Effectiveness of strategic environmental assessment in Poland

The paper presents the results of an evaluation of the effectiveness of SEA obtained as a result of a survey with the participation of stakeholders. In Poland, several hundred SEAs are conducted annually at the local and regional levels and several at the national level. Although the survey demonstrated that SEA is evaluated as effective or quite effective, the respondents pointed to several irregularities in the non-procedural dimension of effectiveness. The main ones in terms of substantive effectiveness are that SEA is rarely used to help develop plans/programmes and procedures are highly politicised. Moreover, low effectiveness in terms of variant assessment and cumulative impacts and nearly non-existent monitoring of the actual effects of implementing plans/programmes influence substantive effectiveness significantly. The respondents pointed to the problem resulting from the fact that plan-makers are unwilling to take into account the SEA recommended changes. They also emphasised that there are certain attempts to put pressure on SEA consultants to make the conclusions less stringent. Respondents indicate that in Poland the costs associated with conducting SEA often outweigh the profits. The research shows that the society is properly informed about SEA, but public involvement is still low.     

On the usefulness of guidelines and instructions for environmental assessment – a qualitative study of the helpfulness perceived by Polish practitioners

Guidelines and instructions for Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment (together referred to as EA here) are developed to improve the quality of legal requirements’ implementation and to support EA procedure accomplishment. However, to date, it has not been checked whether they are useful for practitioners. Therefore, the aim of the study underlying this paper was to verify, based on the experience of Polish EA experts, whether guidelines and instructions are useful in their everyday work. A qualitative study comprising of a questionnaire survey and interviews tested whether (1) EA practitioners know and use the Polish and EU guidelines, (2) how EA practitioners evaluate the validity and usefulness of such instructions, and (3) in which areas there is a lack of instructions and guidelines. The results show a low level of knowledge of national and EU handbooks. Those guidelines focusing on legal procedures, road investments and designing animal passageways are considered to be the most useful. Moreover, practitioners indicate that EU guidelines should be translated into Polish. Most important for practitioners is the linking of guidelines with the EA procedure, so that they can become a platform for dialogue of all stakeholders.     

Role of Polyinosinic:Polycytidylic Acid-Induced Maternal Immune Activation and Subsequent Immune Challenge in the Behaviour and Microglial Cell Trajectory in Adult Offspring: A Study of the Neurodevelopmental Model of Schizophrenia

Multiple lines of evidence support the pathogenic role of maternal immune activation (MIA) in the occurrence of the schizophrenia-like disturbances in offspring. While in the brain the homeostatic role of neuron-microglia protein systems is well documented, the participation of the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 and CD200-CD200R dyads in the adverse impact of MIA often goes under-recognized. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effect of MIA induced by polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) on the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 and CD200-CD200R axes, microglial trajectory (MhcII, Cd40, iNos, Il-1β, Tnf-α, Il-6, Arg1, Igf-1, Tgf-β and Il-4), and schizophrenia-like behaviour in adult male offspring of Sprague-Dawley rats. Additionally, according to the “two-hit” hypothesis of schizophrenia, we evaluated the influence of acute challenge with Poly I:C in adult prenatally MIA-exposed animals on the above parameters. In the present study, MIA evoked by Poly I:C injection in the late period of gestation led to the appearance of schizophrenia-like disturbances in adult offspring. Our results revealed the deficits manifested as a diminished number of aggressive interactions, presence of depressive-like episodes, and increase of exploratory activity, as well as a dichotomy in the sensorimotor gating in the prepulse inhibition (PPI) test expressed as two behavioural phenotypes (MIA_PPI-low and MIA_PPI-high). Furthermore, in the offspring rats subjected to a prenatal challenge (i.e., MIA) we noticed the lack of modulation of behavioural changes after the additional acute immune stimulus (Poly I:C) in adulthood. The important finding reported in this article is that MIA affects the expression and levels of the neuron-microglia proteins in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of adult offspring. We found that the changes in the CX3CL1-CX3CR1 axis could affect microglial trajectory, including decreased hippocampal mRNA level of MhcII and elevated cortical expression of Igf-1 in the MIA_PPI-high animals and/or could cause the up-regulation of an inflammatory response (Il-6, Tnf-α, iNos) after the “second hit” in both examined brain regions and, at least in part, might differentiate behavioural disturbances in adult offspring. Consequently, the future effort to identify the biological background of these interactions in the Poly I:C-induced MIA model in Sprague-Dawley rats is desirable to unequivocally clarify this issue.     

Determination of Acoustical Parameters of Aqueous Solution of Kolliphors Binary Mixtures Using Density,Speed of Sound,Viscosity, and Surface Tension Measurements

Measurements of density, speed of sound, and surface tension as well as viscosity of aqueous Kolliphor® ELP (ELP) and Kolliphor® RH 40 (RH40) solutions as well as binary mixtures at different surfactant mole fractions were made at 293 K to investigate their aggregation behavior. The free volume, internal pressure, and molar cohesive energy were calculated and compared to the specific acoustic impedance and intermolecular free length to obtain qualitative information about the character of interactions between the surfactant molecules in the mixture through the water phase.     

The Impact of Selected Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Diseases on Pregnancy and Female Fertility

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium are a common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which can lead to tubal factor infertility (TFI). TFI is one of the most common causes of infertility, accounting for 30% of female fertility problems. STIs can also have an impact on pregnancy, leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Escalating antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium represents a significant problem and can be therapeutically challenging. We present a comprehensive review of the current treatment options, as well as the molecular approach to this subject. We have given special attention to molecular epidemiology, molecular diagnostics, current and new treatments, and drug resistance.     

The Involvement of Xanthone and (E)-Cinnamoyl Chromophores for the Design and Synthesis of Novel Sunscreening Agents

Excessive UV exposure contributes to several pathological conditions like skin burns, erythema, premature skin aging, photodermatoses, immunosuppression, and skin carcinogenesis. Effective protection from UV radiation may be achieved with the use of sunscreens containing UV filters. Currently used UV filters are characterized by some limitations including systemic absorption, endocrine disruption, skin allergy induction, and cytotoxicity. In the research centers all over the world new molecules are developed to improve the safety, photostability, solubility, and absorption profile of new derivatives. In our study, we designed and synthesized seventeen novel molecules by combining in the structures two chromophores: xanthone and (E)-cinnamoyl moiety. The ultraviolet spectroscopic properties of the tested compounds were confirmed in chloroform solutions. They acted as UVB or UVA/UVB absorbers. The most promising compound 9 (6-methoxy-9-oxo-9H-xanthen-2-yl)methyl (E)-3-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)acrylate) absorbed UV radiation in the range 290–369 nm. Its photoprotective activity and functional photostability were further evaluated after wet milling and incorporation in the cream base. This tested formulation with compound 9 possessed very beneficial UV protection parameters (SPF_{in vitro} of 19.69 ± 0.46 and UVA PF of 12.64 ± 0.32) which were similar as broad-spectrum UV filter tris-biphenyl triazine. Additionally, compound 9 was characterized by high values of critical wavelength (381 nm) and UVA/UVB ratio (0.830) thus it was a good candidate for broad-spectrum UV filter and it might protect skin against UVA-induced photoaging. Compound 9 were also shown to be photostable, non-cytotoxic at concentrations up to 50 µM when tested on five cell lines, and non-mutagenic in Ames test. It also possessed no estrogenic activity, according to the results of MCF-7 breast cancer model. Additionally, its favorable lipophilicity (miLogP = 5.62) does not predispose it to penetrate across the skin after topical application.     

Acid hydrolysis of kappa‐carrageenan as a way of gaining new substances for freezing process modification and protection from excessive recrystallisation of ice

The effects of κ‐carrageenan and its hydrolysates on modification of the freezing process and also on inhibition of excessive recrystallisation of ice in sucrose solutions during storage were compared. Acid hydrolysis of κ‐carrageenan was carried out using sulphuric (H₂SO₄) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). Most effective in the hydrolysis process turned out to be H₂SO₄, which degraded κ‐carrageenan to a molecular mass of around 3 × 10⁶ Da, after 1.5 h of hydrolysis. Addition of 0.005% of the new poligeenan (degraded carrageenan), to a sucrose solution (30%), frozen at ?20 °C, caused a nearly 50% reduction in the phase‐change stages, and consequently, the total time of freezing was shorter. Significant retardation of recrystallisation was observed for both types of poligeenan, but a stronger effect was observed for the oligosaccharides obtained after HCl hydrolysis, and after 96 h of storage at ?8 °C, the equivalent diameter of ice crystals was not greater than 11 μm.     

Self-organization of colloidal particles during drying of a droplet: Modeling and experimental study

Formation of structurized micro/nanoparticle aggregates in spray drying process is analyzed theoretically and experimentally. Colloids of mono- and bimodal particle size distribution are used as the precursors to demonstrate different patterns of particle self-organization inside the drying droplet. In case of monodisperse primary particles their self-organization in the final aggregate results in either a hollow or a full (packed) spherical structure. For primary particles with bimodal size distribution, either the layered structure of aggregates is formed (with smaller particles forming outer layer and the bigger particles captured inside) or the ordering of bigger particles on the aggregate surface is observed, depending on process parameters. Numerical investigations allow to predict and explain the conditions at which self-assembling of particles within powder aggregates takes place.