Longitudinal and Transverse Relaxivity Analysis of Native Ferritin and Magnetoferritin at 7 T MRI.

Magnetite mineralization in human tissue is associated with various pathological processes, especially neurodegenerative disorders. Ferritin's mineral core is believed to be a precursor of magnetite mineralization. Magnetoferritin (MF) was prepared with different iron loading factors () as a model system for pathological ferritin to analyze its MRI relaxivity properties compared to those of native ferritin (NF).

Cell-Free Lactobacillus casei 21L10 Modulates Nitric Oxide Release and Cell Proliferation/Cell Death in Lipopolysaccharide-Challenged HT-29 Cells.

Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) is one of the probiotic strains that may influence intestinal injury and inflammation in nonspecific intestinal diseases. We aimed to evaluate the effect of cell-free Lactobacillus casei 21L10 supernatant (LC) on the cell line HT-29 challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in order to modulate production of NO, cell proliferation, and apoptosis.

Quantification of Iron Release from Native Ferritin and Magnetoferritin Induced by Vitamins B and C.

Various pathological processes in humans are associated with biogenic iron accumulation and the mineralization of iron oxide nanoparticles, especially magnetite. Ferritin has been proposed as a precursor to pathological magnetite mineralization. This study quantifies spectroscopically the release of ferrous ions from native ferritin and magnetoferritin as a model system for pathological ferritin in the presence of potent natural reducing agents (vitamins C and B) over time.

Virulence, phylogenetic background and antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli associated with extraintestinal infections.

Background: Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a major cause of urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections and an important agent in the resistance to antibiotics. The present study sought to determine associations between virulence, phylogenetic background and antimicrobial resistance of E.

MRI Relaxivity Changes of the Magnetic Nanoparticles Induced by Different Amino Acid Coatings.

In this study, we analysed the physico-chemical properties of positively charged magnetic fluids consisting of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) functionalised by different amino acids (AAs): glycine (Gly), lysine (Lys) and tryptophan (Trp), and the influence of AA-MNP complexes on the MRI relaxivity. We found that the AA coating affects the size of dispersed particles and isoelectric point, as well as the zeta potential of AA-MNPs differently, depending on the AA selected. Moreover, we showed that a change in hydrodynamic diameter results in a change to the relaxivity of AA-MNP complexes.

Bézier curve parametrisation and echo state network methods for solving optimal control problems of SIR model.

In this work, we introduce an optimal control problem with two control variables of the SIR (susceptible-infected-recovered) epidemic model to minimise the infective and susceptible individuals. To solve the control problem, we use direct Bernstein-Bézier parametrisation of the control variables and metaheuristic optimisation methods of an objective function, and indirect methods, adaptive critic design (ACD) with echo state networks (ESNs) and Pontryagin's maximum principle. We propose Bernstein-Bézier parametrisation and ESNs based algorithms to solve optimal control problems for systems governed by differential equations.

Escherichia coli isolates from patients with inflammatory bowel disease: ExPEC virulence- and colicin-determinants are more frequent compared to healthy controls.

A set of 178 Escherichia coli isolates taken from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was analyzed for bacteriocin production and tested for the prevalence of 30 bacteriocin and 22 virulence factor determinants. Additionally, E. coli phylogenetic groups were also determined.

Protein composition of the phase I Coxiella burnetii soluble antigen prepared by extraction with trichloroacetic acid.

Q fever is a highly infectious, widespread airborne zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii bacterium. Humans usually acquire the disease by inhalation of contaminated aerosol produced by infected livestock. Vaccination is the most practical way for prevention and control of the disease in the exposed population.

Human Escherichia coli isolates from hemocultures: Septicemia linked to urogenital tract infections is caused by isolates harboring more virulence genes than bacteraemia linked to other conditions.

Escherichia coli is the most common cause of bloodstream infections and community-acquired sepsis. The main aim of this study was to determine virulence characteristics of E. coli isolates from hemocultures of patients with a primary disease of urogenital tract, digestive system, a neoplastic blood disease, or other conditions.

Extended spectrum beta-lactamases in Escherichia coli from municipal wastewater.

Introduction And Objective: Over the past decades, awareness of the environmental load of resistant organisms has increased. The presented paper focuses on antibiotic resistance and detection of resistance genes in environmental E. coli and on the evaluation of biofilm formation in ESBLs (extended spectrum beta-lactamase) producing E.

Estrogen receptor alpha polymorphisms and the risk of prostate cancer development.

Purpose: The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of two polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor alpha, rs2077647 and rs3798577, on the development of prostate cancer, their correlation with selected clinical characteristics, as well as consideration of potential interactions between four estrogen receptor alpha polymorphisms (rs2077647, rs3798577, PvuII, XbaI).

Methods: The study was performed using 395 patients with histologically verified prostate cancer and 253 healthy male controls.

Results: The CC genotype of rs2077647 was significantly associated with prostate cancer (OR = 1.

[Cytolethal distending toxins].

Cytolethal distending toxins (CDT) are intracellularly acting proteins which interfere with the eukaryotic cell cycle. They are produced by Gram-negative bacteria with affinity to mucocutaneous surfaces and could play a role in the pathogenesis of various mammalian diseases. The functional toxin is composed of three proteins: CdtB entering the nucleus and by its nuclease activity inducing nuclear fragmentation and chromatin disintegration, CdtA, and CdtC, the two latter being responsible for toxin attachment to the surface of the target cell.

Virulence and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from rooks.

