The influence of Pichia killer toxins on the wine spoilage yeasts

Killer yeasts are able to produce toxins that antagonize the growth of susceptible yeasts cells of the same species or the ones that are related to them. Killer strains are resistant to their own toxins but can be sensitive to killer proteins of other yeasts. The killer proteins of Pichia spp. are known for its broad spectrum of antifungal activity including pathogens such as Candida albicans. The aim of the study was to investigate the potential of the partly purified killer toxins to inhibit the growth of selected yeast strains which can contribute to wine spoilage. Three Pichia killer yeast strains (CBS 1982, CBS 5759, CBS 7373) were used in the study. The killer protein secreted by Pichia anomala CBS 1982 was characterized by the highest antifungal activity. The most pronounced effect of the reduction of cell proliferation by killer toxin preparations was found after 2 and 20 h cultivation. Among the 13 tested strains, all Pichia killer toxin preparations inhibited the growth of Rhodotorula graminis Rg, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa Rm and Schizosaccharomyces pombe DSM 70576. Killer toxins produced by Pichia anomala CBS 1982 (K8) and CBS 5759 (K4) limited the growth of Candida pulcherrima K5 and Hanseniaspora guillermondii DSM 3432 after 2, 20 and 168 h of incubation. A significant reduction of Debaryomyces hansenii DSM 3428 biomass was observed in medium with the addition of one toxin preparation (Pichia anomala CBS 1982). The growth limitation of Candida glabrata DSM 6425, Hanseniaspora uvarum DSM 2768, Metchnikowia pulcherrima DSM 70321 and Cryptococcus laurentii DSM 70766 was noticed only after 2 hours cultivation in presence of killer protein preparations. The killer toxins could be used in the food industry as selective tools to control infections during the fermentation of wine and improve the quality of the final product

Microbial biodiversity in arable soils is affected by agricultural practices

The aim of the study was to examine the differences in microbial community structure as a result of agricultural practices. Sixteen samples of cultivated and the same number of non-cultivated soils were selected. Gel bands were identified using the GelCompar software to create the presence-absence matrix, where each band represented a bacterial operational taxonomic unit. The data were used for principal-component analysis and additionally, the Shannon-Weaver index of general diversity, Simpson index of dominance and Simpson index of diversity were calculated. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles clearly indicated differentiation of tested samples into two clusters: cultivated and non-cultivated soils. Greater numbers of dominant operational taxonomic units (65) in non-cultivated soils were noted compared to cultivated soils (47 operational taxonomic units). This implies that there was a reduction of dominant bacterial operational taxonomic units by nearly 30% in cultivated soils. Simpson dominance index expressing the number of species weighted by their abundance amounted to 1.22 in cultivated soils, whereas a 3-fold higher value (3.38) was observed in non-cultivated soils. Land-use practices seemed to be a important factors affected on biodiversity, because more than soil type determined the clustering into groups

Mastectomy – literature review

The dominant approach in the fight against breast cancer is mastectomy. Surgical operations include diagnostic, therapeutic, palliative and reconstructive procedures. The decision as to the procedure depends on the type, location and advancement of the tumor, as well as on the preferences of the patients, the skills of the operator and the availability of methods at a given centre. It is worth noting that with the increasing number of patients, there have also been significant advances in treatment, the surgical techniques used, and consequently the quality of life index has also increased. Nowadays, clinicians' attention is focused not only on the elimination of the cancer, but also on the best possible cosmetic effect of the treatment. In breast cancer, the approach to the patient should be multidisciplinary, because mastectomy and its complications affect the patient's appearance after surgery, as well as psychological aspects, changing self-perception and pain complaints

Modern methods of treating neurological diseases

Aim of the article The aim of the article is to summarize the current state of knowledge about brain-computer interfaces (BCI), i.e. systems that allow you to control electronic devices by recording the activity of nerve cells. Materials and methods The article is based on a literature review in the PubMed database. Conclusions Disorders of the nervous system pose a great therapeutic challenge due to the limited regenerative capacity of the nervous tissue. In the future, BCI may become an opportunity to improve the quality of life of patients with neurological diseases. Thanks to technological progress and increasing abilities in the field of physiology of neurons, the possibilities of using this system are increasing. Clinical trials have been performed on patients with various types of neurological deficits, including movement disorders and aphasia. Brain-computer interfaces can also help with vision loss, epilepsy, and many other condition

Single nucleotide polymorphism discovery in bovine liver using RNA-seq technology

