This article describes the evolution of our understanding of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in the Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe (CESE) region, and the dissemination of this understanding to other count ries. Using the ScreenPro FH project as an example, we would like to illustrate the progression from national objectives, to regional networking and, finally, to international collaboration via the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC) project under the leadership of the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS). It is essential to improve our ability to diagnose FH. In this regard, the EAS and its FHSC project must be commended for their educational and organizational activities which, ab ove all, are dedicated to the creation of a global FH patient registry. In the CESE region, FH diagnostics and treatment situation are markedly different than in Western Europe or North America. Since the Czech MedPed project (Make Early Diagnoses to Preve nt Early Deaths in Medical Pedigrees) has been so successful (with results not only comparable to, but, for some parameters, even surpassing the results of many Western countries) we decided to apply the Czech experience to the CESE region. Thus, the ScreenPro FH project was created. The aim of ScreenPro FH is to create a specialist network in the CESE region. The primary objective of the ScreenPro FH project was to dramatically reduce the number of premature deaths due to clinical complications of atherosc lerosis in FH patients. At present, ScreenPro FH comprises 18 member countries with a total population of 500,000,000; which, in terms of the FH population, represents 1-2 million patients., R. Ceska, T. Freiberger, M. Vaclova, T. Aleksicova, L. Votavova, M. Vrablik., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Fenomén sdílené pozornosti je podle interpretace Tomasellovy evolučně-antropologické školy jedním z hlavních klíčů k pochopení rozdílu mezi člověkem a ostatními živočichy. Tato koncepce nachází silnou odezvu v některých současných filosofických pokusech o reflexi diference mezi člověkem a zvířetem. Článek upozorňuje na radikálně odlišnou empirickou teorii, vycházející z nejnovějších poznatků na poli komparativní psychologie a etologie primátů, podle které lze všechny aspekty fenoménu sdílené pozornosti najít i u našich nejbližších zvířecích příbuzných. Z provedené úvahy vyplývá, že chce-li filosofie smysluplně přispět k aktuální interdisciplinární debatě o povaze vztahu mezi člověkem a zvířetem, měla by tak činit informovaně a s (minimálně) základním přehledem o nejnovějším stavu empirického výzkumu., The phenomenon of joint attention is, on the interpretation of Tomasello’s evolutionary-anthropological school, one of the main keys to the understanding of the distinction between man and other animals. This conception has had a strong influence on some contemporary philosophical attempts to capture the difference between man and animal. The article draws attention to radically different empirical theory that is arising from the latest discoveries in the field of comparative psychology and the ethology of primates which show that all the aspects of joint attention can be found in our closest animal relations. From the considerations presented it follows that if philosophy wishes to meaningfully contribute to actual interdisciplinary debate about the nature of the relation between man and animal, it should conduct itself in an informed way and with, at least, a basic grounding in the latest state of empirical research., Petr Urban., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Given the potential clinical benefit of inhibiting Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) activity dur ing myocardial ischemia reperfusion (I/R), pharmacological approaches have been pursued to both inhibit and clarify the importance of this exchanger. SEA0400 was reported to have a potent NCX selectivity. Thus, we examined the effect of SEA0400 on NCX currents and I/R induced intracellular Ca2+ overload in mouse ventricular myocytes using patch clamp techniques and fluorescence measurements. Ischemia significantly inhibited inward and outward NCX current (from -0.04±0.01nA to 0 nA at -100 mV; from 0.23±0.08 nA to 0.11±0.03 nA at +50 mV, n=7). Subsequent reperfusion not only restored the current rapidly but enhanced the current amplitude obviously, especially the outward currents (from 0.23±0.08 nA to 0.49±0.12 nA at +50 mV, n=7). [Ca2+]i, expressed as the ratio of Fura-2 fluorescence intensity, increased to 138±7 % (P<0.01) during ischemia and to 210±11 % (P<0.01) after reperfusion. The change of NCX current and the increase of [Ca 2+]i during I/R can be blocked by SEA0400 in a dose-dependent manner with an EC50 value of 31 nM and 28 nM for the inward and outward NCX current, respectively. The results suggested that SEA0400 is a potent NCX inhibitor, which can protect mouse cardiac myocytes from Ca2+ overload during I/R injuries., J. Wang, Z. Zhang, Y. Hu, X. Hou, Q. Cui, Y. Zang, C. Wang., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Net photosynthetic (P^) and transpiration (£) rates and stomatal conductance (gj) were determined in cotton genotypes under drought during the growth cycle. A decrease in P^, E and gs was observed as soil water availability diminished. appeared dosely related to stomatal apertuře at low g^ levels. However, intercellular CO2 concentration was not so much affected by stomatal closure. An important inter- and intra-genotypic variation in g^ was found at the initial sampling dates. Inter-genotypic variation for increased with time, probably as a result of a higher capacity for water uptake in some genotypes.
