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Background: Technosoils in Inowrocław, central Poland, are impacted by human activities and exhibit high salinity (ECe up to 70 dS/m) due to a soda lime repository. These saline environments pose challenges to plant growth and soil health. However, they also offer an opportunity for the evolution of microorganisms adapted to such conditions, including plant growth-promoting rhizospheric (PGPR) bacteria. The hypothesis tested here was that introducing PGPR bacteria from these environments could boost degraded soil performance, leading to better plant biomass and improved pathogen defense., Methods: Azotobacter chroococcum W4ii was isolated from the rhizosphere of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) for its plant growth properties on wheat plants under salt stress., Results: Wheat seeds co-inoculated with A. chroococcum W4ii under 200 mM salt stress showed significant improvement in various growth parameters such as seeds germination (by 130%), shoot biomass (15%), chlorophyll b content (40%) compared to un-inoculated ones. Bacterial inoculation decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) by 55.5% (P<0.001), whereas it elevated the antioxidative enzymatic activities of peroxidase (POD) by 33.69% (P<0.001). The test isolate also significantly (P<0.05) enhanced the level of defense enzymes like β-1,3-glucanase, which can protect plants from infection by pathogens. The bacterium could also successfully colonize the wheat plants., Conclusions: These results indicate that A. chroococcum isolated from the technosoil has the potential to promote wheat growth under salt stress and can be further used as a bioinoculant in the salt affected agricultural fields., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Binod Kumar S et al.)

The aim of this work was to develop and characterize a thin films composed of hyaluronic acid/ellagic acid for potential medical application. Its principal novelty, distinct from the prior literature in terms of hyaluronic acid films supplemented with phenolic acids, resides in the predominant incorporation of ellagic acid-a distinguished compound-as the primary constituent of the films. Herein, ellagic acid was dissolved in two different solvents, i.e., acetic acid (AcOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and the surface properties of the resultant films were assessed using atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurements. Additionally, various physicochemical parameters were evaluated including moisture content, antioxidant activity, and release of ellagic acid in phosphate buffered saline. Furthermore, the evaluation of films' biocompatibility was conducted using human epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and human amelanotic melanoma cells (A375 and G361), and the antimicrobial activity was elucidated accordingly against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442. Our results showed that the films exhibited prominent antibacterial properties particularly against Staphylococcus aureus , with the 80HA/20EA/AcOH film indicating the strong biocidal activity against this strain leading to a significant reduction in viable cells. Comparatively, the 50HA/50EA/AcOH film also displayed biocidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus . This experimental approach could be a promising technique for future applications in regenerative dermatology or novel strategies in terms of bioengineering.

Currently, natural polymer materials with bactericidal properties are extremely popular. Unfortunately, although the biopolymer material itself is biodegradable, its enrichment with bactericidal compounds may affect the efficiency of biodegradation by natural soil microflora. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of fungi belonging to the genus Trichoderma in facilitating the degradation of chitosan film modified with cinnamic acid and ellagic acid in the soil environment. Only two strains (T.07 and T.14) used chitosan films as a source of carbon and nitrogen. However, their respiratory activity decreased with the addition of tested phenolic acids, especially cinnamic acid. Addition of Trichoderma isolates to the soil increased oxygen consumption during the biodegradation process compared with native microorganisms, especially after application of the T.07 and T.14 consortium. Isolates T.07 and T.14 showed high lipolytic (55.78 U/h and 62.21 U/h) and chitinase (43.03 U/h and 41.27 U/h) activities. Chitinase activity after incorporation of the materials into the soil was higher for samples enriched with T.07, T.14 and the consortium. The isolates were classified as Trichoderma sp. and Trichoderma koningii. Considering the outcomes derived from our findings, it is our contention that the application of Trichoderma isolates holds promise for expediting the degradation process of chitosan materials containing bactericidal compounds.

We present new polymer materials consisting of polycaprolactone (PCL), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and birch tar (D). PEG was introduced into the polymer matrix in order to obtain a plasticizing effect, while tar was added to obtain antibacterial properties and to change the physicochemical properties of the film. The materials were obtained by the solvent method and characterized using a variety of methods to test their performance and susceptibility to biodegradation. The obtained data indicate that the introduction of the bioactive substance (D) into PCL improved the thermal stability and significantly lowered the Young's modulus values of the tested polymers. Moreover, the addition of birch tar improved the barrier and bacteriostatic properties, resulting in a reduction in the growth of pathogenic bacteria on the surface of the film. The films are not mutagenic but are susceptible to biodegradation in various environments. Due to their properties, they have potential for application in agriculture and horticulture and for packaging food, mainly vegetables grown in the field.

