Oxacillinases and antimicrobial susceptibility of Ralstonia pickettii from pharmaceutical water systems in Croatia

This study evaluated antibiotic susceptibility and presence of bla_OXA22 and bla_OXA60 genes in 81 isolates of Ralstonia pickettii obtained from different purified and ultra-pure water systems in two different geographical areas of Croatia. E-test and disc diffusion test were performed to determine antibiotic susceptibility. Polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect genes encoding OXA-22 and OXA-60 oxacillinases previously identified in R. pickettii. The isolates were genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The results revealed variable susceptibility/resistance profiles. Our isolates exhibited high susceptibility rates to ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, piperacillin-tazobactam, ciprofloxacin, imipenem, cefepime and in lesser extent to ceftazidime. High rates of susceptibility were also observed for sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim and piperacillin. High resistance rates were noticed for ticarcillin-clavulanate, aztreonam and meropenem, as well as for all aminoglycosides tested. Modified Hodge test was positive in 51·9% strains, indicating production of carbapenemases. bla_OXA22 and bla_OXA60 genes were detected in 37·0 and 80·3% strains, respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified three major clusters containing subclusters. R. pickettii should be taken seriously as a possible cause of nosocomial infections to ensure adequate therapy, to prevent the development of resistant strains and to try to reduce the possibility of R. pickettii surviving in clean and ultra clean water systems.     

Nemosis, a novel way of fibroblast activation, in inflammation and cancer

Malignant cells when grown in suspension, as a rule, proliferate and can form spheroids that have been used as a model of tumor nodules, micrometastases and avascular tumors. In contrast, normal adherent cells cannot be stimulated to grow as multicellular aggregates. Now, recent results show that normal fibroblasts if forced to cluster (spheroid formation) do not grow but undergo a new pathway of cell activation (nemosis) leading to a massive proinflammatory, proteolytic and growth factor response. The clustering and activation are initiated by fibronectin-integrin interaction. The activated fibroblasts are able to modulate the behavior of cancer cells and, furthermore malignant cells boost this activation even further. In this model, the activation of fibroblasts terminates in programmed necrosis-like cell death. Activation of the tumor stroma, especially of fibroblasts, is of critical importance for tumor progression, although mechanisms leading to their activation are still largely uncharacterized. In summary, our results suggest that this kind of fibroblast activation (nemosis) may be involved in pathological conditions such as inflammation and cancer.     

Towards the use of ecological heterogeneity to design reserve networks: a case study from Dadia National Park,Greece

In this paper, we present a novel approach for using ecological heterogeneity in reserve design. We measured five ecological heterogeneity indices (EHI) and we used a database of six biological groups (woody plants, orchids, orthopterans, aquatic and terrestrial herpetofauna and passerine birds) across 30 sites in a Mediterranean reserve (Greece). We found that all the five EHI were significantly related to the overall species richness and to the species richness of woody plants and birds. Two indices, measuring vertical vegetation complexity (1/D) and horizontal heterogeneity of landcover types (SIDI) in terms of Simpson’s index, predicted well overall species richness and had significantly higher values inside the complementary reserve networks designed after five of the six biological groups. We compared five methods of forming reserve networks. The method of ecological heterogeneity (selecting those sites with the greatest 1/D and then SIDI) was less efficient (non-significantly) than the species-based methods (scoring and complementary networks) but significantly more efficient than the random method (randomly selected network). We also found that the method of complementary ecological heterogeneity (selecting those sites where each EHI had its maximum value) was not that efficient, as it did not differ significantly from the random method. These results underline the potential of the ecological heterogeneity method as an alternative tool in reserve design.     

Identification of novel lignans in the whole grain rye bran by non-targeted LC–MS metabolite profiling

Rye (Secale cereale) is among the richest dietary sources of lignan phytochemicals. Lignans are one of the suggested metabolite groups to contribute to the beneficial health effects of whole grain products evidenced in epidemiological studies. So far, the complete repertoire of lignan derivatives in rye, especially in the bran, has not been fully described. In this study, ten novel oligomeric sesqui- and dilignans were identified in rye bran by the use of high resolution LC?CMS analysis (i.e., UPLC-qTOF-MS/MS). Putative identification of lignan components in the bran was performed by combining: (i) detailed inspection of the fragmentation behavior of available standard compounds belonging to different lignan types, (ii) interpretation of MS/MS data obtained from unknown metabolites in the samples. This combined analysis, particularly detailed MS/MS characterization, is most valuable for non-targeted assays in metabolite-rich matrices such as plant extracts, in which the verification of identity with authentic standards for each detected metabolite is normally not possible. Metabolomics analysis will increasingly aid in deciphering the active compounds in dietary products as part of studies aiming at elucidating the link between human health and nutrition.     

Aryl uracil inhibitors of hepatitis C virus NS5B polymerase: Synthesis and characterization of analogs with a fused 5,6-bicyclic ring motif

The synthesis and structure–activity relationships of a novel aryl uracil series which contains a fused 5,6-bicyclic ring unit for HCV NS5B inhibition is described. Several analogs display replicon cell culture potencies in the low nanomolar range along with excellent rat pharmacokinetic values.     

BEAP profiles as rapid test system for status analysis and early detection of process incidents in biogas plants

Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology - A method was developed to quantify the performance of microorganisms involved in different digestion levels in biogas plants. The test...