Sclerostin as a biomarker of physical exercise in osteoporosis: A narrative review.

Osteoporosis, a disease of low bone mass, is characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD) through abnormalities in the microarchitecture of bone tissue. It affects both the social and economic areas, therefore it has been considered a lifestyle disease for many years. Bone tissue is a dynamic structure exhibiting sensitivity to various stimuli, including mechanical ones, which are a regulator of tissue sclerostin levels. Sclerostin is a protein involved in bone remodeling, showing an anti-anabolic effect on bone density. Moderate to vigorous physical activity inhibits secretion of this protein and promotes increased bone mineral density. Appropriate exercise has been shown to have an osteogenic effect. The effectiveness of osteogenic training depends on the type, intensity, regularity and frequency of exercise and the number of body parts involved. The greatest osteogenic activity is demonstrated by exercises affecting bone with high ground reaction forces (GRF) and high forces exerted by contracting muscles (JFR). The purpose of this study was to review the literature for the effects of various forms of exercise on sclerostin secretion.

Influence of Training and Single Exercise on Leptin Level and Metabolism in Obese Overweight and Normal-Weight Women of Different Age.

Leptin is one of the important hormones secreted by adipose tissue. It participates in the regulation of energy processes in the body through central and peripheral mechanisms. The aim of this study was to analyse the anthropological and physical performance changes during 9 month training in women of different age and body mass. The additional aim was the analysis of leptin levels in the fasting stage and after a control exercise. Obese (O), overweight (OW), and normal-weight (N) women participated in the study. Additional subgroups of premenopausal (PRE) (<50 years) and postmenopausal (POST) (50+) women were created for leptin level analysis. The main criterion of the division into subgroups was the age of menopause in the population. The control submaximal test and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) according to Astrand-Rhyming procedures was performed at baseline and after 3, 6, and 9 months. Before each control test, body weight (BM), body mass index (BMI), percentage of adipose tissue (% FAT), and mass (FAT (kg)) were measured. Moreover, before and after each test, leptin level was measured. After 9 months, there was a significant decrease in BM in the O (p < 0.05) and OW (p < 0.05) groups with no significant changes in the N group. There was a decrease in BMI in both the O (p < 0.05) and the OW (p < 0.05) groups, with no changes in the N group. The % FAT reduction was noted only in the O group (p < 0.05). VO2max increased in each of the measured groups (p < 0.05). The fasting leptin level at 0, 3, 6, and 9 months were the highest in the O group. The fasting leptin level before training was highest in the O group compared to the OW group (p < 0.01) and the N group (p < 0.01). It was also higher in the OW group compared to the N group at baseline (0) (p < 0.01) and after 3 and 6 months (p < 0.01). After 9 months, the leptin concentration decreased by 20.2% in the O group, 40.7% in the OW group, and 33% in the N group. Moreover, the fasting leptin level was higher in the POST subgroup compared to the PRE group in the whole group of women (p < 0.05). After a single exercise, the level of leptin in the whole study group decreased (p < 0.05). This was clearly seen, especially in the POST group. The 9 month training had a reducing effect on the blood leptin concentration in groups O, OW, and N. This may have been a result of weight loss and the percentage of fat in the body, as well as systematically disturbed energy homeostasis.

