Extinct and endangered archaeophytes and the dynamics of their diversity in Poland

A full list of extinct and endangered archaeophyte species for Poland is presented according to IUCN categories. The species are analysed in respect of their origin and syntaxonomic classification. Endangered archaeophytes should be cultivated in botanical gardens and open-air museums, and next reintroduced to natural sites

The role of rivers and streams in the migration of alien plants into the Polish Carpathians

The Carpathians are among the regions of Poland that are generally less susceptible to invasive alien plants. The factor limiting the spread of the species of this group is, above all, the mountain climate. Even species originating from other mountain regions, e.g. the Himalayan Impatiens glandulifera, have their localities only at low elevations, in the Carpathian foothills. In most cases, alien plant species migrate into the Carpathians from the lowlands. The river valleys provide the migration corridors used by alien species in the course of their progress into new territories of the upper mountain localities. The situation along some mountain rivers, where invasive alien species dominate the native vegetation, is dramatic. Their spread is facilitated not only by easy diaspore transport but also by some anthropogenic factors, such as, river engineering and the transformation of riparian habitats and progressing devastation. Currently, we can observe some invasive alien plants Ñin statu nascendiî, developing a new, secondary range in the Carpathians (e.g. Chaerophyllum aureum) or at the foothills, along the Wis≥a (Vistula) and San river valleys (e.g. Eragrostis albensis). For some species, cities were the destination for the first stage of future migration, e.g. Acer negundo. In the Carpathians, where many national parks and nature reserves are located, the continuous monitoring of the spread of invasive alien plants should be one of the principal activities of botanists

Old finds of Roman coins in the archives and collection of the National Museum in Krakow III : Dr Wacław Pancerzyński and discoveries of Roman coins in Volhynia

Before World War II, some Roman coins discovered in Volhynia were added to the numismatic col- lection of the National Museum in Krakow (NMK). Some of them were donated by Dr Wacław Pancerzyński, a physician and a major in the Polish Army. He obtained the coins during his service in the Border Protection Corps in Mizocz in what was then Zdołbunowski poviat (today Mizoch, zdolbunivs’kii raion, rivnens’ka oblast’, Ukraine). The three coins, donated in 1927, were most likely part of a hoard of Roman denarii discovered that year in the vicinity of Mizocz. In turn, a bronze coin of Constantine the Great, type “Urbs Roma”, found in Buszcza (today Bushcha, zdolbunivs’kii rayon, rivnens’ka oblast’, Ukraine), entered the NMK collection in 1929. It remains to this day the only discovery of a Roman coin recorded in this town. Unfortunately, due to confusion and the loss of some archives during World War II, it is not possible to accurately identify the coins in the current NMK collection. The same holds true regarding the denarii of Trajan and Antoninus Pius found in another locality in Volhynia, Międzyrzecz Korecki (today Velyki Mezhyrychi, koretskyi raion, rivnens’ka oblast’, Ukraine), donated by Dr Stanisław Tomkowicz. This find is well known in the literature. Unfortunately, we do not know how the donor, an outstanding figure known for his work for the protection of monuments in Kraków and Western Galicia, came into possession of these coins

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases, responsible for the integrity of the basement membrane (BM) via degradation of extracellular matrix and BM components. These enzymes are presented in central and peripheral nervous system. They are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a motor neuron disease, leading to muscle atrophy, paralysis and death within 3–5 years from diagnosis. Currently, there is no treatment that can substantially prolong life of ALS patients. Despite the fact that MMPs are not specific for ALS, there is also strong evidence that these enzymes are involved in the pathology of ALS. MMPs are able to exert direct neurotoxic effects, or may cause cell death by degrading matrix proteins. The objective of this paper is to provide an updated and comprehensive review concerning the role of MMPs and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) in the pathology of ALS with an emphasis on the significance of MMP-2 and MMP-9 as well as their tissue inhibitors as potential biomarkers of ALS. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed regarding the role of selected MMPs and TIMPs in ALS pathogenesis. Moreover, selective MMPs’ inhibitors might be potential targets for therapeutic strategies for patients with ALS. However, future investigations are necessary before some of those non-specific for ALS enzymes could finally be used as biomarkers of this disease

Studies on Roman coin finds from the Central European Barbaricum in the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University : an overview

A direct successor of the oldest tradition of academic archaeology in Poland, the Institute of Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University ranks among the leading research centres with respect to studies on the influx of Roman coins into European Barbaricum. The interest in Roman coinage at the Jagiellonian University pre-dates archaeology and can be traced back to the 16th century and the professors of the Kraków Academy (the name of the university at that time) Maciej of Miechów (1457-1523) and Stanisław Grzebski (1524-1570). In the 19th century, Roman coins discovered in the vicinity of Kraków attracted the interest of Jerzy Samuel Bandtke (1768-1835). However, the time when this area of research enjoyed particular development falls to the last years before WWII and the post-war period. A significant role in this respect was played by researchers either representing the JU Institute of Archaeology, like Professors Rudolf Jamka (1906-1972), Kazimierz Godłowski (1934-1995), and Piotr Kaczanowski (1944-2015), or those cooper-ating with the Institute like Professor Stefan Skowronek (1928-2019). Their activity laid the foundations for today’s research on the finds of Roman coins and their inflow into the territories of the Roman Period Barbaricum. Currently, this area of studies is within the focus of two of the departments of the Institute of Archaeology: the Department of Iron Age Archaeology and the Department of Classical Archaeology. The intensification of research on the inflow of Roman coins owes much to the Finds of Roman coins in Poland and lands connected historically with PL project, carried out in 2014–2018 under the leadership of Professor Aleksander Burshe, with important contributions provided by a group of scholars from the JU Institute of Archaeology. Despite the conclusion of the project, studies on the inflow of Roman coins will continue.1

Clinical significance of serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-2) in gastric cancer

Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) is able to degrade type IV collagen, and thus plays a key role in the migration of tumor cells. MMP-2 activity is inhibited by its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-2). The imbalance between MMPs and TIMPs may facilitate progression of cancer cells. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical importance of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 to that of classical tumor markers, namely carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA 19-9) in the diagnosis of gastric cancer (GC) by calculating the diagnostic criteria and estimating the levels of MMP-2, TIMP-2, CEA and CA 19-9 in GC patients in relation to clinicopathological features of cancer. We found that serum levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were significantly lower, whereas serum tumor markers were higher, in GC patients than in healthy subjects. Moreover, concentrations of TIMP-2 and CEA correlated with gastric wall infiltration, while CA 19-9 levels correlated with gastric wall infiltration and the presence of nodal metastasis. None of the proteins tested was found to be an independent prognostic factor for GC patients’ survival. The percentage of true positive results of TIMP-2 (61%) was higher than those of MMP-2 (54%) and the classical tumor markers CEA (21%) and CA 19-9 (31%). The highest diagnostic sensitivity was observed for the combined use of TIMP-2 with MMP-2 (77%). The results suggest the greater importance of serum MMP-2 and TIMP-2 than of the classical tumor markers CEA and CA 19-9 in the diagnosis of GC. But this issue requires further investigation. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 125–131