Response of maize (Zea mays L.) to rimsulfuron under salt conditions

&lt;p&gt;Investigations were carried out to determine the possible interaction between salinity (60 mmol*dm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt; NaCl) and phytotoxicity of herbicide Titus 25 DF (sulfonylurea herbicide containing active ingredient rimsulfuron). The herbicide was added to the nutrient solution at two concentrations - 1 or 100 nmol*dm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt;. After 7 days of cultivation in the nutrient solution determined were the growth parameters and some biochemical compounds (photosynthetic pigments, total protein and free amino compounds content). The combined action of 1 nmol*dm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt; rimsulfuron and salt caused a reduction in plant biomass accumulation, but this reduction was due to the salt itself. In the presence of 100 nmol*dm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt; rimsulfuron, growth inhibition of maize roots was very high and salinity did not modify herbicide toxicity. However, reduction in maize shoots growth equalled the sum of the reductions caused by each particular factor applied separately (additive effect). The reduction in shoot fresh weight reached 64%.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The investigated stress factors induced a significant increase in amino compounds, with the exception of maize roots grown under NaCl plus 100 nmol-dm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt; rimsulfuron. The concentration of total protein in maize roots diminished under NaCl and 100 nmol*dm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt; rimsulfuron, although in the other cases, it did not change distinctly in comparison to the control. All factors, with the exception of NaCl, induced a slight increase in protein contents in maize leaves. Stress factors did not change significantly the total chlorophyll concentration, however, carotenoid content was markedly reduced. Nevertheless, the combined action of 100 nmol*dm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt; rimsulfuron and NaCl caused a 10% increase in carotenoid content as compared to the control plants.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In conclusion, salinity did not change the toxicity of the herbicide applied in low dose (1 nmol*dm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt;), but it did increase herbicide toxicity at high concentration (100 nmol*dm&lt;sup&gt;-3&lt;/sup&gt;) regarding the maize shoots.&lt;/p&gt;</jats:p

Sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation of the spleen treated by laparoscopic partial splenectomy

The authors describe a case of sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation (SANT) of the spleen treated at the 2(nd) Department of Surgery, Jagiellonian University, Medical College. The patient was a 23-year-old woman. Clinically she presented with 2-year history of recurrent mild fever, diffuse joint pain, abdominal discomfort and iron deficiency anaemia of chronic disease. The laboratory tests revealed a non-characteristic chronic inflammatory response. A splenic solid lesion 9 cm in diameter was found on abdominal computed tomography. The patient underwent uneventful laparoscopic resection of the upper half of the splenic parenchyma. The resected tumour showed characteristic histological and immunophenotypical findings of SANT as previously described in the literature. In long-term follow-up, improvement of preoperative symptoms and abnormalities in the blood tests was documented

Sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation of the spleen treated by laparoscopic partial splenectomy

The authors describe a case of sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation (SANT) of the spleen treated at the 2(nd) Department of Surgery, Jagiellonian University, Medical College. The patient was a 23-year-old woman. Clinically she presented with 2-year history of recurrent mild fever, diffuse joint pain, abdominal discomfort and iron deficiency anaemia of chronic disease. The laboratory tests revealed a non-characteristic chronic inflammatory response. A splenic solid lesion 9 cm in diameter was found on abdominal computed tomography. The patient underwent uneventful laparoscopic resection of the upper half of the splenic parenchyma. The resected tumour showed characteristic histological and immunophenotypical findings of SANT as previously described in the literature. In long-term follow-up, improvement of preoperative symptoms and abnormalities in the blood tests was documented

Trends in invasive bacterial diseases during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic: analyses of prospective surveillance data from 30 countries and territories in the IRIS Consortium.

