Adaptation of the "Herbarium" Computer DataBase to Archiving and Analysis of Floristic Data

The aim of the study was to present "Herbarium" computer database. The basic goal of construction of the database was gathering and analysing of archival and contemporary floristic data referring to the area of Central Poland. Registered information considers the stands and characteristic biological and ecological traits of particular taxa. Life forms, indices of ecological requirements, the phytogeographical elements, protection and threat status are among them. The database enables the presentation of geographical distribution of taxa in the area of Central Poland with the cartogram method based on the grid of 2 km2 according to the Distribution Atlas of Vascular Plants in Poland (Atpol)

Mapa na lekcjach historii i wiedzy o Polsce w nauczaniu słuchaczy-cudzoziemców

Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 zostało dofinansowane ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej nauk

Język wypowiedzi publicznych Jarosława Kaczyńskiego w latach 2007-2010

This paper discusses Jarosław Kaczyński’s public utterances from 2007 to 2010. It explains the typical features of a language, political language and the language of opposition. J. Kaczyński’s political language was the language of a leading oppositionist. Populism, performative speech, thematic persistence, labeling, verbosity, prolixity, rhetorical tricks, neologisms, sense of efficacy, arbitrary description of reality are all the examples of his public utterances. The statesman denied many elements of Polish political system However, the democratic foundations of the III RP as well as the legitimacy of PO-PSL coalition were not questioned

Tardigrades as potential bioindicators in biological wastewater treatment plants

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the relationship between the presence of tardigrades and various levels of sewage pollution in different tanks of a wastewater treatment plant. The study was carried out in the wastewater treatment plant located near Poznań (Poland) during one research season. The study was conducted in a system consisting of three bioreactor tanks and a secondary clarifier tank, sampled at regular time periods. The presence of one tardigrade species, Thulinius ruffoi, was recorded in the samples. The tardigrades occurred in highest abundance in the tanks containing wastewater with a higher nutrient load. Thulinius ruffoi was mainly present in well-oxygenated activated sludge and its abundance was subject to seasonal fluctuations; however, its preference for more polluted tanks seems to be consistent across the year. Although more detailed experimental study is needed to support the observations, our data indicate that T. ruffoi has a high potential to be used as a bioindicator of nutrient load changes

RULES OF REWARDING IN SPORTS IN THE CONTEXT OF IDEAS OF THE JUSTICE AND GENDER EQUALITY

Punktem wyjścia prezentowanego artykułu są dwie debaty dotyczące wysokości nagród finansowych w sporcie. Pierwsza z nich dotyczy maratonu Solidarności z 2010 r., a druga decyzji o wyrównaniu nagród finansowych podczas turniejów tenisowych Roland Garros i Wimbledon w 2007 r. Wykorzystując argumenty pojawiające się w obydwu debatach, staram się odpowiedzieć na dwa pytania: 1) za co przyznawane są nagrody finansowe czy – mówiąc ogólniej – według jakich zasad wynagradzane są osiągnięcia sportowe oraz 2) czy obowiązujące w sporcie zasady wynagradzania są sprawiedliwe z punktu widzenia równości płci. Rozważam również, jak zasady te wpisują się w dyskurs różnicy płciowej legitymizowany, w przypadku sportu, poprzez różnice natury biologicznej. W artykule odwołuję się zarówno do takich zjawisk kształtujących współczesny sport, jak podporządkowanie zasadom rynkowym i medialnych, jak i do koncepcji teoretycznych (na przykład teorii sprawiedliwości Rawlsa) czy klasycznego już artykułu Jane English Sex Equity in Sports z 1978 r.Two debates concerning the amount of financial awards in sport are a starting point for the presented paper. One of them concerns the Solidarity marathon of 2010, and the other the decision of equalizing the prize money during Roland Garros and Wimbledon tennis competitions in 2007. Based on both debates, I amtrying to answer two questions: (i) what is the prize money a reward for or, more generally, what are the rules of rewarding in sports and (ii) whether the rules of rewarding are just and fair from the point of view of the equality of the genders. I am also considering how these rules fit to the discourse of the sexual difference sanctioned, in the case of sport, by the differences of biological nature. In the paper I refer to both, i.e., the phenomena shaping contemporary sport (commercialisation and medialisation), and the theoretical conceptions (such as Rawls’ theory of justice), or the already classical article by Jane English ‘Equity Sex in Sports’ published in 1978

