Thirty one bacteremic episodes (BE) in 31 patients due to anaerobic bacteremia (AB) in 979 BE among 9986 admissions at a 360 beds National Cancer Institute within last 6 years were analyzed for time ...distribution, risk factors, clinical presentation and outcome. Overall incidence of AB was 3.6%, but the proportion to other groups of microorganisms is decreasing. 73% were Bacteroides fragilis, 10.8% Peptostreptococci and Propionibacteria and 5.4% Clostridia. The most common risk factor for AB was prior surgery, solid tumor as underlying disease, prophylaxis with quinolones and previous therapy with third generation cephalosporines. 48.4% of AB were polymicrobial. Infected wound was the most common source of infection in 38.7% of our cancer patients. Six patients (19.4%) presented septic shock, and 45.2% died, but only in 22.6% death was related to bacteremia. Comparing the groups of AB due to B. fragilis (BF) to non-Bacteroides spp. (NB)AB, infection-associated mortality was higher in BFAB in comparison to NBAB. Other risk factors such as hematologic malignancies, previous prophylaxis with quinolones, prior surgery and prior therapy with broad spectrum antimicrobials, were more frequently associated with BFAB.
The effects of N (+PK) fertilizer application on leaf area index (LAI), net assimilation rate (NAR) and dry matter (DM) production of temporary grassland were studied over 4 years. The research was ...carried out in an extreme climatic region of the Nizke Tatry (The Low Tatras) mountains. A comparison was made between the fertilizer treatments (N90P30K60) and (N180P30K60) and the control without fertilizer application (N0P0K0). During the growing season, the most notable changes were observed for NAR. The maximum NAR values were recorded in the period of cut 1 and this parameter showed a tendency to decrease in the period between cuts 1 and 3. The maximum LAI was found in cut 2 and the minimum one in cut 3 but the differences between the growing periods were not so significant as those in NAP. The fluctuating values of LAI and NAR were reflected in the final DM production, which was also decreasing from cut 1 to cut 3. The fertilizer N (+PK) application was more closely related to LAI (r=0.763++) than to NAR (r=0.447++). The data averaged over the research years showed the 52.9 and 64.3% increase in LAI as well as the 20.7 and 45.6% rise in NAR values for N90 and N180 treatments, respectively in comparison with the control (N0). An analysis of the relationships between LAI, NAR and DM production indicated that LAI was more influential in the primary production (r=0.843++) than NAP (r=0.411++). Averaged over the experimental period, fertilizer application increased the production of DM relatively by 58.3% for N90 treatment and by 69.4% for N180 treatment
Techniques for mechanical control of undesirable Deschampsia caespitosa L. were assessed. A research was conducted at a permanent grassland site in the protected landscape area of NAPANT (the Nízke ...Tatry Mts. National Park). The sward was mechanically disturbed by machinery with diverse energy demands and grass/clover mixture was overdrilled (treatments V1-V4). It was found that the most efficient technique for killing D. caespitosa was its mechanical destruction in the autumn followed by oversowing with grass/clover mixture (40 kg/ha) in the spring. The machines using aggressive working tools were the most efficient in suppressing D. caespitosa in permanent grassland
With ensilaging (anaerobic fermentation) under operating conditions, most of unembryonated eggs of helminth Ascaris suum retained their viability even after 199 days of exposure when 27.25% of eggs ...on average were destroyed. In the control group, incubated in distilled water under aerobic-anaerobic conditions, 18.24% of eggs on average were damaged. It may be stated that like during anaerobic stabilization also during ensilaging chemical changes (pH, ammonia, acids, oxygen deficieency) have no decisive impact on the viability of thick-walled Ascaris suum eggs. Ensilages contaminated with helminthic germs may be a potential hazard from the hygienic and epizootological point of view
Ninety nine patients with 101 bacteraemic episodes due to Ps. aeruginosa (PA) within 6 years were divided into two groups according to their resistance to imipenem-91 due to imipenem sensitive (ISPA) ...and 10 due to resistant (IRPA). Risk factors, the clinical course and the outcome were evaluated and compared. Acute leukaemia, prolonged neutropenia, previous therapy with amikacin, third generation of cephalosporins, imipenem and prophylaxis by quinolones were significantly more frequently associated with IRPA. Imipenem resistant PA bacteraemia were associated with higher incidence of septic shock (40% vs 19.8%, p < 0.02) and death (33.3%) than ISPA bacteraemias. Since 1992, when first IRPA appeared, the incidence of imipenem resistance increased tenfold, and in 1994, up to 10% of PA causing bloodstream infections in cancer patients in our center were imipenem resistant. (Tab. 3, Ref. 8.).
Productivity, persistence and quality of pasture were studied in intergeneric hybrids of grasses and their mixtures with tetraploid red clover (Trifolium pratense)in field trials in mountain regions ...of Slovakia (Hranovnica and Vysny Kubin sites) over three years. Over a 2 year period, ensilage capacity of intergeneric hybrid monocultures and hybrids/red clover simple mixtures was also studied (the Radvan site). The intergeneric grass hybrids showed good ensilage capacity, especially the lolioid types, but poor pasture quality (except for cv. Felina). Mainly lolioid intergeneric hybrids when included in a growing system of annual forage crops might alternate with silage maize in erosion-threatened areas in regions with unfavorable climatic conditions. These hybrids are also suitable as compounds in simple and short-term grass/clover mixtures. The festucoid types of intergeneric hybrids can be used mainly in field cropping patterns on arable land and in temporary grassland. Both intergeneric hybrid types might be beneficial in production of forage for winter feeding
One hundred twenty three breakthrough bacteraemias (BB) during 5 years in a National Cancer Institute, among 9986 admissions and 979 bacteraemic episodes were analysed. 123 BB were caused by 323 ...microbes, only 116 were resistant (31.5%) to currently administered antimicrobials. Sixty seven of 123 bacteraemic episodes were catheter associated confirmed by isolation of the same organisms from the blood and catheter tip. 77/123 BE were polymicrobial. The most frequently isolated strains were coagulase negative staphylococci (30.5%), Corynebacteria (10%), Ps. aeruginosa (10%), Str. faecalis (9%) and Viridans streptococci (8.5%). Gram-positive aerobes accounted for two-thirds of all organisms isolated during breakthrough bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes. Mixed polymicrobial breakthrough bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes were more frequently associated with vascular catheter insertion and neutropenia, and had a less favourable outcome in comparison to monomicrobial infections. The relapse was associated more frequently with catheter related bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes, but the overall mortality rate was similar independently from catheter insertion. Breakthrough bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes were associated more frequently with acute leukaemia. Polymicrobial breakthrough bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes were associated more frequently in neutropenic episodes and in venous catheters. Regarding the outcome, an extraction of the catheter with no dependence on variable and modification of antimicrobial therapy were essential for the improvement in the prognosis. (Tab. 5, Ref. 20.).
A trial studying grass monocultures was established in a mountain region of the Slovak Republic. A comparison between the productivity of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cv. Lekora and ...intergeneric hybrids (cvs. Felina, Hykor, Perun and Lofa) was carried out under two cutting regimes (three and five cuts). There were no significant differences in dry matter production between the treatments. Averaged over the years, higher dry matter yield was recorded at the intergeneric hybrids, namely both at festucoid and lolioid ones, under each of the cutting regimes. Production of dry matter was higher under the 3-cuts regime at all the research treatments
The influence of mineral fertilization on seminatural grassland (Festuceto-Cynosuretum association) root system was studied in the Spiš mountain region (Liptovská Teplička locality in the northern ...part of the Slovak Republic, altitude 960 m) over the growing period of the years 1992-1997. The locality is situated in a cold and wet climatic region with the sum of rainfall 550 mm and the average daily air temperature only 9.5 degree C. The experiment had the structure of following four fertilization treatments in four repetitions: N0 - non-fertilized control; PK - application of 30 kg of phosphorus and 60 kg of potassium per hectare; N90 - rate of nitrogen applied in three terms (3 x 30 kg N per ha) plus PK-fertilization; N180- rate of nitrogen applied in three terms (3 x 60 kg N per ha) plus PK-fertilization. PK-fertilizers in the form of superphosphate (18% P) and potassium salt (40% K) were applied in spring, in the time of grassland greening. At the same time, also the first rate of nitrogen in the form of saltpetre with calcite (30% N) was applied. The next two rates of nitrogen were applied after the first and second cut after 7-10 days of stand regrowth (vegetative phenophase of grasses). The grassland without mineral nutrients application accumulated 0.375 kg per square m of root mass. The maximum amount was detected in the period of first cut (0.841 kg per square m, 100%) and was gradually decreasing over the growing period to the value of 0.323 kg per square m and 0.282 kg per square m in the second and third cut (80.2% and 74.7%, respectively). The root value of grassland was lower in spring (0.377 kg per square m, 85.8%) in comparison with the first cut. A significant difference of grassland root weight between particular years was confirmed. A negative relationship between the amount of rainfall during the growing period and the mean root weight of non-fertilized grassland was confirmed (r = -0.7274++) too. These changes corresponded with the changes of the aboveground dry matter production and/or floristic composition of the swards. The application of PK fertilizers did not influence the weight of sward root system, but on the other hand, the rate of 90 and 180 kg of nitrogen per hectare increased the root weight in comparison with the treatment without fertilizers application by +11.8% and +6.2% (0.443 and 0.398 kg per square m), respectively. The impact of fertilization was much more evident on R:S ratio, which was reduced from the value of 3.08 (control treatment) to the values 1.61, 1.23 and 0.84 in PK, N90 and N180 treatment, respectively. A negative relationship between N-rate and R:S ratio was confirmed (r = -0.612++). The aspect of different influence of mineral fertilization on grassland root system is shortly discussed.
DNA analysis of different forms of gestational trophoblastic disease.
Retrospective clinical study.
Slovak Center of Trophoblastic Disease, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
In the period of September ...1993 to April 2003, eighty-nine cases of gestational trophoblastic disease were analysed. There were 22 cases of partial hydatidiform moles, 58 cases of complete hydatidiform mole, 5 cases of invasive mole and 4 cases of gestational choriocarcinomas. Southern hybridization and polymerase chain reaction were used for DNA analysis.
From 22 analyzed cases of partial hydatidiform moles 19 (86.4%) were triploid and 3 (13.6%) diploid ones. There were 58 cases of complete hydatidiform mole and out of them 29 (50%) were homozygous, 28 (48.3%) heterozygous, and in one case (1.7%) both paternal and maternal genome was detected. In 8 cases of heterozygous and in one case of homozygous complete hydatidiform mole occurred a malignant transformation to gestational choriocarcinoma.
Molecular analysis can determine the nuclear DNA origin of complete hydatidiform mole and allow us to define the patients with higher risk of malignant transformation usually to gestational choriocarcinoma.