Differences in visual search behavior between expert and novice team sports athletes: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: For a long time, in sports, researchers have tried to understand an expert by comparing them with novices, raising the doubts if the visual search characteristics distinguish experts from novices. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to review and conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the differences in visual search behavior between experts and novices in team sports athletes. Methods: This systematic review with meta-analysis followed the PRISMA 2020 and Cochrane's guidelines. Healthy team athletes were included, which engaged in regular practice, from any sex or competitive level, specifically classified a priori as expert or novice in the original research (i.e., if they were classified after the experiment, based on one of the tests, the study would be excluded). We considered only research published in peer-reviewed journals, with no limitations regarding date or language. It was considered healthy team sport athletes engaged in regular practice. The scenarios could be in situ or film-based. The databases of EBSCO (Academic Search Complete, Academic Search Ultimate, APA PsycArticles, and APA PsycINFO), PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science were used to perform the searches. The risk of bias was calculated through the RoBANS tool. Results: From a total of 6,257 records, of which 985 were duplicates, titles and abstracts of 5,272 were screened, and 45 required full-text analysis. Of those, 23 were excluded due to not fulfilling the eligibility criteria regarding participants. In the end, 22 studies were selected, however, as two studies were part of the same trial and were analyzed conjointly. Discussion: Experts showed to be older and with more years of practice. The ability to distinguish experts from novices was not so clear regarding the variables analyzed. This could be due to the strategies chosen in each study, which were specific to each scenario, and when grouping all together, it was lost information within non-representative averages. The distinction between experts and novices was not clear, showing a lot of heterogeneity in the included studies. The expert classification itself may have been the conditioning aspect for these results, retaining the doubt and the need for more studies in the field. Systematic review registration: The protocol was pre-registered in OSF (project https://osf.io/3j4qv/, register https://osf.io/dvk2n).

Fluorescent Chitosan Modified with Heterocyclic Aromatic Dyes.

Chitosan is a valuable, functional, and biodegradable polysaccharide that can be modified to expand its applications. This work aimed to obtain chitosan derivatives with fluorescent properties. Three heterocyclic aromatic dyes (based on benzimidazole, benzoxazole, and benzothiazole) were synthesized and used for the chemical modification of chitosan. Emission spectroscopy revealed the strong fluorescent properties of the obtained chitosan derivatives even at a low N-substitution degree of the dye. The effect of high-energy ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) on modified chitosan samples was studied in solution with UV-Vis spectroscopy and in the solid state with FTIR spectroscopy. Moreover, cytotoxicity towards three different cell types was evaluated to estimate the possibilities of biomedical applications of such fluorescent chitosan-based materials. It was found that the three new derivatives of chitosan were characterized by good resistance to UV-C, which suggests the possibility of using these materials in medicine and various industrial sectors.

The Role of Satellite Cells in Skeletal Muscle Regeneration-The Effect of Exercise and Age.

The population of satellite cells (mSCs) is highly diversified. The cells comprising it differ in their ability to regenerate their own population and differentiate, as well as in the properties they exhibit. The heterogeneity of this group of cells is evidenced by multiple differentiating markers that enable their recognition, classification, labeling, and characterization. One of the main tasks of satellite cells is skeletal muscle regeneration. Myofibers are often damaged during vigorous exercise in people who participate in sports activities. The number of satellite cells and the speed of the regeneration processes that depend on them affect the time structure of an athlete's training. This process depends on inflammatory cells. The multitude of reactions and pathways that occur during the regeneration process results in the participation and control of many factors that are activated and secreted during muscle fiber damage and at different stages of its regeneration. However, not all of them are well understood yet. This paper presents the current state of knowledge on satellite cell-dependent skeletal muscle regeneration. Studies describing the effects of various forms of exercise and age on this process were reviewed.

Influence of Physical Activity and Socio-Economic Status on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients after Stroke.

Stroke is a high-risk factor for depression. Neurological rehabilitation is greatly difficult and often does not include treatment of depression. The post-stroke depression plays an important role in the progress of treatment, health, and the life of the patient. The appropriate treatment of depression could improve the quality of life of the patient and their family. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of physical activity and socio-economic status of the patient on the effectiveness of recovery from depression and the severity of the symptoms of depression. The study was conducted with 40 patients after stroke aged 42-82 years, and included 10 women and 30 men who were hospitalized for two weeks. The severity of depression/anxiety (D/A) symptoms were evaluated two times; at admission and after two weeks of physical therapy. The hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) questionnaire was used for this purpose. Socio-economic status was evaluated by several simple questions. It was revealed that physical therapy has a positive influence on mental state. The severity of D/A symptoms after stroke is related to the financial status of the patients (χ2 = 11.198, p = 0.024). The state of health (χ2 = 20.57, p = 0.022) and physical fitness (χ2 = 12.95, p = 0.044) changed the severity of symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders. The kinesiotherapy in the group of patients with post-stroke depression had positive effects; however, economic and health conditions may influence the prognosis of the disease.

