Differential influence of four invasive plant species on soil physicochemical properties in a pot experiment

Purpose This study compared the effects of four invasive plants, namely Impatiens glandulifera, Reynoutria japonica, Rudbeckia laciniata, and Solidago gigantea, as well as two native species-Artemisia vulgaris, Phalaris arundinacea, and their mixture on soil physicochemical properties in a pot experiment. Materials and methods Plants were planted in pots in two loamy sand soils. The soils were collected from fallows located outside (fallow soil) and within river valley (valley soil) under native plant communities. Aboveground plant biomass, cover, and soil physicochemical properties such as nutrient concentrations, pH, and water holding capacity (WHC) were measured after two growing seasons. Discriminant analysis (DA) was used to identify soil variables responsible for the discrimination between plant treatments. Identified variables were further compared between treatments using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test. Results and discussion Plant biomass, cover, and soil parameters depended on species and soil type. DA effectively separated soils under different plant species. DA on fallow soil data separated R. laciniata from all other treatments, especially I. glandulifera, native species and bare soil, along axis 1 (related mainly to exchangeable K, N-NH_{4}, total P, N-NO_{3}, and WHC). Large differences were found between R. laciniata and S. gigantea as indicated by axis 2 (S-SO_{4}, exchangeable Mg, total P, exchangeable Ca, and total Mg). DA on valley soil data separated R. japonica from all other treatments, particularly S. gigantea, R. laciniata, and native mixture, along axis 1 (N-NO_{3}, total N, S-SO_{4}, total P, pH). Along axis 2 (N-NO_{3}, N-NH_{4}, Olsen P, exchangeable K, WHC), large differences were observed between I. glandulifera and all other invaders. Conclusions Plant influence on soil differed both among invasive species and between invasive and native species. Impatiens glandulifera had a relatively weak effect and its soil was similar to both native and bare soils. Multidirectional effects of different invaders resulted in a considerable divergence in soil characteristics. Invasion-driven changes in the soil environment may trigger feedbacks that stabilize or accelerate invasion and hinder re-colonization by native vegetation, which has implications for the restoration of invaded habitats

The growth and phosphorus acquisition of invasive plants Rudbeckia laciniata and Solidago gigantea are enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

While a number of recent studies have revealed that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can mediate invasive plant success, the influence of these symbionts on the most successful and high-impact invaders is largely unexplored. Two perennial herbs of this category of invasive plants, Rudbeckia laciniata and Solidago gigantea (Asteraceae), were thus tested in a pot experiment to determine whether AMF influence their growth, the concentration of phosphorus in biomass, and photosynthesis. The following treatments, including three common AMF species, were prepared on soils representative of two habitats that are frequently invaded by both plants, namely fallow and river valley: (1) control-soil without AMF, (2) Rhizophagus irregularis, (3) Funneliformis mosseae, and (4) Claroideoglomus claroideum. The invaders were strongly dependent on AMF for their growth. The mycorrhizal dependency of R. laciniata was 88 and 63% and of S. gigantea 90 and 82% for valley and fallow soils, respectively. The fungi also increased P concentration in their biomass. However, we found different effects of the fungal species in the stimulation of plant growth and P acquisition, with R. irregularis and C. claroideum being the most and least effective symbionts, respectively. None of AMF species had an impact on the photosynthetic performance indexes of both plants. Our findings indicate that AMF have a direct effect on the early stages of R. laciniata and S. gigantea growth. The magnitude of the response of both plant species to AMF was dependent on the fungal and soil identities. Therefore, the presence of particular AMF species in a site may determine the success of their invasion

Metformin increases pressure pain threshold in lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Background: Despite the strong preclinical rationale, there are only very few data considering the utility of metformin as a potential pain therapeutic in humans. The aim of this study was to determine the association between metformin therapy and pressure pain threshold (PPT) in lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We hypothesized that metformin therapy in lean PCOS women increases PPT. Materials and methods: Twenty-seven lean PCOS women with free androgen index phenotype .5 and 18 lean healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Fifteen of the PCOS women were randomly assigned to be treated with metformin 1,500 mg daily for 6 months. PPT and plasma β-endorphin levels were measured in all women at the beginning of the study and after 6 months of observation. Results: We observed an increase in PPT values measured on deltoid and trapezius muscle in the PCOS with metformin group after 6 months of metformin administration (4.81±0.88 kg/cm², P,0.001 on deltoid muscle, and 5.71±1.16 kg/cm² on trapezius muscle). We did not observe any significant changes in PPT values in the PCOS without treatment group and in controls. We did not observe any significant changes in serum β-endorphin levels in any studied groups during the 6-month observation. Conclusion: We conclude that metformin therapy increases PPT in lean PCOS women, without affecting plasma β-endorphin concentration. Our results may suggest the potential role of metformin in pain therapy. We propose that larger, randomized studies on metformin impact on pain perception should be performed

