Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, and is an important etiological factor in the development of hypertension. Recent experimental evidence suggests that subpressor doses of angiotensin II elevate oxidative stress and blood pressure. We aimed to investigate the oxidative stress related mechanism by which a subpressor dose of angiotensin II induces hypertension in a normotensive rat model. Normotensive male Wistar rats were infused with a subpressor dose of angiotensin II for 28 days. The control group was sham operated and infused with saline only. Plasma angiotensin II and H2O2 levels, whole-blood glutathione peroxidase, and AT-1a, Cu/Zn SOD, and p22phox mRNA expression in the aorta was assessed. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were elevated in the experimental group. There was no change in angiotensin II levels, but a significant increase in AT-1a mRNA expression was found in the experimental group. mRNA expression of p22phox was increased significantly and Cu/Zn SOD decreased significantly in the experimental group. There was no significant change to the H2O2 and GPx levels. Angiotensin II manipulates the free radical-antioxidant balance in the vasculature by selectively increasing O2 - production and decreasing SOD activity and causes an oxidative stress induced elevation in blood pressure in the Wistar rat., M. M. Govender, A. Nadar., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Many species of carabid beetles are important pre- and post-dispersal seed feeders of herbaceous plants. Here we summarise data from dissections, field observations, rearing and "cafeteria" experiments on 55 granivorous and 188 omnivorous species that occur in Italy. We tested the hypothesis that seed feeding carabids are restricted to taxa with pronounced morphological adaptations for manipulating and crushing seeds in both the larval and adult stages. The feeding guilds of carabids were rearranged into the following groups: (i) strict predators with long mandibles and predaceous larvae, often depending also on non-prey food; (ii) omnivorous species with stout mandibles and larvae of a seed-eating morphotype; (iii) granivorous species, feeding only on seeds with larvae sometimes of the scarabeoid c-form type. The seed feeding carabids in the Italian fauna belong to the tribe Zabrini (Amara and Zabrus genera) and to all the Harpalinae (sub)tribes, from Anisodactylini to Ditomina. The time of reproduction seems to be associated with habitat preference; wetland or dry open land, rather than true granivorous versus omnivorous habits, but in stenophagous seed feeders, a phenological coincidence with particular plants is sometimes recorded., Federica Talarico, Anita Giglio, Roberto Pizzolotto, Pietro Brandmayr., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The International Journal for Experimental Botany was founded in 1959 by Professor Bohumil Němec. The journal covers all branches of experimental botany ranging from molecular biology and biotechnology to whole-plant and stand functioning. and Jan Krekule.
The purpose of this study was to determine if there is flowmediated vasodilation of the femoral artery in response to progressive increases in flow within a physiological range observed in the in vivo experiments. Femoral artery blood flow was determined in conscious rabbits (n=5) using chronically implanted flowprobes. Resting blood flow was 8.3±0.6 ml/min and increased to 39.9±5.4 ml/min during high intensity exercise. Femoral arteries (n=12, 1705±43 μm outer diameter) harvested from a separate group of rabbits were mounted on cannulas and diameter was continuously monitored by video system. Functional integrity of the endothelium was tested with acetylcholine. The arteries were set at a transmural pressure of 100 mm Hg and preconstricted with phenylephrine to 73±3 % of initial diameter. Using a roller pump with pressure held constant, the arteries were perfused intraluminally with warmed, oxygenated Krebs' solution (pH=7.4) over a physiological range of flows up to 35 ml/min. As flow increased from 5 ml/min to 35 ml/min, diameter decreased significantly (p<0.05) from 1285±58 μm to 1100±49 μm. Thus, in vessels with a functional endothelium, increasing intraluminal flow over a physiological range of flows produced constriction, not dilation. Based on these results, it seems unlikely that flow-mediated vasodilation in the rabbit femoral artery contributes to exercise hyperemia., P. S. Clifford ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Cílem studie bylo posouzení přítomnosti depresivní symptomatologie u dětí po léčbě nádorového onemocnění. Soubor tvořilo 91 bývalých dětských onkologických pacientů (47 dívek) ve věku 9 - 19 let. Vyšetření depresivity bylo provedeno v rozmezí dvou až pěti let od ukončení léčby v rámci monitorování pozdních následků léčby a kvality života bývalých dětských onkologických pacientů. Výsledky byly porovnány s kontrolní skupinou dětských pacientů s chronickým onemocněním a skupinou zdravých dětí. Vyšetření depresivity bylo provedeno prostřednictvím dotazníku CDI. Přínosem studie je srovnání skupin v rámci jednotlivých subškál dotazníku CDI (špatná nálada, interpersonální problémy, nevýkonnost, anhedonie, negativní sebehodnocení) za účelem přesnější identifikace okruhu případných problémů přeživších. Bývalí dětští onkologičtí pacienti mají významně nižší hodnoty depresivní symptomatologie v porovnání s oběma porovnávacími skupinami. Signifikantně nižší míra depresivity u dětí po léčbě onkologického onemocnění byla identifikována v oblastech špatná nálada, anhedonie a