The evaluation of skin disinfection efficacy and its influence on prevalence of surgical site infections in patients subjected to laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is "the method of choice" in the treatment of cholelithiasis and its' complications. LC is not devoid of complications, among others, surgical site infection (SSI) but as a result of minimalisation of surgical trauma and immunosuppression after surgery, percentage of SSI is lower than after conventional cholecystectomy. Skin disinfection carried out before operation is thought to minimalise risk of infective complications after LC. 150 patients who had laparoscopic cholecystectomy carried out, were included in prospective study. Efficacy of skin disinfection was based on microbiological assessment including swabs from the umbiliculus before and after skin disinfection, and samples of exsudate or discharge from surgical site (if any). There were 133 (88.6%) patients with positive result of the umbilical swab before the disinfection of the skin, whereas 26 (17.3%) patients had bacteria isolated from the umbilical swab after the disinfection. Among these 26 patients in 19 (73.1%) cases the same species of bacteria were isolated before and after skin disinfection. Among 19 patients with inefficient skin dissinfection in 2 cases we observed SSI. In one of them the same strains of bacteria were isolated from umbilical swab and surgical site. Analysis of drug sensitivity of these isolates showed strict correlation. There were 16 cases of SSI in the whole group and it's rate was 10,6%. Skin disinfection before LC is not fully efficient. Inefficiency of skin disinfection does not increase risk of SSI. Skin dissinfection reduce microbial flora but does not protect from SSI provoked by these microbials.     

Retinylamine Benefits Early Diabetic Retinopathy in Mice

Recent evidence suggests an important role for outer retinal cells in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Here we investigated the effect of the visual cycle inhibitor retinylamine (Ret-NH₂) on the development of early DR lesions. Wild-type (WT) C57BL/6J mice (male, 2 months old when diabetes was induced) were made diabetic with streptozotocin, and some were given Ret-NH₂ once per week. Lecithin-retinol acyltransferase (LRAT)-deficient mice and P23H mutant mice were similarly studied. Mice were euthanized after 2 (WT and Lrat^−/−) and 8 months (WT) of study to assess vascular histopathology, accumulation of albumin, visual function, and biochemical and physiological abnormalities in the retina. Non-retinal effects of Ret-NH₂ were examined in leukocytes treated in vivo. Superoxide generation and expression of inflammatory proteins were significantly increased in retinas of mice diabetic for 2 or 8 months, and the number of degenerate retinal capillaries and accumulation of albumin in neural retina were significantly increased in mice diabetic for 8 months compared with nondiabetic controls. Administration of Ret-NH₂ once per week inhibited capillary degeneration and accumulation of albumin in the neural retina, significantly reducing diabetes-induced retinal superoxide and expression of inflammatory proteins. Superoxide generation also was suppressed in Lrat^−/− diabetic mice. Leukocytes isolated from diabetic mice treated with Ret-NH₂ caused significantly less cytotoxicity to retinal endothelial cells ex vivo than did leukocytes from control diabetics. Administration of Ret-NH₂ once per week significantly inhibited the pathogenesis of lesions characteristic of early DR in diabetic mice. The visual cycle constitutes a novel target for inhibition of DR.     

High occurrence of rare inland halophytes on post‐mining sites in western Ukraine

Rare inland halophytic vegetation including the associations Salicornietum prostratae, Spergulario marginatae‐Suaedetum prostratae, Puccinellietum limosae, com. Puccinellietum limosae – a variant of Aster tripolium subsp. pannonicus and Astero pannonici‐Bolboschoenetum compacti have been found on 3 localities in the Drohobych region of western Ukraine. These are isolated (‘island’) localities, almost unknown until today. Halophytes grew there on salted sites in the vicinity of the old salt industry. Species of halophytes previously not known from this region were discovered: Aster tripolium subsp. pannonicus, Bolboschoenus maritimus, Gypsophila paniculata, Limonium gmelinii, Lotus tenuis, Puccinellia distans, Sonchus palustris, Suaeda prostrata, Trifolium fragiferum var. bonannii, Triglochin maritima, Typha laxmannii and Zannichellia palustris subsp. pedicellata. The occurence of these plants strictly depends on the presence of salt in the soil and they are endangered by shrinkage of salted sites following the termination of the salt industry in Drohobych region.     

The Shepherds’ Tale: A Genome-Wide Study across 9 Dog Breeds Implicates Two Loci in the Regulation of Fructosamine Serum Concentration in Belgian Shepherds

Diabetes mellitus is a serious health problem in both dogs and humans. Certain dog breeds show high prevalence of the disease, whereas other breeds are at low risk. Fructosamine and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) are two major biomarkers of glycaemia, where serum concentrations reflect glucose turnover over the past few weeks to months. In this study, we searched for genetic factors influencing variation in serum fructosamine concentration in healthy dogs using data from nine dog breeds. Considering all breeds together, we did not find any genome-wide significant associations to fructosamine serum concentration. However, by performing breed-specific analyses we revealed an association on chromosome 3 (p_corrected ≈ 1:68 × 10^-6) in Belgian shepherd dogs of the Malinois subtype. The associated region and its close neighbourhood harbours interesting candidate genes such as LETM1 and GAPDH that are important in glucose metabolism and have previously been implicated in the aetiology of diabetes mellitus. To further explore the genetics of this breed specificity, we screened the genome for reduced heterozygosity stretches private to the Belgian shepherd breed. This revealed a region with reduced heterozygosity that shows a statistically significant interaction (p = 0.025) with the association region on chromosome 3. This region also harbours some interesting candidate genes and regulatory regions but the exact mechanisms underlying the interaction are still unknown. Nevertheless, this finding provides a plausible explanation for breed-specific genetic effects for complex traits in dogs. Shepherd breeds are at low risk of developing diabetes mellitus. The findings in Belgian shepherds could be connected to a protective mechanism against the disease. Further insight into the regulation of glucose metabolism could improve diagnostic and therapeutic methods for diabetes mellitus.     

