Nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia – Case report

Nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia describes a syndrome consisting of recurrent motor episodes of dystonic–dyskinetic features arising from non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. In the article, the authors present female case of nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia. The patient has had attacks since her childhood and was eventually diagnosed at the age of 48. Therapy with carbamazepine considerably reduced the frequency and entent of seizures. The present case evidences that nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia still is a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Especially, we emphasize the importance of polysomnography in the verification of the diagnosis

Clinical application of a rapid microbiological test based on capillary zone electrophoresis to assess local skin infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The basic clinical problem associated with infection treatment is the fact that classic, commonly and routinely used isolation and identification methods are based on long-term processes of a phenotypic analysis of microorganisms. Consequently sometimes, especially in small centres, rapid implementation of antibacterial treatment becomes delayed.</p> <p>The work presents the initial results of rapid microbiological identification based on an original method of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The study involved the analysis of 78 biological samples from post-operative wounds and trophic ulcers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The attempt was made to identify individual bacterial species based on characteristic features of electropherograms achieved. Finally, G(+) cocci type bacteria and different G(-) rods were identified with sensitivity of 88.1% and specificity of 100%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Based on the clinical trials using an electrophoretic technique in the field of microbiological diagnostics of infected exudate from a post-operative wound it can be concluded that it is a rapid and relatively sensitive method for initial identification of infectious pathogens.</p

Gospodarka oparta na wiedzy jako czynnik determinujący wyrównywanie szans kobiet i mężczyzn w edukacji i zarządzaniu podejmowaniem decyzji

The paper presents results of research aimed at identifying correlations between the knowledge-based economy and education on one hand and gender equality in management and decision-making on the other. This goal was undertaken based on a review of specialist literature and statistical analysis of correlations between the knowledge-based economy index of Knowledge Economy Index (KEI)/Education and degree of equality of women and men measured by Gender Equity Index (GEI)/Women Empowerment. Estimation methods were selected for assessment of functional correlations: – KEI vs. GEI; – KEI/Education vs. GEI/Women Empowerment; – KEI/Education vs. GEI/Seats in parliament; – KEI/Education vs. GEI/Legislators, senior officials and managers; – KEI/Education vs. GEI/Women in ministerial positions. The analyses were done globally for more than 130 countries. New statistically signifi cant correlations between the studied variables were found. The hypothesis was confi rmed that education and knowledge-based economy are positive for gender equality in management and decision- making. The paper finishes in conclusions, postulates and recommendations. The results of the presented research may be crucially important for presentation of the role of knowledge and education in the process of creating equal chances for women. This is key not only considering social justice, but also because despite the passing time and measures taken, improvement of the situation in management and decision-making is not satisfactory yet. Furthermore, higher participation of women in management and decision-making generates an immense potential which shouldn’t be wasted. This is important especially concerning demographic issues and diagnosed global defi ciency of top level management staff.W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badania mającego na celu zidentyfikowanie korelacji między opartą na wiedzy gospodarką a edukacją, z jednej strony, i równością płci w zarządzaniu podejmowaniem decyzji, z drugiej. Cel ten przyjęto na podstawie przeglądu literatury specjalistycznej i analizy statystycznej korelacji między wskaźnikiem gospodarki opartej na wiedzy zwanym Knowledge Economy Index (KEI) a edukacją i stopniem równości kobiet i mężczyzn, mierzonym wskaźnikiem równości płci Gender Equity Index (GEI)/upełnomocnienie kobiet (Women Empowerment). Dokonano selekcji metod do oceny korelacji funkcjonalnych: − KEI vs. GEI; − KEI/edukacja vs. GEI/upełnomocnienie kobiet; − KEI/edukacja vs. GEI/miejsca w parlamencie; − KEI/edukacja vs. GEI/ustawodawcy, wyżsi urzędnicy i menedżerowie; − KEI/edukacja vs. GEI/kobiety na stanowiskach ministerialnych. Analiz dokonano globalnie dla ponad 130 krajów. Ustalono nowe statystycznie istotne korelacje między badanymi zmiennymi. Potwierdzono hipotezę, że edukacja i gospodarka oparta na wiedzy są pozytywne dla równouprawnienia płci w zarządzaniu i podejmowaniu decyzji. Opracowanie kończy się wnioskami, postulatami i zaleceniami. Wyniki prezentowanego badania mogą być niezmiernie ważne dla przedstawienia roli wiedzy i edukacji w procesie tworzenia równych szans dla kobiet. Jest to istotne nie tylko z punktu widzenia sprawiedliwości społecznej, lecz również dlatego, że pomimo upływu czasu i podjętych środków, poprawa sytuacji w zarządzaniu i podejmowaniu decyzji nie jest jeszcze zadowalająca. Co więcej, wyższy udział kobiet w zarządzaniu i podejmowaniu decyzji stwarza ogromny potencjał, którego nie wolno zmarnować. Jest to szczególnie ważne zważywszy na kwestie demograficzne i zdiagnozowany globalny niedobór personelu ze ścisłego kierownictwa

Editors Note

The Editors of Advances in Respiratory Medicine would like to warmly welcome new members of the Scientific Advisory Board. Our invitation to join the Board was kindly accepted by Professor Christer Janson and Professor Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi [...

