Microbial Electrosynthesis Inoculated with Anaerobic Granular Sludge and Carbon Cloth Electrodes Functionalized with Copper Nanoparticles for Conversion of CO2 to CH4.

Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) can sustainably convert CO2 to products and significant research is currently being conducted towards this end, mainly in laboratory-scale studies. The high-cost ion exchange membrane, however, is one of the main reasons hindering the industrialization of MES. This study investigates the conversion of CO2 (as a sole external carbon source) to CH4 using membraneless MES inoculated with anaerobic granular sludge. Three types of electrodes were tested: carbon cloth (CC) and CC functionalized with Cu NPs, where Cu NPs were deposited for 15 and 45 min, respectively. During the MES experiment, which lasted for 144 days (six cycles), methane was consistently higher in the serum bottles with CC electrodes and applied voltage. The highest CH4 (around 46%) was found in the second cycle after 16 days. The system's performance declined during the following cycles; nevertheless, the CH4 composition was twice as high compared to the serum bottles without voltage. The MES with Cu NPs functionalized CC electrodes had a higher performance than the MES with plain CC electrodes. Microbial profile analysis showed that the Methanobacterium was the most dominant genus in all samples and it was found in higher abundance on the cathodes, followed by the anodes, and then in the suspended biomass. The genus Geobacter was identified only on the anodes regarding relative bacterial abundance at around 6-10%. Desulfovibrio was the most dominant genus in the cathodes; however, its relative abundance was significantly higher for the cathodes with Cu NPs.

Dynamics and Diversity of Microbial Contamination in Poultry Bedding Materials Containing Parts of Medicinal Plants.

Microorganisms thriving in poultry bedding materials during their exploitation are involved in the development of several diseases and disfunctions of animals. They can also contaminate food products and pose risks to the environment and human health. This study provides an analysis of dynamics and diversity in microbiological contamination observed during the exploitation of poultry bedding materials containing parts of medicinal plants: Satureja hortensis, Origanum vulgare, Melissa officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Thymus vulgaris, compared with standard types of beddings: straw chaff and straw pellets. The research was carried out in two 42-day experimental cycles involving in total 2400 broiler chickens. Each week, the total count of mesophilic bacteria, fungi and yeasts, the presumptive presence and count of Staphylococcus sp., Escherichia sp., Listeria sp., Salmonella sp., and Candida sp. were determined by culturing on selective media, along with pH and moisture measurements. After 35 days of the experiment, a reduction of the total count of mesophilic bacteria above 1 log compared to the control (11.86 vs. 13.02 log CFU/g) was observed. As the count of yeasts decreased after 21 days, an increase in the total count of bacteria was reported, which indicates a strong competition between microorganisms. The results improve our understanding of the temporal effects of using materials containing parts of medicinal plants on the microbial contamination in poultry litter.

Importance of financial liquidity in hospital management

INTRODUCTION: Financial liquidity management in hospitals is of great importance in ensuring access to medical care and continuity of health care service provision. It is one of the management's biggest challenges, which the possibility to conduct health care activity depends on. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the financial liquidity of public hospitals, based on the example of public hospitals in Podlaskie Voivodeship in years 2013-2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Revenues, expenses and financial performance levels were analysed and financial liquidity was evaluated with reference to current and quick ratios. Public hospitals, whose founding entity is the Podlaskie Voivodeship Self-government, were selected for the study. The assessment of the financial situation was based on the data from the hospitals' financial statements for years 2013-2017. The assessment was made with a special reference to financial liquidity. RESULTS: In years 2013-2017, a steady increase of revenues and expenses was observed in the case-study hospitals. The general financial performance of these entities improved significantly. During the assessment period, the current ratio in the hospitals was average, exceeding the optimal value. In the first hospital group (number of beds>250), the current ratio was below the optimal values (except for 2016). The second hospital group (number of beds<250) was characterised by liquidity ratios above the optimal value. CONCLUSIONS: Management of financial liquidity in hospitals, aimed at maintaining financial liquidity at optimal level, should be the management's priority action when managing the finances of a health care entity. These actions should be multi-directional and based on information about the financial situation of the hospitals and on the hospital's ratio analysis, which is vital for the management's decision making.

Heavy Metal Uptake by Herbs. IV. Influence of Soil pH on the Content of Heavy Metals in Valeriana officinalis L.

The aim of the study was to estimate the influence of soil pH on the uptake of copper, zinc, and manganese by Valeriana officinalis. Preliminary studies involved soil analyses to determine acidity, organic matter content, and copper, zinc, and manganese total and bioavailable forms. The study involved atomic absorption spectrometry to determine the concentration of the elements, and mineral soil of pH = 5.1 was used in the study, as being typical for central Poland. The copper, zinc, and manganese contents were determined in plants grown in soils which had been modified to cover a wide range of pH values 3÷13. The intensity of germination was strongly pH dependent with the highest yield obtained in original, unmodified soil. Surprisingly, high soil alkalinity stimulated copper and manganese uptake while at the same time resulting in a decrease in zinc content.

[Inactivation of Candida species using cold atmospheric plasma on the way to a new method of eradication of superficial fungal infections]. / Inaktywacja grzybów z rodzaju Candida przy uzyciu zimnej plazmy atmosferycznej--na drodze ku nowej metodzie eradykacji grzybic powierzchniowych.

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, nosocomial fungal infections are becoming an increasingly serious problem. More and more complications are observed in patients with high-risk groups resulting from the colonization of the skin and mucous membranes by Candida species. Thus, rapid and effective treatment of superficial fungal infections caused by Candida is a very important task for modern medicine. Unfortunately, with a clear increase in the number of fungal infections, the resistance to currently used antifungal drugs also increases seriously limited the effectiveness of treatment. An intensive search for new therapeutic solutions is therefore necessary. One of the promising solutions is the use of cold atmospheric plasma. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of this type of plasma on survival of Candida albicans. METHODS: As a source of cold atmospheric plasma, a linear microdischarge jet, called plasma razor, was used. Plasma was generated at 13.56 MHz, using He as a reactive gas. The gas flow rate and the discharge power were 1.9 L/min and 17 W, respectively. A schematic view of the experimental system is shown in Fig. 1. The reference strain of Candida albicans ATCC 10231 was used as a model material for investigations. The culture was prepared by spreading uniformly 100 µL phosphate buffered saline solution containing 5 x10(7) cells/mL on the surface of a Petri dish. Such a culture was exposed to the plasma at various times. The size of the zone of inhibition of fungal growth was estimated by densitometric method (Fig. 3). For more complete information about the plasma the optical emission spectra were measured. RESULTS: It was found that with increasing time of plasma treatment, the zone of inhibition clearly increases (Fig. 2). In Fig. 4, the experimental results of the size of the inhibition zone versus the treatment time are shown. These results were successfully fitted (p = 0.0058, r2 = 0.944) by a theoretical curve (Fig. 4), plotted according to Eq. (5), which was derived on the basis of a simple model of the spread of a killing agent from the plasma center. The study of the optical emission spectra confirmed a large variety of possible killing agents generated in the cold atmospheric plasma, such as UV, radicals, ions and energetic electrons. Further research will be focused on the determination of the main agent responsible for the process of the cell killing, and to determine the mechanism of this process. CONCLUSIONS: Cold atmospheric plasma generated by the plasma razor turns out to be a very effective tool for the killing of pathogenic fungi. Although the presented studies are only the initial stage of work on the effects of cold atmospheric microplasma on fungal cells, they provide hope for the possibility of using this technique as a method of eradication of superficial fungal infections.