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The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of rhamnolipids on the microbial biomass content and the activity of dehydrogenases (DHA), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and urease (URE) in soil contaminated with two types of coal tar creosote: type C and type GX-Plus. The experiment was carried out on samples of sandy clay loam under laboratory conditions. Coal tar creosote was added to soil samples at a dose of 0 and 10 g·kg−1 DM, along with rhamnolipids at a dose of 0, 10, 100, and 1000 mg·kg−1 DM. The humidity of the samples was brought to 60% maximum water holding capacity, and the samples were incubated at 20°C. Microbial and biochemical parameters were determined on days 1, 7, 21, and 63. The obtained results demonstrated that the addition of rhamnolipids did not result in any significant changes in the activity of the determined parameters in the uncontaminated soil. However, it was observed that the application of these biosurfactants, particularly at the dose of 1000 mg·kg−1 DM, largely decreased the effect of coal tar creosote on the determined parameters. Moreover, the microbial biomass and the activity of ALP and URE were found to be the best indicator of bioremediation of soil contaminated with coal tar creosote.

Cities and ports are elements of the socio-economic space of coastal regions and they are integrally interrelated with each other while their development is mutually conditioned. Cooperation of the port and the city usually would bring development of both these elements in the historical perspective. The seaport has always grown and developed along with the city and the region. On the one hand, a port-city performs functions related to maritime economy in the broad sense of the word, i.e. maritime functions, and on the other hand - land functions that result from the city's location in relation to its land base. When the maritime function is overwhelming, the port has a powerful impact on the city, its spatial and economic layout. The very nature of the port has a significant impact on shaping the face of the city and the region. Contemporary cities are currently facing many various problems resulting from their rapid development: debt, commercialization of the public space, degradation of the infrastructure, deteriorating quality of public services, or excessive and inefficient consumption. Since the time concept of sustainable development came into being, it has been adopted as the basis for all activities at various levels of territorial organization, including at the city level. Nonetheless, each tier of development planning has its own specificity, similarly to individual territorial units within a specific tier. This is related but not limited to cities, particularly port-cities, in respect of which sustainable development should be understood a little differently than in other cities, due to the complexity of their relationships and the special role that they play in the economic system. The aim of this article is to indicate such a way of understanding the sustainable development that refers to the specificity of a port-city. Ports and cities interact across many dimensions, however, a more detailed insight how port-cities integrate the port and urban functions is still lacking. The survey conducted among city representatives, businesses and port authorities is to help identify the directions of activities for sustainable development and indicate the common grounds of these activities, where both parties could support each other.

Recently, the focus of action for port authorities has been to find a set of development and investment measures which would, on one hand, ensure the expected technical and organizational conditions for port operations in the future and, on the other hand, incorporate a variety of social and environmental aspects necessary to maintain or improve the quality delivered in these two areas. This set of measures that has been of particular importance to the port industry in the last years is termed the Green Port, as a way of distinguishing it from the previous measures, which were equally intensive but failed to consider the requirements of sustainable growth. The term is used to refer to a port which takes planned investment actions to ensure compliance in all the three areas: economy, society and environment. In Poland, the notion of ‘Green Ports’ is still in its infancy. The purpose of this paper is to present research into sustainable growth awareness and attitudes in Polish ports. The research was carried out with representatives of Polish sea port authorities to allow identifying the actions for the development of green ports and defining the directions to be adopted in the sea ports development strategies.

