Prevalence of infections and co-infections with 6 pathogens in <i>Dermacentor reticulatus</i> ticks collected in eastern Poland

Occurrence of co-infections with various pathogens in ixodid ticks creates a risk of increased severity of tick-borne diseases in humans and animals exposed to bite of the ticks carrying multiple pathogens. Accordingly, co-infections in ticks were subject of numerous analyses, but almost exclusively with regard to Ixodes ricinus complex whereas potential tick vectors belonging to other genera were much less studied. Taking into consideration the role of Dermacentor reticulatus in the transmission of various pathogens, we carried out for the first time the comprehensive statistical analysis of co-infections occurring in this tick species. An attempt was made to determine the significance of the associations between 6 different pathogens occurring in D. reticulatus (Tick-borne encephalitis virus = TBEV, Anaplasma phagocytophilum , Rickettsia raoultii , Borrelia burgdorferi s. l., Babesia spp., Toxoplasma gondii ), using 2 statistical methods: determination of Odds Ratios (ORs) and the Fisher’s exact test. 634 questing Dermacentor reticulatus ticks (370 females and 264 males) were collected in 2011– 2013 by flagging the lower vegetation in 3 localities in the area of Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lakeland, situated in the Lublin region of eastern Poland. The presence of individual pathogens was detected by PCR. Ticks were infected most often with Rickettsia raoultii (43.8%), less with TBEV (8.5%), and much less with Babesia spp., Toxoplasma gondii , Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (2.5%, 2.1%, 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively). The locality-dependent variability proved to be significant for TBEV (χ 2 =11.063; P=0.004) and Toxoplasma gondii (χ 2 =11.298; P=0.0035), but not for other pathogens. Two hundred seventy (42.6%) of the examined ticks were infected only with a single pathogen, and 54 (8.5%) showed the presence of dual co-infections, each with 2 pathogens. The most common were dual infections with participation of Rickettsia raoultii (7.41%); next, those with participation of the TBEV (5.21%), Toxoplasma gondii (1.58%), Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (1.26%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (0.95%), and Babesia spp. (0.63%). On the total number of 15 possible associations, in 9 cases co-infections occurred whereas in 6 cases they were not detected. The most noteworthy were positive co-infections with the participation of TBEV, which proved to be weakly significant (0.05&lt;P&lt;0.1) in associations with Toxoplasma gondii and Anaplasma phagocytophilum , with Odds Ratios over 3.3 and 4.4, respectively. The values of Odds Ratios exceeded 3.0 also at the co-infections of Rickettsia raoultii with B. burgdorferi s.l., and T. gondii with Babesia spp., but these associations did not attain a significance level. The co-infections of Rickettsia raoultii with Babesia spp. appeared not to be significant (0.05&lt;P&lt;0.1) with OR below 0.3. In conclusion, co-infections with various pathogens in D. reticulatus ticks seem to be relatively rare and mostly not significant

Analiza międzynarodowej strategii ekspansji na rynek krajów „Grupy Wyszehradzkiej” na przykładzie sektora sprzedaży detalicznej produktów spożywczych przez Jerónimo Martins SGPS, SA

This study will primarily focus on Jerónimo Martins’ international expansion to examine if it is desirable for the Group to continue its expansion into other “Visegrad Group” countries. The study takes into consideration the fantastic success of the company on the Polish market and investigates the reasons for their recent expansion to Colombian market, thereby avoiding further expansion on the European market. The study evaluates SWOT analysis, as well as KSF and concludes, that it is advisable that company sticks to its strategy of expanding to highly populated, emerging markets. The herein analysis was developed using information provided by the Group and also by international economic institutions.W artykule podjęty został temat międzynarodowej strategii ekspansji Grupy Jerónimo Martins działającej w obszarze handlu i dystrybucji produktów żywnościowych. Celem niniejszej pracy jest próba odpowiedzi na kwestie związane z wejściem na rynek krajów „Grupy Wyszehradzkiej”. Biorąc pod uwagę spektakularny sukces Jerónimo Martins na polskim rynku oraz niedawne otwarcie się JM na rynek kolumbijski, zbadano, które czynniki wpłynęły na wybór tych lokalizacji oraz przeanalizowano, czy ekspansja do pozostałych państw „Grupy Wyszehradzkiej” jest działaniem pożądanym. W artykule przedstawiono analizę mocnych i słabych stron, szans i zagrożeń dla Jerónimo Martins, a także „głównych czynników sukcesu”. Analiza została przeprowadzona na podstawie informacji opublikowanych przez JM oraz międzynarodowe instytucje gospodarcze

Show Me What You Have Inside—The Complex Interplay between SIBO and Multiple Medical Conditions—A Systematic Review