With regard to antibiotic resistance studies in various model animals in the urban environment, the presented study focused on the rook, many behavioural and ecological aspects of which are important from an epidemiological point of view. A total of 130 Escherichia coli strains isolated from rook faeces during a two-year period (2011-2012) were investigated for antibiotic resistance and virulence. Resistance to ampicillin (60%) and streptomycin (40%) were the most frequent, followed by resistance to fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin-22% and enrofloxacin-24%), tetracycline (18%), cotrimoxazol (17%) and florfenicol (14%).

Involvement of virulence properties and antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli strains causing pyelonephritis in children.

A total of 145 Escherichia coli strains causing pyelonephritis in children were investigated for the prevalence of genes encoding the following virulence factors (VFs): P fimbria (67.6 %), S fimbria (53.8 %), AFA adhesins (2.

Antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from a poultry slaughterhouse.

The aim of the study was to investigate the antibiotic resistant E. coli strains isolated from bioaerosols and surface swabs in a slaughterhouse as a possible source of poultry meat contamination. The highest air coliforms contamination was during shackling, killing and evisceration of poultry.

Genes of intestinal Escherichia coli and their relation to the inflammatory activity in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Escherichia coli gene fimA was the most frequent gene that occurred in the intestine of all investigated groups. All subjects with fimA gene had significantly higher values of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and CRP than those with other E. coli genes.

Recovery of submaximal upper limb force production is correlated with better arm position control and motor impairment early after a stroke.

Objective: This study determined whether recovery of upper limb position control using submaximal force production correlates with an improvement in functional arm impairment during early recovery from stroke.

Methods: Ten consecutive inpatients were recruited from a stroke unit. Each patient was in early recovery (<8 weeks post-lesion) from their first ever stroke.

High level of quinolone resistance in Escherichia coli from healthy chicken broilers.

The development of resistance to quinolones (nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin) in 2006-2008 was evaluated in 317 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from healthy chicken broilers from various farms. The isolates (2006/2007/2008) showed a high resistance to nalidixic acid (87/85/67 %), ciprofloxacin (CIP) (49/54/29 %) and enrofloxacin (ENR) (52/42/22 %). Nalidixic acid-resistant isolates with low level of MIC for CIP and ENR represented a single mutation; intermediary MIC for CIP and ENR were related to two mutations and high level resistance MIC for CIP (> or =4 mg/L) and ENR (> or =16 mg/L) represented three mutations (two in gyrA and one in parC).

Enterovirulent E. coli in inflammatory and noninflammatory bowel diseases.

We determined the incidence of enterovirulent E. coli (EVEC; which can to cause gastrointestinal infections) in strains isolated from patients with both of the major inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) and from patients with noninflammatory bowel diseases (nonIBD). Cell detachment E.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O26. Case report.

Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) are nowadays among the most important emerging group of food-borne pathogens (VTEC strains cause gastroenteritis that can be complicated by the hemorrhagic colitis or hemolytic uremic syndrome, HUS). Escherichia coli 026 producing verotoxin 2 was isolated and its identity confirmed by examination of phenotype and genotype; the strain was first described in Slovakia in association with the development of HUS in a 4-year-old girl.

Detection of virulence factors in alpha-haemolytic Escherichia coli strains isolated from various clinical materials.

In total, 201 alpha-haemolytic Escherichia coli isolates from various clinical materials (urine samples and vaginal and rectal swabs) were examined by PCR for the presence of genes for the virulence factors alpha-haemolysin (hly), cytotoxic necrotising factor type 1 (cnf1), P-fimbriae (pap), S/F1C-fimbriae (sfa/foc), aerobactin (aer) and afimbrial adhesin (afaI). Among vaginal isolates, 96% were positive for cnf1, compared with 80% of urine strains (p 0.02) and 63% of rectal strains (p 0.

Detection of pap-, sfa- and afa-specific DNA sequences in Escherichia coli strains isolated from extraintestinal material.

P-fimbriae, S-fimbriae and AFA-adhesins are virulence factors responsible for adherence of Escherichia coli strains to extraintestinal host-cell surface. Detection of pap-, sfa- and afa-specific sequences performed by PCR revealed 74% pap+, 65% sfa+, and 8.3% afa+ strains in a group of 84 extraintestinal E.

Detection of Shiga toxins, intimin and enterohemolysin in Escherichia coli strains isolated from children in eastern Slovakia.

Fifty Escherichia coli strains isolated from stool samples of 51 healthy children, 143 strains isolated from stool samples of 327 children with diarrhea and 24 strains isolated from stool samples of 21 children with suspected hemolytic uremic syndrome were examined for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli virulence factors (shiga toxin 1 and 2, intimin and enterohemolysin) and their genes. Vero-cell assay and latex agglutination were used for detection of Shiga toxin 1 and 2, TSB agar with washed erythrocytes was used for detection of enterohemolysin; genes encoding shiga toxin 1 and 2, intimin and enterohemolysin were detected using multiplex PCR.

Occurrence and genetic association of selected virulence factors in clinical Escherichia coli isolates.

Occurrence of cnf1+ E. coli pathogenic strains among extraintestinal E. coli isolates was evaluated to explain an impact of cytotoxic necrotizing factor type 1 (CNF1) in human infections.

Prevalence of Cryptococcus neoformans in clinical specimens.

Cryptococcus neoformans isolated from various clinical materials in 14 cases, was identified by (1) cultivation on Sabouraud glucose agar and CHROMagar Candida, (2) microscopic examination of Indian-ink-stained preparations and (3) determination of biochemical properties (assimilation and fermentation of saccharides, assimilation of KNO3, production of urease and phenol monooxygenase). C. neoformans was determined in five specimens from paediatric patients in the intensive care unit and in nine specimens from adult patients, most frequently from liquor at meningitis (n = 3).