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The normal human microbiota, formerly called the "microbial flora," consists of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites that colonise the skin and mucous membranes of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts. The number and diversity of microorganisms varies between different body niches and is greatest in the intestinal tract. The microbiota contributes to the homeostasis of the human organism by preventing colonisation by pathogenic microorganisms, participating in digestive processes and metabolism, and regulating immune functions. Various environmental and genetic factors can lead to an imbalance in the human microbiota, called dysbiosis, which can affect human health. Dysbiosis is usually the result of decreased microbial diversity and a lower number of saprophytic microorganisms, followed by an overgrowth of opportunistic species. The most common diseases directly related to intestinal dysbiosis are antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis, both of which are associated with the excessive growth of harmful bacteria and Clostridioides difficile following broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy. Dysbiosis is associated with various health conditions or diseases such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune diseases and allergies, neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and stroke, depression, anxiety, infertility, preterm birth, and malignancies.

The aim of the study was to test the potential of immunostimulating Limosilactobacillus fermentum BGHI14 strain to reduce the damage of colon tissue in rats with 2,4,6trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. Wistar rats were treated with L. fermentum BGHI14 in the regime of preventive, therapeutic and continuous treatment 22 days prior to and/or 7 days after the administration of TNBS. After sacrifice, the colon tissue samples were taken for RNA isolation, gene expression analysis, histopathological analysis, and malondialdehyde measurement. Judging from the body weights, histopathological scores, malondialdehyde levels and transcription of IL-1b and Tight junction protein 1 (Tjp-1) coding genes, preventive and therapeutic treatment proved to be the most protective in the applied conditions. On the other hand, continuous treatment did not affect the intensity of tissue damage. Considering these results, we discussed the possible mechanisms which might stand behind the protective action of immunostimulating probiotic bacteria in the case of mucosal barrier damage.

Background/Aim. Children with burns are submitted to multiple painful and anxiety-related procedures during the change of wound dressing, treatment, and rehabilitation. The objective of analgesic treatments for procedural pain is the safe and efficient management of pain and emotional stress, which requires a careful, balanced, and systematic approach. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of analgesic and/or local anesthetic in relieving the intensity of procedural pain. Methods. The study included 120 pediatric patients with second-degree burns who were allocated into four groups of 30 children (control group, groups I, II, and III). During the change of wound dressings, children in the control group did not receive any analgesics, while in the remaining three groups, 30 minutes prior to the change of wound dressing, oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (group I), local anesthetic (group II), or both medications (group III) were administered. Results. The average visual analog scale (VAS) score for assessing pain was statistically significantly higher in the control group on all tested days compared with children in the other three treated groups. On the first test day (24 hrs after sustaining the burn injuries), all children had high VAS scores, and ac-cording to the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, the boundary value was 89.50/100. There was a remarkable difference in the VAS score between the groups on the fifth day of dressing change with the boundary value of 57.50/100 and on the seventh day when the boundary value was 43.50/100. Children who experienced the lowest intensity pain during dressing changes of burn wounds for all test days were those from the group who received both systemic analgesic and local anesthetic. Conclusion. The study confirmed the importance of introducing the complex polymodal protocol in treating procedural pain in second-degree burns. The protocol should include analgesics as well as anesthetics since they both contribute to achieving the best results in pain reduction and treatment outcomes.

Base isolation of buildings is the most efficient way of designing seismically resistant structures. Application of seismic isolators allows mutually independent movements of the ground and the structure during earthquakes. The application of seismic isolators increases the natural period of vibrations, which reduces the seismic forces in the structure. The paper analyzes the influence of the application of lead rubber bearings on the response of the structure to the action of an earthquake. A reinforced concrete frame structure was analyzed both for the case of base isolation and rigid foundation. Based on the comparative analysis of the natural period of vibrations, base shear seismic forces, displacement of the top level of the structure and relative inter-storey drift, conclusions were drawn about the efficiency of application of this type of seismic isolator. The required amount of ductility of a structure, as well as damage to structural and non-structural elements, is greatly reduced by base isolation.

