Unlabelled: During microbial surveillance of the Mars 2020 spacecraft assembly facility, two novel bacterial strains, potentially capable of producing lasso peptides, were identified. Characterization using a polyphasic taxonomic approach, whole-genome sequencing and phylogenomic analyses revealed a close genetic relationship among two strains from Mars 2020 cleanroom floors (179-C4-2-HS, 179-J1A1-HS), one strain from the Agave plant (AT2.8), and another strain from wheat-associated soil (V4I25).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The extreme environment of the International Space Station (ISS) puts selective pressure on microorganisms unintentionally introduced during its 20+ years of service as a low-orbit science platform and human habitat. Such pressure leads to the development of new features not found in the Earth-bound relatives, which enable them to adapt to unfavorable conditions.
Results: In this study, we generated the functional annotation of the genomes of five newly identified species of Gram-positive bacteria, four of which are non-spore-forming and one spore-forming, all isolated from the ISS.
Archaea are vital components of the human microbiome, yet their study within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is limited by the scarcity of cultured representatives. Our study presents a method for the targeted enrichment and isolation of methanogenic archaea from human fecal samples. The procedure combines methane breath testing, in silico metabolic modeling, media optimization, FACS, dilution series, and genomic sequencing through Nanopore technology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Tachycardia is a common cardiovascular disease. Drugs blocking β1-adrenergic receptors (ADRB1) are used in the therapy of arrhythmogenic heart diseases. Disease-related polymorphisms can be observed within the gene.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Illness in a child with cardiac disease causes stress, brings additional responsibilities, reorganizes family life, and changes the functioning of the family.
Aim: This study aimed to validate a new questionnaire evaluating the life situations of caregivers/parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and/or other cardiac diseases (OCD).
Materials And Methods: The questionnaire comprised 10 questions aimed at assessing the life situation of an ill child's caregiver in two main areas: personal and spiritual.
Background: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of the slow pathway in atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) is associated with high efficacy and low risk of total perioperative or late atrioventricular block. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of slow-pathway RFCA for AVNRT using a zero-fluoroscopy approach.
Methods: Data were obtained from a prospective multicenter registry of catheter ablation from January 2012 to February 2018.
Background: A new disease entity called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare consequence of COVID-19 infection. The pathophysiology and risk factors of MIS-C are still unclear, and the clinical manifestation ranges from milder forms to cases needing intensive care unit treatment. Based on available data, obesity is linked to pro-inflammatory stimulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, electrogenic microbial communities originating from a single source were multiplied using our custom-made, 96-well-plate-based microbial fuel cell (MFC) array. Developed communities operated under different pH conditions and produced currents up to 19.4 A/m3 (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
November 2021
Background: The changes in the period of ventricular repolarization, i.e., QT interval, QTp (Q-Tpeak) and TpTe interval (Tpeak-Tend), make it possible to assess the electrical instability of the heart muscle, which may lead to the development of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Aberrant expression of various miRNA species has been implicated in numerous cardiac diseases, e.g., heart failure, hypertrophy, conduction disturbances, and arrhythmogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe head-up tilt table test (HUTT) with the upright phase is used to help determine an imbalance of the sympathetic nervous system that is related to abnormal electrocardiographic repolarization in children with vasovagal syncope (VVS) and also in patients with the long QT syndrome (LQTS). The study attempted to evaluate T wave morphology and QT and TpTe (Tpeak-Tend) intervals recorded in ECG during the HUTT for a more accurate diagnosis of children with VVS. The group investigated 70 children with a negative HUTT result: 40 patients with VVS and 30 healthy volunteers without syncope.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Primary heart tumors (PHTs) in the pediatric population are very rare and do not manifest any characteristic symptoms.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of 61 cases was undertaken. Data from three centers for the years 2003-2018 were gathered.
Electrogenic bacteria metabolize organic substrates by transferring electrons to the external electrode, with subsequent electricity generation. In this proof-of-concept study, we present a novel strain of a known, electrogenic Arcobacter butzleri that can grow primarily on acetate and lactate and its electric current density is positively correlated (R = 0.95) to the COD concentrations up to 200 ppm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF(1) Background: The features characterizing vasovagal syncope (VVS) are an important factor in the correct evaluation of diagnostic risk stratification in children and adolescents. The aim of the study was to determine the value of identifying the clinical characteristics in children with VVS. (2) Methods: We made a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 109 children with diagnosed VVS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
March 2020
Background: Electrocardiography (ECG) and the head-up tilt test (HUTT) are vital in clinical work-up in children with vasovagal syncope (VVS). Ventricular repolarization parameters (QT) measured during the HUTT can be indicative of electrical instability; however, these parameters are not frequently assessed. This study aimed to investigate if ventricular repolarization parameters measured during the HUTT could be indicative of future ventricular arrhythmias in children with syncope.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients with structural heart disease (SHD) are more difficult to ablate than those with a structurally healthy heart. The reason may be technical problems. We compared periprocedural data in unselected patients (including SHD group) recruited for zero-fluoroscopy catheter ablation (ZF-CA) of supraventricular arrhythmias (SVTs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: It remains a challenge to determine criteria according to which patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis could be properly qualified for revascularization treatment. Carotid calcification assessment seems to be here quite attractive. The aim of the study was the histological analysis of various parameters of calcifications in human carotid plaques in relation to the symptomatic/asymptomatic nature of the lesions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: T-wave parameters, especially the Tpeak-Tend interval (TpTe), reflect the total dispersion of repolarization, whose amplification may lead to the development of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias observed in the long QT syndrome (LQTS).
Objectives: The study attempted to evaluate QT, QTp (Q-Tpeak) and TpTe (Tpeak-Tend) intervals in unaffected and affected blood relatives of children with clinically confirmed LQTS as well as to determine whether the values of these repolarization parameters may be used in clinical practice.
Material And Methods: The study group included 47 affected blood relatives (27 LQTS1 and 20 LQTS2) and 68 unaffected family members without clinically confirmed LQTS symptoms.
Purpose: During incremental atrial pacing in patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, the PR interval often exceeds the RR interval (PR > RR) during stable 1:1 AV conduction. However, the PR/RR ratio has never been evaluated in a large group of patients with pacing from the proximal coronary sinus and after isoproterenol challenge. Our study validates new site of pacing and easier method of identification of PR > RR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In the period from 2003 to the end of 2015, 96 Norwood I procedures were performed in the Paediatric Heart Surgery Department in Katowice, Poland, in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
Aim: This paper presents a retrospective analysis of early surgical results.
Methods: The patients consisted of two groups: group I included 59 children operated on in the years 2003-2012, in whom the stage I Norwood procedure with the Sano modification was performed with the aortic arch reconstructed by use of a ho-mogenous pulmonary artery patch or a bovine pericardial patch.
Background: Patients with complex congenital heart defects may have different hemodynamic prob-lems which require a variety of interventional procedures including angioplasty which involves using high-pressure balloons. After failure of conventional balloon angioplasty, cutting balloon angioplasty is the next treatment option available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cutting balloon angioplasty in children with different types of congenital heart defects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFINTRODUCTION The current guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology outlined electrocardiographic (ECG) differentiation of the site of origin (SoO) in patients with idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (IVAs). OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to compare 3 ECG algorithms for differentiating the SoO and to determine their diagnostic value for the management of outflow tract IVA. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed 202 patients (mean age [SD]: 45 [16.
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