Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences

BACKGROUND: With its epicenter in Wuhan, China, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). Consequently, many countries have implemented flight restrictions to China. China itself has imposed a lockdown of the population of Wuhan as well as the entire Hubei province. However, whether these two enormous measures have led to significant changes in the spread of COVID-19 cases remains unclear. METHODS: We analyzed the available data on the development of confirmed domestic and international COVID-19 cases before and after lockdown measures. We evaluated the correlation of domestic air traffic to the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and determined the growth curves of COVID-19 cases within China before and after lockdown as well as after changes in COVID-19 diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: Our findings indicate a significant increase in doubling time from 2 days (95% CI: 1.9-2.6) to 4 days (95% CI: 3.5-4.3), after imposing lockdown. A further increase is detected after changing diagnostic and testing methodology to 19.3 (95% CI: 15.1-26.3), respectively. Moreover, the correlation between domestic air traffic and COVID-19 spread became weaker following lockdown (before lockdown: r = 0.98, P < 0.05 vs after lockdown: r = 0.91, P = NS). CONCLUSIONS: A significantly decreased growth rate and increased doubling time of cases was observed, which is most likely due to Chinese lockdown measures. A more stringent confinement of people in high risk areas seems to have a potential to slow down the spread of COVID-19.

Flavonoids are small molecular secondary metabolites synthesized by plants with various biological activities. Due to their physical and biochemical properties, they are capable of participating in plants' interactions with other organisms (microorganisms, animals and other plants) and their reactions to environmental stresses. The majority of their functions result from their strong antioxidative properties. Although an increasing number of studies focus on the application of flavonoids in medicine or the food industry, their relevance for the plants themselves also deserves extensive investigations. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the functions of flavonoids in the physiology of plants and their relations with the environment.

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) are facultative pathogens that are part of the normal human intestinal flora. The ExPEC group includes uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC), sepsis-associated E. coli (SEPEC), and avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). Virulence factors (VF) related to the pathogenicity of ExPEC are numerous and have a wide range of activities, from those related to bacteria colonization to those related to virulence, including adhesins, toxins, iron acquisition factors, lipopolysaccharides, polysaccharide capsules, and invasins, which are usually encoded on pathogenicity islands (PAIs), plasmids and other mobile genetic elements. Mechanisms underlying the dynamics of ExPEC transmission and the selection of virulent clones are still poorly understood and require further research. The time shift between colonization of ExPEC and the development of infection remains problematic in the context of establishing the relation between consumption of contaminated food and the appearance of first disease symptoms. What appears to be most difficult is to prove that ExPEC strains cause disease symptoms and to examine the mechanism of transition from the asymptomatic colonization of the intestines to the spreading of the bacteria outside the digestive system. A significant problem for researchers who are trying to ascribe ExPEC transmission to food, people or the environment is to draw the distinction between colonization of ExPEC and infection. Food safety is an important challenge for public health both at the production stage and in the course of its processing and distribution. Examination of the genetic similarity of ExPEC strains will allow to determine their origin from different sources. Many levels of genotyping have been proposed in which the typing of strains, plasmids and genes is compared in order to obtain a more complete picture of this complex problem. The aim of our study was to characterize E. coli strains isolated from humans, animals and food for the presence of bacterial genes encoding virulence factors such as toxins, and iron acquisition systems (siderophores) in the context of an increasing spread of ExPEC infections.

Four soil profiles located near a copper smelter in Poland were investigated for the distribution and chemical fractions of Cu, Pb, and Zn and their mobility in relation to soil properties. Contamination with heavy metals was primarily restricted to surface horizons and the extent of contamination was 7- to 115-fold for Cu, 30-fold for Pb, and 6-fold for Zn as compared with subsurface horizons. In the less-contaminated fine-textured soil, the metals were distributed in the order: residual >> Fe-Mn oxides occluded > organically complexed > exchangeable and specifically adsorbed, while the order for sandy soils was: residual > organically complexed > Fe-Mn oxides occluded > exchangeable and specifically adsorbed. The contaminated surface horizons of these profiles showed no consistent pattern of metal distribution. However, the common features of highly contaminated soils were very low percentage of residual fraction and the dominance of the NH4OAc extractable fraction. The sum of mobile metal fractions was generally < 10% in subsurface horizons, while in the contaminated surface horizons these fractions made up 50% of the total metal contents. Soil properties contributed more to the relative distribution of the metal fractions in the studied profiles than did the distance and direction to the source of pollution. The amounts of metal extracted by 0.01 M CaCl2 accounted for only a small part of the same metals extracted by NH4OAc. The mobility indexes of metals correlated positively and significantly with the total content of metals and negatively with the clay content.

