The fungus Clonostachys epichloë alters the influence of the Epichloë endophyte on seed germination and the biomass of Puccinellia distans grass

The fungal grass endophyte Epichloë typhina (Pers.) Tul. & C. Tul. (Ascomycota: Clavicipitaceae) grows intercellulary in aerial plant parts and reproduces asexually by invading host seeds. In this phase, it enhances seed production and germination, which accelerates its vertical spread. This relationship may be distorted by other seed-born fungi, whose spread is not so directly dependent on the success of the grass. Recently, the fungus Clonostachys epichloë Schroers has been observed on Puccinellia distans (Jacq.) Parl seeds originating from grass clumps infested with stromata, sexual structures of Epichloë typhina that are formed in spring on some host culms, preventing flower and seed development (‘choke disease’). C. epichloë shows mycoparasitic activity toward Epichloë stromata by reducing the production of ascospores, which are responsible for horizontal transmission of the fungus. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of seed-borne C. epichloë on seed germination, as well as the size and weight of P. distans seedlings and to examine whether C. epichloë alters the influence of Epichloë in the early developmental stages of P. distans. The results showed that if C. epichloë acts on seeds together with E. typhina endophytes, the seeds were negatively affected due to the elimination of the positive effect of the latter in terms of both seed germination rate and seedling length. At the same time, C. epichloë increased the proportion of E. typhina-untreated germinated seeds. Additionally, only the joint action of the two fungi, E. typhina and C. epichloë, effectively stimulated seedling dry mass; the presence of E. typhina alone was not sufficient to noticeably affect seedling size. Based on the increasing commonality of C. epichloë on Epichloë stromata, as well as its potential to be used in biocontrol of ‘choke disease’, we should take a closer look at this fungus, not only in terms of its mycoparasitic ability, but also in terms of its cumulative impact on the whole Epichloë-grass system

Female versus male : Rumex thyrsiflorus Fingerh. under in vitro conditions : does sex influence in vitro morphogenesis?

Rumex thyrsiflorus Fingerh. is a dioecious plant with polymorphic sex chromosomes (XX in females, XY_{1}Y_{2} in males). This species is an interesting plant for study on the structure and function of sex chromosomes, the sex ratio, and is also a valuable source of bioactive constituents. A procedure for the micropropagation of R. thyrsiflorus from hypocotyl explants, which can be useful for analyses of sex-specific morphogenetic reactions under in vitro conditions, was developed. The molecular analysis, based on genetic sex markers, allowed the sex of explants to be determined in order to create male or female in vitro cultures. Regeneration primarily occurred via indirect adventitious shoot formation as well as via somatic embryogenesis, which was confirmed by histological and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses. The highest frequency of explants that revealed a morphogenetic response with the highest number of regenerated adventitious shoot buds (average 11.5 shoots per explant) was obtained on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2.27 \mu M thidiazuron (TDZ). Molecular analysis revealed a female-biased sex ratio under these conditions. The relationship between the sex of the explants and their morphogenetic potential was studied. The efficiency of morphogenesis varied between the two sexes and depended on the ratio of auxin and cytokinin in the medium. The germination pattern of male and female seeds under in vitro conditions was also analysed. No differences in germination time between male and female seeds and in terms of male and female seedling length were observed, which indicated that there was no competition between the sexes during seed germination when grown under uniform growth conditions

Springtails (Collembola, Hexapoda) inhabiting algae with different degrees of waste product contamination

The study was carried out in July 2009 in Murmansk (68°57’ N; 33°03’E) and involved algae that had washed up at the edge of the intertidal zone of Kola Bay. Two areas of algae were selected for this study: uncontaminated (algae I) and algae contaminated with waste products (algae II). The material was collected using a frame with an area of 100 cm2. A total of 40 samples were taken. The abundance of the springtails was almost three times lower in the contaminated algae than in the uncontaminated algae, whereas the species diversity of the springtail communities was much higher in the contaminated algae. The littoral species Hypogastrura viatica was the dominant species in the uncontaminated algae, and that in the contaminated algae was the cosmopolitan species Folsomia quadriuculata. It appears that the contamination of the algae with waste products can promote the intensification of competition among springtails and between springtails and other saprophagous invertebrates

Flowers of Impatiens glandulifera as hubs for both pollinators and pathogens

Flower infestation by pathogens may influence pollination effectiveness. At the same time, by sharing infested flowers, pollinators increase transmission of pathogens. In the presented study we identified fungi that colonised flowers of the invasive alien Himalayan balsam Impatiens glandulifera, one of the most nectar rewarding plants in Europe, as well as its pollinators. We determined factors (e.g., plant size, length of flower lower sepal and the width of its entry, air temperature and sun illuminance) that affect pathogen species presence and pollinators numbers. The study was conducted in three regions in Poland differing in time from the I. glandulifera invasion onset. It allowed embedding our results in the context of the evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis. With reference to this hypothesis we tested whether I. glandulifera from the two younger populations are more frequently pollinated than individuals from the old one, which may be a result of the higher infection prevalence in the flowers of individuals from the latter population. Harmful primary pathogens of I. glandulifera (e.g., Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium graminearum) were identified from its flowers. Although the knowledge of the impact of the recorded pathogen species on the pollinators that transmit them is still limited, these pathogens are known to cause devastating diseases of native plant species and to incur significant economic losses in crops. Therefore, the facilitation of their transmission by I. glandulifera in the invaded communities may pose a serious threat both to native biodiversity and nearby crop production. We did not find support for the EICA hypothesis that flower release from pathogens may increase the pollinator’s activity. Bombus hortorum was the most frequent visitor in the youngest surveyed population, while B. pascuorum was most frequent in the two others. So far the dominance of B. hortorum as a pollinator of I. glandulifera has not been recorded. A possible explanation is that flowers in the youngest population, with significantly wider entries than in the two older ones, were more accessible for this large bumblebee. We suggest that the shifts in flower dimensions may result from the evolutionary processes and/or phenotypic plasticity; however, this suggestion needs to be confirmed in further studies. At the same time, it can be expected that exceptionally frequent visits of B. hortorum in flowers of I. glandulifera in the youngest population may contribute to increasing transmission rate of pathogen species to the new native host plants that are particularly associated with this pollinator

AEGIS – Mobile Device for Generating Electromagnetic Curtain for Special Applications and Countering the Threats of RCIED

In the article the concept, design and realization of the technological demonstrator of a mobile device for generating an electromagnetic curtain (with a name AEGIS) were presented, both in the hardware and software areas. The device is designed to block the radio communication which allow detonating the Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (RCIEDs). The preliminary laboratory tests of the demonstrator for generating the jamming signal, that were presented in the paper, aimed at assessing the correctness of the device operation and verification of generated signal parameters. On the basis of the obtained results, the ability to jam the cellular systems as well as other radio devices operating in the frequency band from 400 MHz to 2700 MHz was assessed

AEGIS – Mobile Device for Generating Electromagnetic Curtain for Special Applications and Countering the Threats of RCIED

In the article the concept, design and realization of the technological demonstrator of a mobile device for generating an electromagnetic curtain (with a name AEGIS) were presented, both in the hardware and software areas. The device is designed to block the radio communication which allow detonating the Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (RCIEDs). The preliminary laboratory tests of the demonstrator for generating the jamming signal, that were presented in the paper, aimed at assessing the correctness of the device operation and verification of generated signal parameters. On the basis of the obtained results, the ability to jam the cellular systems as well as other radio devices operating in the frequency band from 400 MHz to 2700 MHz was assessed

Microbial properties of soil fertilized by sewage sludge and cultivated with energy crops

The microbial activity of soil enriched with sewage sludge and cultivated with energy crops, is little known. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of sewage sludge fertilization on selected microorganisms in soil cultivated with the following crops: Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus Greef et Deu), Virginia mallow (Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby) and Common Osier willow (Salix viminalis L.). Sewage sludge was used in two rates 10 and 20 t/ha dry weight (DW). The numbers of total coliforms bacteria, sulphate-reducing spore-forming bacteria, Proteus sp., saprophytic, thermophilic and aerobic spore-forming bacteria were examined. Sewage sludge increased the number of coliforms and sulphate-reducing spore-forming bacteria, and stimulated the growth of saprophytic and thermophilic bacteria. Cultivation of Miscanthus limited the number of coliforms bacteria, while Virginia mallow and Miscanthus reduced the number of sulphate- -reducing spore-forming bacteria. Common Osier willow stimulated the growth of saprophytic bacteria in the soil, while Virginia mallow the number of spore-forming bacteria. Our results revealed that microbial activity of soil expressed as the number of selected bacterial groups, depends not only on the applied rate of sewage sludge fertilizer, but also on the cultivated energy crop

Aberracje chromosomowe jako przyczyna poronień samoistnych

The genetic factor remains the most frequent cause of spontaneous abortions. Examination of the fetal tissue from spontaneous miscarriages shows that 75% of them were caused by abnormal karyotype. Other reasons, albeit rare, included submicroscopic genomic rearrangements, monogenic diseases, and polygenic inheritance disorders of the embryo. Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze the incidence of chromosomal aberrations in material from the miscarriage. Material and methods: The study included 47 samples of miscarriage material from 47 women. Fluorescent hybridization in-situ (FISH) was used for genetic examination. Results: Chromosomal abnormalities were diagnosed in 72% of the samples, with trisomy 21 (25.5%), trisomy 16 (17%), and trisomy 18 (12.8 %) as the most common. An abnormal number of copies of chromosome 18,21,22, indicating the coexistence of trisomy 18,21,22, was detected in 1 patient. It was another miscarriage in case of 14 subjects (29.8%). Conclusions: Chromosomal aberrations were diagnosed in the majority of fetal tissue samples from spontaneous miscarriages. More than one chromosomal aberration in a single embryo is an extremely rare occurrence. Miscarriage due to chromosomal aberrations occurred in the vast majority of women >35 years of age.Jedną z najczęstszych przyczyn poronień samoistnych jest czynnik genetyczny. W badaniu techniką mikromacierzy stwierdzono, że około 75% poronionych zarodków miało aberrację chromosomową. Rzadszymi przyczynami mogą być submikroskopowe rearanżacje genomowe, choroby jednogenowe, choroby zarodka dziedziczone wielogenowo. Cel pracy: Celem pracy była analiza częstości występowania aberracji chromosomowych w materiale z poronień. Materiał i metody: Materiał stanowiło 47 kosmówek z poronień samoistnych od 47 kobiet. Do oznaczenia kariotypu zastosowano metodę fluorescencyjnej hybrydyzacji in situ (FISH). Wyniki: Aberracje chromosomowe rozpoznano w 72% kosmówek. Najczęściej wystąpiła trisomia 21 pary (25,5%), trisomia 16 pary (17%), trisomia 18 pary (12,8%). U 1 pacjentki wykryto nieprawidłową liczbę kopii chromosomu 18,21,22, co wskazuje na współistnienie trisomii 18,21,22. U 14 kobiet (29,8%)t było to kolejne poronienie. Wnioski: Aberracje chromosomowe rozpoznano w większości kosmówek uzyskanych z poronień samoistnych. Bardzo rzadko występuje kilka aberracji chromosomowych w jednym zarodku. W grupie wiekowej kobiet powyżej 35 roku życia poronienia były skutkiem aberracji chromosomowych w znaczącej większości