Analysis of the concentration of selected serological parameters in patients undergoing antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease, and assessment of their potential application in the control of therapy effectiveness -pilot study. Ann Agric Environ Med.

Authors' contribution Wkład autorów: A. Study design/planning zaplanowanie badań B. Data collection/entry zebranie danych C. Data analysis/statistics dane-analiza i statystyki D. Data interpretation interpretacja danych E. Preparation of manuscript przygotowanie artykułu F. Literature analysis/search wyszukiwanie i analiza literatury G. Funds collection zebranie funduszy Summary Background. The use of groundwater from private wells in households is increasing significantly. However, this water is usually untreated, making it a carrier of diseases. Chemical composition plays a key role in assessing groundwater quality. Due to rapid urbanization and industrialization of the environment, pollutants (especially toxic elements) are constantly being released into the aquatic environment and pose a threat to human and animal health. There is a large variety of microorganisms in aquifers. The use of groundwater from aquifers as sources of drinking water without water treatment or disinfection is a public health problem. Material and methods. The material for the study consisted of water samples taken from used and unused domestic wells in villages located in Lubelskie Province, Biała Podlaska County, Janów Podlaski municipality, Poland. ICP-OES was used to determine the composition of elements. The total number of mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria was determined for 5 wells using the pour-plate method according to the Polish Standard PN-EN ISO 6222:2004. Results. The water from the wells is unfit for consumption due to high microbiological contamination. A study would have to be carried out on the content of specific pathogenic microorganisms. In most of the samples analyzed, the heavy metal content of the water is below admissible limits. Conclusions. Water resources of the highest quality should be increasingly protected and retained as drinking water reserves. This is extremely important in view of the progressing climate change and the slow process of groundwater renewal.

In a healthy physiological state, the mucous membrane of the oral cavity creates a suitable environment for the colonization of Candida spp. yeasts. The aim of the study was to analyze the nanomechanical properties of C. albicans cells derived from the oral cavity of healthy people in a biofilm produced in laboratory conditions. Candida spp. were sampled from the oral cavity of healthy individuals. The process of biofilm formation was analyzed using classic microscopic observation enriched with SEM (scanning electron microscope) and the nanomechanical properties of the cells were assessed with the use of the atomic force microscopy technique (AFM). From all isolated strains in the samples collected of the oral cavity healthy people was detected 79% C. albicans. Other isolated species belonged to the group „non-albicans”. The observations of C. albicans carried out in 24-h cultures revealed a tendency of the cells to form a biofilm structure with multilayer cell systems. The diameter of C. albicans cells in this structure was 5.75 µm, and the length of the pseudohyphae was 17.08 µm. The presence of an extracellular substance surrounding the C. albicans cells was detected. The mean value of the adhesion force determined for C. albicans cells was 4.01 nN. Areas with increased hardness (Force Modulation Mode signal; FMM signal) were found mainly in the zones of cells in contact with the glass substrate. The analysis of Candida cells in liquid samples gives satisfactory results, as it prevents unfavorable changes in the cell surface and thus provides more reliable results. The quality of the biofilm is probably related to the nanomechanical properties of C. albicans cells and may consequently contribute to the stability of the biofilm structures and their susceptibility or resistance to antifungal drugs. The presence of Candida spp. especially in companion animals (dogs, cats) poses a risk of their transmission to the human organism. For this reason, it is advisable to undertake additional research to analyze the ability of zoonotic-origin Candida spp. to form biofilms with comparison of the biofilm-formation capacity of species isolated from humans.

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