The best strategy for lead management in children is a matter of debate, and our experiences are limited. This is a retrospective single-center study comparing difficulties and outcomes of transvenous lead extraction (TLE) implanted ich childhood and at age < 19 years (childhood-implanted-childhood-extracted, CICE) and at age < 19 (childhood-implanted-adulthood-extracted, CIAE). CICE patients-71 children (mean age 15.1 years) as compared to CIAE patients (114 adults (mean age 28.61 years) were more likely to have VVI than DDD pacemakers. Differences in implant duration (7.96 vs 14.08 years) appeared to be most important, but procedure complexity and outcomes also differed between the groups. Young adults with cardiac implantable electronic device implanted in childhood had more risk factors for major complications and underwent more complex procedures compared to children. Implant duration was significantly longer in CIAE patients than in children, being the most important factor that had an impact on patient safety and procedure complexity. CIAE patients were more likely to have prolonged operative duration and more complex procedures due to technical problems, and they were 2-3 times more likely to require second-line or advanced tools compared to children, but the rates of clinical and procedural success were comparable in both groups. The difference between the incidence of major complications between CICE and CIAE patients is very clear (MC 2.9 vs 7.0%, hemopericardium 1.4 vs 5.3% etc.), although statistically insignificant. Delay of lead extraction to adulthood seems to be a riskier option than planned TLE in children before growing up., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The aim of the study was to determine the potential use of fungi of the genus Trichoderma for the degradation of phenolic acid-modified chitosan in compost. At the same time, the enzymatic activity in the compost was checked after the application of a preparation containing a suspension of the fungi Trichoderma (spores concentration 10 5 /mL). The Trichoderma strains were characterized by high lipase and aminopeptidase activity, chitinase, and β-1,3-glucanases. T. atroviride TN1 and T. citrinoviride TN3 metabolized the modified chitosan films best. Biodegradation of modified chitosan films by native microorganisms in the compost was significantly less effective than after the application of a formulation composed of Trichoderma TN1 and TN3. Bioaugmentation with a Trichoderma preparation had a significant effect on the activity of all enzymes in the compost. The highest oxygen consumption in the presence of chitosan with tannic acid film was found after the application of the consortium of these strains (861 mg O 2 /kg after 21 days of incubation). Similarly, chitosan with gallic acid and chitosan with ferulic acid were found after the application of the consortium of these strains (849 mgO 2 /kg and 725 mg O 2 /kg after 21 days of incubation). The use of the Trichoderma consortium significantly increased the chitinase activity. The application of Trichoderma also offers many possibilities in sustainable agriculture. Trichoderma can not only degrade chitosan films, but also protect plants against fungal pathogens by synthesizing chitinases and β -1,3 glucanases with antifungal properties., Competing Interests: The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Chemical fertilization has a negative impact on the natural environment. Plant growth-promoting (PGP) rhizobacterial biofertilizers can be a safer alternative to synthetic agrochemicals. In this research, a culture-based method was used to assess the population size of rhizobacteria at the vegetative, flowering, and maturity stages of canola. Rhizobacteria were then isolated from each of the canola growth stages, and their seven PGP traits were determined. The highest abundance of culturable bacteria was found at the vegetative stage of the plants. Furthermore, four out of seven PGP traits were produced by the highest % of isolates at the vegetative stage. In the greenhouse experiment that included six rhizobacterial strains with best PGP traits, the greatest canola growth promotion ability under sterile conditions was observed after the introduction of Bacillus paralicheniformis 2R5. Moreover, under nonsterile conditions, 2R5 significantly increased canola growth. The presence of the trpA, B, C, D, E, F and pstA, and S genes in the 2R5 genome could be associated with canola growth promotion abilities. The chiA and mbtH genes could contribute to 2R5 antifungal activity against fungal pathogens. Moreover, the introduction of 2R5 significantly increased the abundance of the narG, nosZ, nifH, and nirS genes, which can prove that the 2R5 strain may be an important member of the soil bacterial community., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.)