Invasive plants affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi abundance and species richness as well as the performance of native plants grown in invaded soils

We studied the effects of invasions by three plant species: Reynoutria japonica, Rudbeckia laciniata,and Solidago gigantea, on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities in habitats located within and outside river val- leys. Arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization, AMF abundance and species richness in soils were assessed in adjacent plots with invaders and native vegetation. We also quantified the performance (expressed as shoot mass, chlorophyll fluores- cence, and the concentration of elements in shoots) of two common, mycorrhizal native plants, Plantago lanceolata and Trifolium repens, grown in these soils. The invasions of R. japonica, R. laciniata, and S. gigantea influenced AMF communities compared to native vegetation, but the changes depended on the mycorrhizal status of invaders. The effects of non-mycorrhizal R. japonica were the most pronounced. Its invasion reducedAMF abundance and species richness. In the plots of both mycorrhizal plants, R. laciniata and S. gigantea, we observed decreased AMF species richness in comparison to native vegetation. The AMF community alterations could be due to (i) depletion of organic C inputs toAMF in the case of R. japonica, (ii) plant secondary metabolites that directly inhibit or selectively stimulate AMF species, or (iii) changes in soil physicochemical properties induced by invasions. The effect of invasion onAMF abundance and species richness did not generally differ between valley and outside-valley habi- tats. The invasions affected photosynthetic performance and the concentrations of elements in the shoots of P. lanceolata or T. repens. However, the directions and magnitude of their response depended on both species identity and the mycorrhi- zal status of invaders

Root-inhabiting fungi in alien plant species in relation to invasion status and soil chemical properties

In order to recognize interactions between alien vascular plants and soil microorganisms and thus better understand the mechanisms of plant invasions, we examined the mycorrhizal status, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization rate, arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) morphology and presence of fungal root endophytes in 37 non-native species in Central Europe.We also studied the AMF diversity and chemical properties of soils from under these species. The plant and soil materials were collected in southern Poland. We found that 35 of the species formed AM and their mycorrhizal status depended on species identity. Thirty-three taxa had AM of Arum-type alone. Lycopersicon esculentum showed intermediate AM morphology and Eragrostis albensis developed both Arum and Paris. The mycelia of dark septate endophytes (DSE) were observed in 32 of the species, while sporangia of Olpidium spp. were found in the roots of 10. Thirteen common and worldwide occurring AMF species as well as three unidentified spore morphotypes were isolated from trap cultures established with the soils from under the plant species. Claroideoglomus claroideum, Funneliformis mosseae and Septoglomus constrictum were found the most frequently. The presence of root-inhabiting fungi and the intensity of their colonization were not correlated with soil chemical properties, plant invasion status, their local abundance and habitat type. No relationships were also found between the presence of AMF, DSE and Olpidium spp. These suggest that other edaphic conditions, plant and fungal species identity or the abundance of these fungi in soils might have an impact on the occurrence and intensity of fungal root colonization in the plants under study

Interaction between risk factors and the evaluation of quality of life in diabetic sufferers in relationship to the introduced therapy

