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.
In functional arterial studies using wire myography, the determination of a vessel’s standardized normalization factor (factor k) is an essential step to ensure optimal contraction and relaxation by the arteries when stimulated with their respective vasoactive agents and to obtain reproducible results. The optimal factor k for several arteries have been determined, however, the optimal initial tension and factor k for the arteries involved in erection remains unknown. Hence, in the present study we set out to determine the optimal factor k for the internal iliac artery, proximal and distal internal pudendal artery (IPA), and dorsal penile artery. After isolating, harvesting, and mounting the arteries from male Sprague-Dawley rats on a multi wire myograph, we tested arterial responsivity to high K+-stimulation when the factor k was set at 0.7, 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, 0.95, 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 to determine the factor k setting that results in the greatest K+-induced active force production for each vessel type. The data showed the optimal factor k is 0.90-0.95 for the dorsal penile, distal internal pudendal and internal iliac arteries while it is 0.85-0.90 for proximal internal pudendal artery. These optimal values corresponded to initial passive tension settings of 1.10±0.16 - 1.46±0.23, 1.28±0.20 - 1.69±0.34, 1.03±0.27 - 1.33±0.31, and 1.33±0.31 - 1.77±0.43 mN/mm for the dorsal penile, distal IP, proximal IP, and internal iliac arteries, respectively.
The birth of a child and transition into home ownership are markers of progression along a life course. Research shows that pathways to home ownership have become more diverse and deviate from the traditional pathway which was characterised by marriage followed by the birth of a child before entering home ownership. This study investigates the timing and order of the two interrelated events of birth of a child and the transition to home ownership in Australia. Using the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia panel survey, we apply a multi-process event history analysis for describing the timing of each event following the formation of a cohabiting relationship. The results suggest that the likelihood of birth increases with prior home ownership attainment but as time passes following the purchase of a home, the likelihood of birth decreases, similarly, the likelihood of home ownership attainment decreased with time following birth.
The present study provides a comprehensive osteological description of Pachypterus khavalchor from the family Horabagridae. Nine individuals of P. khavalchor representing both males and females collected from the type locality were cleared and double-stained to provide a description of osteological characteristics. The presence of an almost straight dorsal roof to the cranium, a long and protruding premaxilla with numerous rows of tiny, villiform teeth, a spoon-like lower jaw with villiform teeth projecting outward, and five long and ossified ceratobranchials, with the 5th ceratobranchial containing a set of 80 to 90 conical teeth, sheds light on the ecomorphological adaptation in P. khavalchor that may have led to the evolution of lepidophagy. Furthermore, a slight difference in the structure of the complex hypurapophysis was observed between males and females. The information on the osteology of the Khavalchor catfish forms a baseline for taxonomic research of the entire Horabagridae family comprising four genera with ten species distributed in Asia.
There is no separate course in the medical curriculum summarizing all aspects of human reproduction in most medical school curricula. At the same time, such a course would logically connect knowledge from clinical embryology and assisted reproduction, encompassing the issue of female and male infertility, mechanisms of birth defect formation, their prenatal diagnosis and subsequent specialized neonatal care. The aim of a wide team of university teachers comprising embryologists, gynecologists, neonatologists, endocrinologists, geneticists and others was to create and implement a new course entitled "Clinical Embryology and Reproductive Medicine" into the fourth-year curriculum of the study program General Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava. There has been a great interest in the course, as evidenced by the number of medical students enrolled. The lecture syllabuses have been divided into several thematic areas: 1) Clinical embryology including a laboratory part of assisted reproduction, 2) Cause and treatment options of female and male infertility, 3) A comprehensive view of the issue of birth defects, 4) The issue of preconception education, prenatal and childbirth training, family planning, 5) Reproductive immunology and endocrinology. Despite the complexity of human reproduction being a mainstay of gynecology and obstetrics, it is underemphasized in the medical school curricula worldwide. It is often reflected in shorter hospital / practical trainings during undergraduate studies and lower requirements at the final exam. Therefore, as students almost unanimously valued, this new course is extremely helpful in preparing for the final state exam.
