Chl a fluorescence and proteomics reveal protection of the photosynthetic apparatus to dehydration in tolerant but not in susceptible wheat cultivars

Seedlings of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, Ethos and Zebra, differing in drought tolerance were dehydrated to reach a water saturation deficit (WSD) in leaves ~15, 30, and 50 %. Ethos, the drought tolerant cultivar, dried slower in comparison with Zebra and regrew in 70 % upon rehydration. The effect of dehydration on photosystem Seedlings of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, Ethos and Zebra, differing in drought tolerance were dehydrated to reach a water saturation deficit (WSD) in leaves ~15, 30, and 50 %. Ethos, the drought tolerant cultivar, dried slower in comparison with Zebra and regrew in 70 % upon rehydration. The effect of dehydration on photosystem II was evaluated by Chl a fluorescence (OJIP transients). The inflection point of double normalized curves (ΔWOJ) calculated for Ethos was negative for seedlings with 15 % WSD, nearly zero for those with 30 % WSD, and about +0.05 for those with 50 % WSD. In case of Zebra, the 15 % WSD already induced a positive ΔWOJ (+0.05) and 50 % WSD maximized it to +0.10, which is a sign of drought susceptibility. The proteomic studies revealed, that among identified 850 spots, 80 protein spots were differentially expressed during dehydration. The differentially expressed proteins of the drought tolerant cultivar indicated the protection of the photosynthetic apparatus and proteome rebuilding in response to drought. In the drought susceptible cultivar, protection of proteins and membranes and partial scavenging reactive oxygen species appeared.Bio-organic Synthesi

Frescoes in Aula Leopoldina of the Wrocław University in the light of the latest research and conservation expert opinions

W 2008 roku władze Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego podjęły decyzję o wszczęciu działań zmierzających do rewaloryzacji XVIII-wiecznej Auli Leopoldina, znajdującej się na reprezentacyjnym, pierwszym piętrze gmachu głównego Uniwersytetu. Pierwszym etapem tego złożonego przedsięwzięcia było przeprowadzenie badań, mających na celu ustalenie stanu faktycznego elementów konstrukcji i wystroju historycznego pomieszczenia. Realizację projektu w zakresie zagadnień konserwatorskich zlecono Międzyuczelnianemu Instytutowi Konserwacji i Restauracji Dzieł Sztuki ASP w Warszawie i ASP w Krakowie. Badania technologiczne i konserwatorskie barokowej dekoracji malarskiej Jana Krzysztofa Handkego (1732) miały charakter kompleksowy i interdyscyplinarny. Efektem analiz, obserwacji i rozważań zespołu naukowców uczestniczących w projekcie jest pełne rozpoznanie stratygraficzne wystroju malarskiego Auli, z określeniem technologii i techniki wykonania poszczególnych warstw oraz stanu ich zachowania. Istotnym problemem konserwatorskim i konstrukcyjnym było zdefiniowanie stopnia zagrożenia trwałości dekoracji freskowej w obszarze sklepienia, a zatem rozpoznanie technologii i stanu zachowania drewnianej konstrukcji stropu pod kątem jej wpływu na barokowe freski. Osobnym problemem badawczym była ocena autentyczności zastanego malowidła w kontekście ostatniej specjalistycznej opinii wydanej przez wrocławskich konserwatorów PP PKZ w latach 70. XX wieku. Dysponując najnowszymi metodami instrumentalnymi w połączeniu z tradycyjnymi narzędziami badawczymi i wnikliwą kwerendą archiwalną, konserwatorzy uzyskali całokształt informacji o barokowych freskach, niezbędnych do stworzenia właściwego postępowania konserwatorskiego.In 2008, the authorities of the Wrocław Univerrsity decided to undertake the proceedings aimed at the restoration of the 18th-century Aula Leopoldina, located on the formal first floor of the main building of the University. The first stage of this complex undertaking was conducting research intended to ascertain the actual condition of the construction elements and decoration of the historic interior. The Inter-University Institute of Art Conservation and Restoration at the Academy of Fine Arts (ASP) in Warszawa and ASP in Krakow were commissioned realisation of the conservation part of the project. Technological and conservation research of the Baroque painting decoration by Jan Krzysztof Handke (1732) was of a complex and interdisciplinary character. The result of analyses, observations and considerations of a team of scientists participating in the project was complete stratygraphic identification of the painting decoration in the Aula, including defining technologies and techniques used for painting particular layers, and their state of preservation. Defining the degree to which the permanence of the fresco decoration in the vault area was at risk, and so identifying the technology and the state of preservation of the wooden construction of the ceiling and its influence on the Baroque frescoes, posed a serious conservation and construction problem. Another research problem was evaluating the authenticity of the preserved painting in the context of the last expert opinion issued by the conservators from Wrocław, in the 1970s. Having the latest instrumental methods at their disposal, combined with traditional research tools and a thorough preliminary research, conservators acquired all the available information concerning Baroque frescoes, indispensable for adopting appropriate conservation procedures

The Influence of Selected Refining Methods of AlSi7Mg0.3 Silumin on its Quality Index

The publication presents the comparison of selected refining methods (gaseous and/or flux) based on mechanical properties of the obtained secondary silumin EN AC-AlSi7Mg0.3 (in accordance to the European Standard PN-EN 1706:2011). The point of reference was a similar primary alloy produced using pure batch materials. The mechanical properties measured in room temperature were used to calculate the materials quality index. The research showed, that properly carried out refinement process of secondary (recycled) alloys can bring their quality indexes close to those of their primary materials. The goal was to assess the efficiency of selected refining methods when applied to the examined group of casting silumins, by measuring the basic mechanical properties (in room temperature) before and after refining. The practical aspect was to choose an effective (ecologically, technologically and economically) method of refining of secondary EN AC-AlSi7Mg0.3 alloy used to cast car rims for JN METAL company in Ostowiec Świętokrzyski (Poland)

