Insulin resistance associated with dyslipidemia enhances cardiovascular risk. Several atherogenic indexes have been suggested to give more precise information about the risk. The aim of our study was to estimate, which atherogenic index correlates better with parameters of insulin resistance. Furthermore, we compared the parameters of lipid metabolism and insulin resistance between smokers and non-smokers. In our cross-sectional study we enrolled 729 patients with dyslipidemia which were divided into two groups - non-smokers (586) and smokers (143). We measured lipid profile, parameters of insulin resistance (fasting glycemia, insulin, HOMA-IR, C-peptide, proinsulin) and calculated atherogenic indexes - atherogenic index of plasma (log (TAG/HDL-C), AIP), ApoB/ApoA1 index and nonHDL-C. AIP was found out to show stronger correlations with parameters of insulin resistance (p<0.001, correlation coefficients ranging between 0.457 and 0.243) than other indexes (ApoB/ApoA1 or nonHDL cholesterol). AIP correlated with parameters of insulin resistance both in smokers and nonsmokers, but after adjustment (for age, body mass index, waist circumference) persisting only in non-smokers. Smokers had a wider waist circumference and a proatherogenic lipid profile. Smoking increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. AIP can be used in daily praxis for predicting insulin resistance in patients with dyslipidemia, predominantly in non-smokers., L'. Cibičková, D. Karásek, K. Langová, H. Vaverková, J. Orság, J. Lukeš, D. Novotný., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Several pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed in
the development of pregnancy complications, including
endothelial dysfunction, an inflammatory pathway and oxidative
stress. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the
correlation between proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and
dual cytokine IL-10 in the mother’s peripheral blood and systolic
blood pressure, risk of preeclampsia and low birth weight in
gestational diabetes (GDM). We observed 40 women with GDM
divided into a gestational hypertension group (n=20) and
comparison group (n=20) with normal blood pressure. We found
a significant positive correlation between TNF-α; IL-6; IL-10
levels and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in the second trimester
(p<0.001; p<0.001; p<0.001); the third trimester (p<0.001;
p<0.001; p<0.05). We also proved correlations for diastolic blood
pressure (DBP) during the second; third trimester (p<0.001;
p<0.001; p<0.001); (p<0.001; p<0.001; p<0.0015). We
demonstrated a statistically significant positive association
between high TNF-α group and preeclampsia risk in the third
trimester (p=0.04). We also determined the negative correlation
in the second trimester between birth weight and TNF-α; IL-6,
IL-10 levels (p<0.05; p<0.001; p<0.001). To conclude, our data
highlight the importance of cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 in
blood pressure regulation. In addition, high levels of TNF-α have
been associated with increased risk of preeclampsia. We found
a significant negative correlation between levels of TNF-α, IL-6,
IL-10 and birth weight.
Theorem 1 of J.-J. Lee, Congruences for certain binomial sums. Czech. Math. J. 63 (2013), 65–71, is incorrect as it stands. We correct this here. The final result is changed, but the essential idea of above mentioned paper remains valid.
Myrica cerifera L. (Myricaceae), the dominant woody species on many barrier islands along the southeastern coast of the United States, is expanding into grass-dominated, mesic, interdunal depressions where it forms dense thickets. Expansion may be attributed to a symbiotic nitrogen fixation with the bacterium Frankia, an evergreen leaf habit and, possibly, corticular photosynthesis (CP, i.e. refixation of respired CO2, %ref). We quantified seasonal variations in CP characteristics in first through fifth order branches of M. cerifera to determine the extent and relevance of CP to shrub expansion in coastal environments. Maximum mean %ref was 110±39 % of CO2 efflux in the dark (RD) in first order branches during winter. Minimum %ref was 18±3 % in fifth order branches during summer. Variations in %ref paralleled changes in incident photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). As incident PPFD attenuated with increasing branch order, %ref decreased. A less dense canopy in winter led to increased PPFD and increases in %ref. Total chlorophyll (Chl) content and Chl a/b ratios were consistent with shade acclimation as branch order increased. CP may be a mechanism to enhance M. cerifera shrub expansion because of the potential increase in whole plant carbon use efficiency and water use efficiency attributed to refixation of respired CO2. and J. K. Vick, D. R. Young.
