The possibilities of the environmental use of bottom sediments from the silted inlet zone of the Rożnów Reservoir

The aim of the study was to assess the properties of bottom sediments from the inlet zone of the Rożnow Reservoir (South Poland) and to analyse the potential possibilities to use them for environmental purposes. The inlet zone of the reservoir is particularly intensely shallowed by means of the silts of the Dunajec River. A total of 20 samples were collected from the designated cross-sections. In air-dry samples of the sediments, granulometric composition, pH electrolytic conductivity (EC), sorption properties, organic carbon carbonates and macroelements content were determined. Bottom sediments from the Rożnow Reservoir indicate a great potential possibility to use them for environmental purposes (agriculture, reclamation). However, in order to fully evaluate the possibility of bottom sediment management, it is necessary to carry out an analysis of the ecological risk related to the content of heavy metals, PAHs, PCBs and to evaluate their eco-toxicity. Moreover, the main barriers to the environmental application of bottom sediments are a lack of appropriate legislation

Outcome of SARS-CoV-2-Infected Polish Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Background. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has become the cause of a worldwide pandemic, and its clinical infection course in patients with hematological malignancies may be severe. Methods. We performed a retrospective study on 188 chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients (CLL) with COVID-19 infection. Results. At the time of infection 51 patients (27.1%) were treated with Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi), 46 (24.5%) with anti-CD20 antibodies while 37 patients (19.7%) received venetoclax. In total, 111 patients (59.0%) required hospitalization and 50 patients (26.5%) died due to COVID-19. Patients with poor performance status (ECOG >1; p = 0.02), advanced age (>65 years; p = 0.04), low hemoglobin concentration (≤10 g/dl; p = 0.0001), low platelets (p = 0.003), and elevated lactate dehydrogenase level (LDH; p = 0.014) had an increased risk of death due to COVID-19. Neither CLL treatment status (treatment naïve vs. treated) nor the type of CLL-directed treatment had impact on the SARS-CoV-2 related risk of death. The multivariate survival analysis showed that advanced age (p = 0.009) and low platelet count (p = 0.0001) were associated with significantly shorter patients’ overall survival. Conclusions. SARS-CoV-2 infection in CLL patients is associated with poor outcome regardless of administered CLL-directed treatment