In modern Hindi literature, the imagery of animals is usually employed in order to present an insight into the complexity of the human mind and human relations. A positive attitude towards useful animals is reflected; the motifs of animals are employed to depict cruel social inequalities. In particular, in the New Short Story, the imagery of an animal is mostly employed as a symbol; often as a symbol of something unpleasant or of a painful memory. In many texts, it is used to make people give serious thought to the possibility that things might appear differently from what they really are.
Photothrombotic model of ischemia (PT) is based on free radical-mediated endothelial dysfunction followed by thrombosis. Free radicals are also involved in hypoxic preconditioning. We tested the sensitivity of PT to preconditioning with hypobaric hypoxia and to pretreatment with melatonin. In adult Wistar rats, after intravenous application of Rose Bengal, a stereo-tactically defined spot on the denuded skull was irradiated by a laser for 9 min. The first experimental group underwent hypobaric hypoxia three days before irradiation. In the second experimental group, melatonin was applied intraperitoneally one hour before irradiation. Three days after irradiation, animals were sacrificed, the brains perfused, and stained with TTC. Ischemic lesions were divided into grades (I, II, III). In the control group (where no manipulation preceded photothrombosis), most animals displayed deep damage involving the striatum (grade III). The group pre-exposed to hypoxia showed similar results. Only 28.57 % of the melatonin pretreated animals exhibited grade III lesions, and in 57.14 % no signs of lesions were detected. Pre-exposure to hypoxia was not protective in our model. Pretreatment with melatonin lead to a significant reduction of the number of large ischemic lesions. This result is probably caused by protection of endothelial cells by melatonin., I. Matějovská, K. Bernášková, D. Krýsl, J. Mareš., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
This study critically reacts to the article “Etický význam lidství” (“The Ethical Significance of Humanity”) by Kamila Pacovská (Filosofický časopis, 62, 2014, No. 6, s. 863–875), and it discusses some relevant facts about the extrapolations of “human prejudice” to the domain of animal ethics that remain unnoticed in that article. It is shown that any attempt to found a responsible relation to animals on the basis of anthropomorphising criteria of “species” will be problematic, for the relevant concepts of “fairness” and “respect” will be applied with absurd consequences. An indiscriminate prohibition on killing all animals without distinction, although it may not be easy to justify philosophically, has the advantage of avoiding those absurd consequences.
Autorka v této přehledové stati představuje relativně nový společenskovědní obor Human-Animal Studies se zaměřením na jeho sociologickou dimenzi. Cílem článku není podrobná kompilace existujících publikací na toto téma, ale syntéza klíčových myšlenek, které stojí v základu sociologického chápání Human-Animal Studies, včetně odkazů na zásadní díla a vybrané webové portály, kde mohou zájemci najít podrobnější informace. Autorka představuje základní východiska a teoretické předpoklady tohoto oboru a zasazuje jej do širšího interdisciplinárního rámce. Poukazuje na různorodost přístupů jak z hlediska teoretického, tak metodologického. Poskytuje základní přehled historického vývoje tohoto oboru a jeho postupného etablování v rámci odborných center, univerzit i vědeckých časopisů. Autorka rovněž přibližuje vybraná témata, kterými se tento komplexní obor dnes zabývá, a v závěru nastiňuje jeho možnou budoucí perspektivu., The author of this review article introduces the relatively new social science field of human-animal studies, focusing on its sociological dimension. Her aim is not a particularized compilation of existing publications on the topic, but a synthesis of the key ideas behind the sociological perspective on human-animal studies. The author includes references to crucial works and selected web portals where one can find more detailed information. She introduces the fundamental premises and theoretic assumptions of the field and contextualizes it in a wider interdisciplinary framework. She presents a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches. She provides an elementary outline of the historical development of this field and its successive establishment within academic centres, universities and scientific journals. The author also introduces selected topics which this complex field examines today and, finally, outlines its possible future prospects., Tereza Vandrovcová., and Seznam literatury
Toxoplasmosis is caused by intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908). Cats and other felids are the definitive hosts. It could be transmitted to man and animals by consumption of infected undercooked meat and contaminated food items including drinking water. Results of toxoplasmosis epidemiological surveys in animals and humans in South-West, North-West, North-East and North-Central Zones of Nigeria have been reported with greater impact on the health of pregnant women and HIV-infected individuals. Meanwhile, studies in states within the South-South and South-East Zones are relatively scanty or non-existent. Overall, the seroprevalence of human toxoplasmosis in Nigeria is estimated at 32% with the following reports for North-West (32%), North-East (22%), North-Central (24%) and South-West (37%). Information on the genetic diversity of isolates of T. gondii in humans and animals including the role of the environment in transmission and maintenance of the disease are highly needed., John Asekhaen Ohiolei, Clement Isaac., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Adaptace dědičného základu organismů na změny probíhající v prostředí je základním principem života. Bakterie mění svou genetickou výbavu mutacemi nebo horizontálním přenosem genů. Někdy před miliardou let vznikly jejich symbiotickým skládáním organismy s buněčným jádrem - Eukaryota. Vznik jaderných organismů byl následován vznikem sexuální reprodukce. Při zrání pohlavních buněk došlo k vytváření nové DNA umožňující proměnu genomu. Existují však živočichové, kteří si zajistili tuto proměnu horizontálním přenosem genů. and Ilja Trebichavský ; ilustroval Vladimír Renčín ; foto D. Vondrák.