Molecular markers as a tool for studying plant invasions as exemplified by Acer negundo and Padus serotina case studies - plan of research project : [poster]

Even though the number of invasive woody species is not significant, it is considered that they exert high pressure on native flora and can significantly disturb nutrient dependencies in ecosystems. Such examples in Poland are Acer negundo (Boxelder) and Padus serotina (Black cherry). Both trees have been deliberately brought to Poland from North America: Boxelder as an ornamental tree and Black cherry as a biocenotic addition and as windbreaks in forests (Fragment tekstu)

Management of invasive plant species in the valley of the Ślepiotka river in Katowice : [poster]

Invasive alien plants, besides river regulations, are one of the main reasons for transforming the riparian flora and vegetation. In many cases, the replacement of native species caused by alien plants may result not only in ecological losses but also economic ones. The group of invasive plants spreading along rivers in Poland include, among others: Acer negundo (Boxelder maple), Echinocystis lobata (Wild cucumber), two species from the genus Impatiens: I. glandulifera (Himalayan balsam) and I. parviflora (Small balsam), Padus serotina (Black cherry), Reynoutria japonica (Japanese knotweed) and Solidago gigantea (Giant goldenrod). Currently, in many countries, actions are undertaken which are dedicated to restoration of river valleys and halting the spread of invasive plant species (Fragment tekstu)

In Search of Species-Specific SNPs in a Non-Model Animal (European Bison (Bison bonasus))—Comparison of De Novo and Reference-Based Integrated Pipeline of STACKS Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) Data

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The European bison is a dramatically low-diversified species, commonly analyzed using cattle-dedicated tools. Our aim was to compare two genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) pipelines: de novo and reference pipeline, using the STACKS software and to reveal the maximum possible number of species-specific SNPs for our further project on European bison health. Therefore, we compared two genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) pipelines: de novo (non-reference based) and a reference-based, using the STACKS software. We found a higher number of polymorphic loci from the reference pipeline in comparison to the de novo one. Next, we compared the results of the reference pipeline for the draft genome of European bison and completely annotated the Bos taurus genome. Higher numbers of polymorphic loci were revealed in European bison than in Bos taurus through the reference pipeline. We observed a possible effect of PCR duplicates on GBS data, as previously reported with the RADSeq approach. We recommend using a reference pipeline without PCR duplicates as a more efficient tool for species with low genetic diversity. ABSTRACT: The European bison is a non-model organism; thus, most of its genetic and genomic analyses have been performed using cattle-specific resources, such as BovineSNP50 BeadChip or Illumina Bovine 800 K HD Bead Chip. The problem with non-specific tools is the potential loss of evolutionary diversified information (ascertainment bias) and species-specific markers. Here, we have used a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach for genotyping 256 samples from the European bison population in Bialowieza Forest (Poland) and performed an analysis using two integrated pipelines of the STACKS software: one is de novo (without reference genome) and the other is a reference pipeline (with reference genome). Moreover, we used a reference pipeline with two different genomes, i.e., Bos taurus and European bison. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) is a useful tool for SNP genotyping in non-model organisms due to its cost effectiveness. Our results support GBS with a reference pipeline without PCR duplicates as a powerful approach for studying the population structure and genotyping data of non-model organisms. We found more polymorphic markers in the reference pipeline in comparison to the de novo pipeline. The decreased number of SNPs from the de novo pipeline could be due to the extremely low level of heterozygosity in European bison. It has been confirmed that all the de novo/Bos taurus and Bos taurus reference pipeline obtained SNPs were unique and not included in 800 K BovineHD BeadChip

THE KNOWLEDGE ON LYME BORRELIOSIS AND OTHER TICK-BORNE DISEASES AMONG NURSING STUDENTS FROM POLAND AND SLOVAKIA

Tick-borne diseases are infectious diseases transmitted by the bites of infected ticks. The most common vector-borne disease in Europe is Lyme borreliosis (LB). The number of the reported cases of LB has been steadily increasing. For this reason, it is important to undertake educational activities in the field of tick-borne diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the level and scope of knowledge on tick-borne diseases among nursing students from Poland and Slovakia. The study sample consisted of 428 nursing students (192 students of the State School of Higher Education in Biała Podlaska, Poland and 236 students of the University in Presov, Slovakia). The knowledge of the surveyed students on tick-borne diseases is limited. Polish students demonstrated greater knowledge about LB, while students from Slovakia showed greater awareness of the threat posed by tick-borne encephalitis. Particularly worrying is the lack of knowledge on proper way of removal of a tick attached to the skin. Students recognize the need to broaden their knowledge on tick-borne diseases, which should be taken into consideration in realized studies curricula.

Alien plants in Poland : research directions and putting the results into practice

The aim of this study was: (i) to complete and verify the prior review of research on alien plants conducted in Poland and the practical use of their results, and (ii) to attempt to assess the contribution of the research from the area of Poland to the research conducted on an international level. The analysis was performed based on the information gathered during a literature search which covered the last 200 years, using over 1400 publications out of the 3000 which were available in the pool. As a result, the main areas of biological sciences in the context of the research undertaken on alien plants in Poland (distribution, ecology and biology of the species), the most common thematic studies (new species, new localities, and lists of alien species), and the most often investigated species, as well as tendencies over time were indicated. Although studies on the migration and distribution of alien plants in Poland have over 100 years of tradition, and the part of the studies conducted by Polish researchers contributes to the international scale research, it is still necessary to further analyse many issues and answer numerous questions

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

Allergenic invasive plant Ambrosia artemisiifolia in Poland : threat and selected aspects of biology

The study presents the current state of research on Ambrosia artemisiifolia in Poland within its wider scientific background and gives the results of some field and laboratory investigations. This annual plant is characterised by a high level of production of seeds, easily dispersed by different vectors. Ragweed pollen is a strong allergen considered to be one of the most dangerous pollen allergens in the world. Being a serious hazard to human health, it is also considered as an Ñenvironmental weedî causing economic threat. The main aim of the study is to verify the status of the species in the flora of Poland, to assess the threat and discuss possibilities to prevent its future spread

Seroprevalence of Rubella and Cytomegalia in Young Women from Biała Podlaska District

The aim of this study was to analyze the seroprevalence of rubella and cytomegalia among young women. The study included 175 healthy women from the Biała Podlaska District, aged 16 to 35 years. Anti-rubella and anti-CMV IgG were determined by ELISA. 172 (98.3%) study subjects tested positive for rubella antibodies, 1 (0.6%) was seroindeterminate and 2 (1.1%) were seronegative. CMV antibodies were detected in 119 (68.0%) participants; the series included also 1 (0.6%) seroindeterminate and 55 (31.4%) seronegative women. The levels of rubella and CMV antibodies were not significantly affected by age, place of residence and educational level of the study subjects

Plant species diversity associated with invasive Reynoutria taxa in riparian vegetation : [streszczenie]

Invasive plant species influence the resident species, communities and ecosystems in many ways. They may reduce species richness and abundance of native biota and decrease their local species diversity, although individual habitats vary considerably in their susceptibility to invasion. Riparian habitats are especially valuable ecological communities with high species richness and are identified as habitats with value for nature conservation. These particular habitats, together with other waterside habitats, are the most endangered and most easily invaded by alien invasive plants. In many riparian habitats, the Reynoutria taxa individuals are common invaders (Fragment tekstu)