RNA interference (RNAi) technology uses dsRNAs to silence specific targeted genes by downregulating their expression. It has become a potent tool for functional and regulatory studies of insect genes and has potential to be applied for insect control. Though it has been challenging to generate effective RNAi in lepidopteran insects, in the current study this technology was applied to develop specific RNAi-based molecular tools that could be used to negatively impact the invasive lepidopteran forest pest, gypsy moth (GM). GM midgut-specific genes were selected for dsRNA design from larval transcriptome profiles. Two methods were used to produce specific dsRNAs, bacterial expression and in vitro synthesis, which were then fed per os to GM larvae. Depletion of uncharacterized gene targets known as locus 365 and locus 28365, or their stacked combination, depleted target transcripts in a sequence specific manner and resulted in 60% reduction in body mass. Treated GM females that were able to moult to the adult stage displayed an approximately two-fold reduction in egg masses. These have potential to be developed as molecular biopesticides for GM., Saikat Kumar B. Ghosh, Dawn E. Gundersen-Rindal., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We report that decreased expression of miR-30c in tumor compared to adjacent tissue is sex-dependent in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. High expression of miR-30c was associated with better survival in the whole cohort. When the cohort was split into male and female subcohorts, decreased miR-30c expression in tumor compared to adjacent tissue was observed only in males. Expression of miR-30c was decreased in CRC tumor tissue in male patients with nodes involvement compared to those without metastases in nodes and this difference was not observe in females. Next dependency of miR-30c expression on oestrogen receptor β (ERβ) mRNA levels in tumor was tested. In males with low expression of ERβ, we observed a significant decrease in miR-30c levels in patients with nodes involvement compared to those without nodes involvement. This difference was not observed in males with high ERβ mRNA levels and in females. Accordingly, males with low expression of ERβ and high expression of miR-30c showed a better survival that those with low expression ERβ and low expression of miR-30c. It is possible to conclude that whole cohort survival dependence on miR-30c is mostly generated by a subcohort of males with low expression of ERβ mRNA in tumor tissue.
The expansion of urban areas is one of the most significant anthropogenic impacts on the natural landscape. Due to their sensitivity to stressors in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, dragonflies and damselflies (the Odonata) may provide insights into the effects of urbanisation on biodiversity. However, while knowledge about the impacts of urbanisation on odonates is growing, there has not been a comprehensive review of this body of literature until now. This is the first systematic literature review conducted to evaluate both the quantity and topics of research conducted on odonates in urban ecosystems. From this research, 79 peer-reviewed papers were identified, the vast majority (89.87%) of which related to studies of changing patterns of biodiversity in urban odonate communities. From the papers regarding biodiversity changes, 31 were performed in an urban-rural gradient and 21 of these reported lower diversity towards built up city cores. Twelve of the cases of biodiversity loss were directly related to the concentrations of pollutants in the water. Other studies found higher concentrations of pollutants in odonates from built-up catchments and suggested that odonates such as Aeshna juncea and Platycnemis pennipes may be candidate indicators for particular contaminants. We conclude by identifying current research needs, which include the need for more studies regarding behavioural ecology and life-history traits in response to urbanisation, and a need to investigate the mechanisms behind diversity trends beyond pollution., Giovanna Villalobos-Jiménez, Alison M. Dunn, Christopher Hassall., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Příspěvek se zabývá institutem tzv. dříve vyslovených přání, přičemž zahrnuje jak některé právní, tak i některé etické problémy. Zejména se soustředí na otázky, které ještě v české odborné literatuře nebyly řešeny. V první části je shrnuta užívaná terminologie a historie institutu. Kromě toho jsou zmíněny tři modely dříve vyslovených přání, tzv. living will, substitute decision-making (rozhodování zvoleným zástupcem) a konečně tzv. values history (historie hodnot pacienta). Ve druhé části je shrnuta úprava v České republice. Ve třetí se pak článek zabývá konkrétními právními a etickými problémy., This article deals with advance directive and some legal and ethical issues associated with them. Its main purpose is to show some problems which haven´t been solved in Czech professional literature. The first part of this article summarizes terminology and history of this medical institute. Three models of advance directives are mentioned as well - living will, substitute decision-making and values history. The second part summarizes Czech legislation and its development. The last part speaks about some crucial ethical and legal issues associated with advance directives., and Adam Doležal.
