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Western Poland (western + poland)
Selected AbstractsMultidisciplinary investigations at Stalag Luft III allied prisoner-of-war camp: The site of the 1944 "great escape," Zagan, Western PolandGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 7 2007J.K. Pringle Stalag Luft III, situated in Zagan, Poland (formerly eastern Germany), was the site of a World War II Allied aviator prisoner of war (POW) camp famous for repeat escape attempts,notably the mass escape of 76 POWs in March 1944, shown in the 1963 film "The Great Escape." The site has had little attention to date because it was within restricted military training grounds until 1992. This paper reports on attempts to locate the undiscovered "Dick" escape tunnel (the "Tom" and "Harry" tunnels from the same escape attempt were discovered and destroyed by camp authorities). Geological and geophysical surveys located hut 122, which contained the "Dick" entrance shaft. Subsequent archaeological investigations included surface artifact collection and inspection of the rubble-filled, tunnel entrance shaft. Excavations to a depth of 10 m through yellow glacio-fluvial sand resulted in the discovery of the refilled "Dick" tunnel with intact bed-board shoring and ventilation system. Our investigation provides valuable insights into POW escape efforts. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Distribution of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in PolesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMMUNOGENETICS, Issue 4-5 2008E. Majorczyk Summary Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) present on natural killer cells and minor subpopulations of T cells recognize class I human leucocyte antigen (HLA) molecules on the surface of target cells. Humans differ by the presence or absence of some KIR genes on their chromosomes. As KIRs are important for the outcome of tissue transplantation (particularly for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation) and possibly for pregnancy and autoimmune diseases, knowledge of the KIR gene distribution in a given human population is of practical value. Therefore, we tested 363 healthy individuals from Western Poland for the presence or absence of KIR genes. Results are compared with those published for other human populations. KIR gene frequencies in Poles are close to these in other Caucasoids but different from those in Asian and African populations, and particularly distant from those in Australian Aborigines. [source] Reaction of Armillaria ostoyae to forest soil microfungiFOREST PATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2004H. Kwa Summary Fungi isolated from the oak (Quercus robur) rhizosphere were tested for their effects on rhizomorph formation and growth of 16 isolates of Armillaria ostoyae sampled in three localities in western Poland. The number of rhizomorphs, number of rhizomorph apices, and rhizomorph length and weight increased most in the presence of Penicillium lanosum, Penicillium notatum, Cylindrocarpon destructans, Penicillium spinulosum and Mycelium radicis atrovirens , and, to a lesser extent, in the presence of Nectria grammicospora. Inhibition of rhizomorph formation was caused by Trichoderma hamatum and Trichoderma viride in two A. ostoyae isolates and by M. radicis atrovirens , and P. spinulosum in one A. ostoyae isolate. It is suggested that variation in sensitivity to microbial stimulation within A. ostoyae is associated with the environmental and nutritional conditions of its original habitat. Isolates from nutrition-rich localities, with 20% of the land area covered by deciduous trees, were particularly susceptible to stimulation by rhizosphere fungi. Résumé Les champignons isolés de la rhizosphère de chêne (Quercus robur) ont été testés pour leurs effets sur la formation et la croissance des rhizomorphes de 16 isolats d'Armillaria ostoyae provenant de 3 localités de Pologne occidentale. L'augmentation du nombre de rhizomorphes et d'apex de rhizomorphes, de la longueur et du poids des rhizomorphes a été la plus importante en présence de Penicillium lanosum, Penicillium notatum, Cylindrocarpon destructans, Penicillium spinulosum et Mycelium radicis atrovirens, et, à un moindre degré, en présence de Nectria grammicospora. Trichoderma hamatum et Trichoderma viride ont inhibé la formation de rhizomorphes chez deux isolats d'A. ostoyae et M. radicis atrovirens, et P. spinulosum chez un isolat. Nos résultats suggèrent que la variation de sensibilitéà la stimulation microbienne entre isolats d'A. ostoyae est associée aux conditions environnementales et nutritionnelles de leurs habitats d'origine. Les isolats provenant de localités riches sur le plan nutritif, avec 20% de la surface couverte par des essences feuillues, sont particulièrement sensibles à la stimulation par des champignons de la rhizosphère. Zusammenfassung Verschiedene Rhizosphärenpilze von Quercus robur wurden auf ihre Wirkung auf die Bildung und das Wachstum der Rhizomorphen von 16 A. ostoyae -Isolaten getestet, die aus drei Gebieten in Westpolen stammten. Penicillium lanosum, P. notatum, Cylindrocarpon destructans, Penicillium spinulosum und Mycelium radicis atrovirens , erhöhten sowohl die Anzahl der Rhizomorphen und der Rhizomorphenspitzen als auch die Länge und das Gewicht der Rhizomorphen am deutlichsten. Nectria grammicospora war weniger wirksam. Trichoderma hamatum und T. viride hemmten die Rhizomorphenbildung bei zwei Isolaten von A. ostoyae, M. radicis atrovirens , und P. spinulosum hatten diesen Effekt bei einem Isolat. Aus den Daten ergibt sich, dass die unterschiedliche Empfindlichkeit der verschiedenen Isolate von A. ostoyae auf die mikrobielle Stimulation mit den Umweltbedingungen am Herkunftsort zusammenhängen könnte. Isolate von nährstoffreichen Standorten, wo 20% der Fläche mit Laubgehölzen bestockt waren, reagierten besonders deutlich auf die Präsenz von Rhizosphärenpilzen. [source] From the intra-desert ridges to the marine carbonate island chain: middle to late Permian (Upper Rotliegend,Lower Zechstein) of the Wolsztyn,Pogorzela high, west PolandGEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 2-3 2010Hubert Kiersnowski Abstract The tectonic Wolsztyn,Pogorzela palaeo-High (WPH) is the south-eastern termination of the Brandenburg,Wolsztyn High (western Poland), which during Late Permian times was an intra-basin ridge surrounded by Upper Rotliegend