LIS–lnterlink—connecting laboratory information systems to remote primary health–care centres via the Internet

A pilot study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of using the Internet to securely deliver patient laboratory results, and the system has subsequently gone into routine use in Poland. The system went from design to pilot and then to live implementation within a four-month period, resulting in the LIS-Interlink software product. Test results are retrieved at regular intervals from the BioLinkTM LIS (Laboratory Information System), encrypted and transferred to a secure area on the Web server. The primary health-care centres dial into the Internet using a local-cell service provided by Polish Telecom (TP), obtain a TCP/IP address using the TP DHCP server, and perform HTTP ‘get’ and ‘post’ operations to obtain the files by secure handshaking. The data are then automatically inserted into a local SQL database (with optional printing of incoming reports)for cumulative reporting and searching functions. The local database is fully multi-user and can be accessed from different clinics within the centres by a variety of networking protocols

Candidate genes for the high-altitude adaptations of two mountain pine taxa

Mountain plants, challenged by vegetation time contractions and dynamic changes in environmental conditions, developed adaptations that help them to balance their growth, reproduction, survival, and regeneration. However, knowledge regarding the genetic basis of species adaptation to higher altitudes remain scarce for most plant species. Here, we attempted to identify such corresponding genomic regions of high evolutionary importance in two closely related European pines, Pinus mugo and P. uncinata, contrasting them with a reference lowland relative—P. sylvestris. We genotyped 438 samples at thousands of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, tested their genetic differentiation and population structure followed by outlier detection and gene ontology annotations. Markers clearly differentiated the species and uncovered patterns of population structure in two of them. In P. uncinata three Pyrenean sites were grouped together, while two outlying populations constituted a separate cluster. In P. sylvestris, Spanish population appeared distinct from the remaining four European sites. Between mountain pines and the reference species, 35 candidate genes for altitude-dependent selection were identified, including such encoding proteins responsible for photosynthesis, photorespiration and cell redox homeostasis, regulation of transcription, and mRNA processing. In comparison between two mountain pines, 75 outlier SNPs were found in proteins involved mainly in the gene expression and metabolism

Molecular Signatures of Reticulate Evolution within the Complex of European Pine Taxa

Speciation mechanisms, including the role of interspecific gene flow and introgression in the emergence of new species, are the major focus of evolutionary studies. Inference of taxonomic relationship between closely related species may be challenged by past hybridization events, but at the same time, it may provide new knowledge about mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of species integrity despite interspecific gene flow. Here, using nucleotide sequence variation and utilizing a coalescent modeling framework, we tested the role of hybridization and introgression in the evolutionary history of closely related pine taxa from the Pinus mugo complex and P. sylvestris. We compared the patterns of polymorphism and divergence between taxa and found a great overlap of neutral variation within the P. mugo complex. Our phylogeny reconstruction indicated multiple instances of reticulation events in the past, suggesting an important role of interspecific gene flow in the species divergence. The best-fitting model revealed P. mugo and P. uncinata as sister species with basal P. uliginosa and asymmetric migration between all investigated species after their divergence. The magnitude of interspecies gene flow differed greatly, and it was consistently stronger from representatives of P. mugo complex to P. sylvestris than in the opposite direction. The results indicate the prominent role of reticulation evolution in those forest trees and provide a genetic framework to study species integrity maintained by selection and local adaptation

A Preliminary Study of Chemically Preserved and High-Moisture Whole Maize (Zea mays L.) Usage in Pekin Duck Nutrition: Effect on Growth Performance and Selected Internal Organ Traits

This study aimed to investigate the effect of chemically preserved, high-moisture whole maize grain addition in Pekin duck diets on their growth performance and selected internal organ and gastrointestinal tract measurements and digesta pH values. A total of 300 29-d-old male Pekin ducks were randomly distributed into three dietary treatments using five replicate pens per group and 20 birds per pen. The following treatment groups were applied: CON—basal diet, 5HM—5% of high-moisture, chemically preserved whole maize (HM) inclusion, and 10HM—10% of HM addition. The experiment lasted 21 d. The implementation of 5HM or 10HM did not affect (p > 0.05) the growth performance parameters, selected internal organ weights, and the gastrointestinal tract segment weights and lengths. However, significant changes in terms of the gizzard (p = 0.005), ileum (p = 0.030), and caecal (p < 0.001) digesta pH were observed, especially in the case of the 10HM group, which exhibited the greatest increase in pH in the gizzard and caecal digesta and decrease in the ileal digesta pH. The implementation of whole wet maize may be used in waterfowl diets from 29 d of age. Additionally, chemical preservation can efficiently reduce the cost of maize preparation in duck nutrition