Phenolic compounds constitute a group of secondary metabolites which have important functions in plants. Besides the beneficial effects on the plant host, phenolic metabolites (polyphenols) exhibit a series of biological properties that influence the human in a health-promoting manner. Evidence suggests that people can benefit from plant phenolics obtained either by the diet or through skin application, because they can alleviate symptoms and inhibit the development of various skin disorders. Due to their natural origin and low toxicity, phenolic compounds are a promising tool in eliminating the causes and effects of skin aging, skin diseases, and skin damage, including wounds and burns. Polyphenols also act protectively and help prevent or attenuate the progression of certain skin disorders, both embarrassing minor problems (e.g., wrinkles, acne) or serious, potentially life-threatening diseases such as cancer. This paper reviews the latest reports on the potential therapy of skin disorders through treatment with phenolic compounds, considering mostly a single specific compound or a combination of compounds in a plant extract.

Abstract Natural bicyclic sesquiterpenes, β ‐caryophyllene ( BCP ) and β ‐caryophyllene oxide ( BCPO ), are present in a large number of plants worldwide. Both BCP and BCPO ( BCP (O)) possess significant anticancer activities, affecting growth and proliferation of numerous cancer cells. Nevertheless, their antineoplastic effects have hardly been investigated in vivo. In addition, both compounds potentiate the classical drug efficacy by augmenting their concentrations inside the cells. The mechanisms underlying the anticancer activities of these sesquiterpenes are poorly described. BCP is a phytocannabinoid with strong affinity to cannabinoid receptor type 2 ( CB 2 ), but not cannabinoid receptor type 1 ( CB 1 ). In opposite, BCP oxidation derivative, BCPO , does not exhibit CB 1/2 binding, thus the mechanism of its action is not related to endocannabinoid system ( ECS ) machinery. It is known that BCPO alters several key pathways for cancer development, such as mitogen‐activated protein kinase ( MAPK ), PI 3K/ AKT / mTOR /S6K1 and STAT 3 pathways. In addition, treatment with this compound reduces the expression of procancer genes/proteins, while increases the levels of those with proapoptotic properties. The selective activation of CB 2 may be considered a novel strategy in pain treatment, devoid of psychoactive side effects associated with CB 1 stimulation. Thus, BCP as selective CB 2 activator may be taken into account as potential natural analgesic drug. Moreover, due to the fact that chronic pain is often an element of cancer disease, the double activity of BCP , anticancer and analgesic, as well as its beneficial influence on the efficacy of classical chemotherapeutics, is particularly valuable in oncology. This review is focused on anticancer and analgesic activities of BCP and BCPO , the mechanisms of their actions, and potential therapeutic utility.

Synthetic plastics present in everyday materials constitute the main anthropogenic debris entering the Earth’s oceans. The oceans provide important and valuable resources such as food, energy, and water. They are also the main way of international trade and the main stabilizer of the climate. Hence, changes in the marine ecosystem caused by anthropogenic influences such as plastic pollution can have a dramatic impact on a global scale. Although the problem of plastics still remains unsolved, different ways are being considered to reduce their impact on the environment. One of them is to use microorganisms capable of degradation of plastic. A particularly interesting area is the application of microorganisms isolated from cold regions in view of their unique characteristics. Nevertheless, the interactions between plastic and microorganisms are still poorly known. Here, we present a review of current knowledge on plastic degradation and plastic-microorganism interactions in cold marine habitats. Moreover, we highlight the advantages of microorganisms isolated from this environment for eliminating plastic waste from ecosystems.

