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Wasp venom allergy can trigger severe allergic reactions, and predicting these acute responses remains challenging. This study evaluates the utility of immune system indexes, particularly the eosinophil–basophil/lymphocyte (EB/LR) and eosinophil–basophil–platelet/lymphocyte (EBP/LR) ratios, in assessing the severity of allergic reactions in patients with wasp venom allergy. A total of 61 patients with confirmed wasp venom allergy were categorized according to the Mueller scale, which classifies the severity of allergic reactions. Blood samples were analyzed for total and specific IgE levels alongside a range of hematological and biochemical parameters. This study found significant differences in the EB/LR and EBP/LR indexes between patients with mild (Mueller I–II) and severe (Mueller III–IV) allergic reactions, with higher values indicating more severe responses. However, no significant differences were observed in other immune indexes, such as the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune-inflammation index, and systemic inflammatory response index, as well as in additional blood parameters. These findings suggest that the EB/LR and EBP/LR ratios may serve as useful markers for predicting the severity of allergic reactions in patients with wasp venom allergy. This is the first study to establish such a link, although further research with larger cohorts is necessary to confirm these results and their potential application in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly efficient and cost‐effective electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in aqueous media is crucial for energy conversion systems such as fuel cells or Zn‐air batteries. Electrode materials from spent devices such as lithium‐ion batteries (LiBs) are a serious environmental problem. One of the solutions is their reuse for other electrochemical processes. This work demonstrates the application of solid residues of carbon‐based powders left over from the hydrometallurgical recycling process of LIBs' waste as efficient catalysts for ORR. Microscopic and spectroscopic studies of the residue disclosed their porous structure and various cobalt contents, depending on the recycling procedure. These battery wastes display ORR catalytic activity when deposited at the liquid‐liquid and solid electrode‐electrolyte interfaces. Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) tests showed that assembling battery waste at the liquid‐liquid interface boosts the efficiency of H2O2 production by one to two orders of magnitude. The catalytic activity towards 2‐electron ORR strongly depends on waste powder compositions and structures, e.g., porosity, heteroatom presence, level of defects, and graphitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transition is one of the basic actions taken to counteract and prevent climate change. The basic assumption of energy-related changes is its sustainable use according to the closed-loop model, as well as moving away from fossil fuels, in particular from coal, the combustion of which contributes to excessive harmful carbon dioxide emissions. One of the most popular solutions towards green energy is nuclear energy. Its use allows for a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions harmful to the environment and climate, but it also involves the generation of radioactive waste that requires appropriate processing. This paper presents the results of the flotation removal of barium(II) ions from a dilute aqueous solution using ionized acyclic polyethers. The basic factors determining the efficiency and kinetics of the process were defined. It has been shown that as the acidity of the attached polyether molecules increases: the flotation rate constant 1 (0.1667 min−1) < 3 (0.2468 min−1) < 2 (0.3616 min−1) and the separation degree Ba2+: 1 (86.8%) < 3 (99.3%) < 2 (99.4%). The presented results of ion flotation tests may facilitate the collective or selective separation of radioactive isotopes, i.e., Cs-137, Sr-90, Ba-133 and Co-60, from radioactive wastewater in the future. The results of the experimental work described in the article can also be used to develop individual processes for separating mixtures of radioactive isotopes (radioactive wastewater) into individual components (isotopes) and subjecting them to subsequent transformation processes. The obtained results allow us to claim that the tested organic compounds can be used in the future in the selective treatment of hazardous wastewater, which will translate into a reduction in unit costs of industrial processes. The selective recovery of individual pollutants is the basis for the next step in waste management, i.e., designing a cheap method of waste disposal, which also directly affects the economics of the process and its use in industrial conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work demonstrates the removal of cobalt-containing liquid waste recovered from spent lithium- ion battery waste in the context of the synthesis of superparamagnetic particles and their application for tetracycline photodegradation. First, the spent lithium-ion battery waste was treated with H2SO4, glutaric acid and H2O2 to release heavy material from the graphite electrodes, and then the post-acid leaching solution was used as a source of Co2+ ions in the wet co-precipitation synthesis of superparamagnetic co-doped iron oxide nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed the spherical morphology of nanoparticles with a size of 15 ± 4.80 nm. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of iron oxide doped with Co, while the particles obtained have a polycrystalline structure. Magnetometric measurements prove the superparamagnetic properties of the obtained material with saturation magnetization (Ms) of about 91 emu/g. The band gap energy estimated from Tauc plot for obtained nanoparticles is about 1.6 eV, while the flat band potential calculated from Mott-Schottky's plot is about -0.18 V vs. SHE. The experimental studies conducted with UV-Vis show the highest efficacy in pH 7 degradation of tetracycline (TC) of about ~84.42%, with the process undergoing first-order kinetics. The addition of H2O2 improves the effectiveness to reach about 92.2% TC degradation. It turned out that magnetic nanoparticles from waste battery waste have catalytic properties and can be considered efficient catalysts in various fields, including environmental studies. The material obtained provides reuse for 5 operating cycles and can be easily removed from aqueous media after effective treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the waste management sector had to face new challenges, e.g., changes in the size and composition of the waste stream, or the presence of potentially infectious waste. This article is based on a case study in Poland. The data analysis showed that the increase in municipal waste mass during the pandemic did not differ from statistics observed in previous years and ranged from 0.3 to 0.5 million tons per year. Lifestyle changes caused a decrease in the amount of waste generated outside households. Social migrations contributed to rapid changes in the mass of waste generated in selected agglomerations by up to 80 kg/capita. In the waste stream, significant amounts of specific groups of waste related to the pandemic ("corona waste") as well as packaging and food waste were noted. Despite the pandemic, in 2020, Poland recorded an increase in selective waste collection by 6.7 percentage points (pp.) Data on municipal waste management showed an increase in the mass of waste sent for recycling by 0.7 million tons, while the mass of landfilled waste decreased by 0.3 million tons. The observed positive changes in waste management allow the implementation of sustainable development assumptions to a greater extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The front cover of the journal ChemElectroChem showcases the recycling of spent Li-ion batteries through acid leaching and the use of the resulting solid carbon-based materials as electrocatalysts for generating hydrogen peroxide through oxygen reduction. The article explores the relationship between the structure and composition of the battery waste and its electrocatalytic activity. The research was conducted by a team of authors led by Magdalena Warczak and the cover design was done by Dr. Magdalena Osial. For more information, readers can refer to the Research Article with the DOI: 10.1002/celc.202400248. [Extracted from the article]

The dynamic growth of mobile technologies is a driving need for portable power sources. The most popular division of electrochemical cells relies on the type of chemical reaction within the cell. Current data coming from the Polish market show that despite the growth in the sale of secondary power sources, zinc-carbon and alkaline batteries are still the most popular. The results of non-reductive acidic leaching of zinc and manganese from the waste batteries stream have been presented. Manganese was leached with almost 100% yield in an experiment with a solid to liquid ratio equal to 4/1, pH of 1.04, and H2SO4 concentration of 72.5 wt. %. High yields were also obtained for zinc recovery from the waste stream (100% for two series with solid to liquid ratio 4/5, pH of 0.80; H2SO4 concentration of 37.2 wt. %, and solid to liquid ratio 1/2; pH of 1.01; H2SO4 concentration of 27.3 wt. %). Besides, the quantitative and qualitative analysis of Zn-C and Zn-Mn batteries introduced to the Polish market and waste generated in the years 2010-2018 has been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wstęp: Zespół Schwartza-Battera, określany inaczej jako SIADH (ang. syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion), jest chorobą wywołaną niedakwatnym bądź ektopowym wydzielanem wazopresyny. Do przyczyn tego zespołu zalicza się między innymi choroby płuc, w tym ich zapalenie. Cel:Celem pracy jest przedstawienie przypadku 68-letniego chorego hospitalizowanego z powodu COVID-19 w Klinice Chorób Infekcyjnych i Alergologii WIM. Opis przypadku: Pacjent został przyjęty do Kliniki z powodu narastających objawów niewydolności oddechowej ze spadkami saturacji krwi tętniczej do 84% w przebiegu śródmiąższowego zapalenia płuc. Badanie genetyczne potwierdziło obecność SARS-CoV-2. W leczeniu zastosowano remdesiwir, deksametazon, osocze ozdrowieńców, enoksaparynę, tocylizumab, tlenoterapię bierną, a także antybiotykoterapię - początkowo ceftazydym, a następnie piperacylinę z tazobaktamem. Uzyskano poprawę stanu ogólnego, ustąpienie dolegliwości i normalizację wydolności oddechowej. Mimo suplementacji sodu utrzymywała się jednak hiponatremia, a ponadto wystąpiła poliuria do 10 litrów na dobę. Po przeprowadzeniu diagnostyki, w tym badań hormonalnych oraz jonowych krwi i moczu, rozpoznano zespół Schwartza-Battera i włączono skuteczne leczenie - hydrochlorotiazyd i indometacynę. Dyskusja: Wysokie stężenie cytokin prozapalnych oraz związana z nim hipoksja w przebiegu COVID-19 mogą prowadzić do nieadekwatnego wydzielania hormonu antydiuretycznego poprzez mechanizm nieosmotyczny. Dodatkowo wydaje się, że obniżony przepływ przez krążenie płucne może dodatkowo stymulować wydzielanie wazopresyny. Pewną rolę może odgrywać również związana ze stresem i napięciem emocjonalnym aktywacja osi podwzgórzowo-przysadkowej. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wstęp: Wiedza i praktyczne umiejętności rozpoznawania oraz leczenia anafilaksji stanowią kluczowy element kształcenia kadr medycznych z uwagi na powszechność tej jednostki chorobowej, a także krytycznie wąskie okno terapeutyczne. Cel: Głównym celem pracy była ocena studentów kierunków medycznych w obszarze wiedzy podstawowej oraz zasad postępowania w anafilaksji i wstrząsie anafilaktycznym. Celem dodatkowym było określenie samooceny badanej populacji w wyżej wymienionym zakresie. Materiał i metody: Badanie przeprowadzono na grupie 252 studentów Warszawskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego z wykorzystaniem anonimowej ankiety internetowej utworzonej na potrzeby projektu. Wyniki: Zdecydowana większość uczestników badania poprawnie określiła definicję anafilaksji, jej potencjalne przyczyny i objawy (odpowiednio 86,5%, 75,4% i 100%). Podobnie większość studentów prawidłowo wskazała sekwencję postępowania w anafilaksji, a także lek pierwszego rzutu i drogę jego podania (kolejno 90,5%, 97,2% i 98%). Z drugiej strony, jedynie 12% uczestników uznało, że jest całkowicie pewna swoich umiejętności postępowania w anafilaksji, zaś aż 52% poważnie w nie wątpi. Zdecydowana większość badanych wskazała na konieczność zwiększenia liczby zajęć praktycznych w tym zakresie. Podsumowanie: Choć stan wiedzy teoretycznej studentów kierunków medycznych wydaje się pozostawać na wysokim poziomie, to uwagę zwraca konieczność zwiększenia w toku studiów nacisku na praktyczne umiejętności diagnozowania i leczenia anafilaksji. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]