Geothermal topics in the current research activities of MEERI PAS in 2019-2021 and plans for the future

The Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (MEERI PAS) is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. The Institute was established in 1986on the initiative of Prof. Dr Eng. Roman Ney, who was its first Director. Inspired by Professors Roman Ney and Julian Sokołowski, research on the recognition and use of geothermal energy in Poland was launched at the Institute. A measurable achievement of the research team established in 1993 was the launch of the first geothermal installation in the country, under the name of the Experimental Geothermal Plant Bańska - Biały Dunajec, located in the Podhale region. This prototype installation prompted the establishment of PEC Geotermia Podhalańska S.A. and the inspiration for the construction of further geothermal plants in Poland. Through the period of over 3 0years, the team of scientists associated with the current Division of Renewable Energy Sources of MEERIPAS has developed several hundred works on geothermal issues. These were, among others, documentations ofnew and reconstructed geothermal wells, resource documentations, pre-investment expert reports, articles, monographs, atlases and various scientific presentations, as well as information popularizing geothermal topics. In recent years, 42 research tasks of utilitarian nature, 55 articles and scientific reports of national and international scope, and 9 research projects have been carried out in the Division of Renewable Energy Sources

Fundusz ubezpieczenia od ryzyka w projektach geotermalnych – symulacja operacyjna i finansowa działania w wybranych krajach europejskich

The insurance funds belong to efficient measures mitigating risks in geothermal projects, including resource risk. They already exist in some European countries, e.g., France, the Netherlands, Turkey. Recently, the proposals of establishing such funds were elaborated for three countries: Greece, Hungary, and Poland within the framework of the EU-funded project “Developing geothermal and renewable energy projects by mitigating their risks”, GEORISK (www.georisk-project.eu). A 10 year operational and financial simulation of the proposed public insurance funds was conducted to prove their sustainability in each of three listed states. It started with the determination of the country-specific premises. The numbers of projects in the next 10 years possible to be covered by funds were assumed by the authors on the bases of realistic estimations. The initial capital, the fixed costs, the costs of the project evaluation, the premium fees paid by the investors, the payment for the unsuccessful projects altogether were taken into account. The first draft simulation was done with the exact Hungarian assumptions and inputs of fixed costs and also with average project data, thus making it appropriate to perform sensitivity analyses on: insurance premiums, success rates and the risk coverages. Then, complete simulations were made for three listed countries. The results of the simulation show that a resource risk insurance fund can be a sustainable and an effective measure to support geothermal energy sector development. During the planning of a new fund, it is important to make use of long experiences both of the former and existing funds.Fundusze ubezpieczenia należą do skutecznych form łagodzenia ryzyka w projektach geotermalnych, w tym ryzyka zasobowego. Funkcjonują one już w niektórych krajach europejskich, np. we Francji, Holandii, Turcji. Ostatnio opracowano propozycje ich utworzenia dla trzech krajów: Grecji, Węgier i Polski, w ramach projektu finansowanego przez UE „Rozwój projektów z zakresu energii geotermalnej i odnawialnych źródeł poprzez łagodzenie ich ryzyk”, GEORISK (www.georisk-project.eu). Dla każdego z podanych krajów wykonano symulację 10 lat funkcjonowania operacyjnego i finansowego proponowanego publicznego funduszu ubezpieczeniowego, aby udowodnić ich zrównoważony charakter. Symulację rozpoczęto od przyjęcia założeń uwzględniających specyfikę poszczególnych krajów. Liczbę projektów możliwych do objęcia funduszami w trakcie 10 lat przyjęto według realistycznych szacunków dla każdego z krajów. Symulację wykonano z uwzględnieniem kapitału początkowego, kosztów stałych, kosztów oceny projektów zgłaszanych do ubezpieczenia, składek ubezpieczeniowych, wypłat za nieudane projekty. Pierwszą roboczą symulację wykonano dla Węgier według rzeczywistych proponowanych założeń i danych wejściowych odnośnie do kosztów stałych, a także uśrednionych założonych danych. Wykonano analizy wrażliwości dotyczących składki ubezpieczeniowej, wskaźnika sukcesu i stopnia pokrycia ryzyka. Następnie wykonano pełne symulacje dla trzech podanych krajów. Wyniki symulacji wskazują, że fundusz ubezpieczenia od ryzyka zasobowego może być zrównoważoną i skuteczną formą wspierania rozwoju energetyki geotermalnej. Przy planowaniu nowego funduszu ważne jest korzystanie z wieloletnich doświadczeń funduszy, które funkcjonowały w przeszłości, i tych, które działają obecnie

Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL1, IL12, IL28 and TLR4 and symptoms of congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is the most common intrauterine infection. A non-specific immune response is the first line of host defense mechanism against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). There is limited data on associations between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involving innate immunity and the risk and clinical manifestation of cCMV infection. The aim of the study was to investigate association between selected SNPs in genes encoding cytokines and cytokine receptors, and predisposition to cCMV infection including symptomatic course of disease and symptoms. A panel of eight SNPs: IL1B rs16944, IL12B rs3212227, IL28B rs12979860, CCL2 rs1024611, DC-SIGN rs735240, TLR2 rs5743708, TLR4 rs4986791, TLR9 rs352140 was analyzed in 233 infants (92 cCMV-infected and 141 healthy controls). Associations between genotyped SNPs and predisposition to cCMV infection and symptoms were analyzed. The association analysis was performed using SNPStats software. No statistically significant association was found between any genotyped SNPs and predisposition to cCMV infection and symptomatic course of disease. In relation to particular symptoms, polymorphism of IL12B rs3212227 was linked to decreased risk of prematurity (OR = 0.37;95%CI,0.14-0.98;p = 0.025), while polymorphism of IL1B rs16944 was linked to reduced risk of splenomegaly (OR = 0.36;95%CI,0.14-0.98; p = 0.034) in infants with cCMV infection. An increased risk of thrombocytopenia was associated with IL28B rs12979860 polymorphism (OR = 2.55;95%CI,1.03-6.32;p = 0.042), while hepatitis was associated with SNP of TLR4rs4986791 (OR = 7.80;95%CI,1.49-40,81; p = 0.024). This is the first study to demonstrate four new associations between SNPs in selected genes (IL1B, IL12B, IL28B, TLR4) and particular symptoms in cCMV disease. Further studies on the role of SNPs in the pathogenesis of cCMV infection and incorporation of selected SNPs in the clinical practice might be considered in the future

Assessment of interleukin-17A, C5a and RANTES for early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis – a preliminary study

The aim of the present study was to investigate serum levels of novel markers: interleukin 17A (IL-17A), anaphylatoxin C5a and chemokine regulated upon activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) in neonates with clinically suspected early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS), and to compare their values with those of non-infected neonates. Eighteen neonates with clinical signs and symptoms of EONS were enrolled in this study. Fifty healthy, non-infected neonates served as the control group. In all neonates serum levels of IL-17A, C5a and RANTES were measured by solid-phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). At the time of investigation serum levels of anaphylatoxin C5a were significantly higher in neonates with clinical symptoms of EONS than in non-infected neonates (median 65.35 vs. 50.4 ng/ml, p = 0.034), whereas levels of RANTES were similar and levels of IL-17A were under detection limit of the method. Based on these preliminary results, serum levels of C5a may be a useful marker of inflammation in early onset neonatal sepsis. Because traditional methods of microbiological diagnostics in EONS are frequently unsuccessful, the search for an alternative laboratory biomarkers is of great clinical importance. Thus, there is a strong need for further studies evaluating usefulness of this anaphylatoxin in EONS diagnosis on a larger group of patients