Virulence Factor Genes and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Blood and Chronic Wounds.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the predominant bacteria isolated from skin and soft tissue infections and a common cause of bloodstream infections. The aim of this study was to compare the rate of resistance to various antimicrobial agents and virulence patterns in a total of 200 S. aureus strains isolated from patients with bacteremia and chronic wounds. Disk diffusion assay and in the case of vancomycin and teicoplanin-microdilution assay, were performed to study the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. The prevalence of genes encoding six enterotoxins, two exfoliative toxins, the Panton-Valentine leukocidin and the toxic shock syndrome toxin was determined by PCR. Of the 100 blood strains tested, the highest percentage (85.0%, 31.0%, and 29.0%) were resistant to benzylpenicillin, erythromycin and clindamycin, respectively. Out of the 100 chronic wound strains, the highest percentage (86.0%, 32.0%, 31.0%, 31.0%, 30.0%, and 29.0%) were confirmed as resistant to benzylpenicillin, tobramycin, amikacin, norfloxacin, erythromycin, and clindamycin, respectively. A significantly higher prevalence of resistance to amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin was noted in strains obtained from chronic wounds. Moreover, a significant difference in the distribution of sea and sei genes was found. These genes were detected in 6.0%, 46.0% of blood strains and in 19.0%, and 61.0% of wound strains, respectively. Our results suggest that S. aureus strains obtained from chronic wounds seem to be more often resistant to antibiotics and harbor more virulence genes compared to strains isolated from blood.

Microbial Synthesis of (S)- and (R)-Benzoin in Enantioselective Desymmetrization and Deracemization Catalyzed by Aureobasidium pullulans Included in the Blossom Protect™ Agent.

In this study, we examined the Aureobasidium pullulans strains DSM 14940 and DSM 14941 included in the Blossom Protect™ agent to be used in the bioreduction reaction of a symmetrical dicarbonyl compound. Both chiral 2-hydroxy-1,2-diphenylethanone antipodes were obtained with a high enantiomeric purity. Mild conditions (phosphate buffer [pH 7.0, 7.2], 30 °C) were successfully employed in the synthesis of (S)-benzoin using two different methodologies: benzyl desymmetrization and rac-benzoin deracemization. Bioreduction carried out with higher reagent concentrations, lower pH values and prolonged reaction time, and in the presence of additives, enabled enrichment of the reaction mixture with (R)-benzoin. The described procedure is a potentially useful tool in the synthesis of chiral building blocks with a defined configuration in a simple and economical process with a lower environmental impact, enabling one-pot biotransformation.

Synthesis, Absolute Configuration, Antibacterial, and Antifungal Activities of Novel Benzofuryl ß-Amino Alcohols.

A series of new benzofuryl α-azole ketones was synthesized and reduced by asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH). Novel benzofuryl ß-amino alcohols bearing an imidazolyl and triazolyl substituents were obtained with excellent enantioselectivity (96-99%). The absolute configuration (R) of the products was confirmed by means of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy supported by theoretical calculations. Selected benzofuryl α-azole ketones were also successfully asymmetrically bioreduced by fungi of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aureobasidium pullulans species. Racemic and chiral ß-amino alcohols, as well as benzofuryl α-amino and α-bromo ketones were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activities. From among the synthesized ß-amino alcohols, the highest antimicrobial activity was found for (R)-1-(3,5-dimethylbenzofuran-2-yl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethan-1-ol against S. aureus ATCC 25923 (MIC = 64, MBC = 96 µg mL-1) and (R)-1-(3,5-dimethylbenzofuran-2-yl)-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)ethan-1-ol against yeasts of M. furfur DSM 6170 (MIC = MBC = 64 µg mL-1). In turn, from among the tested ketones, 1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-bromoethanones (1-4) were found to be the most active against M. furfur DSM 6170 (MIC = MBC = 1.5 µg mL-1) (MIC-minimal inhibitory concentration, MBC-minimal biocidal concentration).