Wstęp: Cukrzyca jest chorobą przewlekłą, prowadzącą do wielu powikłań. Poprzez kompleksową opiekę diabetologiczną i skuteczne postępowanie terapeutyczne można kontrolować i aktywnie stymulować subiektywne poczucie jakości życia. Celem pracy była ocena wpływu czynników ryzyka u chorych na cukrzycę typu 2 na domeny Quality of Life (QoL). Materiał i metody: Badania przeprowadzono wśród 101 pacjentów chorych na cukrzycę typu 2, powi­kłaną miażdżycą tętnic obwodowych (makroangiopatia cukrzycowa) w okresie niedokrwienia II B według klasyfikacji Fontaine’a. Każdy zakwalifikowany do badania pacjent został zbadany według kwestionariusza ogólnej oceny jakości życia SF-36 oraz autorską ankietą, uwzględniającą specyficzność choroby. Do analiz statystycznych wykorzystano elementarne metody statystyczne: test t-Studenta, test Chi-kwadrat, test Wilcoxona, test Kruskala-Wallisa oraz test U Manna-Whitneya. Wyniki: W grupie I analiza wieloczynnikowa predyktorów wpływających na ocenę jakości życia ankie­towanych osób wykazała istotną statystycznie zależność między domenami role-physical (RP), physical functioning (PF) i vitality (VT) a wiekiem, czasem trwania choroby i dolegliwościami bólowymi, domeną mental health (MH) a wiekiem i dolegliwościami bólowymi, oraz domeną social functioning (SF) a dole­gliwościami bólowymi. W grupie II analiza wieloczynnikowa wykazała istotną statystycznie zależność między domenami PF a wie­kiem, czasem trwania choroby i nasileniem bólu, domeną VT a nasileniem bólu, domeną MH a wskaźnikiem body mass index (BMI) oraz wiekiem, wskaźnikiem BMI i czasem trwania choroby w domenie SF. Wnioski: Grupę chorych, którym do leczenia włączono insulinę cechuje gorsza ocena jakości życia, zarówno w obszarze fizycznym, jak i psychicznym. Wybór sposobu leczenia okazał się nie mieć istotnego wpływu na QoL, determinować go mogły czas trwania choroby oraz otyłość.Introduction: Diabetes is a chronic disease that leads to various complications. Through complex diabetic care and effective therapy, it is possible, though, to control and actively influence the sufferers subjective experience and quality of life. The aim of study was an evaluation on influence of the risk factors on domains of quality of life in type 2 diabetes patients. Material and methods: The subjects of the study were 101 diabetic patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, complicated by peripheral arterial disease (diabetic macroangiopathy), at the stage of Fontaine stage II ischemia. Each patients who qualified for the study was evaluated with SF-36 questionnaire evaluating general quality of life and with the authors own survey which takes into consideration the specific nature of the disease. In the statistical analysis basic statistical tests were used, t-Student test, Chi-square test, Wilcoxon test, Kruskal-Wallis and U Mann-Whitney test. Results: In the group I, the multi-factor analysis of predictors influencing evaluation of quality of life of the surveyed patients revealed statistically significant correlation between domains role-physical (RP), physical functioning (PF) and vitality (VT) and age, disease duration and pain, in the mental health (MH) domain with age, pain and in social functioning (SF) it correlated with pain. In the second group, the multi-factoral analysis showed statistically significant correlation between the following domains: PF domain and age, disease duration and pain intensity, VT domain and pain intensity, MH domain and body mass index (BMI) and age, BMI index and disease duration in SF domain. Conclusions: The group of patients treated with insulin evaluated their quality of life lower. The kind of treatment way did not influence on the quality of life. The important determination could be disease duration or obesity

Do the impacts of alien invasive plants differ from expansive native ones? : an experimental study on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities

No studies have compared so far the effects of alien invasive and expansive native (widespread, mono-dominant) plants on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Four global or European most successful invaders (Impatiens glandulifera, Reynoutria japonica, Rudbeckia laciniata, Solidago gigantea) and two expansive plants native to Europe (Artemisia vulgaris, Phalaris arundinacea) were grown in pots to elucidate the magnitude and direction of changes in AMF abundance, species richness, and species composition in soils from under multispecies native vegetation. In a second stage, the effects of these changes on a native plant, Plantago lanceolata, were assessed. Plant species identity had larger impact on AMF abundance, species richness, and species composition as well as on P. lanceolata than origin of the species (alien vs. native). This could be due to the character of AMF relationships with the plants, i.e., their mycorrhizal status and dependency on AMF. However, the alterations induced by the plant species in soil chemical properties rather than in AMF community were the major drivers of differences in shoot mass and photosynthetic performance of P. lanceolata. We determined that the plants produced species-specific effects on soil properties that, in turn, resulted in species-specific soil feedbacks on the native plant. These effects were not consistent within groups of invaders or natives

Implantacja zastawki Melody w pozycję mitralną — u dziecka z nienaprawialnym uszkodzeniem zastawki w przebiegu infekcyjnego zapalenia wsierdzia

We present a case of emergency mitral valve replacement with the first — to the best of our knowledge — use of Melody balloon expandable stented bioprosthesis in a 2-years-old patient with acute endocarditis, subsequent mitral (bicuspid) valve incompetence after aggressive infective destruction, with the symptoms of critical multiorgan failure. The patient with a history of rapid deterioration after 2-weeks-long septicemia in the course of acute endocarditis was operated for life-saving indications. Melody valve was expanded over 16 mm TyShak balloon and implanted into a mitral position (Melody-MVR) with good result. Based on actual knowledge concerning heart valves reconstructions and institutional experience we conclude that infected mitral valve in children should be primary repaired, nevertheless Melody valve could be reasonable considered as a mitral prosthesis in patients with non-reparable conditions.Przedstawiono opis pierwszej implantacji zastawki Melody w pozycję mitralną u 2-letniej dziewczynki z nienaprawialnym uszkodzeniem zastawki mitralnej w przebiegu infekcyjnego zapalenia wsierdzia. Dziewczynkę przyjęto w stanie krytycznym z niewydolnością wielonarządową; u dziecka doszło do nagłego pogorszenia stanu ogólnego po 2 tygodniach od rozpoznania bakteriemii w przebiegu infekcyjnego zapalenia wsierdzia. Z powodu gwałtownie narastających objawów niewydolności serca wszczepiono zastawkę Melody w miejsce całkowicie uszkodzonej przez wegetacje bakteryjne zastawki mitralnej. Uzyskano dobrą funkcję zastawki Melody w pozycji mitralnej oraz stabilizację stanu dziecka. W przebiegu zakażeń zastawki mitralnej postępowaniem z wyboru jest plastyka zastawki, jednak w przypadku nienaprawialnego uszkodzenia zastawki można rozważyć wszczepienie zastawki Melody w pozycję mitralną

