A tiling microarray for global analysis of chloroplast genome expression in cucumber and other plants

Plastids are small organelles equipped with their own genomes (plastomes). Although these organelles are involved in numerous plant metabolic pathways, current knowledge about the transcriptional activity of plastomes is limited. To solve this problem, we constructed a plastid tiling microarray (PlasTi-microarray) consisting of 1629 oligonucleotide probes. The oligonucleotides were designed based on the cucumber chloroplast genomic sequence and targeted both strands of the plastome in a non-contiguous arrangement. Up to 4 specific probes were designed for each gene/exon, and the intergenic regions were covered regularly, with 70-nt intervals. We also developed a protocol for direct chemical labeling and hybridization of as little as 2 micrograms of chloroplast RNA. We used this protocol for profiling the expression of the cucumber chloroplast plastome on the PlasTi-microarray. Owing to the high sequence similarity of plant plastomes, the newly constructed microarray can be used to study plants other than cucumber. Comparative hybridization of chloroplast transcriptomes from cucumber, Arabidopsis, tomato and spinach showed that the PlasTi-microarray is highly versatile

Comparison of local and systemic inflammatory markers in patients with community-acquired pneumonia and pneumonia coexisting with lung cancer

Background: The aim of the study was to compare the local and systemic markers of inflammatory processes in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and in those with pneumonia coexisting with lung cancer. Material and methods: Seventeen patients with community-acquired pneumonia (group I), 14 patients with pneumonia and lung cancer (group II), and 24 patients with lung cancer (group III) were enrolled into the study. Sixteen healthy smokers served as a control group (group IV). Concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-&#945;) were measured in exhaled breath condensate (EBC). The levels of VEGF and TNF-&#945; were also measured in serum. Results: The concentrations of VEGF (317.83 &#177; 77.78) and TNF-&#945; (1.98 &#177; 0.13) in EBC were significantly higher in patients with pneumonia and lung cancer as compared to patients with community-acquired pneumonia (VEGF 30.20 &#177; 6.56; TNF-&#945; 0.31 &#177; 0.05). Also the level of H2O2 (0.96 &#177; 0.16) in EBC in patients with pneumonia and lung cancer was elevated in comparison to patients with CAP (0.66 &#177; 0.09), however the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The serum concentrations of both studied cytokines were significantly higher in patients with pneumonia (VEGF 1112.62 &#177; &#177; 244.38 and TNF-&#945; 2.6 &#177; 0.48) than in those with pneumonia and lung cancer (VEGF 392.9 &#177; 78.2; TNF-&#945; 1.6 &#177; 0.2). Conclusions: Patients with pneumonia and lung cancer exhibited higher levels of oxidative stress and local inflammatory reactions than those with pneumonia. However, inflammatory markers in serum were significantly lower in patients with pneumonia and lung cancer as compared to those with CAP. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2011; 79, 2: 90-98Wstęp: Celem pracy było porównanie markerów lokalnych i systemowych procesów zapalnych u chorych na pozaszpitalne zapalenie płuc (CAP) oraz zapalenie płuc współistniejące z rakiem płuca. Materiał i metody: Badania przeprowadzono u 17 chorych na pozaszpitalne zapalenie płuc (I grupa), 14 chorych na zapalenie płuc współistniejące z rakiem płuca (II grupa), 24 chorych na raka płuca (III grupa) oraz u 16 osób zdrowych (IV grupa - kontrolna). Oceniano stężenie nadtlenku wodoru (H2O2), naczyniowo-śródbłonkowego czynnika wzrostu (VEGF) i czynnika martwicy nowotworów &#945; (TNF-&#945;) w kondensacie powietrza wydechowego (EBC) oraz stężenie VEGF i TNF-&#945; w surowicy. Wyniki: U chorych na zapalenie płuc współistniejące z rakiem płuca stwierdzono znamiennie wyższe stężenie VEGF (317,83 &#177; 77,78) i TNF-&#945; (1,98 &#177; 0,13) w kondensacie powietrza wydechowego w porównaniu z chorymi na pozaszpitalne zapalenie płuc (VEGF 30,20 &#177; 6,56; TNF-&#945; 0,31 &#177; 0,05). Choć stężenie H2O2 (0,96 &#177; 0,16) w EBC u chorych na zapalenie płuc współistniejące z rakiem płuca było wyższe niż stężenie występujące u chorych na CAP (0,66 &#177; 0,09), to jednak różnica nie osiągnęła istotności statystycznej (p < 0,05). Natomiast u chorych na pozaszpitalne zapalenie płuc obserwowano istotnie wyższe stężenie obu badanych cytokin w surowicy krwi (VEGF 1112,62 &#177; 244,38 i TNF-&#945; 2,6 &#177; 0,48) w porównaniu z chorymi na zapalenie płuc ze współistniejącym rakiem płuca (VEGF 392,9 &#177; 78,2; TNF-&#945; 1,6 &#177; 0,2). Wnioski: Chorych na zapalenie płuc współistniejące z rakiem płuca charakteryzuje wyraźna tendencja do nasilonego miejscowego stresu oksydacyjnego oraz znamiennie wzmożona lokalna reakcja zapalna w porównaniu z chorymi na pozaszpitalne zapalenie płuc. Natomiast systemowa reakcja zapalna u chorych na zapalenie płuc wraz ze współistniejącym rakiem płuca jest wyraźnie zmniejszona w stosunku do chorych na CAP. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2011; 79, 2: 90-9