Objectives.This study attempts to introduce the Driving Locus of Control (DLoC), a method focused on the internal or external source of at-tribution of the driving behaviour, to the Czech context. This study also relates DLoC to atti-tudes towards autonomous vehicles (AVs).Participants and setting.Out of the general population, 59 inquirers personally interviewed (CAPI) 1 065 respondents (49% women) in the age range between 15 and 92 years (M = 50, SD = 17). The respondents were sampled via multi-stage random sampling procedure, based on the list of addresses in the Czech Republic.Hypotheses.The authors hypothesised to rep-licate the original two-factor structure of the DLOC Scale and that the higher levels of inter-nal DLoC result in not considering the improve-ment in traffic safety as the AVs replace human drivers.Statistical analysis.Confirmatory factor analy-sis was used to analyse the factor structure of DLoC Scale. Hypotheses related to the empiri-cal validity of the method were assessed via structural equation modelling. Reliability of DLoC Scale was calculated in terms of internal consistency (McDonald coefficient).Results.Confirmatory factor analysis revealed reasonably good support for structural valid-ity of the one-dimensional DLoC-CZ15 factor model (χ2 = 426.967, df = 90, CFI = 0.964, TLI = 0.958, SRMR = 0.066, RMSEA = 0.065). In addition, the one-dimensional DLoC-CZ15 factor model showed acceptable internal con-sistency - ω = 0.9 (95% CI [0.89, 0.91]). The structural equation modelling found a relation-ship between DLoC and some of the items cap-turing attitudes towards AVs, too.Study limitations.The analysed data were ob-tained via interviews between respondents and inquirers. As a result, the study does not contain indicators of empirical validity measured by a methodologically different approach, such as an observation of driving behaviour. and Problém. Tato studie uvádí Driving Locus of Control (DLoC), metodu zaměřenou na atribu-ovaný zdroj chování při řízení, do českého kon-textu. Dále pak tato studie ověřuje vztah DLoC k postojům k autonomním vozidlům (AV).Metoda. 59 tazatelů osobně oslovilo (metoda CAPI) 1 065 respondentů z obecné populace (49% žen) ve věkovém rozmezí od 15 do 92 let (M = 50, SD = 17). Respondenti byli vybráni pomocí vícestupňového náhodného výběru na základě seznamu adres v České republice.Hypotézy.Autořipředpokládali replikaci pů-vodní dvoufaktorové struktury škály DLoC. Současně předpokládali, že vyšší úroveň inter-ního DLoC nesouvisí s očekáváním zlepšení bezpečnosti provozu, když AV nahradí lidské řidiče.Analýza dat. K analýze faktorové struktury metody byla použita konfirmační faktorová analýza. Hypotézy týkající se empirické vali-dity metody byly ověřeny pomocí strukturního modelování. Reliabilita škály DLoC ve smyslu vnitřní konzistence byla vypočítána pomocí Mc-Donaldova koeficientu.Výsledky. Konfirmační faktorová analýza při-nesla adekvátní podporu strukturní validity jednorozměrného faktorového modelu DLoC--CZ15 (χ2 = 426,967, df = 90, CFI = 0,964, TLI = 0,958, SRMR = 0,066, RMSEA = 0,065). Navíc jednorozměrný faktorový model DLoC--CZ15 vykázal přijatelnou vnitřní konzistenci – ω = 0,9 (95% CI [0,89; 0,91]). V rámci struktur-ního modelování byla zjištěna souvislost mezi DLoC a částí položek zachycujících postoje k AV.Limity studie.Analyzovaná data byla získána prostřednictvím rozhovorů mezi respondenty a tazateli. V důsledku toho studie neobsahuje indikátory empirické validity měřené metodolo-gicky odlišným přístupem, například pozorová-ním chování při řízení.
Apple rootstock seedling M.9-T337 was selected to explore the effect of drought stress. The findings indicated that the relative water content of both the leaf and soil gradually decreased with an increase in drought stress. The water-use efficiency of the leaves increased gradually but decreased sharply after 20 d of drought. Changes in the gas-exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters reflected the gradual decrease in the photosynthetic capacity of the plants with drought stress duration. Infrared thermal imaging showed significant temperature differences between the drought-stressed and control plants after 15 d of drought treatment. When irreversible damage occurred under drought stress, the crop water-stress index and relative water content of the leaf and soil were 0.7, 60.5, and 17.8%, respectively. Based on the results, we formulated a drought stress-grade standard. Further, we established that the best time for irrigation is when drought stress reaches grade 3., D. T. Gao, C. Y. Shi, Q. L. Li, Z. F. Wei, L. Liu, J. R. Feng., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Since the recognition of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
(ACEIs)-induced cough, drug has been considered as a potential
cause of chronic cough. This review presents recent knowledge
on drug-induced coughs in patients with chronic cough. The
focus is placed on ACEIs, for which there are a multitude of
studies documenting their associations with cough. Additional
drugs are discussed for which there are reports of cough as
a side effect of treatment, and the potential mechanisms of these
effects are discussed.
