Effects of ZnO Nanoparticles and Ethylenediamine-N,N'-Disuccinic Acid on Seed Germination of Four Different Plants.

The release of nanoparticles and biodegradable chelating agents into the environment may cause toxicological and ecotoxicological effects. The aim of this study is to determine the ecotoxic effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) on most cultured four plants. The durum wheat, bread wheat, barley, and rye are exposed to 5 mL 10 mg L-1 ZnO nanoparticles and 10 mg L-1 EDDS in the seed germination stage. Results show that these different plant species have different responses to ZnO nanoparticles and EDDS. The germination percentage of bread wheat and rye decreases in the application of ZnO nanoparticles while the germination of durum wheat and barley increases as much as in radicle elongation and seedling vigor. While ZnO treatment causes a decrease in bread wheat and rye germinated rat in the range of 33-14.3%, respectively, there is no change in germination rate of these plants at EDDS treatment. In addition, EDDS treatment positively affects barley germination rate. In conclusion, it is clear that ZnO nanoparticles have more toxic effects on bread wheat and rye than EDDS, while barley is positively affected by ZnO nanoparticles and EDDS.

Comparison of elicitor-based effects on metabolic responses of Taxus × media hairy roots in perfluorodecalin-supported two-phase culture system.

KEY MESSAGE: Two lines of Taxus × media hairy roots harbouring or not the TXS transgene demonstrated diverse gene expression and taxane yield during cultivation in PFD-supported two liquid-phase culture system. Two lines of Taxus × media hairy roots were subjected to single or twice-repeated supplementation with methyl jasmonate, sodium nitroprusside, L-phenylalanine, and sucrose feeding. One line harboured transgene of taxadiene synthase (ATMA), while the second (KT) did not. Both hairy root lines were cultured in two-phase culture systems containing perfluorodecalin (PFD) in aerated or degassed form. The relationship between TXS (taxadiene synthase), BAPT (baccatin III: 3-amino, 3-phenylpropanoyltransferase), and DBTNBT (3'-N-debenzoyl-2-deoxytaxol-N-benzoyltransferase) genes and taxane production was analysed. The ATMA and KT lines differed in their potential for taxane accumulation, secretion, and taxane profile. In ATMA biomass, both paclitaxel and baccatin III were detected, while in KT roots only paclitaxel. The most suitable conditions for taxane production for ATMA roots were found in single-elicited supported with PFD-degassed cultures (2 473.29 ± 263.85 µg/g DW), whereas in KT roots in single-elicited cultures with PFD-aerated (470.08 ± 25.15 µg/g DW). The extracellular levels of paclitaxel never exceeded 10% for ATMA roots, while for KT increased up to 76%. The gene expression profile was determined in single-elicited cultures supported with PFD-degassed, where in ATMA roots, the highest taxane yield was obtained, while in KT the lowest one. The gene expression pattern in both investigated root lines differed substantially what resulted in taxane yield characterized particular lines. The highest co-expression of TXS, BAPT and DBTNBT genes noted for ATMA roots harvested 48 h after elicitation corresponded with their higher ability for taxane production in comparison with the effects observed for KT roots.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis data from the CELESTE multinational registry. Part I: Epidemiology and general microbiological characteristics.

