A new species of the subfamily Buchonomyiinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Cretaceous Burmese amber.

Furcobuchonomyia pankowskii sp. nov., a non-biting midge of the small subfamily Buchonomyiinae is described from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (early Cenomanian, ~100 Ma; Noije Bum, Myanmar). This is the sixth known Buchonomyiinae species, the third fossil representative of this subfamily, and the second described and named Chironomidae species from Burmese amber. A peculiar structure of the male genital apparatus, bearing a trifid gonostylus, justifies inclusion of this new species into the recently established, originally monotypic genus Furcobuchonomyia Baranov, Góral et Ross, 2017, the diagnosis of which is amended

Z badań nad stanem przedszkoli i szkół katolickich na Warmii i Mazurach po 1945 roku

The essence of the considerations are Catholic educational and care institutions in the regions of Warmia and Masuria since the end of II World War till the end of school year 2016/17 (without reflecting on structural changes of the system of education connected to the currently introduced school reform based on the act from 14th of December 2016 – Law on School Education). The work is, however, narrowed to specify the activities of kindergartens and schools for children and youth.The first part of the article is an essential introduction to the topic and it refers to Catholic education on Warmia and Masuria since 1945, with the description of church education formation in these regions. The second and the third parts relate to the core of the considerations presented in the title, with the distinction of two periods. The first one refers to the times of Polish Peoples Republic – and discusses fighting with everything Church – connected, consequently also destructing Catholic education. The second period focuses on revival of Catholic kindergartens and schools in the times of political transformation and afterwards – it started in the discussed regions when the Archdiocesan Kindergarten (Olsztyn 1989) came to life. Consequently, in 2016 there were 16 Catholic facilities in Warmia and Masuria.The analysis of documents indicates that in the years 1945-1989, the times of prevailing communist regime, these institutions spread faith as well as the freedom of speech and beliefs. Whereas, in the contemporary social reality, overwhelmed by relativism – they are a crucial source of upbringing to values.Podjęte rozważania odnoszą się do katolickich placówek edukacyjnych funkcjonujących na Warmii i Mazurach od zakończenia II wojny światowej do roku szkolnego 2016/2017 włącznie (bez wkraczania w zmiany struktury systemu oświaty związane z aktualnie wprowadzaną reformą szkolną, opartą na ustawie z dnia 14 grudnia 2016 roku – Prawo oświatowe). Ograniczono się do działania przedszkoli oraz szkół dla dzieci i młodzieży. Pierwsza część artykułu stanowi wprowadzenie w tematykę i dotyczy oświaty katolickiej Warmii i Mazur do 1945 roku – z wyjaśnieniem specyfiki kształtowania się na tych terenach szkolnictwa kościelnego. Druga i trzecia część rozważań obejmuje natomiast istotę przedstawionego w tytule zagadnienia. Najpierw przedstawiono stan tych placówek w czasach Polskiej Rzeczpospolitej Ludowej, które na omawianym terenie podlegały niszczeniu, tak jak w całym kraju. Następnie scharakteryzowano odradzanie się i rozwój edukacyjnych instytucji katolickich w regionie warmińsko-mazurskim w latach 1989–2017 – co rozpoczęło się wraz z powołaniem do życia Archidiecezjalnego Przedszkola w Olsztynie (1989). Analiza dokumentów archiwalnych oraz opracowań dotyczących funkcjonowania przedszkoli i szkół katolickich na Warmii i Mazurach wskazuje, że w latach 1945–1989 niniejsze placówki krzewiły w tym regionie wiarę oraz wolność słowa i przekonań w obliczu panującego reżimu komunistycznego, natomiast we współczesnej rzeczywistości społecznej – przepełnionej relatywizmem – stanowiły jedno z edukacyjnych ogniw wychowania do wartości

Novel prognostic molecular factors: a quantum leap in the field of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Cytogenetic lesions do not completely explain clinical heterogeneity of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The 2016 revision of the World Health Organization classification 2008 indicated that molecular lesions of TP53, NOTCH1, SF3B1 and BIRC3 have potential clinical relevance and could be integrated into an updated risk profile. The negative clinical implications of TP53 disruptions are well constituted and patients with these mutations should be considered for novel, small molecule signal transduction inhibitors therapies. Mutations of NOTCH1, SF3B1 and BIRC3 are associated with poor prognosis. Patients with mutated SF3B1 or NOTCH1 genes present shorter time to first treatment compared to unmutated group. NOTCH1 mutations are related to a high risk of Richter’s syndrome transformation, especially in case of TP53 disruptions’ coexistence. Large studies on MYD88 mutations in CLL have not explained clearly their clinical importance.The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review on novel molecular aberrations identified in CLL.

Input of heavy metals to the forest floor as the result of zinc smelter pollution in southern Poland

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of zinc smelter on heavy metals concentration in the litter fall collected from three different sites in Olkusz Forest located in southern Poland. Furthermore the study was designed to investigate the input of these metals to the forest floor. Three forest areas Podlesie I and Podlesie II located 3 and 4 km south-east from Bukowno zinc smelter and Cegielnia situated 6 km north-east from the smelter were selected. At the beginning of September 2006 five litter traps were set at each site. The quantity of litter fall, along with percent age composition of each species, were estimated for an area of 1m^2. The concentration of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn and Fe in the litter fall and leaves of four main tree species were analysed. The input of these metals to the forest floor were determined. The input of cadmium ranged from 204 μg m^2 at Cegielnia to 1340 μg m^2 at Podlesie I. The input of lead was higher than cadmium and varied from 1031 μg m^2 at Cegielnia to 3252 μg m^2 at Podlesie II. The input of zinc and iron were about 10 times than cadmium and lead. The less input of all invesigated metals was noticed in control site located at WNP. for those metals. The high input of heavy metals to the forest floor may have negative effects on investigated part of Olkusz forest ecosystem

Early and late endothelial response in breast cancer metastasis in mice : simultaneous quantification of endothelial biomarkers using a mass spectrometry-based method

The endothelium plays an important role in cancer metastasis, but the mechanisms involved are still not clear. In the present work, we characterised the changes in endothelial function at early and late stages of breast cancer progression in an orthotopic model of murine mammary carcinoma (4T1 cells). Endothelial function was analysed based on simultaneous microflow liquid chromatography' tandem mass spectrometry using multiple reaction monitoring (microLC/MS-MRM) quantification of 12 endothelium-related biomarkers, including those reflecting glycocalyx disruption' syndecan-1 (SDC-1), endocan (ESM-1); endothelial inflammation' vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin (E-sel); endothelial permeability' fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (FLT-1), angiopoietin 2 (Angpt-2); and haemostasis' von Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), as well as those that are pathophysiologically linked to endothelial function' adrenomedullin (ADM) and adiponectin (ADN). The early phase of metastasis in mouse plasma was associated with glycocalyx disruption (increased SDC-1 and ESM-1), endothelial inflammation [increased soluble VCAM-1 (sVCAM-1)] and increased vascular permeability (Angpt-2). During the late phase of metastasis, additional alterations in haemostasis (increased PAI-1 and vWF), as well as a rise in ADM and substantial fall in ADN concentration, were observed. In conclusion, in a murine model of breast cancer metastasis, we identified glycocalyx disruption, endothelial inflammation and increased endothelial permeability as important events in early metastasis, while the late phase of metastasis was additionally characterised by alterations in haemostasis

The effect of de-icing roads with salt on the environment in Krakow (Poland)

The de-icing of roads and streets in the winter season is a necessity in many European countries, where the mean day temperature drops below 0°C for long periods. Among the many chemicals used for winter road maintenance, the most popular in Poland is sodium chloride in various forms and mixtures, due to its relatively low price and availability. This agent, however, contributes to the increase of salinity in the soil environment and may lead to disturbances in soil properties and premature plant necrosis. The impact of the usage of chloride salts on the soil environment was researched in Krakow’s city centre by means of the examination of soil samples collected prior to the de-icing season (November) and afterwards (February) as well as snow samples taken in February. A general deterioration of the examined parameters (pH, conductivity, chloride concentrations, carbonate concentrations) was observed after the winter season, but still the results for most samples did not pose a serious threat to the soil environment or plants. This was mainly the result of the fact that the winter seasons in European countries have become increasingly mild and warm, which contributes to decreased usage of chloride salts. However, the state of soils in the Main Square was disturbing, as demonstrated by the clearly elevated chemical parameters of samples, despite a ban on the use of salt in this area. These results indicate the most probable reason for the withering of trees growing there, leading to them being frequently replaced

AFM-based detection of glycocalyx degradation and endothelial stiffening in the db/db mouse model of diabetes

Degradation of the glycocalyx and stiffening of endothelium are important pathophysiological components of endothelial dysfunction. However, to our knowledge, these events have not been investigated in tandem in experimental diabetes. Here, the mechanical properties of the glycocalyx and endothelium in ex vivo mouse aorta were determined simultaneously in indentation experiments with an atomic force microscope (AFM) for diabetic db/db and control db/+ mice at ages of 11–19 weeks. To analyze highly heterogeneous aorta samples, we developed a tailored classification procedure of indentation data based on a bi-layer brush model supplemented with Hertz model for quantification of nanomechanics of endothelial regions with and without the glycocalyx surface. In db/db mice, marked endothelial stiffening and reduced glycocalyx coverage were present already in 11-week-old mice and persisted in older animals. In contrast, reduction of the effective glycocalyx length was progressive and was most pronounced in 19-week-old db/db mice. The reduction of the glycocalyx length correlated with an increasing level of glycated haemoglobin and decreased endothelial NO production. In conclusion, AFM nanoindentation analysis revealed that stiffening of endothelial cells and diminished glycocalyx coverage occurred in early diabetes and were followed by the reduction of the glycocalyx length that correlated with diabetes progression

Analysis of the cytotoxicity of carbon-based nanoparticles, diamond and graphite, in human glioblastoma and hepatoma cell lines

Nanoparticles have attracted a great deal of attention as carriers for drug delivery to cancer cells. However, reports on their potential cytotoxicity raise questions of their safety and this matter needs attentive consideration. In this paper, for the first time, the cytotoxic effects of two carbon based nanoparticles, diamond and graphite, on glioblastoma and hepatoma cells were compared. First, we confirmed previous results that diamond nanoparticles are practically nontoxic. Second, graphite nanoparticles exhibited a negative impact on glioblastoma, but not on hepatoma cells. The studied carbon nanoparticles could be a potentially useful tool for therapeutics delivery to the brain tissue with minimal side effects on the hepatocytes. Furthermore, we showed the influence of the nanoparticles on the stable, fluorescently labeled tumor cell lines and concluded that the labeled cells are suitable for drug cytotoxicity tests