Evaluation of the usefulness of selected methods for the detection of carbapenemases in Klebsiella strains.

Introduction. Klebsiella rods, belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, are generally opportunistic pathogens commonly associated with nosocomial infections, especially in intensive care units. Interestingly, strains of this genus also show multi-drug resistance. In recent years, multiple studies have indicated that the prevalence of carbapenem resistance has increased rapidly among Klebsiella representatives.Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of selected phenotypic and genotypic methods for the detection of the most important carbapenemases in Klebsiella strains.Methodology. The study involved 51 Klebsiella strains. The ability to produce carbapenemases was determined by phenotypic methods (double disc synergy test, test with four discs and three inhibitors, CarbaNP test, culture on chromogenic medium, panels of automatic method - Phoenix, CIM test and modified Hodge test). The potential for carbapenemase synthesis was also evaluated using real-time PCR, detecting bla VIM/IMP, bla KPC, bla NDM and bla OXA-48 genes.Results. Using the phenotypic methods, positive results were obtained for all of the analysed strains. Using PCR, carbapenemase synthesis potential was confirmed on the molecular level; the bla VIM gene was detected in 23 strains, the bla NDM gene in 26 strains and the bla OXA-48 gene in two strains.Conclusion. There was complete agreement between the carbapenemases detected by the genetic method and the results obtained with phenotypic methods.

Effect of chemical structure of benzofuran derivatives and reaction conditions on enantioselective properties of Aureobasidium pullulans microorganism contained in Boni Protect antifungal agent.

Bioorganic asymmetric reduction of carbonyl compounds is one of the most important fundamental and practical reactions for producing chiral alcohols. The stereoselective bioreduction of prochiral ketones of benzofuran derivatives in the presence of yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans contained in the antifungal Boni Protect agent was studied. Biotransformations were carried out under moderate conditions in an aqueous and two-phase system and without multiplication of the bioreagent. Despite similar chemical structure, each of the used ketone has been reduced with varying efficiency and selectivity. One of the reasons for these results is the presence of a whole set of oxidoreductases in A. pullulans cells that are sensitive to the smallest changes in the structure of prochiral substrate. The unsymmetrical methyl ketones were biotransformed with the highest selectivity. Aureobasidium pullulans microorganism is less effective in the reduction of unsymmetrical halomethyl ketones. The presence of a heteroatom in the alkyl group significantly decreases the selectivity of the process. Finally, as a result of the preferred hydride ion transfer from the dihydropyridine ring of the cofactor to the carbonyl double bond on the re side, secondary alcohols of the S and R configuration were obtained with moderate to high enantioselectivity (55-99%).

Immunodominant AH1 Antigen-Deficient Necroptotic, but Not Apoptotic, Murine Cancer Cells Induce Antitumor Protection.

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) occurs when a dying cell releases cytokines and damage-associated molecular patterns, acting as adjuvants, and expresses Ags that induce a specific antitumor immune response. ICD is studied mainly in the context of regulated cell death pathways, especially caspase-mediated apoptosis marked by endoplasmic reticulum stress and calreticulin exposure and, more recently, also in relation to receptor-interacting protein kinase-driven necroptosis, whereas unregulated cell death like accidental necrosis is nonimmunogenic. Importantly, the murine cancer cell lines used in ICD studies often express virally derived peptides that are recognized by the immune system as tumor-associated Ags. However, it is unknown how different cell death pathways may affect neoepitope cross-presentation and Ag recognition of cancer cells. We used a prophylactic tumor vaccination model and observed that both apoptotic and necroptotic colon carcinoma CT26 cells efficiently immunized mice against challenge with a breast cancer cell line that expresses the same immunodominant tumor Ag, AH1, but only necroptotic CT26 cells would mount an immune response against CT26-specific neoepitopes. By CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, we knocked out AH1 and saw that only necroptotic CT26 cells were still able to protect mice against tumor challenge. Hence, in this study, we show that endogenous AH1 tumor Ag expression can mask the strength of immunogenicity induced by different cell death pathways and that upon knockout of AH1, necroptosis was more immunogenic than apoptosis in a prophylactic tumor vaccination model. This work highlights necroptosis as a possible preferred ICD form over apoptosis in the treatment of cancer.

Characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes Strains Isolated from Milk and Humans and the Possibility of Milk-Borne Strains Transmission.

Listeria monocytogenes is the etiological factor of listeriosis. The main source of these organisms is food, including dairy products. The aim was to determine the multiple correlations between the drug susceptibility, virulence genes (VGs), and biofilm formation on silicone teat cups of milk-borne and human L. monocytogenes strains. The spread of L. monocytogenes via contaminated teat rubbers was assessed. The L. monocytogenes strains recovered from milk (18), human blood (10), and the reference strain ATCC®19111™ were used in the study. Penicillin resistance was the most prevalent resistance in the milk isolates (n=8; 44.4%), whereas among clinical strains erythromycin resistance was predominating - (n=6; 60%). The most frequent VGs among strains isolated from milk were hlyA (100%) and plcB (100%) whereas in strains isolated from blood - hlyA (100%) and prfA (90%). All tested VGs were present in 50% of blood isolates and 11% of milk-borne strains. The strains isolated from milk formed a significantly stronger biofilm. The strains with more numerous virulence genes were resistant to more antibiotics and formed a stronger biofilm. It was shown that contaminated teat cups might contribute to the transmission of L. monocytogenes in the herd. It seems reasonable to monitor the occurrence of L. monocytogenes biofilm in a dairy processing environment.Listeria monocytogenes is the etiological factor of listeriosis. The main source of these organisms is food, including dairy products. The aim was to determine the multiple correlations between the drug susceptibility, virulence genes (VGs), and biofilm formation on silicone teat cups of milk-borne and human L. monocytogenes strains. The spread of L. monocytogenes via contaminated teat rubbers was assessed. The L. monocytogenes strains recovered from milk (18), human blood (10), and the reference strain ATCC®19111™ were used in the study. Penicillin resistance was the most prevalent resistance in the milk isolates (n=8; 44.4%), whereas among clinical strains erythromycin resistance was predominating ­ (n=6; 60%). The most frequent VGs among strains isolated from milk were hlyA (100%) and plcB (100%) whereas in strains isolated from blood ­ hlyA (100%) and prfA (90%). All tested VGs were present in 50% of blood isolates and 11% of milk-borne strains. The strains isolated from milk formed a significantly stronger biofilm. The strains with more numerous virulence genes were resistant to more antibiotics and formed a stronger biofilm. It was shown that contaminated teat cups might contribute to the transmission of L. monocytogenes in the herd. It seems reasonable to monitor the occurrence of L. monocytogenes biofilm in a dairy processing environment.

The application of safe for humans and the environment Polyversum antifungal agent containing living cells of Pythium oligandrum for biotransformation of prochiral ketones.

This report presents the whole-cell biotransformation of benzofuranyl-methyl ketone derivatives with the application of Polyversum antifungal agent containing Pythium oligandrum microorganism. Stereochemistry of the reduction of prochiral substrates was modified by the bioconversion conditions (concentration of reagents, a source of the carbon atom, biotransformation medium). In optimized conditions enantioselective process was noted. Secondary alcohols with excellent enantiomeric purity and high yields were obtained. The enantiomeric excess and conversion degree of 1-(benzofuran-2-yl)ethanol, 1-(7-ethylbenzofuran-2-yl)ethanol and 1-(3,7-dimethylbenzofuran-2-yl)ethanol were 99%/98.1%, 94%/94.4% and 99%/72.6%, respectively. In the presence of P. oligandrum, one of the enantiotopic hydrides of the dihydropyridine ring coenzyme is selectively transferred to a re side of the prochiral carbonyl group to give products with S configuration. This study demonstrates an inexpensive, eco-friendly approach in synthesis of optically pure benzofuran derivatives and can be an interesting alternative to organocatalysis. Furthermore, this method can be used in biotechnology processes due to its good chemical performance and a high degree of product isolation.

