Treatment of Liquid Digestate by Green Algal Isolates from Artificial Eutrophic Pond.

The ability of aquatic microalgae to treat the liquid digestate obtained from the anaerobic digestion of plant waste was investigated. Microalgae were isolated from natural environment for a laboratory-scale cultivation and were then used to remove nutrients and organic contaminants from the liquid digestate. It was shown that the microalgae consortia (Tetradesmus obliquus, Microglena sp., Desmodesmus subspicatus) could reduce nitrogen, phosphates, and total COD by up to 70%, 57%, and 95%, respectively. A new algae genus Microglena was isolated, which in a consortium with Tetradesmus obliquus and Desmodesmus subspicatus exhibited a high efficiency in the removal of both organic contaminants and nutrients from the liquid fraction of digestate.

Fetuin-A and Interleukine-8 in Children with the Clinical Remission of Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Clinical partial remission (CPR) in most patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is observed shortly after clinical diagnosis. Increasing body weight and impaired insulin sensitivity may play a role in the pathogenesis of CPR. Several cytokines can also participate in the development of insulin resistance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between birth weight, body mass index, and the concentrations of IL-8 and Fetuin-A, and the presence of clinical partial remission in children at the T1D onset. METHODS: The study group consisted of 134 children with a newly diagnosed T1D in whom the presence of CPR was evaluated in a further 2-year course of diabetes. The control group included 47 children without glucose tolerance disorders. The concentrations of IL-8 and Fetuin-A were determined by the ELISA method. RESULTS: CPR occurred in 75.34% of T1D patients. At T1D onset, higher values of BMI SDS in the remitters as compared to the patients without remission were observed. At the T1D onset, the concentrations of Fetuin-A (p=0.031) and IL-8 (p=0.042) were significantly higher in patients compared to those without CPR. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of Fetuin-A and IL-8 levels in patients with a newly diagnosed T1D can differentiate between patients with or without CPR.

Nutrition of vegetarians in Poland ­ a review of research

The first mention of a vegetarian diet in Poland appeared in the 19th century. Since then, its popularity has been growing steadily year by year. Nevertheless, it remains a controversial topic. Many scientists try to explain what is the correct vegetarian diet and how its use can affect the health and proper human body functioning. Vegetarian diet is mainly based on the elimination of meat consumption. Depending on the type, it also involves the abandonment of fish, eggs as well as milk and their products. Such kind of nutrition based mainly on plant-derived products can effectively prevent diseases of civilization, reduce the risk of developing obesity, promote the maintenance of normal cholesterol and blood sugar, and lower blood pressure. However, an incorrectly balanced vegetarian diet may be associated with deficiencies of some vitamins and minerals. This paper reviews a few dozens of studies on people using a vegetarian diet in Poland. This review shows that vegetarians in Poland are not very well studied group and further research is needed.

Differences in flooding tolerance between species from two wetland habitats with contrasting hydrology: implications for vegetation development in future floodwater retention areas.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plants need different survival strategies in habitats differing in hydrological regimes. This probably has consequences for vegetation development when former floodplain areas that are currently confronted with soil flooding only, will be reconnected to the highly dynamical river bed. Such changes in river management are increasingly important, especially at locations where increased water retention can prevent flooding events in developed areas. It is therefore crucial to determine the responses of plant species from relatively low-dynamic wetlands to complete submergence, and to compare these with those of species from river forelands, in order to find out what the effects of such landscape-scale changes on vegetation would be. METHODS: To compare the species' tolerance to complete submergence and their acclimation patterns, a greenhouse experiment was designed with a selection of 19 species from two contrasting sites: permanently wet meadows in a former river foreland, and frequently submerged grasslands in a current river foreland. The plants were treated with short (3 weeks) and long (6 weeks) periods of complete submergence, to evaluate if survival, morphological responses, and changes in biomass differed between species of the two habitats. KEY RESULTS: All tested species inhabiting river forelands were classified as tolerant to complete submergence, whereas species from wet meadows showed either relatively intolerant, intermediate or tolerant responses. Species from floodplains showed in all treatments stronger shoot elongation, as well as higher production of biomass of leaves, stems, fine roots and taproots, compared with meadow species. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong need for the creation of temporary water retention basins during high levels of river discharge. However, based on the data presented, it is concluded that such reconnection of former wetlands (currently serving as meadows) to the main river bed will strongly influence plant species composition and abundance.