Withdrawal from bariatric treatment – an analysis under various demographic conditions

Introduction Poland is high on a list of countries affected by epidemics of obesity, a problem that has especially suddenly increased in the post-transformation period. Material and Methods Documentation of 115 subsequent patients diagnosed with grade 3 obesity, considered eligible for surgical treatment, was analysed since 2015. A subgroup of 68 patients was selected from this group and the included patients who decided to cancel their treatment at various stages. Their history since presentation at the obesity treatment centre, BMI with its history, age, education and place of residence were analysed, followed by a telephone survey. 42 patients were finally contacted. Special attention was placed on the analysis of patients taking into account their place of residence. Patients were divided into inhabitants of rural and urban areas. Results In the study group of 68 patients, 19 (27.9%) were inhabitants of rural areas and 49 (72.1%) of urban areas. Women accounted for 67.6%, and men for 32.4%. The mean age of patients when they presented for treatment was 43 years. On average, men presented 5 years later compared to women. The mean BMI on qualification for treatment of obesity was 47.6 kg/m 2 . The mean BMI max – 49.6 kg/m 2 . There were no differences regarding education in both populations. Despite the lack of differences regarding changes in the BMI since withdrawal from treatment, as many as 63% of patients from rural areas reached the BMI max in this time. Conclusions There were demographic differences between the degree of obesity observed among patients receiving bariatric treatment, and inhabitants of urban areas were favoured. Patients from rural areas who withdrew from bariatric treatment and were left without medical care significantly more often achieved their maximum body weight, when compared to those living in urban areas. The active participation of physicians, both specialists and general practitioners, in the life of obese patients is imperative

Withdrawal from bariatric treatment – an analysis under various demographic conditions

Introduction Poland is high on a list of countries affected by epidemics of obesity, a problem that has especially suddenly increased in the post-transformation period. Material and Methods Documentation of 115 subsequent patients diagnosed with grade 3 obesity, considered eligible for surgical treatment, was analysed since 2015. A subgroup of 68 patients was selected from this group and the included patients who decided to cancel their treatment at various stages. Their history since presentation at the obesity treatment centre, BMI with its history, age, education and place of residence were analysed, followed by a telephone survey. 42 patients were finally contacted. Special attention was placed on the analysis of patients taking into account their place of residence. Patients were divided into inhabitants of rural and urban areas. Results In the study group of 68 patients, 19 (27.9%) were inhabitants of rural areas and 49 (72.1%) of urban areas. Women accounted for 67.6%, and men for 32.4%. The mean age of patients when they presented for treatment was 43 years. On average, men presented 5 years later compared to women. The mean BMI on qualification for treatment of obesity was 47.6 kg/m 2 . The mean BMI max – 49.6 kg/m 2 . There were no differences regarding education in both populations. Despite the lack of differences regarding changes in the BMI since withdrawal from treatment, as many as 63% of patients from rural areas reached the BMI max in this time. Conclusions There were demographic differences between the degree of obesity observed among patients receiving bariatric treatment, and inhabitants of urban areas were favoured. Patients from rural areas who withdrew from bariatric treatment and were left without medical care significantly more often achieved their maximum body weight, when compared to those living in urban areas. The active participation of physicians, both specialists and general practitioners, in the life of obese patients is imperative

