Mikrobiální flóra trávicího traktu je v poslední době zkoumána ve vztahu k metabolickým onemocněním. Existují vztahy jak k diabetu 1. typu, tak k diabetu 2. typu. Střevní flóra je ovlivňována dietou, fyzickou aktivitou a výrazně se mění po bariatrických chirurgických výkonech. Porod císařským řezem ovlivňuje vývoj střevní flóry a zvyšuje v dalším životě dítěte riziko diabetu 1. typu. Pacientům s obezitou a diabetem 2. typu mohou chybět mikroby protektivní, které v experimentu zlepšují glykoregulaci, nebo naopak přibývat mikroby patogenní, o kterých bylo prokázáno, že mohou dokonce pronikat do abdominální tukové tkáně a podílet se mimo jiné na poruše funkcí jater a systémovém zánětu. Zvažována je i vakcinace proti těmto mikrobům. Pozitivně může mikrobiom ovlivňovat i léčba metforminem. Přenos střevní flóry tzv. transplantací stolice může zlepšovat glykoregulaci. Je pravděpodobné, že ovlivnění střevní flóry se stane novým mechanizmem léčby diabetu., The microbial flora in the digestive tract has been recently studied in relation to metabolic diseases. There are relations to both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The intestinal flora is affected by diet, physical exercise and it significantly changes after bariatric surgeries. Giving birth by caesarean section affects the gut flora development and increases the risk of type 1 diabetes in further life of the child. Obese patients with type 2 diabetes may lack protective microbes which improve glucoregulation in the experiment or on the contrary their patogenous microbes may grow which have been proven to even be able to penetrate into abdominal adipose tissue and play a role, inter alia, in the hepatic impairment and systemic inflammation. Also vaccination against these microbes is under consideration. Microbiome can be also positively affected by metformin treatment. The transfer of intestinal flora by means of fecal transplantation can improve glucoregulation. The influencing of intestinal flora is likely to become a new mechanism of diabetes treatment., and Štěpán Svačina
MikroRNA (miRNA) jsou krátké nekódující RNA, které regulují genovou expresi na posttranskripční úrovni. Zúčastňují se řady kritických biologických procesů včetně onkogeneze. V patogenezi karcinomu z renálních buněk (renal cell carcinoma – RCC) mohou působit jako onkogeny i jako tumor supresory. Prostřednictvím cílových proteinů různých signálních drah ovlivňují apoptózu, buněčný růst, migraci, invazi, proliferaci, formaci buněčných kolonií či angiogenezi a jsou přímo zapojeny do procesů hypoxie a epiteliálně-mezenchymální proměny. Odlišně exprimované hladiny miRNA umožňují rozlišení zdravé a nádorové tkáně ledviny a dokonce jednotlivých podtypů RCC. Cirkulující a močové miRNA jsou potenciálními biomarkery pro neinvazivní diagnostiku RCC a sledování relapsu onemocnění. Navíc je prokázána prognostická hodnota některých miRNA, a to jak z hlediska identifikace vysoce rizikových primárních tumorů, tak z hlediska odpovědi na biologickou léčbu u metastatických nádorů. Cílem článku je poskytnout přehlednou a co nejaktuálnější informaci o roli miRNA v patogenezi RCC a miRNA využitelných pro diagnostiku a stanovení prognózy RCC., MicroRNAs (miRNA/miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level. They are involved in a number of critical biological processes including carcinogenesis. In the pathogenesis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) they can act both as oncogenes and tumor suppressors. They regulate apoptosis, cell growth, migration, invasion, proliferation, colony formation or angiogenesis through target proteins involved in several signaling pathways and they are directly involved in mechanisms of hypoxia and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Differentially expressed miRNAs can differentiate tumor tissue from healthy renal tissue and even different RCC subtypes. Circulating and urinary miRNAs could become biomarkers for non-invasive diagnosis or detection of the relapse of RCC. Moreover, prognostic value of several miRNAs has been shown. They may help identify high-risk primary tumors and estimate treatment response to biological treatment in metastatic tumors. The aim of the article is to provide comprehensive and the most up-to-date information about the role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of RCC and their diagnostic/prognostic value., and Fedorko M., Pacík D., Varga G., Wasserbauer R., Ghazal M., Nussir M.
