Microsatellite Markers in Analysis of Forest‐Tree Populations

The present state of knowledge regarding the genetic diversity of forest tree species has been greatly improved with the development of the powerful research tool that the microsatellite markers represent. These noncoding sequences are considered to be neutral, highly polymorphic, and species specific. The usefulness of the microsatellite markers was recently proven by the determination of differentiation at inter‐ and intrapopulation level, gene flow in natural forest‐tree populations, heritability processes, and sustainable management of forest genetic resources in many natural forest stands. In this chapter, I aim to describe the practical approach of microsatellite markers, used in determination of genetic structure of 14 Scots pine populations from North‐eastern Poland. Investigated pine populations exhibited high genetic parameter variation, for example, mean PIC = 79.3, Shannon Index I = 2.488, observed (HO = 0.778) and expected (HE = 0.849) heterozygosity. Low level of Fst = 0.031 demonstrated that studied populations are more differentiated within than among stands, which were grouped into one cluster of genetic similarity. In conclusion, the present distribution of genetically related populations of Scots pine in North‐eastern Poland seems to reflect the historical events such as postglacial colonization of Poland from different European refugia and/or human management carried out in the past

Analysis of DNA profiles of ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) to provide evidence of illegal logging

The present work formed part of a research project supported by the General Directorate of State Forests (Grants BLP-333 and BLP-384). We gratefully acknowledge the Forest Guard staff from Śnieżka Forest District for their efficient cooperation. We also thank Małgorzata Gorzkowska from the Laboratory of Molecular Biology FRI Poland, who assisted with processing of plant material in the laboratory.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Teachers’ Communicative Competences

The article discusses the problem of teachers’ communicative competences and presents it from both the theoretical and empirical perspective. The first part of the article helps understand the communication process and defines teachers’ communicative styles at school and barriers for pedagogical communication. The second part presents the results of diagnostic research on selected teachers’ communicative competences. The research problems included: How do teachers understand the communication process at school, and what are the factors determining its level? What communicative styles do teachers use? What are the barriers in communication between teachers and students? The article concludes with remarks and postulates

Kompetencje medialno-informatyczne przyszłych nauczycieli

The article is designed as a proposal for contemporary teacher's competences. We start with the concept of competence, its characteristics and division into personal and professional human competences. After presenting professional competences according to Komitet Nauk Pedagogicznych PAN, we proceed to the media-IT competences as especially important for the professions of teaching and pedagogy. In the era of the society of knowledge and digitalization. The article also contains diagnostic and mainly qualitative research results, that was conducted among students, prospective teachers of humanistic subjects.Artykuł przedstawia propozycję kompetencji współczesnego nauczyciela. Zaczynamy od pojęcia kompetencji, jej cech i podziału na kompetencje osobowościowe i zawodowe człowieka. Po przedstawieniu kompetencji zawodowych, w ujęciu Komitetu Nauk Pedagogicznych PAN, zatrzymujemy się na grupie kompetencji medialno-informatycznych jako szczególnie ważnych w pracy nauczyciela oraz pedagoga w epoce społeczeństwa wiedzy i cyfryzacji. Opracowanie zawiera też wyniki badań diagnostycznych o charakterze ilościowo-jakościowym przeprowadzonych wśród studentów, przyszłych nauczycieli przedmiotów humanistycznych

European oak decline phenomenon in relationto climatic changes

The complex phenomenon of decline in European oak is currently triggered by changing climatic conditions and their consequences like heavy rains, local floods and pest development. Especially, pathogens from Phytophthora genus profit from soil saturation with water. They are alien invasive species, which attack and severely damage fine roots. In drought conditions occurring in the subsequent year, many oaks die as they encounter problem with water uptake. Additionally, insect defoliators followed by oak mildew infections accelerate the level of tree mortality. Secondary insects, butt and root pathogens are usually the final cause of death of many oaks. More research is needed in the direction to determine (i) measurable factors (e.g. chlorophyll florescence) that can indicate that the process of tree decline has already started, (ii) the correlation between the root decay and the crown symptoms (scanners, software), (iii) which combination of stressors stimulate the best development of pathogens that lead to the high plant mortality and (iv) the difference between the mortality caused by the native and the invasive Phytophthora species.The research was performed within the frame of LIFE+ ENV/PL/000459 HESOFF ongoing European project ‘Evaluation of the health state of forests and an effect of phosphate treatments with the use of photovoltaic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)’.Przemysław Szmi

Współpraca z ambasadorem marki jako sposób promocji w branży pończoszniczej – case study marki Gatta

