Tropical savanna ecosystems are extremely diverse and important for global carbon storage. In the state of Mato Grosso, tropical savanna (locally known as the Cerrado), turns from well-drained, upland areas into seasonally flooded areas within the Pantanal; however, the Cerrado and the Pantanal share many common tree species, such as Vochysia divergens, a flood-adapted tree native to the Amazon Basin, and Curatella americana, a tree, adapted native to the welldrained the Cerrado. We measured the photosynthetic light response of these species in the the Cerrado and the Pantanal over a 1-year period to determine how these species physiologically adjust to these hydrologically distinct habitats. We hypothesized that neither species would experience a significant decline in maximum, light-saturated photosynthetic rate (Pmax) in their naturalized habitat. Physiological performance of each species was generally higher in the habitat that they were adapted to; however, our data indicated that both species have broad tolerance for seasonal variations in hydrology, allowing them to tolerate seasonal drought during the dry season in the Cerrado, and seasonal flooding during the wet season in the Pantanal. In V. divergens, flexible water-use efficiency, higher specific leaf area (SLA), and a greater ability to adjust mass-based Pmax (Pmax,m) to variations in leaf N and P concentration appeared to be key traits for withstanding prolonged drought in the Cerrado. In C. americana, increases in SLA and higher nutrient-use efficiency appeared to be important in maintaining high rates of Pmax,m in the seasonally flooded Pantanal. Flexibility in physiology and resource-use efficiency may allow these species to survive and persist in habitats with broadly differing hydrology., H. J. Dalmagro, F. de A. Lobo, G. L. Vourlitis, Â. C. Dalmolin, M. Z. Antunes Jr., C. E. R. Ortíz, J. de S. Nogueira., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The effects of foliar spray of putrescine (Put; 8 mM) on chlorophyll (Chl) metabolism and xanthophyll cycle in cucumber seedlings were investigated under saline conditions of 75 mM NaCl. Exogenous Put promoted the conversion of uroporhyrinogen III to protoporphyrin IX and alleviated decreases in Chl contents and in a size of the xanthophyll cycle pool under salt stress. Moreover, the Put treatment reduced the activities of uroporphyrinogen III synthase, chlorophyllase, and Mg-dechelatase and downregulated the transcriptional levels of glutamyl-tRNA reductase, 5-aminolevulinate dehydratase, uroporphyrinogen III synthase, uroporphyrinogen III decarboxylase, and chlorophyllide a oxygenase, but significantly increased the expression levels of non-yellow coloring 1-like, pheide a oxygenase, red chlorophyll catabolite reductase, and violaxanthin de-epoxidase. Taken together, these results suggest that Put might improve Chl metabolism and xanthophyll cycle by regulating enzyme activities and mRNA transcription levels in a way that improved the salt tolerance of cucumber plants., R. N. Yuan, S. Shu, S. R. Guo, J. Sun, J. Q. Wu., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The paper presents a method for measuring relative displacements of rock blocks on the basis of recorded images of prototype plate targets measurement. The developed measuring targets, after deposition on the surveyed object (for example rock blocks) act as control points, which represent the behavior of the object over time. Two types of targets ware constructed: passive (appropriately chosen figure) and active (respectively arranged fiber targets). The paper presents preliminary results of work in the laboratory using a calibrated semi-metric camera (Canon D5 Mark II - SLR camera with a CMOS 21 million pixels sensor), two passive targets, geodetic engineering tripod, micrometric simulator of shifts and Leica TC1800 total station. During the experimental work one of the targets was set on a tripod, and the other placed on the total station telescope set on the observation pillar. While taking a series of images the first target was fixed, while the other was moved and rotated. The displacements were made with a micrometric table in two mutually perpendicular directions XY in the horizontal plane, and by simulated rotation of the horizontal wheel and vertical wheel of the total station (rotation of the instrument by the adjusting screws). Using the principles of close-range mono-photogra mmetry from automatic measurement of the recorded images of both plate targets, the values of displacements and rotations were compared with the references., Piotr Gołuch, Kazimierz Ćmielewski, Janusz Kuchmistera and Krzysztof Kowalski., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Physiological traits, which are positively associated with yield under salt-stress conditions, can be useful selection criteria in screening for salt tolerance. We examined whether chlorophyll (Chl) content can be used as screening criterion in wheat. Our study involved 5 wheat genotypes under both saline and nonsaline field conditions as well as in a sand-culture experiment. Salt stress reduced significantly biomass, grain yield, total Chl and both Chl a and b in all genotypes. In the sand-culture experiment, Chl accumulation was higher in PF70354/BOW, Ghods, and H499.71A/JUP genotypes at nonsaline control, moderate, and high salt concentrations, respectively. In the field experiment, genotype H499.71A/JUP belonged to those with the highest Chl density. The SPAD (Soil Plant Analysis Development) meter readings were linearly related to Chl content both in the sand-culture and in the field experiment. However, salt stress affected the calibration of SPAD