Application of molecular techniques for the assessment of microorganism diversity on cultural heritage objects

As a result of their unpredictable ability to adapt to varying environmental conditions, microorganisms inhabit different types of biological niches on Earth. Owing to the key role of microorganisms in many biogeochemical processes, trends in modern microbiology emphasize the need to know and understand the structure and function of complex microbial communities. This is particularly important if the strategy relates to microbial communities that cause biodeterioration of materials that constitute our cultural heritage. Until recently, the detection and identification of microorganisms inhabiting objects of cultural value was based only on cultivation-dependent methods. In spite of many advantages, these methods provide limited information because they identify only viable organisms capable of growth under standard laboratory conditions. However, in order to carry out proper conservation and renovation, it is necessary to know the complete composition of microbial communities and their activity. This paper presents and characterizes modern techniques such as genetic fingerprinting and clone library construction for the assessment of microbial diversity based on molecular biology. Molecular methods represent a favourable alternative to culture dependent methods and make it possible to assess the biodiversity of microorganisms inhabiting technical materials and cultural heritage objects

Pulmonary rehabilitation in subterranean chambers combined with neuro-orthopedic activity-dependent plasticity therapy influences patients’ quality of life – A preliminary study

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The AuthorsObjective: The aim of the study was to evaluate if Neuro-orthopedic Activity-dependent Plasticity (N.A.P.) therapy combined with standard subterranean pulmonary rehabilitation (SPR) conducted in the salt mine influences the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and chest mobility in patients with asthma or chronic upper respiratory tracts diseases. Methods: 54 patients enrolled for the study completed a 3-week SPR. The 15D questionnaire, chest mobility and back scratch flexibility tests were conducted before and after SPR. In the study group (N = 23,16 women, 7 men) the N.A.P. therapy was added to SPR, while the control group (N = 31, 21 women and 10 men) completed the SPR program. Results: After the SPR statistically significant improvements were observed on the 15D dimensions of breathing and vitality dimensions, in the chest mobility and back flexibility in both groups. With the baseline gender distribution, age, generic 15D score, chest mobility and back scratch adjusted, the change in the 15D score was 0.068 greater in the study group than in the control group. This difference is clinically important and statistically significant (p = 0.022). There was no statistically significant difference in the chest mobility and back scratch flexibility between the groups. Conclusions: Adding N.A.P. therapy techniques to the SPR program in the underground part of the ‘Wieliczka’ Salt Mine Health Resort results in a statistically significant and clinically important improvement in the subjects' HRQoL.Peer reviewe

SECM study of hydrogen photogeneration in a 1,2-dichloroethane | water biphasic system with decamethylruthenocene electron donor regeneration

This paper reports light driven hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at 1,2-dichloroethane | water (DCE | W) interface using photoexcited decamethylruthenocene (DMRc) as electron donor. DMRc is in situ regenerated by electroreduction of its oxidized form (DMRc+) formed during HER as a by-product. This enables continuous HER using small amount of DMRc. Proton transfer from the acidic aqueous phase to the DCE phase is ensured by negative chemical polarization of the liquid | liquid interface. The reduction of protons in DCE occurs only after excitation of DMRc by light. Voltammetry performed with the organic droplet-modified glassy carbon electrode immersed in the aqueous electrolyte solution of various anions, indicated that oxidation of DMRc is followed by an anion insertion from water into the organic phase. We demonstrate that DMRc can be electrochemically regenerated at the microelectrode positioned close to the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) by the scanning electrochemical microscopy. Regeneration of the electron donor allows further development of biphasic system towards continuous hydrogen generation platform

Power morcellation for women undergoing laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy — safety of procedure and clinical experience from 426 cases