sedimentary basins within the Southern Permian Basin. The geological history and structural framework of the WPH are complex. The High belongs to the Variscan Externides, consisting at present of strongly folded, faulted and eroded Viséan to Namurian flysch deposits capped by a thick cover of Upper Carboniferous,Lower Permian volcanic rocks. This sedimentary-volcanic complex was strongly fragmented and vertically differentiated by tectonic movements and subsequently eroded, resulting in the deposition of coarse clastics surrounding uplifted tectonic blocks. During late Rotliegend time, arid climatic conditions significantly influenced occurrences of specific facies assemblages: alluvial, fluvial, aeolian and playa. Sedimentological study helped to recognize the interplay of tectonic and palaeoclimatic factors and to understand the phenomenon of aeolian sandstones interbedded with coarse deposits of alluvial cones close to fault scarps. Subsequent tectonic and possible thermal subsidence of the studied area was synchronous with inundation by the Zechstein Sea. The rapid inundation process allowed for the preservation of an almost perfectly protected Uppermost Rotliegend landscape. Based on 3D seismic data from the base Zechstein reflector, a reconstruction of Rotliegend palaeogeomorphology was carried out, which shows examples of tectonic rejuvenation of particular tectonic blocks within the WPH area before inundation by the Zechstein Sea. The inundation led to the deposition of the marine Kupferschiefer Shale followed by the Zechstein Limestone. In the deeper parts of the basin the latter is developed in thin basinal facies: in shallow parts (e.g. uplifted tectonic blocks forming in some cases islands), carbonate buildups were formed. The remarkable thickness of those buildups (bryozoan reefs) is interpreted as due to stable tectonic subsidence together with a rise of sea level. A detailed study of carbonate buildups has showed that their internal structure reflects changes in shallow marine environments and even emersion events, caused by sea-level oscillations and tectonic movements of the reef substrate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Snow cover in western Poland and macro-scale circulation conditionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Ewa Bednorz Abstract The aim of the study was to find out the connection between the nature of winters in the western part of Poland (excluding the Sudety mountains) and the fluctuation in the atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic region determined by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. An attempt was made to establish the correlation between the NAO index and specific meteorological parameters in Pozna,. The strongest positive correlation was obtained for the mean winter temperature (December,March) and strong negative correlation was found for the number of days with snow cover. Winter precipitation in Pozna, was least associated with the NAO. The correlation coefficient was small and not significant. In the next stage of the study, the area of western Poland was examined; however, only one parameter, i.e. the number of days with snow cover, was taken into consideration. At each of 29 stations distributed in the study area the number of days with snow cover was proved to be strongly negatively correlated with the NAO index. Finally, the frequency of air flow directions was taken into consideration and their association with the NAO was examined. A strong negative correlation was obtained for the frequency of northeasterly and easterly air flow directions and a strong positive correlation was calculated for the frequency of westerly and northwesterly airflow directions. Such findings are consistent with the westerly flow of air masses during the positive phase and with the northerly and easterly flows during the negative phase. The results lead to the conclusion that the positive phase of the NAO causes mild and less snowy winters, whereas the negative phase increases the probability of severe and snowy winters in western Poland. Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Multi-component stable isotope records from Late Weichselian and early Holocene lake sediments at Imio,ki, Poland: palaeoclimatic and methodological implications,JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 8 2009Karina Apolinarska Abstract Late Weichselian and early Holocene climatic and environmental changes are inferred from stable carbon and oxygen isotope records obtained on bulk and biogenic carbonates from the sediment sequence of Lake Lednica, western Poland. Along with sediment and pollen stratigraphic data, a wide range of carbonate components occurring in the sediments was analysed for ,13C and ,18O, including shells of several gastropod species and the bivalve genus Pisidium, carapaces of the ostracod subfamily Candoninae and oogonia of the aquatic macrophyte genus Chara. The development of catchment soils and the onset of authigenic carbonate production in response to the climatic amelioration during the Late Weichselian are clearly reflected by rising carbonate content, distinct isotopic shifts in bulk carbonates and decreasing ,13C values of bulk organic matter in the sediments. The GI-1/GS-1 (the Bølling,Allerød Interstadial complex/Younger Dryas Stadial) and the GS-1/Preboreal transitions are marked by significant shifts in ,18O values of 2,3,, as well as by distinct changes in carbonate content, indicative of a decrease and a subsequent increase in mean annual temperature. Corresponding ,13C records reflect primarily changes in aquatic productivity, with favourable conditions for phytoplankton and macrophytes during GI-1 and the Preboreal resulting in persistent 13C enrichment. The Younger Dryas Stadial is characterised by depletions in 13C and 18O, with indications of a climatic tripartition. Consistent offsets in ,13C and ,18O between records obtained on specific carbonate components reflect vital effects in combination with seasonal characteristics and habitat preferences of the respective carbonate-precipitating biota. Largely parallel first-order variations in ,13C and ,18O of the different carbonate components demonstrate that individual isotope records may provide important palaeoclimatic information, although more detailed reconstructions can be obtained from multi-component analysis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||