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Orthotrichum camanchacanum is presented as a newly described species from Chile. The species is primarily distinguished by its emergent capsule with cryptoporous stomata, a double peristome, linear-lanceolate stem leaves with a long hyaline aristae in apex, conspicuously differentiated perichaetial leaves, and a densely hairy vaginula. The species was discovered in the mountain massif of the Andes in the Coquimbo region, notable for its unique climatic conditions. Molecular data and a brief discussion comparing the newly described species with the most closely related taxa are also provided.

Abstract Background Riccia fluitans, an amphibious liverwort, exhibits a fascinating adaptation mechanism to transition between terrestrial and aquatic environments. Utilizing nanopore direct RNA sequencing, we try to capture the complex epitranscriptomic changes undergone in response to land-water transition. Results A significant finding is the identification of 45 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with a split of 33 downregulated in terrestrial forms and 12 upregulated in aquatic forms, indicating a robust transcriptional response to environmental changes. Analysis of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications revealed 173 m6A sites in aquatic and only 27 sites in the terrestrial forms, indicating a significant increase in methylation in the former, which could facilitate rapid adaptation to changing environments. The aquatic form showed a global elongation bias in poly(A) tails, which is associated with increased mRNA stability and efficient translation, enhancing the plant’s resilience to water stress. Significant differences in polyadenylation signals were observed between the two forms, with nine transcripts showing notable changes in tail length, suggesting an adaptive mechanism to modulate mRNA stability and translational efficiency in response to environmental conditions. This differential methylation and polyadenylation underline a sophisticated layer of post-transcriptional regulation, enabling Riccia fluitans to fine-tune gene expression in response to its living conditions. Conclusions These insights into transcriptome dynamics offer a deeper understanding of plant adaptation strategies at the molecular level, contributing to the broader knowledge of plant biology and evolution. These findings underscore the sophisticated post-transcriptional regulatory strategies Riccia fluitans employs to navigate the challenges of aquatic versus terrestrial living, highlighting the plant’s dynamic adaptation to environmental stresses and its utility as a model for studying adaptation mechanisms in amphibious plants.

Background/Objectives: The paravertebral block (PVB) is a well-studied, effective method of analgesia for breast surgery. Alternative techniques involving the blockage of intercostal nerve branches are the serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) and the erector spinae plane block (ESPB). However, no studies comparing both fascial blocks to PVB in breast surgery have been published to date. We evaluated the effectiveness of ESPB and SAPB vs. PVB, expressed as the requirement for intraoperative fentanyl, pain intensity at rest and during coughing, and morphine consumption on the first postoperative day. Additional aims were to perform an evaluation of the safety of the block types used. Materials and Methods: A total of 77 women and 1 man with stage I and II clinical breast cancer, aged 18–85 years, were randomized into one of three study groups: SAPB, PVB, and ESPB. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in fentanyl consumption during surgery with respect to the type of block used (p = 0.4246). Morphine consumption in the postoperative period was highest in the ESPB group, averaging 9.4 mg. There was a statistically significant difference in pain intensity from 4 pm on the day of surgery to 8 am the following morning. No complications related to the blocks were observed on the first postoperative day. Conclusions: Both the serratus anterior plane block and the erector spinae plane block were as effective as the paravertebral block in achieving intraoperative analgesia. The serratus anterior plane block was equally as effective as the paravertebral block in achieving postoperative analgesia. The erector spinae plane block was significantly less effective in achieving postoperative analgesia than both the paravertebral block and serratus anterior plane block.

Membrane-bound organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, have played a crucial role in the evolution of plant cells. In this study, we investigate the presence of heteroplasmy and genomic variation in liverworts, a group of non-vascular plants, using nanopore sequencing technology. We selected four liverwort species representing different lineages: Riccia fluitans , Apopellia endiviifolia , Aneura pinguis , and Scapania undulata . Through nanopore sequencing, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the organellar genomes of selected liverwort species. The plastid genomes of Riccia fluitans , Apopellia endiviifolia , Aneura pinguis , and Scapania undulata exhibited high conservation with previously published genomes, while the mitogenome of Scapania undulata represents the first report for this species. The analysis of the liverwort organellar genomes revealed conserved gene content, structure, and order. We further investigated heteroplasmy within the liverwort species. The plastome analysis did not detect structural heteroplasmy, which is observed in some angiosperms but seems limited to seed plants. However, in the mitogenomes, we found evidence of heteroplasmy in Aneura pinguis , Apopellia endiviifolia , and Scapania undulata . The heteroplasmic sites in the mitogenomes were mainly represented by substitutions, indels, and short tandem repeat polymorphisms. Some of the identified substitutions resembled RNA editing patterns observed in liverworts. This study highlights the utility of nanopore sequencing for studying organellar genomes and detecting heteroplasmy in liverworts. The findings expand our understanding of organellar genomic variation in non-vascular plants and provide insights into the mechanisms underlying heteroplasmy in liverwort mitogenomes. Further research is needed to explore the functional significance of heteroplasmy and its implications for liverwort evolution and adaptation.

