Changes in the physiological activity of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) under the influence of exogenous growth regulators

In a two-year pot experiment (2008–2009) conducted at the Vegetation Hall, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, we investigated the influence of exogenous growth regulators, i.e. indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and their mixture, on the activity of gas exchange and selected physiological features of soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.). The experimental factors included the following Polish soybean cultivars: ‘Aldana’, ‘Progres’ and ‘Jutro’. During plant growth, CO2 assimilation (A), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (gs), and substomatal CO2 concentration (ci) were determined. Two soybean cultivars, i.e. ‘Jutro’ and ‘Progres’, showed a significant increase in the intensity of assimilation and transpiration after using all kinds of growth regulators as compared with the control plants. It was found that the ‘Jutro’ cultivar, after using a mixture of growth regulators (IBA + BAP), was characterized by the significantly highest CO2 assimilation (A) and transpiration (E) as well as the highest stomatal conductance (gs). The ‘Aldana’ cultivar, on the other hand, responded by a significant reduction in the transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and subsomatal CO2 concentration. The spraying of the plants with exogenous growth regulators had a significant influence on the increase in the number of stomata and stomatal pore length, mostly on the lower epidermis of the lamina. It was also found that plants from the ‘Jutro’ and ‘Aldana’ cultivars sprayed with IBA and IBA + BAP were characterized by the highest yield, as compared with the control plants. In the case of the ‘Jutro’ cultivar, after using the growth regulators, a positive correlation was observed between the assimilation and transpiration rates and the length of stomata, which in consequence produced increased yields

Porównanie narzędzi do tworzenia aplikacji typu SPA na przykładzie Ember i React

The article presents the results of comparison of tools for creating SPA applications using the Ember and React framework. The research was carried out using test applications with the same functionality but implemented on both platforms. The comparison concerned the structure of the project, selected code metrics and the effectiveness of page rendering.W artykule przedstawiono wyniki porównania narzędzi do tworzenie aplikacji typu SPA przy użyciu platformy programistycznej Ember oraz React. Badania przeprowadzono z wykorzystaniem aplikacji testowych o takiej samej funkcjonalnoĞci, ale zaimplementowanych na obu platformach. Porównanie dotyczyło struktury projektu, wybranych metryk kodu oraz efektywnoĞci renderowania stron

Armed conflicts in the post-Soviet region: Present situation, prospects for settlement, consequences. OSW Study 9/2003

Unresolved conflicts continue to smoulder in Transnistria, Chechnya, Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia. "Para-states" have formed in most conflict-affected areas. These have grown to become permanent players in the region. In Chechnya, guerrilla fights continue in the wake of the Russian army's siege of the republic. The conflict in Tajikistan ended in 1997 and the normalisation process is currently under way. Each of these conflicts has entailed profound political, social, ethnic and economic changes, as well as affecting other spheres of life. Presently, it is impossible to return to the pre-conflict situation. The "para-states" have fortified their independence and are no longer controlled by the external powers on which they depended in the initial phases of the conflicts

The morphological and biochemical effects of feeding Hooker’s pitcher with Formica fusca or Calliphora vicina Larvae

The aim of this study was to determine if feeding Hooker’s pitcher (Nepenthes × hookeriana) with blowfly larvae (Calliphora vicina Rob-Desvoidy) or ants (Formica fusca L.) affected the plant’s biometric and biochemical parameters. The research included measurements of length and width of the laminae and pitchers, and the total contents of the ash, assimilation pigments, polyphenols, and flavonoids. These parameters were measured 30 days after the last feeding. This study demonstrated that feeding the plants with blowfly larvae resulted in increases in the lengths and widths of both the laminae and pitchers. Moreover, the laminae had reduced carotenoid content after feeding with blowfly larvae and ants whereas the pitchers of Hooker’s pitcher had increased chlorophyll and carotenoid content after feeding with blowfly larvae. Feeding Hooker’s pitcher plants with blowfly larvae also resulted in a reduction of the total polyphenol content in the laminae whereas the total flavonoid content increased in both the laminae and pitchers of Hooker’s pitcher. Feeding Nepenthes × hookeriana with insects ensures that their nutritional needs are met and leads to pitchers with good physiological condition

Bayesowskie graniczne funkcje kosztu dla sektora dystrybucji energii

The paper discusses the application of the Bayesian stochastic frontier cost functions as a tool for assessing and comparing the cost efficiency of firms. The analysis is based on the microeconomic production theory and the concept of inefficiency that is related to the existence of inner mechanisms responsible for observing costs higher than indicated by theory, given technical and economic environment of firms. The stochastic cost frontier a llows to estimate individual cost efficiency and to precisely decompose the observed cost into theoretical categories, such as minimal excessive or systematic cost, which play crucial role in assessing the economic behavior of firms. From the empirical perspective the most important is the minimal cost, which denotes the cost that is indispensable to achieve the observed production level giv en technology, input prices, cost effects of random variability. The Bayesian estimation of stochastic cost frontiers for panel data allows to treat a number of issues unsolved on the classical ground, such as stability of empirical results, assessment of the uncertainty of cost categories and efficiency coefficients. As a fundamental tool for the analysis we present the Bayesian random effects mode l with constant efficiency distribution. The methodology is illustrated with the cost function for the 14 firms operating in the electricity distribution sector observed over 6 years

The influence of Effective Microorganisms and number of buds per cane in viticulture on chemical composition in fruits

As a result of climate warming, wine-growing zones have moved to the north, where conditions exist may result in poor fruit quality. Fruits may develop significant amounts of tannin compounds, which are not acceptable to all consumers. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the influence of selected factors on the quality and content of polyphenols in grapevine fruits. The differentiating factors were as follows: two grapevine cultivars, varied number of buds per cane, and treatment with Effective Microorganisms (EM). To determine the total content of polyphenols and individual polyphenolic compounds in the tested fruits, the UPLC-PDA-MS method was used. The results indicated that the studied factors had no effect on total soluble solids and titratable acidity in grapes. The experiment revealed that polyphenol content was most dependent on the cultivar, followed by the number of buds per cane; EM treatment had the least effect. The fruit of the ‘Regent’ cultivar was characterised by higher polyphenol content. ‘Cabernet Cortis’ berries had higher levels of phenolic acids and flavan-3-ols, while ‘Regent’ berries were higher in anthocyanins and flavonols. EM treatment had a large impact on the reduction of tannic acid compounds. Fruits from untreated plants with four buds per cane had a significantly increased content of polyphenols, including flavan-3-ols

The quality of life of patients with overactive bladder after local injections of botulinum toxin A – a preliminary report

Abstract Objectives: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the quality of life of patients suffering from urge urinary incontinence resistant to anticholinergic therapy treated with intradetrusical injections of 200 U botulinum toxin A. Materials and methods: The study group consisted of 10 female patients who were diagnosed with urge urinary incontinence. Standard King’s questionnaire was used for the assessment of the change in the quality of life after treatment. Questionnaires were filled in by all patients before the treatment and during control visits, 3 months after the injection of botulinum toxin A. Results: Statistically significant improvement in the quality of life for the majority of the domains of King’s questionnaire (except the evaluation of urinary incontinence impact on the general health condition and social relations) was observed in 7 out of 10 patients subjected to botulinum toxin therapy (