Diagnostic difficulties in the differentiation of urine retention and developmental anomalies in the pelvicalyceal system in the ultrasound examination of children

Ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity is part of the baseline diagnostics of urinary tract diseases. Dilatation of the pelvicalyceal system is one of the most frequent findings. In ultrasonography of the urinary tract there are, however, some images of anatomical anomalies of the pelvicalyceal system which should not be consider as abnormal. In the study we analysed 920 ultrasound examinations of the urinary tract. Of all the ultrasound images only those with isolated dilatation of the renal pelvises and calices were selected (130 cases). Ampulla-shaped and/or external pelvises, isolated calices or both abnormalities were disclosed in 104, 46 and 20 cases, respectively. In about one-third of patients additional examinations (voiding cystography, intravenous urography, renal scyntygraphy) were performed which revealed normal anatomy of the urinary tract and disorders of urine flow in 80% and 20% of patients, respectively. In conclusion, the study implies that not all dilatation of the pelvicalyceal system structures signifies urine retention, although in the event of further doubt, there is a need for additional diagnostics

Effect of precipitation and temperature conditions of Central East Poland on feed value of European maize cultivars cultivated for silage

The study was conducted in the years 2009-2011, on a private farm. The experiment was set up in the split-plot design, in three replicates. Two experimental factors were analysed: A – time of harvest of maize green forage: I – in the stage of tasseling (75% of the plants in that stage of growth), II – in the stage of milky ripeness of the plants (after three weeks), III – in the stage of waxy ripeness of the plants (after three weeks), and B – cultivars with various lengths of the vegetation period: Pyroxenia, Codimi, Moschus, Alombo, Celive. The following parameters were determined in the collected samples of plant material: content of crude ash, digestibility of organic matter, and digestibility of dry matter. The results obtained permit the conclusion that the precipitation and temperature conditions in the years of the study caused a significant differentiation in the feed value of the green forage of the European maize cultivars. The digestibility of organic matter (OM) and the digestibility of dry matter (DM) of maize green forage were the highest if the harvest was performed in the stage of waxy ripeness of the plants in 2010, a year with the highest precipitation total. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of the harvest date, and of the selection of cultivars from the Common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species (CCA), cultivated in relation to the precipitation and temperature conditions, on the feed value of green forage of maize plants

Wstępne badania właściwości przeciwgrzybowych bakterii z rodzaju Bacillus rosnących na odpadach z przemysłu rolno-spożywczego

The three Bacillus species isolated from petroleum refinery waste were examined for antifungal activity on brewery effluents and molasses for biotechnological applications. Bacillus strains were identified by three different methods: 16S rRNA gene sequences, BIOLOG system and fatty acid analysis (FAME). The results demonstrated the ability of all three Bacillus strains cultured on brewery effluents and molasses to inhibit mycelial growth of the 10 tested fungi to varying degrees measured by agar plate inhibition assays. Fungi inhibited to the greatest degree as measured by the zones of inhibition were Botrytis cinerea A 258, Phomopsis viticola W 977, Septoria carvi K 2082, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides A 259, Phoma complanata A 233 and Phoma exigua var. exigua A 175. It was also observed that the fungal mycelial growth was inhibited by the cell-free supernatants, indicating lipoprotein-like activity of antifungal agents (mainly biosurfactants). Tested fungi were most sensitive to the Bacilli supernatants obtained from the molasses cultures including: B. cinerea A 258, R. solani W 70, S. sclerotiorum K 2291, Phomopsis diachenii K 657, C. dematium K 425, P. complanata A 233, P. exigua var. exigua A 175. In the previous study it was shown that Bacillus species produced biosurfactants. Application of natural products such as these Bacillus species or their byproducts may be a new approach to phytopathogen control therefore reducing the need for fungicides.Właściwości przeciwgrzybowe gatunków Bacillus hodowanych na ściekach browarnianych i melasie były oceniane. Bakterie wyizolowano z odpadów zanieczyszczonych związkami ropopochodnymi, a do ich identyfikacji wykorzystano następujące metody: amplifikację i sekwencjonowanie genu 16S rRNA, system Biolog oraz analizę kwasów tłuszczowych (FAME). W pracy stwierdzono, że bakterie Bacillus rosnące na ściekach browarnianych i melasie powodują zahamowanie wzrostu 10 badanych gatunków fitopatogenów, przy czym stopień zahamowania wzrostu był różny dla różnych gatunków grzybów. Najbardziej wrażliwe na badane bakterie były następujące gatunki grzybów: Botrytis cinerea A 258, Phomopsis viticola W 977, Septoria carvi K 2082, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides A 259, Phoma complanata A 233 and Phoma exigua var. exigua A 175. Jednocześnie stwierdzono również, że czyste supernatanty otrzymane z hodowli Bacillus na ściekach browarnianych i melasie powodują zahamowanie wzrostu grzybów na płytkach. Największą aktywność inhibicyjną wykazywały supernatanty otrzymane z hodowli bakterii Bacillus na melasie. Najbardziej wrażliwe na te supernatanty były następujące gatunki grzybów: B. cinerea A 258, R. solani W 70, S. sclerotiorum K 2291, Phomopsis diachenii K 657, C. dematium K 425, P. complanata A 233, P. exigua var. exigua A 175. We wcześniejszych pracach badano właściwości powierzchniowe supernatantów jako pośrednia metoda oceny obecności w nich biosurfakatntów. Szczepy Bacillus lub produkty przez nie syntetyzowane stanowią potencjalne Ĩródło biopestycydów i mogą być wykorzystane w kontroli fitopatogenów, przyczyniając się do redukcji zastosowania chemicznych fungicydów