Herbs and the essential oils derived from them have been used from the beginning of human history for different purposes. Their beneficial properties have been applied to mask unpleasant odors, attract the attention of other people, add flavor and aroma properties to prepared dishes, perfumes, and cosmetics, etc. Herbs and essential oils (EOs) have also been used in medicine because of their biological properties, such as larvicidal action, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidant, fungicide, and antitumor activities, and many more. Many EOs exhibit antimicrobial properties, which is extremely important in fields of science and industry, such as medicine, agriculture, or cosmetology. Among the 250 EOs which are commercially available, about a dozen possess high antimicrobial potential. According to available papers and patents, EOs seem to be a potential alternative to synthetic compounds, especially because of the resistance that has been increasingly developed by pathogenic microorganisms. In this review we summarize the latest research studies about the most-active EOs that are known and used because of their antimicrobial properties. Finally, it is noteworthy that the antimicrobial activities of EOs are not preeminent for all strains. Further investigations should, thus, focus on targeting EOs and microorganisms.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation is the response of the central nervous system to events that interfere with tissue homeostasis and represents a common denominator in virtually all neurological diseases. Activation of microglia, the principal immune effector cells of the brain, contributes to neuronal injury by release of neurotoxic products. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), expressed on the surface of microglia, plays an important role in mediating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglia activation and inflammatory responses. We have previously shown that curcumin and some of its analogues harboring an α,β-unsaturated 1,3-diketone moiety, able to coordinate the magnesium ion, can interfere with LPS-mediated TLR4-myeloid differentiation protein-2 (MD-2) signaling. Fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics are compounds that contain a keto-carbonyl group that binds divalent ions, including magnesium. In addition to their antimicrobial activity, FQs are endowed with immunomodulatory properties, but the mechanism underlying their anti-inflammatory activity remains to be defined. The aim of the current study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism of these compounds in the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway. METHODS: The putative binding mode of five FQs [ciprofloxacin (CPFX), levofloxacin (LVFX), moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, and delafloxacin] to TLR4-MD-2 was determined using molecular docking simulations. The effect of CPFX and LVFX on LPS-induced release of IL-1β and TNF-α and NF-κB activation was investigated in primary microglia by ELISA and fluorescence staining. The interaction of CPFX and LVFX with TLR4-MD-2 complex was assessed by immunoprecipitation followed by Western blotting using Ba/F3 cells. RESULTS: CPFX and LVFX bound to the hydrophobic region of the MD-2 pocket and inhibited LPS-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of NF-κB in primary microglia. Furthermore, these FQs diminished the binding of LPS to TLR4-MD-2 complex and decreased the resulting TLR4-MD-2 dimerization in Ba/F3 cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new insight into the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory activity of CPFX and LVFX, which involves, at least in part, the activation of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. Our findings might facilitate the development of new molecules directed at the TLR4-MD-2 complex, a potential key target for controlling neuroinflammation.

Abstract The European Vegetation Archive ( EVA ) is a centralized database of European vegetation plots developed by the IAVS Working Group European Vegetation Survey. It has been in development since 2012 and first made available for use in research projects in 2014. It stores copies of national and regional vegetation‐ plot databases on a single software platform. Data storage in EVA does not affect on‐going independent development of the contributing databases, which remain the property of the data contributors. EVA uses a prototype of the database management software TURBOVEG 3 developed for joint management of multiple databases that use different species lists. This is facilitated by the SynBioSys Taxon Database, a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual European databases and their corresponding names on a unified list of European flora. TURBOVEG 3 also includes procedures for handling data requests, selections and provisions according to the approved EVA Data Property and Governance Rules. By 30 June 2015, 61 databases from all European regions have joined EVA , contributing in total 1 027 376 vegetation plots, 82% of them with geographic coordinates, from 57 countries. EVA provides a unique data source for large‐scale analyses of European vegetation diversity both for fundamental research and nature conservation applications. Updated information on EVA is available online at http://euroveg.org/eva-database .

Drying is known as the best method to preserve fruits, vegetables, and herbs, decreasing not only the raw material volume but also its weight. This results in cheaper transportation and increments the product shelf life, limiting the food waste. Drying involves the application of energy in order to vaporize and mobilize the moisture content within the porous products. During this process, the heat and mass transfer occurs simultaneously. The quality of dehydrated fruits, vegetables, and aromatic herbs is a key problem closely related to the development and optimization of novel drying techniques. This review reports the weaknesses of common drying methods applied for fruits, vegetables, and aromatic herbs and the possible options to improve the quality of dried products using different drying techniques or their combination. The quality parameters under study include color, bulk density, porosity, shrinkage, phytochemicals, antioxidant capacity, sugars, proteins, volatile compounds, and sensory attributes. In general, drying leads to reduction in all studied parameters. However, the behavior of each plant material is different. On the whole, the optimal drying technique is different for each of the materials studied and specific conditions must be recommended after a proper evaluation of the drying protocols. However, a novel or combined technique must assure a high quality of dried products. Furthermore, the term quality must englobe the energy efficiency and the environmental impact leading to production of sustainable dried products.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of microwave power during the vacuum–microwave drying (VMD) on sour cherries in terms of drying kinetics, including the temperature profile of dried material, as well as on some quality factors of the finished product including phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and color. The content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and color change were used as quality indicators of dried sour cherries. Sour cherries were dehydrated by convective drying (CD) at temperatures of 50 °C, 60 °C, and 70 °C and by VMD at the initial microwave power of 240 W, 360 W, and 480 W reduced to 240 W and 120 W in order to avoid a rapid increase in temperature at the critical moisture content of ca. 1 kg/kg dry mass. Control samples were prepared by freeze drying (FD). The increase in air temperature during CD as well as the increase in material temperature during VMD deteriorated dried product quality in terms of the content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and color, which was consistent with anthocyanins content. However, VMD turned out to be much better than CD and competitive to FD. The best quality of the dried product and its more attractive color were achieved at VMD at 480 W followed by drying at microwave power reduced to 120 W, which corresponds to anthocyanins content. In addition, the drying process had a positive impact on contents of quercetin and keampferol derivatives. Dried sour cherries have a long shelf life and therefore may be a fine alternative to fresh fruit all year round.

There is considerable evidence to show that a greater intake of apple contributes to improved health by reducing the risk of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer. Apple fruit is a major source of phenol compounds, because its consumption is widespread in many countries and it is available on the market for the whole year. The phenolic composition of 67 varieties of apple cultivars (new and old varieties) was examined for the concentration of some important phytochemicals and antioxidant activity. For the first time, we have looked at the correlation and compared polyphenolic coumpounds in Golden Delicious variety and new varieties grown from it. Up to 18 compounds, including catechin, procyanidin, hydroxycinnamates, flavonols, anthocyanins, and dihydrochalcones, were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection analysis of crude extracts and after thiolysis and LC-MS. The mean content of total polyphenols lay between 523.02 and 2723.96 mg/100 g dw and depending upon the apples variety. Flavanols (catechin and oligomeric procyanidins) are the major class of apple polyphenols, representing more than 80%, followed by hydroxycinnamic acids (1-31%), flavonols (2-10%), dihydrochalcones (0.5-5%), and in red apples, anthocyanins (1%). In this study, the best correlation was found for the total polyphenols and ABTS method, with a lower correlation for FRAP and DPPH methods ( r = 0.871, 0.839, and 0.804, respectively). The presented data clearly demonstrated that new varieties, i.e., Ozark Gold, Julyred, and Jester, of apple had the same or higher value of bioactive compounds in comparison to the old varieties, i.e., Golden Delicious, Idared, and Jonagold.

toxins, tremorgenic mycotoxins, fusarins, 3-nitropropionic acid, cyclochlorotine, sporidesmin, etc. These mycotoxins can pose several health risks to both animals and humans, including death. As several mycotoxins simultaneously occur in nature, especially in foods and feeds, the detoxification and/or total removal of mycotoxins remains challenging. Moreover, given that the volume of scientific literature regarding mycotoxins is steadily on the rise, there is need for continuous synthesis of the body of knowledge. To supplement existing information, knowledge of mycotoxins affecting animals, foods, humans, and plants, with more focus on types, toxicity, and prevention measures, including strategies employed in detoxification and removal, were revisited in this work. Our synthesis revealed that mycotoxin decontamination, control, and detoxification strategies cut across pre-and post-harvest preventive measures. In particular, pre-harvest measures can include good agricultural practices, fertilization/irrigation, crop rotation, using resistant varieties of crops, avoiding insect damage, early harvesting, maintaining adequate humidity, and removing debris from the preceding harvests. On the other hand, post-harvest measures can include processing, chemical, biological, and physical measures. Additionally, chemical-based methods and other emerging strategies for mycotoxin detoxification can involve the usage of chitosan, ozone, nanoparticles, and plant extracts.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of vacuum-microwave drying (240, 360, and 480 W) in the production process of dehydrated strawberry and to compare and contrast the quality of these dehydrated strawberries in terms of their polyphenol compounds, concentration of some heat liable components, and color to that of freeze-dried, convective, and vacuum-dried strawberry. Thus, the effect of vacuum-microwave drying and other drying methods on the antioxidant activity of berries was evaluated. Whole fresh and dried fruits were assessed for phenolics (anthocyanins, flavanols, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonols), ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity (all parameters were calculated on a dry matter basis). Analysis of data shows that ellagic acid and flavanol changes were affected by drying techniques and cultivar. Drying destroyed anthocyanins, flavanols, and ascorbic acid, and there was a significant decrease in antioxidant activity. The most striking result was that conventional and vacuum drying decreased antioxidant activity in both cultivars, whereas contradictory results were found for vacuum-microwave processed strawberry. This study has demonstrated that vacuum-microwave drying, especially at 240 W, can produce high-quality products, with the additional advantage of reduced processing times, compared to other processes such as freeze-drying.