meter. Therefore, separate Chl-SPAD equations were suggested for saline and nonsaline conditions. The correlation coefficients between the grain yield and SPAD were positive and significant both in the sand culture and in the field experiment. These findings suggested that SPAD readings could be used as a tool for rapid assessment of relative Chl content in wheat genotypes. It could be used for the indirect selection of high-yielding genotypes of wheat under saline condition in sand-culture and field experiments., A. Kiani-Pouya, F. Rasouli., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is the result of interaction between a chronic hemodynamic overload and non-hemodynamic factors. There are several lines of evidence presented in this work suggesting that nitric oxide (NO) may participate in the hypertrophic growth of the myocardium. First, endothelial NO production was shown to be decreased in several types of hemodynamically overloaded circulation both in animals and humans. Second, compounds stimulating NO production were able to diminish the extent or modify the nature of LVH in some models of myocardial hypertrophic growth. Third, arterial hypertension can be induced by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase activity. This NO-deficient hypertension is associated with the development of concentric LVH, myocardial fibrosis and protein remodeling of the left ventricle. The mechanism of LVH development in NO-deficient hypertension is complex and involves decreased NO production and increased activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Cardiovascular protection via ACE inhibition in NO-deficient hypertension may be induced by mechanisms not involving an improvement of NO production. In conclusion, the hypertrophic growth of the LV appears to be the result of interaction of vasoconstrictive and growth stimulating effects of angiotensin II on the one hand and of vasodilating and antiproliferative effects of nitric oxide on the other., F. Šimko, J. Šimko., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Prediktivní vliv sebelitování na sebeznevýhodňování u tureckých univerzitních studentů Východiska. V rostoucím počtu výzkumů bylo zjištěno, že větší sebelitování je spojeno s větší psychologickou a kognitivní pohodou. Lze předpokládat, že sebelitování může hrát důležitou roli v sebeznevýhodňování, přičemž různé dimenze sebelitování mohou hrát různé role. Nicméně žádný výzkum zatím nezkoumal možné souvislosti mezi těmito proměnnými. Cíl. Cílem výzkumu bylo prozkoumat vztah mezi sebelitováním a sebeznevýhodňováním. Účastníci. Výzkumu se zúčastnilo 408 univerzitních studentů, 201 (49%) žen a 207 (51%) mužů), studujících různé obory v pregraduálních programech na pedagogické fakultě univerzity Sakarya v Turecku. Metoda. Jako míry byly použity škály sebelitování a sebeznevýhodňování. Vztahy mezi sebelitováním a sebeznevýhodňováním byly zjišťovány korelační analýzou a mnohonásobnou regresní analýzou. Výsledky. Korelační analýza poukázala na negativní vztah faktorů sebelitování: laskavost k sobě, běžná lidskost a dbalost a pozitivní vztah faktorů sebelitování: sebeposouzení, izolace a přehnaná identifikace, k sebeznevýhodňování. Podle výsledků regresní analýzy bylo sebeznevýhodňování pozitivně predikováno sebeposouzením, izolací a přehnanou identifikací. Běžná lidskost negativně predikovala sebeznevýhodňování. Sebelitování vysvětlilo 51% rozptylu sebe znevýhodňování. Omezení. Získané výsledky by neměly být zobecňovány jak na univerzitní studenty, tak na jiné studentské populace, protože data byla sbírána pouze na univerzitě Sakarya v Turecku. Data o sebelitování a sebeznevýhodňování jsou omezena na subjektivní výpovědi a nevyužívala kvalitativní míry těchto proměnných., Background. A growing body of research has found that higher self-compassion is associated with greater psychological and cognitive well-being. Therefore self-compassion can be considered as playing an important role on selfhandicapping, while different dimensions of self-compassion may play different roles. However there is no research that investigated the possible links between these variables. Purpose. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between self-compassion and self-handicapping. Participants. Participants were 408 university students – 201 (49%) were female and 207 (51%) were male – who enrolled in various undergraduate programs at Sakarya University Faculty of Education, Turkey. Method. The Self-compassion Scale and the Self-handicapping Scale were used as measures. The relationships between self-compassion and self-handicapping were examined using correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. Results. In correlation analysis, self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness factors of self-compassion were found negatively and selfjudgment, isolation, and over-identification factors of self-compassion were found positively related to self-handicapping. According to regression results, self-handicapping was predicted positively by self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification. Further common humanity predicted self-handicapping in a negative way. Self-compassion has explained 51% of the variance in self-handicapping. Limitations. The results obtained in this study should not be generalized either to all university students or to other student populations, since the data were collected at just one campus in Sakarya University, Turkey. Also the data reported here for self-compassion and self-handicapping are limited to self-reported data and did not use a qualitative measure of these variables., Ümran Akin, Ahmet Akin., and Obsahuje seznam literatury