Triboelectric phenomena during friction with diamond-like carbon coatings

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań tribologicznych dla elementów z powłoką DLC oraz dla stali jako układu odniesienia, którego właściwości są stosunkowo powszechnie znane. Analizę przeprowadzono pod kątem właściwości tribologicznych, oceny zmian struktury geometrycznej powierzchni SGP oraz generowanych ładunków triboelektrycznych – mikroprądów tarcia. Badania prowadzono w warunkach tarcia technicznie suchego i ze smarowaniem olejem syntetycznym polialfaolefinowym PAO-8 na testerze T-01M z oprzyrządowaniem peryferyjnym do rejestracji generowanych ładunków triboelektrycznych. W opracowaniu podkreślono wpływ energii i jej przemian na przebieg tarcia i procesów zużycia oraz właściwości tworzonych przeciwzużyciowych warstw wierzchnich.The paper presents the results of tribological studies concerning elements with DLC coatings. Steel, whose properties are relatively well known, was used as the reference material. The aim of the analysis was to determine the tribological properties of the DLC-coated elements, assess the changes in their surface texture, and measure the triboelectric charging, i.e. the microcurrents resulting from friction. The testing was performed using a T-01M analyser with peripherals for registering triboelectric charges. The results obtained for dry friction conditions and lubricated friction conditions, with PAO-8 synthetic oil as the lubricant, show how energy and energy transitions affect friction and wear processes and the properties of the anti-wear coatings

Effect of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on the growth of bacteria of the genus Bacillus and on the production of biosurfactants

Celem badań była ocena wzrostu oraz zdolności do produkcji biosurfaktantów trzech szczepów bakterii z rodzaju Bacillus hodowanych w obecności wielościennych nanorurek węglowych. W wyniku badań stwierdzono, że bakterie te bardzo dobrze rosły w obecności nanorurek węglowych oraz produkowały biosurfaktanty. Wytworzone przez bakterie biosurfaktanty powodowały dyspersję nanorurek węglowych w hodowlach płynnych. Wielościenne nanorurki węglowe nie wpływały na morfologię i wzrost bakterii, stymulowały jednak tworzenie przetrwalników. Badania obejmowały również ocenę właściwości produkowanych biosurfaktantów przez bakterie rosnące w obecności nanorurek węglowych, tj. napięcia powierzchniowego, zdolności emulgujących i pieniących. Nie stwierdzono wpływu badanych nanorurek węglowych na właściwości powierzchniowe biosurfaktantów produkowanych przez te bakterie. Biosurfaktanty zmniejszały napięcie powierzchniowe, miały zdolności emulgujące w stosunku do wybranych substancji/mieszanin hydrofobowych oraz zdolności pieniące porównywalne z próbką kontrolną.Three bacterial strains of the genus Bacillus were tested in order to ascertain how the presence of nanotubes in the culture medium influenced their growth, as well as their ability to produce biosurfactants. It was found that the bacteria grew very well in the presence of the nanotubes, and that they were capable of producing biosurfactants. The biosurfactants synthesized by the bacteria accounted for the dispersion of the carbon nanotubes in liquid cultures. Although the multiwalled carbon nanotubes did not affect the morphology or the growth of the bacteria, they were found to stimulate endospore production. The objective of the study was also to assess the properties of the biosurfactants produced by the bacteria growing in the presence of the carbon nanotubes, i.e. surface tension, emulsification and foamability. The nanotubes examined were found to exert no influence on the surface activity of the biosurfactants produced by the bacteria. The biosurfactants reduced surface tension, showed emulsifying properties towards some hydrophobic substances/mixtures, and displayed foamabilities comparable to those of the control

Exudates from <em>Miscanthus</em> x <em>giganteus</em> change the response of a root-associated <em>Pseudomonas</em> <em>putida</em> strain towards heavy metals.

The composition of root exudates is modulated by several environmental factors, and it remains unclear how that affects beneficial rhizosphere or inoculated microorganisms under heavy metal (HM) contamination. Therefore, we evaluated the transcriptional response of Pseudomonas putida E36 (a Miscanthus x giganteus isolate with plant growth promotion-related properties) to Cd, Pb and Zn in an in vitro study implementing root exudates from M. x giganteus. To collect root exudates and analyse their composition plants were grown in a pot experiment under HM and control conditions. Our results indicated higher exudation rate for plants challenged with HM. Further, out of 29 organic acids identified and quantified in the root exudates, 8 of them were significantly influenced by HM (e.g., salicylic and terephthalic acid). The transcriptional response of P. putida E36 was significantly affected by the HM addition to the growth medium, increasing the expression of several efflux pumps and stress response-related functional units. The additional supplementation of the growth medium with root exudates from HM-challenged plants resulted in a downregulation of 29% of the functional units upregulated in P. putida E36 as a result of HM addition to the growth medium. Surprisingly, root exudates&nbsp;+&nbsp;HM downregulated the expression of P. putida E36 functional units related to plant colonization (e.g., chemotaxis, motility, biofilm formation) but upregulated its antibiotic and biocide resistance compared to the control treatment without HM. Our findings suggest that HM-induced changes in root exudation pattern may attract beneficial bacteria that are in turn awarded with organic nutrients, helping them cope with HM stress. However, it might affect the ability of these bacteria to colonize plants growing in HM polluted areas. Those findings may offer an insight for future in vivo studies contributing to improvements in phytoremediation measures