Ecophysiological characteristics of red, green, and brown strains of the Baltic picocyanobacterium <i>Synechococcus</i> sp. – a laboratory study

The contribution of picocyanobacteria (PCY) to summer phytoplankton blooms, accompanied by an ecological crisis is a new phenomenon in Europe. This issue requires careful investigation. The present study examined the response of Synechococcus sp. physiology to different environmental conditions. Three strains of Synechococcus sp. (red BA-120, green BA-124, and brown BA-132) were cultivated in a laboratory under previously determined environmental conditions. These conditions were as follows: temperature (T) from 10 by 5 to 25&thinsp;°C, salinity from 3 by 5 to 18 PSU, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) from 10 by 90 to 280&thinsp;µmol&thinsp;photons&thinsp;m−2&thinsp;s−1, which gave 64 combinations of synthetic, though realistic, environmental scenarios. Scenarios reflecting all possible combinations were applied in the laboratory experiments. Results pointed to differences in final numbers of cells among strains. However, there was also a similar tendency for BA-124 and BA-132, which demonstrated the highest concentrations of PCY cells at elevated T and PAR. This was also the case for BA-120 but only to a certain degree as the number of cells started to decrease above 190&thinsp;µmol&thinsp;photons&thinsp;m−2&thinsp;s−1&thinsp;PAR. Pigmentation, chlorophyll a (Chl a), fluorescence, and rate of photosynthesis presented both similarities and differences among strains. In this context, more consistent features were observed between brown and red strains when compared to the green. In this paper, the ecophysiological responses of PCY are defined.</p

Relationship Between Anti-DFS70 Autoantibodies and Oxidative Stress

Background: The anti-DFS70 autoantibodies are one of the most commonly and widely described agent of unknown clinical significance, frequently detected in healthy individuals. It is not known whether the DFS70 autoantibodies are protective or pathogenic. One of the factors suspected of inducing the formation of anti-DFS70 antibodies is increased oxidative stress. We evaluated the coexistence of anti-DFS70 antibodies with selected markers of oxidative stress and investigated whether these antibodies could be considered as indirect markers of oxidative stress. Methods: The intensity of oxidative stress was measured in all samples via indices of free-radical damage to lipids and proteins such as total oxidant status (TOS), concentrations of lipid hydroperoxides (LPH), lipofuscin (LPS), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The parameters of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system, such as total antioxidant status (TAS) and uric acid concentration (UA), were also measured, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Based on TOS and TAS values, the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. All samples were also tested with indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and 357 samples were selected for direct monospecific anti DFS70 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing. Results: The anti-DFS70 antibodies were confirmed by ELISA test in 21.29% of samples. Compared with anti-DFS70 negative samples we observed 23% lower concentration of LPH (P =.038) and 11% lower concentration of UA (P =.005). TOS was 20% lower (P =.014). The activity of SOD was up to 5% higher (P =.037). The Pearson correlation showed weak negative correlation for LPH, UA, and TOS and a weak positive correlation for SOD activity. Conclusion: In samples positive for the anti-DFS70 antibody a decreased level of oxidative stress was observed, especially in the case of samples with a high antibody titer. Anti-DFS70 antibodies can be considered as an indirect marker of reduced oxidative stress or a marker indicating the recent intensification of antioxidant processes

Methods of regeneration of spent pickling solutions from steel treatment plants

Facing the still growing demand for metals, particularly for zinc, the recovery of metals from secondary sources should be considered. Spent pickling solutions can be the source of valuable products such as hydrochloric acid, zinc or iron salts or even metallic zinc. The selection of an efficient, selective and economical method for the regeneration of such solutions is a key issue for hot dip galvanizing plants, especially in reference to strict environmental protection regulations

Extraction of palladium (II) ions from chloride solutions with phosphonium ionic liquid CyphosŽIL101

The extraction of palladium(II) from hydrochloric acid solutions of various concentrations in the presence of different amounts of sodium chloride with phosphonium ionic liquid CyphosŽIL101 in toluene was investigated. The extraction of Pd(II) is very effective. The percentage extraction of Pd(II) from 0.1 mol dm-3 HCl solution amounts to 97% with CyphosŽIL101. Both the increase in HCl concentration and the presence of NaCl have a negative influence on the extraction. The extent of extraction from 0.1 mol dm-3 HCl solution in the presence of 0.5 mol dm-3 NaCl is about 80% and from 3 mol dm-3 HCl is lower and amounts to 56%. The extraction of Pd(II) from aqueous 0.1 mol dm-3 HCl and from 0.1 mol dm-3 HCl in the presence of 0.5 mol dm-3 NaCl with this phosphonium ionic liquid is rapid and the equilibrium is achieved after 1 - 2 minutes. The extraction of Pd(II) from aqueous 3 mol dm -3 HCl is slower and the equilibrium is achieved after 5 - 6 minutes

Methods of regeneration of spent pickling solutions from steel treatment plants

Facing the still growing demand for metals, particularly for zinc, the recovery of metals from secondary sources should be considered. Spent pickling solutions can be the source of valuable products such as hydrochloric acid, zinc or iron salts or even metallic zinc. The selection of an efficient, selective and economical method for the regeneration of such solutions is a key issue for hot dip galvanizing plants, especially in reference to strict environmental protection regulations

Risk of Second Primary Thyroid Cancer in Women with Breast Cancer

The goal of this study was to estimate the risk of thyroid cancer following breast cancer and to identify therapeutic and genetic risk factors for the development of thyroid cancer after breast cancer. We followed 10,832 breast cancer patients for a mean of 14 years for new cases of thyroid cancer. All women were genotyped for three Polish founder mutations in BRCA1 (C61G, 4153delA, 5382insC) and four mutations in CHEK2 (1100delC, IVS2 + 1G/A, del5395, I157T). Information was collected on chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapies, and oophorectomy. Of the 10,832 women, 53 (0.49%) developed a second primary thyroid cancer. Based on Polish population statistics, the expected number was 12.4 (SIR = 4.3). The ten-year risk of developing thyroid cancer was higher in women who carried a CHEK2 mutation (1.5%) than in women who carried no mutation (0.9%). The age-adjusted hazard ratio for developing thyroid cancer was 1.89 (0.46&ndash;7.79; p = 0.38) for those with a CHEK2 protein-truncating mutation and 2.75 (1.29&ndash;5.85; p = 0.009) for those with a CHEK2 missense mutation