Prolonged inflammation induced by orthopedic metallic implants can critically affect the success rates, which can even lead to aseptic loosening and consequent implant failure. In the case of adverse clinical conditions involving osteoporosis, orthopedic trauma and implant corrosion-wear in peri-implant region, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity is enhanced which leads to increased oxidative stress. Metallic implant materials (such as titanium and its alloys) can induce increased amount of ROS, thereby critically influencing the healing process. This will consequently affect the bone remodeling process and increase healing time. The current review explores the ROS generation aspects associated with Ti-based metallic biomaterials and the various surface modification strategies developed specifically to improve antioxidant aspects of Ti surfaces. The initial part of this review explores the ROS generation associated with Ti implant materials and the associated ROS metabolism resulting in the formation of superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide radicals. This is followed by a comprehensive overview of various organic and inorganic coatings/materials for effective antioxidant surfaces and outlook in this research direction. Overall, this review highlights the critical need to consider the aspects of ROS generation as well as oxidative stress while designing an implant material and its effective surface engineering.

Background: Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) are very rare in the pediatric population. In children with CIED, transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is often necessary. The course and effects of TLE in children are different than in adults. Thus, this study determined the differences and specific characteristics of TLE in children vs. adults., Methods and results: A post hoc analysis of TLE data in 63 children (age ≤18 years) and 2,659 adults (age ≥40 years) was performed. The 2 groups were compared with respect to risk factors, procedure complexity, and effectiveness. In children, the predominant pacing mode was a single chamber ventricular system and lead dysfunction was the main indication for lead extraction. The mean implant duration before TLE was longer in children (P=0.03), but the dwell time of the oldest extracted lead did not differ significantly between adults and children. The duration (P=0.006) and mean extraction time per lead (P<0.001) were longer in children, with more technical difficulties during TLE in the pediatric group (P<0.001). Major complications were more common, albeit not significantly, in children. Complete radiographic and procedural success were significantly lower in children (P<0.001)., Conclusions: TLE in children is frequently more complex, time consuming, and arduous, and procedural success is more often lower. This is related to the formation of strong fibrous tissue surrounding the leads in pediatric patients.

Inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is an eco-friendly sustainable strategy for improving crop productivity in diverse environments under different conditions. Our earlier study demonstrated that Pseudomonas sivasensis 2RO45 significantly stimulated canola ( Brassica napus L. var. napus ) growth. The aim of the present study was to investigate the structural and functional dynamics in the canola rhizosphere microbiome after inoculation with PGPR P. sivasensis 2RO45. The results based on alpha diversity metrics showed that P. sivasensis 2RO45 did not significantly alter the diversity of the native soil microbiota. However, the introduced strain modified the taxonomic structure of microbial communities, increasing the abundance of plant beneficial microorganisms, e.g., bacteria affiliated with families Comamonadaceae , Vicinamibacteraceae , genus Streptomyces , and fungi assigned to Nectriaceae, Didymellaceae, Exophiala, Cyphellophora vermispora , and Mortierella minutissima . The analysis of community level physiological profiling (CLPP) revealed that microbial communities in the P. sivasensis 2RO45 treated canola rhizospheres were more metabolically active than those in the non-treated canola rhizosphere. Four carbon sources (phenols, polymers, carboxylic acids, and amino acids) were better metabolized by the microbial communities from the rhizosphere of plants inoculated with the P. sivasensis 2RO45 than non-inoculated canola rhizospheres. Based on the community-level physiological profiles, the functional diversity of the rhizosphere microbiome was altered by the P. sivasensis 2RO45 inoculation. Substrate utilization Shannon diversity (H) index and evenness (E) index were significantly increased in the treated canola plants. The study provides new insight into PGPR-canola interactions for sustainable agriculture development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Świątczak, Kalwasińska, Szabó and Swiontek Brzezinska.)

Background: Lead management in children and young adults is still a matter of debate., Methods: To assess the course of transvenous lead extraction (TLE) in adults with pacemakers implanted in childhood (CIP) we compared 98 CIP patients with a control group consisting of adults with pacemakers implanted in adulthood (AIP)., Results: CIP patients differed from AIP patients with respect to indications for TLE and pacing history. CIP patients were four-eight times more likely to require second-line or advanced tools. Furthermore, CIP patients more often than AIP were prone to developing complications: major complications (MC) (any) 2.6 times; hemopericardium 3.2 times; severe tricuspid valve damage 4.4 times; need for rescue cardiac surgery 3.7 times. The rate of procedural success was 11% lower because of 4.8 times more common lead remnants and 3.1 times more frequent permanently disabling complications., Conclusions: Due to system-related risk factors TLE in CIP patients is more difficult and complex. TLE in CIP is associated with an increased risk of MC and incomplete lead removal. A conservative strategy of lead management, acceptable in very old patients seems to be less suitable in CIP because it creates a subpopulation of patients at high risk of major complications during TLE in the future.

A preparation development, which stimulates plant growth under normal and saline conditions, and protects against fungal infections, would increase crop yields and reduce damage in agriculture. This study was conducted using bacterial isolates from rape rhizosphere as a plant growth promoter and an alternative to chemical fertilizers. Three from fifty bacterial isolates: B14 (Pseudomonas sp.), B16 (Sphingobacterium sp.), and B19 (Microbacterium sp.) showed the best in vitro plant growth-promoting (PGP) characteristics. B14 strain had the best antifungal activity against phytopathogens inhibiting growth of B. cinerea, C. acutatum, and P. lingam. Moreover, B14, B16 and B19 isolates coded for several genes involved in PGP activities, aimed at improving nutrient availability, resistance to abiotic stress, and fungal pathogen suppression. Microbial consortium (B14, B16, and B19) had the best effect on rape growth, significantly increasing number of live leaves, compared to the untreated control and single inoculant treatments. Moreover, the consortium induced significant increase in shoots length and chlorophyll content in comparison to Pseudomonas sp. B14 and Microbacterium sp. B19. The consortium also induced plants tolerance to salt stress. The genomic information as well as the observed traits, and beneficial attributes towards rape, make the rhizobacterial consortium an ideal candidate for further development as biofertilizers., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous cardiomyopathy in which myocardium consists of two, distinct compacted and noncompacted layers, and prominent ventricular trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses are present. LVNC is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, atrial and ventricular arrhythmias and thromboembolic events. Familial forms of primary sinus bradycardia have been attributed to alterations in HCN4 . There are very few reports about the association between HCN4 and LVNC. The aim of our study was to characterize the clinical phenotype of families with LVNC and sinus bradycardia caused by pathogenic variants of the HCN4 gene., Methods: From March 2008 to July 2021, we enrolled six patients from four families with diagnosed isolated LVNC based on the clinical presentation, family history and echocardiographic and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) evidence of LVNC. Next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis was undertaken for the evaluation of the molecular basis of the disease in each family., Results: A total of six children (median age 11 years) were recruited and followed prospectively for the median of 12 years. All six patients were diagnosed with LVNC by echocardiography, and five participants additionally by CMR. The presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was found in three children. Sinus bradycardia and dilation of the ascending aorta occurred in five studied patients. In four patients from three families, the molecular studies demonstrated the presence of rare heterozygous HCN4 variants., Conclusion: (1) The HCN4 molecular variants influence the presence of a complex LVNC phenotype, sinus bradycardia and dilation of the ascending aorta. (2) The HCN4 alteration may be associated with the early presentation of clinical symptoms and the severe course of the disease. (3) It is particularly important to assess myocardial fibrosis not only within the ventricles, but also in the atria in patients with LVNC and sinus bradycardia.

Plant fungal diseases generate serious losses in the agriculture. The bacteria producing biologically active substances that inhibit the growth of fungal pathogens can be an alternative to the chemicals. The chitinolytic bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and their physiological properties which may be useful in the promotion of plant growth have been investigated. Their chitinases and antifungal activity were studied. The isolates were also tested for indirect growth-promoting traits such as ammonia production, siderophore production, hydrogen cyanide production, and salicylic acid production. Two chitinolytic strains B3 and B5 were identified as Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus sp., respectively. They produced active chitinases on a medium containing shrimp shell powder. The purified chitinases having the molecular weight of 35-45 kDa inhibited the growth of important plant pathogens such as Alternaria alternata, and Fusarium oxysporum. Additionally, the isolates showed the ability to produce a broad range of biological substances promoting the growth of plants., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Biodegradable materials, namely pure polylactide (PLA), poly (3,4-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) were investigated to assess their degradability by activated sludge. The study aimed at the isolation of biofilm-forming bacteria and the determination of their hydrolytic activity toward the PLA, PHB, and PCL with embedded PHMG derivatives. The biological oxygen demand and physical properties (tensile strength, water vapor permeability, surface structure) of materials indicated that PCL was the best biodegradable film. Aeromonas and Rhodococcus isolated from the polymers' surface during the process of decomposition showed the ability to form biofilms. The introduction of PHMG derivatives into PLA, PCL, and PHB films did not affect biofilm formation and hydrolase activity for most of the isolates. PHMG derivatives at the concentration of 1% disturbed the degradation process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Deep-subsurface hot brines in northwest Poland, extracted through boreholes reaching 1.6 and 2.6 km below the ground surface, were microbiologically investigated using culture-independent and culture-dependent methods. The high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed a very low diversity of bacterial communities, which were dominated by phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes Bacterial genera potentially involved in sulfur oxidation and nitrate reduction ( Halothiobacillus and Methylobacterium ) prevailed in both waters over the sulfate reducers (" Candidatus Desulforudis" and Desulfotomaculum ). Only one archaeal taxon, affiliated with the order Thermoplasmatales, was detected in analyzed samples. Bacterial isolates obtained from these deep hot brines were closely related to Bacillus paralicheniformis based on the 16S rRNA sequence similarity. However, genomic and physiological analyses made for one of the isolates, Bacillus paralicheniformis strain TS6, revealed the existence of more diverse metabolic pathways than those of its moderate-temperature counterpart. These specific traits may be associated with the ecological adaptations to the extreme habitat, which suggest that some lineages of B. paralicheniformis are halothermophilic. IMPORTANCE Deep-subsurface aquifers, buried thousands of meters down the Earth's crust, belong to the most underexplored microbial habitats. Although a few studies revealed the existence of microbial life at the depths, the knowledge about the microbial life in the deep hydrosphere is still scarce due to the limited access to such environments. Studying the subsurface microbiome provides unique information on microbial diversity, community structure, and geomicrobiological processes occurring under extreme conditions of the deep subsurface. Our study shows that low-diversity microbial assemblages in subsurface hot brines were dominated by the bacteria involved in biogeochemical cycles of sulfur and nitrogen. Based on genomic and physiological analyses, we found that the Bacillus paralicheniformis isolate obtained from the brine under study differed from the mesophilic species in the presence of specific adaptations to harsh environmental conditions. We indicate that some lineages of B. paralicheniformis are halothermophilic, which was not previously reported., (Copyright © 2020 Kalwasińska et al.)

In the presented research the extracellular chitinase of Stenotrophomonas rhizophila G22 was biochemically and molecularly characterized. The studied enzyme was purified from a 72-h bacterial culture about 14 times, with a recovery of 63%. The molecular weight of the purified protein was estimated at 50 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme showed high activity against colloidal chitin. Significantly lower activities were observed with native chitin powder and chitosan. Adsorption of the enzyme to colloidal chitin and to powdered chitin at the level of 75% and 37%, respectively, was observed after 30 min of reaction. Optimum temperature and pH were 37 °C and 5.9, respectively. The enzyme demonstrated higher activity against nitrophenyl-β d N , N ', N ″-triacetylchitotriose and approx. 5 times lower activity for 4-nitrophenyl- N , N '-diacetyl-β-d-chitobiose. The enzyme is an endochitinase, which is confirmed by the K m and V max values determined in the studies. S. rhizophila G22 endochitinase was inhibited in the presence of cysteine-specific inhibitors, which indicates the role of cysteine moieties in the mechanism of catalysis or in stabilisation of the enzyme molecule. Also Ca 2+ and Mn 2+ ions may stabilise the protein's spatial structure. SDS and ions: Fe 2+ , Cu 2+ , Co 2+ , Zn 2+ inhibited the activity of enzyme. A full-length (2109 bp) gene coding chitinase from S. rhizophila G22 was obtained. Four domains typical for glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH 18) chitinases were identified: catalytic Gly&#95;18, chitin-binding-ChtBD3, type-III fibronectin-FN3 and polycystic kidney disease domain-PKD domain., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestAll authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. No grants were received., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2019.)

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare form of breast cancer characterised by an erythematous swollen breast with extensive oedema and has in the past been associated with a very poor prognosis. After diagnosis by core biopsy of the cancer and any involved nodes patients in the Edinburgh Breast Unit (EBU) are primarily managed with neoadjuvant systemic therapy-chemotherapy or endocrine therapy. If the cancer is localised to one or a few well defined lesions then each of these lesions together with the lowest involved node are clipped. Response during neoadjuvant treatment is monitored clinically and by ultrasound plus mammography +/- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Following completion of neoadjuvant therapy, imaging is reviewed at a multidisciplinary meeting and patients with a localised single or multiple areas of cancer where all signs of erythema and oedema have settled are considered as to their suitability for breast conserving surgery and whole breast radiotherapy [breast conserving treatment (BCT)]. Here we discuss the results and outcomes of a selected group of patients with IBC who after obtaining a very good response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy were treated by BCT and we compare these with other recent publications on this topic. Our data show that patients treated by BCT did not have worse outcomes than patients treated with mastectomy. Importantly other series published recently support our conclusions. Another important observation is that response in estrogen receptor (ER) rich IBC is seen with neoadjuvant endocrine treatment and so not everyone with IBC needs to have neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In conclusion, patients with one or more well defined and localised breast masses and IBC may be suitable for BCT after a major response to neoadjuvant therapy and for these patients BCT should now be considered a viable option., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Purpose: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is rare and associated with a poor prognosis. Following neoadjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy, the multidisciplinary team selected a small number of patients for breast-conservation therapy (BCT). The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of IBC patients treated with BCT in Edinburgh., Methods: Between January 1999 and December 2013, thirty-five women with IBC were treated by BCT. The median follow-up was 80 months., Results: The 5-year actuarial survival for the 35 patients was 70.3 %. Median survival for 20 neoadjuvant chemotherapy patients was 12.9 years (95 % CI 7.6, 18.1), and for 14 patient neoadjuvant endocrine therapy patients, it was 11.8 years (95 % CI 1.1, 22.6) (p = 0.34). Five patients developed locoregional recurrence (LRR) between 11 and 72 months after BCT (median 37 months). Three had breast only recurrence, one patient had both breast and axillary recurrence, and one developed axillary recurrence. The 5-year LR-free survival was 87.5 % (95 % CI 76.0, 99.0). In 4 of the 5 patients with LRR, systemic metastases were diagnosed within 6 months and survival post-LRR in these 4 patients was short., Conclusion: IBC is not an absolute contraindication to BCT. LRR in patients after BCT appears part of widespread recurrent disease rather than inadequate local treatment. Multicentre data should be collected to confirm that women with IBC who have a good response to systemic therapy may be offered BCT in the knowledge that in a larger series our observations are confirmed.

Loss-of-function de novo mutations in the SETD5 gene, encoding a putative methyltransferase, are an important cause of moderate/severe intellectual disability as evidenced by the results of sequencing large patient cohorts. We present the first familial case of a SETD5 mutation contributing to a phenotype of congenital heart defects and dysmorphic features, with variable expression, in two siblings and their father. Interestingly, the father demonstrated only mild intellectual impairment. Family based exome sequencing combined to careful parental phenotyping may reveal a more complex clinical picture in newly recognized syndromes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A rhizosphere strain of the bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia N4 secretes the serine protease PN4, whose molecular mass is approximately 42 kDa. The optimal temperature for the enzyme activity of the 11-fold purified protein was 50°C and the optimal pH was 10.5. The activity of the enzyme was strongly inhibited by specific serine protease inhibitors, which allowed for its classification as an alkaline serine protease family. Ca(2+) ions stimulated the activity of the protease PN4, while Mg(2+) ions stabilized its activity, and Zn(2+) and Cd(2+) ions strongly inhibited its activity. The enzyme has broad substrate specificity. For example, it is able to hydrolyse casein, keratin, albumin, haemoglobin, and gelatin, as well as the insoluble modified substrates azure keratin and azocoll. The gene that encodes the 1740 bp precursor form of the enzyme (accession number: LC031815) was cloned. We then deduced that its amino acid sequence includes the region of the conserved domain of the S8 family of peptidases as well as the catalytic triad Asp/His/Ser. The bacterial culture fluid as well as the purified protease PN4 demonstrated biocidal activity with regard to the nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans and Panagrellus spp., (Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The research was aimed at determining the abundance and viability of biofilm formed on the surface of polylactide (PLA) during its biodegradation in different environments. It was also aimed at isolating biofilm forming bacteria, determining their hydrolytic activity and taxonomic status. The first step was to evaluate PLA biodegradability in lake water, compost and soil, using OxiTop Control. The next step was to assess the ability of isolated bacteria to form biofilm in the investigated environments and to evaluate the biofilm structure. The results indicate that PLA is sensitive to biodegradation in any environment, particularly in compost. During this process biofilm of high viability was observed on the surface of PLA. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, the biofilm-forming bacteria were classified as the following species: Acidovorax sp. LW9, Chryseobacterium sp. LW2, Aeromonas veronii LW8, Arthrobacter aurescens LG2, Arthrobacter sp. LG12, A. aurescens LG9, Elizabethkingia meningoseptica LK3, A. aurescens LK9, A. aurescens and LK7. The results show that different bacterial species formed biofilm of different abundance and hydrolytic activitiy levels., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The research was aimed at assessing changes in the number of bacteria and evaluating biofilm formation in groundwater collected from public wells, both aspects directly related to the methods of household storage. In the research, water collected from Cretaceous aquifer wells in Toruń (Poland) was stored in a refrigerator and at room temperature. Microbiological parameters of the water were measured immediately after the water collection, and then after 3 and 7 days of storage under specified conditions. The microbiological examination involved determining the number of heterotrophic bacteria capable of growth at 22 and 37 °C, the number of spore-forming bacteria, and the total number of bacteria on membrane filters. The storage may affect water quality to such an extent that the water, which initially met the microbiological criteria for water intended for human consumption, may pose a health risk. The repeated use of the same containers for water storage results in biofilm formation containing live and metabolically active bacterial cells.