Lyme Neuroborrelioza (LNB) – trudności kliniczne i diagnostyczne

Aim: Assessment of clinical utility of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA detection in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine using RT-PCR method in pediatric patients with different neurological signs and symptoms and suspicion of Lyme disease. Material and methods: Prospective study was carried out in 107 children aged 1–18 (mean 12.2 ) years. Serological tests in blood were performed in two-step approach – ELISA followed by Western blot. ELISA test was performed on CSF samples as well as RT- -PCR method for confirmation or exclusion of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) diagnosis. All patients underwent neurological, ophtalmological and neuroimaging examinations. Results: In 60 (56.1%) children IgG and/or IgM Borrelia antibodies were positive in serum and/or CSF. Only in 2/60 (3.3%) Borrelia burgdorferi DNA was found in CSF with specific antibodies detected in serum and CSF – (LNB – aseptic meningitis with TIA and nerve II and VI neuritis cases). LNB was diagnosed in 33 patients and in 22/107(20.5%) demyelinating diseases. IgG in CSF, Western blot test results were significantly higher in children with LNB – IgG p (chi2 >9.333) =0.0023, WB- p (chi2>12.941)=0.0003. Conclusions: Detection of DNA Borrelia burgdorferi in CSF using RT-PCR method might be helpful for confirmation of early LNB diagnosis. Negative results for DNA Borrelia burgdorferi in CSF are especially important for exclusion of LNB and useful for establishment of demyelinating diseases diagnosis. Four-week intravenous Ceftriaxone course is sufficient for LNB neuroinfection treatment, elimination of DNA Borrelia burgdorferi from CSF and clinical improvement of patients.Cel: Zastosowanie metody RT-PCR dla wykrywania DNA Borrelia burgdorferi w płynie mózgowo-rdzeniowym u pacjentów pediatrycznych z różnymi objawami neurologicznymi i podejrzeniem choroby z Lyme. Materiał i metody: Badanie prospektywne przeprowadzono u 107 dzieci w wieku od 1–18 lat (średnio 12.2 lat). Badania serologiczne we krwi przeprowadzano dwuetapowo – test ELISA, a następnie test Western blot. W próbkach płynu mózgowo-rdzeniowego wykonywano test ELISA oraz badanie metodą RT-PCR celem potwierdzenia lub wykluczenia rozpoznania neuroboreliozy (LNB). U wszystkich pacjentów wykonywano badania neurologiczne, okulistyczne i neuroobrazowe. Wyniki: U 60 (56.1%) dzieci stwierdzono dodatnie wyniki przeciwciał IgG i/lub IgM w surowicy i/lub w płynie mózgowo-rdzeniowym. Tylko u 2/60 (3.3%) wykryto DNA Borrelia burgdorferi PMRDz oraz specyficzne przeciwciała w surowicy i w płynie mózgowo-rdzeniowym (przypadki LNB – aseptyczne zapalenie opon mózgowo-rdzeniowych z TIA oraz zapalenie nerwu II I nerwu VI). LNB zdiagnozowano u 33 pacjentów a u 22/107 (20.5%) rozpoznano choroby demielinizacyjne. U dzieci z LNB stwierdzono statystycznie znamiennie wyższe miana IgG w PMRDz i wyniki testu Western blot – IgG p (chi2 >9.333)=0.0023, WB- p (chi2>12.941)=0.0003. Wnioski: Wykrycie DNA Borrelia burgdorferi w PMRDz przy użyciu metody RT-PCR może być pomocne dla potwierdzenia diagnozy wczesnej LNB. Negatywne wyniki DNA Borrelia burgdorferi w PMRDz są szczególnie ważne dla wykluczenia LNB i przydatne dla ustalenia rozpoznania chorób demielinizacyjnych. Kuracja Ceftraksonem podawanym dożylnie przez 4 tygodnie jest skuteczna w leczeniu neuroinfekcji, eliminacji DNA Borrelia burgdorferi z płynu mózgowo-rdzeniowego i poprawy klinicznej pacjentów