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The paper presents the groundwater resources of Katowice and the results of studies conducted to identify prospective areas in aquifers with sufficient water resources for the location of public water intakes. The city of Katowice is the capital of Upper Silesia, the largest urban-industrial area in Poland, the region with a highly developed hard coal mining and many other different industries covering almost the entire scope of the economy. Due to long term drainage of mines causing the depletion and deterioration of groundwater and surface water resources, the main municipal water intakes have been located outside Katowice. Most of the pumped mine water is discharged into surface waters, causing significant salinity of water and disallow its use for municipal or industrial purposes in Katowice. The water collection and supply system is very extensive and covers a significant part of the Silesian agglomeration which is why Katowice is supplied with water from surface water intakes located outside the city. According to older published materials, such as the Hydrogeological map of Poland, there were no aquifers in the city that could have been used to supply the city with drinking water, however recent studies have shown that groundwater in the Quaternary aquifers in the western part of the city can be used to supply the city with public water. Less productive, Quaternary aquifers in north-eastern parts of the city may constitute the basis for drinking water supply in emergency situations, when surface intakes cannot be used, such as toxic, radiological or viral contamination or damage to the water supply network eg. as a result of an earthquake or warfare.

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of rare lymphoproliferative diseases that are initially limited to the skin but potentially also involve the lymph nodes, blood, and occasionally visceral organs. They develop from mature T cells, B cells, and NK cells. The classification includes a wide range of pathologies, each characterized by distinct clinical symptoms and variations in disease course. Cutaneous lymphomas are typically chronic in nature, and a complete cure is rarely achievable. Since primary cutaneous lymphomas are uncommon and present in many variants, they pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that require multidisciplinary collaboration between dermatologists, pathologists, hematologists, and oncologists. We present revised guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of primary cutaneous lymphomas, with the goal of simplifying the diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in routine clinical practice. The guidelines cover the clinical, histopathological, and dermoscopic characteristics of skin lesions, along with recommendations for the diagnostic and therapeutic management of primary cutaneous lymphomas. When selecting the most suitable therapeutic approach for individual patients diagnosed with primary cutaneous lymphoma, the main factor to consider should be the clinical stage of the disease. However, other factors, such as the patient’s age, overall health, and medical history, should also be taken into account. The choice of therapy should be guided by finding optimal efficacy and safety. The guidelines also include globally recognized therapeutic approaches that are currently not accessible in Poland. The recommendations rely on the existing Polish and global guidelines, and the knowledge and experience of experts.

Rising carbon dioxide emissions are driving climate change and there is growing pressure to find alternative energy sources. Co-combustion of waste with fuels is still occurring in some regions of the world, and it is important to know the compounds emitted from such combustion. This study investigated the emissions from the combustion of wood pellets with waste. The wood pellet was combusted with different additions of polyethylene terephthalate plastic and medium-density fiberboard (10 and 50%), in a low-power boiler (18W). Phenols, alkylphenols, phthalates, biomass burning markers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions were determined. Gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometry detector was used to analyze these compounds after extraction and derivatization in the particulate matter and gas phase. The emissions of biomass burning markers and phthalates were the highest among all the compounds determined for MDF addition. The total emission of these compounds was 685 mg/h and 408 mg/h for 10% addition and 2401 mg/h and 337 mg/h for 50% addition, respectively. For the co-combustion of biomass with PET, PAHs and phenols had the highest emission; the emission was 197 mg/h and 114.5 mg/h for 10% addition and 268 mg/h and 200 mg/h for 50% addition, respectively. In our opinion, the obtained results are insufficient for the identification of source apportionment from household heating. After further study, tested compounds could be treated as markers for the identification of the fuel type combusted in households.

The large cell transformation of mycosis fungoides (MF-LCT) is a phenomenon observed in the advanced stages of mycosis fungoides (MF), which is the most common primary cutaneous lymphoma. The diagnostic criteria of MF-LCT are a minimum of 25% of large cells or a formation of microscopic nodules of them in the histological examination of skin samples. The clinical outcomes for MF-LCT are poor, as less than 20% of patients survive 5 years after diagnosis, but the expression of the CD30 antigen is generally considered to be associated with a better prognosis. We present a case of a patient with the diagnosis of MF with LCT, with an ulcerated tumor lesion approximately 30 × 20 cm in size on the right lateral abdominal wall. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) treatment was started due to the presence of the CD30 antigen, with a quick and impressive regression of the cutaneous lesion and tumor mass and good treatment tolerance. After follow-up of 20 months, patient remains in complete remission. A schedule of treatment for MF-LCT is directed mainly by the clinical stage of the disease and the comorbidities; the more severe clinical course of the disease requires systemic treatment. If at least 5% of the cells found in the skin lesions biopsy sample express the CD30 antigen, a beneficial effect of BV treatment could be expected. It may seem that the use of BV is one of the optimal therapeutic options in patients with advanced MF-LCT showing expression of CD30.

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by periods of exacerbation (physical limitations, depressed mood, depressive states and decreased life satisfaction) and remission (hope of health improvement). Our objective was to present social functioning of RA patients taking into consideration their age and employing selected determinants: satisfaction with life, generalized sense of self-efficacy and acceptance of illness. Material and methods Standardized tools were employed: the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Generalized Self Efficacy Scale and Acceptance of Illness Scale. The study group included 46 patients with RA 18-45 years of life and 54 above 60 years of life. The control group consisted of 24 non-RA subjects in every group . Results Rheumatoid arthritis patients in the period of disease exacerbation reported low and moderate levels of satisfaction with life, in the patients in remission period the score was moderate, while the control group subjects described their level of satisfaction with life as high and moderate. The level of acceptance of illness was described by the RA patients in the period of disease exacerbation as 20.4/40 points; the patients in remission defined their level of acceptance of illness as 29.38/40 points. The patients with RA exacerbation showed a low sense of self-efficacy, yet a large group of such patients also presented high self-efficacy levels and the majority of the RA subjects in remission reported a high sense of self-efficacy. Conclusions In the RA patients, satisfaction with life, generalized sense of self-efficacy and acceptance of illness were closely related and affected their general psychosocial functioning.

The electrodes of industrial electrostatic precipitators degrade as a result of two phenomena: corrosion and erosion. The first is chemical degradation by highly reactive compounds formed during combustion, in particular, during the incineration of municipal or industrial wastes or high-sulfur coal. The degradation intensity of electrostatic precipitator electrodes depends on the chemical composition of the exhaust gasses. High concentrations of chlorides, fluorides, or sulfur in the exhaust gasses cause strong corrosion of the electrostatic precipitator elements. The second mechanism is the erosion caused by solid particles conveyed by the exhaust gas stream due to their collision with the electrodes. In this study, the analysis of the degradation of electrodes of an electrostatic precipitator downstream of an industrial waste incinerator was carried out. The industrial wastes of unknown sources were subjected to thermal degradation in a rotary kiln. The aim of this study was to provide fundamental knowledge about the mechanisms of electrode degradation located on the surface of discharge electrodes of electrostatic precipitators during the combustion of industrial wastes.