Molecular characterization and antibiotic resistance profiling of Campylobacter isolated from cattle in Polish slaughterhouses

A total of 812 samples from bovine hides and the corresponding carcasses collected at the slaughterhouse level in the eastern part of Poland were examined for the presence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. Recovered isolates were confirmed using species-specific PCR, characterized by the presence of 11 putative virulence genes and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using a microbroth dilution method. Furthermore, the genotypic relatedness of the isolates was determined by PFGE profiling and virulence pattern cluster analysis. The prevalence of Campylobacter was 25.6% and 2.7% in bovine hide and carcass samples, respectively. The presence of virulence markers varied between C. jejuni and C. coli species however, the majority of strains possessed the cadF, flhA, flaA genes, irrespective of the bacterial species and origin. The lower number of the strains was positive for the invasive associated markers – virB11 and wlaN. Antibiotic profiling showed that campylobacters were most frequently resistant to quinolones and fluoroquinolones (nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, 38.3% of each, respectively) followed by streptomycin (24.3%) and tetracycline (20.9%). Resistance to erythromycin and gentamicin was demonstrated in 4.3% and 2.6% of strains, respectively. Comparisons of the PFGE and virulence marker profiles of the isolates reflected the high genetic diversity of Campylobacter tested. Moreover, a poor correlation between the PFGE type, pathogenic gene marker and antimicrobial resistance patterns was observed.     

Instrumental Texture,Syneresis and Microstructure of Yoghurts Prepared from Goat,Cow and Sheep Milk

Set-yoghurts from goat, cow, and sheep milk from middle lactation period were produced. In fresh yoghurts and after 14 days cold storage the following properties were analysed: hardness, adhesiveness, and extrusion force using instrumental texture analyzer, syneresis using drainage and centrifugal methods and microstructure using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Yoghurt from goat milk was characterized by lower hardness, adhesiveness, extrusion forces, and higher susceptibility to syneresis than yoghurts from cow and sheep milk. Microstructure of goat milk yoghurt was more delicate in comparison with microstructure of cow and sheep milk yoghurt. The composition and/or properties of goat milk for yoghurt production, or processing conditions need to be modified to obtain the proper texture and reduced syneresis in final product.     

High‐Mobility and Low Turn‐On Voltage n‐Channel OTFTs Based on a Solution‐Processable Derivative of Naphthalene Bisimide

In organic electronics solution‐processable n‐channel field‐effect transistors (FETs) matching the parameters of the best p‐channel FETs are needed. Progress toward the fabrication of such devices is strongly impeded by a limited number of suitable organic semiconductors as well as by the lack of processing techniques that enable strict control of the supramolecular organization in the deposited layer. Here, the use of N,N′‐bis(4‐n‐butylphenyl)‐1,4,5,8‐naphthalenetetracarboxylic‐1,4:5,8‐bisimide (NBI‐4‐n‐BuPh) for fabrication of n‐channel FETs is described. The unidirectionally oriented crystalline layers of NBI‐4‐n‐BuPh are obtained by the zone‐casting method under ambient conditions. Due to the bottom‐contact, top‐gate configuration used, the gate dielectric, Parylene C, also acts as a protective layer. This, together with a sufficiently low LUMO level of NBI‐4‐n‐BuPh allows the fabrication and operation of these novel n‐channel transistors under ambient conditions. The high order of the NBI‐4‐n‐BuPh molecules in the zone‐cast layer and high purity of the gate dielectric yield good performance of the transistors.     

Impacts of pollution derived from ship wrecks on the marine environment on the basis of s/s “Stuttgart” (Polish coast, Europe)

In 1943 the German hospital ship s/s Stuttgart (Lazaretschiff “C”) was sunk close to the port of Gdynia (Gulf of Gdańsk — Polish coast). This and other actions (undertaken after the war to remove the wreck) led to pollution of the sea bottom with oil derivatives.During our studies (2009) 11 surface sediment and water samples were collected as well as sediment core samples at 4 locations in order to determine the concentration levels of priority pollutants belonging to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). The concentrations of 16 PAH and 7 PCB were analysed with GC-MS. ΣPAH varied between 11.54 ± 0.39 and 206.7 ± 6.5 mg/kg dry weight in the surface sediments, and from 0.686 ± 0.026 to 1291 ± 53 mg/kg dry weight in the core samples. Contamination in the core samples collected may reach a depth of at least 230-240 cm (deepest sample studied). The PAH-group profiles in all surface sediment samples suggest a pyrolytic source of PAH, while the results obtained for core samples indicate a mixed pattern of pyrolytic and petrogenic inputs of PAH. Results obtained may suggest also that fuel residues being present at sea bottom is not crude oil derived but results from coal processing (synthetic fuel). The sum of PCB in surface sediments ranged from 0.761 ± 0.068 to 6.82 ± 0.28 μg/kg dry weight (except for sampling point W2, where ΣPCB was 108.8 ± 4.4 μg/kg dry weight). The strong correlation between PAH and PCB levels, and the fact that PCB are present only in the surface sediments, suggest that the compounds in these sediments got there as a result of emission from urban areas, entering the aquatic environment via atmospheric deposition. PCB levels in the sediment core samples were generally very low and in most cases did not exceed the method quantification limit.     

