The article presents different attitudes of Buddhist ethics and onthology towards plants in the course of the long history of the Doctrine from its beginings to contemporary teachers. To demonstrate the broader context and trace possible sources of Buddhist thought on this matter, pre-Buddhist Indian traditions and Jainism are also discussed. The main aim is to tackle the question whether plants have been regarded as sentient beings or not. Thus, the article mainly deals with for this purpose the most relevant Buddhist texts, scholars and time periods, namely the ancient layers of the Pali Canon, Japanese esoteric schools (Tendai, Shingon) and contemporary \buddhist preachers. The answer is much more complex than might be expected and varies across texts and scholars. Its extreme poles of 1. a sharp rejection of plants as sentient beings, and 2. plants attaining the nirvana merely by completing the vegetation process are shown., Jakub Kocurek., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Severe meconium aspiration sy ndrome (MAS) in newborns is often treated by exogenous surfac tant. Because its efficacy is reduced by meconium-induced inflammation, glucocorticoid budesonide was added into surfac tant preparation Curosurf to enhance efficacy of the surfactant therapy in experimental model of MAS. Oxygen-ventilated rabbits were intratracheally given meconium (25 mg/ml, 4 ml/kg) to induce respiratory failure. Thirty minutes later, animals were treated by intratracheal budesonide (0.25 mg/kg) ; or surfactant lung lavage (10 ml/kg, 5 mg phospholipids/ml) repeated twice, followed by undiluted Curosurf (100 mg phospholipids/kg) ; or by the above mentioned surfactant treatment with the last surfactant dose fortified with budesonide (0.25 mg/kg) ; or were untreated. Animals were ventilated for additional 5 hours and respiratory parameters were measured regularly. After sacrificing animals, wet-dry lung weight ratio was evaluated and plasma levels of interleukins (IL)-1beta, -6, -8, and TNF-alpha were measured by ELISA method. Efficacy of the given therapies to enhance lung functions and to diminish lung edema formation and in flammation increased from budesonide-only and surf actant-only therapy to surfactant+budesonide therapy. Combined therapy improved gas exchange from 30 min of administration, and showed a longer- lasting effect than surfactant-only therapy. In conclusions, budesonide additionally improv ed the effects of exogenous surfactant in experimental MAS., P. Mikolka ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The seventh annual Week of Science and Technology, organized by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, took place in five cities - Brno, České Budějovice, Olomouc, Ostrava and Prague. The program included speeches by top professionals, presentations of significant experiments, workshops, non-traditional exhibitions, science cafés, and visits to laboratories and academic workplaces. The Week of Science and Technology also featured the European itinerant exhibition focusing on optics and optical technologies, titled The Fascination of Light. The exhibition took place November 1 to 8 in Veletržní palác. and Marina Hužvárová, Luděk Svoboda.
Researchers at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) near Geneva have started to seriously discuss the need for a new large accelerator for future generations of particle physicists. The most likely scenario seems to be a collider built in the Geneva area with a circumference of 80 or 100 km in which protons would collide (as is the case of the existing Large Hadron Collider at CERN). Other options are also being considered, such as the electron-positron collider which would precede the proton machine or electron-proton collider. The main scientific motivation is to find signals of new physics (i.e. those not predicted by the Standard Model of elementary particles) and/or to measure properties of the recently discovered Higgs boson with much higher precision than that foreseen to be achieved by the end of LHC in about 20 years. A sufficiently fast development of various technologies is the key to this new powerful accelerator. For the proton machine, the main components are magnets with high magnetic field that are expected to be built based on high-temperature superconducting materials, while the lepton machine needs a new generation of accelerating cavities with a high gradient of electric field, high power transfer efficiency and high reliability., Marek Taševský., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Euro-Biolmaging, an EU project, aims to create a pan-European infrastructure for biological and biomedical imaging. It will consist of closely interlinked leading European imaging facilities offering to European researchers an open access to a wide range of innovative imaging technologies. These technologies are used, for example, in researching new diagnostics and curing serious diseases. The Euro-Biolmaging published a first call for future Euro-Biolmaging nodes in January 2014. In total, 71 imaging facilities from 19 countries submitted their Expression of Interest to become a Euro-Biolmaging node. The Czech Republic submitted two applications. and Pavel Hozák.