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The past century was not only the age of totalitarianisms and genocide, whose victims were whole nations or their overwhelmingly great proportions, but also the time of mass displacements, deportations, escape or relocations of populations, which especially affected Europe. World War II and the time of new, post-war geopolitical reality abounded in enormous human tragedies. The consequence of these unfortunate events is also the issue of compensations for the property lost by the people who were forcibly resettled from the areas where they lived. The documents confirming the ownership of a particular property lost as a result of relocation are the most important evidence constituting the basis for claiming compensation paid from the State Treasury in Poland. Unfortunately, there are cases when the documents in question are forged with the aim of obtaining excessive monetary benefits under false pretences. During a hearing of evidence concerning the payment of compensation the body conducting the proceedings concluded that there were striking discrepancies between the documents describing the property left behind. The documents deposited with the Polish Central Archives of Modern Records differed from the document presented as genuine by the party in the proceedings claiming compensation. Forensic examination proved that the examined document was not genuine and had been counterfeited. The case study of document forgery discussed in this article proves that the use of non-invasive forensic examination methods is an important element in establishing historical truth indispensable in making a correct legal decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential role of currency in the spread of pathogenic microflora has been evaluated in many countries. In this study Polish paper notes and the coins in general circulation were assayed for the presence of cultivable bacteria and fungi. Bacterial isolates identification was based on cultural and biochemical characters and by comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequence. Fungal isolates were recognized with biochemical and morphological criteria. Coagulase-negative staphylococci, (43.6% of the total bacterial count) including Staphylococcus saprophyticus, S. epidermidis, and S. hominis, and Enteroccus spp. (30.8% of the total bacterial count), i.e. E.faecalis, E.faecium and E. durans, were the most numerous bacterial contamination. Penicillium spp., and Aspergillus spp. were the most frequently detected moulds whereas Candida spp. was the most frequent yeast isolated from currency. A visible dependence between the banknote denomination, the physical condition of paper currency, and the number of bacteria and fungi was found. The overall count of bacteria isolated from currency was thousand-fold higher than that of fungal isolates. The total amount of bacteria and fungi recovered from the coins was approximately 2.7-fold lower than that isolated from the notes. In summary, the Polish currency notes were found to be contaminated mainly with commensal bacteria and fungi while the opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas stutzeri and C. albicans were detected at a low frequency.

Spirotox is a short-term acute toxicity test with a large ciliated protozoan Spirostomum ambiguum. The test was created in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, during the early 1990s. It was presented for the first time during the 6th International Symposium on Toxicity Assessment, in Berlin in 1993. S. ambiguum was very resistant to a wide range of environmental conditions, especially to pH and dissolved oxygen. Over the last 10 years the sensitivity of S. ambiguum to many classes of toxicants was evaluated. Spirotox was found to be very sensitive to heavy metals, fungicides, and pharmaceuticals used to cure diseases of the human nervous system. On the other hand, it was generally less sensitive than standard bioassays to simple organics. Spirotox was also used for analysis of cyanobacterial blooms. Though it was moderately sensitive to hepatotoxins, the test seems to be a good tool for evaluation of the entire toxicity of blooms. The last but not the least of the applications of the Spirotox test was evaluation of the toxicity of extracts from medical devices. Protozoa, which are the simplest eukaryotes, seem to be good screening bioassays for monitoring the technology of medical device production., (Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: Numerous epidemiological studies have provided some evidence indicating that workers employed in the pulp and paper industry are at higher risk of death from lung cancer. The present study was undertaken to analyze lung cancer risk prediction among male workers employed in this industry., Materials and Methods: To estimate the probability of death from lung cancer a risk prediction model with some elements of competing risks was used. The risk assessment was based on the cohort study data collected in workers involved in pulp and paper production., Results: Four exposure-response relationship curves were developed adopting the age at the first occupational exposure as a criterion. The model based on the competing risk theory rendered it possible to estimate an additional risk of lung cancer related to a specific period of occupational exposure for the groups adjusted by the age of entering the cohort. For example, in the group with first exposure at the age below 29, the risk changed from 2.25 x 10(-7) during the first year of employment to 1.40 x 10(-5) after 10 years, whereas in the group of workers with first exposure at the age of 50 years, the risk changed from 6.42 x 10(-5) to 4.28 x 10(-4). In addition, the risk at first exposure at the age of 50-59 was almost two orders of magnitude higher than that in workers with first exposure at the age below 29 (6.42 x 10(-5) and 2.25 x 10(-7), respectively)., Conclusions: Using the additional (absolute) risk model involving elements of competing risk theory it is possible to provide a more thorough characteristics of the relationship between the exposure level and probability of death from lung cancer.

