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Abstract The liverwort Arnellia fennica has a circumarctic distribution with disjunct and scarce localities in the Alps, Carpathians, and Pyrenees. Within the Carpathians, it is only known from the Tatra Mountains (in Poland), where so far only four occurrences have been documented in the forest belt of the limestone part of the Western Tatras. The species is considered a tertiary relict, which owes its survival during the last glaciation period to low-lying locations in areas not covered by ice. Previously, it has been demonstrated that this plant does not produce gemmae in the Tatra Mountains, nor does it reproduce sexually, hence it has not spread in this massif despite the high availability of potential habitats. These studies address the following questions: (1) why A. fennica, an arctic-alpine species, has only been found at low elevations in the Tatra Mountains so far, (2) what were the possibilities of its survival during the glaciation period as verified based on the latest paleoglaciological map, (3) how this species persists in the Tatras and why it remains a rare plant. As a result, nine additional new occurrences were found, bringing the total to 13 throughout the massif. Some of the sites were found in the high mountain area. For the first time, the production of gemmae in the Tatra population of A. fennica was observed and documented, along with the presence of male specimens of this dioecious species. Genetic studies have shown that individuals from all three groups of sites are genetically homogeneous, indicating a lack of sexual reproduction. The only way of dispersal for A. fennica in the Tatras is through propagule production. The uniqueness and specificity of these structures have been described, which differ significantly from the common model known in liverworts. The rarity of the species in the Tatra massif is attributed to the inefficient mode of vegetative reproduction and the absence of sexual reproduction. Paleoglaciological analysis of all montane sites (historical and new) of A. fennica showed that half were located in areas covered by glaciers. The hypothesis of this liverwort’s survival during the glaciation period, at lower elevations, should be rejected. In light of the new data obtained, montane localities should be considered as secondary, which could have arisen after the glacier retreated only from high-mountain populations producing propagules transported downhill.

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.

Marsupella subemarginata Bakalin Fedosov is a semi-cryptic Eurasian species. Recently, it has been found in the Far East (Kamchatka and Japan) and Swiss Alps, as well as the Giant Mountains (Sudetes, Czech Republic). The plant was also observed in the Carpathians for the first time. A revision of the herbarium collections of M. emarginata (Ehrh.) Dumort. consisting of 102 specimens from the Polish and Slovak Tatra Mountains revealed the occurrence of M. subemarginata at 24 localities, eight of which were in the Polish Tatras. Most of the localities of this species were concentrated in the High Tatras, and only four sites were discovered in the Western Tatras. Marsupella subemarginata has been briefly characterized morphologically and illustrated. The habitat requirements of the species have been described in detail, and the floristic composition of its phytocoenoses has been shown in a phytosociological table consisting of 10 relev’s. Marsupella subemarginata is a valuable addition to the liverwort flora of Poland and Slovakia, which currently consist of 241 and 232 species, respectively. Currently, the liverwort flora of the Tatras comprises 195 species, including 185 species in Poland and 186 species in Slovakia.

This paper compares the measurement results of dynamic characteristics, including natural frequencies, damping ratio, and wind-induced responses of the Stuttgart TV Tower (TV Tower), obtained by Lenk in 1959 using classical instruments with those obtained by the authors a few decades later using Global Positioning System (GPS). The objective of this paper was to monitor the response of the TV Tower under wind loading, which is an important tool for the validation of its design, construction, and structural health. During the authors’ GPS measurements, weak and moderate wind speeds occurred most of the time. Only in 2007, the stronger wind observed (90 < V < 100 km/h) at the head of the TV Tower (H=157 m), which caused displacements in the decimetre range. Further measurements in 2011 were carried out, using additional GPS receivers with a higher data rate. The results achieved by the GPS prove that the cross-wind response was larger than the along-wind component for all ranges of wind speed, which occurred during the measurement periods, i.e. from 2002 to 2015. The authors of this paper extended Lenk’s results, by the static and along-wind components, confirmed the first natural frequency, and damping ratio, evaluated by the Random Decrement technique. Mounting a GPS receiver, on the steel antenna mast tip, enabled detection of the second natural frequency fs2 = 0.800 Hz, which is the frequency of the mode shape of the TV Tower steel antenna mast. Lenk did not measure this frequency.

Calathella eruciformis, a species hitherto unknown in Poland, is reported from four localities in the north-eastern part of the country. This wood-inhabiting saprotroph was found on dead decorticated but still attached twigs and branches of living Populus tremula in an oak-hornbeam forest (Carpinion betuli). Macro- and microcharacters of the recently collected material are presented in detail, together with selected illustrations. Examination of ITS rDNA sequences indicated that Calathella is not monophyletic and that the type species of the genus C. eruciformis is alien to the heterogeneous genus Flagelloscypha. Furthermore, molecular evidence is provided for a close relationship between C. eruciformis and the type species of the genus Sphaerobasidioscypha, Sphaerobasidioscypha citrispora.

Abstract Background Comparative analyses of chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes have shown that organelle genomes in bryophytes evolve slowly. However, in contrast to seed plants, the organellar genomes are yet poorly explored in bryophytes, especially among liverworts. Discovering another organellar genomes of liverwort species by sequencing provides new conclusions on evolution of bryophytes. Results In this work, the organellar genomes of Gymnomitrion concinnatum liverwort were sequenced, assembled and annotated for the first time. The chloroplast genome displays, typical for most plants, quadripartite structure containing large single copy region (81,701 bp), two inverted repeat regions (8704 bp each) and small single copy region (20,179 bp). The gene order and content of chloroplast are very similar to other liverworts with minor differences observed. A total number of 739 and 222 RNA editing sites were predicted in chloroplast and mitochondrial genes of G. concinnatum. The mitochondrial genome gene content is also in accordance with liverworts except few alterations such as: intron loss in cox1 and atp1 genes. Nonetheless the analysis revealed that G. concinnatum mitogenome structure and gene order are rearranged in comparison with other mitogenomes of liverworts. The causes underlying such mitogenomic rearrangement were investigated and the probable model of recombination was proposed. Conclusions This study provide the overview of mitochondrial and chloroplast genome structure and gene order diversity of Gymnomitrion concinnatum against the background of known organellar genomes of liverworts. The obtained results cast doubt on the idea that mitogenome structure of early land plants is highly conserved as previous studies suggested. In fact is the very first case of recombination within, evolutionary stable, mitogenomes of liverworts.

Recenzja książki: Jonathan Crary. 2015. 27/7. Późny kapitalizm i koniec snu. Kraków : Wydawnictwo Karakter.

Artykuł dotyczy funkcji i zagrożeń stojących przed recenzjami książek w czasopismach naukowych. W pierwszej części artykułu wskazano na funkcje w upowszechnianiu wiedzy, idei i koncepcji naukowych oraz budowaniu autorytetu zarówno autorów recenzowanych książek, jak i recenzentów. Autor przedstawił zagrożenia wynikające z ekonomizacji życia społecznego oraz biurokratyzacji nauki. W drugiej części opartej na badaniach empirycznych przedstawiono trzy typy recenzji: książki wybitnego autora, książki poruszającej ważny interesujący problem i książki adresowanej do praktyków. W zakończeniu wskazano na wpływ zmian dokonujących się w nauce i jej otoczeniu na zmianę roli recenzenta.

Receznja książki pod tytułem Zapobieganie patologiom w organizacji. Rola funkcji personalnych, red. nauk. Dagmara Lewicka, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 2014

The separation of saponins derived from Medicago lupulina L. flowers yielded two saponin fractions. The first one, made up of crystalline saponins, readily precipitable from water solution, was a mixture of three glycosides of soyasapogenol B. Acid hydrolysis of these saponins yielded soyasapogenol B and its three artifacts: soyasapogenols C. D and F. Xylose, rhamnose, galactose, glucose and glucuronic acid were found as sugar constituents. The second fraction obtained by cholesterol precipitation consisted of seven haemolytically active medicagenic acid glycosides. Their hydrolysis furnished medicagenic acid and glucose, xylose, rhamnose and traces of glucuronic acid.

The article presents the spread of the liverwort Tetralophozia setiformis in the Polish Tatra Mts (Western Carpathians). In the years 1814-1957 only four localities of this plant have been found in High Tatra Mts. Since the 90-ties, an increase in recording of T. setiformis has been noticed, including the first locality in Western Tatra Mts. Currently, there are 17 localities of T. setiformis in the Polish Tatra Mts. In many of them, the plant occurs abundantly; it also remains in the places of its first records. The species has a narrow ecological scale. It is attached to rock blocks, mostly of north exposition. It creates small, single-species turfs plaited in mossy pillows of alpine grasslands of Oreochloo distichae-Juncetum trifidi racomitrietosum lanuginosi hung among rocks.

This article is the first published information on the occurrence of the snow-beds of Nardo-Gnaphalietum supini in the Western Carpathians. So far, localities of Nardo-Gnaphalietum supini phytocoenoses have been known exclusively from the Alps, the Black Forest, and the Eastern Carpathians. During this study, carried out in the Polish Carpathians, phytocoenoses of Nardo-Gnaphalietum were recorded in the two highest massifs - the Tatra Mountains and the Babia Góra Massif. They were closely related to anthropogenically-influenced sites with exposed and lumped ground located near tourist routes. Habitat characterization and spatial complexes of the patches of Nardo-Gnaphalietum in the investigated area are given herein. Critical revision of phytosociological data from the Alps and the Eastern Carpathians revealed that the discussed phytocoenoses have been described within the communities of Luzuletum alpino-pilosae, Salicetum herbaceae or Nardetum strictae. In this study, all phytosociological data concerning the association were collected and the floristic distinction of the phytocoenoses of particular mountain massifs is discussed. A new subassociation Nardo-Gnaphalietum oligotrichetosum hercynici was distinguished on the basis of local habitat variability. Although Nardo-Gnaphalietum supini does not have characteristic species, it is a well-distinguished typological unit in the class Salicetea herbaceae Br.-Bl. 1948, and is a central association of the alliance Nardo-Salicion herbaceae Englisch 1999.

