2D TiO Nanosheets Decorated Via Sphere-Like BiVO: A Promising Non-Toxic Material for Liquid Phase Photocatalysis and Bacterial Eradication.

An in-depth investigation was conducted on a promising composite material (BiVO/TiO), focusing on its potential toxicity, photoinduced catalytic properties, as well as its antibiofilm and antimicrobial functionalities. The preparation process involved the synthesis of 2D TiO using the lyophilization method, which was subsequently functionalized with sphere-like BiVO through wet impregnation. Finally, we developed BiVO/TiO S-scheme heterojunctions which can greatly promote the separation of electron-hole pairs to achieve high photocatalytic performance.

Mechanism of Action and Efficiency of AgPO-Based Photocatalysts for the Control of Hazardous Gram-Positive Pathogens.

Silver phosphate and its composites have been attracting extensive interest as photocatalysts potentially effective against pathogenic microorganisms. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of bactericidal action on cells of opportunistic pathogens. The AgPO/P25 (AGP/P25) and AgPO/HA (HA/AGP) powders were prepared via a co-precipitation method.

Testing Antimicrobial Properties of Selected Short Amyloids.

Amyloids and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have many similarities, e.g., both kill microorganisms by destroying their membranes, form aggregates, and modulate the innate immune system.

Arginine:Glycine Amidinotransferase Is Essential for Creatine Supply in Mice During Chronic Hypoxia.

Chronic hypoxia induces pulmonary and cardiovascular pathologies, including pulmonary hypertension (PH). L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) is essential for homoarginine (hArg) and guanidinoacetate synthesis, the latter being converted to creatine by guanidinoacetate methyltransferase. Low hArg concentrations are associated with cardiovascular morbidity and predict mortality in patients with PH.

Antimicrobial -Alkyl Derivatives of Naringenin and Their Oximes Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

New antimicrobial agents are needed to address infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Here, we are reporting novel -alkyl derivatives of naringenin and their oximes, including novel compounds with a naringenin core and -hexyl chains, showing activity against clinical strains of clarithromycin-resistant , vancomycin-resistant , methicillin-resistant , and beta-lactam-resistant and The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), which provide a quantitative measure of antimicrobial activity, were in the low microgram range for the selected compounds. Checkerboard assays for the most active compounds in combination with antibiotics revealed interactions that varied from synergistic to neutral.

B6.Rag1 Knockout Mice Generated at the Jackson Laboratory in 2009 Show a Robust Wild-Type Hypertensive Phenotype in Response to Ang II (Angiotensin II).

A key finding supporting a causal role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of hypertension is the observation that knockout mice on a C57Bl/6J background (B6.Rag1), which lack functional B and T cells, develop a much milder hypertensive response to Ang II (angiotensin II) than control C57Bl/6J mice. Here, we report that we never observed any Ang II resistance of B6.

The chemokine receptor CXCR1 reduces renal injury in mice with angiotensin II-induced hypertension.

The role of CXCR1, also known as fractalkine receptor, in hypertension is unknown. The present study determined the role of the fractalkine receptor CXCR1 in hypertensive renal and cardiac injury. Expression of CXCR1 was determined using CXCR1 mice that express a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter in CXCR1 cells.

Photo-catalytic inactivation of an Enterococcus biofilm: the anti-microbial effect of sulphated and europium-doped titanium dioxide nanopowders.

The control and prevention of biofilm-related infections is an important public healthcare issue. Given the increasing antibiotic resistance among bacteria and fungi that cause serious infections in humans, promotion of new strategies combating microorganisms has been essential. One attractive approach to inactivate microorganisms is the use of semiconductor photo-catalysis, which has become the subject of extensive research.

[TMJ disc displacement as a cause of changes in facial skeletal morphology].

Objective: To evaluate an efficiency of TMJ open disc repositioning surgery with use of bone anchors.

Material And Methods: TMJ open disc repositioning surgery was indicated for patients with TMJ anterior disc displacement without reduction and skeletal class II or asymmetric forms of dysgnathia related to condyle resorption. Surgery was performed on 9 patients divided into two groups: the first one (5 patients) consisted of patients that were seeking help for bite problems, the second one (4 patients) consisted of patients with signs of TMJD, such as decreased mouth opening and pain in TMJ area.

Enterococcus--virulence and susceptibility to photodynamic therapy of clinical isolates from Lower Silesia, Poland.

Background: A collection of 400 enterococcal isolates from clinical samples of hospitalized patients were studied for their virulence traits according to the isolation site. Formation of biofilm and production of DNase, hemolysin, lipase, and gelatinase were characterized. Biofilms of selected strains were examined for their susceptibility to antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT).

Cardiac arrhythmia induced by genetic silencing of 'funny' (f) channels is rescued by GIRK4 inactivation.

The mechanisms underlying cardiac automaticity are still incompletely understood and controversial. Here we report the complete conditional and time-controlled silencing of the 'funny' current (If) by expression of a dominant-negative, non-conductive HCN4-channel subunit (hHCN4-AYA). Heart-specific If silencing caused altered [Ca(2+)]i release and Ca(2+) handling in the sinoatrial node, impaired pacemaker activity and symptoms reminiscent of severe human disease of pacemaking.