According to several studies, women with Crohn's disease (CD) had reduced fertility, which is mostly due to voluntary decisions and reduced ovarian reserve. In our study, we aimed to compare reproductive health parameters (RHP), previous pregnancy complications and outcomes, and ovarian reserve (OR) assessed by the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in CD patients with healthy controls. In CD patients, we also compared OR according to disease phenotypes. Consecutive pre-menopausal women with CD from two IBD centers were included. The control group consisted of age and BMI-matched healthy controls. We used a questionnaire that included RHP, CD phenotype, and CD activity. Serum AMH was assessed by the Elecsys AMH plus essay. We enrolled 50 patients and 56 controls with a median age of 31 years. All CD patients were in clinical remission. We observed no difference in RHP or AMH (median 2.6 vs. 2.1 ug/l, p = 0.98), or the proportion of low OR (AMH<1,77, 38 vs. 41.1 %, p=0.84). The slope of age-related decrease did not differ between the groups. The subgroup of CD patients after surgery and those older than 30 years with CD for >5years had a steeper decrease in AMH (slope -0.12 vs. -0.29, p = 0.04 and - 0.31 vs. -0.2, p = 0.029). In a multivariate analysis, age was the single independent predictor of low OR (OR=1.25). In women with Crohn’s disease, once the disease activity is under control, the reproductive health and ovarian reserve do not substantially differ from healthy controls., Tomáš Koller, Jana Kollerová, Tibor Hlavatý, Barbora Kadlečková, Juraj Payer., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Beneficial effects of Sambucus nigra L. (black elder) as a traditional medicine have been associated with the phytoconstituents including polyphenols, terpenes and lectins. Various antioxidant rich natural products have also been implicated with improvement of reproductive health and fertility, however, the effect of Sambucus nigra on the ovarian cell functions has not been investigated yet. The objectives of the present study were to screen the polyphenols in the elderflower and elderberry extracts, and to examine the secretion activity of steroid hormones 17β-estradiol and progesterone by human ovarian granulosa cells HGL5 after supplementation of the extracts at a concentration range of 12.5 to 100 µg.ml-1 . Qualitative as well as quantitative screening of polyphenols by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis revealed rutin to be the most abundant polyphenol in both elderflower and elderberry extracts. In culture, neither elderflower nor elderberry extract caused any significant impact (p>0.05) in cell viability as studied by AlamarBlue assay in comparison to control. However, a dosedependent stimulation of 17β-estradiol release was detected by ELISA after supplementation of elderflower (at 50 µg.ml-1 ; p<0.01) and elderberry (at 100 µg.ml-1 ; p<0.05) extracts at higher doses used in the study. On the other hand, both elderflower and elderberry extracts stimulated the secretion of progesterone by HGL5 cells at a lower dose (12.5 µg.ml-1 ; p<0.05), as compared to control. Therefore, elderflower and elderberry extracts may have the potential to regulate steroidogenesis in ovarian cells., Simona Baldovska, Shubhadeep Roychoudhury, Marek Bandik, Michal Mihal, Erika Mnahoncakova, Julius Arvay, Ales Pavlik, Petr Slama, Adriana Kolesarova., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We surveyed ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in 10 stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), all monoculture stands 5–100 years old, in western Slovakia, Central Europe, over two successive periods, October 2013 – March 2014 and October 2014 – March 2015. The winter in each period was exceptionally mild. Ladybirds were collected from the lower branches of pine trees using beating trays and were present in 61% of the 1040 samples (one sample containing ladybirds from 20 branches, 1 m long each). In total 3965 individuals of 20 species were recorded. Non-conifer dwelling species associated with broadleaved trees or herbaceous plants prevailed (45% of species), followed by conifer specialists (40%) and generalists (15%). Although 13 species were found at least in one winter month, December, January or February, only four of them, Exochomus quadripustulatus, Coccinella septempunctata, Harmonia axyridis and Hippodamia variegata, were recorded continually during both winters. The number of species, the abundance of all ladybirds and the abundance of dominant species (E. quadripustulatus, C. septempunctata and H. axyridis) decreased from late autumn towards winter and remained lowest during this most adverse time of the year for ladybirds. Overwintering species assemblages of ladybirds changed over time and varied with age of pine stand. Our results suggest that Scots pine in Central Europe supports species rich assemblages of ladybirds from late autumn to early spring and, being widely distributed, it could be suited to winter surveying of ladybirds at large spatial scales to reveal behavioural and ecological responses of species to changing weather or different climates.
The cucumber moth, Diaphania indica (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a major pest of cucurbitaceous plants. The oviposition preference and olfactory response of larvae, mated and unmated male and female adults to volatiles emanating from uninfested and infested plants of four species of cucurbitaceous host plants and odours of conspecifics were recorded. Also the role of experience in the host finding behaviour of D. indica was evaluated. The experiments were done using a wind tunnel, olfactometer attraction assays and oviposition bioassays. The results reveal that fewer eggs were laid on infested plants than on uninfested plants. Females significantly preferred cucumber over squash, melon and watermelon. Cucurbitaceous plants elicited adults of D. indica to fly upwind followed by landing on the plants. The effect of experience on the olfactory preference of D. indica was dependent on the host plant. Females that had experience of cucumber, squash and melon plants were significantly attracted to the same plant, but not in the case of watermelon. Larvae of this pest were attracted only to volatiles of uninfested cucumber, squash and melon, whereas volatiles of conspecifics, infested plants and intact watermelon did not attract larvae. This study is an initial attempt to investigate the role of volatile infochemicals in the host-finding behaviour of D. indica. These results provide baseline information for the development of new control strategies against D. indica.
