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Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute demyelinating poliradioculopathy and autoimmune condition, with a fast rapid natural course, and with high disability and usually episodic immune treatment. Clinical features include areflexia, limb weakness and uncommonly, sensory loss proceeding to neuromuscular paralysis involving bulbar, facial and respiratory function with maximum severity of symptoms atin 2-4 weeks. The eEtiology of GBS is not incompletely understood, however, prognosis is usually good with early detection and prompt treatment. In thise paper, we present a unique case of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment for a pregnant woman with GBS atin the 8th week of pregnancy. On the basis of this case report, we discuss possible and safe rehabilitation treatment for women in the first trimester of pregnancy, with significantly weakened muscle strength, after stabilizsation of vital signs and immunotherapy. The paper describes comprehensive care provided to the pregnant woman with teraplegia, hyperstesia and dysphagia after stabiliszation of vital signs, which was conducted until delivery atin the 39th week of pregnancy. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. null

The rainfall–runoff conceptual model as a cascade of submerged linear reservoirs with particular outflows depending on storages of adjoining reservoirs is developed. The model output contains different exponential functions with roots of Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind as exponents. The model is applied to instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH) and recession curve problems and compared with the analogous results of the Nash cascade. A case study is performed on a basis of 46 recession periods. Obtained results show the usefulness of the model as an alternative concept to the Nash cascade.

Introduction and objective Fungi belonging to various physiological and morphological groups present in the environment are potential human pathogens. Some of them are considered as emerging pathogens. Therefore, their presence in children’s playgrounds should be regarded as health risk factor. Material and Methods Sixty-eight samples of sand collected from 17 sandpits of different localities in Łódź, Poland, in autumn 2010 and 2011, and in spring 2011 and 2012 were evaluated. The fungi were isolated with classical mycological methods and identified on the basis of morphological and biochemical features. Results The prevalence of fungi in spring was 94.1% of sandpits in both layers of sand (depth 0–3 cm and 10–15 cm) and in one kindergarten sandpit, but only in a deeper layer. In autumn, fungi occurred in both layers in all sandpits (100%). The fungal concentration (CFU/g of sand) varied considerably (range 0 – uncountable) in both layers. A total of 352 isolates belonging to 80 species were found. There were 69 yeasts and yeast-like fungi isolates from 12 species (9 species in each season), and 283 filamentous fungi from 68 species: 35 species in spring and 55 in autumn, with 4 keratinolytic species. There were important causes of allergies, among them Cladosporium herbarum and Alternaria alternata , as well as of opportunistic mycoses: Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus and new and ‘emerging’ fungal pathogens e.g., Trichosporon, Rhodotorula, Fusarium and Scedosporium species. Conclusions Potentially pathogenic fungi are present in the sand taken from sandpits in Łódź. This fact poses a significant threat to child health and therefore proper maintenance and periodic checking of sandpits are of great importance.

Introduction and objective The contamination, seasonal and vertical distributions of Toxocara eggs in children’s recreation areas were estimated with respect to their accessibility to domestic and stray animals. Material and Methods During autumn 2011 and spring 2012, a total 88 composite samples of soil/sand (300g each) were taken twice, from 2 depths, from 11 sandpits and 11 play areas situated in the city of Łódź, Poland. From the collected material, 528 samples (20g) were tested using the flotation method. Half the sample sites were secured from access to dogs and cats, while the other half were not. Results The difference in the numbers of positive samples from sandpits and playing areas was significant (χ2=13.72, p=0.0002). The highest rate of contamination was observed in poorly-secured play areas (15.8% of positive samples and 1.2 eggs/100 g of soil/sand). The average density of Toxocara eggs in secured play areas was 6 times less than that found in unsecured areas, while secured sandpits were 3 times less contaminated than those unsecured. The contamination rate was similar in autumn 2011 and spring 2012 (6.4% and 6.8%, respectively). An inverse relationship between the sand/soil depth and number of recovered Toxocara eggs was observed. Additionally, other intestinal helminth eggs (Ancylostomidae, Ascaris spp., and Trichuris spp.) and oocysts of Isospora spp. were also detected from soil samples collected from playing fields. Conclusions The number of Toxocara eggs recovered decreased following fence construction around the examined children’s play areas, but it did not sufficiently prevent the contamination by eggs. These data indicate the necessity for educational programmes which should be implemented for the protection of the local child population from zoonotic infection.

[b]Introduction and objective[/b]. The contamination, seasonal and vertical distributions of [i]Toxocara[/i] eggs in children’s recreation areas were estimated with respect to their accessibility to domestic and stray animals. [b]Materials and methods[/b]. During autumn 2011 and spring 2012, a total 88 composite samples of soil/sand (300g each) were taken twice, from 2 depths, from 11 sandpits and 11 play areas situated in the city of Łódź, Poland. From the collected material, 528 samples (20g) were tested using the flotation method. Half the sample sites were secured from access to dogs and cats, while the other half were not. [b]Results[/b]. The difference in the numbers of positive samples from sandpits and playing areas was significant (c 2 = 13.72, p = 0.0002). The highest rate of contamination was observed in poorly-secured play areas (15.8% of positive samples and 1.2 eggs/100 g of soil/sand). The average density of [i]Toxocara[/i] eggs in secured play areas was 6 times less than that found in unsecured areas, while secured sandpits were 3 times less contaminated than those unsecured. The contamination rate was similar in autumn 2011 and spring 2012 (6.4% and 6.8%, respectively). An inverse relationship between the sand/soil depth and number of recovered [i]Toxocara[/i] eggs was observed. Additionally, other intestinal helminth eggs (Ancylostomidae, Ascaris spp., and Trichuris spp.) and oocysts of [i]Isospora[/i] spp. were also detected from soil samples collected from playing fields. [b]Conclusions[/b]. The number of [i]Toxocara[/i] eggs recovered decreased following fence construction around the examined children’s play areas, but it did not sufficiently prevent the contamination by eggs. These data indicate the necessity for educational programmes which should be implemented for the protection of the local child population from zoonotic infection.

Many thermodynamic models used in practice are at least partially empirical and thus require the determination of certain parameters using experimental data. However, due to the complexity of the models involved as well as the inhomogeneity of available data, a straightforward application of basic methods often does not yield a satisfactory result. This work compares three different strategies for the numerical solution of parameter estimation problems, including errors both in the input and in the output variables. Additionally, the new idea to apply multi-criteria optimization techniques to parameter estimation problems is presented. Finally, strategies for the estimation and propagation of the model errors are discussed.

Dendritic patterns frequently arise when a crystal grows into its own undercooled melt. Latent heat released at the two-phase boundary is removed by some transport mechanism, and often the problem can be described by a simple diffusion model. Its analytic solution is based on a perturbation expansion about the case without capillary effects. The length scale of the pattern is determined by anisotropic surface tension, which provides the mechanism for stabilizing the dendrite. In the case of liquid crystals, diffusion can be anisotropic too. Growth is faster in the direction of less efficient heat transport (inverted growth). Any physical solution should include this feature. A simple spatial rescaling is used to reduce the bulk equation in 2D to the case of isotropic diffusion. Subsequently, an eigenvalue problem for the growth mode results from the interface conditions. The eigenvalue is calculated numerically and the selection problem of dendritic growth with anisotropic diffusion is solved. The length scale is predicted and a quantitative description of the inverted growth phenomenon is given. It is found that anisotropic diffusion cannot take the stabilizing role of anisotropic surface tension.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) mechanism for electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide is investigated for an Au-Pd catalyst with 25 at% palladium. The sample was prepared by chemical reduction of a precursor solution on a carbon-based substrate. Rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) measurements were performed for electrochemical characterization exhibiting H2O2 current efficiencies of about 75-78% at low disk potentials. The focus of this article is on the mathematical evaluation of the experimental data using the analytical method from Damjanovic et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 45, 4057 (1966)] and a powerful numerical data fitting technique based on RRDE simulations in MATLAB, which is capable of investigating reaction mechanisms with different structures. The latter method is presented in detail and the electro-kinetic parameters of the ORR mechanism at the considered catalyst resulting from both methods are compared quantitatively. It is found that the oxygen reductions via the 2-electron and the 4-electron pathways occur in parallel, whereas the hydrogen peroxide reduction pathway is found apparently inactive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and objective. Fungi belonging to various physiological and morphological groups present in the environment are potential human pathogens. Some of them are considered as emerging pathogens. Therefore, their presence in children’s playgrounds should be regarded as health risk factor. Materials and method. Sixty-eight samples of sand collected from 17 sandpits of different localities in Łódź, Poland, in autumn 2010 and 2011, and in spring 2011 and 2012 were evaluated. The fungi were isolated with classical mycological methods and identified on the basis of morphological and biochemical features. Results. The prevalence of fungi in spring was 94.1% of sandpits in both layers of sand (depth 0–3 cm and 10–15 cm) and in one kindergarten sandpit, but only in a deeper layer. In autumn, fungi occurred in both layers in all sandpits (100%). The fungal concentration (CFU/g of sand) varied considerably (range 0 – uncountable) in both layers. A total of 352 isolates belonging to 80 species were found. There were 69 yeasts and yeast-like fungi isolates from 12 species (9 species in each season), and 283 filamentous fungi from 68 species: 35 species in spring and 55 in autumn, with 4 keratinolytic species. There were important causes of allergies, among them Cladosporium herbarum and Alternaria alternata, as well as of opportunistic mycoses: Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus and new and ‘emerging’ fungal pathogens e.g., Trichosporon, Rhodotorula, Fusarium and Scedosporium species. Conclusions. Potentially pathogenic fungi are present in the sand taken from sandpits in Łódź. This fact poses a significant threat to child health and therefore proper maintenance and periodic checking of sandpits are of great importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic decision making in engineering requires appropriate models. In this article, we introduce a regression method for enhancing the predictive power of a model by exploiting expert knowledge in the form of shape constraints, or more specifically, monotonicity constraints. Incorporating such information is particularly useful when the available datasets are small or do not cover the entire input space, as is often the case in manufacturing applications. We set up the regression subject to the considered monotonicity constraints as a semi-infinite optimization problem, and propose an adaptive solution algorithm. The method is applicable in multiple dimensions and can be extended to more general shape constraints. It was tested and validated on two real-world manufacturing processes, namely, laser glass bending and press hardening of sheet metal. It was found that the resulting models both complied well with the expert’s monotonicity knowledge and predicted the training data accurately. The suggested approach led to lower root-mean-squared errors than comparative methods from the literature for the sparse datasets considered in this work.

The paper presents the problem of mathematical form of the hydrological recession in rivers when using conceptual models to describe the catchment behavior. One of the well-known ways of this analysis is the Brutsaert and Nieber method which is based on graphical comparison of flow values and its derivatives. It has been proved that the classical interpretation of these results does not reflect the possible influence of measurement errors which strongly affects the flow derivatives values.

The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine the effects of 13 mouth rinses on one hundred Candida strains isolated from the oral cavity of patients. Five of the rinses had no antifungal activity. Chlorhexidine, Colgate and Dentosept acted on all isolated strains; Corsodyl did not act on C. glabrata (2 strains), Octenidol on C. glabrata and C. guilliermondii (1 each), Sylveco on C. tropicalis (2), Oral B on C. parapsilosis, Curasept did not affect 17 strains, including on C. albicans (5), C. guilliermondii (4), C. dubliniensis (3), C. humicola and C. parapsilosis (2 each) and C. glabrata (1). The lowest MIC (the strongest potential activity), was observed for chlorhexidine, followed by Sylveco, Corsodryl and Colgate; in contrast, the highest MIC (the lowest activity) was calculated for Octenidol and Curasept. Eight of the mouthrinses inhibited the in vitro growth of potentially pathogenic fungal strains isolated from the oral cavity at varying dilutions of up to 1:16, depending on the rinse. Chlorhexidine demonstrated strong antifungal efficiency. The antifungal effect of a mouthrinse depends on its composition and the species of fungus. Mouthrinse use is an important complement to procedures ensuring proper oral hygiene and preventing certain oral diseases.

Protozoa, such as Trichomonas tenax, Entamoeba gingivalis and Leishmania braziliensis, may be present in the mouth but their role in the pathophysiology of oral diseases is not clear yet. The use of various types of mouthrinses plays an important role in maintaining proper oral hygiene and in removing some of the microbial components from the oral cavity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of selected mouthrinses on the reference strains of Trichomonas tenax and Entamoeba gingivalis which can be a part of the oral cavity microbiota. Two standard strains Trichomonas tenax (ATCC 30207) and Entamoeba gingivalis (ATCC 30927) were used and metronidazole as a drug used in the treatment of infections caused by protozoa as well as fourteen agents used as mouthwashes were tested, with two pure compounds acting as mouthrinse ingredients, i.e. 20% benzocaine and 0.2% chlorhexidine, as well as 12 commercially-available formulas: Azulan, Colgate Plax Complete Care Sensitive, Corsodyl 0.2%, Curasept ADS 205, Dentosept, Dentosept A, Eludril Classic, Listerine Total Care, Octenidol, Oral-B Pro-Expert Clinic Line, Sylveco and Tinctura salviae. The protozoonicidal activity of the preparations was evaluated on the basis of the ratio of dead to living ratios after incubation in an incubator (37°C) for 1, 10 and 30 min. Protozoa were counted in the Bürker chamber in each case up to 100 cells in an optical microscope (over 400×). The criterion for the death of protozoa was the lack of movement and changes in the shape and characteristics of cell disintegration. The curves of activity were obtained after experiments conducted for 5–7 different solutions of each preparation. On the basis of the curves, the solution killing 50% of the population (CL50) was calculated. All mouthrinses tested in this work in their undiluted form acted lethally on both protozoa. Benzocaine, used as a local anesthetic, has etiotropic properties which can be useful for supporting antiprotozoal treatment. Chlorhexidine confirmed its high efficiency in the eradication of potentially pathogenic protozoa. The use of mouthrinses is an important complement for other procedures intended to maintain correct oral hygiene.

An oral cavity hygiene plays a key role in prophylactic and therapeutic measures to prevent pathological changes caused by different viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. It is important to maintain proper oral hygiene and assist the removal of potent pathogens; use of the mouthrinses can be one of method providing to these goal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of selected mouthrinses on the standard strains of Candida presented in the oral cavity. Eight reference strains of fungi were investigated: C. albicans (CBS 2312), C. albicans (L 45), C. albicans (ATCC 24433), C. dubliniensis (CBS 7987), C. glabrata (CBS 862), C. krusei (CBS 573), C. parapsilosis (CBS 10947) and C. tropicalis (CBS 2424). Thirteen mouthrinses were used in the study, including pure chlorhexidine (CHX), and 12 commercially available varieties: Azulan, Colgate Plax Complete Care Sensitive, Corsodyl 0,2%, Curasept ADS 205, Dentosept, Dentosept A, Eludril Classic, Listerine Total care, Octenidol, Oral-B Pro-Expert Clinic Line, Sylveco and Tinctura salviae. The present study used a qualitative diffusion in agar gel-well plate method to evaluated the antifungal properties of mouthrinses. Among the 12 commercially available mouthrinses examined in the study, the following were not found to show antifungal activity: Azulan, Dentosept, Eludril Classic, Listerine Total care, Tinctura salviae. The largest inhibition zones were produced by Dentosept, Chlorhexidine and Colgate. The smallest inhibition zones were produced by Octenidol and Curasept. With regard to mouthwash type, statistically significant differences in growth inhibition zone diameter were found between the following pairs of fungi: C. albicans and C. krusei for Colgate without dilution and with 1:2 dilution; C. albicans and C. glabrata for Corsodryl without dilution and with 1:2 dilution; C. albicans and C. dubliniensis for Dentosept A without dilution; C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis with 1:2 dilution; C. dubliniensis and C. tropicalis for Sylveco without dilution, 1:2 dilution and 1:4 dilution; C. dubliniensis and C. parapsilosis for Sylveco without dilution, 1:2 dilution and 1:4 dilution. The lowest MIC values calculated from the Iinear regression equation, indicating the strongest potential activity, were obtained for Dentosept A, followed by chlorhexidine; the lowest activity, was calculated for Curasept and for Octenidol. Some of the tested mouthrinses have antimycotic properties at commercially available concentrations. In spite of the fact that chlorhexidine is thought to be the gold standard for mouthrinse use, Dentosept has stronger antimycotic activity and acts on a wider spectrum of fungi species. Chlorhexidine and Colgate do not appear to act against C. tropicalis, neither does Curaspet against C.dubliniensis; therefore, the determination of the fungus species is necessary.

Travel to developing countries is associated with possibility to acquire different, also parasitic, diseases which have become a diagnostic and therapeutic problem. The ENT specialist is one of the medical officers who may make initial contact with a patient with a suspected parasitic disease. One of them is leishmaniosis: a parasitic disease classified as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), which occurs in the tropics, subtropics and southern Europe. While asymptomatic invasion is observed in some cases, three forms of symptomatic leishmaniosis can be distinguished: cutaneous leishmaniosis (CL), visceral leishmaniosis (VL), and mucosal leishmaniosis (ML). Signs and symptoms of these forms, as well as the differential diagnosis, diagnostic procedures and treatment are presented in the paper.