BackgroundRNA-seq is a useful next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology that has been widely used to understand mammalian transcriptome architecture and function. In this study, a breed-specific RNA-seq experiment was utilized to detect putative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in liver tissue of young bulls of the Polish Red, Polish Holstein-Friesian (HF) and Hereford breeds, and to understand the genomic variation in the three cattle breeds that may reflect differences in production traits. ResultsThe RNA-seq experiment on bovine liver produced 107,114,4072 raw paired-end reads, with an average of approximately 60 million paired-end reads per library. Breed-wise, a total of 345.06, 290.04 and 436.03 million paired-end reads were obtained from the Polish Red, Polish HF, and Hereford breeds, respectively. Burrows-Wheeler Aligner (BWA) read alignments showed that 81.35%, 82.81% and 84.21% of the mapped sequencing reads were properly paired to the Polish Red, Polish HF, and Hereford breeds, respectively. This study identified 5,641,401 SNPs and insertion and deletion (indel) positions expressed in the bovine liver with an average of 313,411 SNPs and indel per young bull. Following the removal of the indel mutations, a total of 195,3804, 152,7120 and 205,3184 raw SNPs expressed in bovine liver were identified for the Polish Red, Polish HF, and Hereford breeds, respectively. Breed-wise, three highly reliable breed-specific SNP-databases (SNP-dbs) with 31,562, 24,945 and 28,194 SNP records were constructed for the Polish Red, Polish HF, and Hereford breeds, respectively. Using a combination of stringent parameters of a minimum depth of ≥10 mapping reads that support the polymorphic nucleotide base and 100% SNP ratio, 4,368, 3,780 and 3,800 SNP records were detected in the Polish Red, Polish HF, and Hereford breeds, respectively. The SNP detections using RNA-seq data were successfully validated by kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASPTM) SNP genotyping assay. The comprehensive QTL/CG analysis of 110 QTL/CG with RNA-seq data identified 20 monomorphic SNP hit loci (CARTPT, GAD1, GDF5, GHRH, GHRL, GRB10, IGFBPL1, IGFL1, LEP, LHX4, MC4R, MSTN, NKAIN1, PLAG1, POU1F1, SDR16C5, SH2B2, TOX, UCP3 and WNT10B) in all three cattle breeds. However, six SNP loci (CCSER1, GHR, KCNIP4, MTSS1, EGFR and NSMCE2) were identified as highly polymorphic among the cattle breeds. ConclusionsThis study identified breed-specific SNPs with greater SNP ratio and excellent mapping coverage, as well as monomorphic and highly polymorphic putative SNP loci within QTL/CGs of bovine liver tissue. A breed-specific SNP-db constructed for bovine liver yielded nearly six million SNPs. In addition, a KASPTM SNP genotyping assay, as a reliable cost-effective method, successfully validated the breed-specific putative SNPs originating from the RNA-seq experiments

The potential of amniotic membrane in surgery - current applications

This article explores the potential benefits and challenges of using the amniotic membrane in surgical procedures. Amniotic membranes have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-scarring, and antimicrobial properties, which can promote wound healing and tissue regeneration. They can be utilized in a variety of surgical settings, including ophthalmology, plastic surgery, and orthopedics. However, the use of amniotic membranes also poses certain limitations and risks, such as the potential for immune reactions and disease transmission. The article reviews the current literature on amniotic membrane usage in surgery and discusses the clinical implications and future research directions. In summary, the amniotic membrane represents a promising alternative to traditional surgical approaches, but its benefits and limitations must be carefully weighed and assessed in each individual case

Virtual Reality as a method to reduce pain and anxiety in pediatric patients - a review

Introduction and purpose  The role of virtual reality (VR) is increasingly being discussed not only in the context of entertainment, but also in the medical field. Recently, there has been a growing number of literature analyzing its effect on reducing pain and anxiety, which are common problems of pediatric patients. These feelings can negatively affect their psyche, health recovery, but also doctor-patient cooperation and avoidance of treatment in the future.The purpose of this study is to analyze and summarize the potential of using virtual reality to reduce pain and anxiety in pediatric patients. Material and methods  A literature review of 2015-2022 based on PubMed and Google Scholar. Results  The literature reviewed shows the extensive use of virtual reality in the treatment of pain and anxiety in pediatric patients. VR is a good method for reducing perioperative anxiety, pain during wound care and pain as well as anxiety in invasive procedures. This method may not be beneficial in the treatment of acute pain and its role is uncertain during dental treatment. Disadvantages of this technique include the need for financial investment in equipment and trained staff. Patients may experience dizziness and motion sickness during its use. Another disadvantage is also that it does not provide a long-term analgesic effect. Conclusion There appears to be merit in using this technology as an adjunctive method to reduce pain and anxiety in pediatric patients. There is also a need for further research in this area and the development of appropriate therapeutic intervention for a specific age group and procedure in a well-defined process by a trained team

Invasive treatment of selected psychiatric diseases

Mental disorders are a significant clinical problem due to the frequent ineffectiveness of their treatment. This is due to the not fully understood etiopathogenesis of these diseases. Often, the mechanism of action of a given therapy is not known and it is not clear why treatments that work in some patients may not produce any clinical improvement in others. The currently used pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy often turn out to be insufficient, which prompts the search for other methods of therapy, including neurosurgical methods. The currently carried out attempts at neurosurgical treatment of mental disorders differ greatly in terms of precision and surgical technique from the controversial procedures from the middle of the last century. Ablative methods and deep brain stimulation, which has been increasingly used in recent years