Galium genus belongs to the Rubiaceae family, which consists of approximately 14,000 species. In comparison to its well-known relatives, the plastomes of the Galium genus have not been explored so far. The plastomes of this genus have a typical, quadripartite structure, but differ in gene content, since the infA gene is missing in Galium palustre and Galium trfidum. An evaluation of the effectiveness of using entire chloroplast genome sequences as superbarcodes for accurate plant species identification revealed the high potential of this method for molecular delimitation within the genus and tribe. The trnE-UUC—psbD region showed the biggest number of diagnostides (diagnostic nucleotides) which might be new potential barcodes, not only in Galium, but also in other closely related genera. Relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) appeared to be connected with the phylogeny of the Rubiaceae family, showing that during evolution, plants started preferring specific codons over others.

Abstract Organellar genomes of liverworts are considered as one of the most stable among plants, with rare events of gene loss and structural rearrangements. However, not all lineages of liverworts are equally explored in the field of organellar genomics, and subclass Pellidae is one of the less known. Hybrid assembly, using both short- and long-read technologies enabled the assembly of repeat-rich mitogenomes of Pellia and Apopellia revealing extraordinary reduction of length in the latter which impacts only intergenic spacers. The mitogenomes of Apopellia were revealed to be the smallest among all known liverworts—109 k bp, despite retaining all introns. The study also showed the loss of one tRNA gene in Apopellia mitogenome, although it had no impact on the codon usage pattern of mitochondrial protein coding genes. Moreover, it was revealed that Apopellia and Pellia differ in codon usage by plastome CDSs, despite identical tRNA gene content. Molecular identification of species is especially important where traditional taxonomic methods fail, especially within Pellidae where cryptic speciation is well recognized. The simple morphology of these species and a tendency towards environmental plasticity make them complicated in identification. Application of super-barcodes, based on complete mitochondrial or plastid genomes sequences enable identification of all cryptic lineages within Apopellia and Pellia genera, however in some particular cases, mitogenomes were more efficient in species delimitation than plastomes.

In this comprehensive review, we explore the significant role that nanopore sequencing technology plays in the study of plant organellar genomes, particularly mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA. To date, the application of nanopore sequencing has led to the successful sequencing of over 100 plant mitochondrial genomes and around 80 chloroplast genomes. These figures not only demonstrate the technology’s robustness but also mark a substantial advancement in the field, highlighting its efficacy in decoding the complex and dynamic nature of these genomes. Nanopore sequencing, known for its long-read capabilities, significantly surpasses traditional sequencing techniques, especially in addressing challenges like structural complexity and sequence repetitiveness in organellar DNA. This review delves into the nuances of nanopore sequencing, elaborating on its benefits compared to conventional methods and the groundbreaking applications it has fostered in plant organellar genomics. While its transformative impact is clear, the technology’s limitations, including error rates and computational requirements, are discussed, alongside potential solutions and prospects for technological refinement.

