Both biofilm cytotoxicity and monocytes' adhesion may be used as estimators of enterococcal virulence.

Our study aimed to identify markers of enterococci's virulence potential by evaluating the properties of strains of different sites of isolation. Enterococcal strains were isolated as commensals from faeces and as invasive strains from the urine and blood of patients from the University Clinical Centre, Gdansk, Poland. Changes in monocytes' susceptibility to the cytotoxic activity of isolates of different origins and their adherence to biofilm were evaluated using a flow cytometer. The bacterial protein profile was estimated by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometer. The cytotoxicity of biofilm and monocytes' adherence to it were the most accurate factors in predicting the prevalence of the strain in the specific niche. Additionally, a bacterial protein with mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) 5000 was found to be responsible for the increased bacterial cytotoxicity, while monocytes' decreased adherence to biofilm was linked with the presence of proteins either with m/z 3330 or 2435. The results illustrate that monocytes' reaction when exposed to the bacterial biofilm can be used as an estimator of pathogens' virulence potential. The observed differences in monocytes' response are explainable by the bacterial proteins' profile. Additionally, the results indicate that the features of both bacteria and monocytes impact the outcome of the infection.

A dataset on the contents of 100 terms of service of online platforms, analyzed and evaluated under the EU consumer law.

The dataset contains information obtained during the analysis and evaluation of the contents of 100 Terms of Service (ToS) of online platforms from the point of view of the European Union consumer law. Each ToS has been assigned information regarding the presence and quality of remedy clauses, dispute resolution clauses, unilateral alteration clauses, rights to police the behavior of users, and regulatory requirements. In addition, descriptions of service features and parties' rights and duties have been pulled out. The sample contains 100 ToS of digital platforms operating in sixteen market sectors: Cloud storage, Communication, Dating, Finance, Food, Gaming, Health, Music, Shopping, Social, Sports, Transportation, Travel, Video, Work, and Various. The selected companies' headquarters span four legal surroundings: the US, the EU, Poland specifically, and other jurisdictions (including, e.g., China, Japan, and the UK). The chosen platforms are both privately held and publicly listed and offer both fee-based and free services. The resulting data table includes 100 observations described by 38 variables (10 metadata and 28 presenting results of the analysis). The definitions of variables and categorical values are presented in the instruction followed by the annotators. All the analyzed ToS in original and annotated form are a part of the dataset. The documents were retrieved from publicly accessible websites of respective online platforms on February 22, 2022, from the territory of Poland, the European Union. Each document was subsequently annotated independently by two researchers, based on the enclosed instruction. The instruction was prepared by the PI, with the help of the team, based on the EU law. The annotators subsequently run consistency checks. The process was designed to ensure the lack of errors and the clarity of the instruction. When ambiguities in the latter were discovered, the PI and the annotators resolved them, and the previously tagged documents were retroactively examined for consistency. These data have significant reuse potential. They can be reused by social scientists attempting to understand the dynamics of the digital markets or normative scholars, like lawyers or political philosophers, attempting to create algorithms for scoring online consumer contracts. They can also be reused by various non-scholarly actors, including policymakers verifying the efficacy of their regulations, developers willing to market their products in a consumer-friendly way, or consumer organizations attempting to raise consumer awareness. The data is suitable for many different types of data analysis methods, such as cluster analysis, dimensionality reduction, classification methods, and scoring.

Assessment by Women on Selected Aspects of Quality of Life and on Disease Acceptance after Undergoing Urogynecological Procedures for Urinary Incontinence.

Urinary incontinence is a common social and health problem that affects both men and women. Women, however, are twice as likely as men to experience unintentional and involuntary bladder emptying due to their anatomical structure and biological functions. Urinary incontinence is associated with great discomfort, a sense of shame, and a significant reduction in self-esteem, often resulting in the limiting of, or withdrawing from, professional, social, and community life. The aim of this study was to evaluate selected aspects of the quality of life and disease acceptance by women who had undergone urogynecological procedures for urinary incontinence. The study encompassed 77 women. The diagnostic tools used in the study were the Polish versions of the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ), the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), and the authors' own survey questionnaire. From the undertaken research, we found that women with urinary incontinence who underwent urogynecological procedures rated their overall health well. What worsened the most regarding the quality of life of women post-procedure for urinary incontinence was the impact of bladder problems on their lives and the discomfort they felt due to bladder problems. The relationship between the time elapsed since the procedure and the quality of life of the respondents with regard to the emotions they experienced was also found to be significant. The longer the time since the procedure, the lower the intensity of negative emotions, and thus the higher the quality of life. Despite the varied opinions of the respondents about the impact of bladder dysfunction on various areas of their lives, acceptance of the disease, as measured by the AIS scale, appeared to be high.