Background/Aim. Plant essential oils (EOs) can have a significant antibacterial effect especially through additive or synergistic action as antibiotic adjuvants. We investigated the composition and activity of EOs of two species of genus Salvia (S) from Greece with the aim to determine their antimicrobial activity as well as the activity in combination with selected antibiotics. Methods. The aerial parts of wild-growing S. fruticosa and S. ringens were subjected to a steam distillation and the obtained EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The broth-microdilution method was used in order to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of EOs on seven strains of bacteria and one yeast. Antimicrobial activity of the combination of EO and antibiotics was investigated by checkerboard method and estimated by calculating fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) of each component and fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI). Results. Dominant component of S. fruticosa EO was transthujone (54.2%) and for S. ringens EO i t w as α-pinene (28.1%). The MICs of EOs of both species were in the range from 200 μg/mL to > 500 μg/mL. The strongest antimicrobial effect was achieved against Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans. According to FICI values, EO of S. fruticosa had additive effect with ciprofloxacin against most of bacterial strains but not with amikacin. Conclusion. The essential oils of S. ringens and S. fruticosa showed modest antimicrobial activity. However, the essential oil of S. fruticosa showed a promising additive effect in combination with ciprofloxacin.

Background/Aim. Phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of essential oils isolated from plant species of the genus Seseli have been intensified recently. These plant species have long-term use in nutrition and traditional medicine in the treatment of various disorders. Volatile secondary metabolites of Seseli gracile Waldst. & Kit (Apiaceae) have not been pharmacologically examined so far. The aim of the conducted research was to assess the antiradical, antimicrobial and spasmolytic activities of S. gracile essential oil isolated from the aerial parts of the plant. Methods. The antiradical activity was determined using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging test, antimicrobial activity using broth microdilution method with standard strains of Gram (+), Gram (-) bacteria and yeast, while spasmolytic activity was evaluated on isolated rat ileum, pre-contracted with a high concentration of potassium. Results. The results showed moderate antiradical (SC50 = 78.60 μg/mL) and good spasmolytic activity (IC50 = 271.4 nL/mL) of S. gracile essential oil. In the range of tested concentrations, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined only for the strain of Escherichia coli (500 μg/mL). Conclusion. Results obtained in this study justify the need for further studies to elucidate exact molecular mechanism underlay this spasmolytic effect of S. gracile herb essential oil.

Introduction/Objective. Biofilm and pyocyanin production are essential components of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence and antibiotic resistance. Our objective was to examine inhibitory effect of synthetized propafenone derivatives 3-(2-Fluorophenyl)- 1-(2- (2-hydroxy-3-propylamino-propoxy)-phenyl)-propan-1-one hydrochloride (5OF) and3-(2- Trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-1-(2-(2-hydroxy-3-propylamino-propoxy)-phenyl)-propan-1-one hydrochloride (5CF3) on biofilm and pyocyanin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical strains. Methods. Effects were tested on nine clinical isolates and one control laboratory strain of P. aeruginosa. In vitro analysis of biofilm growing was performed by incubating bacteria (0.5 McFarland) with 5OF and 5CF3 (500–31.2 μg/ml) and measuring optical density (OD) at 570 nm. Bacteria in medium without compounds were positive control. Blank medium (an uninoculated medium without test compounds) was used as negative control. Pyocyanin production was estimated by OD at 520 nm, after bacteria incubated with 5CF3 and 5OF (250 and 500 μg/ml), treated with chloroform, and chloroform layer mixed with HCl. Results. A total of 500 μg/ml of 5OF and 5CF3 completely inhibited biofilm formation in 10/10 and 4/10 strains, respectively. A total of 250 μg/ml of 5OF and 5CF3 strongly inhibited biofilm formation in 7/10 strains, while inhibition with 125 μg/ml of 5OF and 5CF3 was moderate. Lower concentrations had almost no effect on biofilm production. Pyocyanin production was reduced to less than 40% of the control value in 6/9, and less than 50% of the control in 7/9 strains with 500 μg/ml of 5OF and 5CF3, respectively. At 250 μg/ml 5OF and 5CF3, most strains had pyocyanin production above 50% of the control value. Conclusion. Synthetized propafenone derivatives, 5OF and 5CF3, inhibited biofilms and pyocyanin production of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical strains. Presented results suggest that propafenone derivatives are potential lead-compounds for synthesis of novel antipseudomonal drugs. [Projects of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. OI 172041 and Grant no. III 41030]