The nominal genus Tasactes Faust, 1894, consisting of two originally included nominal species from Myanmar, is rediscovered for the first time since being erected. Adult weevils herein assigned to the taxonomically re-defined Tasactes were abundant in forest floor litter at five localities in China (Yunnan and Sichuan), plus one specimen is available from Shaanxi and three from Nepal. Phylogenetic analysis of a 2,275 bp matrix concatenated from one mitochondrial (COI) and two nuclear markers (ITS2 and 28S) revealed that the monophyletic Tasactes consists of eight evolutionary significant terminal clades, either allopatric (three) or sympatric (two on Cang Shan in Yunnan and three on Mount Emei in Sichuan). The genus Tasactes is nested within the monophyletic Stromboscerini, while the tribe is sister to monophyletic Dryophthorus. The two morphological diagnostic characters of Tasactes, which are unique within the tribe, are the transversely truncated antennal club and conically projecting velvety apex of the club. So defined, Tasactes renders the genus Orthosinus paraphyletic. Considering the taxonomic neglect and uncertainties surrounding nominal Stromboscerini, all herein reported members of this tribe, including the Tasactes, are not assigned to Linnaean species. This paper illustrates the "clogging taxonomy" phenomenon, in which obscure historical names render taxonomic assignment of newly sampled specimens precarious. All the data used herein (localities, sequences, specimen images) are available online in public datasets dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-TASACT1 and dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-TASACT2., Vasily V. Grebennikov., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Currently, mental disorders are usually concep-tualized as a hidden causal factor, manifested by its symptoms. This notion rests upon the reflective latent model, which is implicitly at work every time complex symptomatology gets summarized by a single number or a categorical state. The present paper reflects on the quantita-tive, testable implications of this psychometric model and shows how its restraints are untena-ble for most mental disorders. The observed data are instead consistent with mental disorders be-ing complex dynamic systems. Instead of being treated as interchangeable measures of the same latent factor, symptoms likely act as independ-ent causal entities, directly affecting each other. In recent years, this shift in ontological stance toward psychopathology has laid a basis for adapting the network theory. Under this theory, a mental disorder is a relatively stable emergent state, which arises due to a pronounced and re-current interaction of causally linked symptoms. It is discussed how models embedded within the network theory can help provide insight into the etiopathogenesis of mental disorders and ad-dress clinical intervention. In conclusion, limits and future challenges to the network theory are discussed. and Psychické poruchy bývajú konceptualizované ako skrytá kauzálna príčina, ktorá sa prejavu-je symptómami. Táto predstava je založená na reflektívnom latentnom modeli, ktorý sa impli-citne uplatňuje vždy, keď je komplexná sympto-matológia sumarizovaná vo forme čísla alebo kategorického stavu. V článku sú analyzované kvantitatívne, testovateľné implikácie tohto psychometrického modelu a na tomto základe je demonštrovaná jeho nevhodnosť pre konceptu-alizáciu väčšiny psychických porúch. Pozorova-né dáta naopak implikujú, že psychické poruchy sú komplexné dynamické systémy. Symptómy totiž nie sú ekvivalentným meraním jednej a tej istej latentnej premennej, ale fungujú ako nezá-vislé, vzájomne interagujúce kauzálne entity. Táto zmena nazerania na ontológiu psychopa-tológie viedla k adaptácii tzv. sieťovej teórie na kontext psychologických vied. V rámci tejto teórie je psychická porucha relatívne stabilným emergentným stavom, ktorý vzniká výraznými, opakujúcimi sa interakciami kauzálne prepoje-ných symptómov. Článok adresuje otázku, ako môžu modely vychádzajúce zo sieťovej teórie pomôcť pochopiť etiopatogenézu psychických porúch a adresovať klinickú intervenciu. V zá-vere sú načrtnuté limity a výzvy pre budúcnosť sieťovej teórie v psychológii.
The article deals with damages for psychological injuries. From the methodological point of view, the so-called general to concrete approach is followed, so the general questions that arise in the area of damages for psychological injuries shall be answered first. Subsequently, selected specifics of determining the duty to provide with the compensation of psychological injuries damages (especially causal link) and of determining the amount of compensation for it will be analysed. The article does not address the general principles related to the personal injury damages, although some features may be similar. and Článek se zabývá problematikou odčiňování duševních újem na zdraví. Metodologicky je postupováno tzv. od obecného ke konkrétnímu, nejprve proto budou zodpovězeny obecné otázky vyvstávající při odčiňování duševních újem na zdraví. Následně budou analyzována vybraná specifika při stanovení povinnosti k odčinění duševní újmy na zdraví (zejména příčinná souvislost) a při určení výše náhrady za ni. Článek se nezabývá obecnými principy a východisky odčiňování nemateriálních újem na zdraví, i když v některých rysech mohou být vybrané problémy podobné.