Udostępnienie publikacji Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego finansowane w ramach projektu „Doskonałość naukowa kluczem do doskonałości kształcenia”. Projekt realizowany jest ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Społecznego w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój; nr umowy: POWER.03.05.00-00-Z092/17-00

Postawa społeczeństwa wobec organizmów modyfikowanych genetycznie (GMO) w Polsce – na przykładzie wybranych grup osób

Poziom wiedzy społeczeństwa nt. GMO stale się zmienia. W listopadzie i grudniu 2019 r. studenci UKSW w Warszawie przeprowadzili ankiety wśród 699 anonimowych respondentów na temat zastosowania produktów GMO w codziennym życiu Polaków. Osoby ankietowane podzielono wg czterech kryteriów: płci, wieku, wykształcenia i miejsca zamieszkania z podziałem na miasto i wieś, zadając 7 pytań merytorycznych odnośnie do poziomu wiedzy i osobistego podejścia do konsumpcji produktów GMO. Analizę statystyczną wyników wykonano w programie STATISTICA 12. Wykazano, że w ostatnich latach rośnie wiedza mieszkańców w Polsce nt. GMO, ale obawy przed produktami genetycznie modyfikowanymi nadal występują u ponad połowy społeczeństwa. Większość kobiet obawia się GMO, zwraca większą uwagę na oznakowanie produktów zawierających GMO i nie podałaby ich swoim dzieciom. Osoby w wieku poniżej 20 lat są pozytywnie nastawione do GMO, natomiast osoby w wieku powyżej 35 lat obawiają się negatywnych skutków spożywania produktów GMO. Większość osób mieszkających na wsi obawia się produktów GMO, opinia zaś mieszkańców miasta jest podzielona na dwie, prawie równe grupy: zarówno zwolenników, jak i przeciwników GMO. Różnice w odpowiedziach odnośnie obawy przed negatywnymi skutkami spożywania produktów zawierających GMO były statystycznie istotne (p < 0,001) i wykazały większe obawy wśród osób zamieszkujących tereny wiejskie (67%) niż u mieszkańców miast (49%). Jednocześnie, prawie ten sam duży odsetek osób ze wsi i z miasta (67%) był przychylny stosowaniu leków wyprodukowanych drogą inżynierii genetycznej (p < 0,01)

An unknown trees die back caused by Pseudomonas species in Switzerland

A model for tree pathogen diagnosis – Prunus domestica L. has been studied against pathogenic bacteria. An orchard of 110 trees of P. domestica showed dying back symptoms in May 2009 and nineteen of these trees were eradicated and burnt for prophylaxis. No symptoms correlated with those caused by pathogens previously observed in stone fruit die back in Europe or elsewhere (Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae van Hall, Pseudomonas syringae pv morsprunorum Lazarowtz, Phytophthora sp., Diaporthe perniciosa Marchal., phytoplasma or viruses) were not found. Interestingly, cutting the trunk in transversal sections allowed the observation of stem heart necrosis which was mostly important at the grafting point. Isolations from necrotic stem heart allowed to identify anot yet described Pseudomonas species not related to P. syringae. The method described in the paper for isolation of pathogenic bacteria and their quick an reliable identification can be also applied for detection of pathogens in forest tree plantations.Przemysław Szmi

Multispecific Aspergillus T Cells Selected by CD137 or CD154 Induce Protective Immune Responses Against the Most Relevant Mold Infections

Background. Aspergillus and Mucorales species cause severe infections in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Induction of antifungal CD4+ T-helper type 1 (Th1) immunity is an appealing strategy to combat these infections. Immunotherapeutic approaches are so far limited because of a lack of antigens inducing protective T cells, their elaborate production, and the need of targeting a broad spectrum of pathogenic fungi. Methods. We examined the response to different Aspergillus fumigatus proteins in healthy individuals and patients after HSCT and compared rapid selection protocols for fungus-specific T cells based on CD137 or CD154 expression. Results. The A. fumigatus proteins Crf1, Gel1, and Pmp20 induced strong Th1 responses in healthy individuals. T cells specific for these antigens expanded in patients with active invasive aspergillosis, indicating their contribution to infection control. Th1 cells specific for the 3 proteins can be selected with similar specificity within 24 hours, based on CD137 or CD154 expression. These cells recognize naturally processed A. fumigatus and the multispecific T-cell lines, directed against all 3 proteins, especially those selected by CD154, additionally cross-react to different Aspergillus and Mucorales species. Conclusions. These findings may form the basis for adoptive T-cell transfer for prophylaxis or treatment in patients with these devastating infection