Flavonoids are a group of polyphenolic compounds widely present in the herbal world and playing an important role in the human diet. The flavanol quercetin makes up 70% of the total daily intake of flavonoids. Quercetin is able to complex with many metal ions, and it exhibits potent antioxidative ability. Using the equimolar solution variation method, it was confirmed that quercetin makes a complex with the zinc(II) ion at pH 5.25, in a stoichiometric ratio quercetin:zinc(II) ion = 2:1, with the absorption maximum l=363 nm. This fact was used to develop a simple, precise and accurate assay to determine the content of quercetin in various samples of heterogeneous composition. The proposed indirect spectrophotometric method can selectively determine quercetin in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 6.0 mgL-1, with LOD and LOQ estimated as 0.03 mgL-1 and 0.1 mgL-1, respectively. The reliability of the proposed method was confirmed by a previously developed RP-HPLC/UV method. The proposed method was successfully used to determine the quercetin content in dietary supplement tablets, capsules and two onion extracts, with high reproducibility. The antioxidative ability of quercetin and the zinc(II)-quercetin complex was determined using DPPH and FRAP methods. The same samples were tested for antimicrobial activity against seven laboratory control strains of bacteria and one strain of yeast. As a result of those tests, there are no obstacles to combine quercetin and zinc in the same supplement formulation.

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In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, effective management of information technology (IT) projects is paramount for organizational success. However, ensuring sustainability in IT project management remains a persistent challenge. This paper proposes a novel approach centered on data-driven strategies to enhance sustainability and excellence in IT project management. By harnessing the power of data analytics, organizations can derive actionable insights to optimize resource allocation, mitigate risks, and streamline project workflows. The integration of data-driven decision making processes enables project managers to make informed choices, fostering adaptability and resilience in the face of dynamic project environments. This research explores the utilization of IT software project performance metrics and historical project data to fuel analysis of how strategies drive business sustainability. Moreover, this paper examined these dimensions with the help of advanced analytics techniques such as multiple linear regression. By aligning IT project management practices with business sustainability objectives, organizations can enhance project success rates, while minimizing adverse environmental impacts and resource consumption. Prospectively, this kind of research should expand to determining factors for the adoption of data-driven strategies to empower organizations to achieve sustainable IT project management excellence, ensuring long-term competitiveness and value creation in a digitalized world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prismatic fixed-end beams with circular cross-section are often used in engineering. Therefore, there is a need for a solution of an elastoplastic deflection of prismatic fixed-end beams with circular cross-section loaded by lateral displacement at one end of the beam, which is suitable for practical use. The elastoplastic deflection beam theory does not provide a solution in a closed form for such a problem. Hence, a semi-analytical solution is proposed in this paper. Homogenous and isotropic beams with the bilinear elastoplastic strain hardening behaviour are covered in the proposed solution. The elastic deflection of a beam is determined by the Bernoulli–Euler formula. However, differential equation of beam bending in the plastic domain of material behaviour does not have a solution in a closed form. Therefore, an incremental procedure for determining the curvature of the plasticised region of the beam is suggested. The proposed semi-analytical solution is validated by comparing to the finite element analysis results of 16 different fixed-end beam models with varying geometric and material characteristics. Also, validation is done with experimental results of the bar damper device, available in the literature, which has been selected as a sample of a real engineering system where the proposed solution can be applied. A satisfying agreement between the proposed semi-analytical results and the subsequent numerical and experimental results is herein achieved, confirming the solution's reliability. Finally, a parametric study is conducted using the proposed semi-analytical solution in order to determine the influence of geometrical parameters and material characteristics on the mechanical properties of prismatic fixed-end beams with circular cross-section loaded by lateral displacement at one end of the beam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of root, aerial parts and fruit from two natural populations of Seseli rigidum was tested against 28 isolates of Candida albicans and one laboratory control strain of C. albicans ATCC 10259. Strains of C. albicans were isolated from oropharyngeal swabs, vaginal and/or cervical swabs, eye swabs, wound swabs, feces and urine. The investigated strains showed high level of resistance towards the activity of control antimycotic agent fluconazole and to a lower extent towards amphotericin B. The S. rigidum essential oils, in the concentrations of 50-200 mg/ml, inhibited the growth of investigated strains (28.6-46.4% of tested strains). The essential oils of root from both localities showed antifungal effect at the concentration 50 mg/ml. The dominant compound in the root essential oils was falcarinol (57.5% and 88.8%). The lower activity was obtained with the essential oil of aerial parts or fruit. The 100 mg/ml of essential oil of aerial parts showed significant effect on C. albicans strains. The essential oil of fruit from population from Brdjanska gorge exerted somehow higher effect. It was characterised by higher a-pinene and b-phellandrene content and lower amount of sabinene. The obtained results revealed the significant antifungal effects of S. rigidum root, aerial parts and fruit essential oils against resistant strains of C. albicans.