Cardiovascular diseases are described as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in modern societies. Therefore, the importance of cardiovascular diseases prevention is widely reflected in the increasing number of reports on the topic among the key scientific research efforts of the recent period. The importance of essential fatty acids (EFAs) has been recognized in the fields of cardiac science and cardiac medicine, with the significant effects of various fatty acids having been confirmed by experimental studies. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered to be important versatile mediators for improving and maintaining human health over the entire lifespan, however, only the cardiac effect has been extensively documented. Recently, it has been shown that omega-3 fatty acids may play a beneficial role in several human pathologies, such as obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2, and are also associated with a reduced incidence of stroke and atherosclerosis, and decreased incidence of cardiovascular diseases. A reasonable diet and wise supplementation of omega-3 EFAs are essential in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases prevention and treatment.

BACKGROUND: With continuous global COVID-19 outbreak, differing case numbers and mortality rates are observed. While actual case numbers appear vague, mortality numbers related to COVID-19 seem more precise. In this study, we used the mortality rate as the main indicator to evaluate the extent of underreporting and underdetection of COVID-19 cases. METHODS: We have analyzed all available data provided by the World Health Organization on the development of international COVID-19 cases and mortality numbers on March 17th, 2020. A crude case-fatality risk (cCFR) and adjusted case-fatality risk (aCFR) was calculated for China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Iran and the United States. Additionally, a fold-change (FC) was derived for each country. RESULTS: The highest aCFR and FC were detected for Spain. Based on their FC values, an extremely high number of undetected COVID-19 cases was displayed in France, the United States, Italy and Spain. For these countries, our findings indicate a detection rate of only 1-2% of total actual COVID-19 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Due to limited testing capacities, mortality numbers may serve as a better indicator for COVID-19 case spread in many countries. Our data indicate that countries like France, Italy, the United States, Iran and Spain have extremely high numbers of undetected and underreported cases. Differences in testing availability and capacity, containment as well as overall health care and medical infrastructure result in significantly different mortality rates and COVID-19 case numbers for each respective country.

Abstract Nature-based solutions (NBS) can protect, manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems. They are a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to address societal challenges and some natural hazards effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. NBS applications can be easily noticed in circular cities, establishing an urban system that is regenerative and accessible. This paper aims to offer a review on NBS for urban water management from the literature and some relevant projects running within the COST Action ‘Implementing nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city’. The method used in the study is based on a detailed tracking of specific keywords in the literature using Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, ScienceDirect and Scopus. Based on this review, three main applications were identified: (i) flood and drought protection; (ii) the water-food-energy nexus; and (iii) water purification. The paper shows that NBS provide additional benefits, such as improving water quality, increasing biodiversity, obtaining social co-benefits, improving urban microclimate, and the reduction of energy consumption by improving indoor climate. The paper concludes that a systemic change to NBS should be given a higher priority and be preferred over conventional water infrastructure.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the net clinical and prognostic effects of intravenous (i.v.) iron therapy in patients with systolic heart failure (HF) and iron deficiency (ID). METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed an aggregate data meta-analysis (random effects model) of randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of i.v. iron therapy in iron-deficient patients with systolic HF. We searched electronic databases up to September 2014. We identified five trials which fulfilled the inclusion criteria (509 patients received i.v. iron therapy in comparison with 342 controls). Intravenous iron therapy has been shown to reduce the risk of the combined endpoint of all-cause death or cardiovascular hospitalization [odds ratio (OR) 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.30-0.64, P < 0.0001], and the combined endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for worsening HF (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.24-0.63, P = 0.0001). Intravenous iron therapy resulted in a reduction in NYHA class (data are reported as a mean net effect with 95% CIs for all continuous variables) (-0.54 class, 95% CI -0.87 to -0.21, P = 0.001); an increase in 6-min walking test distance (+31 m, 95% CI 18-43, P < 0.0001); and an improvement in quality of life [Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) score +5.5 points, 95% CI 2.8-8.3, P < 0.0001; European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) score +4.1 points, 95% CI 0.8-7.3, P = 0.01; Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) score -19 points, 95% CI:-23 to -16, P < 0.0001; and Patient Global Assessment (PGA) +0.70 points, 95% CI 0.31-1.09, P = 0004]. CONCLUSION: The evidence indicates that i.v. iron therapy in iron-deficient patients with systolic HF improves outcomes, exercise capacity, and quality of life, and alleviates HF symptoms.

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and it protects the body from the external environment. It has become the topic of interest of researchers from various scientific fields. Microorganisms ensure the proper functioning of the skin. Of great importance, are the mutual relations between such microorganisms and their responses to environmental impacts, as dysbiosis may contribute to serious skin diseases. Molecular methods, used for microorganism identification, allow us to gain a better understanding of the skin microbiome. The presented article contains the latest reports on the skin microbiota in health and disease. The review discusses the relationship between a properly functioning microbiome and the body's immune system, as well as the impact of internal and external factors on the human skin microbiome.