The objective of the study was to define the primary environmental factors affecting the composition of the macrobenthic community in an abandoned open cast sulphur mine pit lake that had been filled with water from a nearby river. We investigated habitats at various depths and the macrobenthic communities; samples were collected by scuba divers. Although rush and submerged vegetation in the subsaline pit lake was abundant and provided potentially good habitat conditions for mayflies, caddisflies, coleopterans, or damselflies, the native insects were scarce. The taxa do not have many representatives in waters with elevated salinity, so those present in the Machów pit lake were mainly euryhaline species. Chironomids were the most abundant macroinvertebrates in shallower zones, whereas non-native zebra mussels were the quantitatively dominant taxon in deep-water zones. Moreover, these non-native mussels were the dominant biomass of invertebrates at all sites in all seasons. The current composition of the invertebrate assemblage was probably primarily determined by the salinated water, which limited the abundance of native species and gave non-native species an edge.
Urban water bodies are an important asset in terms of climate change. The accompanying vegetation is an integral part of the waterside space system and a source of ecosystem services and disservices. The composition of greenery in waterside spaces should therefore be preceded by detailed research. This research would be the basis for the development of recommendations for enhancement of the positive impact of vegetation on humans and minimisation of its negative effect. The aim of the study was to identify ecosystem services and disservices of vegetation in the four most important waterside recreation spaces in the city of Rzeszów, Poland, and to develop plant composition guidelines. A detailed inventory of vegetation and aerobiological monitoring of the presence of airborne allergenic pollen grains and fungal spores were carried out. Next, the ecosystem services and disservices of the vegetation were determined based on literature data and on our expert judgement. Additionally, a counting of the number of visitors to waterside areas was conducted. All these steps were used to develop recommendations for shaping the vegetation of study areas. The results of the investigations show that the boulevards along the artificial lake function completely differently than other investigated places as the area resembles an urban park, and the water is not the main attraction in this space. The vegetation of the boulevards and the nearby gravel-pit bathing area has mostly a spontaneous character and offers the widest range of ecosystem services and disservices. The management of the vegetation should focus on its health-enhancing values. The vegetation growing near the outdoor swimming pools has been designed by man. Nevertheless, it requires recomposing and is targeted specifically at the enhancement of the visual attractiveness. Additionally, there is a need for planting compact deciduous trees that will provide shade at the multi-media fountain.
Introduction: Gut microbiota is still a new direction in medicine. The intestinal microbiota contains up to 100 trillion bacteria and around 1000 species. The composition of the intestinal microflora may be affected by external factors, among which eating habits can be considered as one of the most important. There are evidences how gut microbiota may affect the course of diseases, such as autism spectrum disorders, mood disorders, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes and colorectal cancer The aim of the study: The purpose of this systemic review was to collect and analyse current and new information on the effect of diet on intestinal microbiota. Material and method: Standard criteria were used to review the literature data. The search of articles in the PubMed database was carried out using the following keywords: microbiota, gut, diet, gluten-free-diet, ketogenic-diet. Description of the state of knowledge: There are many studies that show the effect of diet on the intestinal microflora. Changing the amount of plant fiber consumed, ketogenic diet, gluten-free diet can affect the composition of the intestinal microflora in various ways, as shown by the evidence presented by us. For instance ketogenic diet in patients with refractory epilepsy may reduce the symptoms of the disease, which is associated with changes in the composition of gut microbiota. Summary: Diet is a promising direction of development, due to being a factor which may improve the course of many diseases. However, despite the fact that many new studies have appeared in this field in the last decade, time is still needed to draw specific conclusions.
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