[Use of bone blocks by sinus floor lifting].

The paper presents clinical cases illustrating two sinus floor lifting technique performed for dental implant placement in areas with maxillary sinus floor atrophy: bone block fixation for vertical augmentation (used for immediate implant placement by sinus floor atrophy to 1 mm thickness) and perforation closure. Sinus floor perforations wider than 5 mm were repaired by mandible bone graft providing the possibility of immediate implantation. Bone block was fixed between cortical layers of the maxilla with no internal fixation.

Smooth muscle BK channel activity influences blood pressure independent of vascular tone in mice.

The large conductance voltage- and Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK) channel is an important determinant of vascular tone and contributes to blood pressure regulation. Both activities depend on the ancillary BKβ1 subunit. To determine the significance of smooth muscle BK channel activity for blood pressure regulation, we investigated the potential link between changes in arterial tone and altered blood pressure in BKβ1 knockout (BKβ1(-/-)) mice from three different genetically defined strains.

Disruption of vascular Ca2+-activated chloride currents lowers blood pressure.

High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for death worldwide. One of the hallmarks is a rise of peripheral vascular resistance, which largely depends on arteriole tone. Ca2+-activated chloride currents (CaCCs) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are candidates for increasing vascular contractility.

Functional coupling of renal K+ and Na+ handling causes high blood pressure in Na+ replete mice.

A network of kinases, including WNKs, SPAK and Sgk1, is critical for the independent regulation of K+ and Na+ transport in the distal nephron. Angiotensin II is thought to act as a key hormone in orchestrating these kinases to switch from K+ secretion during hyperkalaemia to Na+ reabsorption during intravascular volume depletion, thus keeping disturbances in electrolyte and blood pressure homeostasis at a minimum. It remains unclear, however, how K+ and Na+ transport are regulated during a high Na+ intake, which is associated with suppressed angiotensin II levels and a high distal tubular Na+ load.

[Stability assessment after orthognathic procedures with multisegmental maxilla osteotomy].

Results stability of orthognathic procedures with multisegmental Le Fort I maxilla osteotomy in patients with II and III class malocclusion was assessed in the study. Multisegmental Le Fort I maxilla osteotomy allows receiving stable functional bite and reducing preoperative orthodontic treatment period.

Enterococcus in wound infections: virulence and antimicrobial resistance.

Enterococci, a complex group of facultative pathogens have become increasingly isolated in various hospital settings. They are considerable frequently cultured from traumatic and surgical wounds. We investigated 57 strains of the species E.

[Reconstruction techniques preparing jaws for fixed dentures placement].

Dental implantation is a widespread method of dental arch reconstruction. Alveolar bone quantity in implantation area is crucial for proper implant placement. The paper presents author's experience in alveolar bone reconstruction with mandibular autografts, bone height reconstruction with parietal partial thickness grafts, as well as jaw defects reconstruction with microvascular flaps with subsequent implantation.

Resistance patterns and occurrence of virulence determinants among GRE strains in southwestern Poland.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance and the occurrence of virulence determinants among glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE) isolated in 2007-2009 from patients hospitalized in southwestern Poland.

Material And Methods: The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antibiotics were determined by agar dilution method or by E-test®. The presence of vanA - vanG resistance and virulence genes (agg, esp, gelE and cylA, cylB, cylM) was investigated using PCR.

[Peculiarities of orthodontic preparation before orthognatic operations in patients with skeletal anomaly of occlusion of 2nd Angle class].

Stages of comprehensive orthodontic-surgical treatment of patients with skeletal anomaly of occlusion of 2nd Angle class were offered. Peculiarities of orthodontic preparation for 2-sided sagittal mandible osteotomy, maxilla osteotomy on the level of Le Fort I with single step fragmentation were determined.

[Fragmentary osteotomy of maxilla back parts for dentoalveolar lengthening as preparation stage before dental prosthetics making on implants].

Conditions for dental implantation are not always ideal that decrease the method possibilities and makes surgeons-implantologists to resort to additional interventions in order to increase the hard and soft tissues volume in the region of the planned implantation. Considerably rare an implantologist comes across with abutment tissues surplus when considerable dentoalveolar lengthening happens with expressed diminution of interalveolar distance. Orthognatic surgery as the method of surgical correction of expressed dentoalveolar lengthening of some teeth group is the most effective when there is no possibility to such deformation elimination by other methods - orthodontic or prosthetic.

Myeloperoxidase acts as a profibrotic mediator of atrial fibrillation.

Observational clinical and ex vivo studies have established a strong association between atrial fibrillation and inflammation. However, whether inflammation is the cause or the consequence of atrial fibrillation and which specific inflammatory mediators may increase the atria's susceptibility to fibrillation remain elusive. Here we provide experimental and clinical evidence for the mechanistic involvement of myeloperoxidase (MPO), a heme enzyme abundantly expressed by neutrophils, in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation.

Bacterial biofilms in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

The possible presence of biofilms was examined in mucosal specimens of 15 patients, undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery or a modified Caldwell-Luc approach for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Biofilms were found in 7 of the 15 patients, positive cultures being obtained in most samples, which supports the role of biofilms as an important factor in the pathogenesis of CRS.