Changes in the Content of Humic Substances, Reaction and Sorption Properties Occurring in Reclaimed Land in Post-Mining Areas

The paper presents selected results of analyses of the properties of post-mining land of the former lignite mine „Przyjaźń Narodów” in the region of Łęknica in the Lubusz Voivodeship. The land formed in that area had very unfavourable properties: its granulometric composition (light clay sand) was susceptible to water erosion, the reaction of the formations was highly acid, the contents of total organic carbon and total nitrogen were varied and highest on the surface level of the profiles. The Ckh:Ckf ratios increased as the sampling depth increased. The development of opencast mining in the region of Łęknica (the Lubusz Voivodeship) has resulted in geomorphological changes. The post-mining land of the post-mining areas of the former lignite mine „Przyjaźń Narodów”, which started operating at the beginning of the 1970s, was subjected to reclamation processes. Reclamation in that area consisted of the following actions [7]: (a) land levelling with bulldozers; (b) soil deacidification with magnesium lime in the Zink Mill „Miasteczko Śląskie” in a dose of 50 Mg ha-1; (c) mineral fertilisation: phosphorus powder in a dose of 5 Mg ha -1, nitro-chalk in a dose of 200 kg ha -1, ammonium phosphate in a dose of 200 kg ha -1 and potash salt in a dose of 400 kg ha -1; and (d) forestation of the area with Scots pines.Accumulation of organic matter is very important for restoring fertility in post-mining soils and improving their physical, chemical and biological properties [4]. Organic matter in soils undergoes complicated processes which often depend on oxygen-environmental conditions, and produce as a result a number of mineralization products. During the process of humification, humic substances are produced, various fractions of which differ in terms of their immunity to decomposition, time of existence in the environment, and at the same time they determine soil properties [6]. Those processes occur with the participation of microorganisms. Microorganisms in soils are both decomposers participating in the decomposition of organic matter produced by autotrophic organisms and organisms responsible for soil formation processes [1

Zmiany w polskim przemyśle po przystąpieniu Polski do Unii Europejskiej

The aim of this publication is to outline changes that have been observed in Poland and to present the place of the Polish industry, including production, services and international trade, since the accession to the European Union. Rating highly the role of industry and proper conducting of a pro-growth policy in Poland and the European Union, one part of the study concerns the analysis of basic indicators of the Polish industry structure and the final part the realization of the Europe 2020 strategy. The analytical description in the publication was enriched with a wide set of tables, as well as a crosssectional collection of information on industry in Poland and on the European Union member states in rank order. The high dynamics observed in Poland resulted, among others, from an over double growth in the production of electrical equipment, computers, electronic and optical products as well as of metal products. The Strategy Europe 2020 is a socio-economic development programme for Poland and the EU growth. The goal of the Europe 2020 strategy is to create the economy - based on knowledge, low-emission policies promoting environmentally friendly technologies, making an efficient use of resources, and also aiming at social cohesion.Celem niniejszego artykułu jest zaprezentowanie zmian, jakie dokonały się w polskim przemyśle, z uwzględnieniem sfery produkcji i usług oraz wymiany międzynarodowej po przystąpieniu Polski do Unii Europejskiej. Doceniając znaczenie właściwego prowadzenia polityki prorozwojowej w Polsce i Unii Europejskiej, jeden z podpunktów poświęcono analizie tendencji dotyczącej podstawowych wskaźników rozwoju przemysłu w Polsce, a ostatni strategii Europa 2020. W publikacji opis analityczny został uzupełniony zestawem danych ujętych w tabelach ilustrujących rozwój przemysłu w Polsce na tle Unii Europejskiej. W artykule wskazano, że na dynamikę produkcji w Polsce wpłynął m.in. ponad dwukrotny wzrost w zakresie produkcji urządzeń elektrycznych, komputerów, wyrobów elektronicznych i optycznych, a także w produkcji wyrobów z metali. Strategia Europa 2020 to dla Polski i UE program wzrostu i rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego. Efektem realizacji strategii Europa 2020 ma być gospodarka oparta na wiedzy, niskoemisyjna, promująca technologie przyjazne środowisku, oszczędzająca zasoby, a zarazem zachowująca dbałość o spójność społeczną

A large-scale survey of genetic variation and genome evolution within the invasive Reynoutria complex : [streszczenie]

The taxa from the genus Reynoutria: R. japonica, R. sachalinensis, originating from Asia, and their hybrid R. ×bohemica are some of the most troublesome alien invasive species in Europe and North America, particularly dangerous to riparian ecosystems. Simultaneously, these taxa constitute a unique model system for the creation of hybrids and the initiation of evolutionary processes in an invaded range. The aim of the study was: (i) to examine the level of genetic diversity using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers in selected populations of three Reynoutria taxa from Poland, Hungary, Ukraine and Slovakia in comparison with Japan, (ii) to identify marked chromosomes in all taxa using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with rDNA sequences, and (iii) to establish genome size and ploidy level in the knotweed species using flow cytometry (FCM) (Fragment tekstu)