BACKGROUND The Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance (IRIS) Consortium was established to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on invasive diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus agalactiae. We aimed to analyse the incidence and distribution of these diseases during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the 2 years preceding the pandemic. METHODS For this prospective analysis, laboratories in 30 countries and territories representing five continents submitted surveillance data from Jan 1, 2018, to Jan 2, 2022, to private projects within databases in PubMLST. The impact of COVID-19 containment measures on the overall number of cases was analysed, and changes in disease distributions by patient age and serotype or group were examined. Interrupted time-series analyses were done to quantify the impact of pandemic response measures and their relaxation on disease rates, and autoregressive integrated moving average models were used to estimate effect sizes and forecast counterfactual trends by hemisphere. FINDINGS Overall, 116 841 cases were analysed: 76 481 in 2018-19, before the pandemic, and 40 360 in 2020-21, during the pandemic. During the pandemic there was a significant reduction in the risk of disease caused by S pneumoniae (risk ratio 0·47; 95% CI 0·40-0·55), H influenzae (0·51; 0·40-0·66) and N meningitidis (0·26; 0·21-0·31), while no significant changes were observed for S agalactiae (1·02; 0·75-1·40), which is not transmitted via the respiratory route. No major changes in the distribution of cases were observed when stratified by patient age or serotype or group. An estimated 36 289 (95% prediction interval 17 145-55 434) cases of invasive bacterial disease were averted during the first 2 years of the pandemic among IRIS-participating countries and territories. INTERPRETATION COVID-19 containment measures were associated with a sustained decrease in the incidence of invasive disease caused by S pneumoniae, H influenzae, and N meningitidis during the first 2 years of the pandemic, but cases began to increase in some countries towards the end of 2021 as pandemic restrictions were lifted. These IRIS data provide a better understanding of microbial transmission, will inform vaccine development and implementation, and can contribute to health-care service planning and provision of policies. FUNDING Wellcome Trust, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Torsten Söderberg Foundation, Stockholm County Council, Swedish Research Council, German Federal Ministry of Health, Robert Koch Institute, Pfizer, Merck, and the Greek National Public Health Organization

Holocaust and Katyń Denial in legal regulations and public opinion

Kłamstwo oświęcimskie i katyńskie to dwie najsilniej zakłamywane zbrodnie popełnione podczas II wojny światowej. Pod pierwszym pojęciem kryje się negowanie i zniekształcanie prawdy o Holokauście, czyli morderstw popełnionych na Żydach przez III Rzeszę oraz jej sojuszników. Drugi termin natomiast odnosi się do zakłamywania zbrodni popełnionej przez funkcjonariuszy Związku Socjalistycznych Republik Radzieckich na polskich jeńcach wojennych. Oba wielokrotne morderstwa powstały w umysłach, a następnie zostały wprowadzone w życie przez dwóch agresorów II wojny światowej, którzy napadli na Polskę w 1939 roku.Praca odpowiada na pytania: Czy prawo reguluje kwestię zakłamywania zbrodni katyńskiej oraz Holokaustu? Czy negacjoniści są karani? Na ile negowanie owych morderstw przybiera podobną postać?Holocaust and Katyn denial are the two most distorting crimes committed during World War II. At first the concept behind the denial and distortion of the truth about the Holocaust, or murder committed against Jews by the Third Reich and its allies. While the second term refers to misrepresent crimes committed by officials of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Polish prisoners of war. Both multiple murders were created in the minds, and then were put into effect by the two aggressors of World War II who invaded Poland in 1939. Text answers the questions: Does the law regulates lies about Katyn massacre and the Holocaust? Do deniers are punished? As far as the denial of these murders takes a similar form

The effects of salt stress on growth and biochemical parameters in two maize varieties

The main objective of this study was to examine the influence of salinity on growth and biochemical parameters (NR activity, amino compound accumulation, protein content, some inorganic ion concentrations) of two varieties of maize (Limko and Koka). Salinity (75.0 mol • m-3 NaCl and 37.5 mol • m-3 Na2SO4) significantly reduced fresh and dry weights of the investigated maize varieties. NaCl induced higher reduction in biomass production than Na2SO4. Differences in salt tolerance between Limko and Koka were small.It was found that in both maize varieties the nitrate reductase activity decreased under salt stress (100 mol • m-3 NaCl). This effect was more marked in the Koka variety than Limko. Decrease in nitrate reductase activity had no inhibitory effect on accumulation of protein and free amino compounds. Salinity treatment (100 mol • m-3 NaCl) led to an increase in free amino compound contents in roots and shoots of both investigated maize varieties, but these changes were not very large. The highest increase in amino compound level was observed in roots of Koka and it was 2-fold higher than in control plants. Salt stress did not change soluble protein contents in Limko and Koka varieties with the exception of Limko leaves. There was significant increase in soluble protein content on leaves of Limko and it amounted 128% of the control. Salinity caused a great increase in leaf and root Na+ concentration and a decrease in case of Ca2+ and K+ contents. The declines in Ca2+ content in maize roots were 76 and 70% respectively for Koka and Limko roots. The fall in K+ concentration was high, but not so drastic as in Ca2+. In roots of Koka and Limko the reduction in K+ content was approximately 30%. Higher reduction in K+content showed shoots of Limko. In this case K+ content lowered to 49% of control