Hypothermia was shown to attenuate ventilator-induced lung injury due to large tidal volumes. It is unclear if the protective effect of hypothermia is maintained under less injurious mechanical ventilation in animals without previous lung injury. Tracheostomized rats were randomly allocated to non-ventilated group (group C) or ventilated grou ps of normothermia (group N) and mild hypothermia (group H). After two hours of mechanical ventilation with inspiratory fraction of oxygen 1.0, respiratory rate 60 min-1 , tidal volume 10 ml·kg-1 , positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) 2 cm H 2 O or immediately after tracheostomy in non-ventilated animals inspiratory pressures were recorded, rats were sacrificed, pressure-volume (PV) curve of respiratory system constructed, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and aortic blood samples obtained. Group N animals exhibited a higher rise in peak inspiratory pressures in comparison to group H animals. Shift of the PV curve to right, higher total protein and interleukin- 6 levels in BAL fluid were observed in normothermia animals in comparison with hypothermia animals and non-ventilated controls. Tumor necrosis factor- α was lower in the hypothermia group in comparison with normothermia and non-ventilated groups. Mild hypothermia attenuated changes in respiratory system mechanics and modified cytokine concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid during low lung volume ventilation in animals without previous lung injury., P. Dostál, M. Šenkeřík, R. Pařízková, D. Bareš, P. Živný, H. Živná, V. Černý., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Eight laureates of the Premium of Otto Wichterle in physical and related scientific disciplines are introduced in this article, whom obtained this award from the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in 2014 during the ceremonial held in the Villa Lanna in Prague. Their professional CV, scientific, pedagogical and other activities are presented, including their best five publications of their own choice., Jarmila Kodymová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
During the International expedition of the research vessel Dmitry Mendeleyev three sectors of the Western Pacific Ocean were studied: Philippine Sea, Solomon Sea and Coral Sea. From these areas also the samples for the orientation were taken in order to do the mineralogical examination with them. Above all, X-ray diffraction technique was used beside the chemical analysis performed by electron microprobe analyzer. Quantitative evaluation of min eral components was carried out applying X-ray diffraction. Standardless technique based on the adiabatic principle enabled th e quantitative determination directly from the X-ray diffraction diagram. Generally, sheet silicates - above all smectite, chlorite, mica (illite) - play the leading role in the mineral composition of collected samples of muds taken from the ocean floor. Besi des, also minerals of terrigenous origin are present: quartz prevailing mostly over feldspars (plagioclase > K-feldspar). Amphiboles and pyroxenes occured, but not everywhere. Carbonate minerals (calcite >> aragonite) were found only in samples from Coral Sea., Karel Melka, Ferry Fediuk and Anna Langrová., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
The Dubair-Shang granitoids are the major intrusive bodies in Besham group and are exposed along the Karakoram Highway in Besham and lower Kohistan districts. A variety of these granitoid rocks have been investigated in terms of their petrographic features and physico-mechanical properties. The studied rocks are classified into four different textural varieties including Dubair mylonitized (DM), Dubair coarse grained (DCG), Shang coarse grained (SCG) and Shang foliated (SF) granitoids based on field observations and petrographic features. Petrographically quartz, potash feldspar, plagioclase and biotite are the essential minerals present in all varieties in varying amount. Beside these hornblende, chlorite, epidote, ore mineral(s) and sphene are also present in the accessory amount. As a part of the present investigation some of the mechanical and physical properties including uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), uniaxial tensile strength (UTS), specific gravity, water absorption, total porosity, and Los Angeles abrasion were also determined. The combined approach of petrographic features with the physico-mechanical investigation revealed that the textural characteristics and mineralogy have a significant influence on the physico-mechanical properties of the studied rocks. It is determined that modal percentage of minerals, degree