No time to waste : transcriptome study reveals that drought tolerance in barley may be attributed to stressed-like expression patterns that exist before the occurrence of stress

Plant survival in adverse environmental conditions requires a substantial change in the metabolism, which is reflected by the extensive transcriptome rebuilding upon the occurrence of the stress. Therefore, transcriptomic studies offer an insight into the mechanisms of plant stress responses. Here, we present the results of global gene expression profiling of roots and leaves of two barley genotypes with contrasting ability to cope with drought stress. Our analysis suggests that drought tolerance results from a certain level of transcription of stress-influenced genes that is present even before the onset of drought. Genes that predispose the plant to better drought survival play a role in the regulatory network of gene expression, including several transcription factors, translation regulators and structural components of ribosomes. An important group of genes is involved in signaling mechanisms, with significant contribution of hormone signaling pathways and an interplay between ABA, auxin, ethylene and brassinosteroid homeostasis. Signal transduction in a drought tolerant genotype may be more efficient through the expression of genes required for environmental sensing that are active already during normal water availability and are related to actin filaments and LIMdomain proteins, which may function as osmotic biosensors. Better survival of drought may also be attributed to more effective processes of energy generation and more efficient chloroplasts biogenesis. Interestingly, our data suggest that several genes involved in a photosynthesis process are required for the establishment of effective drought response not only in leaves, but also in roots of barley. Thus, we propose a hypothesis that root plastids may turn into the anti-oxidative centers protecting root macromolecules from oxidative damage during drought stress. Specific genes and their potential role in building upa drought-tolerant barley phenotype is extensively discussedwith special emphasis on processes that take place in barley roots. When possible, the interconnections between particular factors are emphasized to drawa broader picture of the molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in barle

Prioritization of Candidate Genes in QTL Regions for Physiological and Biochemical Traits Underlying Drought Response in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Drought is one of the most adverse abiotic factors limiting growth and productivity of crops. Among them is barley, ranked fourth cereal worldwide in terms of harvested acreage and production. Plants have evolved various mechanisms to cope with water deficit at different biological levels, but there is an enormous challenge to decipher genes responsible for particular complex phenotypic traits, in order to develop drought tolerant crops. This work presents a comprehensive approach for elucidation of molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in barley at the seedling stage of development. The study includes mapping of QTLs for physiological and biochemical traits associated with drought tolerance on a high-density function map, projection of QTL confidence intervals on barley physical map, and the retrievement of positional candidate genes (CGs), followed by their prioritization based on Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. A total of 64 QTLs for 25 physiological and biochemical traits that describe plant water status, photosynthetic efficiency, osmoprotectant and hormone content, as well as antioxidant activity, were positioned on a consensus map, constructed using RIL populations developed from the crosses between European and Syrian genotypes. The map contained a total of 875 SNP, SSR and CGs, spanning 941.86 cM with resolution of 1.1 cM. For the first time, QTLs for ethylene, glucose, sucrose, maltose, raffinose, α-tocopherol, γ-tocotrienol content, and catalase activity, have been mapped in barley. Based on overlapping confidence intervals of QTLs, 11 hotspots were identified that enclosed more than 60% of mapped QTLs. Genetic and physical map integration allowed the identification of 1,101 positional CGs within the confidence intervals of drought response-specific QTLs. Prioritization resulted in the designation of 143 CGs, among them were genes encoding antioxidants, carboxylic acid biosynthesis enzymes, heat shock proteins, small auxin up-regulated RNAs, nitric oxide synthase, ATP sulfurylases, and proteins involved in regulation of flowering time. This global approach may be proposed for identification of new CGs that underlies QTLs responsible for complex traits

The evaluation of the websites’ functionality concerning healthy eating. The website’s project for people interested in rational nutrition.

Tematem pracy jest funkcjonalność stron internetowych dotyczących zdrowego odżywiania. Celem pracy było stworzenie serwisu dla osób zainteresowanych racjonalnym odżywianiem, który zaspokoi ich potrzeby informacyjne. Środek, jaki został wykorzystany w tym celu to audyt funkcjonalności, który został przeprowadzony na wybranych stronach z zakresu dietetyki. Audyt został przeprowadzony metodą heurystyczną. Zostało wzięte pod uwagę i przeanalizowane wiele aspektów, które wchodzą w skład strony internetowej. Wyniki przeprowadzonego audytu zostały przedstawione szczegółowo w drugiej części pracy. Analiza wykazała, że strony internetowe dotyczące dietetyki nie są stworzone w pełni funkcjonalnie oraz ich twórcy popełnili wiele błędów przy ich tworzeniu. Podczas projektowania własnego serwisu, który omówiony jest w trzecim rozdziale pracy, wykorzystano tylko te fragmenty, które były wykonane prawidłowo. Projekt został wykonany według przyjętych standardów funkcjonalności stron internetowych.The topic of this thesis is the functionality of the websites concerning healthy eating. This study was aimed at creating the website for people interested in rational nutrition that would meet their needs of information. The audit of the functionality that has been carried out on the selected websites in dietetic, served as the measure in the thesis. The audit has been conducted by the heuristic method. Many aspects included in the websites were analyzed and taken into account. In the second part, the results of the conducted audit are described in detail. This analysis revealed that the websites concerning dietetics are not fully functional and their designers have made a lot of mistakes in creating them. While designing my own website, which is discussed in the third chapter of this thesis, only the properly done sections were employed. This project was made according to the top-down functionality standards of websites

Postrzeganie imigrantów w aspekcie afektywnym przez studentów pedagogiki w perspektywie ich przyszłej pracy zawodowej