INTRODUCTION: Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a rare, life-threatening autoimmune disease predominantly manifested in the skin and mucous membranes. Today, infectious complications have the dominant share in mortality of TEN patients. Due to the nature of the therapy and administration of immunosuppressive medications, a wide range of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, which cause infectious complications in different compartments in these patients, is not surprising. MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY: This is a multicentric study, which included all patients with TEN hospitalized between 2000-2015 in specialized centres in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The total catchment area was over 12.5 million inhabitants. The actual implementation of the project was carried out using data obtained from the registry CELESTE (Central European LyEll Syndrome: Therapeutic Evaluation), when specific parameters relating to epidemiological indicators and infectious complications in patients with TEN were evaluated in the form of a retrospective analysis. RESULTS: In total, 39 patients with TEN were included in the study (12 patients died, mortality was 31%), who were hospitalized in the monitored period. The median age of patients in the group was 63 years (the range was 4-83 years, the mean was 51 years), the median of the exfoliated area was 70% TBSA (total body surface area) (range 30-100%, mean 67%). SCORTEN was calculated for 38 patients on the day of admission. Its median in all patients was 3 (range 1-6; mean 3). Any kind of infectious complication in the study group was recorded in 33 patients in total (85%). In total, 30 patients (77%) were infected with gram-positive cocci, 27 patients (69%) with gram-negative rods, and yeast cells or fibrous sponge were cultivated in 12 patients (31%). A total of 32 patients (82%) were found to have infectious complications in the exfoliated area, 15 patients (39%) had lower respiratory tract infections, 18 patients (46%) urinary tract infections and 15 patients (39%) an infection in the bloodstream. The most common potentially pathogenic microorganism isolated in our study group was coagulase neg. Staphylococcus, which caused infectious complications in 24 patients. Enterococcus faecalis/faecium (19 patients), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17 patients), Staphylococcus aureus (11 patients) and Escherichia coli (11 patients) were other most frequently isolated micro-organisms. CONCLUSION: The published data were obtained from the unique registry of TEN patients in Central Europe. In the first part, we have succeeded in defining the basic epidemiological indicators in the group of patients anonymously included in this registry. The study clearly confirms that infectious complications currently play an essential role in TEN patients, often limiting the chances of survival. The study also shows a high prevalence of these complications in the period after 15days from the start of hospitalization, when most patients already have completely regenerated skin cover.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis data from the CELESTE multinational registry. Part II: Specific systemic and local risk factors for the development of infectious complications.

The aim of the study was to identify the most important systemic and local risk factors for the development of infectious complications in patients with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY: This is a multicentric study that included all patients with TEN who were hospitalized between 2000-2015 in specialized centres in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The total catchment area included a population of over 12.5 million inhabitants. The actual implementation of the project was carried out using data obtained from the CELESTE (Central European LyEll Syndrome: Therapeutic Evaluation) registry, wherein specific parameters related to epidemiological indicators and infectious complications in patients with TEN were evaluated as a retrospective analysis. RESULTS: A total of 38 patients (97%) of the group were treated with corticosteroids. The comparison of patients with different doses of corticosteroids did not exhibit a statistically significant effect of corticosteroid administration on the development of infectious complications (p=0.421). There was no effect of the extent of the exfoliated area on the development of infectious complications in this area. The average extent of the exfoliated area was 66% TBSA (total body surface area) in patients with reported infectious complications and 71% TBSA (p=0.675) in patients without infectious complications. In the case of the development of an infectious complication in the bloodstream (BSI), the increasing effect of the SCORTEN (SCORe of Toxic Epidermal Necrosis) value was monitored during hospitalization. Within 5days from the beginning of the hospitalization, the average SCORTEN value was 2.7 in 6 patients with BSI and 3.0 in 32 patients without BSI (p=0.588). In the period after the 15th day of hospitalization, 7 patients with BSI had an average SCORTEN value of 3.4, and 16 patients without BSI had an average SCORTEN value of 2.5 (p=0.079). In the case of low respiratory tract infection (LRTI), the effects of the necessity for artificial pulmonary ventilation and the presence of tracheostomy were monitored. The statistically significant effect of mechanical ventilation on the development of LRTI occurred only during the period of 11-15days from the beginning of the hospitalization (p=0.016). The effect of the tracheostomy on the development of LRTI was proven to be more significant. CONCLUSION: We did not find any statistically significant correlation between the nature of immunosuppressive therapy and the risk of developing infectious complications. We failed to identify statistically significant risk factors for the development of BSI. Mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy increase the likelihood of developing LRTIs in patients with TEN.

Immunohistochemical investigation of P16, P53 and Ki-67's prognostic values in diffuse large B-Cell lymphomas.

AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the immunohistochemical properties of Ki-67, P53 expression and loss of P16, and to assess their relationship with both clinical parameters and patient survival in DLBCL. METHOD: Forty patients, diagnosed at the Pathology Department of our institute with nodal DLBCL were selected as the study group. The relationship between P16, P53, Ki-67 expressions and clinical and laboratory parameters like age, gender, performance status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), clinical stage, presence of B-symptoms, bone marrow involvement, International Prognostic Index (IPI) score, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, extranodal extension, relapse, C-reactive protein (CRP), sedimentation, number of leukocytes in patients and patient survival were then statistically evaluated. RESULTS: Our results display no statistically significant correlation between P53 expression and loss of P16, Ki-67 proliferation index and clinical parameters and overall survival (p > 0.05). The only statistically significant relationship was between loss of P16 and stage (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to the results of our study, the loss of P16, P53 gene expression and Ki-67 proliferation index have no effect on life expectancy of patients with DLBCL (Tab. 2, Fig. 2, Ref. 29).

