains from lineages other than sequence type 398.

In veterinary medicine, Staphylococcus aureus is associated with a range of mild to severe infections. The high density of livestock in intensive farming systems increases the risk of disease spread and hampers its control and measures of prevention, making S. aureus one of the most important animal pathogens.

Analysis of genomic instability in primary spermatocytes of interspecific hybrids of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus).

The aim of this study was to analyse meiotic cells of male interspecific hybrids of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus). To this end we determined stages of meiotic cells as well as carried out FISH analyses with probes specific to heterosomes and a TUNEL assay on synaptonemal complex preparations. The meiotic cell analysis revealed only the presence of stages of the first meiotic division from leptotene to pachytene.

Flow cytometric evaluation of sperm apoptosis in semen of silver foxes in the breeding period.

The objective of the study was to evaluate cytometrically the percentage of apoptotic and necrotic spermatozoa in fresh semen of silver foxes in the breeding season. In males F3 and F4 with high percentages of early apoptotic (A+Pi-), late apoptotic (A+Pi+) and necrotic (A-Pi+) spermatozoa as well as 56-65% of living spermatozoa (A-Pi-) with progressive motility, the semen was characterised by reduced fertility. In males F1 and F2 with spermatozoa showing the motility and viability of 89-90% and high percentages of living cells that do not bind Annexin V and propidium iodide, the semen was assessed as valuable and useful for artificial insemination.