The pathogenicity of fungi depends on, inter alia, the secretion of hydrolytic enzymes. The aim of this study was to determine the enzymatic activity of yeasts and yeast-like fungi isolated from children’s recreation areas, and compare the results with literature data of strains obtained from patients with mycoses. The enzymatic activity of 96 strains was assessed using an API ZYM kit (bioMerieux, France) and their biotypes were established. The fungal species were found to produce from 16 to 19 hydrolases: the most active were: leucine arylamidase (e5), acid phosphatase (e10), alkaline phosphatase (e1), naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase (e11), esterase – C4 (e2), β-galac - tosidase (e13) and β-glucosidase (e16). In addition, 13 biotypes characteristic of particular species of fungi were defined. Most strains could be categorized as biotypes C2 – 39.5% and A – 26%. The examined fungal strains isolated from recreational areas have selected biochemical characteristics i.e. production of hydrolases, which demonstrate their pathogenicity. They produce a number of enzymes which are also present in strains isolated from patients with mycoses, including: leucine arylamidase (e5), acid phosphatase (e10), naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase (e11) and alkaline phosphatase (e1). The biotypes identified in the course of this study (A, B3, B4, C1, C6 and D3) have been also reported in cases of fungal infection. Therefore, the fungi present in the sand and soil of recreational have pathogenic properties and are possible factors of fungal infection among children.

The ability of Candida sp. cells to adhere to the mucosal surfaces of various host organs as well as synthetic materials is an important pathogenicity feature of those fungi which contributes to the development of infection. This property varies depending on the species of the fungus and is the greatest for C. albicans. The process of adhesion depends on plenty of factors related to the fungal and host cells as well as environmental conditions. The main adhesins present on the fungal cell wall are: Als, Epa, Hwp1, but also Eap1, Sun41, Csh1 and probably Hyr1; for adhesion significant are also secreted aspartyl proteases Sap. Various researchers specify a range of genes which contribute to adhesion, such as: CZF1, EFG1, TUP1, TPK1, TPK2, HGC1, RAS1, RIM101, VPS11, ECM1, CKA2, BCR1, BUD2, RSR1, IRS4, CHS2, SCS7, UBI4, UME6, TEC1 and GAT2. Influence for adherence have also heat shock proteins Hsp70, Mediator Middle domain subunit Med31 and morphological transition. Among factors affecting adhesion related to host cells it is necessary to mention fibronectins and integrins (receptors for Candida sp. adhesins), type of epithelial cells, their morphology and differentiation phase. To a lesser degree influence on adhesion have non-specific factors and environmental conditions.

Introduction and Objective: The contamination, seasonal and vertical distributions of Toxocara eggs in children's recreation areas were estimated with respect to their accessibility to domestic and stray animals., Materials and Methods: During autumn 2011 and spring 2012, a total 88 composite samples of soil/sand (300g each) were taken twice, from 2 depths, from 11 sandpits and 11 play areas situated in the city of Łódź, Poland. From the collected material, 528 samples (20g) were tested using the flotation method. Half the sample sites were secured from access to dogs and cats, while the other half were not., Results: The difference in the numbers of positive samples from sandpits and playing areas was significant (c 2 = 13.72, p = 0.0002). The highest rate of contamination was observed in poorly-secured play areas (15.8% of positive samples and 1.2 eggs/100 g of soil/sand). The average density of Toxocara eggs in secured play areas was 6 times less than that found in unsecured areas, while secured sandpits were 3 times less contaminated than those unsecured. The contamination rate was similar in autumn 2011 and spring 2012 (6.4% and 6.8%, respectively). An inverse relationship between the sand/soil depth and number of recovered Toxocara eggs was observed. Additionally, other intestinal helminth eggs (Ancylostomidae, Ascaris spp., and Trichuris spp.) and oocysts of Isospora spp. were also detected from soil samples collected from playing fields., Conclusions: The number of Toxocara eggs recovered decreased following fence construction around the examined children's play areas, but it did not sufficiently prevent the contamination by eggs. These data indicate the necessity for educational programmes which should be implemented for the protection of the local child population from zoonotic infection.