Impurity-Governed Modification of Optical and Structural Properties of ZrO2-Based Composites Doped with Cu and Y.

The influence of calcination temperature on copper spatial localization in Y-stabilized ZrO2 powders was studied by attenuated total reflection, diffuse reflectance, electron paramagnetic resonance, transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopies. It was found that calcination temperature rise in the range of 500-700 °C caused the increase of copper concentration in the volume of ZrO2 nanocrystals. This increase was due to Cu in-diffusion from surface complexes that contained copper ions linked with either water molecules or OH groups. This copper in-diffusion led also to an enhancement of absorption band peaked at ~270 nm that was ascribed to the formation of additional oxygen vacancies in nanocrystal volume. Further increasing of calcination temperature from 800 up to 1000 °C resulted in outward Cu diffusion accompanied by a decrease of the intensity of the 270-nm absorption band (i.e., oxygen vacancies' number), the transformation of ZrO2 tetragonal (cubic) phase to monoclinic one as well as the enhancement of absorption band of dispersed and crystalline CuO in the 600-900 nm range.

Pituitary galaninergic system activity in female rats: the regulatory role of gonadal steroids.

The well-recognized sensitivity of the galanin gene in the anterior pituitary gland to estrogen suggests that estrogen receptor activity may influence the galaninergic system through modulation of galanin receptor (GALR) gene expression. Here, we evaluated the following: (i) the effects of estrogen on GALR mRNA expression; (ii) the estrogen receptor subtype that is specifically involved in this activity; and (iii) the effects of progesterone in the absence or presence of estrogen on galanin concentration in anterior pituitary gland. In the first experiment, ovariectomized 4-month-old rats were pre-treated subcutaneously with 17ß-estradiol (3 x 20 µg), the ESR1 (ERα) agonist propyl pyrazole triol (PPT) (3 x 5 mg), and the ESR2 (ERß) agonist diarylpropionitrile (DPN) (3 x 0.5 mg). In the second experiment, 4-month-old ovariectomized females received daily subcutaneous injections of 17ß-estradiol (3 x 20 µg), progesterone (2 x 5 mg), or combined estradiol (3 x 20 µg) and progesterone (2 x 5 mg). Anterior pituitaries were excised the day after the final 17ß-estradiol injection (experiment I) and 1 hour after receiving the second progesterone dose. Relative GALR1, GALR2, and GALR3 mRNA expression was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR, and pituitary galanin concentration was determined using a specific radioimmunoassay. The results revealed that estrogen predominantly induced a 5-fold increase in GALR3 gene transcription. To a lesser extent, 17ß-estradiol also increased GALR1 mRNA expression, but had no effect on GALR2 mRNA levels. The estrogen-induced increase in GALR3 gene expression occurred exclusively through ESR1 activation. The increase in GALR1 gene expression occurred through activation of both estrogen receptor subtypes, but the ESR2 subtype was predominantly involved. Furthermore, the results revealed that progesterone regulates the activity of the pituitary galaninergic system by facilitating estradiol-induced galanin synthesis in the female rat anterior pituitary gland.

Smoking among pregnant women in small towns in Poland.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the work was to assess among pregnant women from small towns and villages in Poland: the prevalence of smoking, credibility of smoking, and influence of socioeconomic factors on smoking status. METHODS: The data came from 4512 interviews with women in different trimesters of pregnancy. The interviews were collected in 2007 and 2008 year in towns up to 8000 citizens in 12 voivodeships. RESULTS: Prevalence of smoking in the beginning of pregnancy was confirmed by 34.6 % of women. During the pregnancy 14.7 % of women declared quitting smoking and 19.9 % continued smoking. Cigarette smoking was most frequent in those with a primary education, unemployed, very low incomes in household, and having both smoking parents. In multifactorial analysis, risk of smoking was highest (95 % CI 1.74-6.06) for women that were divorced or not living with a partner compared with married. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of active smoking among a population of pregnant women living in small towns in Poland are very high. Since the correlates of smoking during pregnancy are a low education level and a low economic status of the pregnant woman, these socioeconomic groups should be first priority targets.