Abstract Background The mitogenomes of vascular plants are one of the most structurally diverse molecules. In the present study we characterize mitogenomes of a rare and endangered species Pulsatilla patens. We investigated the gene content and its RNA editing potential, repeats distribution and plastid derived sequences. Results The mitogenome structure of early divergent eudicot, endangered Pulsatilla patens does not support the master chromosome hypothesis, revealing the presence of three linear chromosomes of total length 986 613 bp. The molecules are shaped by the presence of extremely long, exceeding 87 kbp repeats and multiple chloroplast-derived regions including nearly complete inverted repeat. Since the plastid IR content of Ranunculales is very characteristic, the incorporation into mitogenome could be explained rather by intracellular transfer than mitochondrial HGT. The mitogenome contains almost a complete set of genes known from other vascular plants with exception of rps10 and sdh3, the latter being present but pseudogenized. Analysis of long ORFs enabled the identification of genes which are rarely present in plant mitogenomes, including RNA and DNA polymerases, albeit their presence even at species level is variable. Mitochondrial transcripts of P. patens were edited with a high frequency, which exceeded the level known in other analyzed angiosperms, despite the strict qualification criteria of counting the editing events and taking into analysis generally less frequently edited leaf transcriptome. The total number of edited sites was 902 and nad4 was identified as the most heavily edited gene with 65 C to U changes. Non-canonical, reverse U to C editing was not detected. Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genes of three Pulsatilla species revealed a level of variation comparable to chloroplast CDS dataset and much higher infrageneric differentiation than in other known angiosperm genera. The variation found in CDS of mitochondrial genes is comparable to values found among Pulsatilla plastomes. Despite the complicated mitogenome structure, 14 single copy regions of 329 kbp, not splitted by repeats or plastid-derived sequences (MTPT), revealed the potential for phylogenetic, phylogeographic and population genetics studies by revealing intra- and interspecific collinearity. Conclusions This study provides valuable new information about mitochondrial genome of early divergent eudicots, Pulsatilla patens, revealed multi-chromosomal structure and shed new light on mitogenomics of early eudicots.

Background/Objectives: The paravertebral block (PVB) is a well-studied, effective method of analgesia for breast surgery. Alternative techniques involving the blockage of intercostal nerve branches are the serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) and the erector spinae plane block (ESPB). However, no studies comparing both fascial blocks to PVB in breast surgery have been published to date. We evaluated the effectiveness of ESPB and SAPB vs. PVB, expressed as the requirement for intraoperative fentanyl, pain intensity at rest and during coughing, and morphine consumption on the first postoperative day. Additional aims were to perform an evaluation of the safety of the block types used. Materials and Methods: A total of 77 women and 1 man with stage I and II clinical breast cancer, aged 18–85 years, were randomized into one of three study groups: SAPB, PVB, and ESPB. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in fentanyl consumption during surgery with respect to the type of block used (p = 0.4246). Morphine consumption in the postoperative period was highest in the ESPB group, averaging 9.4 mg. There was a statistically significant difference in pain intensity from 4 pm on the day of surgery to 8 am the following morning. No complications related to the blocks were observed on the first postoperative day. Conclusions: Both the serratus anterior plane block and the erector spinae plane block were as effective as the paravertebral block in achieving intraoperative analgesia. The serratus anterior plane block was equally as effective as the paravertebral block in achieving postoperative analgesia. The erector spinae plane block was significantly less effective in achieving postoperative analgesia than both the paravertebral block and serratus anterior plane block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The study focused on the verification of the preferential site-specific concept hypothesizing, that mineral elements could be playing an initiating role in the biological speciation within Aneura pinguis cryptic species. A. pinguis species A and soil materials were collected from three ecological sites of Poland. They underwent genetic (Aneura pinguis) and chemical analyses (soil materials) for pH, total and water soluble (active) forms of Ca, Mg, K, Na fractions. Data revealed trends in the site preference of three genetic lineages (A1, A2 and A3) of A. pinguis cryptic species A. Lineage adaptability index Ca/(Mg + K + Na) reflecting the dynamic character of site pH implied, that lineages A1 and A2 were both calciphilous. The A3 lineages were intrinsically acidophilous and this characteristics was also observed at some A1 lineages. Site concentrations of Ca and in some cases Mg too were crucial in shaping pH, but this process could have been controlled by each mineral element, individually. Calciphilous or acidophilous A. pinguis species may be “remotely” attracted by high or low Ca (or Mg) concentrations, for alkalinity or acidity emergence, respectively. Mineral richness at investigated ecological sites has possibly initiated opportunistic and specific site colonisation by A. pinguis lineages.