  Objectives: Minimally invasive gynaecological surgeries are performed for several malignant and nonmalignant indications. The aim of our study was to evaluate the rate of unexpected malignancies among women who underwent laparoscopical supracervical hysterectomy (LASH) with power morcellation. Material and methods: The retrospective analysis included clinical data of 426 consecutive female patients who underwent LASH with power morcellation due to presumed benign disorders (78.4% — symptomatic uterine fibromas, 12.7% — abnormal uterine bleeding, 8.9% — suspicion of uterine adenomyosis) between January 2011 and December 2015. Pre­malignant or malignant preoperative abnormalities in the cervix and the uterine corpus were contraindications for LASH. Results: The unexpected malignancies were found in four patients from study group: one ovarian cancer located on the inner part of simple ovarian cyst and 3 endometrial carcinomas (0.9%) were documented. All these patients underwent abdominal reoperations and no histological abnormalities were detected in the extirpated cervix and adnexa. Conclusions: The incidence of unintended endometrial carcinoma in morcellated uterus after LASH was relatively small. However, careful pre-operative counseling should be undertaken in order to exclude the possibility of any malignant disease in uteri among women scheduled to power morcellation.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy determination of hydrogen flux at liquid|liquid interface with potentiometric probe

Scanning electrochemical microscopy potentiometric determination of local hydrogen concentration and its flux next to the liquid|liquid interface was demonstrated. This method is based on the shift of open circuit potential of Pt-based reversible hydrogen electrode. The detection system was verified with a system generating hydrogen under galvanostatic conditions. Then, it was applied to aqueous|1,2-dichloroethane interface where hydrogen is produced with decamethylferrocene as electron donor

H2O2 generation at carbon paste electrode with decamethylferrocene solution in 2-nitrophenyloctyl ether as a binder. The catalytic effect of MoS2 particles

Here, we report hydrogen peroxide generation at 2-nitrophenyloctyl ether (NPOE)-water interface with decamethylferrocene as an electron donor. The progress of this reaction was detected by the observation of color change of the organic and aqueous phases in series of shake-flask experiments. The shape change of cyclic voltammograms recorded at carbon paste electrode with decamethylferrocene solution in NPOE also indicates (electro)catalytic reaction. Hydrogen peroxide was electrochemically detected at Pt microelectrode tip positioned in front of carbon paste electrode. For this purpose, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) approach curves were recorded. Analogous experiments demonstrated the possibility of electrochemical regeneration of the electron donor. The (electro)catalytic effect of MoS2 on hydrogen peroxide generation was found by both shake-flask and SECM experiments

Hydrogen and Hydrogen Peroxide Formation in Trifluorotoluene-Water Biphasic Systems

Hydrogen or hydrogen peroxide can be generated in liquid-liquid biphasic systems, where the organic phase contains sufficiently strong electron donor (whose redox potential is lower than the potential of reversible hydrogen electrode). H2O2 generation with acidified aqueous phase occurs prior to H2 evolution when oxygen is present. No other organic solvent than highly toxic 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) has been reported in biphasic system for H2 or H2O2 generation. In this work, we have used trifluorotoluene (TFT) instead of carcinogenic DCE, and studied these reactions in TFT-water biphasic system. To evaluate H2 flux, scanning electrochemical microscopy potentiometric approach curves to the TFT-water interface were recorded. H2O2 was detected voltametrically at a microelectrode located in the vicinity of the interface. H2 and H2O2 are formed and both reactions occur also in the absence of a hydrophobic salt in the organic phase. Their thermodynamics was discussed on the basis of Gibbs energies determined electrochemically with droplet-modified electrodes. The results show that DCE can be replaced by a noncarcinogenic solvent and the biphasic system for H2 and H2O2 generation can be simplified by elimination of the uncommon hydrophobic salt from the organic phase

Hydrogen Peroxide Generation at Liquid|Liquid Interface under Conditions Unfavorable for Proton Transfer from Aqueous to Organic Phase

The charge transfer processes across the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) can be employed for energy storage and conversion, solvent extraction, or sensing or in life sciences. Among them are catalytic reactions, which have only been recently studied. Here H2O2 generation is studied with decamethylferrocene (DMFc) as electron donor at the interface between tetrahexylammonium perchlorate solution in 1,2- dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) and aqueous HClO4. These conditions are unfavorable for proton transfer across ITIES because of positive Galvani potential difference. Voltammetry with 1,2-DCE droplet modified electrode shows that DMFc oxidation is accompanied by ClO4− insertion into the organic phase. The reaction progress was followed by UV−vis spectroscopy, voltammetry, and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). In the first and last method, horseradish peroxidase was used as catalyst. It is concluded that O2 is reduced to H2O2 at the liquid|liquid interface not only under conditions when proton transfer to organic phase is strongly favored, namely, when Galvani potential difference is negative (Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 4675−4678)

