Ample experimental evidence suggests that sepsis could interfere
with any mitochondrial function; however, the true role of
mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of sepsis-induced
multiple organ dysfunction is still a matter of controversy. This
review is primarily focused on mitochondrial oxygen consumption
in various animal models of sepsis in relation to human disease
and potential sources of variability in experimental results
documenting decrease, increase or no change in mitochondrial
respiration in various organs and species. To date, at least three
possible explanations of sepsis-associated dysfunction of the
mitochondrial respiratory system and consequently impaired
energy production have been suggested: 1. Mitochondrial
dysfunction is secondary to tissue hypoxia. 2. Mitochondria are
challenged by various toxins or mediators of inflammation that
impair oxygen utilization (cytopathic hypoxia). 3. Compromised
mitochondrial respiration could be an active measure of survival
strategy resembling stunning or hibernation. To reveal the true
role of mitochondria in sepsis, sources of variability of
experimental results based on animal species, models of sepsis,
organs studied, or analytical approaches should be identified and
minimized by the use of appropriate experimental models
resembling human sepsis, wider use of larger animal species in
preclinical studies, more detailed mapping of interspecies
differences and organ-specific features of oxygen utilization in
addition to use of complex and standardized protocols evaluating
mitochondrial respiration.
Diabetes mellitus 2 (DM2) is the seventh cause of death worldwide. One of the reasons is late diagnosis of vascular damage. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) has become an independent marker of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk. Moreover, the previous studies have shown the importance of beat-to-beat PWV measurement due to its variability among the heart cycle. However, variability of PWV (PWVv) of the whole body hasn't been examined yet. We have studied a group of DM II and heathy volunteers, to investigate the beat-to-beat mean PWV (PWVm) and PWVv in the different body positions. PWV of left lower and upper extremities were measured in DM2 (7 m/8 f, age 68±10 years, BP 158/90±19/9 mm Hg) and healthy controls (5 m/6 f, age 23±2 years, BP 117/76±9/5 mm Hg). Volunteers were lying in the resting position and of head-up-tilt in 45° (HUT) for 6 min. PWVv was evaluated as a mean power spectrum in the frequency bands LF and HF (0.04-0.15 Hz, 0.15-0.5 Hz). Resting PWVm of upper extremity was higher in DM2. HUT increased lower extremity PWVm only in DM2. Extremities PWVm ratio was significantly lower in DM2 during HUT compared to controls. LF and HF PWVv had the same response to HUT. Resting PWVv was higher in DM2. Lower extremity PWVv increased during HUT in both groups. PWVm and PWVv in DM2 differed between extremities and were significantly influenced by postural changes due to hydrostatic pressure. Increased resting PWVm and PWVv in DM2 is a marker of increased arterial stiffness.
The distribution, variability and host specificity of species of Babesia Starcovici, 1893 were studied in questing ticks collected on the northwestern edge of the Pannonian Basin in the south-easternmost part of the Czech Republic and in western Slovakia. The area is characterised by relatively natural floodplain habitats and the sympatric occurrence of three tick species possessing wide host spectra, namely Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus), Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius) and Haemaphysalis concinna Koch. Analysis was carried out on 1,408 I. ricinus, 2,999 D. reticulatus and 150 H. concinna altogether, collected from 59 localities. We documented the presence of Babesia spp. not only in I. ricinus but also in H. concinna in the Czech Republic. Two isolates from I. ricinus were classified as B. venatorum Herwaldt, Cacciò, Gherlinzoni, Aspöck, Slemenda, Piccaluga, Martinelli, Edelhofer, Hollenstein, Poletti, Pampiglione, Löschenberger, Tura et Pieniazek, 2003 (formerly determined as Babesia sp. EU1), which is a zoonotic parasite and can cause human babesiosis. The rest of our amplicons were very similar to B. canis (Piana et Galli-Valerio, 1895), which is usually transmitted by D. reticulatus. Despite the huge amount of examined samples, all D. reticulatus ticks were Babesia-free. Due to this finding, we did not consider our obtained isolates to be B. canis, but other closely related species possessing a similar sequence of the studied portion of 18S rDNA. Although this genetic marker is most frequently used in PCR-based diagnostic methods of babesias, its low variability compromises its reliability in studies based only on this marker., Markéta Rybářová, Michaela Honsová, Ivo Papoušek, Pavel Široký., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Species composition, structure and ecological characteristics of the vegetation of two pond types with different management, fishponds and storage ponds, in the Českobudějovická pánev basin (South Bohemia), were compared. A selection of 99 relevés from fishponds and 99 from storage ponds (small ponds used for the storage of marketable fish) made in 2000–2004 were analysed using direct and indirect ordination and ANOVA. The difference between storage ponds and fishponds was found to be more important than gradients correlated with temporal changes, soil moisture and mud depth. Storage ponds had a significantly higher mean number of species, bryophytes, archaeophytes and neophytes and beta-diversity. There were no significant differences in cover values, except of moss layer, which had significantly higher cover in storage ponds. Fishponds had significantly higher mean Ellenberg indicator values for light, continentality, moisture and nutrients. Oenanthe aquatica and Rumex maritimus are typical fishpond species and Amblystegium humile and Eleocharis palustris agg. typical storage pond species. The management of storage ponds is more varied and of different intensity than that of fishponds. It is assumed that management is a crucial factor determining the species richness and influencing the vegetation of these two habitats.
