This article presents for the first time a list of the possible archaeophytes from Iceland. In the present study, all the flowering plant taxa that are considered native/long established in Iceland ...were assessed against criteria designed to recognize possible archaeophytes. The assessment resulted in a list of 39 taxa meeting (or possibly meeting) at least one research criterion. Nineteen taxa were classified as possible archaeophytes, 10 were classified as non-natives of unknown age (due to the inability to classify them as neither archaeophytes nor neophytes using the available data), while the remaining 10 species were classified as uncertain (doubtfully native). The limitations of the present study in terms of both the methodology and the uncertainties connected with the classification of individual taxa are discussed.KeywordsIceland; archaeophytes; neophytes; flora; Arctic, subarctic
Tolerance to heavy metals in plants is a model process used to study adaptations to extremely unfavorable environments. One species capable of colonizing areas with high contents of heavy metals is
...(Mill.) Wild.
plants growing in metalliferous areas differ in their morphological features and tolerance levels to heavy metals compared to individuals of the same species growing in non-metalliferous areas. The
adaptations to heavy metals occur at the organismal, tissue, and cellular levels (e.g., the retention of metals in roots, enrichment of the oldest leaves with metals, accumulation of metals in trichomes, and excretion of metals by salt glands of leaf epidermis). This species also undergoes physiological and biochemical adaptations (e.g., the accumulation of metals in vacuoles of the root's tannic cells and secretion of such compounds as glutathione, organic acids, or HSP17). This work reviews the current knowledge on
adaptations to heavy metals occurring in zinc-lead waste heaps and the species' genetic variation from exposure to such habitats.
is an excellent example of microevolution processes in plants inhabiting anthropogenically changed areas.
This study follows 99 subjects vaccinated with Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines over two years, with particular focus on the last year of observation (between days 360 and 720). The response to the ...vaccination was assessed with Diasorin's SARS-CoV-2 TrimericSpike IgG. Screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection was performed with Abbott's SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid IgG immunoassay. Data from questionnaires were also analyzed. Two years after the first vaccine dose administration, 100% of the subjects were positive for anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 IgG and the median antibody level was still high (3600 BAU/mL), dropping insignificantly over the last year. Simultaneously, a substantial increase in seropositivity in anti-nucleocapsid SARS-CoV-2 IgG was noted, reaching 33%. There was no statistically significant agreement between anti-N seropositivity and reported COVID-19. Higher anti-spike concentrations and lower COVID-19 incidence was seen in the older vaccinees. It was noted that only subjects boosted between days 360 and 720 showed an increase in anti-spike IgG concentrations. The higher antibody concentrations (median 7440 BAU/mL) on day 360 were noted in participants not infected over the following year. Vaccination, including booster administrations, and natural, even unrecognized, contact with SARS-CoV-2 entwined two years after the primary vaccination, leading to high anti-spike antibody concentrations.
This investigation was conducted to identify the content of metals in
Calluna vulgaris
(family
Ericaceae
),
Empetrum nigrum
(family
Ericaceae
),
Festuca vivipara
(family
Poaceae
) and
Thymus praecox
...subsp.
arcticus
(family
Lamiaceae
), as well as in the soils where they were growing in eight geothermal heathlands in Iceland. Investigation into the vegetation of geothermal areas is crucial and may contribute to their proper protection in the future and bring more understanding under what conditions the plants respond to an ecologically more extreme situation. Plants from geothermally active sites were enriched with metals as compared to the same species from non-geothermal control sites (at an average from about 150 m from geothermal activity). The enriched metals consisted of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe and Ni in
C. vulgaris
; Cd, Mn and Ti in
E. nigrum
; Hg and Pb in
F. vivipara
; and Cd, Fe and Hg in
T. praecox
. Notably,
C. vulgaris
,
E. nigrum
,
F. vivipara
and
T. praecox
had remarkably high concentrations of Ti at levels typical of toxicity thresholds. Cd and Pb (except for
C. vulgaris
and
F. vivipara
) were not accumulated in the shoots of geothermal plants.
C. vulgaris
from geothermal and control sites was characterised by the highest bioaccumulation factor (BF) of Ti and Mn;
E. nigrum
and
F. vivipara
by the highest BF of Ti and Cr; and
T. praecox
by the highest BF of Ti and Zn compared to the other elements. In comparison with the other examined species,
F. vivipara
from geothermal sites had the highest concentration of Ti in above-ground parts at any concentration of plant-available Ti in soil.
Cancer diseases constitute one of the most significant societal challenges. In this paper, we introduce a novel histopathological dataset for prostate cancer detection. The proposed dataset, ...consisting of over 2.6 million tissue patches extracted from 430 fully annotated scans, 4675 scans with assigned binary diagnoses, and 46 scans with diagnoses independently provided by a group of histopathologists can be found at https://github.com/michalkoziarski/DiagSet . Furthermore, we propose a machine learning framework for detection of cancerous tissue regions and prediction of scan-level diagnosis, utilizing thresholding to abstain from the decision in uncertain cases. The proposed approach, composed of ensembles of deep neural networks operating on the histopathological scans at different scales, achieves 94.6% accuracy in patch-level recognition and is compared in a scan-level diagnosis with 9 human histopathologists showing high statistical agreement.