Metabolomic and high-throughput sequencing analysis—modern approach for the assessment of biodeterioration of materials from historic buildings

Preservation of cultural heritage is of paramount importance worldwide. Microbial colonization of construction materials, such as wood, brick, mortar and stone in historic buildings can lead to severe deterioration. The aim of the present study was to give modern insight into the phylogenetic diversity and activated metabolic pathways of microbial communities colonized historic objects located in the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp in Oświęcim, Poland. For this purpose we combined molecular, microscopic and chemical methods. Selected specimens were examined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), metabolomic analysis and high-throughput Illumina sequencing. FESEM imaging revealed the presence of complex microbial communities comprising diatoms, fungi and bacteria, mainly cyanobacteria and actinobacteria, on sample surfaces. Microbial diversity of brick specimens appeared higher than that of the wood and was dominated by algae and cyanobacteria, while wood was mainly colonized by fungi. DNA sequences documented the presence of 15 bacterial phyla representing 99 genera including Halomonas, Halorhodospira, Salinisphaera, Salinibacterium, Rubrobacter, Streptomyces, Arthrobacter and 9 fungal classes represented by 113 genera including Cladosporium, Acremonium, Alternaria, Engyodontium, Penicillium, Rhizopus and Aureobasidium. Most of the identified sequences were characteristic of organisms implicated in deterioration of wood and brick. Metabolomic data indicated the activation of numerous metabolic pathways, including those regulating the production of primary and secondary metabolites, for example, metabolites associated with the production of antibiotics, organic acids and deterioration of organic compounds. The study demonstrated that a combination of electron microscopy imaging with metabolomic and genomic techniques allows to link the phylogenetic information and metabolic profiles of microbial communities and to shed new light on biodeterioration processes

Young people year 8 perspective on the idea of the child welfare and its selected determinants

Celem pracy jest zaprezentowanie perspektywy dzieci w postrzeganiu kategorii pojęciowej "dobro dziecka” oraz jej wybranych uwarunkowań. W tym celu przebadano 95 uczniów klas VIII. Praca składa się z części teoretycznej, metodologicznej i empirycznej. Część teoretyczna składa się z 4 rozdziałów. W rozdziale I przedstawiono historię konstruowania się kategorii pojęciowej "dobro dziecka”. Rozdział II zawiera interdyscyplinarną analizę pojęcia "dobro dziecka” w trzech perspektywach: pedagogicznej, prawnej i socjologicznej. Na potrzeby badań postanowiono wyodrębnić kategorię, która będzie różnicowała postrzeganie "dobra dziecka” przez uczniów. Dlatego w rozdziale III zdecydowano się opisać jedną z cech psychospołecznych jaką jest poczucie własnej wartości. W ostatnim rozdziale teoretycznym zaprezentowano perspektywę międzynarodową w postrzeganiu zasady "dobra dziecka”. Analiza i interpretacja przeprowadzonych badań znalazła się w ostatnim rozdziale. W badaniach wykorzystano dwa narzędzia badawcze: kwestionariusz do badania ogólnego poziomu samooceny - Skala Samooceny SES Morrisa Rosenberga i autorski kwestionariusz opracowany na potrzeby pracy na temat postrzegania pojęcia "dobro dziecka”.The purpose of this dissertation is to present the children’s perspective on the idea of the child welfare and its selected determinants. Chapter I presents the development of the child welfare concept. Chapter II contains an interdisciplinary analysis of the child welfare being observed from three perspectives: pedagogical, legal and sociological. Chapter III describes one of the psychosocial characteristics, namely the self-esteem. The final theoretical chapter presents the international perspective on the perception of the child welfare. Two research tools were used to complete the research: a questionnaire to examine the general level of self-esteem - the Morris Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the author's questionnaire developed for the purpose of the study. Overall, 95 students from year 8 took part in the research