Chemical quality of bottled waters: a review

Bottled water has become very popular for quenching thirst and as a dietary (mineral) supplement. The plethora of natural mineral waters precludes any unequivocal system of classification, which makes it difficult for the consumer to choose a water with properties that suits him/her exactly. The ever-increasing popularity of bottled waters means that it is of the utmost importance to determine not only their mineral content, but above all, the content of possible contaminants, especially organic ones. In this respect bottled waters are a special case, because apart from organic contamination from the environment, the water may become secondarily contaminated as a result of its being improperly transported and stored. Pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and carbonyl compounds have been detected in samples of bottled water. This overview shows the available published information on levels of inorganic constituents and organic contaminants in samples of bottled water in the context of sample preparation procedures and analytical techniques.     

Oxidation of As(III) in aqueous solutions by means of macroporous redox copolymers with N-chlorosulfonamide pendant groups

The possibility of oxidizing As(III) to As(V) in aqueous solutions by means of heterogeneous oxidants, i.e. synthetic macromolecular redox compounds, was studied. The materials contain N-chlorosulfonamide functional groups in the sodium form: [P]-SO(2)NClNa (R/ClNa, 2.1 mmol/g) or in the hydrogen form: [P]-SO(2)NClH (R/ClH, 2.4 mmol/g), attached to a cross-linked macroporous poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) matrix. They were obtained through the transformation of Amberlyst 15 (Rohm and Haas) commercial cation exchanger's sulfonic functional groups. The experiments were conducted in the H(2)O and 0.01 M NaOH environment (R/ClNa) and in the H(2)O and 0.01 M H(2)SO(4) environment (R/ClH), using the batch process and the column process and NaAsO(2) solutions (93-375 mg As(III)/dm(3)). The experiments showed that the two copolymers' capacity to oxidize As(III) is high and depends on the process conditions. In the column process experiments, conducted using NaAsO(2) solutions with a concentration of ～ 93 mg As(III)/dm(3) at a flow rate of 4 BV/h (R/ClH) and 6 BV/h (R/ClNa), a breakthrough (defined as the exceedance of 0.05 mg As(III)/dm(3) in the effluent) would occur after the solutions amounting to about 400 bed volumes had been passed through the column.     

Sorption of zinc by novel pH-sensitive hydrogels based on chitosan, itaconic acid and methacrylic acid

Novel pH-sensitive hydrogels based on chitosan, itaconic acid and methacrylic acid were applied as adsorbents for the removal of Zn²⁺ ions from aqueous solution. In batch tests, the influence of solution pH, contact time, initial metal ion concentration and temperature was examined. The sorption was found pH dependent, pH 5.5 being the optimum value. The adsorption process was well described by the pseudo-second order kinetic. The hydrogels were characterized by spectral (Fourier transform infrared—FTIR) and structural (SEM/EDX and atomic force microscopy—AFM) analyses. The surface topography changes were observed by atomic force microscopy, while the changes in surface composition were detected using phase imaging AFM. The negative values of free energy and enthalpy indicated that the adsorption is spontaneous and exothermic one. The best fitting isotherms were Langmuir and Redlich-Peterson and it was found that both linear and nonlinear methods were appropriate for obtaining the isotherm parameters. However, the increase of temperature leads to higher adsorption capacity, since swelling degree increased with temperature.     

Porous chitosan/ZnO-doped bioglass composites as carriers of bioactive peptides

In this study, we aimed to assess whether the composite of chitosan/ZnO-doped bioglass can be applied as a suitable scaffold for the incorporation of bioactive peptides. Material of a porous composite with 1:1 ratio of bioglass:polymer was produced and used as a matrix for delivery of peptide. A peptide with the PEPTIDES sequence (Pro-Glu-Pro-Thr-Ile-Asp-Glu-Ser) was chosen as a model peptide. Microstructure and pore sizes of chitosan/ZnO-doped bioglass were assessed. Open porosity and pore sizes of the composite were suitable for enabling the migration of cells and ensuring the easy delivery of nutrients within the implant. In addition, composite showed bioactivity and bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Peptide alone did not have any cytotoxic activity on human fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Also it did not show any antibacterial properties and did not cause hemolysis of red blood cells. The peptide incorporated in composite showed a rapid release in the kinetics profile. The obtained results indicate that there is the technological possibility to incorporate peptides in chitosan/ZnO-doped bioglass scaffolds. Such biomaterials have potential application in bone tissue engineering.     

Particle swarm intelligence tunning of fuzzy geometric protoforms for price patterns recognition and stock trading

A novel approach for detecting patterns in price time series is shown. The proposed system for identifying consolidation phases is based on fuzzy geometric protoforms and classification trees. Promising results of the empirical studies prove that the suggested fuzzy geometric protoforms are very useful for identifying patterns in graphical visualizations of data. Moreover, the architecture of the system enables successful incorporation of genetic optimization what enables capturing various data sets structure and unstable conditions on financial markets.