Dyslipidaemia in overweight children and adolescents is associated with an increased risk of kidney stones.

AIM: There is conflicting evidence about the role of obesity in paediatric nephrolithiasis. This Polish study explored the influence of nutritional status and lipid disturbances on urinary lithogenic factors and the risk of kidney stone formation in children and adolescents from three to 18 years of age. METHODS: We carried out serum lipid profile evaluations and 24-h urine chemistry analyses on 493 overweight/obese paediatric participants (mean age 13 years) without nephrolithiasis and 492 healthy normal weight sex and age-matched controls. RESULTS: A third (33%) of the study group had blood lipid disturbances, with more acidic urine, lower urinary citrate excretion and a higher fraction of ionised calcium and higher Bonn Risk Index than the controls. The participants' body mass index standard deviation score (BMI Z-score) was positively correlated with urinary oxalate and uric acid and negatively correlated with citrate excretion. Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides correlated negatively with citraturia, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol correlated positively. CONCLUSION: The main factor that predisposed overweight and obese children to kidney stones was hypocitraturia. Urinary citrate excretion was related to both BMI Z-scores and all lipid fraction abnormalities. However, hypercholesterolaemia and particularly low-density lipoprotein hypercholesterolaemia seemed to play a major role.

The effects of adriamycin on E-cadherin mediated cell-cell adhesion and apoptosis during early kidney development.

Adriamycin (ADR) is strongly teratogenic. We investigated the effects of ADR on apoptosis and the intensity of E-cadherin expression in developing kidneys. An experimental group of rats was given 2 mg/kg/day ADR on days 6-9 of gestation and a control group was given saline on the same schedule. Embryos were decapitated on days 13, 15, 17 and 19 of gestation, and processed and embedded in paraffin for routine light microscopy. Kidney specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin or periodic acid-Schiff, or immunostained for E-cadherin. Apoptosis was assessed using the TUNEL method. Weight loss and developmental deficiency were determined in embryos of the experimental group. ADR damaged or destroyed tubule epithelial cells, which caused apparent dilatation of the tubule lumen. Also, the brush borders of proximal tubules were damaged and glomerular spaces were dilated. ADR caused apoptosis of kidney tissue by days 15, 17 and 19 of development and E-cadherin expression was up-regulated during kidney development compared to controls. We found that ADR can cause apoptosis and increased E-cadherin expression in the developing rat kidney. E-cadherin expression and apoptosis may contribute to the development of ADR nephrotoxicity.

Electrical burns in our workplace.

BACKGROUND: There were totally 2320 patients during the period 2004-2013 hospitalised in our workplace with thermal injury, 87 of which were electric burns (3.75%). RESULTS: The majority of electric burns occurred to men 67 cases (76.74%), then to children - 18 cases (20.94%) and the rest to women - 2 cases (2.32%). The mechanism of injury to the group of men was direct contact with the source of current (54.5%), electric arc injury (37.9%), ignition of clothes and subsequently flame (6.1%), and lightning injury (1.5%). The cause of injury to the group of children was contact injury (83.4%), electric arc injury (16.6%); no ignition or lightning injury occurred. The cause of injury in the group of women (2 cases) was contact injury for both; no arc, ignition or lighting injury occurred. The average extent of burn wounds was 11.7% in the group of men, 5.83% in the group of children and 2% in the group of women. Surgical treatment (necrectomy, skin grafting, flap, and amputation) was necessary in 41 cases in the group of men, in 15 cases in the group of children and in 2 cases in the group of women. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Electric injury is a common problem in modern world. Some authors reported a 16.9% contribution of electric injuries of all hospitalised burn patients. There were 3.75% electric injury cases of all hospitalised burn patients in our department in the last nine years. The occurrence varies from year to year.

Intermediate filament protein nestin is expressed in developing meninges.