Review of Best Practices for Patient Monitoring to Improve the Effectiveness of Therapy in Pediatric Hospitals.

Context: Significant differences exist in the needs of an adult patient and those of a sick child with members of his or her family involved. Monitoring questionnaires of patients and their family members can show ways to improve medical care and develop methods for effective staff behavior. The Consumer Assessment System for Healthcare Service Providers and Systems (CAHPS) helps hospitals, using management data, to identify strengths and weaknesses, determine what needs improvement, and track progress over time. Objective: The study intended to identify the most effective methods for monitoring patients and their families in pediatric hospitals, which can lead to the achievement of high-level medical care. Design: The research team performed a narrative review by searching the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, PubMed Central, and the National Library of Medicine databases for scientific studies and reports from researchers who have used the innovations from CAHPS in their practices. The search used the keywords children and hospital, improving the quality of service, coordination of care, and medical care. Setting: The study took place in the Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation at the Medical University of Lublin in Lublin, Poland. Outcome Measures: The research team analyzed the selected studies to find specific, applicable, and successful monitoring methodology. Results: The study examined many important aspects of the stay of children in a hospital and of the difficulties that young patients and their families face and identified the most effective monitoring methods for various areas that affect the interests of a child and his or her family within the walls of the hospital. Conclusions: This review provides direction for medical institutions, allowing the possibility of improving the quality of patient monitoring. Researchers have carried out few studies in pediatric hospitals today, and the field needs further study.

Attitudes Toward Organ Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of transplantation is to improve the health or save the life of the recipient. Although organ transplantation is a method generally accepted by society, there are still people who, referring to moral and ethical aspects, reject its validity. A great threat to transplantology is also the lack of knowledge of the society resulting from insufficient education. AIM: The aim of this study was to find out attitudes and opinions about organ transplantation and to determine the level of acceptance of organ and tissue transplantation. METHODS: The tool chosen for the study was a survey questionnaire. The research group consisted of 200 people. Approval from the Bioethics Committee was obtained to conduct the study. RESULTS: The studies showed that more than half of the respondents (57%) would agree to organ donation for transplantation after the death of a loved one. Age was found to be statistically significant (P = .001). Older people showed more doubts about transplantation than people under 30. Over 80% of respondents agreed that initiatives to educate the public about transplantation are needed. CONCLUSIONS: The respondents refer to transplantation positively as a method of treating and saving life, and more than half of respondents would agree to donate their organs for transplant after the death of a loved one. The majority of respondents described their attitude toward transplantation as positive, admitting that the objection to donating is due to the ignorance and too little awareness on the subject.

Epidemiology of aplasia cutis congenita: A population-based study in Europe.

BACKGROUND: Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by localized or widespread absence of skin at birth, mainly affecting the scalp. Most information about ACC exists as individual case reports and medium-sized studies. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of ACC, using data from a large European network of population-based registries for congenital anomalies (EUROCAT). METHODS: Twenty-eight EUROCAT population-based registries in 16 European countries were involved. Poisson regression models were exploited to estimate the overall and live birth prevalence, to test time trends in prevalence between four 5-year periods and to evaluate the impact of the change of coding for ACC from the unspecific ICD9-BPA code to the specific ICD10 code. Proportions of ACC cases associated with other anomalies were reported. RESULTS: Five hundred cases were identified in the period 1998-2017 (prevalence: 5.10 per 100,000 births). Prevalence across 5-year periods did not differ significantly and no significant differences were evident due to the change from ICD9 to ICD10 in ACC coding. Heterogeneity in prevalence was observed across registries. The scalp was the most common site for ACC (96.4%) and associated congenital anomalies were present in 33.8% of cases. Patau and Adams-Oliver syndromes were the most frequent among the associated chromosomal anomalies (88.3%) and the associated genetic syndromes (57.7%), respectively. 16% of cases were associated with limb anomalies and 15.4% with congenital heart defects. A family history of ACC was found in 2% of cases. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the only population-based study on ACC. The EUROCAT methodologies provide reliable prevalence estimates and proportions of associated anomalies.

Structure-Activity Relationship of New Chimeric Analogs of Mastoparan from the Wasp Venom Paravespula lewisii.

