Soil seed bank in selected patches of vegetation in the beech forest of Beskid Śląski (Southern Poland)

The aim of this study was to examine the size and composition of soil seed bank in the beech forest of Beskid Śląski (southern Poland). The study was conducted in autumn 2009 on two patches of vegetation. The applied method of research was seedling germination from the soil samples. The soil was sampled to the depth of 10 cm using a 5 cm diameter cylinder. The observation of the seedling's growth was conducted in laboratory conditions for 5 months. The size of the soil seed bank was estimated at 592 seeds/m2 (16 species) for Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum community and 2030 seeds/m2 (9 species) for Luzulo nemorosae-Fagetum comunnity. Dominant species in the seed bank was Juncus sp. and Luzula luzuloides. In addition, the composition of the seed bank and the above-ground vegetation did not show any significant similarities and a greater number of seeds were located in the upper 5cm layer of soil

Effect of Rudbeckia laciniata invasion on soil seed banks of different types of meadow communities

In the last decades, biological invasions become the main driver of biodiversity loss. The changes can be noticed not only in the above-ground diversity but also in the underground, including seed banks of native vegetation. In this study, we focus on Rudbeckia laciniata, a species introduced to many European and Asian countries, to characterize its soil seed bank as well as to answer the question, how the species influenced soil seed banks of meadow plant communities in two types of habitats (fresh and wet), where traditional mowing was abandoned. Within the habitats, we conducted our study on a three-step scale of invasion, from full invasion, through the transition zone to the control zone, where no invasion of the species has been observed so far. The majority of the R. laciniata seeds were located in the surface layer of soil. We detected, that 47% (in fresh meadow) and 56% (wet meadow) of recorded species occurred only in a soil seed bank, and were absent in aboveground vegetation. Emergence of native plants from the soil seed bank is low due to rapid shading of the soil surface by R. laciniata seedlings. However, a short-term seed bank of the species gives hope that returning to regular mowing brings the desired results in its the elimination from vegetation, in a fairly short time

Predicting the potential distribution area of Solidago ×niederederi (Asteraceae)

In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential distribution area of Solidago ×niederederi, a natural hybrid between North American S. canadensis and European S. virgaurea, in Central and East Europe using the MAXENT modeling approach. The final MAXENT model was constructed based on 83 occurrence records from Austria, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia and six abiotic environmental variables. The jackknife test revealed that annual temperature range, mean temperature of wettest quarter, and minimum temperature of coldest month had the highest gain for the training and test data when used alone, whereas precipitation seasonality, precipitation of coldest quarter, and precipitation of warmest quarter reduced the gain the most when excluded from the model and thus contributed the most information not presented with the other variables. A high probability of occurrence (>0.6) for S. ×niederederi was found in 12 countries, namely Austria, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast), Slovenia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Our results showed in which areas the hybrid may be established under the European temperate climatic conditions; however, we do not indicate which areas exactly may be under invasion by the hybrid because such a statement needs population dynamic data for proper investigation. To prevent the negative impact of S. ×niederederi on native S. virgaurea (i.e. competition for pollinators and introgression) we suggest that it should be controlled first in areas of high probability of occurrence, especially in Lithuania, Kaliningrad Oblast, Slovakia, Poland, and Austria, where the areas of high probability of hybrid occurrence account for more than 5% of the territory concerned

A new record of Typha shuttleworthii (Typhaceae) in Poland

The paper presents a new locality of Typha shuttleworthii W.D.J. Koch & Sond. in Poland. The species was found in wet roadside ditch in Kryg village near Gorlice (ATPOL grid square EG09). The distribution map of the species in Poland is provided

Guidelines on proceeding with transition of pediatric patients with hematological malignancy to adult setting

BackgroundPatients cured from hematological malignancies should be subject to long-life routine medical supervision. Patients who did not complete their therapy during childhood require further therapy when reaching adulthood (18 years).ObjectiveDetermination of guidelines and suggestions on proceeding with pediatric patients with hematological malignancies undergoing transition to adult hematology centers, with respect to Polish conditions of national medical health-care system.MethodsPanel of experts in the field of pediatric and adult hematology analyzed current situation in Polish pediatric and adult hematology centers and reviewed the literature on transition process of minor patients from pediatric to adult setting.ResultsFactors determining problems of patient transition and models of care of patient in pediatric and adult hematology settings were analyzed. Existing models of transition in Poland as well as experience from international models were presented: model of direct transition, model of adolescence medicine, sequential model and consultation model. Suggestions of changes facilitating process of patient transition, and guidelines on proceeding with patients with respect to diagnosis of malignancy and phase of oncological therapy were presented, involving cooperation of pediatric and adult centers, specialists in pediatric hematology and adult hematology, as well as the payer and scientific societies.ConclusionsProcess of transition of patients requires coordination and cooperation, preferably at the level of medical institutions. This should ensure optimal medical care to patients cured from malignancy and facilitate long-term medical supervision and gathering data on treatment efficacy and side effects

Niespokrewnieni dawcy komórek macierzystych — motywacja i satysfakcja w procesie donacji komórek krwiotwórczych