Ampicillin (AMP) and amoxicillin (AMX) are popular antibiotics, which are penicillin derivatives, and are used in both human and veterinary medicine. In the conducted study, AMP, AMX and their mixtures did not cause major changes in the total bacterial counts in soil samples, and even an increase in the bacterial counts from 3,700,000 to 6,260,000 colony-forming units (cfu) per gram of soil dry weight (g of soil DW) was observed for minimal amounts of these drugs in the soil. The total abundance of fungi, on the other hand, increased from values ranging from 17,000 to 148,000 cfu∙g−1 of soil DW to a level of 32,000 to 131,000 cfu∙g−1 of soil DW. The tested antibiotics and their mixtures had no significant effect on the mortality and growth of H. incongruens. AMX and the AMP + AMX mixture also showed no effect on the plant fresh weight yield, plant aboveground part length and dry weight content of wheat seedlings. In contrast, AMP caused an increase in the plant fresh weight yield and wheat seedling length compared to the control. The drug also caused a slight decrease in the seedling dry weight content. Both AMP and AMX showed inhibitory effects on the plant root length at the highest concentrations of the compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids are a huge group of chemical compounds that have found, or may, in the future, find, applications in various industries. These compounds are characterized by excellent physical, chemical, and biological properties, but a big problem is their environmental impact. One of the representatives of this group of compounds is tetrabutylammonium chloride ([TBA][Cl]). In this present study, the effects of [TBA][Cl] were evaluated on two popular plant species—a monocotyledonous plant—wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and a dicotyledonous plant—cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The results showed that the compound caused a pronounced inhibition of plant growth and roots, as well as plant fresh weight yield. An increase in plant dry weight was observed at the same time. Despite the decrease in the content of photosynthetic pigments, no major changes were observed in chlorophyll fluorescence. All observed changes were strongly related to the applied concentration of the compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ibuprofen (IBU) and ketoprofen (KET) are among the world's most popular and widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Due to their high usage, these drugs have entered the environment, including the soil, and, like any other chemical compound, can have a negative effect on it. Therefore, an attempt was made to evaluate the effects of these two popular drugs on soil bacteria and fungi, the bivalve crustaceans (Heterocipris incongruens) and the growth and development of spring barley. The tested drugs did not show any negative effects on the total bacterial abundance. Effects were observed on the growth and survival of H. incongruens and on the abundance of fungi in the soil at the highest concentrations tested. The presence of IBU and KET in the soil in which spring barley was cultivated caused an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and guaiacol peroxidase (POD); an increase in the content of proline and ascorbic acid (AsA) in the seedlings of this grain; and a decrease in the yield of fresh plant weight, especially at the application of concentrations of 100 and 1000 mg·kg−1 of soil's dry weight (DW). Effects on barley seed germination potential and germination capacity, plant dry matter content, assimilation pigment content and malondialdehyde (MDA) were also observed at the highest concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the commercial chiral herbicides are used as racemic mixtures, whereas the use of their optically active forms may be more effective and environmentally safer. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the ecotoxicity of each enantiomer separately because a seemingly inactive enantiomer may unintentionally be toxic to non-target organisms. This research is focused on a series of chiral quaternary ammonium salts (QASs) consisting of (R)- or (S)-1-phenylethylammonium cations and chloroacetate anions, which were synthesized by a solvent-free green protocol. The enantioselective ecotoxicity towards non-target organisms, for the first time explored against aquatic bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri and terrestrial plants, was investigated for both (S)- and (R)-enantiomers. It has been shown that the obtained QASs exhibit enantioselective toxicity towards all tested organisms – up to a 9-fold difference in the R/S toxicity towards A. fischeri was observed. The correlation of toxicity with the amount of chlorine atoms in chloroacetate anions has been observed for the series of (R)-enantiomers (spring barley) and (S)-enantiomers (A. fischeri). Investigation of the ecotoxicity of racemic mixtures of the tested compounds, which was predicted using the CA model, showed that the use of racemic mixtures can have a much more negative impact on the environment than the use of enantiomerically pure formulations. Furthermore, by predicting the bioaccumulation risk (log Kow, bioconcentration