Vocational chaplaincy as the vocation of today’s pastoral work

Bp Wiesław Lechowicz, Tarnów‘Vocation‘ and ‘pastoral work‘ are the two key terms that determine the character and activity of the Church. Vocational chaplaincy belongs to the nature of the Church and should be one of its main aspects. It illustrates the idea of the Church as a Mother, constantly opening itself to God’s intention to give birth to new life within it. The vocational character of the Church is expressed in the very etymology of the word ‘Ecclesia‘, which means ‘the congregation of the chosen‘ (by Jesus). John Paul II called the Church mysterium vocationis. The mystery of ecclesiastical vocation is being revealed and fulfilled in pastoral work, which is an organized activity. Its main aspects are preaching the Word of God, administering of the sacraments, living in a religious community and being witnesses of Christian life. Thus the very idea of pastoral work is defined by its vocational character

The use of infrared spectroscopy and artificial neural networks for detection of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains' susceptibility to cephalothin

Background & Aims: Infrared spectroscopy is an increasingly common method for bacterial strains' testing. For the analysis of bacterial IR spectra, advanced mathematical methods such as artificial neural networks must be used. The combination of these two methods has been used previously to analyze taxonomic affiliation of bacteria. The aim of this study was the classification of Escherichia coli strains in terms of susceptibility/resistance to cephalothin on the basis of their infrared spectra. The infrared spectra of 109 uropathogenic E. coli strains were measured. These data are used for classification of E. coli strains by using designed artificial neural networks. Results: The most efficient artificial neural networks classify the E. coli sensitive/resistant strains with an error of 5%. Conclusions: Bacteria can be classified in terms of their antibiotic susceptibility by using infrared spectroscopy and artificial neural networks

Use of Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) for Monitoring Experimental Helicobacter pylori Infection and Related Inflammatory Response in Guinea Pig Model

Infections due to Gram-negative bacteria Helicobacter pylori may result in humans having gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, and even gastric cancer. Investigation of quantitative changes of soluble biomarkers, correlating with H. pylori infection, is a promising tool for monitoring the course of infection and inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to determine, using an experimental model of H. pylori infection in guinea pigs, the specific characteristics of infrared spectra (IR) of sera from H. pylori infected (40) vs. uninfected (20) guinea pigs. The H. pylori status was confirmed by histological, molecular, and serological examination. The IR spectra were measured using a Fourier-transform (FT)-IR spectrometer Spectrum 400 (PerkinElmer) within the range of wavenumbers 3000–750 cm−1 and converted to first derivative spectra. Ten wavenumbers correlated with H. pylori infection, based on the chi-square test, were selected for a K-nearest neighbors (k-NN) algorithm. The wavenumbers correlating with infection were identified in the W2 and W3 windows associated mainly with proteins and in the W4 window related to nucleic acids and hydrocarbons. The k-NN for detection of H. pylori infection has been developed based on chemometric data. Using this model, animals were classified as infected with H. pylori with 100% specificity and 97% sensitivity. To summarize, the IR spectroscopy and k-NN algorithm are useful for monitoring experimental H. pylori infection and related inflammatory response in guinea pig model and may be considered for application in humans

Plasma-Sprayed Hydroxyapatite Coatings and Their Biological Properties

Air plasma spraying (APS) is a common method of producing hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings for alloprosthetic implants. Modification of HA spraying potentially may diminish the risk of inflammation and local infection during bone implantation. Titanium implants were HA coated with different deposition process parameters. HA powder was deposited using APS with axial powder injection at three different distances (100, 120, and 140 mm). The surface morphology of each implant was examined and the direct contact cytotoxicity of each HA coating was evaluated according to norm ISO 10993 5:2009. The response of monocytes to HA was assessed via the activation of transcription nuclear factor. All coatings had a lamellar structure. HA sprayed at a distance of 120 mm showed the highest roughness and little phase change. The analysis of the results of the conducted research showed that plasma-spraying distance during the HA coating process had a negligible impact on biocompatibility. The results obtained for a distance of 120 mm showed a slight increase in the biological properties tested. Moreover, HA coatings sprayed at different distances were not cytotoxic and did not stimulate the NF-kB. Bare titanium was less susceptible to colonization by Staphylococcus aureus than HA-coated surfaces. HA constitutes a potentially good, low-cost, non-cytotoxic material for joint prostheses