Background: The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate whether soluble programmed cell death1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) and serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) are potential diagnostic, predictive or prognostic biomarkers in lung cancer. Methods: Lung cancer patients (n = 115) with advanced metastatic disease, 101 with non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC (77 EGFR wild-type NSCLC patients on chemotherapy, 15 EGFR mutation positive adenocarcinoma patients, 9 patients with mPD-L1 Expression >50% NSCLC - responders to immunotherapy), and 14 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were examined. ELISA method was used to determine sPD-L1 and SAA1 concentrations in patients' plasma. Results: Significantly higher blood concentrations of sPDL1 and SAA1 were noted in lung cancer patients compared with a healthy control group. In PD-L1+ NSCLC patients, a significantly higher sPD-L1 level was noticed compared to any other lung cancer subgroup, as well as the highest average SAA1 value compared to other subgroups. Conclusions: It seems that sPD-1/PD-L1 might be a potential biomarker, prognostic and/or predictive, particularly in patients treated with immunotherapy. Serum amyloid A1 has potential to act as a good predictor of patients' survival, as well as a biomarker of a more advanced disease, with possibly good capability to predict the course of disease measured at different time points.

This document is an editorial published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular & Infection Microbiology. The editorial focuses on the research implications of microbial virulence factors, resistance, and new therapeutic strategies in the context of future infectious disease therapies. The goal of the research topic is to gather the latest articles addressing these topics and to discuss recent developments and innovative approaches in the field. The editorial highlights several studies, including one on tuberculosis in Poland and northeastern Europe, a transcriptional analysis of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with M. tuberculosis, the identification of virulence traits and genes in Kluyvera and Phytobacter, the role of the type VI secretion system in drug resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii, and the antivirulence activity of epigallocatechin-3-gallate against Aeromonas hydrophila. The editorial concludes by stating that the collected papers shed light on selected virulence factors, potential drugs, therapeutic strategies, diagnostics, and the changing epidemiology of microbial infections. [Extracted from the article]

The isothiocyanato Fe(III) complex with (E)-N,N,N-trimethyl-2-oxo- -2-(2-(1-(pyridin-2-yl)ethylidene)hydrazinyl)ethan-1-aminium was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and X-ray analysis. The octahedral geometry of the Fe(III) complex consists of the deprotonated form of the hydrazone ligand coordinated through the pyridine nitrogen, azomethine nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen atoms with three isothiocyanato ligands in the remaining coordination places. The measured effective magnetic moment for Fe(III) complex corresponds to high spin Fe(III) ion. The hydrazone ligand and its Fe(III) complex showed lower activity against the tested microbial strains than standard antimicrobial drugs.

Application of systems for passive vibration control is an efficient way for seismic protection of structures. Systems for passive vibration control consist of seismic isolation devices and energy dissipation devices. Base isolation of structures is a concept where devices for passive vibration control are placed in foundations of buildings. Various energy dissipation devices have been developed and tested so far, while metallic dampers represent a significant class. Those devices dissipate energy through the yield of metal material which they are made of. The metallic dampers have often been used because of their main advantages reflected in stable hysteretic behavior and well-known models for analytical prediction of the dissipated energy and structural response. Most of the metallic dampers have been developed for application in the beam-column joints or in the bracing system. The innovative energy dissipation device named multi-gap multi-level multi-directional seismic energy absorber, intended for the application in the horizontal seismic dilatation in the system of base isolation, has been developed recently by the group of the authors among whom is one of the authors of this paper. The main parts of the absorber are vertical components with linearly changeable circular cross-section. Due to the lateral displacements of the isolated structure the vertical components bend and energy dissipation is provided by yielding of the steel material they are made of. According to the previous experimental and numerical study of the absorber's vertical components, three-dimensional finite element model of the absorber has been developed and presented in this paper. The aim of the numerical analysis is to determine mechanical properties of the absorber based on the lateral force-displacement diagram. Furthermore, a simplified numerical model using one-dimensional beam finite elements has been proposed. The performance of the absorber has been determined using the available semianalytical solution for elastoplastic deflection of non-prismatic cantilever beams previously developed by the first author as well. The obtained results have been compared and it has been concluded that all three modelling approaches provide reliable mechanical properties of the absorber necessary for dynamic analysis of structures in engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]