The use of a hybrid Sequential Biofiltration System for the improvement of nutrient removal and PCB control in municipal wastewater

This article aims to evaluate the efficiency of an innovative hybrid Sequential Biofiltration System (SBS) for removing phosphorus and nitrogen and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from original municipal wastewater produced by a Wastewater Treatment Plant under authentic operating conditions. The hybrid SBS was constructed with two barriers, a geochemical (filtration beds with limestone, coal and sawdust) and a biological barrier (wetlands with Glyceria, Acorus, Typha, Phragmites), operating in parallel. Significant differences were found between inflow and outflow from the SBS with regard to wastewater contaminant concentrations, the efficiency of removal being 16% (max. 93%) for Total Phosphorus (TP), 25% (max. 93%) for Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (SRP), 15% (max. 97%) for Total Nitrogen (TN), 17% (max. 98%) for NO3 –N, and 21% for PCB equivalency (PCB EQ). In the case of PCB EQ concentration, the highest efficiency of 43% was obtained using beds with macrophytes. The SBS removed a significant load of TP (0.415 kg), TN (3.136 kg), and PCB EQ (0.223 g) per square meter per year. The use of low-cost hybrid SBSs as a post-treatment step for wastewater treatment was found to be an effective ecohydrological biotechnology that may be used for reducing point source pollution and improving water quality

Composites Based on Hydroxyapatite and Whey Protein Isolate for Applications in Bone Regeneration

The “Multifunctional biologically active composites for applications in bone regenerative medicine” project is carried out within the TEAM-NET program of the Foundation for Polish Science financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support. T.E.L.D. thanks N8 Agrifood for its financial support in the framework of the pump priming grant “Food2Bone”.Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a bioactive ceramic with great potential for the regeneration of the skeletal system. However, its mechanical properties, especially its brittleness, limit its application. Therefore, in order to increase its ability to transmit stresses, it can be combined with a polymer phase, which increases its strength without eliminating the important aspect of bioactivity. The presented work focuses on obtaining organic–inorganic hydrogel materials based on whey protein isolate (WPI) reinforced with nano-HAp powder. The proportion of the ceramic phase was in the range of 0–15%. Firstly, a physicochemical analysis of the materials was performed using XRD, FT-IR and SEM. The hydrogel composites were subjected to swelling capacity measurements, potentiometric and conductivity analysis, and in vitro tests in four liquids: distilled water, Ringer’s fluid, artificial saliva, and simulated body fluid (SBF). The incubation results demonstrated the successful formation of new layers of apatite as a result of the interaction with the fluids. Additionally, the influence of the materials on the metabolic activity according to ISO 10993-5:2009 was evaluated by identifying direct contact cytotoxicity towards L-929 mouse fibroblasts, which served as a reference. Moreover, the stimulation of monocytes by hydrogels via the induction of nuclear factor (NF)-κB was investigated. The WPI/HAp composite hydrogels presented in this study therefore show great potential for use as novel bone substitutes

We Do Not Like It: A Likert-Type Scale Survey on the Attitudes of a Young Population towards the Transhumanistic Theory of Education

Transhumanists assume that future education may be purely based on technological stimulation. The question is: Do potential clients of education “like” such vision? In order to check this, we asked over one thousand two hundred young Poles to evaluate their identification with the transhumanistic theory of education. The results are quite surprising: its show that they disagree with the assumptions of this theory, while they rather agree with the postulates of more traditional (and no technology-based) concepts of education