Role of PI3K/AKT Pathway in Insulin-Mediated Glucose Uptake

Glucose uptake is regulated by several mechanisms, where insulin plays the most prominent role. This powerful anabolic hormone regulates the transport of glucose into the cell through translocation of glucose transporter from an intracellular pool to the plasma membrane mainly in metabolically active tissues like skeletal muscles, adipose tissue, or liver (GLUT4). This translocation occurs through multiple steps of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In this chapter, we will focus on molecular events leading to GLUT4 translocation, starting with activation of insulin receptors through signaling cascade involving phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (PKB) and finally, the action of their effectors. We will present regulatory mechanisms and modulators of insulin-mediated glucose uptake

Bifunctional TaqII restriction endonuclease: redefining the prototype DNA recognition site and establishing the Fidelity Index for partial cleaving

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The TaqII enzyme is a member of the <it>Thermus </it>sp. enzyme family that we propounded previously within Type IIS restriction endonucleases, containing related thermophilic bifunctional endonucleases-methyltransferases from various <it>Thermus </it>sp.: TaqII, Tth111II, TthHB27I, TspGWI, TspDTI and TsoI. These enzymes show significant nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarities, a rare phenomenon among restriction endonucleases, along with similarities in biochemical properties, molecular size, DNA recognition sequences and cleavage sites. They also feature some characteristics of Types I and III.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Barker et al. reported the Type IIS/IIC restriction endonuclease TaqII as recognizing two distinct cognate site variants (5'-GACCGA-3' and 5'-CACCCA-3') while cleaving 11/9 nucleotides downstream. We used four independent methods, namely, shotgun cloning and sequencing, restriction pattern analysis, digestion of particular custom substrates and GeneScan analysis, to demonstrate that the recombinant enzyme recognizes only 5'-GACCGA-3' sites and cleaves 11/9 nucleotides downstream. We did not observe any 5'-CACCCA-3' cleavage under a variety of conditions and site arrangements tested. We also characterized the enzyme biochemically and established new digestion conditions optimal for practical enzyme applications. Finally, we developed and propose a new version of the Fidelity Index - the Fidelity Index for Partial Cleavage (FI-PC).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The DNA recognition sequence of the bifunctional prototype TaqII endonuclease-methyltransferase from <it>Thermus aquaticus </it>has been redefined as recognizing only 5'-GACCGA-3' cognate sites. The reaction conditions (pH and salt concentrations) were designed either to minimize (pH = 8.0 and 10 mM ammonium sulphate) or to enhance star activity (pH = 6.0 and no salt). Redefinition of the recognition site and reaction conditions makes this prototype endonuclease a useful tool for DNA manipulation; as yet, this enzyme has no practical applications. The extension of the Fidelity Index will be helpful for DNA manipulation with enzymes only partially cleaving DNA.</p

A Survey of Genetic Variation and Genome Evolution within the Invasive Fallopia Complex

The knotweed taxa Fallopia japonica, F. sachalinensis and their interspecific hybrid F. x bohemica are some of the most aggressive invaders in Europe and North America and they are serious threats to native biodiversity. At the same time, they constitute a unique model system for the creation of hybrids and studies of the initiation of evolutionary processes. In the presented study, we focused on (i) examining genetic diversity in selected populations of three Fallopia taxa in the invaded (Poland) and native ranges (Japan), (ii) establishing genome size and ploidy levels and (iii) identifying ribosomal DNA (rDNA)-bearing chromosomes in all of the taxa from the invaded range. We found that the genetic diversity within particular taxa was generally low regardless of their geographical origin. A higher level of clonality was observed for the Polish populations compared to the Japanese populations. Our study suggests that the co-occurrence of F. sachalinensis together with the other two taxa in the same stand may be the source of the higher genetic variation within the F. x bohemica hybrid. Some shift towards the contribution of F. japonica alleles was also observed for selected F. x bohemica individuals, which indicates the possibility of producing more advanced generations of F. x bohemica hybrids. All of the F. sachalinensis individuals were hexaploid (2n = 6x = 66; 2C = 6.01 pg), while those of F. japonica were mostly octoploid (2n = 8x = 88; 2C = 8.87 pg) and all of the F. x bohemica plants except one were hexaploid (2n = 6x = 66; 2C = 6.46 pg). Within the chromosome complement of F. japonica, F. sachalinensis and F. x bohemica, the physical mapping of the rDNA loci provided markers for 16, 13 and 10 chromosomes, respectively. In F. x bohemica, a loss of some of rDNA loci was observed, which indicates the occurrence of genome changes in the hybrid

Association of glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) and miR-196a with carbohydrate metabolism disorders in the elderly