factor) for the synthesized QASs, it has been demonstrated that commercial herbicides pose a greater tendency to be persistent in the environment than synthesized QASs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The agency theory is the starting point in this work to incorporate the achievements of leadership and related theory of power into the economic enterprise theory, in particular regarding credit institutions. Research aims. The goal is to propose a model of leadership based on values and institutions and to link it with the agency theory, creating a broader perspective on the perception of reality of credit institutions in the light of the modern management concepts. Methodology. The non‑parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method was used to assess the effectiveness of leadership in credit institutions, which helped to identify the most effective units among banks providing intermediary services in Poland. The analysis was carried out with focus on effects. Key findings. Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności Bank Polski was assessed as the best in terms of incurred inputs to the achieved effects. Relatively low effects at high inputs were, in turn, achieved by Bank BGŻ BNP Paribas and Plus Bank. Significant differences are noted when comparing the banks' performance in relation to the averages (the entire sector and the most important competitors). Skilful combination of good leadership with the expectations of the principals is the need of our time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) are a group of popular chemical compounds often used in various industries. Consequently, their use is widespread, giving rise to increasing concerns regarding the environmental contamination due to excessive use of these compounds. In this study, the aim was to study the influence of QAS on the growth and development of common radish by using tetrabutylammonium chloride ([TBA][Cl]) and tetrabutylammonium bromide ([TBA][Br]). Both compounds were added to the soil at various concentrations: 0, 1, 10, 100, 400, 700 and 1000 mg compound per 1 kg of soil dry weight (DW). For each concentration of TBA salts, 3 independent samples were prepared. Both test compounds inhibited the growth of aerial parts of the plants and led to an increase in the content of dry matter in radish leaves. Furthermore, the presence of test compounds in the soil adversely affected the content of all assimilation pigments in radish leaves. Moreover, the test compounds induced oxidative stress, as evidenced by an increase in the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In response to the oxidative stress, the common radish plants activated the enzymatic antioxidant system. An increase in the activity of enzymes, such as catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), was observed. All changes observed in the plants were strongly related to the concentration of test compounds in the soil. However, there were no major differences in the impact of [TBA][Cl] and [TBA][Br] on common radish plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect in sandy soil on the content of two fluoride forms, which are soluble (extracted with CaCl2) and potentially available to plants (extracted with HClO4), and the activity of dehydrogenases, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and o-diphenol oxidase of three quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) with the [PF6]-anion (tetramethylammonium hexafluorophosphate [TMA][PF6], tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate [TBA][PF6], and tetrahexylammonium hexafluorophosphate [THA][PF6]) and the inorganic salt ammonium hexafluorophosphate. The results showed an increase in fluoride content, especially in the form potentially available to plants (F-HClO4). An inhibition of dehydrogenases, acid phosphatase, and o-diphenol oxidase was observed, while the alkaline phosphatase was stimulated. The highest effect was found after treatment with the highest dosages of QAS. The fluoride content was negatively correlated with the activity of the dehydrogenases, acid phosphatase, and o-diphenol oxidase, and was positively correlated with alkaline phosphatase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains are included in 9 pathotypes (pathovars) that present different virulence factors responsible for the patomechanism of infections they cause. As all other intestinal pathogens, E. coli exerts a significant effect on intestinal epithelium. To initiate the infection, these microorganisms have evolved countless strategies to subvert the epithelial barrier and efficiently colonize the intestinal epithelium. The barrier function of the intestinal epithelium is achieved by the presence of a tight junction protein network surrounding individual cells around their circumference that links neighboring cells and seals the intracellular space. Pathogenic E. coli strains may impair intestinal epithelial barrier in 3 different pathways: (i) through a direct effect of their virulence factors on tight junctions proteins, (ii) by disrupting host cell actin cytoskeleton that indirectly damages epithelial barrier, and (iii) via stimulation of the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines that directly disrupt epithelial tight junctions or trigger neutrophils migration through intestinal epithelium, thus disrupting the intestinal barrier. Most pathogenic E. coli generates all these 3 pathways concomitantly upon interaction with intestinal epithelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weeds constitute a huge group of undesirable plants, widespread throughout the world. They represent a big problem for most farmers, who implement different methods to fight against them. Thanks to their wide occurrence, weeds however, can be an excellent indicator of the quality of soil and the whole environment where they are present. In this paper, we present the impact of four alkylimidazolium chlorides with a natural terpene component introduced into the soil: (1R,2S,5R)-(--)-menthol and alkyl substituents containing 1, 4, 9 or 12 carbon atoms, on the growth and development of selected weed species. Compounds with the highest phytotoxic activity towards gallant soldier, white goosefoot and common sorrel were chlorides with methyl and butyl substituents, while compounds with nonyl and dodecyl substituents demonstrated a weak effect on these weeds. Phytotoxicity of the salts tested was largely dependent on the applied concentration of the compound and the genetic make-up of plant species used in the experiment. This was reflected in the inhibition of plants' length and their roots, as well as changes in the content of dry matter and photosynthetic pigments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids are a group of chemical compounds with chemical properties that are of great interest to various fields of science and industry. However, commercial use of these substances raises concern because they may threaten the natural ecosystems. The present study used 2 types of (−)-menthol-containing imidazolium chiral ionic liquids: 1-[(1 R,2 S,5 R)-(−)-menthoxymethyl]-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [Im-Men][PF6] and 1-[(1 R,2 S,5 R)-(−)-menthoxymethyl]-3-methylimidazolium trifluoroacetate [Im-Men][CF3CO2]. The effects of these compounds on growth and development of spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare) and common radish ( Raphanus sativus L. subvar. radicula Pers.) were investigated. The present study demonstrated that chiral ionic liquids produced a relatively high phytotoxicity, by shortening the plants' lengths and roots, thus causing a decline in the experimental plants' fresh weights. The investigated ionic liquids also led to a reduction in photosynthetic pigment levels, changes in hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde content, and changes in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase in both plants. Changes in these enzymes were used to indicate oxidative stress levels in spring barley and common radish. It was demonstrated that imidazolium ionic liquid-induced phytotoxicity depended largely on the type of anion. The liquid [Im-Men][PF6] exhibited higher toxicity toward spring barley and common radish seedlings. Common radish was more resistant to chiral ionic liquids. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2167-2177. © 2017 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study determines the influence of three ionic liquids (ILs) containing cations with diversified structure on the growth and development of spring barley seedlings and common radish leaves. Increasing amounts of 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium hexafluorophosphate [Pyrrol][PF], 1-butyl-1-methylpiperidinium hexafluorophosphate [Piper][PF], and 1-butyl-4-methylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate [Pyrid][PF] were added to the soil on which both plants were cultivated. The results of this studies showed that the applied ILs were highly toxic for plants, demonstrated by the inhibition of length of plant shoots and roots, decrease of fresh mass, and increase of dry weight content. Common radish turned out to be the plant with higher resistance to the used ILs. The differences in the cation structure did not influence phytotoxity of ILs for spring barley. Furthermore, all ILs led to a decrease of photosynthetic pigments, which was directly followed by decreased primary production in plants. Oxidative stress in plants occurred due to the presence of ILs in the soil, which was demonstrated by the increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) content, changes in the HO level, and antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). The changes in the chlorophyll contents and the increase of POD activity turned out to be the most significant oxidative stress biomarkers in spring barley and common radish. Both spring barley and radish exposed to ILs accumulated a large amount of fluoride ion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids have attracted considerable interest as excellent alternatives to organic solvents to be used in homogeneous and biphasic processes. Ionic liquids are non-volatile, non-flammable and their "green" character has usually been justified with their negligible vapour pressure. However, the marketing of any chemical substance requires the determination of their impact on all elements of nature. Determination of