The microbiota, as a complex of microorganisms in a particular ecosystem, is part of the wider term—microbiome, which is defined as the set of all genetic content in the microbial community. Imbalanced gut microbiota has a great impact on the homeostasis of the organism. Dysbiosis, as a disturbance in bacterial balance, might trigger or exacerbate the course of different pathologies. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a disorder characterized by differences in quantity, quality, and location of the small intestine microbiota. SIBO underlies symptoms associated with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) as well as may alter the presentation of chronic diseases such as heart failure, diabetes, etc. In recent years there has been growing interest in the influence of SIBO and its impact on the whole human body as well as individual systems. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the co-existence of SIBO with different medical conditions. The PubMed database was searched up to July 2022 and we found 580 original studies; inclusion and exclusion criteria let us identify 112 eligible articles, which are quoted in this paper. The present SIBO diagnostic methods could be divided into two groups—invasive, the gold standard—small intestine aspirate culture, and non-invasive, breath tests (BT). Over the years scientists have explored SIBO and its associations with other diseases. Its role has been confirmed not only in gastroenterology but also in cardiology, endocrinology, neurology, rheumatology, and nephrology. Antibiotic therapy could reduce SIBO occurrence resulting not only in the relief of FGD symptoms but also manifestations of comorbid diseases. Although more research is needed, the link between SIBO and other diseases is an important pathway for scientists to follow

The Links between Microbiome and Uremic Toxins in Acute Kidney Injury: Beyond Gut Feeling—A Systematic Review

The last years have brought an abundance of data on the existence of a gut-kidney axis and the importance of microbiome in kidney injury. Data on kidney-gut crosstalk suggest the possibility that microbiota alter renal inflammation; we therefore aimed to answer questions about the role of microbiome and gut-derived toxins in acute kidney injury. PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to October 10, 2020 for relevant studies with an additional search performed on ClinicalTrials.gov. We identified 33 eligible articles and one ongoing trial (21 original studies and 12 reviews/commentaries), which were included in this systematic review. Experimental studies prove the existence of a kidney-gut axis, focusing on the role of gut-derived uremic toxins and providing concepts that modification of the microbiota composition may result in better AKI outcomes. Small interventional studies in animal models and in humans show promising results, therefore, microbiome-targeted therapy for AKI treatment might be a promising possibility

Digitale Technologien als Tools zur Förderung der Konnektivität des Lernens in Schule und Betrieb

Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird über ein vom Schweizerischen Bundesamt für Berufsbildung und Technologie (BBT) als Leading House gefördertes Forschungsprogramm berichtet, welches diese Frage explizit aufgreift. Die Forschungsaktivitäten sind insbesondere daraufhin orientiert, zu prüfen, ob und inwieweit digitale Technologien dabei helfen können, die Kluft zwischen den Lernorten zu überbrücken. Der Beitrag ist wie folgt aufgebaut: Um eine Einordnung der Überlegungen zu ermöglichen, wird im zweiten Abschnitt zunächst ein Überblick über das gesamte Forschungsprogramm des Leading Houses "Technologien für die Berufsbildung: Dual-T" gegeben. Im Abschnitt 3 wird sodann der konzeptuelle Rahmen des Programms skizziert, während im Abschnitt 4 exemplarisch eine empirische Studie zur Nutzung von videobasierten Lernmaterialien in der beruflichen Erstausbildung von angehenden Automobil-Mechatroniker/-innen vorgestellt wird. Die Ausführungen enden mit einem kurzen Fazit und Ausblick auf die in Aussicht genommenen weiterführenden Forschungsarbeiten. (DIPF/Orig.

The Association between Maxillary Sinus Dimensions and Midface Parameters during Human Postnatal Growth

Objective. The aim of the study based on CT images was to assess the age-related changes in maxillary sinus diameters in relation to diameters of the facial skeleton. Materials and Methods. The retrospective analysis of CT images of the head of 170 patients aged 0–18 years (85 females and 85 males) was performed. Specific orientation points (zy, zm, pr, ns, n, and P) were identified in every patient and the following distances were measured: zy-zy, maximum facial width; zm-zm, midfacial width; n-pr, upper facial height; ns-pr, alveolar facial height; and ns-P, distance not indicated in craniometry. Results. The maxillary sinuses of every patient were bilaterally measured in three planes. Three diameters were obtained: maximum transverse (horizontal) diameter called MSW, maximum vertical diameter called MSH, and maximum anteroposterior diameter (length) called MSL. In females, the correlation of MSW, MSH, and MSL and zy-zy, as well as n-pr distances, is very strong. Moreover, the significant correlation was found between all measurements of maxillary sinus and ns-pr as well as ns-P distances in females. The correlation between MSL and all measurements of midface as well as MSH and MSW and all measurements except ns-P is stronger in females than in males. In males, all measurements of maxillary sinus correlate with ns-P distance very strongly. Conclusions. The statistical analysis (correlation and determination coefficient) showed that all measurements of maxillary sinuses correlate with midface dimensions