Comparison of the effectiveness of dipping agents on bacteria causing mastitis in cattle.

INTRODUCTION: Mastitis may result in physical, chemical and microbiological changes in milk and pathological lesions in the glandular tissue. Milk derived from cows with mastitis may become a cause of infections in humansw and animals. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of selected dipping agents in the inactivation of several bacteria that may cause mastitis in cattle. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three strains of each of the following species: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, isolated from milk, were used in the study. Identification of isolates was carried out using the automatic system VITEK2 Compact. Evaluation of the genetic similarity between the tested strains was made using the RAPD technique. Drug susceptibility of strains was evaluated with the disc diffusion method. Assessment of the effectiveness of iodine, stabilized iodine, povidone iodine and chlorhexidine was performed using fragments of skin from cow teats. RESULTS: All the tested strains were genetically different. Most of them were susceptible to the studied antibiotics. Only two strains of L. monocytogenes were resistant to all the studied antibiotics. The percentage rate of reduction in the number of bacteria after using of dipping agents was very high (>90%). The most susceptible to the dipping preparations used were L. monocytogenes (99.6 - 99.9%). Stabilized iodine was the most effective dipping agent for all tested bacteria, causing a reduction rate in the number of bacteria from 99.80% (E. coli) - 99.99% (S. aureus, L. monocytogenes). CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained may contribute to a reduction in udder infections in cows, especially mastitis, and improve the quality of the milk.

Virulence-associated genes and antibiotic susceptibility among vaginal and rectal Escherichia coli isolates from healthy pregnant women in Poland.

Vaginal and/or rectal Escherichia coli colonization of pregnant women is sometimes associated with neonatal infections. Despite the relevance of these strains, they have been rarely described before. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare vaginal (VEC) and rectal E. coli (REC) isolates in respect of antimicrobial susceptibility and the frequency of virulence-associated genes (VAGs). The antimicrobial susceptibility of 50 VEC and 50 REC isolates was performed by using the disc diffusion method, and VAGs were detected by PCR. There were no significant differences in the antimicrobial resistance between VEC and REC. Both VEC and REC isolates were mostly resistant to ticarcillin (36 and 30%) and ampicillin (36 and 22%). None of the tested isolates was positive for ESBL. Gene's fimH, fimA, sfa/foc, iutA, ibeA, hlyF, and neuC were detected, respectively, in 98, 92, 32, 28, 12, 8, and 2% of VEC and in 94, 72, 12, 34, 8, 10, and 8% of REC isolates. The co-occurrence of fimA/H and sfa/foc genes was significantly more prevalent among VEC isolates, in comparison to REC isolates. The study indicated that VEC and REC isolates are quite similar in terms of antimicrobial non-susceptibility and VAGs.

Microbiological purity assessment of cosmetics used by one and several persons and cosmetics after their expiry date

Background: Microbiological purity of cosmetics provides safety of users during their use, prevents physicochemical changes of a preparation, infections and diseases of the skin. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the level of microbiological contamination of cosmetics used by one person and by several people and cosmetics after their expiry date in relations to standards for marketed cosmetics, ensuring safety of their use. Material and Methods: This study was conducted using 55 samples representing 19 types of cosmetics, divided into three groups: used by one person, used by several people and after the expiry date. In cosmetic samples the general numbers of aerobic mesophilic bacteria were determined with the spread plate method on tryptic-soy agar. The presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans were also checked. Results: The number of aerobic mesophylic bacteria in the tested cosmetics ranged from the level below the method detectability to 1.3×107 cfu/g or ml. The presence of Staphylococcus spp. was found in 11 (20.0%) tested cosmetic samples and of P. aeruginosa in one tested preparation. Yeasts C. albicans were not detected, whereas contamination with fungi Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. ranging from 0.5×101 to 1.5×101 cfu/g or ml was recorded in four cosmetics. The level of microbiological contamination of cosmetics used by several people was higher than that of cosmetics used by one person. Cosmetics after the expiry date showed the highest microbiological contamination. Conclusions: The number of users of cosmetic and it expiry date exceeding influenced the level of microbial contamination of preparations.

