Legal regulations in the field of protective vaccinations against COVID-19 – selected problems

Undoubtedly, the end of 2019 will be recorded in the annals of modern human history as a time which resulted in an unprecedented event. This is because this year, the global epidemic of the SARS-CoV-2 virus broke out. This virus, on the other hand, leads to the development of an acute infectious disease of the respiratory tract, known as COVID-19. Therefore, the state of epidemic threat that was initially introduced in Poland, and then transformed into the current epidemic state, requires a particular reaction from the state authorities and also, it would seem, an appropriate response to the situation by the citizens themselves. In such exceptional circumstances, the obligation arises for the state to protect the life and health of its citizens, both in the area of enacting the relevant law and its implementation. However, there is a remedy for the growing number of new cases of COVID-19 and deaths in this context, namely the possibility of performing preventive vaccinations against this disease. This article aims to analyze and evaluate the legal regulations on preventive vaccinations against COVID-19 introduced in Poland. In this regard, reference is made to the basic assumptions used in the constitutional model of health care inPoland. In this context, the principle of equal access to health care services financed from public funds and the constitutional exceptions to the principle of equal access to benefits, such as children, pregnant women, disabled and elderly people are discussed, as well as the principle of the active role of the state in combating epidemic threats. These considerations are complemented by an outline of the statutory and sub-statutory solutions in the health care model. The analysis also covers legal solutions adopted with regard to the COVID-19 epidemic, and presents the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines as well as restrictions, orders and bans in connection with the epidemic. In addition, the compliance of the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines with the constitutional model of health protection is assessed, with the criteria for assessing this distribution in the context of establishing the state of the epidemic being singled out

Metatranscriptome Analysis of Bisphenol A-Exposed Aerobic Granular Sludge

Understanding of the metabolic pathways connected with a removal of micropollutant bisphenol A (BPA) may help to better design effective wastewater treatment processes. The aim of this study was to determine changes in gene expression in an aerobic granular sludge (AGS) community exposed to BPA. In the study, AGS adapted to BPA degradation was used. In this sludge, BPA was dosed; as a control sample, granules without BPA addition were used. mRNA was isolated from both samples and sequenced using the Illumina platform. Metatranscriptome analysis of AGS exposed to BPA indicated direct biodegradation as the main mechanism of BPA removal from wastewater. High expression of genes coding pilus and flagellin proteins in the BPA-exposed biomass indicated that exposition to BPA stimulated aggregation of microbial cells and formation of biofilm. In the BPA-exposed biomass, nitrogen was mainly used as an energy source, as indicated by the presence of genes coding nitrification enzymes and urease. Moreover, exposition to BPA stimulated expression of genes coding proteins responsible for xenobiotic degradation, including enzymes responsible for benzoate degradation. These results increase knowledge about BPA metabolism in complex microbial communities in wastewater treatment systems and indicate that AGS is suitable for efficiently removing BPA from wastewater

The occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are major reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) which are transported to the natural environment with discharged effluents. Samples of untreated wastewater (UWW) and treated wastewater (TWW) from four municipal WWTPs and samples of river water collected upstream (URW) and downstream (DRW) from the effluent discharge point were analyzed in the study. The total counts of bacteria resistant to β-lactams and tetracyclines and the counts of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli were determined. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant E. coli, were removed with up to 99.9% efficiency in the evaluated WWTPs. Despite the above, ARB counts in TWW samples were high at up to 1.25x105 CFU/mL in winter and 1.25x103 CFU/mL in summer. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were also abundant (up to 103 CFU/ml) in URW and DRW samples collected in winter and summer. In both UWW and TWW samples, the counts of ARB and antibiotic-resistant E. coli were at least one order of magnitude lower in summer than in winter. The study revealed that despite the high efficiency of bacterial removal in the wastewater treatment processes, considerable amounts of ARB are released into the environment with TWW and that the percentage of ARB in total bacterial counts increases after wastewater treatment

The effects of season and processing technology on the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in air samples from municipal wastewater treatment and waste management plants

