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The southern African geophyte Lachenalia with an enormous number of species and cultivars is nowadays a commercially important plant material. There is a need for research on the optimization of growing conditions to obtain a satisfactory visual quality of potted plants, which may boost its production on the international ornamental market. Our research can be considered as an innovative study on supplemental irradiation with various light spectra in relation to flower quality of Lachenalia spp. The main objective was to examine the usefulness of LED lighting in extending the length of the natural day to a 16/8 h photoperiod in order to control the development of Lachenalia ‘Rupert’ inflorescence during greenhouse cultivation in Central-European winter time. Three light treatments were applied with red (660 nm) and blue (440 nm) light in different ratios: 100% red (100/0), 90% red mixed with 10% blue (90/10) and 80% red with 20% blue (80/20). The PPFD at the plant leaf level was approx. 150 µmol m−2 s−1. The most favourable spectrum, 90/10, induced the longest inflorescences characterized by the highest stem diameter with simultaneously the highest number of florets. Additionally, blue light increased the anthocyanin content in the corolla by about 35%, compared with plants exposed to 100% red light and non-irradiated ones (control plants). This first study on the wavelength ratios is aimed to increase the production quality of Lachenalia and indicates the need for continuation.

In the heads of four red cabbage cultivars and two DH lines (one of red and one of white type), as well as in the standard white cabbage ‘Lennox F1’ cultivar, the contents of phenolic substances (total, phenylpropanoids, flavonols and anthocyanins) were estimated. Antiradical scavenging activity was determined using the DPPH and ABTS methods. The level of phenolics of all the groups, especially that of the anthocyanins, as well as RSA, was much higher in red cabbage in comparison to white. Among red cabbage assays, also a considerable variability of antioxidative parameters was observed. Four-month commercial storage resulted in a significant reduction in phenol compounds in red cabbage, but this was not the case in the white cultivar.

Two years experiment was carried out to compare the nutritional composition in bulbs of ten onion cultivars grown in the field conditions. Pyruvic acid, ascorbic acid and soluble sugars were determined in the edible part of onion bulbs. In most cultivars the content of pyruvate as the pungency index was ranged between 3-7 μmol g-1 fresh weight (medium pungency), however, three of them exceeded 7 μmol g-1 fresh weight (high pungency). A higher level of pyruvate corresponded in most cases with higher sugar content but was not correlated with that of ascorbic acid.