In the process of population screening for apo E gene polymorphism with the PCR and subsequent restriction analysis, we identified a female who demonstrated heterozygosity for an unusual restriction fragment caused by the loss of a CfoI restriction site. Sequence analysis of the apo E gene was performed and a carrier of the mutant allele with C - T substitution at cDNA position 3817 was identified, which caused an Arg136 - Cys change. The first-line relatives have been screened for this rare mutation with PCR and restriction analysis of PCR products. The complete lipoprotein parameters have been determined in the probands family. In the family, only one child had the same mutant allele as his mother had. The proband (7.49 mmol/l) with her siblings had hypercholesterolemia and a high body mass index (BMI 31.6 kg/m2). By contrast, her son had a normal lipid spectrum with normal BMI. We described the mutation apo E2* (Arg136 - Cys) in a family with elevated lipid levels, but there was no confirmation of the connection between this mutation and type III hyperlipoproteinemia or hyperlipoproteinemia at all. In the case of this mutation, other factors (mainly genetic) are important for the development of lipid metabolism disorders., J. A. Hubáček, J. Piťha, P. Stávek, G. Schmitz, R. Poledne., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In this paper, we are going to characterize the space ${\rm BMO}({\mathbb R}^n)$ through variable Lebesgue spaces and Morrey spaces. There have been many attempts to characterize the space ${\rm BMO}({\mathbb R}^n)$ by using various function spaces. For example, Ho obtained a characterization of ${\rm BMO}({\mathbb R}^n)$ with respect to rearrangement invariant spaces. However, variable Lebesgue spaces and Morrey spaces do not appear in the characterization. One of the reasons is that these spaces are not rearrangement invariant. We also obtain an analogue of the well-known John-Nirenberg inequality which can be seen as an extension to the variable Lebesgue spaces.
Říká se, že jedním ze znaků správné fyzikální teorie je její krása. Máme-li na mysli estetičnost matematickou, patří variační počet k matematickým metodám, které naplňují tento požadavek vrchovatě. Je také pravda, že správné (zkušeností a experimentem prověřené) fyzikální teorie bývají variační, tj. odvoditelné z variačního principu: Klasická mechanika, relativistická mechanika, kvantová mechanika, klasická elektrodynamika... Na zcela elementární úrovni předkládáme základní myšlenku a klasické postupy variačního počtu, s ukázkami použití v geometrii a fyzice. Zaměříme se pouze na variační princip prvního řádu, s důrazem na mechaniku, kde na rozdíl od teorie pole závisí řešené úlohy pouze na jedné nezávisle proměnné, ve fyzice obvykle na čase., It is said that one of the characteristic features of physical theories is their beauty. Having in mind the "mathematical aesthetic appearance" one can say that the calculus of variations highly fulfils this requirement! It is also well known that correct physical theories (those verified experimentally), are often variational, i.e. based on a variational principle: classical mechanics, relativistic mechanics, quantum mechanics, classical electrodynamics, etc. We present, at a very basic level, the fundamental ideas and classical approaches of the calculus of variations, including examples of their use in geometry and physics. We focus on the first order variational principle, emphasizing mechanics, because contrary to field theories, the variational problems in mechanics depend on one independent variable only (usually time in physics)., Jana Musilová, Pavla Musilová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In this paper, the variance-constrained H∞ finite-horizon filtering problem is investigated for a class of time-varying nonlinear system under muti-rate communication network and stochastic protocol (SP). The stochastic protocol is employed to determine which sensor obtains access to the muti-rate communication network in order to relieve communication burden. A novel mapping technology is applied to characterize the randomly switching behavior of the data transmission resulting from the utilization of the SP in muti-rate communication network. By using relaxation method, sufficient conditions are derived for the existence of the finite-horizon filter satisfying both the prescribed H∞ performance and the covariance requirement of filtering errors, and the solutions of filters satisfying the above indexes are obtained by using linear matrix inequalities. Finally, the validity and effectiveness of the proposed filter scheme are verified by numerical simulation.