A genome-wide resource for the analysis of protein localisation in Drosophila

The Drosophila genome contains >13000 protein-coding genes, the majority of which remain poorly investigated. Important reasons include the lack of antibodies or reporter constructs to visualise these proteins. Here, we present a genome-wide fosmid library of 10000 GFP-tagged clones, comprising tagged genes and most of their regulatory information. For 880 tagged proteins, we created transgenic lines, and for a total of 207 lines, we assessed protein expression and localisation in ovaries, embryos, pupae or adults by stainings and live imaging approaches. Importantly, we visualised many proteins at endogenous expression levels and found a large fraction of them localising to subcellular compartments. By applying genetic complementation tests, we estimate that about two-thirds of the tagged proteins are functional. Moreover, these tagged proteins enable interaction proteomics from developing pupae and adult flies. Taken together, this resource will boost systematic analysis of protein expression and localisation in various cellular and developmental contexts

Effects of zebra mussels on cladoceran communities under eutrophic conditions

The purpose of this study was to determine how zebra mussels affected cladoceran community structure under eutrophic conditions. We conducted a mesocosm study where we manipulated the presence of zebra mussels and the presence of large-bodied Daphnia (Daphnia magna and Daphnia pulicaria). We also conducted a complimentary life-table experiment to determine how water from the zebra mussel treatment affected the life history characteristics of the cladoceran species. We anticipated that small- and large-bodied cladoceran species would respond differently to changes in algal quality and quantity under the effects of zebra mussels. Large-bodied Daphnia successfully established in the zebra mussel treatment but failed to grow in the control. We did not observe positive relationships between food concentrations and cladoceran abundances. However, the phosphorus content in the seston indicated that food quality was below the threshold level for large-bodied cladocerans at the beginning of the experiment. We believe that zebra mussels quickly enhanced the phosphorus content in the seston due to the excretion of inorganic phosphorus, thus facilitating the development of large-bodied Daphnia. In conclusion, our results suggest that zebra mussels can alter the phosphorus content of seston in lakes and this can affect the dynamics of crustacean zooplankton

Expression of Drosophila Adenosine Deaminase in Immune Cells during Inflammatory Response

Extra-cellular adenosine is an important regulator of inflammatory responses. It is generated from released ATP by a cascade of ectoenzymes and degraded by adenosine deaminase (ADA). There are two types of enzymes with ADA activity: ADA1 and ADGF/ADA2. ADA2 activity originates from macrophages and dendritic cells and is associated with inflammatory responses in humans and rats. Drosophila possesses a family of six ADGF proteins with ADGF-A being the main regulator of extra-cellular adenosine during larval stages. Herein we present the generation of a GFP reporter for ADGF-A expression by a precise replacement of the ADGF-A coding sequence with GFP using homologous recombination. We show that the reporter is specifically expressed in aggregating hemocytes (Drosophila immune cells) forming melanotic capsules; a characteristic of inflammatory response. Our vital reporter thus confirms ADA expression in sites of inflammation in vivo and demonstrates that the requirement for ADA activity during inflammatory response is evolutionary conserved from insects to vertebrates. Our results also suggest that ADA activity is achieved specifically within sites of inflammation by an uncharacterized post-transcriptional regulation based mechanism. Utilizing various mutants that induce melanotic capsule formation and also a real immune challenge provided by parasitic wasps, we show that the acute expression of the ADGF-A protein is not driven by one specific signaling cascade but is rather associated with the behavior of immune cells during the general inflammatory response. Connecting the exclusive expression of ADGF-A within sites of inflammation, as presented here, with the release of energy stores when the ADGF-A activity is absent, suggests that extra-cellular adenosine may function as a signal for energy allocation during immune response and that ADGF-A/ADA2 expression in such sites of inflammation may regulate this role

MicrowaveSolvothermal Synthesis nanoparticles

The article presents the method of Microwave Solvothermal Synthesis of nanoparticles (MSS). It facilitates the generation of particles of second generation which are covered with carefully chosen molecules. It gives the possibility to use their specialized properties in various scientific areas and what is more, it takes part in the development of technologies in industry. A Laboratory of Nanostructures for Photonic and Nanomedicine, which is located in the Institute of High Pressure Physics, has also been presented. The Laboratory, has been working on the development and improvement of MSS technology since 2002. Moreover, the article presents the reactors which are owned by the Institute and which enable this synthesis as well as the example of MSS technology which allows to obtain quantum dots of zinc oxide. Furthermore, main features and advantages of this method, which confirm the belief that it is worth continuing research on its development, have been mentioned. At the end of this article two research projects which relate to the use of the MSS technology on a large scale and which serve a crucial role in amelioration of human life, have been shown