Air samples for determination of the concentration of Gram-negative bacteria, dust and endotoxin were collected at 10 sites in 2 large pulp and paper mills (paper factories) located in northern Poland, of which one (plant "A") was an older type facility while the other (plant "B") was a modern, fully automated factory with an effective ventilatory system. In both factories paper was produced from wood chips derived mostly from Scots pine. The concentrations of Gram-negative bacteria in the air of examined factories were within a range of 11.0-310.0 cfu/m(3), being greatest in the old type factory "A" at the initial stages of production cycle comprising handling of chips and pulp production. The mean value for these sites (246.9 cfu/m(3)) was significantly greater (t-test, p < 0.01) compared to final stages of paper production in the same factory (mean 32.1 cfu/m(3)) and to corresponding stages of chip handling in the modern "B" factory (mean 94.4 cfu/m(3)). The values of the respirable fraction of airborne Gram-negative flora were at most sites within a range of 40.0-56.9%. The species of the family Enterobacteriaceacae, mostly belonging to the genera Enterobacter, Pantoea, Rahnella and Klebsiella, distinctly prevailed in the air of the examined factories. Altogether, 19 species or genera of Gram-negative bacteria were identified in the collected air samples, out of these 9 were reported as having allergenic, immunotoxic and/or infectious properties. The concentration of dust in the air of paper factories ranged from 0.13-3.9 mg/m(3) and never exceeded the safe level. The concentration of bacterial endotoxin in the air of paper factories varied within a fairly wide range of 0.0042-2.5 micro g/m(3). At 4 sites associated with initial chip handling and pulp production large concentrations of airborne endotoxin between 0.2-2.5 micro g/m(3) were found, significantly exceeding suggested safe levels. In conclusion, despite Gram-negative bacteria occur in the air of paper mills in relatively low concentrations which never exceeded the value of 1,000 cfu/m(3) proposed as safe level, they may exert adverse effects on exposed workers, as evidenced by high concentrations of airborne endotoxin and the presence of numerous potentially pathogenic species. Thus, these microorganisms pose a potential risk of respiratory disease for the workers of pulp and paper mills, in particular for those engaged in handling of wood chips and production of pulp.

Objectives: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disease with autosomal recessive inheritance. In Poland the microbiological Guthrie test for this disease was replaced by an enzymatic colorimetric test. The question is whether the colorimetric test might be used in monitoring treatment of PKU., Setting: In 80 patients with PKU on routine treatment monitoring of serum phenylalanine concentrations (SPh) was compared with phenylalanine concentrations in blood on filter paper (PhBFP)., Methods: Measurements of SPh were by a fluorimetric method (McCaman and Robins), and those of PhBFP were by an enzymatic colorimetric method., Results: The regression analysis of SPh compared with PhBFP gave the equation y=0.9219x+0.2389; for the reversed ratio: it gave y=1.0220x+0.55083. The correlation was 0.97 at p<0.05., Discussion: Concentrations of SPh accepted for children with PKU are not uniform. In the Cracow centre, the range of accepted SPh concentrations are 2-6 mg/dl for children and <12 mg/dl for older patients. The concentrations of PhBFP accepted are somewhat higher than SPh, range from 4 to 10 mg/dl, and are a good indicator of an appropriate diet., Conclusions: (1) The comparison indicated that colorimetric measurements of PhBFP are effective in monitoring therapeutic PKU management. Tests can be performed more often and are more comfortable both for the patients and their parents. (2) The comparative results indicated a concentration of PhBFP ranging from 4 to 10 mg/dl to be the accepted value for children treated for PKU.

Mortality among workers in the Polish pulp and paper industry was evaluated in a cohort study of 10,460 workers who had been employed continuously for at least one year, between 1968 and 1990 in the factory producing sulphate pulp, paper, board and paper products. Three subcohorts were formed according to the work areas. A standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analysis was used to compare death rates for each group exposed with Polish national rates. Mortality from all causes and from all malignant neoplasms, both in the female and in male cohorts was lower than that observed in the general population. In the pulp male subcohort a significantly elevated risk of death from peritoneum cancer (2 obs, SMR = 2,530) and prostate cancer (4 obs, SMR = 854) was recorded, although overall mortality from all causes and from all malignant neoplasms was lower than expected. The excess of deaths from neoplasms in other sites was statistically nonsignificant in all subcohorts. This study did not confirm the excess mortality from lung, stomach and lymphatic cancers found by other authors. The "young" cohort and a relatively short follow-up period (23 years) might have affected the results.