Our knowledge about the mechanisms utilized by Mycobacterium tuberculosis to survive inside macrophages is still incomplete. One of the mechanism that protects M. tuberculosis from the host's microbicidal products and allows bacteria to survive involves DNA repair systems such as the homologous recombination (HR) and nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathways. It is accepted that any pathway that contributes to genome maintenance should be considered as potentially important virulence factor. In these studies, we investigated reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-α production by macrophages infected with wild-type M. tuberculosis, with an HR-defective mutant (∆recA), with an NHEJ-defective mutant [∆(ku,ligD)], with a mutant defective for both HR and NHEJ [∆(ku,ligD,recA)], or with appropriate complemented strains. We also assessed the involvement of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) 1 and 2 in the response of macrophages to infection with the above-mentioned strains, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in M. tuberculosis-infected macrophages. We found that mutants lacking RecA induced a greater bactericidal response by macrophages than did the wild-type strain or an NHEJ-defective mutant, and activated ERK1/2 was involved only in the response of macrophages to recA deletion mutants [∆(ku,ligD,recA) and ∆recA]. We also demonstrated that only the triple mutant induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation in phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-stimulated macrophages. Moreover, HR-defective mutants induced lower amounts of tumor necrosis factor-α secretion than did the wild-type or ∆(ku,ligD). Our results indicate that RecA contributes to M. tuberculosis virulence, and also suggest that diminished ERK1/2 activation in macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis possessing recA may be an important mechanism by which wild-type mycobacteria escape intracellular killing., (© 2015 FEBS.)

The most important factors involved in tumor metastasis and angiogenesis are metalloproteinases (MMPs), vascular endothelial growth factor, and multifunctional transforming growth factor β1. These factors are responsible for extracellular matrix degradation, induction of vascular permeability, and enhancement of tumor cells' invasion and metastasis. Elevated expression and secretion of the above-mentioned factors are correlated with the higher aggressiveness of tumors and low patient survival for example, patients with ovarian cancer. Therefore, regulation of the expression, secretion, and activity of these factors is still considered a potent target for therapeutic intervention in cancer patients. Nitric oxide (NO) donors belong to the class of agents with multivalent targeted activities in cancer cells and are considered potential anticancer therapeutics. Our studies have shown that NO donors such as spermine/NO and diethylenetriamine/NO decrease the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor-A from the OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cell line, but not from the SK-OV-3 ovarian cancer cell line. The release of MMP-2 from both cell lines was reduced in a soluble guanylate cyclase-dependent manner by spermine/NO and diethylenetriamine/NO. Nevertheless, MMP-2 activity was only affected in SK-OV-3 cells. Both NO donors reduced the transmigration of the ovarian cancer cell lines. We did not observe any significant effect of spermine/NO and diethylenetriamine/NO on mRNA expression of the tested aggressiveness factors. In conclusion, our data indicated that NO donors reduced the metastatic potential of ovarian cancer cells, but its impact is rather low and requires high concentrations of donors. Moreover, both the tested cell lines differed in the susceptibility to NO donors.