Morphological, anatomical, and physiological leaf traits of Corylus avellana plants growing in different light conditions within the natural reserve "Siro Negri" (Italy) were analyzed. The results highlighted the capability of C. avellana to grow both in sun and shade conditions throughout several adaptations at leaf level. In particular, the more than 100% higher specific leaf area in shade is associated to a 44% lower palisade to spongy parenchyma thickness ratio compared with that in sun. Moreover, the chlorophyll (Chl) a to Chl b ratio decreased in response to the 97% decrease in photosynthetic photon flux density. The results highlighted the decrease in the ratio of Chl to carotenoid content, the maximum PSII photochemical efficiency, and the actual PSII photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII) associated with the increase in the ratio of photorespiration to net photosynthesis (PN) in sun. Chl a/b ratio was the most significant variable explaining PN variations in shade. In sun, PN was most influenced by the ratio between the fraction of electron transport rate (ETR) used for CO2 assimilation and ETR used for photorespiration, by ΦPSII, nitrogen content per leaf area, and by total Chl content per leaf area. The high phenotypic plasticity of C. avellana (PI = 0.33) shows its responsiveness to light variations. In particular, a greater plasticity of morphological (PIm = 0.41) than of physiological (PIp = 0.36) and anatomical traits (PIa = 0.24) attests to the shade tolerance of the species., R. Catoni, M.U. Granata, F. Sartori, L. Varone, L. Gratani., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Th e development of oral preaching and the genre of sermon in seventeenth-century Russia was primarily brought about by Ruthenian authors infl uenced by the Latin tradition, e.g., Ioannikiy Galyatovsky, Lazar Baranovych and Simeon Polotsky. Th ese authors incorporated their general knowledge of cosmology, astronomy and astrology into their homilies, which present a valuable insight into the intellectual background of the period through the prism of cosmological elements used mostly as parts of rhetoric constructions. While the functions of the particular elements of natural philosophy varied in diff erent authors, they shared certain concepts common to both scholastic thought and Baroque aesthetics. Despite being considerably distant from seventeenth-century science, the homilies also served educational purposes and may be perceived as a step towards the Westernisation and secularisation of Russian culture. and Vývoj ústního kázání a žánru kázání v Rusku v 17. století byl převážně dílem západoruských autorů ovlivněných latinskou tradicí, jako jsou Ioannikij Galjatovskij, Lazar Baranovič a Simeon Polockij. Tito kazatelé začleňovali své obecné znalosti o kosmologii, astronomii a astrologii do svých homilií, které umožňují nahlédnout do intelektuálního pozadí doby skrze kosmologické prvky používané převážně jako součást rétorických konstrukcí. Funkce jednotlivých prvků přírodní fi losofi e se u různých autorů lišily, nicméně autoři sdíleli některé koncepty společné jak pro scholastické myšlení, tak pro barokní estetiku. Navzdory tomu, že jejich homilie byly značně vzdáleny úrovni vědeckého poznání v 17. století, plnily také vzdělávací účely a mohou být vnímány jako krok směrem k westernizaci a sekularizaci ruské kultury.
(Introduction) For the last few years both theoretical and observational cosmology have been undergoing an especially rapid developmenre. The goal of this review is to single out of this impetuous torrent some important new points which, as to our opinion, are the most essential and characteristic for the new trends.
The photosynthetic response of 8 cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genotypes to changing irradiance was investigated under field conditions during the 1998 through 2000 growing seasons. Equations developed to describe the response of net photosynthetic rate (PN) to photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) demonstrated that, across all irradiances, the two okra leaf-type genotypes photosynthesized at a greater rate per unit leaf area than all of the six normal leaf-type genotypes. This superior photosynthetic performance of the okra leaf-type genotypes can be partially explained by their 13 % greater leaf chlorophyll content relative to that of the normal leaf-type genotypes. The 37 % reduction in leaf size brought upon by the okra leaf trait may have concentrated the amount of photosynthetic machinery per unit leaf area. Nevertheless, the lack of sufficient canopy leaf surface area suppressed the potential yield development that could accompany the higher PN per unit leaf area.