The profession of a mediator. A few remarks to reflect upon the challenges concerning young people`s careers today

Contemporary expectations towards employees or job applicants often refer not so much to the demand for specifically defined skills, which may be acquired within the frames of clearly outlined educational paths, but to the flexibility, openness to change, initiative, entrepreneurship, willingness to continuous learning and multidirectional professional development at every stage of an employee’s career. What is more, they also concern strategic, conscious and individual way of creating a career path through taking up actions which let compose a ’portfolio of qualifications’ based on the ’unique resources’ helpful in creating competitive advantage on the labour market. Based on the activities of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) – a worldwide movement – the institution of mediation was introduced to the Polish legal system, thus opening the possibility to practice the profession of mediator. The paper presents basic assumptions concerning the specifics of the mediation method of dispute resolution and with reference to the above mentioned tendencies, powers of mediation have been characterized as: a profession (one of the alternatives to develop the basic, general education, e.g., representatives of social sciences) as well as interdisciplinary subject and practical skills area (interpersonal, communicative) valuable in many areas of contemporary professional activity also among young people.Współczesne oczekiwania wobec pracowników lub kandydatów do pracy, często odnoszą się nie tyle do zapotrzebowania na konkretnie sprecyzowane umiejętności, możliwe do zdobycia w ramach wyraźnie zarysowanych ścieżek edukacyjnych. Dotyczą raczej elastyczności, otwartości na zmiany, inicjatywności, przedsiębiorczości, gotowości do ciągłego uczenia się i wielokierunkowego rozwoju zawodowego, na każdym etapie kariery pracowniczej, strategicznego, świadomego i indywidualnego budowania ścieżek zawodowych, przez podejmowania działań pozwalających na komponowanie „portfela kwalifikacji” również w oparciu o „unikatowe zasoby” pomocne w budowaniu przewagi konkurencyjnej na rynku pracy. Na kanwie działań światowego ruchu Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), wprowadzono do porządku prawnego RP instytucję mediacji, otwierając tym samym możliwość wykonywania zawodu mediatora. W niniejszym opracowaniu przedstawiono podstawowe założenia dotyczące specyfiki mediacyjnej metody rozwiązywania sporów oraz w nawiązaniu do powyżej zarysowanych tendencji, scharakteryzowano kompetencje mediacyjne ujmowane jako: zawód (jedna z alternatyw na rozbudowywanie bazowego, ogólnego wykształcenia np. przedstawicieli nauk społecznych) i interdyscyplinarny obszar wiedzy oraz umiejętności praktycznych (interpersonalnych, komunikacyjnych) cennych w wielu obszarach współczesnej aktywności zawodowej również młodych ludzi

Attitudes of Krakow students towards people with intellectual disabilities

Zagadnienie niepełnosprawności intelektualnej, stanowi przedmiot zainteresowania naukowego wielu badaczy. W Polsce, pojęcie niepełnosprawności intelektualnej w wyniku współpracy różnorodnych środowisk naukowych, wraz z upływem czasu ulega przemianom. Badania dotyczące niepełnosprawności intelektualnej, w znacznym stopniu obejmują zagadnienia: jakości życia osób z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną, programów wsparcia, stosunku względem nich, a także współczesnego wizerunku obecnego w społeczeństwie. Inspiracją do powstania pracy były stereotypy wpływające na postawę badanej grupy, hipoteza kontaktu oraz skala dystansu. Kwestionariusz wykorzystany w ramach przeprowadzonego badania, sprawdzał postawy krakowskich studentów wobec osób z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną. Kierunki studiów, płeć, miejsce zamieszkania, wyznanie, a także wiek stanowiły czynniki różnicujące owe postawy. Przeprowadzona analiza badawcza, wykazała szereg interesujących wniosków dotyczących obrazu osoby z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną.The issue of intellectual disability is the subject of scientific interest of many researchers. In Poland, the concept of intellectual disability as a result of cooperation of various scientific communities, changes over time. Research on intellectual disability largely covers the issues of: quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities attitude towards them,, support programs, as well as the modern image present in society. The inspiration for the creation of the thesis were stereotypes affecting the attitude of the studied group, contact hypothesis and distance scale. The questionnaire used as a part of the study checked the attitudes of Krakow students towards people with intellectual disabilities. The fields of study, gender, place of residence, religion, and age were the factors that differentiate these attitudes. The conducted research analysis showed a number of interesting conclusions regarding the image of a person with intellectual disability