Mastoparan (MP) is an antimicrobial cationic tetradecapeptide with the primary structure INLKALAALAKKIL-NH2. This amphiphilic α-helical peptide was originally isolated from the venom of the wasp Paravespula lewisii. MP shows a variety of biological activities, such as inhibition of the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as hemolytic activity and activation of mast cell degranulation. Although MP appears to be toxic, studies have shown that its analogs have a potential therapeutic application as antimicrobial, antiviral and antitumor agents. In the present study we have designed and synthesized several new chimeric mastoparan analogs composed of MP and other biologically active peptides such as galanin, RNA III inhibiting peptide (RIP) or carrying benzimidazole derivatives attached to the ε-amino side group of Lys residue. Next, we compared their antimicrobial activity against three reference bacterial strains and conformational changes induced by membrane-mimic environments using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. A comparative analysis of the relationship between the activity of peptides and the structure, as well as the calculated physicochemical parameters was also carried out. As a result of our structure-activity study, we have found two analogs of MP, MP-RIP and RIP-MP, with interesting properties. These two analogs exhibited a relatively high antibacterial activity against S. aureus compared to the other MP analogs, making them a potentially attractive target for further studies. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the relationship between peptide activity and structure, as well as the calculated physicochemical parameters, may provide information that may be useful in the design of new MP analogs.

Novel Cold-Adapted Recombinant Laccase KbLcc1 from Kabatiella bupleuri G3 IBMiP as a Green Catalyst in Biotransformation.

Cold-adapted enzymes are useful tools in the organic syntheses conducted in mixed aqueous-organic or non-aqueous solvents due to their molecular flexibility that stabilizes the proteins in low water activity environments. A novel psychrophilic laccase gene from Kabatiella bupleuri, G3 IBMiP, was spliced by Overlap-Extension PCR (OE-PCR) and expressed in Pichia pastoris. Purified recombinant KbLcc1 laccase has an optimal temperature of 30 °C and pH of 3.5, 5.5, 6.0, and 7.0 in the reaction with 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), guaiacol, sinapic acid, and syringaldazine, respectively. Moreover, laccase KbLcc1 is highly thermolabile, as it loses 40% of activity after 30 min at 40 °C and is inactivated at 50 °C after the same period of incubation. The new enzyme remained active with 1 mM of Ni2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+ and with 2 mM of Co2+, Ca2+, and Mg2+, but Fe2+ greatly inhibited the laccase activity. Moreover, 1% ethanol had no impact on KbLcc1, although acetone and ethyl acetate decreased the laccase activity. The presence of hexane (40%, v/v) caused a 58% increase in activity. Laccase KbLcc1 could be applied in the decolorization of synthetic dyes and in the biotransformation of ferulic acid to vanillin. After 5 days of reaction at 20 °C, pH 3.5, with 1 mM ABTS as a mediator, the vanillin concentration was 21.9 mg/L and the molar yield of transformation reached 14.39%.

Screening of Novel Laccase Producers-Isolation and Characterization of Cold-Adapted Laccase from Kabatiella bupleuri G3 Capable of Synthetic Dye Decolorization.

Psychrophilic laccases catalyzing the bond formation in mild, environmentally friendly conditions are one of the biocatalysts at the focus of green chemistry. Screening of 41 cold-adapted strains of yeast and yeast-like fungi revealed a new laccase-producing strain, which was identified as Kabatiella bupleuri G3 IBMiP according to the morphological characteristics and analysis of sequences of the D1/D2 regions of 26S rDNA domain and the ITS1-5,8S-ITS2 region. The extracellular activity of laccase in reaction with 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) at the optimal pH 3.5 was 215 U/L after 15 days of growth in a medium with waste material and 126 U/L after 25 days of cultivation in a defined medium. Copper (II) ions (0.4 mM), Tween 80 (1.0 mM) and ascorbic acid (5.0 mM) increased the production of laccase. The optimum temperature for enzyme operation is in the range of 30-40 °C and retains over 60% of the maximum activity at 10 °C. New laccase shows high thermolability-half-life at 40 °C was only 60 min. Enzyme degradation of synthetic dyes was the highest for crystal violet, i.e., 48.6% after 1-h reaction with ABTS as a mediator. Outcomes of this study present the K. bupleuri laccase as a potential psychrozyme for environmental and industrial applications.

Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Limb Reduction Defects: Data from the Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations (PRCM).

