Jolanta Solecka

Graduation towers are structures that saturate the air with a brine aerosol, mimicking a coastal microclimate. They are increasingly attracting interest for both their therapeutic potential and recreational use. However, scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of inhalation therapy using brine graduation towers is limited, as are data on methods for determining the mineral composition of the brine aerosol. The aim of this study was to evaluate an analytical method for determining the chemical composition of aerosols generated by brine graduation towers, in which water-soluble ionic species are extracted using a gas washing bottle equipped with a sintered glass disc. Water-soluble components were collected by drawing air through the gas washing bottle filled with deionised water. The method parameters were first optimised in a purpose-built chamber generating a controlled aerosol stream. Following laboratory experiments, the procedure was validated under field conditions to determine the major ionic constituents of the air at a health resort brine graduation tower. Collected aerosol samples were analysed using high-performance ion chromatography (HPIC), flame photometry, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The mean concentrations were 5.2 mg/m³ for sodium, 9.4 mg/m³ for chloride, and 0.37 mg/m³ for calcium. Concentrations of potassium, magnesium, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, antimony, sulphate(VI), nitrate(V), and phosphate(V) were below the detection limits.

The objective of this study was to evaluate selected analytical procedures based on EN ISO 10705-2:2001 and EN ISO 10705-3:2024 for the determination of somatic coliphages in 100 mL water samples, taking into account the requirements of Directive (EU) 2020/2184, and to identify a procedure that can be adapted for routine analyses, as well as points at which laboratories may encounter difficulties. The study was conducted on two types of water samples: Type 1, comprising groundwater and treated water, and Type 2, comprising surface water. Samples were collected from water treatment plants at the point of distribution network supply (treated water), deep well intakes, and surface intakes (raw water). The study demonstrated the limited reliability of the procedure when applied to routine analyses. The recovery obtained for the method incorporating the selected modifications under the tested conditions was 72% for Type 1 water samples and 73% for Type 2 water samples. The introduction of legal regulations on the quality of water intended for human consumption, along with the requirement to test a new parameter for operational purposes, can pose a significant challenge for laboratories performing water analyses.

Balneotherapy, utilising natural medicinal waters, gases, and peloids, is a clinically effective method for complementing the treatment of various medical conditions. One specific type of balneotherapy is crenotherapy, which involves the oral administration of natural medicinal waters. This study aimed to assess the impact of storage time on the stability of the chemical composition and microbiological quality of bottled natural medicinal waters, as well as to assess the feasibility of using packaged natural medicinal waters at home to prolong the effect post-sanatorium treatment, as recommended by the chief physician responsible for health resorts. Fourteen bottled medicinal waters sourced from seven Polish health resorts were analysed. The study examined the following samples: one HCO3-Cl-Na-Ca, four HCO3-Cl-Na, one HCO3-Mg-Na-Ca, two HCO3-Na-Ca, two HCO3-Ca, two HCO3-Na and two Cl-Na waters. Physicochemical and microbiological parameters were measured at the following times: t0 (immediately after packaging), t1 (midway through the declared shelf life) and t2 (at the end of the shelf life). Physicochemical analysis of the medicinal waters demonstrated the stability of the chemical composition in terms of basic minerals and physicochemical parameters over the product’s shelf life, as defined by the manufacturer. Faecal indicator bacteria or Pseudomonas aeruginosa were absent in all of the samples tested. However, coliform bacteria, potentially of biofilm origin, were detected in one sample. An initially high number of microorganisms, determined at 22°C, observed in three water samples, was no longer detected at the final testing stage. The findings indicate that the medicinal waters analysed maintain stability in chemical composition, organoleptic parameters and microbiological purity throughout the manufacturer’s specified shelf life.

Introduction and objective: The use of Escherichia coli and enterococci as indicators of the presence of pathogenic viruses or parasitic protozoa is limited. In order to increase the control of enteric pathogens in drinking water, Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the...

Aims: With the ongoing pandemic and increased interest in measures to improve indoor air quality, various indoor air purifiers have become very popular and are widely used. This review presents the advantages and disadvantages of various types of technologies used in air purifiers in terms of reducing microbial contamination. Methods: A literature search was performed using Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, as well as technical organizations dealing with indoor air-quality to identify research articles and documents within our defined scope of interest. Relevant sections: The available literature data focus mainly on the efficiency of devices based on tests conducted in laboratory conditions with test chambers, which does not reflect the real dimensions and conditions observed in residential areas. According to a wide range of articles on the topic, the actual effectiveness of air purifiers is significantly lower in real conditions than the values declared by the manufacturers in their marketing materials as well as technical specifications. Conclusions: According to current findings, using indoor air purifiers should not be the only measure to improve indoor air-quality; however, these can play a supporting role if their application is preceded by an appropriate technical and environmental analysis considering the real conditions of its use.

Cancers are the leading cause of deaths worldwide. In 2018, an estimated 18.1 million new cancer cases and 9.6 million cancer-related deaths occurred globally. Several previous studies have shown that the enzyme, leucine aminopeptidase is involved in pathological conditions such as cancer. On the basis of the knowledge that isoquinoline alkaloids have antiproliferative activity and inhibitory activity towards leucine aminopeptidase, the present study was conducted a study which involved database search, virtual screening, and design of new potential leucine aminopeptidase inhibitors with a scaffold based on 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline. These compounds were then filtered through Lipinski’s “rule of five,” and 25 081 of them were then subjected to molecular docking. Next, three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) study was performed for the selected group of compounds with the best binding score results. The developed model, calculated by leave-one-out method, showed acceptable predictive and descriptive capability as represented by standard statistical parameters r² (0.997) and q² (0.717). Further, 35 compounds were identified to have an excellent predictive reliability. Finally, nine selected compounds were evaluated for drug-likeness and different pharmacokinetics parameters such as absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity. Our methodology suggested that compounds with 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline moiety were potentially active in inhibiting leucine aminopeptidase and could be used for further in-depth in vitro and in vivo studies.

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of electromagnetic radiation sources such as mobile phones and base stations of mobile telephony. This radiation has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible human carcinogen (group 2B). For this reason, many studies have been carried out on the impact of mobile telephony on human health. The largest of the experiments were carried out on animals. Due to the divergent results of many studies, there was no clear answer on the possible carcinogenic effects of this type of radiation on health. Detection of cancer shortly after an exposure is the most difficult task in analyzing the results. Some of the studies require repetition and verification of the results. In the case of negative effects of electromagnetic fields on brain activity, sleep, heart rate, cognitive function and blood pressure, no consistent evidence has been obtained either. In view of the increasing popularity of mobile phones, their location at short distances from the body (mainly the head) and the development of mobile phone technologies (which entails an increase in the number of base stations), further research, especially among young people, is needed. The duration of human exposure to electromagnetic radiation is subject to an increase and only further research can provide an answer on the possible negative effects of mobile phones and base stations. STRESZCZENIEW ostatnich latach nastąpił gwałtowny wzrost liczby źródeł promieniowania elektromagnetycznego jakimi są telefony komórkowe i stacje bazowe telefonii komórkowej. Promieniowanie to zostało sklasyfikowane przez Międzynarodową Agencję Badań nad Rakiem jako czynnik przypuszczalnie rakotwórczy dla człowieka (grupa 2B). Z tego powodu dokonano wielu badań dotyczących wpływu telefonii komórkowej na zdrowie ludzi. Największe z eksperymentów zostały przeprowadzone na zwierzętach. Ze względu na rozbieżne wyniki wielu badań nie otrzymano jednoznacznej odpowiedzi na temat ewentualnego rakotwórczego wpływu tego rodzaju promieniowania na zdrowie. Wykrywanie nowotworów po krótkim czasie od narażenia jest największą trudnością w analizie otrzymanych wyników. Część z badań wymaga powtórzenia i weryfikacji wyników. W przypadku negatywnego wpływu pola elektromagnetycznego na aktywność mózgu, sen, tętno, funkcje poznawcze oraz ciśnienie krwi również nie otrzymano żadnych spójnych dowodów. W związku z coraz większą popularnością telefonów komórkowych, usytuowaniem ich w niewielkich odległościach od ciała (głównie głowy) oraz rozwojem technologii związanych z telefonią komórkową (która pociąga za sobą wzrost liczby stacji bazowych) niezbędne są dalsze badania przeprowadzane w szczególności wśród młodych ludzi. Okres narażenia człowieka na promieniowanie elektromagnetyczne wydłuża się i tylko dalsze badania mogą dać odpowiedź na temat ewentualnego negatywnego wpływu telefonów komórkowych i stacji bazowych. Polish language version / polska wersja językowa

Evolution-derived natural compounds have been inspiration for design of numerous pharmaceuticals, e.g. penicillins, tetracyclines, etc. Herein, we present a bioinspired strategy to design peptide dendrimers for the effective therapy of E. coli infections where the selection of appropriate amino acids and the mode of their assembly are based on the information gained from research on membranolytic natural antimicrobial peptides (AMP’s). On molecular level two opposite effects were explored: effect of multiple positive charges necessary for membrane disintegration was equilibrated by anchoring role of tryptophanes. Indeed, a series of Trp-terminated dendrimers exhibited high potency against clinical isolates of antibiotic resistant ESBL E. coli strains, stability in human plasma along with very low hemo- and genotoxicity. Investigation of the underlying antimicrobial mechanism indicated that studied dendrimers at MIC showed weak permeability towards membranes. Solid state 2D NMR studies revealed their presence on and inside of the model membranes. Therefore, their biological properties might be explained by targeting of extra- or intracellular receptors. Our results point to a new approach to design novel branched antimicrobials with high therapeutic index.

A new metabolite, cyclic dipeptide, cis-(3S,8aS)-3-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl)hexahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, named JS-3 was isolated from Streptomyces sp. 8812 fermentation broth. Its chemical structure was established by means of spectroscopic analysis. A wide-range-screening study, which included inhibition assay of dd-carboxypeptidase/transpeptidase activity, determination of antibacterial, antifungal, and antiproliferative activities as well as free-radical scavenging was performed. To authors knowledge, this is the first isolation of such compound from natural sources and the first one from bacteria, Streptomyces.

Comparative of studies of genomes of invertebrates and humans shows that in invertebrates including insects there are numerous homologues of human’s genes coding proteins involved in recognition pathogens or transduction of the expression signal. Thanks this features, insects such as Drosophila melanogaster M., Blattella germanica L., Culex quinquefasciatus S., Bombyx mori L. and Galleria mellonella L. are used in studies on virulence, host resistance or in assessing the in vivo efficacy of antibiotics, fungicides and other biologically active substances. G. mellonella (greater wax moth) are rapid growth, high fertility, size and short life cycle insects- these are features that should be met by good model organisms; therefore the number of researches with larvae of wax moth as the model organism for pathogens assays grows from year to year. This is showing by number of scientific publications about infection’s model of G. mellonella. An obstacle in the wide use of G. mellonella caterpillars as a model in biomedical research is the lack of standardized breeding of these insects, which would guarantee the reproducibility of the obtained results and lack of procedures and standards according to which biomedical research will be carried out. Despite this, the G. mellonella model can be used in the initial analysis before conventional in vivo tests and to reduce the number of tests performed on mammals.