Samples of drinking water collected in Warka-Gr6jec region of central Poland were tested for the presence of pesticides. Data obtained from analysis of water samples will be used for future epidemiological and environmental studies in the region. Samples were collected during spring and autumn of 2002–2003 from dug wells, deep wells and water mains in 81 randomly-selected rural households scattered throughout this region of extensive agriculture. The concentration of pesticides from four main chemical groups was determined by gas chromatography: organochlorines (lindane, DDT, methoxychlor), triazines (atrazine, simazine), organophosphates (acephate, diazinon, fenitrothion) and pyrethroids (alpha-cypermethrin, deltamethrin). Two-year monitoring of drinking water samples indicated the presence of DDT and methoxychlor contamination. Pyrethroids were generally not detected, with the exception of alpha-cypermethrin found in only a few samples. Triazines were also found in water samples collected in the course of the study with higher incidence during spring period. Organophosphates were by far the most common contaminants of drinking water in this region. Almost all samples were contaminated by significant amounts of fenitrothion. The present study reveals an urgent need for systematic monitoring of drinking water quality in regions of intensive agriculture, since they are highly vulnerable to pesticide contamination. Consumption of pesticide-contaminated water may have a negative impact on the population living in this area, which also requires scientific assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vetiver grass [Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash] without seeds, suitable for growing on coastal saline land, has attracted attention because of oil extraction from its roots and industrial and agricultural use. In this study, a pot experiment with different NaCl contents was used to investigate the influence of water salinity levels on vetiver, salt tolerance, and the feasibility of transferring it to coastal saline regions. The results indicated that the fresh weight of roots and shoots increased initially and then gradually decreased with an increase in NaCl content, and the maximum was attributed to a water salinity of 0.3%. The vetiver can tolerate a maximum saline content of up to 2%. The promotion of vetiver growth under water salinity could be attributed to the acceleration of nutrient uptake-induced saline, including K, N, and Cl. The growth of vetiver was insignificantly inhibited with 0.5% water salinity (mild stress), significantly inhibited with 1.0% water salinity (moderate stress: biomass decrease), and severe inhibited with >1.5% water salinity (intense stress: biomass decrease). The salt tolerance of vetiver was due to osmotic regulation by reducing sugars under mild stress and of proline under intense stress, and Na+ sequestration in roots and the transformation of Cl− away from sensitive roots. The vetiver could be cultivated in slightly coastal saline soil (0.1–0.2% soil salinity) and even moderately saline coastal soil (0.2–0.4% soil salinity) under irrigation with low salt water during transplanting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the high interspecific biodiversity, halophytes have been regarded as a tool for understanding salt tolerance mechanisms in plants in view of their adaptation to climate change. The present study addressed the physiological response to salinity of six halophyte species common in the Mediterranean area: Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia vulgaris, Atriplex halimus, Chenopodium album, Salsola komarovii, and Sanguisorba minor. A 161-day pot experiment was conducted, watering the plants with solutions at increasing NaCl concentration (control, 100, 200, 300 and 600 mM). Fresh weight (FW), leaf stomatal conductance (GS), relative water content (RWC) and water potential (WP) were measured. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to describe the relationships involving the variables that accounted for data variance. A. halimus was shown to be the species most resilient to salinity, being able to maintain FW up to 300 mM, and RWC and WP up to 600 mM; it was followed by C. album. Compared to them, A. vulgaris and S. komarovii showed intermediate performances, achieving the highest FW (A. vulgaris) and GS (S. komarovii) under salinity. Lastly, S. minor and A. absinthium exhibited the most severe effects with a steep drop in GS and RWC. Lower WP values appeared to be associated with best halophyte performances under the highest salinity levels, i.e., 300 and 600 mM NaCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the Study: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an approved, minimally invasive and highly selective therapeutic approach to a variety of tumors. It is based on specific photosensitizer accumulation in the tumor tissue, followed by irradiation with visible light. The photochemical interactions of the photosensitizer, light and molecular oxygen produce singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen forms. The imbalance between ROS generation and antioxidant capacity of the body gives rise to oxidative stress in the cell, which initiates cell death in PDT. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of photodynamic reactions in human melanoma cell lines., Material and Methods: Photofrin(®) (Ph) was used for the photodynamic reaction in vitro as a photosensitizer. The primary cell line was MEWO cell line (granular fibroblasts), derived from a human melanoma. As a recurrent cell line we used Me45 cell line, derived from a lymph node metastasis of skin melanoma. We compared cell viability (MTT assay) to determine the effectiveness of applied therapy. The intracellular distribution of photosensitizer (Photofrin) and localization of mitochondria (Mito-Tracker Green) were detected by confocal microscopy., Results: We observed that Me45 and MEWO cell viability was dependent on the time of incubation after irradiation. In the recurrent cell line Ph accumulated mainly in the mitochondrial membranes and in MEWO cells also in the cytoplasm. The primary melanoma cell line exhibited significantly reduced cellular proliferation (below 50%) after photodynamic reaction with Ph., Conclusions: The applied photodynamic reaction was more effective in primary melanoma cells. Additionally, mitochondrial localization of Ph can lead to disturbances of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and finally to release of apoptotic proteins.

Introduction: The aim of the work was the determination of the possibility of the palatal suture expansion with an orthodontic method depending on the age of patients, and the assessment of orthodontic treatment results., Material and Methods: The examination composed 40 individuals (24 female and 16 male) at the age of 10 and 6 months to 30 years and 1 month. Two groups were formed with regard to age., Results: The palatal suture expansion was obtained in 18 individuals (that is 100% of the examined) of the first group at the ages of 10 years and 6 months to 15 years and 5 months and in 12 individuals at the ages of 16 years and 4 months to 30 years and 1 month in the second group, which amounted to 54%. In 10 persons there was no palatal suture expansion., Conclusions: The palatal suture expansion influenced in a statistically significant way an increase in the width of the palate, anterior and posterior width of the upper dental arch and a decrease in the index of the palatal height. The palatal suture expansion had no statistically significant influence on lowering the height of the palate and on the decrease in overbite, or changes in overjet. The age had no statistically significant influence on orthodontic changes. However, the age had a statistically significant influence on orthodontic changes assessed on the basis of the width of diastema.

Introduction: The aim of the study was the assessment of the influence ofmidpalatal or maxillary suture expansion on laryngeal and audiologic changes in treated patients., Material and Method: The study comprised 30 patients, 19 female and 11 male aged from 10 years 6 months to 30 years 1 month. All of them were treated for severe maxillary constriction by the use of rapid maxillary expansion with palatal suture opening. The laryngeal and audiologic assessment has been based on specialized consultations and self-assessment of the examined patients., Results: After palatal suture expansion, an improvement in free nasal breathing assessed by the examined patients has been observed in 82% patients from group I and 67.67% patients from group II. After palatal suture expansion, an improvement in conductive hearing impairment ranging 15-20 dB has been observed in all examined patients, who had that disorder before the treatment., Conclusions: Palatal suture expansion has improved statistically and significantly free nasal breathing as estimated by the examined patients. After palatal suture expansion an improvement in conductive hearing impairment has been observed ranging 15-20 dB. The improvement in conductive hearing impairment was due to restored normal function of the openings of the auditory tubes. No statistically significant influence of palatal suture opening on the size of enlarged palate and pharyngeal tonsils and uprighting of deviated nasal septum has been observed.

Geographical Information System (GIS) combines information from cartography sources (i.e. maps), earthbound surveys, remote sensing (i.e. aerial and satellite imagery) and creates overlapping layers that can be accessed, transformed, and manipulated interactively in one spatial structure. Thanks to the great flexibility of GIS, its possible applications are countless. For example, dynamic databases created by GIS can manage information from various sources and make spatial correlations with epidemiological data about temporal distribution of environmentally-related diseases. GIS has also been increasingly used to monitor, analyse and model pesticide migration in the environment. GIS analysis has proved to be a valuable tool in environmental and public health studies yielding important results that may ultimately help prevent excessive or uncontrolled exposure to xenobiotics, including pesticides. Despite its obvious advantages GIS technology is still not commonly used for such studies, particularly in the developing countries where the knowledge about GIS technology and its accessibility is limited. The presented review briefly explains the basic features of GIS and discusses exemplary studies where this technology has been successfully used for monitoring and analysing pesticide pollution and its impact on public health.

The granular cell tumor (GCT) is a nodule that arises most commonly in the skin, the breast or the tongue. The vast majority are benign. Approximately 6-10% of granular cell tumors have been reported in the lower respiratory tract. The clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical findings of eleven cases are described in our material consisted of 6 males and 5 females aged from 35 to 58 years (median, 46 years). The GCT were solitary lesions in all our patients. The tumors were located in trachea (6 cases) and in bronchus (5 cases). They were found during bronchoscopy performed because of symptoms of pneumonia, lung cancer and hemoptysis or dyspnea alone. Diameter of the tumors ranged from 0.2-2.5 cm (median 1.2 cm). Six tumors were surgically excised and 5 were endoscopically removed. Pulmonary GCT behave in a benign fashion. It was observed that tumors of less than 8 mm were more amenable to endoscopic removal and larger tumors were more likely to infiltrate through the bronchial wall. Histologically, the GCT showed submucosal infiltrates of round or oval cells with abundant granular cytoplasm. The tumors cells were positive for S-100 protein, neuron specific enolase, CD68 and vimentin. Our immunohistochemical results are consistent with this concept.