The influence of the vehicle age on the calculated probability of exceeding the standardised exhaust emission

The article presents the results of investigations of the influence of vehicle age on traffic exhaust emission. The measurements of the test group of 500 different vehicles have been made in accordance with ECE Regulations and the methodology of periodical car inspection. Those measurements provided Information about the level of emission from each vehicle and allowed to identify high polluting vehicles. The percentage of faulty vehicles and the type of faults were estimated. Next, the percentage of high polluting vehicles has been estimated. The results of investigations were compared to the requirements of each model of a given year. The percentage of high polluting vehicles for each model of a given year has been presented. The vehicles have been divided into different exhaust emission legislation classes. The percentage of high polluting vehicles for each exhaust emission legislation class has been elaborated. Next, the relation between exhaust emission and the vehicle age has been made and presented. The pro bability ofexceeding the standardized exhaust emission for each model of a given year of vehicles has been calculated. The calculations included the exhaust emission such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. The likelihood of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons emission violations have been estimated applying logit analysis. The calculations have been made in two cases, for manufactures and national emission standards. The results of investigations and analysis show that vehicle age plays a significant role in determining exhaust emission test results

English fragments, Minimize Domains, and Minimize Forms

We offer an account of preposition drop under clausal ellipsis in terms of two language processing principles: Minimize Domains and Minimize Forms. We argue that when Minimize Domains operates within the PP domain, it disfavors preposition drop due to the preferred independent processability of the PP fragment. When it operates within the VP domain it favors preposition drop in proportion to the number and strength of semantic dependencies between V and P in a given language: the more dependencies there are, and the stronger they are, the stronger the preference for preposition drop. In this way fragments are avoided with long dependencies between P and a distant V. We demonstrate this pattern in English corpora and propose it as an explanation for the typologically unusual preference that English shows for NP fragments. Minimize Forms supports preposition drop in easy-to-process environments cross-linguistically and in English when the more minimal fragment (NP) can be easily linked to its correlate in the antecedent, disfavoring preposition drop elsewhere. The predictions of Minimize Domains and Minimize Forms receive support from a mixed-effects regression model fitted to data from spoken US English, and can be understood as motivations for construction-specific constraints and preferences in clausal ellipsis

Influence of the landform features on the traffic noise near the motorway between Katowice and Ruda Śląska

W artykule zostały przedstawione wyniki pomiarów poziomu hałasu, przeprowadzone na autostradzie A4, na odcinku Katowice - Ruda Śląska. Pomiary przeprowadzono w trzech punktach pomiarowych, które został wybrane ze względu na ukształtowanie terenu. W każdym punkcie pomiarowym pomiary wykonano po obu stronach drogi, w różnych odległościach od krawędzi jezdni. Uzyskane wyniki zostały przeanalizowane w zależności od ukształtowania terenu, odległości od drogi oraz liczby i rodzaju pojazdów.The following paper presents the results of the measurements of the traffic noise near motorway between Katowice and Ruda Śląska. The measurements have been made in three different measuring points. In each point, the measurements have been made in different distances from the road. The results were analised depending on the landform features, the distance from road, the number of vehicles and the type of vehicles

Wpływ wybranych czynników na wzrost poziomu emisji szkodliwych składników spalin przez samochody

The article presents the results of the investigations of the influence of different factors on the traffic exhaust emission. The measurements of the test group of 300 different vehicles have been made. Those measurements provided information about the level of emission from each vehicle. Additionally, the investigations provided information about factors such as mileage, model year etc. of vehicles. Next, the percentage of fault vehicles and the type of faults were estimated. The relation between exhaust emission, vehicle age and mileage of vehicles have been made. The simulation of the traffic emission from vehicles was made, taking into consideration the fact that the vehicles are all in good technical conditions and for the case of real technical conditions of vehicles. This investigation has shown that the technical conditions of the vehicles have an important influence on the estimated emission level. Additionally, it has been shown how the exhaust emission depends on the age structure and the mileage of vehicles.W artykule zaprezentowano wyniki badań wpływu wybranych czynników na wzrost poziomu emisji toksycznych składników spalin. Przeprowadzono badania stanu technicznego pojazdów z uwzględnieniem poziomu emisji poszczególnych składników spalin dla grupy 300 pojazdów. Dodatkowo uwzględniony został przebieg oraz wiek badanych pojazdów. W wyniku przeprowadzonych badań uzyskano informacje dotyczące liczby pojazdów, które przekraczają dopuszczalny poziom emisji. Wykonano charakterystyki przedstawiające zależności pomiędzy emisją poszczególnych składników spalin a wiekiem pojazdów oraz przebiegiem. Dodatkowo, przeprowadzono badania symulacyjne wpływu stanu technicznego pojazdu na obliczany poziom emisji gazów spalinowych. Wyniki przeprowadzonej symulacji pokazują, iż stan techniczny pojazdów wpływa na szacowany poziom emisji spalin. Rezultaty przeprowadzonych badań wykazały, że uwzględnienie stanu technicznego pojazdów może mieć znaczący wpływ na szacowany poziom emisji w ruchu drogowym