BACKGROUND: Nestin is a type VI intermediate filament protein known as a marker for progenitor cells that can be mostly found in tissues during the embryonic and fetal periods. In our study, we aimed to determine the expression of nestin in meninges covering the brain tissue at different developmental stages and in the new born. METHODS: In this study 10 human fetuses in different development stages between developmental weeks 9-34 and a newborn brain tissue were used. Fetuses in paraffin section were stained with H+E and nestin immunohistochemical staining protocol was performed. RESULTS: In this study, in the human meninges intense nestin expression was detected as early as in the 9th week of development. Intensity of this expression gradually decreased in later stages of development and nestin expression still persisted in a small population of newborn meningeal cells. CONCLUSION: In the present study, nestin positive cells gradually diminished in the developing and maturing meninges during the fetal period. This probably depends on initiation of a decrease in nestin expression and replacement with other tissue-specific intermediate filaments while the differentiation process continues. These differences can make significant contributions to the investigation and diagnosis of various pathological disorders (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 36).

Evaluation of epithelial chimerism after bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell infusion in intestinal transplant patients.

Intestinal transplantation is the most effective treatment for patients with short bowel syndrome and small bowel insufficiencies. We evaluated epithelial chimerism after infusion of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) in patients undergoing cadaveric donor isolated intestinal transplantation (I-ITx). BMSCs were isolated from patients' bone marrow via iliac puncture and expanded in vitro prior to infusion. Two out of the 3 patients were infused with autologous BMSCs, and small intestine tissue biopsies collected post-operatively were analyzed for epithelial chimerism using XY fluorescent in situ hybridization and short tandem repeat polymerase chain reaction. We observed epithelial chimeric effect in conditions both with and without BMSC infusion. Although our results suggest a higher epithelial chimerism effect with autologous BMSC infusion in I-ITx, the measurements in multiple biopsies at different time points that demonstrate the reproducibility of this finding and its stability or changes in the level over time would be beneficial. These approaches may have potential implications for improved graft survival, lower immunosuppressant doses, superior engraftment of the transplanted tissue, and higher success rates in I-ITx.

Syncope in children and adolescents living in north-eastern Poland - scope of causes.

PURPOSE: To investigate the diagnostic yield of different tests and asses the scope of causes in children referring to the hospital with a syncope in north-eastern Poland. METHODS: A review of 386 consecutive patients (age 2-18 years) living in north-eastern Poland presenting to the cardiology department with a new onset syncope (which appeared to be neurally mediated by history) was undertaken. The patients underwent physical examination, laboratory tests, electrocardiography, 24-holter monitoring, head-up tilt-test, exercise test, echocardiography and electroencephalography. All the tests were performed in most of the patients, without ending the diagnostics after finding the first probable cause of loss of consciousness. RESULTS: 229 potential causes of syncope were found in 191 patients (49.4%), with 2 possible causes in 32 patients and 3 potential causes in 3 patients. The top 3 tests with the highest diagnostic yield were: head-up tilt test (41.4%), 24-holter monitoring (14.5%) and echocardiography (8.4%). Electroencephalography was useful in 3 patients (1.5%) and exercise test did not help in any patient. CONCLUSION: In some children more than one potential cause of syncope was diagnosed. That might confirm multiple factors' causality of syncope. Head-up tilt-test has the highest diagnostic yield in children with syncope. If the diagnostic protocol is not very strict, one might find some crucial conditions in about 8.3% of patients.

Outpatient renal needle biopsy of the transplanted kidney: safety profile.

Since May 2005, we began performing renal graft biopsies as outpatient procedures when the patient's condition did not require hospitalization. To evaluate the safety profile of the 137 procedures performed in 111 patients, we performed a retrospective analysis of complications after all biopsies between 4 May 2005 and 6 January 6, 2011. The analysis focused on types of complications as well as needs for hospitalization with length of stay, for blood transfusion or for a further intervention. There were complications in 10.9% of procedures (n = 15) with 8% requiring hospitalization (n = 11). The complications were: gross hematuria (n = 10) including blockage of urinary flow (n = 2) with one subject requiring urologic intervention, and one patient experienced severe pain at the puncture site. Neither renal graft nor patient survival was threatened; there was no hemodynamic decompensation needing blood transfusions. The average hospital stay was 2.27 days (range = 1-8). Outpatient renal biopsies in 111 patients (137 procedures) had an 8% incidence of complications requiring admission and an average length of hospitalization of 2.27 days. Gross hematuria the most frequent problem, in no way compromised patient or graft survival showing it to be a safe outpatient procedure.