Characterization of a Single-Stranded DNA-Binding-Like Protein from Nanoarchaeum equitans—A Nucleic Acid Binding Protein with Broad Substrate Specificity

BackgroundSSB (single-stranded DNA-binding) proteins play an essential role in all living cells and viruses, as they are involved in processes connected with ssDNA metabolism. There has recently been an increasing interest in SSBs, since they can be applied in molecular biology techniques and analytical methods. Nanoarchaeum equitans, the only known representative of Archaea phylum Nanoarchaeota, is a hyperthermophilic, nanosized, obligatory parasite/symbiont of Ignicoccus hospitalis.ResultsThis paper reports on the ssb-like gene cloning, gene expression and characterization of a novel nucleic acid binding protein from Nanoarchaeum equitans archaeon (NeqSSB-like protein). This protein consists of 243 amino acid residues and one OB fold per monomer. It is biologically active as a monomer like as SSBs from some viruses. The NeqSSB-like protein displays a low sequence similarity to the Escherichia coli SSB, namely 10% identity and 29% similarity, and is the most similar to the Sulfolobus solfataricus SSB (14% identity and 32% similarity). The NeqSSB-like protein binds to ssDNA, although it can also bind mRNA and, surprisingly, various dsDNA forms, with no structure-dependent preferences as evidenced by gel mobility shift assays. The size of the ssDNA binding site, which was estimated using fluorescence spectroscopy, is 7±1 nt. No salt-dependent binding mode transition was observed. NeqSSB-like protein probably utilizes a different model for ssDNA binding than the SSB proteins studied so far. This protein is highly thermostable; the half-life of the ssDNA binding activity is 5 min at 100°C and melting temperature (T_m) is 100.2°C as shown by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis.ConclusionNeqSSB-like protein is a novel highly thermostable protein which possesses a unique broad substrate specificity and is able to bind all types of nucleic acids.     

Effects of total gastrectomy on plasma silicon and amino acid concentrations in men

The aim of the study was to determine one-year effects of total gastrectomy on plasma silicon and free amino acid concentrations in patients and evaluate changes of volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in lumbar spine. Eight patients were enrolled to the control (CTR) group. Six patients subjected to total gastrectomy (GX group) were included to the experimental group. vBMD in trabecular and cortical bone was measured in lumbar vertebrae at baseline (before surgery) and one year later using quantitative computed tomography. Plasma concentrations of silicon and free amino acids were determined at baseline and one year later using photometric method and ion-exchange chromatography. Body weights within CTR and GX groups were not different after one-year follow-up when compared to the baseline values (P > 0.05). An average annual decrease of vBMD in the trabecular bone in the gastrectomized patients reached 15.0% in lumbar spine and was significantly different in comparison to the percentage changes observed in CTR group (P = 0.02). One-year percentage change of vBMD in the cortical bone in L₁ and L₂ has shown significantly decreased values by 10.5 and 9.1% in the GX group when compared to the percentage change observed in the controls (P < 0.05). Plasma concentration of adipic acid was significantly higher by 101.6% one year after total gastrectomy procedure in the patients when compared to the baseline value (P = 0.01). Plasma concentration of silicon was significantly lowered by 26.7% one year after the total gastrectomy when compared to the baseline value (P = 0.009). Total gastrectomy in patients has induced severe osteoporotic changes in lumbar spine within one-year period. The observed osteoporotic changes were associated with decreased plasma concentration of silicon indicating importance of exocrine and endocrine functions of stomach for silicon homeostasis maintenance. Gastrectomy-induced bone loss was not related to decreased amino acid concentration in plasma obtained from overnight fasted patients.     

The Examination of the Musculoskeletal System Based Only on the Evaluation of Pelvic-Hip Complex Muscle and Trunk Flexibility May Lead to Failure to Screen Children for Generalized Joint Hypermobility

Objective

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the clinical assessment of the pelvic-hip complex muscle and trunk flexibility is sufficient for diagnosing generalized joint hypermobility (GJH).

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

Center of Body Posture in Olsztyn, North East Poland.

Participants

The study included 136 females and 113 males aged 10–13 years.

Main outcome measures

In order to assess muscle flexibility, the straight leg raise (SLR) test (for hamstring) and modified Thomas test for one- (O-JHF) and two-joint (T-JHF) hip flexors were performed. To evaluate trunk flexibility the fingertip-to-floor (FTF) and lateral trunk flexion (LTF) tests were used. The GJH occurrence was assessed with the use of nine-point Beighton scale (threshold value ≥5 points for females, ≥4 for males). The analysis was carried out separately for females and males.

Results

There were no significant differences between females with versus without GJH, and males with versus without GJH regarding SLR (p = 0.86, p = 0.19 for females and males, respectively), O-JHF (p = 0.89, p = 0.35 for females and males, respectively), T-JHF (p = 0.77, p = 0.4 for females and males, respectively), FTF (p = 0.19, p = 0.84 for females and males, respectively) and LTF (p = 0.58, p = 0.35 for females and males, respectively) tests results.

Conclusions

Clinical examination of the pelvic-hip complex muscles and trunk flexibility by use of SLR, O-JHF, T-JHF, FTF and LTF revealed to be insufficient in diagnosing GJH in children aged 10–13 years. Thus, the Beighton scale should be considered a standard element of physiotherapeutic examination of the musculoskeletal system in children and youth.