Morphological and Physical Properties of Dehydrated Holocene Carbonate Limnic Deposits in Post-Bog Areas of NW Poland

Holocene limnic deposits characteristic of the average latitudes have partially outcropped as a result of young glacial sculpture aging. The change of the environment from limnic to telmatic and often the interference of a man associated with the regulation of water relations led to the emergence of limnic deposits that underwent the process of pedogenesis. In this work, 137 samples of carbonate deposits from 6 sites in NW Poland were analyzed in terms of their physical properties. Carbonate sediments were subject to determination of specific and bulk densities, total porosity and air porosity, current and capillary water capacity. On the basis of CaCO 3 content, combustion loss, and non-lime mineral content, the studied sediments were classified into three groups: lacustrine chalk, calcareous gyttja, and clay-calcareous gyttja. Studies have shown that the sediments subject to pedogenesis in the top levels have characteristic morphological features in the form of cracks and numerous channels and iron fills in the form of spotted, streaked or marbled mosaic. The top levels of sediments, as a result of dehydration, clearly increase their bulk density. Properties of the lake chalk were formed mainly by the proportion of organic matter and CaCO 3 , while in the case of carbonate gyttja, the influence of mineral parts of the non-lime substances is also highlighted. In the top of carbonate sediments, there is a decrease in general and capillary porosity and an increase in the share of macropores

THE EFFECT OF ORGANIC FERTILISATION OF LIQUID MANURE AND THE PRP FIX PREPARATION ON THE YIELD AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF WINTER RAPE SEEDS AND SPRING WHEAT GRAIN

In 2011–2013, a field experiment was carried out at the Experimental Station of Cultivar Evaluation in Szczecin-Dąbie. The experiment aimed at determining the effect of slurry without and with addition of increasing PRP Fix preparation doses on the crop yields and some of their qualitative traits. The soil where the experiment was set up was slightly acidic (pHKCL 5.95); nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents were 0.86, 1.55 and 2.70 g·kg-1 d.m., respectively. The total content of macro-elements for this type of soil was average. The content of bioavailable forms of phosphorus, magnesium and sulphur was average, while that of potassium was high. The content of organic carbon in soil was low, while the C:N ratio was 10.2:1 and was average for that type of soils. The obtained results show that the applied fertilisation with slurry combined with PRP Fix preparation and PK fertilisation increased the yield of winter rape seeds and spring wheat grain and the content of macro-elements being examined in them. The yields of the test plants were larger in the fertilisation objects where fertilisation with slurry with addition of 8 kg PRP Fix preparation per 1 m3 slurry was applied, when compared to those where only mineral fertilisation or slurry was used. Winter rape seeds and spring wheat grain usually contained more nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium and sulphur in the fertilisation objects being fertilised with slurry with PRP Fix preparation in the amount of 8 or 12 kg per 1 m3 slurry with additional PK fertilisation (experimental series II) compared to experimental series I without additional PK fertilisation. Differences in the content of macro-elements in test plants after application of the fertilisation scheme being used varied. These differences were not always significant

New glomeromycotan taxa, Dominikia glomerocarpica sp. nov. and Epigeocarpum crypticum gen. nov. et sp. nov. from Brazil, and Silvaspora gen. nov. from New Caledonia

Examination of fungal specimens collected in the Atlantic rain forest ecosystems of Northeast Brazil revealed many potentially new epigeous and semihypogeous glomerocarp-producing species of the phylum Glomeromycota. Among them were two fungi that formed unorganized epigeous glomerocarps with glomoid spores of almost identical morphology. The sole structure that distinguished the two fungi was the laminate layer 2 of their three-layered spore wall, which in spores of the second fungus crushed in PVLG-based mountants contracted and, consequently, transferred into a crown-like structure. Surprisingly, phylogenetic analyses of sequences of the 18SITS- 28S nuc rDNA and the rpb1 gene indicated that these glomerocarps represent two strongly divergent undescribed species in the family Glomeraceae. The analyses placed the first in the genus Dominikia, and the second in a sister clade to the monospecific generic clade Kamienskia with Kamienskia bistrata. The first species was described here as Dominikia glomerocarpica sp. nov. Because D. glomerocarpica is the first glomerocarp-forming species in Dominikia, the generic description of this genus was emended. The very large phylogenetic distance and the fundamental morphological differences between the second species and K. bistrata suggested us to introduce a new genus, here named as Epigeocarpum gen. nov., and name the new species Epigeocarpum crypticum sp. nov. In addition, our analyses also focused on an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus originally described as Rhizophagus neocaledonicus, later transferred to the genus Rhizoglomus. The analyses indicated that this species does not belong to any of these two genera but represents a new clade at the rank of genus in the Glomeraceae, here described as Silvaspora gen. nov

New taxa in Glomeromycota: Polonosporaceae fam. nov., Polonospora gen. nov., and P. polonica comb. nov.

Phylogenetic analyses of sequences of the nuc rDNA small subunit (18S), internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS), and large subunit (28S) region (= 18S-ITS-28S), as well as sequences of this region concatenated with sequences of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1) gene, proved that the species originally described as Acaulospora polonica (phylum Glomeromycota) represents a new genus and a new family of the ancient order Archaeosporales, here introduced into the Glomeromycota under the names Polonospora and Polonosporaceae, respectively. The phylogenetic analyses and BLASTn queries also indicated that the Polonosporaceae with P. polonica comb. nov. still contains several morphologically undescribed taxa at the ranks of genus and species, which have a worldwide distribution

Combined approach of perioperative 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging and intraoperative 18F-FDG handheld gamma probe detection for tumor localization and verification of complete tumor resection in breast cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has become an established method for detecting hypermetabolic sites of known and occult disease and is widely used in oncology surgical planning. Intraoperatively, it is often difficult to localize tumors and verify complete resection of tumors that have been previously detected on diagnostic PET/CT at the time of the original evaluation of the cancer patient. Therefore, we propose an innovative approach for intraoperative tumor localization and verification of complete tumor resection utilizing ¹⁸F-FDG for perioperative PET/CT imaging and intraoperative gamma probe detection.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two breast cancer patients were evaluated. ¹⁸F-FDG was administered and PET/CT was acquired immediately prior to surgery. Intraoperatively, tumors were localized and resected with the assistance of a handheld gamma probe. Resected tumors were scanned with specimen PET/CT prior to pathologic processing. Shortly after the surgical procedure, patients were re-imaged with PET/CT utilizing the same preoperatively administered ¹⁸F-FDG dose.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One patient had primary carcinoma of breast and a metastatic axillary lymph node. The second patient had a solitary metastatic liver lesion. In both cases, preoperative PET/CT verified these findings and demonstrated no additional suspicious hypermetabolic lesions. Furthermore, intraoperative gamma probe detection, specimen PET/CT, and postoperative PET/CT verified complete resection of the hypermetabolic lesions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Immediate preoperative and postoperative PET/CT imaging, utilizing the same ¹⁸F-FDG injection dose, is feasible and image quality is acceptable. Such perioperative PET/CT imaging, along with intraoperative gamma probe detection and specimen PET/CT, can be used to verify complete tumor resection. This innovative approach demonstrates promise for assisting the oncologic surgeon in localizing and verifying resection of ¹⁸F-FDG positive tumors and may ultimately positively impact upon long-term patient outcomes.</p

The emerging landscape of single-molecule protein sequencing technologies

Single-cell profiling methods have had a profound impact on the understanding of cellular heterogeneity. While genomes and transcriptomes can be explored at the single-cell level, single-cell profiling of proteomes is not yet established. Here we describe new single-molecule protein sequencing and identification technologies alongside innovations in mass spectrometry that will eventually enable broad sequence coverage in single-cell profiling. These technologies will in turn facilitate biological discovery and open new avenues for ultrasensitive disease diagnostics.This Perspective describes new single-molecule protein sequencing and identification technologies alongside innovations in mass spectrometry that will eventually enable broad sequence coverage in single-cell proteomics.</p

Whole-genome sequencing analysis reveals new susceptibility loci and structural variants associated with progressive supranuclear palsy

BackgroundProgressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of aggregated tau proteins in astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes. Previous genome-wide association studies for PSP were based on genotype array, therefore, were inadequate for the analysis of rare variants as well as larger mutations, such as small insertions/deletions (indels) and structural variants (SVs).MethodIn this study, we performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) and conducted association analysis for single nucleotide variants (SNVs), indels, and SVs, in a cohort of 1,718 cases and 2,944 controls of European ancestry. Of the 1,718 PSP individuals, 1,441 were autopsy-confirmed and 277 were clinically diagnosed.ResultsOur analysis of common SNVs and indels confirmed known genetic loci at MAPT, MOBP, STX6, SLCO1A2, DUSP10, and SP1, and further uncovered novel signals in APOE, FCHO1/MAP1S, KIF13A, TRIM24, TNXB, and ELOVL1. Notably, in contrast to Alzheimer's disease (AD), we observed the APOE ε2 allele to be the risk allele in PSP. Analysis of rare SNVs and indels identified significant association in ZNF592 and further gene network analysis identified a module of neuronal genes dysregulated in PSP. Moreover, seven common SVs associated with PSP were observed in the H1/H2 haplotype region (17q21.31) and other loci, including IGH, PCMT1, CYP2A13, and SMCP. In the H1/H2 haplotype region, there is a burden of rare deletions and duplications (P = 6.73 × 10-3) in PSP.ConclusionsThrough WGS, we significantly enhanced our understanding of the genetic basis of PSP, providing new targets for exploring disease mechanisms and therapeutic interventions

A comprehensive overview of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology

The concept of radioguided surgery, which was first developed some 60 years ago, involves the use of a radiation detection probe system for the intraoperative detection of radionuclides. The use of gamma detection probe technology in radioguided surgery has tremendously expanded and has evolved into what is now considered an established discipline within the practice of surgery, revolutionizing the surgical management of many malignancies, including breast cancer, melanoma, and colorectal cancer, as well as the surgical management of parathyroid disease. The impact of radioguided surgery on the surgical management of cancer patients includes providing vital and real-time information to the surgeon regarding the location and extent of disease, as well as regarding the assessment of surgical resection margins. Additionally, it has allowed the surgeon to minimize the surgical invasiveness of many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, while still maintaining maximum benefit to the cancer patient. In the current review, we have attempted to comprehensively evaluate the history, technical aspects, and clinical applications of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology

Definition of a consensus integrin adhesome and its dynamics during adhesion complex assembly and disassembly

Integrin receptor activation initiates the formation of integrin adhesion complexes (IACs) at the cell membrane that transduce adhesion-dependent signals to control a multitude of cellular functions. Proteomic analyses of isolated IACs have revealed an unanticipated molecular complexity; however, a global view of the consensus composition and dynamics of IACs is currently lacking. Here, we have integrated several IAC proteomes and generated a 2,412-protein integrin adhesome. Analysis of this dataset reveals the functional diversity of proteins in IACs and establishes a consensus adhesome of 60 proteins. The consensus adhesome likely represents a core cell adhesion machinery, centred around four axes comprising ILK-PINCH-kindlin, FAK-paxillin, talin-vinculin and α-actinin-zyxin-VASP, and includes underappreciated IAC components such as Rsu-1 and caldesmon. Proteomic quantification of IAC assembly and disassembly detailed the compositional dynamics of the core cell adhesion machinery. The definition of this consensus view of integrin adhesome components provides a resource for the research community