Background. Poland has the most rapidly growing population of registered stem cell donors worldwide. The aim of the study was the analysis of motivation, ways of recruitment, major side effects and general satisfaction related to donation process among unrelated hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) donors at a major stem cell facility in Poland. Material and methods. The prospective study was based on data from online questionnaire completed by unrelated HSC donors — before and after donation. The study included 109 questionnaires completed prior to donation and 80 questionnaires completed after donation. Results. The wish to help others was motivation for registration in 84% of the donors. The most common recruitment site were local actions (49%), the Internet however has also become a major source of registration — 42% of donors were recruited through the Internet based service. The most common side effects or general discomforts related to donation as reported by donors were: G-CSF injections (45%) and duration of the procedure (29%) in the case of peripheral blood stem cell donors (PBSC) and in the case of bone marrow harvest in general anesthesia — weakness after donation (27%), duration of hospital stay (27%) as well as pain after intubation (18%). Pain related to G-CSF mobilization procedure was higher than that reported after bone marrow harvest (1.51 vs 0.67; p = 0,83). Only 6% PBSC donors regarded this pain as significant compared to 9% of marrow donors. Conclusion. The outcome of the study provides a positive overview of stem cell donation in Poland. Stem cell donors report satisfaction with information provided by health care personnel on recruitment, qualification and donation procedure, the procedure-related side effects and discomforts are few and the sense of contentment and satisfaction is high.Wstęp. W ostatnich latach polski rejestr niespokrewnionych dawców komórek krwiotwórczych był najszybciej rozwijającym się rejestrem w skali świata. Celem niniejszej pracy jest analiza procesu rekrutacji i pobierania komórek macierzystych od dawców. Analizę tę przeprowadzono w największym ośrodku pobierającym w Polsce — w Samodzielnym Publicznym Centralnym Szpitalu Klinicznym. Materiał i metody. Przeprowadzono badanie ankietowe online wśród niespokrewnionych dawców komórek krwiotwórczych przed donacją i po. Łącznie dawcy wypełnili 109 kwestionariuszy przed donacją i 80 kwestionariuszy po donacji. Wyniki. Chęć niesienia pomocy drugiemu człowiekowi była głównym powodem rejestracji dla 84% dawców. Najczęściej rekrutowano ich podczas lokalnych akcji (49% dawców) i przez Internet — poprzez kwestionariusze dostępne w sieci (42%). Najczęściej zgłaszanymi przez dawców niedogodnościami związanymi z pobraniem komórek były: konieczność wykonywania zastrzyków czynnika wzrostu granulocytów (45%) i czas trwania procedury (29%) — wśród dawców komórek krwiotwórczych z krwi obwodowej — oraz osłabienie po pobraniu (27%), konieczność pobytu w szpitalu (27%) i ból gardła po intubacji (18%) związane z pobraniem szpiku w znieczuleniu ogólnym. Natężenie bólu zgłaszanego przez dawców w trakcie pobrania komórek z krwi obwodowej było większe niż u dawców po pobraniu szpiku, ale nie była to różnica istotna statystycznie (1,51 vs 0,67; p = 0,83). Tylko 6% dawców komórek z krwi obwodowej uważało ten ból za istotny w porównaniu do 9% dawców, od których pobierano szpik. Wnioski. Wyniki pracy pokazują pozytywny obraz donacji komórek krwiotwórczych. Zadowolenie z otrzymanych informacji w trakcie rekrutacji, kwalifikacji i donacji, mała liczba niekorzystnych doświadczeń dawców oraz ogólne zadowolenie z przebiegu donacji przyczyniają się do kształtowania pozytywnego obrazu dawstwa i przeszczepiania szpiku w Polsce

Zalecenia Polskiej Grupy Szpiczakowej dotyczące rozpoznawania i leczenia szpiczaka plazmocytowego oraz innych dyskrazji plazmocytowych na rok 2013

New drugs introduced in recent years to the therapy of multiple myeloma (MM) patients allow to obtain therapeutic responses in the majority of patients. Therapeutic regimens based on thalidomide, lenalidomide and on bortezomib are recommended to the therapy as well of patients being candidates to high dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation as unfit to such procedure. In relapsed/refractory patients regimens based on the same dugs in combinations of 2, 3 or 4 drugs are utilized. Integral part of MM therapy is maintenance therapy and supportive care. In this article we described also therapeutic recommendation for Waldenström macroglobulinemia and other plasmocytic dyscrasias

Recommendations of Polish Myeloma Group concerning diagnosis and therapy of multiple myeloma for 2012

Nowe leki wprowadzane do leczenia szpiczaka w ostatnich latach pozwalają uzyskać odpowiedź terapeutyczną u przeważającej większości chorych na szpiczaka plazmocytowego. Schematy oparte na talidomidzie i bortezomibie stosowane są obecnie w leczeniu nowo zdiagnozowanych chorych niezależnie od tego, czy chorzy są kandydatami do chemioterapii dużymi dawkami melfalanu i przeszczepienia krwiotwórczych komórek macierzystych, czy nie. W leczeniu chorych opornych na terapię indukującą stosuje się schematy oparte na lenalidomidzie. Ważną częścią leczenia chorych na szpiczaka jest leczenie wspomagające i podtrzymujące. W artykule tym przedstawiono również zalecenia dotyczące rozpoznania i leczenia innych dyskrazji plazmocytowych.New drugs introduced in recent years to the therapy of multiple myeloma (MM) patients allow to obtain therapeutic responses in the majority of patients. Therapeutic regimens based on thalidomide and on bortezomib are recommended to the therapy as well of patients being candidates to high dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation as unfit to such procedure. In relapsed/refractory patients regimens based on lenalidomide are recommended. An integral part of MM therapy is maintenance therapy and supportive care. In this article we described also therapeutic recommendation for other plasmocytic dyscrasia