The use of controlling in the printing company - case study

The article presents the basic information related to the issue of controlling. The work contains the most common in the literature definitions of controlling, its classifications and areas of potential applications. Then the authors present basic information about the printing industry in Poland, and also pay attention to the possible use of controlling in this sector. Authors described also the basic needs of controlling in the printing industry. In the research part of the article, the authors based on data from the chosen printing company present the application of certain aspects of controlling, as well as indicate where the unit of controlling in the organizational structure. Prepared tables can significantly facilitate the functioning of the company, and are very simple and convenient tool for monitoring and early warning. The authors thanks to their knowledge and experience in printing prepared sets of measures at both operational and strategic. With the collected history data it became possible to determine the allowable deviation and a statement in which measures company should focus corrective action. In the prepared tables authors use a holistic approach, and the procedures proposed by Prof. S. Marciniak. Worthy of note is also the fact that the subject matter of controlling the printing industry is not too often raised in scientific studies

Structural and electron aspects of nitrogen–nitrogen bond

Azot, podobnie jak wiele innych pierwiastków chemicznych, posiada zdolność do katenacji. Największą grupę związków z układami Nx stanowią te, które zawierają dwa atomy azotu, a najliczniejszą wśród nich a najliczniejsze wśród nich to związki –hydrazo, –azo, –azoksy, –azodioksy oraz związki zawierające grupę nitraminową. W prezentowanych badaniach dla ustalenia zmian w długości wiązania azot–azot wyliczono średnie jej wartości na podstawie obliczeń kwantowo-mechanicznych oraz danych z krystalograficznej bazy CSD. Dodatkowo, przy użyciu indeksu aromatyczności HOMA opartego na kryteriach geometrycznyche, wyliczono aromatyczność pierścieni fenylowych związanych z analizowanymi grupami funkcyjnymi.Nitrogen, like many other chemical elements, has catenation ability. The largest family of compounds containing Nx systems are compounds containing two nitrogen atoms, and the most numerous among them are hydrazo, azo, azoxy, azodioxy compounds and compounds with nitramine group. In the presented studies for determining changes in nitrogennitrogen bond length, average lengths were calculated based on quantum mechanical calculations and data from crystallographic database CSD. Furthermore, the aromaticity of phenyl rings connected to studied functional groups was calculated using HOMA aromaticity index based on geometric criteria

Crystalline structures of salts of oxalic acid and aliphatic amines

W artykule dokonano analizy struktur krystalicznych soli kwasu szczawiowego i amin alifatycznych. W sieciach tych występuje wielość form ułożenia zarówno jedno-ujemnych jak i dwu-ujemnych anionów kwasu szczawiowego. Jednoujemne aniony mogą tworzyć cykliczne dimery lub układać się w liniowe łańcuchy o charakterze zarówno przypominającym strukturę schodkową jak również łańcuchy mieszane. W przypadku anionów dwu-ujemnych można również wyróżnić łańcuchy liniowe płaskie oraz łańcuchy liniowe, zawierające aniony ułożone względem siebie prostopadle. W celu porównania parametrów geometrycznych wiązań wodorowych typu O–H...O występujących pomiędzy jedno-ujemnymi anionami w krysztale oraz w “fazie gazowej”, przeprowadzono obliczenia kwantowo-mechaniczne metodą MP2.The article analyses crystalline structures of salts of oxalic acid and aliphatic amine. In such network there is multitude of arrangement forms for both mononegative and binegative oxalic acid anions. Mononegative anions might form cyclic dimers or arrange in linear chains of nature resembling stepwise structure, as well as in mixed chains. For binegative anions it is possible to distinguish linear flat chains and linear chains containing anions arranged perpendicularly to each other. In order to compare geometrical characteristics of hydrogen bonds of type O–H...O connecting mononegative ions in the crystal and in the „gas phase”, the quantum mechanical calculations were carried out using MP2 method