Data from the Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations (PRCM) suggest that the prevalence of limb reduction defects (LRDs) in some Polish regions is significantly higher in comparison to that reported in the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) registry, but specific risk factors are still unknown. The objectives of this study were two-fold: to detect risk factors linked to isolated LRDs among Polish natives and to search for geospatial clusters of isolated LRDs to identify high-risk areas across the country. Among the 2,939,001 births accounted for in the PRCM, we determined that there were 852 children with distinct LRDs. Our data demonstrate that lower birth weight, prematurity, and maternal smoking history are strongly associated with isolated LRDs. Furthermore, our investigation pointed to various additional risk factors for isolated LRDs, including paternal education, gestational hypertension, upper respiratory tract infections, and exposure to anti-inflammatory drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy. We did not recognize statistically significant spatial or spatiotemporal clusters over the area of Poland using Kulldorff's scan. Our study strengthens the hypothesis that maternal factors have an integral role in the etiology of isolated LRDs.

Transferrin-Bound Doxorubicin Enhances Apoptosis and DNA Damage through the Generation of Pro-Inflammatory Responses in Human Leukemia Cells.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective antineoplastic drug against many solid tumors and hematological malignancies. However, the clinical use of DOX is limited, because of its unspecific mode of action. Since leukemia cells overexpress transferrin (Tf) receptors on their surface, we proposed doxorubicin-transferrin (DOX-Tf) conjugate as a new vehicle to increase drug concentration directly in cancer cells. The data obtained after experiments performed on K562 and CCRF-CEM human leukemia cell lines clearly indicate severe cytotoxic and genotoxic properties of the conjugate drug. On the other hand, normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were more resistant to DOX-Tf than to DOX. In comparison to free drug, we observed that Tf-bound DOX induced apoptosis in a TRAIL-dependent manner and caused DNA damage typical of programmed cell death. These fatal hallmarks of cell death were confirmed upon morphological observation of cells incubated with DOX or DOX-Tf. Studies of expression of TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-6 at the mRNA and protein levels revealed that the pro-inflammatory response plays an important role in the toxicity of the conjugate. Altogether, the results demonstrated here describe a mechanism of the antitumor activity of the DOX-Tf conjugate.

Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Isolated Hemangiomas in Infants.

The goal of this analysis is to identify risk factors for infantile hemangiomas (IH) to better delineate hemangioma predisposition. We analyzed live birth children with isolated cutaneous hemangioma that were reported to the Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations from across Poland between the years 1998 and 2016. Lower birthweight and gestational age were the most significant risk factors associated with IH. We also observed a trend for a higher risk of IH with a lower level of maternal and paternal education. Moreover, mothers with IH have a higher probability of having a child with IH compared to fathers. However, this association is only present when the child is female. Similarly, a higher risk of hemangioma in a female child is found among mothers having relatives of the first degree with IH, compared to fathers with a similar pedigree. Our results suggest the role of exogenous factors in the etiology of IH. The analysis of familial cases suggests a multifactorial model of inheritance. The study indicates that female gender is an important risk factor for the expression of familial IH. Potential interaction of genetic risk factors with exposure to female sex hormones may play a role in the development of IH.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome - literature review based on a case report.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a chronic, autoimmune disease predominantly involving exocrine glands. Lymphadenopathy is one of the possible symptoms of pSS. It may also suggest development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), the most severe complication of pSS, or be a symptom of less common diseases, such as Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD), presented in this paper. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is an extremely rare, benign and self-limiting disorder, characterized by regional lymphadenopathy. This paper presents a case of previously unreported association of pSS, KFD and renal cancer in a patient with recurrent cervical lymphadenopathy, as well as a discussion on the coexistence of these diseases based on available literature searching for PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases, particularly in this subject. These three clinical entities may manifest lymphadenopathy each, causing a diagnostic dilemma. The treatment is also challenging under such circumstances. In this particular situation, it was a combination of immunosuppressive therapy and surgery.

Increasing blood glucose level via breakfast meals is not connected with changes in delay discounting.

Previous studies have revealed that increasing people's blood glucose level via drinking a soft drink containing sugar makes their financial decisions more future-oriented. This study extends these previous findings, testing whether the effect holds when blood glucose level is increased via intake of a normal meal (i.e., breakfast) rather than a sweet drink. Moreover, we test whether the size of the meal consumed (i.e., a normal vs. an oversized meal) can have a quantitatively different impact on levels of delay discounting. In two experiments using different time intervals between food consumption and discounting tasks (i.e., 60 min and 10 min), we successfully increased both blood glucose level and satiation level. Despite this, our results revealed that neither consumption of the meal itself nor the size of the meal influenced a preference for future rewards over present rewards. This suggests that satisfying hunger and increasing blood glucose level are not sufficient to make people more future-oriented.

