Evaluation of soil resilience to anthropopressure in Łosie village (Lower Beskids Mts) : preliminary results

This paper presents the preliminary results of research on soil resilience to anthropopressure in Łosie village (Lower Beskids Mts). The considered risks included three features which reflect soil resilience: predicted soil loss caused by water erosion, mechanical and physico-chemical filtration capacities. The average annual rate of soil loss was calculated based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). Analyses of mechanical and physico-chemical filtration capacities of soils were conducted on the basis of algorithms which took into account the soil texture class and groundwater table class. The results confirmed that the highest predicted soil loss takes place within arable lands, particularly those located on slopes - with up and down tillage. During the period from 1997 to 2009, predicted soil loss decreased by 57% due to the decline in the percentage of arable land in the research area. It was found that the introduction of cross-slope tillage within arable lands could decrease overall predicted soil loss up to 67%. Areas with the lowest mechanical filtration capacities were located on slopes and related to sandy clay soils whereas the areas with the lowest physico-chemical filtration capacities were situated in valley bottoms and are mainly due to the shallow level of the groundwater table. Finally, it was noted that the different types of analyzed risk do not overlap nor even do they correspond with each other, which is conditioned by different features of the environment that were taken into consideration. The obtained results have shown how important sustainable spatial planning evaluation of various types of environmental resilience is

Transformations of traditional land use and settlement patterns of Kosarysche Ridge (Chornohora, Western Ukraine)

The traditional character of Hutsul villages and their spatial development has been changing slowly but inevitably over the course of time. Historically, single farmsteads were built separately and were mostly self-sufficient, the distance between them being considerable. Nowadays, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the economic transformation brought along many changes, among these the fact that depopulation is taking place and alterations in spatial development are occurring again. The localisation of secluded farmsteads, situated far away from each other is no longer as important as it used to be. Reasons for the abandonment of farmsteads were examined, and factors such as altitude, distance from the village centre and the administration affiliation were taken into account. Land use changes were analysed in relation to the slope inclination. Some of the most important factors influencing the intensity and direction of these processes are high prices of land, improvement in living conditions, better access to services and the general 'westernisation' of lifestyles. The depopulation rate has been seen to increase in correlation with the rising altitude and distance from the village centre. On the other hand, there was no unambiguous link between the abandonment of farmsteads and administration affiliation. Mowed areas were localised on the slopes with the smallest inclination. Animal breeding has become unprofitable due to a lack in demand and low product prices, which has led to an increasing number of meadows and pastures lying fallow

Destructive space or deconstructed space? : damaged body in the ruined city : Wałbrzych - case study

Artykuł przedstawia relację ciało‑miasto w kontekście potransformacyjnych zmian dokonanych w Wałbrzychu. W wyniku nowej sytuacji, byli górnicy zostali zmuszeni do całkowitego przewartościowania dotychczasowego życia. Niniejszy artykuł jest refleksją nad agresywnymi zachowaniami byłych górników w stosunku do otaczającej ich przestrzeni (działalność zbieraczy złomu, biedaszybników oraz poszukiwaczy różnych dóbr, jako tych, którzy „rozbierają” miasto), ale i również agresji skierowanej do samych siebie.This article presents a body‑city relationship in the context of political transformation in Walbrzych. As a result of the new situation, former miners were forced to complete reevaluation of previous life. My publication is a reflection on the aggressive behavior of former miners in relation to the surrounding area (scrap pickers and people who illegally explore the coal mines, and prospectors of various goods, as those who are deconstructing the city), but also aggression directed at themselves

Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A), protocadherin 9 (PCdh9), and S100 calcium binding protein A3 (S100A3) as potential biomarkers of carcinogenesis and chemoresistance of different neoplasms, including ovarian cancer — review of literature

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Its high mortality rate results from lack of adequate and sensitive methods allowing for the detection of the early stages of the disease, as well as low efficiency of the treatment, caused by the cytotoxic drug resistance of cancer cells. Unfortunately, tumours are able to develop new pathways and protective mechanisms that allow them to survive toxic conditions of chemotherapy. Therefore, intensive search for new genes and proteins involved in resistance to cytotoxic drugs is still needed, especially from a clinical point of view. The article presents an overview of the available literature on the role of semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A), protocadherin 9 (PCDH9), and S100 calcium binding protein A3 (S100A3) in carcinogenesis and chemoresistance of various tumors including ovarian cancer. As it turns out, the role of described genes/proteins is not limited only to their native biological activity but they function also as an oncogenic or suppressor factors in the tumor development. Moreover, they can also play an important role in development of drug resistance, as it was shown in ovarian cancer cell lines

Contractive function systems, their attractors and metrization

In this paper we study the Hutchinson-Barnsley theory of fractals in the setting of multimetric spaces (which are sets endowed with point separating families of pseudometrics) and in the setting of topological spaces. We find natural connections between these two approaches

The role of the gut microbiota in pathogenesis and treatment of depression

Introduction and purpose Depression is the most common mental disorder, but the exact mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of depression remain unknown. Abundant research evidence suggests that changes in the gut microbiota play a key role in the pathophysiology of depression through the brain-gut-microbiota axis. The aim of this study was to present the current state of knowledge on the role of gut microbiota in pathogenesis and treatment of depression and discuss its potential as a therapeutic target for depression A brief description of the state of knowledge The digestive tract and the processes which are set in it as well as the inhabitting microorganisms have a significant impact on our mental health and mood. The scientific research repeatidly confirm a strict relationship between the digestive and nervous systems. A microbiome-based approach is becoming increasingly prevalent in the understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially depression. Antidepressants which are today the first-line therapy in the treatment of this disease are based inter alia on the antimicrobial and immunomodulatory mechanism of action. Conclusion  Immune cells which are settled in the intestines affect not only our physical health but also the mental one. Due to the relationship between depression and the gut microbiota, we have many treatment options that involve direct modification of the composition of the microbiome which include prebiotics, probiotics (psychobiotics) and faecal microbiome transplantation

Evaluation of the quality of life in subjects with a history of severe anaphylactic reaction to the Hymenoptera venom

Introduction: Sensitization to the Hymenoptera venom is one of the main causes of anaphylaxis in Poland. Venom immunotherapy is the only effective treatment in such cases. Comprehensive patient care includes also education. The aim of our study was to assess the state of knowledge and to evaluate the quality of life and the anxiety level in patients allergic to the Hymenoptera venom after anaphylactic reaction. Material and methods: The survey was carried out in the period of the insects flight in 61 adult subjects (35 wasp and 26 bee allergic), using a validated Vespid Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (VQLQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and subjective assessment of anxiety level. The majority of respondents received venom immunotherapy. Results: Sensitized to the wasp venom had significantly impaired quality of life (VQLQ score) as compared to the bee venom allergic (p = 0.014). The intensity of anxiety decreased with the duration of immunotherapy (p = 0.01). The majority of subjects knew how to recognize and treat anaphylaxis, but only 8% employed an identification card and about 50% implemented rules of the pre-exposition prophylaxis. Conclusions: History of a severe anaphylaxis to the Hymenoptera venom affected the quality of life. Venom immunotherapy reduced anxiety. We hope that presented surveys and their results might be useful in qualifying for immunotherapy in clinically uncertain cases