This study aimed to perform a qualitative and a quantitative assessment of the prevalence of genes encoding resistance to beta-lactam, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol antibiotics in samples of DNA isolated from air in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and a municipal waste management plant (WMP). Air samples were collected in the mechanical (MP) and biological (BP) processing units of WWTP and WMP in winter and spring. The samples of air were collected by impingement into PBS solution and subsequently, DNA was isolated. The prevalence of the 16S rRNA gene and ARGs was determined by PCR, and the most abundant ARGs were quantified by qPCR. The highest diversity of the analyzed ARGs was noted in air samples collected in the mechanical processing units of the WWTP (winter) and the WMP (spring). The copy of ARGs varied between treatment units and seasons. ARGs were most abundant in air samples collected in spring in the MP units of both the WWTP and the WMP. The study demonstrated that ARGs are ubiquitous in the air in both WWTPs and WMPs. The presence of ARGs in the air can exert a negative impact on the health of plant employees

Fusion-fission probabilities, cross sections, and structure notes of superheavy nuclei

Fusion – fission probabilities in the synthesis of heaviest elements are discussed in the context of the latest experimental reports. Cross sections for superheavy nuclei are evaluated using the “Fusion by Diffusion” (FBD) model. Predictive power of this approach is shown for experimentally known Lv and Og isotopes and predictions given for Z = 119, 120. Ground state and saddle point properties as masses, shell corrections, pairing energies, and deformations necessary for cross-section estimations are calculated systematically within the multidimensional microscopic-macroscopic method based on the deformed Woods-Saxon single-particle potential. In the frame of the FBD approach predictions for production of elements heavier than Z = 118 are not too optimistic. For this reason, and because of high instability of superheavy nuclei, we comment on some structure effects, connected with the K-isomerism phenomenon which could lead to a significant increase in the stability of these systems

Fusion-fission probabilities, cross sections, and structure notes of superheavy nuclei

Fusion – fission probabilities in the synthesis of heaviest elements are discussed in the context of the latest experimental reports. Cross sections for superheavy nuclei are evaluated using the “Fusion by Diffusion” (FBD) model. Predictive power of this approach is shown for experimentally known Lv and Og isotopes and predictions given for Z = 119, 120. Ground state and saddle point properties as masses, shell corrections, pairing energies, and deformations necessary for cross-section estimations are calculated systematically within the multidimensional microscopic-macroscopic method based on the deformed Woods-Saxon single-particle potential. In the frame of the FBD approach predictions for production of elements heavier than Z = 118 are not too optimistic. For this reason, and because of high instability of superheavy nuclei, we comment on some structure effects, connected with the K-isomerism phenomenon which could lead to a significant increase in the stability of these systems

Application of Proton Ionic Liquid in the Process of Obtaining Bioethanol from Hemp Stalks

In this work, hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) stalks were pretreated with pyrrolidinium acetate [Pyrr][AC] to increase the availability of cellulose for cellulolytic enzymes and thus improve the production of 2G ethanol from reducing sugars. The process was carried out under different temperature and time conditions: The control sample was raw material and deionized water, and the second sample was kept at 21 °C for 24 h. The third sample was kept at 90 °C for 30 min, and the fourth sample was kept at the same temperature for 24 h. For each pretreatment, the extraction of lignin and hemicellulose was determined, as well as the change in biomass composition before and after pretreatment. The stalks of hemp seed contained 41.54% cellulose, 18.08% lignin and 28. 87% hemicellulose. [Pyrr][AC] used to dissolve seed hemp at 90 °C for 24 h was most effective in the extraction of this biopolymer, extracting 3.1% content. After enzymatic hydrolysis, the highest content of reducing sugars was found for samples of hemp stalks that were first pretreated with proton ionic liquid (PIL) and stirred at 90 °C for 24 h. On the other hand, the highest ethanol content (5.6 g/L) after fermentation and yeast viability (56.7%) after 72 h were obtained in samples pretreated at 90 °C and for 24 h

Polyphenols Influence the Development of Endometrial Cancer by Modulating the Gut Microbiota

Dysbiosis of the microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract can induce the development of gynaecological tumours, particularly in postmenopausal women, by causing DNA damage and alterations in metabolite metabolism. Dysbiosis also complicates cancer treatment by influencing the body’s immune response and disrupting the sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain homeostasis in the gut microbiota through the effective use of food components that affect its structure. Recent studies have shown that polyphenols, which are likely to be the most important secondary metabolites produced by plants, exhibit prebiotic properties. They affect the structure of the gut microbiota and the synthesis of metabolites. In this review, we summarise the current state of knowledge, focusing on the impact of polyphenols on the development of gynaecological tumours, particularly endometrial cancer, and emphasising that polyphenol consumption leads to beneficial modifications in the structure of the gut microbiota