Culturomics Approach to Identify Diabetic Foot Infection Bacteria

The main goal of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of the culturomics approach in the reflection of diabetic foot infections (DFIs) microbial compositions in Poland. Superficial swab samples of 16 diabetic foot infection patients (Provincial Polyclinical Hospital in Toruń, Poland) were subjected to culturing using 10 different types of media followed by the identification via the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and Biotyper platform. Identified 204 bacterial isolates representing 18 different species—mostly Enterococcus faecalis (63%) and Staphylococcus aureus (44%). Most of the infections (81%) demonstrated a polymicrobial character. Great differences in the species coverage, the number of isolated Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and the efficiency of the microbial composition reflection between the investigated media were revealed. The use of commonly recommended blood agar allowed to reveal only 53% of the entire microbial composition of the diabetic foot infection samples, which considerably improved when the chromagar orientation and vancomycin-resistant enterococi agar were applied. In general, efficiency increased in the following order: selective &lt; universal &lt; enriched &lt; differential media. Performed analysis also revealed the impact of the culture media composition on the molecular profiles of some bacterial species, such as Corynebacterium striatum, Proteus mirabilis or Morganella morganii that contributed to the differences in the identification quality. Our results indicated that the culturomics approach can significantly improve the accuracy of the reflection of the diabetic foot infections microbial compositions as long as an appropriate media set is selected. The chromagar orientation and vancomycin-resistant enterococi agar media which were used for the first time to study diabetic foot infection microbial profiles demonstrate the highest utility in the culturomics approach and should be included in further studies directed to find a faster and more reliable diabetic foot infection diagnostic tool

Identification of Bacteria Associated with Post-Operative Wounds of Patients with the Use of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Approach

The bacterial infection of post-operative wounds is a common health problem. Therefore, it is important to investigate fast and accurate methods of identifying bacteria in clinical samples. The aim of the study was to analyse the use of the MALDI-TOF MS technique to identify microorganism wounds that are difficult to heal. The most common bacteria are Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., and Enterococcus spp. We also demonstrate the effect of culture conditions, such as the used growth medium (solid: Brain Heart Infusion Agar, Mueller Hilton Agar, Glucose Bromocresol Purple Agar, and Vancomycin Resistance Enterococci Agar Base and liquid: Tryptic Soy Broth and BACTEC Lytic/10 Anaerobic/F), the incubation time (4, 6, and 24h), and the method of the preparation of bacterial protein extracts (the standard method based on the Bruker guideline, the Sepsityper method) to identify factors and the quality of the obtained mass spectra. By comparing the protein profiles of bacteria from patients not treated with antibiotics to those treated with antibiotics based on the presence/absence of specific signals and using the UniProt platform, it was possible to predict the probable mechanism of the action of the antibiotic used and the mechanism of drug resistance

Capillary Zone Electrophoresis in Tandem with Flow Cytometry in Viability Study of Various ATCC Bacterial Strains under Antibiotic Treatment

The aim of this study was to develop an innovative method of examining bacterial survival using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and flow cytometry (FC) as a reference method. For this purpose, standard strains of bacteria from the ATCC collection were used: Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 14506, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 11632, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 10031, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, as well as seven antibiotics with different antimicrobial mechanisms of action. The ratio of live and dead cells in the tested sample in CZE measurements were calculated using our algorithm that takes into account the detection time. Results showed a high agreement between CZE and FC in the assessment of the percentage of live cells exposed to the stress factor in both antibiotic susceptibility and time-dependent assays. The applied measuring system to assess the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy in in vitro conditions is a method with great potential, and the data obtained with the use of CZE mostly correspond to the expected drug sensitivity according to EUCAST and CLSI guidelines

Novel 2-(Adamantan-1-ylamino)Thiazol-4(5H)-One Derivatives and Their Inhibitory Activity towards 11β-HSD1—Synthesis, Molecular Docking and In Vitro Studies

A common mechanism in which glucocorticoids participate is suggested in the pathogenesis of such metabolic diseases as obesity, metabolic syndrome, or Cushing’s syndrome. The enzyme involved in the control of the availability of cortisol, the active form of the glucocorticoid for the glucocorticoid receptor, is 11β-HSD1. Inhibition of 11β-HSD1 activity may bring beneficial results for the alleviation of the course of metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome or type 2 diabetes. In this work, we obtained 10 novel 2-(adamantan-1-ylamino)thiazol-4(5H)-one derivatives containing different substituents at C-5 of thiazole ring and tested their activity towards inhibition of two 11β-HSD isoforms. For most of them, over 50% inhibition of 11β-HSD1 and less than 45% inhibition of 11β-HSD2 activity at the concentration of 10 µM was observed. The binding energies found during docking simulations for 11β-HSD1 correctly reproduced the experimental IC50 values for analyzed compounds. The most active compound 2-(adamantan-1-ylamino)-1-thia-3-azaspiro[4.5]dec-2-en-4-one (3i) inhibits the activity of isoform 1 by 82.82%. This value is comparable to the known inhibitor-carbenoxolone. The IC50 value is twice the value determined by us for carbenoxolone, however inhibition of the enzyme isoform 2 to a lesser extent makes it an excellent material for further tests