Trace Elements and Mineralogy of Upper Permian (Zechstein) Potash Deposits in Poland

Mineral composition and content analysis of selected trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Be, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Ga, I, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, Tl, U, V, and Zn; 308 rock samples) were studied in the Upper Permian (Zechstein) potash-bearing deposits in Poland. They represented K–Mg chlorides of PZ2 and PZ3 cyclothems from four salt domes and stratiform K–Mg sulphates of PZ1 cyclothem. The dominant mineral components of K–Mg sulphates (polyhalite) are anhydrite and polyhalite. The most common minerals of the K–Mg salts of PZ2 cyclothem are halite, sylvite, kieserite, and anhydrite, and the most common of PZ3 cyclothem are halite, carnallite, kieserite, and anhydrite. Most analysed trace elements in the Zechstein potash-bearing deposits show a low content (up to 26 mg/kg) that eliminates them as potential profitable source rocks of such required elements as Ce, Cs, La, Li, or Rb. Common elements, such as Br, Fe, and Sr, are more easily exploited from natural brines, sulphate, and ore deposits

Trace Elements and Mineralogy of Upper Permian (Zechstein) Potash Deposits in Poland

Mineral composition and content analysis of selected trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Be, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Ga, I, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, Tl, U, V, and Zn; 308 rock samples) were studied in the Upper Permian (Zechstein) potash-bearing deposits in Poland. They represented K–Mg chlorides of PZ2 and PZ3 cyclothems from four salt domes and stratiform K–Mg sulphates of PZ1 cyclothem. The dominant mineral components of K–Mg sulphates (polyhalite) are anhydrite and polyhalite. The most common minerals of the K–Mg salts of PZ2 cyclothem are halite, sylvite, kieserite, and anhydrite, and the most common of PZ3 cyclothem are halite, carnallite, kieserite, and anhydrite. Most analysed trace elements in the Zechstein potash-bearing deposits show a low content (up to 26 mg/kg) that eliminates them as potential profitable source rocks of such required elements as Ce, Cs, La, Li, or Rb. Common elements, such as Br, Fe, and Sr, are more easily exploited from natural brines, sulphate, and ore deposits

Genetic Consequences of Hybridization in Relict Isolated Trees Pinus sylvestris and the Pinus mugo Complex

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and the taxa from the P. mugo complex can hybridize in the contact zones and produce fertile hybrids. A unique example of an early Holocene relict population of P. sylvestris and P. uliginosa (a taxon from the P. mugo complex) growing on the tops of Jurassic sandstone rocks is located in Błędne Skały (Sudetes). Phenotypically, there are trees resembling P. sylvestris, P. uliginosa and intermediate forms between them. We expected that some of P. sylvestris and/or P. uliginosa-like trees could be in fact cryptic hybrids resembling one of the parental phenotypes. To address this question, we examined randomly sampled individuals, using a set of plastid (cpDNA), nuclear (nDNA) and mitochondrial (mtDNA) markers as well as biometric characteristics of needles and cones. The results were compared to the same measurements of allopatric reference populations of the P. sylvestris and the P. mugo complex (Pinus mugo s.s, P. uncinata and P. uliginosa). We detected cpDNA barcodes of the P. mugo complex in most individuals with the P. sylvestris phenotype, while we did not detect cpDNA diagnostic of P. sylvestris within P. uliginosa-like trees. These results indicate the presence of cryptic hybrids of the P. sylvestris phenotype. We found only three typical P. sylvestris individuals that were clustered with the species reference populations based on needle and cone characteristics. Most trees showed intermediate characteristics between P. sylvestris and P. uliginosa-like trees, indicating intensive and probably long-lasting hybridization of the taxa at this area and subsequent gene erosion of parental species