Genomic support for speciation and specificity of baculoviruses

Keywords: baculovirus, insects, speciation, genomics, phylogeny, host specificity The Baculoviridae comprise a large family of double-stranded DNA viruses infecting arthropods. In this thesis two baculoviruses, Leucoma salicis nucleopolyhedrovirus (LesaNPV) and Agrotis segetum (Agse) NPV, were characterized in detail. Both viruses are potential biocontrol agents of the insects from which they were isolated. A close genetic relationship between LesaNPV and Orgyia pseudotsugata multiple NPV (OpMNPV) was found. O. pseudotsugata is known from North America and contains two baculoviruses, OpSNPV and OpMNPV. L. salicis is a European insect species that was accidentally introduced in the beginning of the 20th century into North America. Results from the current study suggest that LesaNPV was imported along with L. salicis into North America, where it infected O. pseudotsugata and adapted to this new host in coexistence with OpSNPV. As such, this case provides a snapshot of baculovirus evolution through speciation. The genome sequence of AgseNPV showed a striking co-linearity with Spodoptera exigua (Se) MNPV, although these viruses vary in biological properties such as host specificity. AgseNPV can infect S. exigua orally, but SeMNPV is not infectious for A. segetum larvae. SeMNPV causes a systemic infection in A.segetum only when the midgut barrier is bypassed through injection of the virus into the hemocoel. SeMNPV was able to enter A. segetum midgut epithelial cells and to transcribe its early genes, but was unable to replicate and produce progeny virus in these cells. The AgseNPV / SeMNPV case provides an excellent model to study baculovirus specificity by analyzing the changes in the genome sequence that lead to the differences in host range. The collected data support the view that molecular characterization is essential for proper virus classification and for assessing the phylogenetic relationships with other viruses. <br/

Genome visualisation and user studies in biologist-computer interaction

We surveyed a number of genome visualisation tools used in biomedical research. We recognised that none of the tools shows all the relevant data geneticists who look for candidate disease genes would like to see. The biological researchers we collaborate with would like to view integrated data from a variety of sources and be able to see both data overviews and details. In response to this need, we developed a new visualisation tool, VisGenome, which allows the users to add their own data or data downloaded from other sources, such as Ensembl. VisGenome visualises single and comparative representations of the rat, the mouse, and the human chromosomes, and can easily be used for other genomes. In the context of VisGenome development we made the following research contributions. We developed a new algorithm (CartoonPlus) which allows the users to see different kinds of data in cartoon scaling depending on a selected basis. Also, two user studies were conducted: an initial quantitative user study and a mixed paradigm user study. The first study showed that neither Ensembl nor VisGenome fulfil all user requirements and can be regarded as user-friendly, as the users make a significant number of mistakes during data navigation. To help users navigate their data easily, we improved existing visualisation techniques in VisGenome and added a new technique CartoonPlus. To verify if this solution was useful, we conducted a second user study. We saw that the users became more familiar with the tool, and found new ways to use the application on its own and in connection with other tools. They frequently used CartoonPlus, which allowed them to see small regions of their data in a way that was not possible before

Polyamide-rubber blends: micrscopic studies of the deformation zone

The morphology of injection moulded samples of polyamide—polybutadiene blends (85.15) with an average particle size of 0.3 μm was studied. The samples were fractured in a notched tensile test at crosshead speeds of 10−4 and 1 ms −1 and the structure of the deformation zone was studied using various techniques: polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy on stained cut samples and carbon replicas, and selected area electron diffraction transmission electron microscopy. The deformation zone of samples tested at 10−4 ms−1 was found to consist of two layers. Far from the fracture surface a layer was observed with more or less round cavities and with cavities in the rubber particles, while near the fracture surface a layer with strongly deformed cavities (length/diameter ratio of 5–10) could be seen. In the samples tested at 1 ms−1 the deformation zone was found to have three layers. In addition to the two previous layers an extra layer next to the fracture plane was found. This layer was 2–3 μm thick with round rubber particles and no orientation of the matrix material. This indicates that, at the high deformation speed of the test, relaxation in the melt took place, suggesting that the material around the crack tip was molten during fracture.\u

Floristical Notes from the Rawka Valley and adjoining Areas

Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę