Analiza epidemiologiczna występowania chorób odkleszczowych w Samodzielnym Publicznym Zakładzie Opieki Zdrowotnej w Bielsku-Podlaskim

Introduction. Ticks can infect people with numerous pathogens causing various infectious (viral, bacterial) or invasive (parasitic, fungal) diseases.Aim. The main objective of the present work included the epidemiologic analysis of the occurrence of tick-borne diseases at the Independent Public Health Care Facility in Bielsk Podlaski.Material and Methods. An analysis of medical documentation stored in the hospital’s IT database of patients hospitalized in 2016, 2017 and 2018 was performed. Sixty-six patients admitted to the Observation and Infectious Disease Ward diagnosed with tick-borne diseases, were qualified for the study.Results. Analysis of the data showed that Lyme disease was diagnosed most often. It affected mainly middle-aged and elderly men. The second most-often diagnosed illness was TBM characterized by its seasonality. No other tick-transmitted diseases were recorded. Although not all patients were aware of having been bitten by a tick, their symptoms allowed the diagnosis of tick-related illnesses. After treatment relevant to each ailment all patients were discharged in a good state of health.Conclusions. The completed retrospective analysis of the documentation of hospitalized patients shows consistency with the work of other authors both with respect to the frequency of tick-borne disease diagnoses and the most often reported symptoms. It also confirms an upward trend with respect to tick-borne disease hospitalizations. (JNNN 2020;9(2):51–58)  Wstęp. Kleszcze mogą zarażać ludzi wieloma patogenami wywołującymi różne choroby zakaźne (wirusowe, bakteryjne) lub inwazyjne (pasożytnicze, grzybicze).Cel. Głównym celem niniejszej pracy była analiza epidemiologiczna występowania chorób odkleszczowych w Samodzielnym Publicznym Zakładzie Opieki Zdrowotnej w Bielsku Podlaskim.Materiał i metody. Dokonano analizy dokumentacji medycznej przechowywanej w informatycznej bazie danych szpitala w 2016, 2017 i 2018 r. Do badania zakwalifikowano sześćdziesięciu sześciu pacjentów przyjętych na Oddział Obserwacji i Chorób Zakaźnych, u których zdiagnozowano choroby odkleszczowe.Wyniki. Analiza danych wykazała, że najczęściej rozpoznawano boreliozę. Dotyczyło to głównie mężczyzn w średnim i starszym wieku. Drugą najczęściej diagnozowaną chorobą było kleszczowe zapalenie opon mózgowych, charakteryzujące się sezonowością. Nie odnotowano żadnych innych chorób przenoszonych przez kleszcze. Chociaż nie wszyscy pacjenci byli świadomi ukąszenia przez kleszcza, ich objawy pozwoliły na rozpoznanie chorób odkleszczowych. Po leczeniu związanym z każdą dolegliwością wszyscy chorzy zostali wypisani do domu w dobrym stanie zdrowia.Wnioski. Przeprowadzona retrospektywna analiza dokumentacji pacjentów hospitalizowanych wykazuje spójność z pracami innych autorów zarówno pod względem częstości rozpoznawania chorób odkleszczowych, jak i najczęściej zgłaszanych objawów. Potwierdza również tendencję wzrostową w zakresie hospitalizacji z powodu chorób przenoszonych przez kleszcze. (PNN 2020;9(2):51–58

Intraspecific Variation in Nectar Chemistry and Its Implications for Insect Visitors: The Case of the Medicinal Plant, Polemonium Caeruleum L.

Floral nectar, being a primary reward for insect visitors, is a key factor in shaping plant–pollinator interactions. However, little is known about the variability in nectar traits, which could potentially affect pollinators and the reproduction of the species. We investigated intraspecific variation in nectar traits in 14 populations of a Red-listed plant, Polemonium caeruleum. Populations varied in terms of the proportion of self-compatible and self-incompatible individuals, and insect communities visiting flowers. Using HPLC, we determined the nectar sugar and amino acid (AA) composition and concentration. We also recorded some basic habitat parameters, which could influence nectar chemistry. In seven selected populations, we investigated the taxonomic composition of the insects visiting flowers. Our observations revealed significant intraspecific variability in nectar chemistry in P. caeruleum. Nectar production was male-biased, with male-phase flowers secreting sucrose- and AA-rich nectar. An analysis revealed that variability in P. caeruleum nectar may be slightly shaped by environmental factors. The studied nectar characters, especially sugars, had little effect on insects visiting flowers. We argue that variation in nectar traits in this generalist plant is a matter of random genetic drift or “adaptive wandering” rather than directional specialization and adaptation in the most effective and abundant group of pollinators

Functional Diversity of Nectary Structure and Nectar Composition in the Genus Fritillaria (Liliaceae)

Fritillaria is a genus consisting of 130 to 140 species of bulbous plants, native to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Generally viewed as an insect pollinated genus with the exception of two North American species, Fritillaria gentneri and F. recurva, which are described as hummingbird-pollinated and the Asian species, F. imperialis, described as passerine-pollinated. These pollinator shifts are possibly the result of adaptive changes to the structure and morphology of the nectary, as well as a change in the nectar concentration and composition. A study was conducted in a target group of 56 Fritillaria species, based on the morphology of their nectaries and nectar composition to assess the significance of pollination mode as well as its predisposition for the evolution of bird pollination. All species studied had nectaries located at their tepal base and produced nectar, but their size, shape, color, and composition all varied. Most fritillaries had hexose-rich nectar, in easily accessible and unprotected nectaries. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed that the surface of the nectaries of most Fritillaria species was flat and clearly distinct from that of the surrounding tissues, which might be regarded as an adaptation for insect-pollination. Nectaries of F. imperialis were considerably larger and had dilute nectar without sucrose, which was produced profusely, thereby fulfilling the criteria characteristic of ornithophilous flowers. The copious nectar of presumed hummingbird-pollinated species was rather balanced and of medium sugar concentration. Their large lanceolate nectaries contrasted sharply with the tessellated background of their tepals. These characters might indicate a mixed pollination system that engages both birds and insects. Floral anatomy and microstructure and nectar composition for Fritillaria species in subgenera Korolkowia and Liliorhiza are studied for the first time

Effect of Tetraphenylborate on Physicochemical Properties of Bovine Serum Albumin

The binding interactions of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with tetraphenylborate ions ([B(Ph)4]−) have been investigated by a set of experimental methods (isothermal titration calorimetry, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and circular dichroism spectroscopy) and molecular dynamics-based computational approaches. Two sets of structurally distinctive binding sites in BSA were found under the experimental conditions (10 mM cacodylate buffer, pH 7, 298.15 K). The obtained results, supported by the competitive interactions experiments of SDS with [B(Ph)4]− for BSA, enabled us to find the potential binding sites in BSA. The first site is located in the subdomain I A of the protein and binds two [B(Ph)4]− ions (logK(ITC)1 = 7.09 ± 0.10; ΔG(ITC)1 = −9.67 ± 0.14 kcal mol−1; ΔH(ITC)1 = −3.14 ± 0.12 kcal mol−1; TΔS(ITC)1 = −6.53 kcal mol−1), whereas the second site is localized in the subdomain III A and binds five ions (logK(ITC)2 = 5.39 ± 0.06; ΔG(ITC)2 = −7.35 ± 0.09 kcal mol−1; ΔH(ITC)2 = 4.00 ± 0.14 kcal mol−1; TΔS(ITC)2 = 11.3 kcal mol−1). The formation of the {[B(Ph)4]−}–BSA complex results in an increase in the thermal stability of the alfa-helical content, correlating with the saturation of the particular BSA binding sites, thus hindering its thermal unfolding

Functional Diversity of Nectary Structure and Nectar Composition in the Genus Fritillaria (Liliaceae)

Fritillaria is a genus consisting of 130 to 140 species of bulbous plants, native to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Generally viewed as an insect pollinated genus with the exception of two North American species, Fritillaria gentneri and F. recurva, which are described as hummingbird-pollinated and the Asian species, F. imperialis, described as passerine-pollinated. These pollinator shifts are possibly the result of adaptive changes to the structure and morphology of the nectary, as well as a change in the nectar concentration and composition. A study was conducted in a target group of 56 Fritillaria species, based on the morphology of their nectaries and nectar composition to assess the significance of pollination mode as well as its predisposition for the evolution of bird pollination. All species studied had nectaries located at their tepal base and produced nectar, but their size, shape, color, and composition all varied. Most fritillaries had hexose-rich nectar, in easily accessible and unprotected nectaries. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed that the surface of the nectaries of most Fritillaria species was flat and clearly distinct from that of the surrounding tissues, which might be regarded as an adaptation for insect-pollination. Nectaries of F. imperialis were considerably larger and had dilute nectar without sucrose, which was produced profusely, thereby fulfilling the criteria characteristic of ornithophilous flowers. The copious nectar of presumed hummingbird-pollinated species was rather balanced and of medium sugar concentration. Their large lanceolate nectaries contrasted sharply with the tessellated background of their tepals. These characters might indicate a mixed pollination system that engages both birds and insects. Floral anatomy and microstructure and nectar composition for Fritillaria species in subgenera Korolkowia and Liliorhiza are studied for the first time.© 2018 Roguz, Bajguz, Gołębiewska, Chmur, Hill, Kalinowski, Schönenberger, Stpiczyńska and Zyc