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Orthotrichum camanchacanum is presented as a newly described species from Chile. The species is primarily distinguished by its emergent capsule with cryptoporous stomata, a double peristome, linear-lanceolate stem leaves with a long hyaline aristae in apex, conspicuously differentiated perichaetial leaves, and a densely hairy vaginula. The species was discovered in the mountain massif of the Andes in the Coquimbo region, notable for its unique climatic conditions. Molecular data and a brief discussion comparing the newly described species with the most closely related taxa are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social and Cultural Conditions and Limitations of the Northern Ireland Peace Process The conflict in Northern Ireland, sometimes called “the Troubles” (by British government), sometimes called “war” (by nationalists), has lasted since 1921. The article presents the historical, structural and cultural background of the conflict in Ulster. Two main communities – Catholic and Protestant – are divided because of lots of reasons: one of them is different interpretation of history (“imagined histories”). On the social level the dominant position of the Protestant community was supported by a system of discrimination. The two conflicted communities are integrated around different sets of values, symbols and norms, and their sense of belonging and group membership is connected with different ethnic identities. The peace process started in 1998 (Good Friday Agreement). Since then considerable changes have been implemented in order to end the political, social and cultural discrimination of the minority Catholic community. Changes (reforms) at the governmental level, like establishing the new Northern Ireland Assembly and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, are very important. But equally important are changes on cultural and symbolic levels because they create space to re-defining ethnic identities. A good example of this could be the Re-Imaging Communities Programme, an initiative launched in 2006 by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The idea of the programme is to change – in cooperation with local people and artists – sectarian and militant murals into neutral ones and create more friendly public space.

Abstract Background Molecular research revealed that some of the European Calypogeia species described on the basis of morphological criteria are genetically heterogeneous and, in fact, are species complexes. DNA barcoding is already commonly used for correct identification of difficult to determine species, to disclose cryptic species, or detecting new taxa. Among liverworts, some DNA fragments, recommend as universal plant DNA barcodes, cause problems in amplification. Super-barcoding based on genomic data, makes new opportunities in a species identification. Results On the basis of 22 individuals, representing 10 Calypogeia species, plastid genome was tested as a super-barcode. It is not effective in 100%, nonetheless its success of species discrimination (95.45%) is still conspicuous. It is not excluded that the above outcome may have been upset by cryptic speciation in C. suecica, as our results indicate. Having the sequences of entire plastomes of European Calypogeia species, we also discovered that the ndhB and ndhH genes and the trnT-trnL spacer identify species in 100%. Conclusions This study shows that even if a super-barcoding is not effective in 100%, this method does not close the door to a traditional single- or multi-locus barcoding. Moreover, it avoids many complication resulting from the need to amplify selected DNA fragments. It seems that a good solution for species discrimination is a development of so-called “specific barcodes” for a given taxonomic group, based on plastome data.

Pulsatilla patens is a rare and endangered species in Europe and its population resources have significantly decreased over the past decades. Previous genetic studies of this species made it possible to estimate the genetic diversity of the European population and to describe the structure of chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes. The main aim of these studies was to characterize the variability of chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes in more detail at the intra-population and inter-population levels. Our study presents new organelle genome reference sequences that allow the design of novel markers that can be the starting point for testing hypotheses, past and modern biogeography of rare and endangered species P. patens, and adaptive responses of this species to changing environments. The study included sixteen individuals from five populations located in Northeastern Poland. Comparative analysis of 16 P. patens plastomes from 5 populations enabled us to identify 160 point mutations, including 64 substitutions and 96 InDels. The most numerous detected SNPs and Indels (75%) were accumulated in three intergenic spacers: ndhD—ccsA, rps4—rps16, and trnL(UAG)—ndhF. The mitogenome dataset, which was more than twice as large as the plastome (331 kbp vs. 151 kbp), revealed eight times fewer SNPs (8 vs. 64) and six times fewer InDels (16 vs. 96). Both chloroplast and mitochondrial genome identified the same number of haplotypes—11 out of 16 individuals, but both organellar genomes slightly differ in haplotype clustering. Despite the much lower variation, mitogenomic data provide additional resolution in the haplotype detection of P. patens, enabling molecular identification of individuals, which were unrecognizable based on the plastome dataset.

Poland has a large potential for biogas production from agricultural sources and food waste. This potential is still poorly used. There are many reasons for this state of affairs. We can indicate both the policy of the state towards renewable energy sources (RES) with a small amount of energy from biogas contracted at auctions, investment risk, and especially low return on investment in the absence of investment support. An important reason is also the limited state budget. The purpose of this work was to determine the endogenous factors that determine ROE, the direction of the impact of these factors, as well as the strategy of biogas plants in shaping the ROE level. The DuPont model was used in the analysis of ROE changes. We used the deviation method to determine the impact of the various factors on ROE. Against the background of the energy sector in Poland, the value of ROE in the examined biogas plants should be considered satisfactory, and in 2020 it was, on average, 13.9%. The decrease from 17.2% in 2019 occurred despite the increase in energy prices and the increase in the net profit margin (NPM). It resulted from the reduction of ROE’s financial leverage through external capital. A high level of debt characterized the examined biogas plants, and the pursuit of risk reduction and debt reduction negatively impacts on ROE. This may indicate the need for state investment support at the plant construction stage or low-interest investment loans to develop biogas plants. In addition, using only price guarantees under the feed-in tariffs, with dynamic changes in costs, may bring the industry a relatively high investment risk compared to other RES, where the operational costs during the lifetime are low, as it is in PV or wind systems.

In this comprehensive review, we explore the significant role that nanopore sequencing technology plays in the study of plant organellar genomes, particularly mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA. To date, the application of nanopore sequencing has led to the successful sequencing of over 100 plant mitochondrial genomes and around 80 chloroplast genomes. These figures not only demonstrate the technology's robustness but also mark a substantial advancement in the field, highlighting its efficacy in decoding the complex and dynamic nature of these genomes. Nanopore sequencing, known for its long-read capabilities, significantly surpasses traditional sequencing techniques, especially in addressing challenges like structural complexity and sequence repetitiveness in organellar DNA. This review delves into the nuances of nanopore sequencing, elaborating on its benefits compared to conventional methods and the groundbreaking applications it has fostered in plant organellar genomics. While its transformative impact is clear, the technology's limitations, including error rates and computational requirements, are discussed, alongside potential solutions and prospects for technological refinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of abductions is still of a social interest. In the era of widely available media, we hear more and more about cases of unlawful deprivation of liberty. Another problem we currently encounter is juvenile delinquency. Th e aim of this publication is thus to lay down the problematic aspects of unlawful deprivation of liberty with particular cruelty as committed by young people, and, in particular, to indicate their motives, modi operandi and behaviours qualifi ed as particular cruelty towards the aggrieved party.

Objectives The aim of the study was to examine the potential differences in the assessment of the severity of work-related stress, and in the global assessment of the areas of worklife and individual worklife dimensions in employees working in service occupations. Material and Methods The research covered 61 emergency workers, 92 helping professionals, and 58 knowledge workers. A subjective assessment of the areas of worklife was carried out using the Areas of Worklife Survey , and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was used to investigate stress severity. Results The research has revealed statistically significant differences between workers belonging to the 3 groups of service occupations in their assessment of the severity of work-related stress. The findings have shown that 26% of the variance of the Stress Severity Assessment variable is explained by belonging to a specific occupational group. Police officers and helping professionals experience comparably severe stress, which is significantly stronger than that experienced by the laboratory staff. Statistically significant differences have also been found between the studied groups in terms of the global assessment of all areas of worklife, as well as in the assessment of particular areas, i.e., control, rewards, fairness and values. No significant differences have been found with regard to the workload and community areas. Conclusions Working in social service occupations, whether as emergency or helping professionals, may lead to a similar level of stress severity. The surveyed workers do not differ in their assessment of workload or of the sense of trust, cooperation and support received from their co-workers. Further research should be carried out to explore the sources of stress, which may be linked to other factors than the areas of worklife presented here, such as stress inducing contact with customers, environmental determinants of work, existing hazards to life or health, or the intrinsic predispositions of individuals performing specific types of work and gender. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(4):569–84

Background This work aims to present the results of a research study on the relations between work ethic, organizational commitment and job burnout. The authors investigated a sample of employees representing different industries and companies, e.g., lawyers, IT specialists, medical doctors, clerks, teachers and railwaymen (N = 335). Material and Methods The research study was based on the Job Demands−Resources model. The work ethic measured by the Polish adaptation of the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile consisted of 8 factors: the value of hard work, work as a central value of life, unwillingness to waste time, aversion to free time, delayed gratification, self-reliance, morality, and work as a moral duty. The organizational commitment measured by the Organizational Commitment Scale consisted of 3 components: affective commitment, normative commitment and continuance commitment. To measure job burnout, the Polish adaptation of the Link Burnout Questionnaire was used, which is composed of 4 dimensions of burnout: psycho-physical exhaustion, relationship deterioration, the sense of professional failure, and disillusion. Results The study shows that work ethic dimensions and organizational commitment are negatively correlated with job burnout. Significant predictors which can reduce job burnout include work as a moral duty, the value of hard work, work as a central value of life, aversion to free time and morality as dimensions of work ethic and affective commitment. Conclusions Some dimensions of work ethic and organizational commitment constitute job resources and can decrease job burnout. Work ethic, and affective and normative commitment reduce the sense of disillusion. Med Pr. 2019;70(3):305–16

Among the large family of metallic oxides, there is a considerable group possessing excellent semiconducting properties. What follows, they are promising materials for applications in the field of optoelectronics and photonics. Thanks to the development of nanotechnology in the last few decades, it is now possible to manufacture a great variety of different nanostructures. By controlling their size, shape, composition and crystallinity, one can influence such properties as band gap, absorption properties, surface to volume ratio, conductivity, and, as a consequence, tune the material for the chosen application. The following article reviews the research conducted in the field of application of the metallic oxide nanoparticles, especially ZnO, TiO2 and ITO (Indium-Tin Oxide), in such branches of optoelectronics as solid-state lightning, photodetectors, solar-cells and transparent conducting layers.

Background and Objectives: Kidneys play a key role in maintaining the acid–base balance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 3-month oral sodium bicarbonate administration on arterial wall stiffness, arterial pressure and serum nutritional markers in non-dialysed patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3–5 and metabolic acidosis. Methods: Eighteen CKD patients with eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73 m2 and capillary blood bicarbonate (HCO3) < 22 mmol/L were enrolled in this single-centre, prospective study. Anthropometric parameters, pulse wave velocity, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurements, blood and urine parameters were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the study. The patients received supplementation with 2 g of sodium bicarbonate daily for three months. Results: A significant increase of pH: 7.32 ± 0.06 to 7.36 ± 0.06; p = 0.025, HCO3 from 18.7 mmol/L (17.7–21.3) to 22.2 mmol/L (20.2–23.9); p < 0.001 and a decrease in base excess from −6.0 ± 2.4 to −1.9 ± 3.1 mmol/L; p < 0.001 were found. An increase in serum total protein from 62.7 ± 6.9 to 65.8 ± 6.2; p < 0.013 and albumin from 37.3 ± 5.4 to 39.4 ± 4.8; p < 0.037 but, also, NT-pro-BNP (N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide) from 794.7 (291.2–1819.0) to 1247.10 (384.7–4545.0); p < 0.006, CRP(C Reactive Protein) from 1.3 (0.7–2.9) to 2.8 (1.1–3.1); p < 0.025 and PTH (parathyroid hormone) from 21.5 ± 13.7 to 27.01 ± 16.3; p < 0.006 were observed, as well as an increase in erythrocyte count from 3.4 ± 0.6 to 3.6 ± 0.6; p < 0.004, haemoglobin from 10.2 ± 2.0 to 11.00 ± 1.7; p < 0.006 and haematocrit from 31.6 ± 6.00 to 33.6 ± 4.8; p < 0.009. The mean eGFR during sodium bicarbonate administration did not change significantly: There were no significant differences in pulse wave velocity or in the systolic and diastolic BP values. Conclusion: The administration of sodium bicarbonate in non-dialysed CKD patients in stages 3–5 improves the parameters of metabolic acidosis and serum nutritional markers; however, it does not affect the blood pressure and vascular stiffness.

The paper presents research focused on the efficiency improvement of inorganic flexible thin-film solar cells, using energy converting layers. The light capture enhancement was achieved through the introduction of layers based on rare-earth elements, as top coatings on the amorphous silicon photovoltaic structures. Such luminescent layers are converting high-energy photons into low-energy ones, which are more efficient in photovoltaic conversion of the investigated solar cells. Towards this goal, powders consisting rare-earth elements were applied as active particles in polymer layer. For practical experiments, the screen-printing method, as a cheap, reliable and industrially-ready technology was used for layers deposition. For the experiments two compositions were selected: Sr4Al14O25: Eu,Dy (BGL-300M) and SrAl2O4: Eu,Dy (G-300M). These materials are characterized by excellent thermal and optical stability and interesting luminescent properties (they absorb ultraviolet and emit in the visible range). For the verification of investigated materials and methods, various compositions of powders and proportions were tested and analyzed.

The mismatch between solar cell response and solar spectrum is one of the biggest challenges to achieve high efficiency in photovoltaic cells. There are a few different approaches to minimise this concern. One of them is the radiation conversion which may be due to three different processes, namely up-conversion, down- conversion and down-shifting. In this paper the down-conversion process of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and layers with ZnO NPs in polymer (poly (methyl methacrylate)) (PMMA) matrix will be analysed. ZnO NPs are prone to act as down-converting or down-shifting agents, which absorb the UV radiation, which is not absorbed by the solar cell, and then re-emit light in the visible range, which is suited to the photovoltaic cell sensitivity. Herein, the photoluminescence and optical transmittance of ZnO NPs and layers based on ZnO NPs will be presented. These parameters have a large influence on the potential application of these layers in photovoltaic structures for increased efficiency. The conversion layers have to fulfil the following conditions: have good optical transmittance in the visible range and high luminescence efficiency in converting UV radiation into visible. The paper focuses on finding the balance between these parameters.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the access of prisoners to healthcare services, as well as the level of satisfaction with the provided services and health assessment among prisoners. Methods: The research was conducted in one of the penitentiary centers in Poland among people jailed between 1 January to 31 January 2020. The response rate of the self-administrated questionnaire was 52.05% (469/901) participants. There were 389 men and 77 women. Results: Prisoners assessed access to health services including GP doctors, specialist doctors, dentists, and hospitals in 3 categories: “bad” ranged: 27.03–67.60%; “medium” ranged: 22.54–53.57%; “good” ranged: 7.02–33.96% depending on the type of arrest, but no statistical significance was demonstrated. Satisfaction with the health services defined as “bad” ranged: 25.00–61.11%; “medium” ranged: 18.97–55.56%; “good” ranged: 5.56–34.62% depending on the type of arrest but no statistical significance was demonstrated. Of 469 prisoners, 215 prisoners (45.84%) declared no addictions. The frequency of addiction does not differ depending on the place/type of punishment served (p = 0.9). In turn, 317 prisoners (68%) declared no chronic diseases. Conclusions: Most of the prisoners described access to health services as “bad”, except female prisoners from a semi-open facility. In turn, satisfaction with healthcare services was most often assessed as “bad”, except for temporarily arrested men and female prisoners from a semi-open facility.

The simple thalloid liverwort Apopellia endiviifolia is a widespread Holarctic species belonging to the family Pelliaceae. European populations of this species comprise two distinct evolutionary lineages named “species A”, known also as water form, and typical, mainly terrestrial forms named “species B”. Newly sequenced, assembled and annotated chloroplast genomes of six European specimens belonging to the two cryptic lineages occupying different microhabitats, revealed the structure typical for liverworts and previously sequenced reference. The plastomes of A. endiviifolia are 120,537–120,947 bp long with a structure typical for most plants, including a pair of IR regions (each of 9,092–9,207 bp) separated by LSC (82,506–82,609 bp) and SSC (19,854–19,924 bp) regions and consist of 121 unique genes, including 81 protein-coding genes, 6 genes of unknown function (ycf genes), 4 ribosomal RNAs and 30 transfer RNAs. Comparative analysis of typical, terrestrial and water forms revealed 4971 molecular diagnostic characters (MDCs), which exceeds numbers found in many well recognized liverworts taxa. Moreover, beside the presence of evolutionary hotspots like ycf1 and ycf2 genes and several intergenic spacer like ndhB-psbM, rps4-ndhJ and ndhC-atpE, the molecular identification of Apopellia cryptic species was possible by almost 98% of 500 bp long frames simulating mini barcodes. The different ecological niches can be driven by different pressures of positive selection, which was detected in nine genes including ccsA, ndhD, ndhF, petA, psbB, psbC, rpoB, ycf1 and ycf2. Despite clearly genetic differences and ecological preferences, the current observation of morphological differentiation does not no allow to separate terrestrial and water forms into taxonomic species.

In this work, the application of quantum dots is evaluated in order to sensitize the commercially popular Si detectors in the UV range. The wavelength-shifting properties of two types of all-inorganic halide perovskite quantum dots as well as ZnCuInS/ZnS quantum dots are determined in order to assess their potential in the effective enhancement of the sensors’ detection range. In a further part of the study, the wavelength-shifting layers are formed by embedding the quantum dots in two kinds of polymers: PMMA or Cyclic Olefin Polymer. The performance of the layers is evaluated by transmission and PLE measurement. Incorporating the nanoparticles seemingly increases the transmittance in the UV range by several percent. The observed phenomenon is proportional to the quantum dots to polymer concentration, which indicates the successful conversion action of the luminescent agents.