The article is an attempt to define the attitudes of students of pedagogy studies towards immigrants in the aspect of the emotional attitude manifested. In the near future these students will decide on the educational process and consequently on the quality of social functioning. The quality of their activities depends not only on their level of knowledge, but also on their attitude towards the social processes. To achieve the research goal, a diagnostic survey method with a survey technique based on semantic differential was used. The research proved that the surveyed students show a neutral attitude towards immigrants. Such an attitude may indicate indecisiveness and lack of acceptance, which undoubtedly may be closer to a negative attitude. The research also indicates an urgent need for intercultural education.Prezentowany tekst stanowi próbę określenia jednej ze składowych postawy: postrzegania w aspekcie afektywnym imigrantów przez studentów pedagogiki. W niedalekiej przyszłości studenci ci będą decydować o procesie wychowawczym i w konsekwencji o jakości funkcjonowania społecznego. Jakość ich działań zależy od poziomu nie tylko ich wiedzy, ale też od przejawianego stosunku emocjonalnego wobec zachodzących procesów społecznych. Do realizacji celu badawczego wykorzystano metodę sondażu diagnostycznego z techniką ankiety opartej na dyferencjale semantycznym. Badania dowiodły, że pytani studenci wykazują wobec imigrantów postawę neutralną. Postawa taka może świadczyć o niezdecydowaniu i braku akceptacji, czyli niewątpliwie może być bliższa postawie negatywnej. Badania wskazują także na naglącą potrzebę kształcenia w zakresie edukacji międzykulturowej

Hydrological Performance and Runoff Water Quality of Experimental Green Roofs

Within the scope of the conducted experiment the authors analysed the efficiency of runoff reduction by the system of extensive type green roofs. The observations were based on storm events in the area of Lower Silesia at the Agro and Hydrometeorology Station Wrocław-Swojec. The authors analysed the thickness of plant substrate, and also estimated the quality of runoff waters under the conditions of periodic atmospheric deposition. Also considered were such indicators as electrolytic conductivity, N, NO3−, NO2−, NH4+, P, PO43−. The experiment included roof substrates designed in two variants, with known hydraulic and physical properties of the soil material. The analysis was performed for models with vegetation layer based on pumice and zelolite, covered with five plant species from the sedum family. The modelling of the hydraulic properties was conducted with variably saturated medium, using the Hydrus 1D software. The performance of systems with primary layer thickness of 11 cm and 9, 8, 7, 6 and 5 cm was estimated. The designed models reduced the average peak flows to 89%, and in addition they caused a delay in the initiation of the runoff which was dependent on the intensity and distribution of rainfalls in time, and on the initial moisture of the profiles. Simulations, performed for variable substrate thickness, permit the conclusion that in the case of thin-layer profiles (5 cm), the relative retention index was decidedly lower and amounted to 35.9% for the substrate with zeolite (originally 60.6%) and 41% for the substrate with pumice (originally 65.7%). In the case of total nitrogen and phosphates, statistical analysis revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in relation to specific concentrations in the rainwater and in the control surface. The total nitrogen in the runoff from the green roof was nearly twice as high as that in the rainwater and amounted to, on average, 8.3 mg L−1

Pluvial Flood Risk Assessment Tool (PFRA) for Rainwater Management and Adaptation to Climate Change in Newly Urbanised Areas

The aim of this research is to develop the Pluvial Flood Risk Assessment tool (PFRA) for rainwater management and adaptation to climate change in newly urbanised areas. PFRA allows pluvial hazard assessment, as well as pluvial flood risk mapping. The original model was created using ArcGIS software with the ArcHydro extension, and the script was written using the Python programming language. The PFRA model effectively combines information about land cover, soils, microtopography (LiDAR data), and projected hydro-meteorological conditions, which enables the identification of the spatial and temporal distribution of pluvial flood risks in newly developed areas. Further improvements to the PFRA concern the quantification of pluvial flood-related damages, the application of high resolution precipitation data, and the optimisation of coding

Phagocytic Activity, Oxygen Metabolism and Serum Amyloid a Concentration in Peripheral Blood of Mink with Subclinical Aleutian Virus Infection

Aleutian disease (AD) is a chronic disease of mink caused by the Aleutian Mink Disease Virus (AMDV) that results in dysfunction of the immune system. The prevalence of asymptomatic AMDV infections suggests a necessity to explore their effects on the cellular mechanisms of non-specific immunity in farmed mink. The study evaluated the phagocytic activity and oxygen metabolism of peripheral blood granulocytes and monocytes in mink with chronic subclinical AMDV infection. Moreover, the intensity of inflammatory processes was assessed based on the serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration. The analyses involved 24 brown mink females aged 12–24 months. The experimental group (group I) consisted of mink with chronic subclinical AMDV infections, and the control group (group II) included healthy animals. The statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U rank test. Phagocytic activity of granulocytes and monocytes was carried out using flow cytometry, and SAA concentration was determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Compared with the control group, there was a significant decrease in the phagocytic activity and oxygen metabolism of granulocytes and monocytes in the AMDV-infected mink (p p < 0.05). The obtained data indicate that monitoring the serum SAA levels in mink with asymptomatic inflammation may help assess the health of mink and detect asymptomatic inflammation caused by AMDV infection

Impact assessment : a model for Poland

Te efciency of the system for public policy analysis (PPA) depends on the institutional context in which the system operates. Even the best adapted methodological solutions, implemented by the best analysts and based on the highest quality empirical data will not be able to improve the quality of public policy unless they become part of a wider culture of making policy decisions based on evidence. In this chapter, the most important recommendations concerning the development of the impact assessment (IA) system in Poland, which are directly related to the whole system of public policy management, are presented