Both amphibious species, Myosotis scorpioides and Ranunculus trichophyllus, thrive in a stressful environment (alternated flooding and drying), which is variable regarding water and radiation regimes. Plants from the field and plants grown under controlled water table maintained at 40 cm were analysed for content of chlorophyll (Chl) and UV-B screening compounds, and the efficiencies of PS2 and electron transport systems. We detected no significant differences in contents of Chl and UV-B screening compounds between submerged and aerial leaves. The measurements of respiratory potential and photochemical efficiency revealed the presence of permanent stress in M. sporpioides in the natural environment. Differences in physiological responses of submerged and aerial leaves indicated that the terrestrial environment was more favourable for M. scorpioides than for R. trichophyllus. Characteristics of both species suggested that R. trichophyllus might be a phylogenetically older aquatic plant than M. scorpioides. and M. Germ, A. Gaberščik.
Complete descriptions of the particle-size distribution (PSD) curve should provide more information about various soil properties as opposed to only the textural composition (sand, silt and clay (SSC) fractions). We evaluated the performance of 19 models describing PSD data of soils using a range of efficiency criteria. While different criteria produced different rankings of the models, six of the 19 models consistently performed the best. Mean errors of the six models were found to depend on the particle diameter, with larger error percentages occurring in the smaller size range. Neither SSC nor the geometric mean diameter and its standard deviation correlated significantly with the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs); however, the parameters of several PSD models showed significant correlation with Kfs. Porosity, mean weight diameter of the aggregates, and bulk density also showed significant correlations with PSD model parameters. Results of this study are promising for developing more accurate pedotransfer functions.
Estimation of discharge from ungauged catchments based on rainfall-runoff analysis is a very frequent task in engineering hydrology. Very often, design discharges are needed for streams or small rivers where no streamflow data is available (river training works, culverts, small hydropower plants, etc). This study uses a well established lumped hydrologic rainfall-runoff model to compare two different approaches in data preparation. The traditional method of manual obtainment of catchment parameters was compared to a more contemporary methodology using automation with geographic information systems, digital terrain models and available datasets, with an emphasis on open-source tools and freely available datasets. Both techniques were implemented on more than 100 catchments in Serbia to calculate storm runoff response. The results show minor differences that are insignificant compared to the time and resources saved with the automated techniques. The use of such automated methods enables the hydrologist to direct more attention to other factors that influence discharge even more than catchment parameters, such as rainfall, soil and land use data.
Recently an expert consensus document advised to standardize user procedures and a new cut-off value for carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity in daily practice. Our aim was to observe aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVao) and augmentation index (AIXao) in two high cardiovascular risk groups: patients with verified coronary artery disease (CAD) or with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We also aimed to determine the cut-off values for PWVao, AIXao in CAD and T2DM patients using oscillometric device (Arteriograph). We investigated 186 CAD and 152 T2DM patients. PWVao and AIXao increased significantly in the CAD group compared to the age-, gender-, blood pressure-, and heart rate-matched control group (10.2±2.3 vs. 9.3±1.5 m/s; p<0.001 and 34.9±14.6 vs. 31.9±12.8 %; p<0.05, respectively). When compared to the apparently healthy control subjects, T2DM patients had significantly elevated PWVao (9.7±1.7 vs. 9.3±1.5 m/s; p<0.05, respectively), however the AIXao did not differ significantly. The ROC-curves of CAD and healthy control subjects explored cut-off values of 10.2 m/s for PWVao and 33.23 % for AIXao. Our data provide supporting evidence about impaired arterial stiffness parameters in CAD and T2DM. Our findings encourage the implementation of arterial stiffness measurements by oscillometric method in daily clinical routine., Z. Lenkey, M. Illyés, R. Böcskei, R. Husznai, Z. Sárszegi, Z. Meiszterics, F. T. Molnár, G. Hild, S. Szabados, A Cziráki, B. Gaszner., and Obsahuje bibliografii
a1_Non-invasive methods of determination of baroreflex sensitivity (BRS, ms/mmHg) are based on beat-to-beat systolic blood pressure and inter-beat interval recording. Sequential methods and spectral methods at spontaneous breathing include transient superposition of breathing and 0.1 Hz rhythms. Previously, a cross-spectral method of analysis was used, at constant breathing rate using a metronome set at 0.33 Hz, enabling separate determination of BRS at 0.1 Hz (BRS0.1Hz) and respiratory rhythms (BRS0.33Hz). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of breathing in the spectral method of BRS determination with respect to age and hypertension. Such information would be important in evaluation of BRS at pathological conditions associated with extremely low BRS levels. Blood pressure was recorded by Finapres (5 minutes, controlled breathing at 0.33 Hz) in 118 healthy young subjects (YS: mean age 21.0±1.3 years), 26 hypertensive patients (HT: mean age 48.6±10.3 years) with 26 age-matched controls (CHT: mean age 46.3±8.6 years). A comparison of BRS0.1Hz and BRS0.33Hz was made. Statistically significant correlations were found between BRS0.1Hz and BRS0.33Hz in all groups: YS: r=0.52, p<0.01, HT: r=0.47, p<0.05, and CHT: r=0.70, p<0.01. The regression equations indicated the existence of a breathing-dependent component unrelated to BRS (YS: BRS0.33Hz=2.63+1.14*BRS0.1Hz; HT: BRS0.33Hz=3.19+0.91*BRS0.1Hz; and CHT: BRS0.33Hz=1.88+ +1.01*BRS0.1Hz; differences between the slopes and the slope of identity line were insignificant). The ratios of BRS0.1Hz to BRS0.33Hz were significantly lower than 1 (p<0.01) in all groups (YS: 0.876±0.419, HT: 0.628±0.278, and CHT: 0.782±0.260). Thus, BRS evaluated at the breathing rate overestimates the real baroreflex sensitivity. This is more pronounced at low values of BRS, which is more important in patients with pathologic low BRS., a2_For diagnostic purposes we recommend the evaluation of BRS at the frequency of 0.1 Hz using metronome-controlled breathing at a frequency that is substantially higher than 0.1 Hz and is not a multiple of 0.1 Hz to eliminate respiratory baroreflexnon- related influence and resonance effect on heart rate fluctuations., P. Bothová ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The Siah Mahi, Capoeta capoeta gracilis, is a widely distributed taxon in the south Caspian Sea basin (north of Iran) that has not yet been surveyed at the intra-specific level. Besides its ecological significance, this species is important for inland water fishing, aquaculture, sport fishing and zoogeographical studies. Here, we describe patterns of morphological and molecular differentiation among six populations of C. c. gracilis located in the Aras, Sefidrud, Shirud, Tonekãbon, Harãz and Gorgãnrud river systems in Iran. Univariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences between means of the six samples for 56 out of 60 morphometric ratios. The first two ordination axes of the mean ratios of the six samples (59.11% of total variation) separated all of the samples from each other, although not necessarily with any clear geographic pattern. The overall assignment of individuals into their original groups was high (88.6%). The proportion of individuals correctly classified into their original groups was 92.5%, 78.9%, 96%, 89.7%, 93.3% and 83.3% for Aras, Gorgãnrud, Sefidrud, Shirud, Tonekãbon and Harãz, respectively. Molecular clustering also grouped individuals of each sample either in the same cluster or the same sub-cluster. There was a large-scale congruence between results of the morphological and molecular analyses.
Finite volume methods for solving hyperbolic systems on unstructured meshes are known for a long time. There are two basic formulations of the method: cell centered and vertex centered. For the cell centered method, the (finite) volumes used to satisfy
the integral form of the equation are the mesh elements itself. For the vertex centered approach, the finite volumes are elements of the mesh dual to the computational mesh. We present comparison of both formulations. The method is first evaluated on a scalar advection equation. Knowing the analytical solution of the problem,
convergence studies are performed. More complex test cases involve the 3D transonic flow past an Олега M6 airfoil. Discussion includes influence of the reconstruction and limiters on the solution. The results of the parallel implementation for a Linux PC cluster both with explicit and implicit time integration method are presented. and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Measurements of CO2 and H2O fluxes were carried out using two different techniques-eddy-covariance (EC) and open system gas exchange chamber (OC)-during two-years' period (2003-2004) at three different grassland sites. OC measurements were made during fourteen measurement campaigns. We found good agreement between the OC and EC CO2 flux values (n = 63, r 2 = 0.5323, OC FCO2 = -0.6408+0.9508 EC FCO2). The OC FH2O values were consistently lower than those measured by the EC technique, probably caused by the air stream difference inside and outside the chamber. Adjusting flow rate within the chamber to the natural conditions would be necessary in future OC measurements. In comparison with EC, the OC proved to be a good tool for gas exchange measurements in grassland ecosystems. and J. Balogh ... [et al.].
Autoimmune endocrinopathies can be divided according to the presence of organ specific autoantibodies and according to the clinical manifestations into isolated autoimmune endocrinopathies, autoimmune polyglandular syndromes (APS) and polyglandular activation of autoimmunity (PAA). Many factors take part in the development of the autoimmune disease: predominantly a genetic predisposition, environmental etiologic causes and dysregulation in the microenvironment of the target organ. Until now it is not completely clear, if manifestations of the clinical disease depend primarily upon external factors and the degree of regulation mechanism disorder (e.g. in Th1/Th2 regulation) or upon the different genetic predisposition. In this work we compared the levels of Th1 and Th2 lymphocyte cytokines in peripheral blood in three groups of patients: group A of 30 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, group B of 25 patients with PAA, and group C of 10 patients with APS type II. From group of Th1 cytokines IL-2 and IFN-Ύ were detected, whereas from group of Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 were determined by ELISA kit. We did not find any differences in the concentrations of IL-2, IFN-Ύ, IL-4 and IL-10 among the groups of patients with autoimmune endocrinopathies., P. Hrdá, I. Šterzl, P. Matucha., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Paper presents comparison of the daily reference crop (grass vegetation cover) potential evapotranspiration results calculated by the two modifications of the Penman-Monteith type equation. The first modification was published in FAO recommendation (Allen at al., 1998), PM-FAO, the second is modification according to Budagovskiy (1964) and Novák (1995), PM-BN. Both are used in soil water simulation models HYDRUS-1D and GLOBAL. Calculations were performed for frost-free seasons of the years 2000-2009, using the meteorological station Gabčíkovo (South Slovakia) meteorological data and canopy characteristics. The results indicate significant differences in daily and seasonal potential evapotranspiration. Reasons for those differences are discussed; they should be in different net radiation and aerodynamic resistance estimation methods.