Epidemiology of achondroplasia: A population-based study in Europe.

Achondroplasia is a rare genetic disorder resulting in short-limb skeletal dysplasia. We present the largest European population-based epidemiological study to date using data provided by the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) network. All cases of achondroplasia notified to 28 EUROCAT registries (1991-2015) were included in the study. Prevalence, birth outcomes, prenatal diagnosis, associated anomalies, and the impact of paternal and maternal age on de novo achondroplasia were presented. The study population consisted of 434 achondroplasia cases with a prevalence of 3.72 per 100,000 births (95%CIs: 3.14-4.39). There were 350 live births, 82 terminations of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis, and two fetal deaths. The prenatal detection rate was significantly higher in recent years (71% in 2011-2015 vs. 36% in 1991-1995). Major associated congenital anomalies were present in 10% of cases. About 20% of cases were familial. After adjusting for maternal age, fathers >34 years had a significantly higher risk of having infants with de novo achondroplasia than younger fathers. Prevalence was stable over time, but regional differences were observed. All pregnancy outcomes were included in the prevalence estimate with 80.6% being live born. The study confirmed the increased risk for older fathers of having infants with de novo achondroplasia.

Congenital clubfoot in Europe: A population-based study.

We aimed to assess prevalence, birth outcome, associated anomalies and prenatal diagnosis of congenital clubfoot in Europe using data from the EUROCAT network, and to validate the recording of congenital clubfoot as a major congenital anomaly by EUROCAT registries. Cases of congenital clubfoot were included from 18 EUROCAT registries covering more than 4.8 million births in 1995-2011. Cases without chromosomal anomalies born during 2005-2009, were randomly selected for validation using a questionnaire on diagnostic details and treatment. There was 5,458 congenital clubfoot cases of which 5,056 (93%) were liveborn infants. Total prevalence of congenital clubfoot was 1.13 per 1,000 births (95% CI 1.10-1.16). Prevalence of congenital clubfoot without chromosomal anomaly was 1.08 per 1,000 births (95% CI 1.05-1.11) and prevalence of isolated congenital clubfoot was 0.92 per 1,000 births (95% CI 0.90-0.95), both with decreasing trends over time and large variations in prevalence by registry. The majority of cases were isolated congenital clubfoot (82%) and 11% had associated major congenital anomalies. Prenatal detection rate of isolated congenital clubfoot was 22% and increased over time. Among 301 validated congenital clubfoot cases, diagnosis was confirmed for 286 (95%). In conclusion, this large population-based study found a decreasing trend of congenital clubfoot in Europe after 1999-2002, an increasing prenatal detection rate, and a high standard of coding of congenital clubfoot in EUROCAT.

Lactobacillus gasseri endocarditis on the aortic valve bioprosthesis - a case report.

Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic/ microaerophilic, rod-shaped bacteria. Lactobacilli constitute a significant component of the human microbiota in the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract and female urogenital tract. They are also widely used as probiotics. Rarely, especially in patients with impaired immunity or with structural heart disease, do Lactobacilli become the pathogen responsible for serious infections, e.g. infective endocarditis (IE). CASE REPORT: The authors describe a case of an 80-year-old female with a past history of aortic valve replacement, mitral annuloplasty and pacemaker implantation admitted to hospital due to weakening, subfebrile state and chills. In transesophageal echocardiography vegetations on the aortic valve bioprosthesis were found, while pacemaker electrodes and mitral annulus were not involved in the endocarditis process. Bacteriological work-up revealed growth of L. gasseri. The patient was successfully treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate acid (six weeks) and with gentamycin (two weeks). No recurrence of the disease was observed during a six-month posthospital follow-up. Among different species of Lactobacillus, L. gasseri has not been reported as an IE pathogen so far. Lack of unequivocal data as to whether using probiotics may be responsible for infections, including IE, in patients with predisposing conditions.

Geospatial clustering of gastroschisis in Poland: Data from the Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations (PRCM).

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were: to evaluate the prevalence of abdominal wall defects in the Polish population, to analyze temporal trends in the prevalence, to identify areas (clusters) of high risk of abdominal wall defects, and to characterize, with respect to epidemiology, children with abdominal wall defects and their mothers in the area defined as a cluster. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used isolated congenital malformations (gastroschisis Q79.3 and omphalocele Q79.2 according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision (ICD-10, the extended version)) data reported to the Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations (PRCM) over the years 1998- 2008 based on the population of 2 362 502 live births. We analyzed 11 administrative regions of Poland with complete epidemiologic data. RESULTS: Of 11 regions, 2 had a significantly higher standardized prevalence of isolated gastroschisis: Dolnoslaskie (1.7/10 000 live births, p = 0.0052) and Slaskie (1.9/10 000 live births, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, within the region of Dolnoslaskie, we defined a clear prevalence of the isolated gastroschisis cluster (p = 0.023). We comprehensively examined demographic and socio-economic risk factors for abdominal wall defects in this area, and we found that these factors failed to account for the cluster. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a distinct prevalence cluster for isolated gastroschisis, although a precise reason for the disease clustering in this region remains unknown. Cluster identification enables more focused research aimed at identification of specific factors with teratogenic effects.

Determination of personal care products and hormones in leachate and groundwater from Polish MSW landfills by ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction and GC-MS.

Determination of the endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in leachate and groundwater samples from the landfill sites is very important because of the proven harmful effects of these compounds on human and animal organisms. A method combining ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction (USAEME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for simultaneous determination of seven personal care products (PCPs): methylparaben (MP), ethylparaben (EP), propylparaben (PP), buthylparaben (BP), benzophenone (BPh), 3-(4-methylbenzylidene)camphor (4-MBC), N,N-diethyltoluamide (DEET), and two hormones: estrone (E1) and ß-estradiol (E2) in landfill leachate and groundwater samples. The limit of detection (LOD)/limit of quantification (LOQ) values in landfill leachate and groundwater samples were in the range of 0.003-0.083/0.009-0.277 µg L(-1) and 0.001-0.015/0.002-0.049 µg L(-1), respectively. Quantitative recoveries and satisfactory precision were obtained. All studied compounds were found in the landfill leachates from Polish municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills; the concentrations were between 0.66 and 202.42 µg L(-1). The concentration of pollutants in groundwater samples was generally below 0.1 µg L(-1).

[Differentiation of spa types and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) in clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated in medical sites of Gdansk region]. / Zrónicowanie typów spa i kaset SCCmec u klinicznych szczepów Staphylococcus aureus opornych na metycyline izolowanych w osrodkach regionu gdanskiego.

INTRODUCTION: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are one of the key etiological factors of hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections. MRSA strains have an ability of causing a broad spectrum infections: from a relatively mild skin infections to severe life-threatening systemic infections. They are characterized by multi-drug resistance, virulence of a number of factors, may clonally spread within the hospitals and between hospitals. METHODS: The study embraced a number of 75 isolates of MRSA isolated from patients of 7 medical sites of the Gdansk region within the period of six months (June to December 2013). Strains have derived from various clinical materials, both of hospitalized patients (n=59) and outpatient (n=16). The isolates were tested for the susceptibility to antimicrobial agents accordance with the guidelines EUCAST. To estimate of the variability of occurrence of S. aureus clones used were standard spa gene, consisting in the amplified polymorphic region of the X gene encoding the protein A gene (spa). After receiving the results, a spa types were identified using international database Ridom Spa Server (www.spaserver.ridom.de). To determine the polymorphism cassette carrying the inecA gene from MRSA strains, used typing five major chromosomal cassette SCCmec (I-V) by multiplex PCR. RESULTS: MRSA population genetic analysis carried out on the basis of typing SCCmec cassettes and spa gene has showed a predominance of strains with SCCmec type II casette (46.7%) and SCCmec IV casette (38.7%). Less frequently detected were strains containing SCCmec I cassette (12.0%) and SCCmec III cassette (2.6%). Spa typing revealed the presence of 13 gene types in MRSA. The most frequently observed spa types were: t151 (24.0%), t003 (16.0%) in strains of the SCCmec II cassette and t437 (16.0%) and t008 (14.8%) in the isolates with SCCmec cassette IV, whereas staphylococcus with the type of spa t011 (12.0%) had SCCmec cassette I. CONCLUSIONS: In our population most frequent strains cassette SCCmec II (46.7%), in most representing types of spa t151 (51.4%) and t003 (34.3%), generally resistant not only to ß-lactam antibiotics, but as erythromycin, clindamycin and norfloxacin (82.8%), the more frequently they were isolated from patients than a hospital outpatient centers. The strains SCCmec IV that represent the majority of outpatient centers (68.8%), the most represented type t437 (41.4%) and often occurred in hospital centers.