the potential ecotoxicity of new chemical compounds is associated with conducting research on the effects of those compounds on the growth and development of selected organism. The phytotoxic properties of chiral ionic salts with the alkylimidazolium cation and the tetrafluoroborate anion were assessed for selected weeds popular in Poland: gallant soldier (Galinsoga parviflora Cav.), white goosefoot (Chenopodium album L.) and common sorrel (Rumex acetosa L.). It was found that 3- alkyl-1-[(1R,2S,5R)-(--)-menthoxymethyl]imidazolium tetrafluoroborates -- ([C8-Im-Men][BF4]) and ([C9-Im-Men][BF4]) were low toxic to plants. A higher toxicity to terrestrial plants was characterized by ([C11-Im-Men][BF4]). The toxicity effect of compounds depended non only on the length of the alkyl chain in the function group but also on the concentration of the used compound and the type of plant which was sprayed with the tested compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of three different ionic liquids (ILs): 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidynium hexafluorophosphate [Pyrrol][PF6], 1-butyl-1-methylpiperydynium hexafluorophosphate [Piper][PF6] and 1-butyl-4-methylopirydynium hexafluorophosphate [Piryd][PF6] on phosphatase activities in soil. The pot experiment was carried out on loamy sand (Corg content 9.0 g/kg) with spring barley as a tested plant. The ILs was used at the dosages of 0, 1, 10, 50, 100, 400, 700 and 1000 mg/kg dry matter (DM). On day 14, soil samples were collected and activities of alkaline phosphomonoesterase, acid phosphomonoesterase, phosphotriesterase and inorganic pyrophosphatase were determined. Based on the analysis of the effect measure η2 by variance analysis-ANOVA-the percentage shares of all variable factors affecting the activity of phosphatases were also defined. Obtained results showed that the application of different dosages of all ILs caused mainly non-significant changes in phosphatase activity. Changes in activity of phosphatases were often not dependent on IL dosages. The most sensitive for ILs were both phosphomonoesterases. The type of ILs had the highest percentage participation in formation of acid phosphomonoesterase activity, while dosages of ILs affected mainly alkaline phosphomonoesterase and phosphotriesterase activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last several decades, ionic liquids have become a promising alternative to conventional organic solvents. Initially, ionic liquids were described as 'environmentally friendly' substances. However, the results of numerous studies proved that the effects of these compounds on individual ecosystems might be adverse. The presented paper discusses the effect of ionic salts containing natural chiral substituent: (1 R,2 S,5 R)-(−)-menthol in cation and a tetrafluoroborate anion of a general formula of [C-Im-Men][BF] of implementation into the soil on the growth of spring barley and common radish in their early development stages. The obtained results showed that the greatest phytotoxicity was exhibited by ionic liquids containing substituents with the smallest possible number of carbon atoms. The further increase in the length of the chain did not increase the toxicity of these salts for terrestrial plants. Moreover, a compound with a substituent having a chain length of 11 carbon atoms was found to be non-toxic to common radish. The experiment under discussion showed also the effect of these tetrafluoroborates, used in the form of spray, on the development of common sorrel, gallant soldier and white goosefoot. The tests carried out also showed that the most toxic were the compounds with 1 and 3 carbon atoms. The phytotoxicity of tetrafluoroborates was positively correlated with the concentration of these compounds in the soil and was dependent on the genetic features of the genres and varieties of plants used in the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids have attracted considerable interest in various areas as new, non-volatile and non-flammable organic solvents, catalysts, reaction additives, ligands, drugs and other dedicated materials etc. Their general use, sometimes in bulky quantities, requires determination of their potential ecotoxicity on selected organisms. In the present work, influence of triphenylmethylphosphonium iodide (1) and triphenylhexadecylphosphonium iodide (2), introduced to soil, on germination and early stages of growth and development of superior plants was investigated using the plant growth test based on the OECD/OCDE 208/2006. In this test, the seeds of selected species, i.e. land superior plants - spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare) and common radish ( Raphanus sativus L. subvar. radicula Pers.) were planted in pots containing soil to which a test chemical compound had been added and in pots with control soil. To evaluate the phytotoxicity of ionic liquids 1 and 2 germination and weight (dry and fresh) of control plant seedlings were determined and compared with the germination and weight (dry and fresh) of the seedlings of plants grown in the soil watered with appropriate amounts of the test chemicals. The visual assessment of any types of damage to the test species, such as growth inhibition, chlorosis and necrosis, was also carried out and documented by digital photographs. Based on the obtained results, magnitudes of the LOEC - the lowest concentration causing observable effects in the form of reduction in growth and germination compared with the control and the NOEC - the highest concentration not causing observable, toxic effects - were also determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aim. The aim of the study was estimation of the rate of deletion 22q11.2 among psychiatric patients and an attempt at assessment of the degree in which this rate is influenced by coexistence of dismorphic features and congenital defects. Material and methods. Cytogenetic examination was performed in 255 patients with psychosis. Patients were divided into two groups: group I composed of 61 patients with psychosis and at least two phenotypic features characteristic of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), and group II composed of 194 patients with psychosis without phenotypic features of 22q11DS. Banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques were applied. Results. 22q11.2 deletion was found in 3/61 patients of group 1 (4.9%) and in 3/255 all the psychiatric patients studied (1.2%). This incidence was significantly higher than in the general population (p<0.001). The frequency of the deletion among psychiatric patients revealing phenotypic features of 22q11DS: 3/61 (4.9%) (p<0.0001) was even higher. In all cases with the deletion, the phenotype was characteristic of 22q11DS. Conclusions. Firstly, 22q11.2 deletion was found to be 40 times more common among psychiatric patients than than the general population; sex chromosome aberrations were also significantly more common than in the general population. Secondly, the presence of dysmorphic features and some congenital defects in psychiatric patients increases the rate of 22q11.2 deletion significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bus. 2016; 19: 59-74. 10.1515/zireb-2016-0004 9 Awodumi O.B., Adewuyi A.O. The role of non-renewable energy consumption in economic growth and carbon emission: Evidence from oil producing economies in Africa. Contemporary societies, in conjunction with economies from around the world, show an increasing demand for energy. With Germany's last nuclear power plant being phased out in 2022 and its coal-fired power plants being turned off in 2038, legislators have mandated renewable energy alternatives to close the gap that fossil fuels and nuclear power will leave behind. These factors have resulted in an increasing interest to undertake activities that develop renewable energy sources and expand energy alternatives society wide. [Extracted from the article]

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) has gained momentum recently. Almost all EU coastal states prepare various types of maritime spatial plans. These will create important preconditions for port functioning and development and improve ports' competitive position. There is no uniform attempt to prepare MSP for the sea waters of ports. Experience in that area is limited. These challenges are discussed in the paper. The Polish approach to MSP is analysed and evaluated from the perspective of port and sea transport competitiveness. Container ports and their terminals must be accessible and able to perform fast, reliable and just in time operations to remain competitive and to handle the expected growth. Sufficient space is necessary for that. Expanding ports should, however, keep their environmental footprint under control. These issues are crucial for the Port of Gdańsk, where the huge investment project "Central Port" was launched in 2018. One of the most important elements in this project is the construction of a new deep-water container terminal and new seaward ro-ro terminal. The article explores the threats and opportunities for the processes of port and terminals relocation/migration under new MSP conditions, based on a case study of the Port of Gdańsk. Key conflicts of seaward port development were identified with the protection of cultural heritage, national defence coastal defence, well-being of marine fauna and lying technical infrastructure. They informed multi-level and multi-sector stakeholder dialogue within the Polish MSP resulting in proposal of some mitigation measures. These measures were analysed in this paper and on this basis key problems in orchestrating MSP and port development were highlighted.They are related to timing of both processes (MSP and port development), ways of deciding on necessary trade-offs and different value systems behind MSP and profit driven port investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the impact of tetrabutylphosphonium bromide [TBP][Br] on the soil environment through an experiment on loamy sand samples. The tested salt was added to soil samples at doses of 0 (control), 1, 10, 100, and 1000 mg kg−1 dry matter (DM). During the experiment, the activity of selected enzymes involved in carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen cycles, characteristics of organic matter with Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and toxicity of soil samples in relation to Aliivibrio fischeri were determined at weekly intervals. The results showed that low doses of [TBP][Br] (1 and 10 mg kg−1 DM) did not have much influence on the analyzed parameters. However, the addition of higher doses of the salt into the soil samples (100 and 1000 mg kg−1 DM) resulted in a decrease in the activity of enzymes participating in the carbon and phosphorus cycle and affected the activation of those enzymes involved in the nitrogen cycle. This may be due to changes in aerobic conditions and in the qualitative and quantitative composition of soil microorganisms. It was also observed that the hydrophobicity of soil organic matter was increased. Moreover, the findings suggested that the soil samples containing the highest dose of [TBP][Br] (1000 mg kg−1 DM) can be characterized as acute environmental hazard based on their toxicity to Aliivibrio fischeri bacteria. The increased hydrophobicity and ecotoxicity of the soil samples exposed to the tested salt were also positively correlated with the activity of dehydrogenases, proteases, and nitrate reductase. Observed changes may indicate a disturbance of the soil ecochemical state caused by the presence of [TBP][Br]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids have attracted considerable interest in various areas as new, nonvolatile and nonflammable organic solvents, catalysts, reaction additives, ligands, drugs, and other dedicated materials. Ionic liquids exhibit solubility both in organic solvents and in water. They also constitute very good solvents for many inorganic, organic, and organometallic compounds. Yet, the most important feature of ionic liquids is that they provide the possibility of obtaining substances of optimal properties for a given process through modification of the cation structure and selection of the appropriate anion. Therefore, the term designer solvents has been invented for these salts. The above characteristics and relatively low production cost may soon lead to the situation, in which huge amounts of these chemicals will be brought into environment via industry, agriculture, and commercial trading. Their general use, sometimes in bulky quantities, requires determination of their potential ecotoxicity on selected plant and animal organisms. Other biological tests, are also very important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Container shipping is the largest producer of emissions within the maritime shipping industry. Hence, measures have been designed and implemented to reduce ship emission levels. IMO's MARPOL Annex VI, with its future plan of applying Tier III requirements, the Energy Efficiency Design Index for new ships, and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan for all ships. To assist policy formulation and follow-up, this study applies an energy consumption approach to estimate container ship emissions. The volumes of sulphur oxide (SOx), nitrous oxide (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from container ships are estimated using 2018 datasets on container shipping and average vessel speed records generated via AIS. Furthermore, the estimated reductions in SOx, NOx, PM, and CO2 are mapped for 2020. The empirical analysis demonstrates that the energy consumption approach is a valuable method to estimate ongoing emission reductions on a continuous basis and to fill data gaps where needed, as the latest worldwide container shipping emissions records date back to 2015. The presented analysis supports early-stage detection of environmental impacts in container shipping and helps to determine in which areas the greatest potential for emission reductions can be found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the ionic liquids (ILs) tetrabutylammonium bromide [TBA][Br], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole bromide [BMIM][Br], and tetrabutylphosphonium bromide [TBP][Br] added at different concentrations to the soil were studied for the growth and development of spring barley seedlings. Samples were harvested at three different time points: day 7, 14, and 21 after addition of ILs. The results show that [TBP][Br] was the most toxic. The introduction of this IL at the dose of 100 mg kg−1 of soil DM decreased the growth of seedlings at all test dates. The addition of the studied ILs to the soil in higher doses resulted in an increase in peroxidase and catalase activity, which may indicate the occurrence of oxidative stress in plants. An increase in the content of plant dry matter weight, contents of H2O2 and proline and a decrease in the content of photosynthetic pigments in barley seedlings were also observed. The malondialdehyde content and superoxide dismutase activity fluctuated randomly during the experiment. As a result, it was found that the phytotoxicity of ILs and the magnitude of oxidative stress in seedlings depended more on the added doses of these compounds than on the measurement date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