Podstatná první část článku se zabývá totalitou v jejích aspektech filozofických, sociologických a psychologických. Ve druhé části článku je demonstrován cíl a průběh tzv. normalizace na příkladu pražské filozofické fakulty UK.V článku se věnuje zvýšená pozornost fenoménu strachu jako základnímu předpokladu fungování totalitních systémů. Dále se upozorňuje na skutečnost, že prvky totalitarismu mají v sobě také režimy demokratické. Toho si všiml už před 90 lety Alexis de Tocqueville, francouzský historik a politik, když v polovině 19. století pobýval ve Spojených státech a studoval tamní právě se rodící demokratické zřízení. K jeho zásluhám patří mj. první pokusy o vymezení povahy demokratického despotismu. Ten je blíže vymezen jako destrukce lidské psychiky, rezignace člověka na výkon jeho svobodné vůle a další povahové vlastnosti, jako je sklon ke kvietizmu. Následující poměrně rozsáhlá část textu se týká problematiky hodnot. Výklad je přednostně založen na publikaci od brněnského právníka Vladimíra Čermáka. Logicky se věnuje prvořadá pozornost hodnotám svoboda, rovnost a spravedlnost. Filosofické hledisko je v článku zastoupeno pohledem filozofa Ladislava Tondla. Poslední část prvního dílu článku obsahuje přehled metod, užívaných psychology a sociology k empirickému zkoumání hodnotových orientací.Celá druhá část článku se opírá o důkladnou sociálněkulturní analýzu období tzv. "norma-lizace" (1969-89). Analýzu uskutečnili mladí historici FF UK v knize Náměstí Krasnoarmějců 2. Z této knihy o 400 stranách v tomto Souhrnu pokládá autor za velmi žádoucí přiblížit čtenářům následující text, který byl nazván (pouze pro účel tohoto článku) jako Poučení: Nežádoucím výsledkem normalizace je oslabení "zcela základní dovednosti intelektuálů, a to schopnosti formulovat obecnější stanoviska, která by mohla působit jako protipól přirozeně technokratického diskurzu větší části politických elit... Normalizace tak skutečně uspěla v jednom ze svých hlavních cílů, totiž nejen diskreditovat, ale zároveň zevnitř poddolovat stav kritického veřejného intelektuála. Politická proměna, kterou přinesl rok 1989, na tomto úspěchu normalizace nic nezměnila. I díky tomu vykazují dominantní myšlenkové vzorce v české společnosti dvacet let po sametové revoluci tak významnou kontinuitu s obdobím, které jí před-cházelo." (s. 375-376)., Totalitarianism and its philosophical, sociological and psychological aspects are a subject matter of a substantial first part of the article. The second part of the article is more specific, as it demonstrates the goals and the course of the so-called "normalization" on the example of the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University, Prague. A great deal of attention is devoted to the phenomenon of fear, which is a fundamental prerequisite of totalitarian systems. Further, it is pointed out that even democratic regimes possess some totalitarian elements, which has been pointed out already by Alexis de Tocqueville, the French historian who personally studied the nascent democratic regime in the 19th century United States. Among de Tocqueville’s merits are the first attempts to define the nature of democratic despotism. Democratic despotism is defined in terms of destruction of the human psyche, resignation to the exercise of one’s free will and such additional character traits, as the tendency to quietism (calm acceptance of things as they come). The following, relatively extensive part, is devoted to values. The explanation of values is based primarily on a publication by the Brno lawyer Vladimír Čermák. Logically, the values of freedom, equality, and justice receive the main attention. The philosophical perspective of the article is represented by views of the philosopher Ladislav Tondl. The first part of the article is concluded by an overview of methods which psychologists and sociologists use to empirically assess value orientations. The second part of the article deals with a thorough socio-cultural analysis of the so-called "normalization" period (1969-1989). Its analy-sis has been recently carried out by young historians of the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University and it resulted in a book listed in the References. In this Summary, the author considers it important to share the main message resulting from the analysis: Normalization resulted in the debilitation of "the fundamental ability of the intellectuals, i.e., of the ability to form generalized views, which could act as a counterpoint to the naturally (technocratic) discourse of the majority of political elites." Thus, normalization succeeded in one of its main goals, i.e., not only to discredit, but also to undermine the public intellectuals. The political change, brought about by the revolutionary year of 1989, did not take away fromnormalization accomplishment. That is one of the reasons why even two decades after the democratic Velvet Revolution, the dominant thought patterns in the Czech society still manifest a significant continuity with the preceding totalitarian period.”, Jan Srnec., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy