Parasites of the genus Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1910 are one of the most common protistan parasites of vertebrates. Faecal samples from 179 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes [Linnaeus]), 100 grey wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus), 11 golden jackals (Canis aureus Linnaeus), and 63 brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus) were collected in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Samples were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. using microscopy and PCR/sequence analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU), actin and 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes using the maximum likelihood method revealed the presence of Cryptosporidium tyzzeri Ren, Zhao, Zhang, Ning, Jian et al., 2012 (n = 1) and C. andersoni Lindsay, Upton, Owens, Morgan, Mead et Blackburn, 2000 (n = 2) in red foxes, C. canis Fayer, Trout, Xiao, Morgan, Lai et Dubey, 2001 (n = 2) and C. ubiquitum Fayer, Santín et Macarisin, 2010 (n = 2) in grey wolves, and C. galli Pavlásek, 1999 in brown bears (n = 1) and red foxes (n = 1). Subtyping of isolates of C. ubiquitum and C. tyzzeri based on sequence analysis of gp60 showed that they belong to the XIId and IXa families, respectively. The presence of specific DNA of C. tyzzeri, C. andersoni and C. galli, which primarily infect the prey of carnivores, is probably the result of their passage through the gastrointestinal tract of the carnivores. Finding C. ubiquitum XIId in wolves may mean broadening the host spectrum of this subtype, but it remains possible this is the result of infected prey passing through the wolf - in this case deer, which is a common host of this parasite. The dog genotype of C. canis was reported for the first time in wolves.
What is the status of an embryo and a foetus? This question has been always the object of interest not only to lawyers but also to experts in other disciplines. Despite the fact, that knowledge about the circumstances of the origin and development of human life during the prenatal period has greatly expanded, there is still no consensus on that, when and why each of us once became a person and a holder of rights. The intention of this article is not to provide a wide range of individual philosophical or legal approaches to the problem, but to perform a definition of the legal status of an embryo and a foetus in the Czech Republic, with the focus on the specifics of its legal protection. and Jaký je status embrya a plodu? Tato otázka je od nepaměti objektem zájmu nejen právníků, ale také odborníků z jiných vědních oborů. Přestože se znalosti ohledně okolností vzniku a vývoje lidského života během prenatálního období díky technologickému pokroku značně rozšířily, stále neexistuje shoda ohledně toho, kdy a na základě jakých kritérií se každý z nás stal kdysi osobou a nositelem práv. Záměrem tohoto článku není poskytnout širokou škálu jednotlivých filozofických či právních přístupů, ale vymezit základní východiska právního postavení embrya a plodu v českém trestním a občanském právu, a to se zaměřením na rozsah a specifika jeho právní ochrany.
Objectives. The aim of the study is to verify the structure of the WHOQOL-AGE tool on the ba-sis of a representative group of Czech seniors older than 60 years of age.Sample and setting. Sample of participants con-sisted of 403 seniors (75 males, 228 females, av-erage age 70.7 ys, SD = 7.72, range 60 – 91 ys, selected by quota system according to gender, age, and region.Results. Bifactor confirmatory analysis and the degree of agreement of data with Rasch’s mod-el acceptably supported the one-dimensional structure of the tool and can be recommended as a screening questionnaire for estimating quality of life of seniors older than 60 years, especially in cases where it is necessary to limit the time and cognitive burden of respondents.Study limitation. The findings are limited to a Czech general representative population sam-ple. and Záměr. Cílem studie je ověření struktury nástro-je WHOQOL-AGE na podkladě reprezentativ-ního souboru českých seniorů starších 60 let věku.Soubor a procedura. Soubor tvořilo 403 osob (175 mužů, 228 žen), průměrný věk 70,7 let, SD = 7,72, rozsah 60–91 let, náhodně vybra-ných kvótním výběrem na podkladě věku, po-hlaví a regionu.Výsledky. Bifaktorová konfirmační analýza i míra shody dat s Raschovým modelem ak-ceptovatelně podpořily jednodimenzionální strukturu nástroje a lze jej tedy doporučit jako skríningový dotazník pro odhad kvality života seniorů starších 60 let zvláště v případech, kdy je třeba limitovat časovou a kognitivní zátěž re-spondentů.Omezení studie. Zjištění jsou omezena pouze na český obecný reprezentativní vzorek populace.
Cieľom práce bolo zistiť vzťah medzi odpustením sebe, tendenciou k vine, tendenciou k hanbe a empatiou u mladých dospelých. Odpustenie sebe je dynamický proces súvisiaci s rôznymi faktormi. Na základe predložených modelov od Hall Fincham (2005) a Rangganadhan Todorov (2010) sa práca zamerala na emocionálne determinanty odpustenia sebe – vinu, hanbu a empatiu. Výskumný súbor tvorilo 153 mladých dospelých vo vekovom rozmedzí 20-30 rokov (M = 22,82; SD = 2,57). Údaje boli získané pomocou Enrightovho dotazníka odpustenia sebe [ESFI – Enright Self-forgiveness Inventory], Dotazníka na zisťovanie dispozičnej viny a hanby [TOSCA-3 - Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3] a dotazníka na meranie empatie [IRI - Interpersonal Reactivity Index]. Výsledky ukázali, že tendencia k hanbe je silnejším negatívnym prediktorom odpustenia sebe v porovnaní s tendenciou k vine. Empatia orientovaná na seba silnejšie negatívne predikuje odpustenie sebe v porovnaní s empatiou orientovanou na ostatných. Naše zistenia ďalej potvrdili pozitívny vzťah medzi vinou a empatiou orientovanou na ostatných, a zároveň pozitívny vzťah medzi hanbou a empatiou orientovanou na seba. Zároveň sa ukázali signifikantné rozdiely medzi mužmi a ženami v premenných vina a hanba, kde ženy dosahovali vyššiu úroveň. and The goal of this paper was to find out relationships between self-forgiveness, guilt-proneness, shame-proneness, and empathy in young adults. Self-forgiveness is a dynamic process associated with various factors. Based on the presented models by Hall Fincham (2005) and Rangganadhan Todorov (2010), the study focused on emotional determinants of self-forgiveness – guilt, shame, and empathy. The research was conducted on 153 young adults ranged in age from 20 to 30 years (M = 22,82; SD = 2,57). The data were obtained by the Enright Self-forgiveness Inventory, the Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3 and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. The results showed that shame-proneness was a significant negative predictor of self-forgiveness, compared to guilt-proneness. Personal distress empathy was a stronger negative predictor of self-forgiveness, compared to empathic concern. Our findings also confirmed a positive relationship between guilt and empathic concern, and a positive relationship between shame and personal distress. Moreover, there were significant differences between men and women in the variables of guilt and shame, where women reached a higher level.
Napriek tomu, že odpustenie sebe sa ukazuje ako významnejšie súvisiace s fyzickým zdravím jednotlivca, ako aj celkovým well-beingom v porovnaní s odpustením druhému, a dôsledky neodpustenia sebe môžu byť extrémne, odpusteniu sebe je venovaná neporovnateľne menšia teoretická a výskumná pozornosť oproti interpersonálnemu odpustenia.
Cieľom štúdie je kritický prehľad súčasných teoretických a empirických štúdií v tejto oblasti. Štúdia sa zameriava na vymedzenie odpustenia sebe, s ohľadom na jeho hlavné aspekty ako je ľútosť za vykonaný čin, prijatie zodpovednosti a zmena správania do budúcnosti. Štúdia definuje podobnosti a rozdiely odpustenia sebe s interpersonálnym odpustením. Je zdôraznené, že odpustenie sebe je proces vyžadujúci čas a popísané sú jednotlivé kroky procesu odpustenia. Diskutované sú intervenčné štúdie odpustenia sebe, so zameraním na ich výsledky a metodologické nedostatky. V závere je predstavený kritický postoj voči odpusteniu sebe a argumentácia proti jednotlivým kritickým názorom. Načrtnutý je ďalší smer výskumu v oblasti odpustenia sebe. and Despite the evidence that self-forgiveness is more strongly associated with physical health and well-being compared to interpersonal forgiveness, and that the results of self-blaming may be extreme, self-forgiveness has received considerately less attention in theory and research, compared to interpersonal forgiveness. The aim of this study is a critical overview of the current theoretical and empirical studies in this area. The paper focuses on a definition of selfforgiveness with an emphasis of its important aspects such as remorse, responsibility taking, and conciliatory behaviour. The study defines similarities and differences of self-forgiveness and interpersonal forgiveness. It is stressed that self-forgiveness is a process which takes time and the steps of self-forgiveness are described. The intervention studies of self-forgiveness are discussed, with an emphasis on their results and methodological limitations. Finally, a critical attitude toward self-forgiveness and argumentation against these critical views are presented. Future direction of research in self-forgiveness is outlined.
The global environment is faced with growing threats from anthropogenic disturbance, propelling the Earth into a 6th mass extinction. For the world's mammals, this is reflected in the fact that 25% of species are threatened with some risk of extinction. During this time of species loss and environmental alteration, the world's natural history museums (NHMs) are uniquely poised to provide novel insight into many aspects of conservation. This review seeks to provide evidence of the importance of NHMs to mammal conservation, how arguments against continued collecting of physical voucher specimens is counterproductive to these efforts, and to identify additional threats to collecting with a particular focus on small mammals across Africa. NHMs contribute unique data for assessing mammal species conservation status through the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened species. However, NHMs' contributions to mammal conservation go well beyond supporting the IUCN Red List, with studies addressing topics such as human impacts, climate change, genetic diversity, disease, physiology, and biodiversity education. Increasing and diverse challenges, both domestic and international, highlight the growing threats facing NHMs, especially in regards to the issue of lethally sampling individuals for the purpose of creating voucher specimens. Such arguments are counterproductive to conservation efforts and tend to reflect the moral opposition of individual researchers than a true threat to conservation. The need for continued collecting of holistic specimens of all taxa across space and time could not be more urgent, especially for underexplored biodiversity hotspots facing extreme threats such as the Afrotropics.
Horse chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella) has achieved ecological success by colonizing the entire European range of its primary host, horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). This insect has attracted the attention of scientists, but its ecology is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of varying degrees of light availability on the leaf morphology of horse chestnut saplings and the performance of C. ohridella. A pot experiment under greenhouse conditions was performed in which the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was reduced from full light by 50% (high light - HL) or 80% (low light - LL). Insect performance parameters were quantified (i.e., pupal mass, efficiency of conversion of utilised leaf tissue (ECU) and potential fecundity). Compared with HL leaflets those from LL were characterised by higher contents of nitrogen and water but lower total phenolics. The oxidative capacity of phenolics (at pH ≈ 10, common in the lepidopteran gut) was low and did not differ in the two treatments. Compared with those collected from HL leaves, the mines of those collected from leaves of plants grown under LL conditions were larger in area but the leaf mass utilized by larvae was similar. Pupae were heavier in LL than in HL conditions, and ECU was higher in LL. The potential fecundity of females was not sensitive for experimental treatment. We conclude that (1) reduced light had a strong beneficial effect on the performance of C. ohridella and (2) phenolics in A. hippocastanum leaf tissues are a poor defence against this herbivore.