Outdoor Intelligent Shader

This paper presents an overview of the development of SetSun, an outdoor intelligent shader, by a team of five Erasmus students within the framework of the European Project Semester at Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, in the spring of 2018. The major goal of this project-based learning experience was to design a new type of parasol, granting a novel wellness and luxury experience, by combining the functionalities of smart electronics with that of a traditional parasol, while providing the participants with a meaningful learning experience for their future professional life. The Team conducted multiple studies, including scientific, technical, sustainability, marketing, ethics and deontological analyses, and discussions to derive the requirements, design the structure, specify the list of materials and components and develop a functional system. Following these studies, the Team assembled, debugged and tested the SetSun prototype successfully.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Criss-cross heart, dextrocardia and transposition of the great arteries — comprehensive management of a complex cardiovascular defect and rare morphology

The criss-cross heart congenital defect (CHD) concomitant with transposition of the great arteries has an incidence of less than 0.1% of all inherited heart anatomy abnormalities. It derives from the anomaly of cardiac rotation around its long axis after ventricular septation, and results in an atypical relation between the ventricles and the atria. Furthermore, such patients may also present with ventricular septal defect (VSD), large vessel malposition, double outflow and/or right ventricular hypoplasia (RV), pulmonary artery stenosis (PA), and tricuspid valve hypoplasia. A 7-month-old patient after a transcatheter pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty and a surgical unilateral modified Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt was admitted to the paediatric cardiac surgery department for further treatment. CHD had been diagnosed prenatally and confirmed after birth. Echocardiographic study revealed dextrocardia and a criss-cross heart pathology with discordant atrioventricular (AV) and ventriculoarterial relations. Intracardiac pathology was concomitant with transposition of the great arteries [aorta originating from the RV, and PA from above the VSD], subvalvular and valvular pulmonary stenosis (gradient RV/PA approx. 90 mm Hg), and unobstructed BT shunt. Systemic cyanosis was not observed, and the child’s mental and physical development was undisturbed. After diagnostic catheterisation, the patient was referred for further surgery. Using extracorporeal circulation, a bidirectional Glenn anastomosis was performed, and the BT shunt as well as the PA were closed and dissected. The postoperative course was uncomplicated. More than 90% of criss-cross heart co-occur with levocardia and the concomitance with the AV-related transposition of the great arteries and dextrocardia, to the best of our knowledge, is the second described report in the literature. Thus, the diagnosis of a rare congenital heart defect should be always considered, especially in prenatal diagnostics, and precisely defined during qualification for further surgical treatment.The criss-cross heart congenital defect (CHD) concomitant with transposition of the great arteries has an incidence of less than 0.1% of all inherited heart anatomy abnormalities. It derives from the anomaly of cardiac rotation around its long axis after ventricular septation, and results in an atypical relation between the ventricles and the atria. Furthermore, such patients may also present with ventricular septal defect (VSD), large vessel malposition, double outflow and/or right ventricular hypoplasia (RV), pulmonary artery stenosis (PA), and tricuspid valve hypoplasia. A 7-month-old patient after a transcatheter pulmonary balloon valvuloplasty and a surgical unilateral modified Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt was admitted to the paediatric cardiac surgery department for further treatment. CHD had been diagnosed prenatally and confirmed after birth. Echocardiographic study revealed dextrocardia and a criss-cross heart pathology with discordant atrioventricular (AV) and ventriculoarterial relations. Intracardiac pathology was concomitant with transposition of the great arteries [aorta originating from the RV, and PA from above the VSD], subvalvular and valvular pulmonary stenosis (gradient RV/PA approx. 90 mm Hg), and unobstructed BT shunt. Systemic cyanosis was not observed, and the child’s mental and physical development was undisturbed. After diagnostic catheterisation, the patient was referred for further surgery. Using extracorporeal circulation, a bidirectional Glenn anastomosis was performed, and the BT shunt as well as the PA were closed and dissected. The postoperative course was uncomplicated. More than 90% of criss-cross heart co-occur with levocardia and the concomitance with the AV-related transposition of the great arteries and dextrocardia, to the best of our knowledge, is the second described report in the literature. Thus, the diagnosis of a rare congenital heart defect should be always considered, especially in prenatal diagnostics, and precisely defined during qualification for further surgical treatment