Państwo i społeczeństwo wobec chaosu przestrzennego - źródła i działania: Dyskusja redakcyjna

The following debate took place on March 22, 2019 at the Warsaw School of Economics. The content of the Study on Spatial Chaos report provided the framework for the discussion. Its authors estimated the cost of spatial chaos at PLN 84.3 billion per year. They indicated the main mechanisms leading to the occurrence of this phenomenon

Highly effective, regiospecific reduction of chalcone by cyanobacteria leads to the formation of dihydrochalcone: two steps towards natural sweetness

Abstract Background Chalcones are the biogenetic precursors of all known flavonoids, which play an essential role in various metabolic processes in photosynthesizing organisms. The use of whole cyanobacteria cells in a two-step, light-catalysed regioselective bio-reduction of chalcone, leading to the formation of the corresponding dihydrochalcone, is reported. The prokaryotic microalgae cyanobacteria are known to produce phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, as natural components of cells. It seems logical that organisms producing such compounds possess a suitable “enzymatic apparatus” to carry out their biotransformation. Therefore, determination of the ability of whole cells of selected cyanobacteria to carry out biocatalytic transformations of chalcone, the biogenetic precursor of all known flavonoids, was the aim of our study. Results Chalcone was found to be converted to dihydrochalcone by all examined cyanobacterial strains; however, the effectiveness of this process depends on the strain with biotransformation yields ranging from 3% to >99%. The most effective biocatalysts are Anabaena laxa, Aphanizomenon klebahnii, Nodularia moravica, Synechocystis aquatilis (>99% yield) and Merismopedia glauca (92% yield). The strains Anabaena sp. and Chroococcus minutus transformed chalcone in more than one way, forming a few products; however, dihydrochalcone was the dominant product. The course of biotransformation shed light on the pathway of chalcone conversion, indicating that the process proceeds through the intermediate cis-chalcone. The scaled-up process, conducted on a preparative scale and by using a mini-pilot photobioreactor, fully confirmed the high effectiveness of this bioconversion. Moreover, in the case of the mini-pilot photobioreactor batch cultures, the optimization of culturing conditions allowed the shortening of the process conducted by A. klebahnii by 50% (from 8 to 4 days), maintaining its >99% yield. Conclusions This is the first report related to the use of whole cells of halophilic and freshwater cyanobacteria strains in a two-step, light-catalysed regioselective bio-reduction of chalcone, leading to the formation of the corresponding dihydrochalcone. The total bioconversion of chalcone in analytical, preparative, and mini-pilot scales of this process creates the possibility of its use in the food industry for the production of natural sweeteners

The Quality of Air in Polish Health Resorts with an Emphasis on Health on the Effects of Benzo(a)pyrene in 2015–2019

The aim of this paper was to analyze the impact of air pollution and meteorological conditions on the effectiveness of recreation in selected health resorts in Poland in 2015–2019. Four municipalities with the status of health resorts were compared in terms of exposure to harmful air pollutants such as PM10, NO2, SO2, and B(a)P in PM10. In this paper, a comprehensive statistical analysis was performed by determining the basic statistics of the measurement series. In addition, analyses of the occurrence of episodes of elevated PM10 concentrations in health resorts in Poland, as well as correlation and regression analyses, were performed. Statistical analysis showed no annual mean exceedances for the air pollutants analyzed. Average annual concentrations of harmful pollutants decreased year by year in Rabka Zdrój and also in Ciechocinek. The situation was different in Sopot and Ustroń, where the average annual pollution remained at a similar level and there was no downward trend. Studies have shown that travel to spa communities for health purposes can be problematic because air quality, while not exceeding average annual standards, is not satisfactory. To effectively address public health concerns, it is also necessary to consider meteorological conditions when analyzing air quality. A detailed analysis of the impact of meteorological conditions (average air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and visibility) on air quality, based on forecasts, will also help in the implementation of air protection plans and strengthen the control of harmful pollutant levels. Measures to reduce the levels of harmful pollutants will affect the effectiveness of patient treatment in spas. The article presents the correct way to conduct reliable monitoring of air quality and meteorological conditions, where it is particularly important

Modulation of the growth and metabolic response of cyanobacteria by the multifaceted activity of naringenin - Fig 2

<p>The representative SEM photographs of <i>Spirulina platensis</i> (A), <i>Spirulina platensis</i> + N (naringenin) (100 mg L^-1) (B), <i>Anabaena laxa</i> (C), <i>Anabaena laxa</i> + N (80 mg L^-1) (D), <i>Nodularia moravica</i> (E), <i>Nodularia moravica</i> + N (80 mg L^-1) (F) illustrate the differences in the structure of the cyanobacterial cell walls between the control and experimental cultures.</p

Zespół Liddle&#8217;a &#8212; opis przypadku i badań genetycznych

We present a case of a 52-year-old male with Liddle syndrome. The results of genetic studies and treatment in this condition is described.We present a case of a 52-year-old male with Liddle syndrome. The results of genetic studies and treatment in this condition is described