The escalating prevalence of carbohydrate metabolism disorders (CMDs) prompts the need for early diagnosis and effective markers for their prediction. Hyperglycemia, the primary indicator of CMDs including prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), leads to overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress (OxS). This condition, resulting from chronic hyperglycemia and insufficient antioxidant defense, causes damage to biomolecules, triggering diabetes complications. Additionally, aging itself can serve as a source of OxS due to the weakening of antioxidant defense mechanisms. Notably, previous research indicates that miR-196a, by downregulating glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3), contributes to insulin resistance (IR). Additionally, a GPx3 decrease is observed in overweight/obese and insulin-resistant individuals and in the elderly population. This study investigates plasma GPx3 levels and miR-196a expression as potential CMD risk indicators. We used ELISA to measure GPx3 and qRT-PCR for miR-196a expression, supplemented by multivariate linear regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Our findings included a significant GPx3 reduction in the CMD patients (n = 126), especially in the T2DM patients (n = 51), and a decreasing trend in the prediabetes group (n = 37). miR-196a expression, although higher in the CMD and T2DM groups than in the controls, was not statistically significant, potentially due to the small sample size. In the individuals with CMD, GPx3 levels exhibited a negative correlation with the mass of adipose tissue, muscle, and total body water, while miR-196a positively correlated with fat mass. In the CMD group, the analysis revealed a weak negative correlation between glucose and GPx3 levels. ROC analysis indicated a 5.2-fold increased CMD risk with GPx3 below 419.501 ng/mL. Logistic regression suggested that each 100 ng/mL GPx3 increase corresponded to a roughly 20% lower CMD risk (OR = 0.998; 95% CI: 0.996–0.999; p = 0.031). These results support the potential of GPx3 as a biomarker for CMD, particularly in T2DM, and the lack of a significant decline in GPx3 levels in prediabetic individuals suggests that it may not serve reliably as an early indicator of CMDs, warranting further large-scale validation

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Multifunctional Silver(I) Complexes with Metronidazole Drug Reveal Antimicrobial Properties and Antitumor Activity against Human Hepatoma and Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cells

Silver salts and azole derivatives are well known for their antimicrobial properties. Recent evidence has demonstrated also their cytotoxic and genotoxic potential toward both normal and cancer cells. Still, little is known about the action of complexes of azoles with silver(I) salts. Thus, the goal of the study was to compare the chemical, cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties of metronidazole complexes with silver(I) nitrate and silver(I) sulfate to metronidazole and pure silver(I) salts. We synthetized a novel complex, [Ag(MTZ)2]2SO4, and confirmed its chemical structure and properties using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and X-Ray, IR and elemental analysis. To establish the stability of complexes [Ag(MTZ)2NO3] and [Ag(MTZ)2]2SO4, they were exposed to daylight and UV-A rays and were visually assessed. Their cytotoxicity toward human cancer cells (HepG2, Caco-2) and mice normal fibroblasts (Balb/c 3T3 clone A31) was determined by MTT, NRU, TPC and LDH assays. The micro-dilution broth method was used to evaluate their antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A biofilm eradication study was also performed using the crystal violet method and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The photo-stability of the complexes was higher than silver(I) salts. In human cancer cells, [Ag(MTZ)2]2SO4 was more cytotoxic than Ag2SO4 and, in turn, AgNO3 was more cytotoxic than [Ag(MTZ)2NO3]. For Balb/c 3T3 cells, Ag2SO4 was more cytotoxic than [Ag(MTZ)2]2SO4, while the cytotoxicity of AgNO3 and [Ag(MTZ)2NO3] was similar. Metronidazole in the tested concentration range was non-cytotoxic for both normal and cancer cells. The complexes showed increased bioactivity against aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria when compared to metronidazole. For the majority of the tested bacterial strains, the silver(I) salts and complexes showed a higher antibacterial activity than MTZ; however, some bacterial strains presented the reverse effect. Our results showed that silver(I) complexes present higher photo-stability, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity in comparison to MTZ and, to a certain extent, to silver(I) salts

Ultrastructural visualization of 3D chromatin folding using volume electron microscopy and DNA in situ hybridization.

The human genome is extensively folded into 3-dimensional organization. However, the detailed 3D chromatin folding structures have not been fully visualized due to the lack of robust and ultra-resolution imaging capability. Here, we report the development of an electron microscopy method that combines serial block-face scanning electron microscopy with in situ hybridization (3D-EMISH) to visualize 3D chromatin folding at targeted genomic regions with ultra-resolution (5 × 5 × 30 nm in xyz dimensions) that is superior to the current super-resolution by fluorescence light microscopy. We apply 3D-EMISH to human lymphoblastoid cells at a 1.7 Mb segment of the genome and visualize a large number of distinctive 3D chromatin folding structures in ultra-resolution. We further quantitatively characterize the reconstituted chromatin folding structures by identifying sub-domains, and uncover a high level heterogeneity of chromatin folding ultrastructures in individual nuclei, suggestive of extensive dynamic fluidity in 3D chromatin states