Virulence genes and antimicrobial susceptibility of lactose-negative and lactose-positive strains of Escherichia coli isolated from pregnant women and neonates.

Escherichia coli can cause serious infections in the neonates and pregnant women. Although E. coli is widely studied, E. coli lactose-negative (lac-) strains have been rarely described before. So, the aim of this study was to compare lac- and lactose-positive (lac+) E. coli strains in respect of antimicrobial susceptibility and the frequency of virulence genes (VGs). The study included 58 lac+ and 58 lac- E. coli strains isolated from pregnant women and neonates. Culture and the results of biochemical reactions were conducted for lac- and lac+ E. coli identification and differentiation. Disc diffusion test was performed to study the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates, and PCR was used to detect VGs. Resistance to at least one of the tested antibiotics was found among 14 (25.9%) E. coli lac+ and in 26 (44.9%) E. coli lac- strains. Both lac+ and lac- E. coli strains were mostly resistant to ampicillin (22.4 and 39.7%) and ticarcillin (20.7 and 39.7%). None of the tested strains produced extended-spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBLs). Genes fimH, fimA, iutA, sfa/foc, neuC, ibeA, and hlyF were detected, respectively, in 96.6, 82.8, 32.8, 24.1, 22.4, 12.1, and 6.9% of lac+ E. coli strains and in 94.8, 86.2, 48.3, 19.0, 8.6, 8.6, and 1.7% of lac- strains. The antimicrobial susceptibility and the pathogenic potential of both tested groups of E. coli strains are similar. Therefore, omitting E. coli lac- strains as a potential etiological agent of infections may pose a threat to the health and life of both mothers and neonates.

Vaccination with Necroptotic Cancer Cells Induces Efficient Anti-tumor Immunity.

Successful immunogenic apoptosis in experimental cancer therapy depends on the induction of strong host anti-tumor responses. Given that tumors are often resistant to apoptosis, it is important to identify alternative molecular mechanisms that elicit immunogenic cell death. We have developed a genetic model in which direct dimerization of FADD combined with inducible expression of RIPK3 promotes necroptosis. We report that necroptotic cancer cells release damage-associated molecular patterns and promote maturation of dendritic cells, the cross-priming of cytotoxic T cells, and the production of IFN-γ in response to tumor antigen stimulation. Using both FADD-dependent and FADD-independent RIPK3 induction systems, we demonstrate the efficient vaccination potential of immunogenic necroptotic cells. Our study broadens the current concept of immunogenic cell death and opens doors for the development of new strategies in cancer therapy.

Bone Mineral Density and Biochemical Markers of Bone Metabolism in Women Engaging in Recreational Horseback Riding.

BACKGROUND: An increased occurrence of lifestyle-related diseases such as osteoporosis indicates the necessity for taking preventive action, including regularly engaging in physical activity. The aim of the study was to assess the areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and bone turnover markers levels in young adult women engaging in recreational horseback riding and to determine the relationship between training characteristics and bone metabolism indices. METHODS: The study involved 43 women: 23 equestrians and 20 age- and body mass index-matched controls. The hip and spine aBMD and serum levels of the bone turnover markers: osteocalcin and collagen type I cross-linked C-telopeptide were measured. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in somatic features, concentrations of bone turnover markers, or bone mass variables. Correlation analysis of the equestrian participants showed significant relationship between body mass and BMDL1-L4 (P < .05) as well as between BMI and BMDL1-L4 (P ≤ .01) and z-score L1-L4 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The study showed no differences in bone mass and levels of bone metabolic indices between groups of women practicing horseback riding at the recreational level and subjects who do not participate in frequent systematic physical activity. No relationship between training characteristics and bone turnover markers were found.