Responses of stem net photosynthetic rate (P^) to irradiance (/), temperature, vapor pressure, CO2 concentration, nitrogen content, and water potential were studied during early spring (March) and mid summer (latě July) in field populations of two stem photosynthesizing species introduced into Coastal California sites. Stem in Spartium junceum was inhibited in the summer compared with the spring due to low water potential and low tissue nitrogen content. Quantum yield decreased from March to July, along with a decrease in the demand fimction of the C, response curves. Stem conductance was lower at all vapor pressure deficits during the summer, but Cj at a Cg of 350 pmol moE* increased for S. junceum from spring to summer. The thermal optimum for stem did not change between the two seasons, but that of S. junceum was 5 °C higher than that for Cytisus scoparius. The demand function for the Cj curves of C. scoparius also decreased from spring to summer, but the Cj at a Cg of 350 pmol moT* remained unchanged between the seasons. Thus, the water use efficiency of S. junceum decreased in the summer compared with that of the spring while that of C. scoparius remained unchanged between seasons. There was little evidence for compensatory acclimation of stem F^ to changes in climatic conditions in these species.
The seasonal activities of the European pigeon tick, Argas reflexus, in Berlin were investigated (a) by trapping locomotory active ticks and (b) by determining the occurrence of tick-invasions into human habitations. Tick trapping was carried out in two tick-infested attics in 1988. Pigeons were available for ticks in one of the attics only, while a previously existing bird colony was expelled from the other. Ticks were trapped by means of smooth V- shaped metal gutters cemented to the attic walls. Trapped nymphal and adult ticks were marked and released into cracks of the attic wall inside the rectangular traps in two-weck-intervals. During the one-year-study a total of 2081 ticks was trapped, 83% of which were larvae, 10% nymphs, 4% females and 3% males. Only 4.4% of the 366 ticks marked were recaptured. There is strong evidence that locomotor activities of A. reflexus were restricted to host-seeking and returning to a resting-site after a blood meal. Activities of all postembryonic stages peaked from March through early June, irrespective of whether or not hosts were available to the ticks. The immature stages displayed another peak of activity in late summer/autumn. A total of 51 cases of A. reflexus-infested buildings was reported from the public to public-health offices in Berlin from April 1989 to March 1993, 45 of which represented tick invasions into human habitations. About 60% of them occurred in spring, thus largely confirming the results of seasonal trapping.
Ecosystem photosynthetic characteristics are of utmost importance for the estimation of regional carbon budget, but such characteristics are not well understood in alpine regions. We collected CO2 flux data measured by eddy covariance technique over an alpine dwarf shrubland on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau during years 2003-2010; and we quantified the temporal patterns of ecosystem apparent quantum yield (a), saturated photosynthetic rate (Pmax), and ecosystem dark respiration (RDe). Results showed that the strong seasonality of a and RDe was driven mainly by air temperature (Ta), whereas that of Pmax was much more determined by leaf area index rather than abiotic factors. Diurnal thermal fluctuation inhibited significantly the daytime photosynthetic capacity. Stepwise regression revealed that the seasonal deviations of a, Pmax, and RDe were significantly controlled by Ta. The annual a was regulated mainly by annual growing season Ta, which indicated that the response of ecosystem a was instant. The annual variations of Pmax correlated positively with soil temperature 5 cm below ground (Ts) of the annual nongrowing season and those of RDe related negatively with the annual nongrowing season precipitation. We suggested that a lagged response regulated the annual Pmax and the annual RDe. Annual deviations of a and RDe were both significantly controlled by annual Ts, and those of Pmax were marginally determined by annual PPFD. Thus, the future warming scenario, especially significant for nongrowing seasonal warming in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, would favor ecosystem photosynthetic capacity in the alpine dwarf shrubland., H. Q. Li, F. W. Zhang, Y. N. LI, G. M. Cao, L. Zhao, X. Q. Zhao., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The seasonal changes of the nematode Camallanus anabantis Pearse, 1933, in the climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) from the freshwater swamps near Kalyani town, West Bengal, India were studied during the period from February 1988 to August 1989. The nematode exhibited a one-year cycle. Larvated females occurred in the fishes from October to February at a water temperature of 12“-29 °C. New infection of fishes occurred from February to May and occasionally in September. The fourth-stage larvae, the males, and the young females (without eggs), although irregularly, were found present throughout the year. Egg-laden females occurred in the fishes in August, October to February, and March.