of alteration, recrystallization, grain size and shape, types of grain boundary contacts have significant effect on characteristics of these granitoids. Based on strength tests studied rocks fall in category of moderately strong to strong. The values of specific gravity, porosity, water absorption and Los Angeles are within the range permissible for their use as constructional materials except SF. Based on physico-mechanical properties and petrographic examination Dubair-Shang granitoids could be used as aggregate for the construction of road, railway tracks, embankment, adn canals., Tanveer Ahmad, Muhammad Rizwan, Zeeshan Hussain, Subhan Ullah, Zulfiqar Ali, Adnan Khan, Abuzar Ghaffari, Jabir Nazir, Faisal Kaleem, Noor Rahman, Iftikhar Ali, Abdus Saboor Khan and Hamid A. Khan., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The research has dealt with mineral composition of the dislocation clays developed on the Prague fault. The Prague fault is a tectonic boundary between underlying clayey slates of Záhořany series and Skalka quartzite. The fault zone is filled with clay or sandy-silt to silty-sand matrix with scattered fragments of the surrounding rocks either slates or quart zite. Quartz, illite, kaolinite, chlorite, sporadic feldspar and gypsum were identified in powdered preparations by X-ray diffraction. The clay fraction of the taken samples is composed of illite, less kaolinite and sporadic chlorite and gypsum., Pavel Hájek and Martin Šťastný., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Cíl: Cílem této normativní studie Mini‑Mental State Examination (MMSE), neuropsychologické metody pro orientační zjištění kognitivního stavu a skríningu kognitivních poruch, je potvrdit zahraniční zjištění o závislosti výkonu v MMSE na věku a vzdělání a poskytnout normativní data české starší populace. Soubor a metodika: Soubor 540 osob ve věku 60 a více let splňujících daná kritéria zařazení, z 12 krajů České republiky, bez suspektní poruchy kognice (na základě anamnézy a výsledků neuropsychologických testů). Soubor byl rozdělen na čtyři skupiny dle věku (mladší, 60–74 let, a starší, 75 a více let) a dle vzdělání (nižší – bez maturity, vyšší – s maturitou a vyšším). Poměr pohlaví byl muži : ženy, 1 : 1. Výsledky: Byl zjištěn významný efekt věku (Pearson r = –0,308) i vzdělání (Cohenovo d = 0,43; oba p < 0,001) na získaný skór v MMSE. Nejhorších výsledků dosahovali starší, méně vzdělaní jedinci (MMSE 26,88; ? 1 SD 24,27–28,48) a nejlepších výsledků mladší vzdělanější (MMSE 28,60; ? 1 SD 26,83–29,62). Závěry: Potvrdili jsme závislost výsledků v MMSE u starších zdravých osob na jejich věku a vzdělání. Z toho vyplývá nutnost ve studiích klinické užitečnosti prověřit užívaný jednotný hraniční skór při odhadu kognitivních poruch, a to především u syndromu demence u různých neurodegenerativních onemocnění. Studie poprvé poskytuje normativní data MMSE na velkém souboru osob z české populace upravená dle věku a vzdělání., Aim: The aim of this normative study of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) – a neuropsychological method to screen cognitive status and disorders - is to confirm international findings on the effects of age and education on MMSE scores and to obtain normative data for the Czech older population. Sample and methods: The sample consisted of 540 adults of 60 plus years of age meeting the inclusion criteria and without suspected cognitive disorder (based on anamnesis and neuropsychological assessment) from 12 regions of the Czech Republic. The sample was divided into four groups according to their age (younger 60–74, older 75+), and education (lower, higher). Men to women ratio in the sample was 1 : 1. Results: We found a significant effect of age (Pearson r = –0.308) and education (Cohen‘s d = 0.43; both p < 0.001) on MMSE score. The lowest scores were obtained by older, less educated individuals (MMSE 26.88; ? 1 SD 24.27–28.48), the highest scores were obtained by younger, more educated individuals (MMSE 28.60; ? 1 SD 26.83–29.62). Conclusion: We confirmed correlations between MMSE scores and age and education in older, cognitively healthy persons. These results necessitate further investigation of the MMSE clinical utility to determine the cut-off scores for dementia due to different neurodegenerative diseases. The study provides the first normative data from a large sample of the Czech population according to their age and education. Key words: ageing – cognitive functions – screening – dementia syndrome – normal values The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE “uniform requirements” for biomedical papers., and H. Štěpánková, T. Nikolai, J. Lukavský, O. Bezdíček, M. Vrajová, M. Kopeček