Autor przedstawia aspiracje zawodowe studentów AGH, zwracając uwagę na różnice w postawach zawodowych kobiet i mężczyzn. Podstawę opracowania stanowią wyniki badań ankietowych przeprowadzonych w AGH w 1997 r. na wszystkich latach i kierunkach studiów (przy zastosowaniu doboru losowo-warstwowego). Uzyskane wyniki zostały odniesione do podobnych badań przeprowadzanych wcześniej przez różnych autorów (na szerszych reprezentacjach). Opracowanie zawiera też analizę opinii studentów o studiach.

In the paper, the theoretical natural vibration frequencies and mode shapes of the chimney with and without the flexibility of soil were compared with the experimental results of two field tests carried out in December 2008 and in May 2011 by using GPS technology. Three GPS rover receivers were installed at three various levels. The GPS was able to measure only the first natural frequencies and mode shapes of the chimney. The damping ratios and maximum displacements of the chimney using the band-pass filtering technique for both tests were also determined. The measured dynamic characteristics are important for the assessment of the technical state of the chimney. The estimated dynamic characteristics, using GPS measurements, are compatible with the computed results.

The paper presents the method and results of wind tunnel investigations of Strouhal number of stationary iced cable model of cable-stayed bridge. The investigations were performed in a Climatic Wind Tunnel Laboratory of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Telc. The experimental icing of the inclined cable model in the climatic chamber of the laboratory was made. The shape of the iced model was registered by a numerical photogrammetry method. For the aerodynamic tunnel investigations, the new iced cable model was made by using 3D printing method. The Strouhal number was determined within the range of the Reynolds number between 28·103 and 122·103, on the basis of the dominant vortex shedding frequency measured in the flow behind the model.

Wychowanie tkwi w centrum zainteresowania każdego społeczeństwa i wiąże się nierozdzielnie z władzą, leży zatem u podstaw każdego programu politycznego, choćby nawet nieuświadomionego, jak w przypadku społeczeństw tradycyjnych, a bardzo wyraźnie w projektach utopijnych, co można zaobserwować od Państwa Platona po eksperyment komunistyczny czy także państwa demokratyczne. Z tego powodu system edukacyjny staje się nie tylko ważnym narzędziem w rękach struktur politycznych, ale ma przemożny wpływ na sferę kultury. Chciałbym skupić się na aspekcie kulturowym czy, jak ktoś woli, cywilizacyjnym dzisiejszej edukacji w krajach Zachodu, ze szczególnym zwróceniem uwagi na uniwersytet, instytucję, która jest wytworem właśnie kultury europejskiej i zrodziła się z cech dla niej specyficznych. Zastanowię się w tym kontekście nad miejscem i rolą ewaluacji w systemie kształcenia.

The present paper describes field tests conducted on the 300 m tall industrial chimney, located in the power station of Bełchatów (Poland), where the GPS rover receivers were installed at three various levels. The objectives of these GPS tests were to investigate the deformed vertical profile of this chimney, and its dynamic characteristics, i.e. the first natural frequency and the modal damping ratios. The results for the satellite signal receptions, the synopsis of recorded baselines and their ambiguity solutions, drifts of the chimney due to solar radiation and air temperature variations and dynamic wind response characteristics are presented.

Autor ukazuje, jak głęboko w kulturze Zachodu zakorzeniona jest idea uniwersytetu. Pokazana została jej ciągłość, a także to, że jest ona jedną z najstarszych idei w Europie, jedną z niewielu, która swój początek znajduje w średniowieczu i trwa do dziś. Autor skupił się przede wszystkim na przedstawieniu przyczyn powstania uniwersytetu, a także prezentacji jego zmiennych modeli, zatrzymując się jednak w połowie XX wieku. Szczególną uwagę poświęcił dwóm z nich: niemieckiemu oraz angielskiemu, w ich tradycyjnym kształcie. Przez całą pracę przewija się, na marginesie rozważań o uniwersytecie, kwestia kultury, wynikająca zasadniczo z koncepcji edukacji. Stawiając prowokacyjne pytanie „co zamiast uniwersytetu?”, autor odpowiada, przypominając pewne zjawisko, które miało miejsce w Rumunii pod rządami Nicolae Ceauęescu.