negativní sebehodnocení. Ve shodě se současnými výzkumnými poznatky nabízíme několik možných interpretací získaných výsledků., Objective. The purpose of this study was to explore symptoms of depression in childhood cancer survivors. Sample and setting. The study included 91 childhood cancer survivors (47 girls) aged 9-19. Depressiveness was measured by means of the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) within a period of two to five years after treatment completion while monitoring the late effects of oncological treatment and survivors’ quality of life. The data has been compared to a group of child patients with another chronic disease and a group of healthy children (comparison groups). Hypotheses. The aim of the study was to identify whether possible differences between the individual groups of respondents manifest themselves in some specific CDI subscales and thus help better identify possible complaints among the survivors. Statistical analysis. The sum scores for the whole CDI scale and its sub-scales were compared by factor analysis of variance. Results. Former oncological patients (study group) scored significantly lower in the CDI in comparison to both comparison groups, and the analysis of individual CDI subscales has established a significant difference between the study group and the two comparison groups in relation to the Negative Mood, Anhedonia and Negative Self-esteem subscales. The lowest depressiveness scores have been explored on the specified subscales for the cancer survivor group. Study limitation. The research has the usual limitations arising from the fact that a self-report method was used. CDI data should be verified using projective testing and an interview in future research., and Irena Komárková ... [et al.].
To understand the factors governing the diversity, abundance and host associations of parasitoids attacking frugivorous drosophilid flies on Iriomote-jima, a subtropical island of Japan, we monitored parasitism on several occasions over the period 2003–2009. Fifteen drosophilid and 12 parasitoid species were recorded. Three species of Drosophila, D. bipectinata, D. albomicans and D. takahashii, bred abundantly in banana baits, though their abundance varied between years and seasons. Frequent parasitoid species were Asobara japonica, A. pleuralis (Braconidae), Leptopilina ryukyuensis and L. pacifica (Figitidae). L. victoriae was recorded only in December 2003. In addition, host acceptance and host suitability of the four most frequently recorded parasitoid species were studied in the laboratory. Most parasitoid and drosophilid species showed species-specific associations with more than one antagonist species, suggesting that they have been subjected to complex coevolutionary interactions. In addition, host range of most of the parasitoid species included one of the three major Drosophila species, suggesting that the abundance of potential hosts is one of the factors determining the evolution of parasitoid host use., Biljan Novkovic ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Semi-natural habitats are key components of rural landscapes because they shelter a significant number of overwintering arthropods that are beneficial to agriculture. However, woodlots are semi-natural habitats with high patch-level heterogeneity and this aspect has been poorly studied. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of woodlot heterogeneity on overwintering ground beetles. Woodlot heterogeneity was characterized in terms of distance from the woodlot boundary and date of the most recent logging operation. We used emergence traps to quantify the population density of ground beetles that overwintered in the different parts of the woodlot. In woodlot edges the densities and species richness of ground beetles were significantly higher than in the rest of the woodlot. Ground beetles that are active in crop fields overwintered in the edges but not in the inner zone of the woodlot. Species assemblages of ground beetles overwintering in the edges were highly diverse. The date of the most recent logging operation did not explain the distribution of ground beetles that overwintered in the woodlot. Our results show that woodlots, and in particular their edges, are used as a winter shelter by ground beetles that spend part of their life in crops, which potentially favours biological control in adjacent crop fields. and Anthony Roume, Annie Ouin, Laurent Raison, Marc Deconchat.
Mezi významné aktivity Ústavu pro jazyk český AV ČR patří již od jeho vzniku služby veřejnosti. Jazyková poradna, jejíž provoz zaštiťuje oddělení jazykové kultury, je jediným bohemistickým pracovištěm v České republice, které poskytuje soustavné jazykové poradenství a jazykové expertizy nejrůznějším uživatelům českého jazyka. O radu může prostřednictvím internetových stránek nebo telefonické linky požádat každý. Na základě dotazů adresovaných jazykové poradně vydalo nyní Nakladatelství Academia dvě publikace: Akademickou příručku českého jazyka a dotisk knihy Jsme v češtině doma? and Markéta Pravdová.
Precise relative gravimeters achieve the internal precision about a few μGal 1, even in field conditions. Nevertheless this precision is in fact concerned with the instant of measurement and can not be confused with the accuracy of the gravity at the gravity station, which is influenced by other effects. The best approach of these two values is question of high-quality elimination of instrumental errors and time-variable disturbing effects affecting the relative gravity measurements., Martin Lederer., and Obsahuje bibliografii