Right-sided diaphragmatic hernia after orthotopic liver transplantation: report of two cases.

Diaphragmatic hernia after OLT is a rare surgical complication. We here report successful diagnosis and treatment of two cases with right-sided diaphragmatic hernia developed after OLT both utilizing left-sided allografts. Combination of factors related to the surgical techniques and patient characteristics might explain the pathophysiology behind the diaphragmatic hernias following liver transplantation. Respiratory as well as non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms may be hints for an overlooked diaphragmatic hernia after liver transplantation. Diaphragmatic hernia should be added to the list of potential complications of liver transplantation for prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Endogenous ochronosis.

Endogenous ochronosis or alkaptonuria is a rare, autosomal recessive disease of tyrosine metabolism that is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme homogentisic acid oxidase. The disease results in the accumulation and deposition of homogentisic acid in the cartilage, eyelids, forehead, cheeks, axillae, genital region, buccal mucosa, larynx, tympanic membranes, and tendons. The disease generally presents in adults with arthritis and skin abnormalities; occasionally, involvement of other organs may be seen. A 49-year-old man was referred to our clinic with verrucous lesions on his hands. On physical examination, caviar-like ochronotic papules were found around his eyes and the helix cartilage of his ears, and on the dorsa of both hands. There were brown macules on the sclera (Osler's sign). The patient had arthritis and nephrolithiasis, and a sample of his urine darkened upon standing. Histopathological examination showed deposition of ochronotic pigment. High-dose ascorbic acid was given, and the patient showed improvement on follow-up examination 6 months later.

Arabinoxylan-oligosaccharides (AXOS) affect the protein/carbohydrate fermentation balance and microbial population dynamics of the Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem.

Arabinoxylan-oligosaccharides (AXOS) are a recently newly discovered class of candidate prebiotics as - depending on their structure - they are fermented in different regions of gastrointestinal tract. This can have an impact on the protein/carbohydrate fermentation balance in the large intestine and, thus, affect the generation of potentially toxic metabolites in the colon originating from proteolytic activity. In this study, we screened different AXOS preparations for their impact on the in vitro intestinal fermentation activity and microbial community structure. Short-term fermentation experiments with AXOS with an average degree of polymerization (avDP) of 29 allowed part of the oligosaccharides to reach the distal colon, and decreased the concentration of proteolytic markers, whereas AXOS with lower avDP were primarily fermented in the proximal colon. Additionally, prolonged supplementation of AXOS with avDP 29 to the Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME) reactor decreased levels of the toxic proteolytic markers phenol and p-cresol in the two distal colon compartments and increased concentrations of beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in all colon vessels (25-48%). Denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis indicated that AXOS supplementation only slightly modified the total microbial community, implying that the observed effects on fermentation markers are mainly caused by changes in fermentation activity. Finally, specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis showed that AXOS supplementation significantly increased the amount of health-promoting lactobacilli as well as of Bacteroides-Prevotella and Clostridium coccoides-Eubacterium rectale groups. These data allow concluding that AXOS are promising candidates to modulate the microbial metabolism in the distal colon.

Magnetic properties of gamma-Fe2O3/poly(ether-ester) nanocomposites.

The magnetic properties of gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles embedded in a thermoplastic elastomer poly(ether-ester) copolymer by the in situ polycondensation reaction process have been investigated by means of magnetization and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements at low filler concentrations of 0.1 and 0.3 wt% with the magnetic additive introduced in the polymer matrix in powder and solution form. The magnetic behavior of the magnetopolymeric nanocomposites indicates significant interparticle interaction effects that depend mainly on the dispersion state of the magnetic nanoparticles as well as their concentration, consistent with the variation of the particle microstructure characterized by magnetic aggregates in the nanometer and micron scale for the solution and powder dispersions, respectively. The magnetization and FMR results at different filler concentrations and dispersions show a close correspondence to the relaxation processes of the copolymer, implying the coupling of polymeric and magnetic properties.