The ongoing biodiversity crisis associated with anthropogenic global warming has especially severe effects on mountain and cold-adapted species. The lesson from the postglacial period can provide ...examples for future predictions, but scenarios of the range shift of mountain species are not fully explored. Different stories could happen if a species achieved long-distance dispersal and reached lowland locations or if survived only in mountains, during the ice age. In the case of grasses, a key role in range dynamics is played also by polyploidy. Due to their enhanced genetic and physiological plasticity, polyploids are thought to be less likely to become extinct during global changes.
The present study explores the postglacial range shifts in two Festuca species, which differ in range size (endemic vs widespread) and in ploidy level (diploid vs mixed-ploidy). We used phylogeography and distribution models to analyze changes in potential range during global warming. We achieved a sophisticated prediction by using modeling based on climate and edaphic factors.
Our findings indicate a low level of gene flow between populations, irrespective of variation in distance, range size and ploidy. Slightly shorter genetic distances were observed between the tetraploid populations compared to the diploids. Our data indicates that diploids adapted to cold conditions were restricted to mountains during glaciations, while polyploids spread more widely during cold periods. Nevertheless, since the LGM it appears that all studied ranges have been rather conservative, with maybe some local contractions and expansions, especially in tetraploids. Moreover, tetraploids demonstrated the most stable potential range during climate warming.
The studied cases are characterized by individual and complex range dynamics dependent on local conditions and cytotype behaviour. However, generally speaking, studied mountain species demonstrate a conservative range, which places them at risk of extinction during global warming due to the lack of effective means of escape.
The article presents an outline of the concept of a prototype system allowing for the optimization of inventory management in a diagnostic laboratory on the basis of patients results. The ...effectiveness of laboratory diagnostics depends largely on the appropriate management of resources and the quality of tests. A functional quality management system is an integral element of every diagnostic laboratory, ensuring reliability and appropriate work standards. This system includes maintaining correct and reliable analytical test results as well as the optimal use of the laboratory equipment’s processing capacity and the appropriate organization of the supply chain—both analytical material and reagents. It is extremely important to avoid situations in which tests cannot be performed due to a lack of reagents, the overloading of analyzers, or improper calibration. Therefore, the accurate prediction of the number of orders is crucial to optimize the laboratory’s operations, both in the short term—for the next few hours and minutes—and in the longer term, even monthly, which will allow for the appropriate planning of reagent stock. As part of the research presented in this article, machine learning methods were used to implement the above functionalities, which allowed for the development of a prototype of a laboratory optimization system using patient test results as a basis.
A new taxon Biscutella laevigata subsp. woycickii (Brassicaceae) is described from southern Poland. The taxon is similar to B. laevigata subsp. gracilis, but differs in having thin, light-green ...rosette leaves very densely covered by simple non-glandular trichomes, smaller seeds and the ability to tolerate and accumulate high amounts of heavy metals. This new taxon is supported by results of cultivation experiments, as well as genetic and paleobotanical evidence.
Blechnum spicant var. fallax Lange is a fern taxon endemic to Iceland where it occurs in the vicinity of hot springs on geothermally heated soils. The taxon was first described by a Danish botanist ...Johan Martin Christian Lange in 1880 on the basis of plant material collected by Christian Grønlund in Iceland. Because its holotype was not designated in the protologue, we examined the extant original material including illustrations from Flora Danica and a single plant on sheet C10021769 (deposited in C) that was the basis for the respective plate. We select this specimen as the lectotype of Blechnum spicant var. fallax.
•Sanionia uncinata was better accumulator of Cd, Co, Ni than Racomitrium lanuginosum.•R. lanuginosum was a better accumulator of Pb than S. uncinata.•S. herbacea had the highest bioaccumulation ...factors for Cd and Zn from soil.•S. herbacea is better bioindicator of Cd and Zn than S. uncinata and R. lanuginosum.
Iceland is an area practically free from pollution but threatened by long-range transported anthropogenic contaminants from mid- and low-latitudes. Therefore the load of trace elements in the environment of this island should be controlled. Accordingly in this investigation we evaluated the level of metals in rocks and soil as well as in two moss species: Sanionia uncinata, Racomitrium lanuginosum and in stems and leaves of the dwarf willow Salix herbacea. The tested hypotheses were: 1) S. uncinata and R. lanuginosum may be used as bioindicators of contaminating metals in Iceland, 2) S. uncinata is a better phytoaccumulator of these metals than R. lanuginosum because of pleated leaves, which increases their surface. No concentration of metals in the examined mosses exceeded the toxicity thresholds for plants. S. uncinata was a better accumulator of Cd, Co and Ni than R. lanuginosum, while R. lanuginosum was a better accumulator of Pb than the other moss growing together in the same sites. Both species accumulated Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn in a similar way. R. lanuginosum and S. uncinata collected in the vicinity of various local industries were correlated with the highest levels of all established concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Both species from sites influenced by sea spray were correlated with the highest concentration of Hg. S. uncinata and R. lanuginosum may be qualified as suitable bioindicators of metal pollution in Iceland. S. herbacea contained elevated concentrations of Cd and Zn without harming effects. Both elements in this plant also had the highest bioaccumulation factors from soil. This species was therefore a more suitable bioindicator of Cd and Zn as well as Co, Cu, Ni and Pb in Iceland than S. uncinata and R. lanuginosum.
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