Effect of tourism-generated wastewater on biogenic ions concentrations in stream water in Tatra National Park (Poland)

The purpose of the research conducted in the years 2008–2009 was to determine the effect of wastewater generated by several tourist lodges in Tatra National Park (an alpine environment) on the concentration of biogenic ions (NH4 +, NO2 −, NO3 − and PO4 3−) in local streams into which the wastewater was being discharged. Wastewater discharged from mechanical biological wastewater treatment plants operated by tourist lodges usually has high concentrations of NH4 + and PO4 3−. The largest loads of biogenic ions were discharged into streams during the tourist season from May until September. Although the dilution conditions were good, the concentrations of some forms of biogenic ions in streams were significantly higher at points tens of metres downstream from the point of discharge than at points located upstream from the point of discharge. The concentrations of NH4 + and PO4 3− ions increased significantly in streams into which wastewater was being discharged from wastewater treatment plants in Tatra National Park (NP). Concentrations of NO3 − increased in the case of a stream into which untreated wastewater was being discharged after flowing down a mountain couloir for several hundred metres in the Tatras. The water and sewer management situation in Tatra NP has improved significantly since the time when this research was conducted. Poland’s entry into the European Union in 2005 made additional EU funding available to be invested in various environmental projects. Most existing wastewater treatment plants were fully modernized in the years 2010–2011, and new plants were built where none had been. Even so, it seems that transporting wastewater to treatment plants outside the national park is the most effective and reliable method of protecting the oligotrophic mountain waters of the Tatras from pollution

Linking soils and streams during events : response of stream water K+K^{+} concentration to soil exchangeable K+K^{+} concentration in small catchments with fragipan soils (Carpathian Foothills, Poland)

The study aimed to determine the linkage between soil exchangeable potassium ($K^{+}$) concentration and stream water $K^{+}$ concentration during rainfall and snowmelt events in small catchments with different land use (Carpathian Foothills, Poland). The complementary geochemical and hydrochemical approach used in the study produced new information on the role of particular soil horizons and contributing areas such as hillslope or riparian areas in $K^{+}$ delivery to stream channels during events. Horizons lying above the nearly impermeable fragipan (Btx) play the most important role in the process of $K^{+}$ influx to streams during most event types except snowmelts with frozen soils, in all the studied catchments. In the woodland catchment, rapid flushing of $K^{+}$ from the topsoil Ah horizon with higher hydraulic conductivity ($K_{sat}$) and higher exchangeable K+ concentrations than in the lying lower E horizon resulted in a clockwise hysteresis of $K^{+}$ in stream water during most events. In agricultural catchments, changes in stream water $K^{+}$ concentration during events were determined by distinct differences between soil exchangeable $K^{+}$ concentrations on hillslopes and in riparian areas

Funkcjonowanie persjarni słuckiej prowadzonej przez Jana i Leona Madżarskich w świetle dokumentacji ekonomiczno-gospodarczej z Narodowego Historycznego Archiwum Białorusi w Mińsku

OPERATING OF THE SŁUCK SASH MANUFACTORY RUN BY JAN AND LEON MADŻARSKI IN THE LIGHT OF ECONOMIC DOCUMENTATION FROM THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL ARCHIVE OF BELARUS IN MINSK The noble outfit was one of the most popular and characteristic symbols of the old Polish Sarmatist culture. Kontush belts made from valuable fabrics belonged to its elements. The name “Słuck belts” is connected with a persjarnia [manufactory producing fabrics] in Słuck – the domain of the Radziwiłł family. It was in its heyday during the second half of the 18th century, when it was run by the Armenian Madżarski family. The article analyses documentation which concerns this issue and is kept in the National Historical Archive of Belarus in Minsk. This material is scrutinised in the context of economic activity of the princes Michał Kazimierz and Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł, orientalisation of noble tastes as well as the history of the Madżarski family

Suicidality and its determinants among Polish patients with epilepsy

Background and purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of suicidal ideation among Polish patients with epilepsy and to assess the potential determinants of suicidality in this cohort. Material and methods The study comprised 301 patients with epilepsy seen in the tertiary epilepsy clinic. Patients’ characteristics included demographic variables, epilepsy-related variables, as well as occurrence of comorbidities, ongoing use of any other medications, family history of epilepsy and/or depression. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depressive symptoms, and question no. 9 of BDI was specifically used to reveal suicidality. Results Mean age of subjects was 35.5 years. 113 (37.5%) had frequent seizures and 96 patients (31.9%) had remission. BDI score>11 points (suggestive for depression) was found in 127 subjects. Suicidal ideation has been revealed in 30 (10.0%) out of 301 studied patients. Patients with suicidal ideation were older and more commonly reported frequent seizures. Almost all of them (93.3%) had clinically significant depressive symptoms (BDI score>11). Multivariate analysis revealed that severity of depressive symptoms (OR=1.16 per one-point increase in BDI score, 95% CI: 1.10–1.22, p<0.001) and the use of potentially depressogenic medication (OR=3.04, 95% CI: 1.04–8.89, p=0.04) were independent determinants of suicidality among studied patients. Conclusions Suicidal ideations were revealed by about 10% of studied epileptic patients who visited tertiary center for epilepsy. Independent predictors of suicidality among studied patients included depression itself and the use of potentially depressogenic medication

Depressogenic medications and other risk factors for depression among Polish patients with epilepsy

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of depression among patients with epilepsy and to establish the risk factors of depression in that group, with special focus on the use of potentially depressogenic medications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 289 consecutive patients who visited epilepsy outpatient clinic (University Hospital of Krakow) and met inclusion criteria. All patients were screened with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and those with BDI score ≥12 were further evaluated by a psychiatrist. RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 35.7 years, and mean duration of epilepsy was 14.7 years. Idiopathic generalized epilepsy was diagnosed in 63 patients (21.8%), focal epilepsy was found in 189 subjects (65.4%), and unclassified epilepsy was diagnosed in 37 patients (12.8%). Frequent seizures (>1 per month) were reported in 107 patients (37.0%). Thirty-five patients (12.1%) reported an ongoing treatment with one or more of the predefined potentially depressogenic medication (β-blockers, combined estrogen and progestogen, corticosteroid, or flunarizine). In a group of 115 patients (39.8%) who scored ≥12 points in BDI, depression was finally diagnosed in 84 subjects (29.1%) after psychiatric evaluation. Only 20 of those patients (23.8%) were treated with antidepressant. Independent variables associated with the diagnosis of depression in the logistic regression model included frequent seizures (odds ratio [OR] =2.43 [95% confidence interval, 95% CI =1.38–4.29], P=0.002), use of potentially depression-inducing medications (OR =3.33 [95% CI =1.50–7.39], P=0.003), age (OR =1.03 [95% CI =1.01–1.05] per year], P=0.005), and use of oxcarbazepine (OR =2.26 [95% CI =1.04–4.9], P=0.038). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of depression among consecutive Polish patients with epilepsy reached 29.1%. Less than quarter of them received antidepressant treatment at the moment of evaluation. Independent variables associated with depression included age, frequent seizures, and the use of oxcarbazepine or predefined depressogenic medications

Suicidality and its determinants among Polish patients with epilepsy

Background and purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of suicidal ideation among Polish patients with epilepsy and to assess the potential determinants of suicidality in this cohort. Material and methods The study comprised 301 patients with epilepsy seen in the tertiary epilepsy clinic. Patients’ characteristics included demographic variables, epilepsy-related variables, as well as occurrence of comorbidities, ongoing use of any other medications, family history of epilepsy and/or depression. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depressive symptoms, and question no. 9 of BDI was specifically used to reveal suicidality. Results Mean age of subjects was 35.5 years. 113 (37.5%) had frequent seizures and 96 patients (31.9%) had remission. BDI score>11 points (suggestive for depression) was found in 127 subjects. Suicidal ideation has been revealed in 30 (10.0%) out of 301 studied patients. Patients with suicidal ideation were older and more commonly reported frequent seizures. Almost all of them (93.3%) had clinically significant depressive symptoms (BDI score>11). Multivariate analysis revealed that severity of depressive symptoms (OR=1.16 per one-point increase in BDI score, 95% CI: 1.10–1.22, p<0.001) and the use of potentially depressogenic medication (OR=3.04, 95% CI: 1.04–8.89, p=0.04) were independent determinants of suicidality among studied patients. Conclusions Suicidal ideations were revealed by about 10% of studied epileptic patients who visited tertiary center for epilepsy. Independent predictors of suicidality among studied patients included depression itself and the use of potentially depressogenic medication

Crystal structure and mechanism of action of the N6-methyladenine-dependent type IIM restriction endonuclease R.DpnI.

DNA methylation-dependent restriction enzymes have many applications in genetic engineering and in the analysis of the epigenetic state of eukaryotic genomes. Nevertheless, high-resolution structures have not yet been reported, and therefore mechanisms of DNA methylation-dependent cleavage are not understood. Here, we present a biochemical analysis and high-resolution DNA co-crystal structure of the N(6)-methyladenine (m6A)-dependent restriction enzyme R.DpnI. Our data show that R.DpnI consists of an N-terminal catalytic PD-(D/E)XK domain and a C-terminal winged helix (wH) domain. Surprisingly, both domains bind DNA in a sequence- and methylation-sensitive manner. The crystal contains R.DpnI with fully methylated target DNA bound to the wH domain, but distant from the catalytic domain. Independent readout of DNA sequence and methylation by the two domains might contribute to R.DpnI specificity or could help the monomeric enzyme to cut the second strand after introducing a nick