Characteristics of galls formed by Lipara pullitarsis Doskočil & Chvála, 1971 (Diptera, Chloropidae) on common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. Ex Steud, 1841)

We studied galls formed by Lipara pullitarsis in the apical part of common reed stems, paying particular attention to the number and length of internodes that formed the basal part of each gall. L. similis galls were used only as a reference for the study of L. pullitarsis galls, as they were characterised by a uniform structural pattern and a shape similar to some galls produced by L. pullitarsis. L. pullitarsis galls vary in shape. The species is found in conspicuous galls that are narrow at the base and have a wider apical part. It can also be found inside rod-shaped galls similar to those formed by L. similis. The shape of an L. pullitarsis gall is determined by the number and length of internodes that form its basal part, with the length of internodes III, IV and V being of the greatest significance

Bryoflora of limestone outliers in the buffer zone of the Ojców National Park (Kraków Upland)

The paper presents a list of 53 bryophyte species (50 mosses and 3 liverworts) collected on limestone outliers and slopes in the buffer zone of the Ojców National Park. That work also provides a specification of 3 types of moss communities. The influence of succession on bryoflora was discussed besides that

Scale-free cascading failures:Generalized approach for all simple, connected graphs

Cascading failures, wherein the failure of one component triggers subsequent failures in complex interconnected systems, pose a significant risk of disruptions and emerge across various domains. Understanding and mitigating the risk of such failures is crucial to minimize their impact and ensure the resilience of these systems. In multiple applications, the failure processes exhibit scale-free behavior in terms of their total failure sizes. Various models have been developed to explain the origin of this scale-free behavior. A recent study proposed a novel hypothesis, suggesting that scale-free failure sizes might be inherited from scale-free input characteristics in power networks. However, the scope of this study excluded certain network topologies. Here, motivated by power networks, we strengthen this hypothesis by generalizing to a broader range of graph topologies where this behavior is manifested. Our approach yields a universal theorem applicable to all simple, connected graphs, revealing that when a cascade leads to network disconnections, the total failure size exhibits a scale-free tail inherited from the input characteristics. We do so by characterizing cascade sequences of failures in the asymptotic regime

The analysis of the traits determining the development of some plant species typical for the meadow habitats of the Natura 2000 network

The aim of this study was to determine the traits in peculiar species which most influence their survivability during early growth and development. Eight representative plant species typical for four non-afforested habitats of river valleys were tested. The results showed that for the restoration of natural habitats, the following species are best suited: Allium angulosum (Cnidion dubii, 6440) due to its good seed germination capacity and fast growth rate of its seedlings; Galium boreale (Molinion, 6410) due to the fast growth rate of its seedlings; Tragopogon pratensis (Arrhenatherion elatioris, 6510) due to its large seeds, good seed germination capacity and fast growth rate of its seedlings; regarding to tested species of Festuco-Brometea (6210), the obtained results do not give a definite answer

Evaluation of driver exposure risk on toxins emitted from exhausts engine in traffic congestion simulated conditions

The increase in the number of vehicles and better availability of car purchase cause that nowadays people tend to spend more time inside cars. In urban traffic conditions, vehicles moves at low speeds. In addition, traffic lights and high traffic flows cause frequent stops of vehicles and often lead to congestions. The consequence is high amount of exhaust emission and high levels of the concentration of pollutants in the air. In such conditions, pollutants including hydrocarbons from the group of volatile organic compound enter the interior of vehicles with air passing into the cabin. It accumulates mainly in the area of the driver and the passengers heads. In this paper the results of the research of volatile organic compounds concentration inside two different passenger cars in simulated traffic congestion conditions are presented. The study involved vehicles of various ages: new (2011) and old (1999). On the basis of the study the driver exposure inside these vehicles to the impact of volatile organic compounds has been evaluated

Variability of prasugrel antiplatelet effect in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Background. Many reports have demonstrated excessive variability in response to clopidogrel, the most commonly used P2Y12 receptor antagonist. Clopidogrel resistant patients are at increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events. Prasugrel is a new P2Y12 inhibitor that provides greater and faster platelet inhibition and reduces CV events more effectively than clopidogrel. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variability and efficacy of prasugrel antiplatelet activity in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Materials and methods. The study was designed as a prospective, single-center, non-randomized, observational trial. Platelet reactivity (PR) was assessed with the VeryfyNow assay three times during hospitalization in forty-two patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ACS and treated with standard doses of prasugrel. Results. Platelet aggregation with prasugrel displayed relatively high variability. The platelet aggregation was lowest on the 3rd day of the treatment at 4 p.m. and was significantly different from the measurements obtained on the 3rd and 4th day in the morning (6.0 v. 8.5 U; p = 0.0005 and 6.0 v. 36.5 U; p < 0.00001, respectively), with the latter two differing significantly from each other (p = 0.002). All participants were successfully treated with prasugrel achieving PR < 208 PRU in each measurement, whereas 42.9–80.9% (depending on sampling point) of patients presented very low platelet activity. The subgroups of stable and persistent low PR included a higher percentage of active smokers (73.3 v. 40.7%; p = 0.04 and 80.0 v. 43.8%; p = 0.04, respectively). Conclusions. Prasugrel treatment is associated with high variability of PR. Nonetheless, prasugrel is a highly effective antiplatelet drug. Active smoking may predispose to strong and stable on-prasugrel platelet inhibition.