in December 2019, the world health organization (WHO) reported that china had accumulated pneumonia of unclear etiology in wuhan. according to WHO recommendations, in strictly defined situations, antigen tests can be implemented into the diagnostic algorithm to reduce the number of molecular tests performed and support the rapid identification and treatment of COVID-19 patients. according to who recommendations, the antigen test for diagnostic use should have a sensitivity of ≥ 80% and a specificity of ≥ 97% compared to molecular tests (Naat). based on the comparative analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of the SARS-COV-2 antigen eLisa test were determined concerning the RT-PCR reference method. the sensitivity of the SARS-COV-2 antigen eLisa was 100% (51/51) and the specificity was 98.84%. the obtained data demonstrate that the analyzed antigen test meets both the who and the Ministry of health criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, new chiral ionic liquids (CILs) were obtained from the natural-origin material (1 R,2 S,5 R)-(-)-menthol. The physicochemical characteristics of the studied imidazolium salts were investigated. The obtained 3-ethyl-1-[(1 R,2 S,5 R)-(-)-menthoxy-methyl]imidazolium salts are nonvolatile, nonflammable, and stable in air, in contact with water, and in commonly used organic solvents. The influences of the obtained chiral salts on physiological and biochemical parameters were determined for wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings. Both salts led to changes in plant metabolism, which resulted in decreased assimilation pigments, decreased fresh weight, and increased dry weight and proline in wheat seedlings. Moreover, the growth of the above-ground parts and roots was inhibited. Additionally, there was a drop in the potential and germination capacity of wheat seeds after using the highest concentrations of the ionic liquids. The salts caused oxidative stress in wheat seedlings, which was demonstrated by increased malondialdehyde content. In response, the plants engaged their defensive system against free oxygen radicals, which resulted in increased catalase and peroxidase activity and decreased H 2 O 2 levels in the plants. There were no changes in the activity of superoxide dismutase. All of the changes observed in the levels of determined biomarkers of oxidative stress in the plants were linearly correlated with the increase in the concentrations of the chiral ionic liquids in the soil. The salt with hexafluorphosphate anion exhibited slightly higher toxicity toward wheat seedlings than the other salt. The CILs led to premature aging of plants, which was demonstrated by the increase in peroxidase activity and a decrease of chlorophyll in the seedlings. The experiment also showed good correlation between the increase in peroxidase activity and the decrease in chlorophyll level, which proves that the decrease in chlorophyll content resulted from not only the increase in CILs concentration in the soil but also the increased POD activity, which leads to the damage of chlorophyll particles.

Over the last several decades, ionic liquids have become a promising alternative to conventional organic solvents. Initially, ionic liquids were described as "environmentally friendly" substances. However, the results of numerous studies proved that the effects of these compounds on individual ecosystems might be adverse. The presented paper discusses the effect of ionic salts containing natural chiral substituent: (1R,2S,5R)-(-)-menthol in cation and a tetrafluoroborate anion of a general formula of [Cn-Im-Men][BF4] of implementation into the soil on the growth of spring barley and common radish in their early development stages. The obtained results showed that the greatest phytotoxicity was exhibited by ionic liquids containing substituents with the smallest possible number of carbon atoms. The further increase in the length of the chain did not increase the toxicity of these salts for terrestrial plants. Moreover, a compound with a substituent having a chain length of 11 carbon atoms was found to be non-toxic to common radish. The experiment under discussion showed also the effect of these tetrafluoroborates, used in the form of spray, on the development of common sorrel, gallant soldier and white goosefoot. The tests carried out also showed that the most toxic were the compounds with 1 and 3 carbon atoms. The phytotoxicity of tetrafluoroborates was positively correlated with the concentration of these compounds in the soil and was dependent on the genetic features of the genres and varieties of plants used in the experiment.

Acardiac twinning is a very rare complication of multiple pregnancy. The authors present the neuropathological and anatomopathological description of the twins of the multiple pregnancy complicated by the acardiac foetus and terminated at 26 weeks of gestation. An anatomopathological examination of the "normal" twin showed hyaline membrane syndrome, cardiomegaly and hepatomegaly. Neuropathologically, numerous hypoxic-ischaemic lesions, most likely associated with haemodynamic disorders during pregnancy as well as less pronounced perinatal changes were revealed. The acardiac foetus, classified as acardius acephalus, demonstrated the presence of some abdominal organs and a histologically well-developed spinal cord. In view of the neuropathological changes, monitoring "normal" twins for discreet pathological central nervous system signs, which may be similar in character to those described, may play a significant role.