Companion animals can be infested by various species of parasitic insects. Cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (C. felis felis) (Bouché, 1835) and dog flea Ctenocephalides canis (Curtis, 1826) belong to multihost external parasites of mammals, which most frequently occur on domestic cats Felis catus Linnaeus and dogs Canis familiaris Linnaeus. The main aim of this study was to investigate the presence of pathogens, such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum (syn. Ehrlichia phagocytophila) and Rickettsia spp., in adult C. felis and C. canis fleas. Flea sampling has been realised from January 2013 to April 2017 in veterinary clinics, animal shelters and pet grooming salons. Fleas were collected from domestic cats and dogs, directly from the pet skin or hair. Then, the DNA was isolated from a single flea by using the alkaline hydrolysis and samples were screened for the presence of pathogens using PCR method. Anaplasma phagocytophilum has occurred in 29% of examined C. felis and 16% of C. canis individuals. In turn, the prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in cat fleas population was only 3%, and the dog fleas 7%. The present study showed the presence of pathogenic agents in cat and dog fleas, which indicates the potential role of these insects in circulation of A. phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. in the natural habitat. Furthermore, exposition to these flea species, whose hosts are domestic cats and dogs, can pose a potential risk of infection for humans.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is most frequently caused by LDLR or APOB mutations. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the genetic background of Slovak patients suspected of FH. Patients with clinical suspicion of FH (235 unrelated probands and 124 family relatives) were recruited throughout Slovakia during the years 2011-2015. The order of DNA analyses in probands was as follows: 1. APOB mutation p.Arg3527Gln by real-time PCR method, 2. direct sequencing of the LDLR gene 3. MLPA analysis of the LDLR gene. We have identified 14 probands and 2 relatives with an APOB mutation p.Arg3527Gln, and 89 probands and 75 relatives with 54 different LDLR mutations. Nine of LDLR mutations were novel (i.e. p .Asp90Glu, c.314-2A>G, p.Asp136Tyr, p.Ser177Pro, p.Lys225_Glu228delinsCysLys, p.Gly478Glu, p.Gly675Trpfs*42, p.Leu680Pro, p.Thr832Argfs*3). This is the first study on molecular genetics of FH in Slovakia encompassing the analysis of whole LDLR gene. Geneti c etiology of FH was confirmed in 103 probands (43.8 %). Out of them, 86.4 % of probands carried the LDLR gene mutation and remaining 13.6 % probands carried the p.Arg3527Gln APOB mutation., D. Gabčová, B. Vohnout, D. Staníková, M. Hučkova, M. Kadurová, M. Debreová, M. Kozárová, Ľ. Fábryová, Slovak FH Study Group, J. Staník, I. Klimeš, K. Rašlová, D. Gašperiková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Skeletal muscle atrophy is associated with a loss of muscle protein which may result from both increased proteolysis and decreased protein synthesis. Investigations on cell signaling pathways that regulate muscle atrophy have promoted our understanding of this complicated process. Emerging evidence implicates that calpains play key roles in dysregulation of proteolysis seen in muscle atrophy. Moreover, studies have also shown that abnormally activated calpain
results muscle atrophy via its downstream effects on ubiquitin proteasome pathway (UPP) and Akt phosphorylation. This review will discuss the role of calpains in regulation of skeletal muscle atrophy mainly focusing on its collaboration with either UPP or Akt in atrophy
conditions in hope to stimulate the interest in development of novel therapeutic interventions for skeletal muscle atrophy.
Large and small rDNA sequences of 41 species of the family Opecoelidae are utilised to produce phylogenetic inference trees, using brachycladioids and lepocreadioids as outgroups. Sequences were newly generated for 13 species. The resulting Bayesian trees show a monophyletic Opecoelidae. The earliest divergent group is the Stenakrinae, based on two species which are not of the type-genus. The next well-supported clade to diverge is constituted of three species of Helicometra Odhner, 1902. Based on this tree and the characters of the egg and uterus, a new subfamily, the Helicometrinae, is erected and defined to include the genera Helicometra, Helicometrina Linton, 1910 and Neohelicometra Siddiqi et Cable, 1960. The subfamily Opecoelinae is found to be monophyletic, but the Plagioporinae is paraphyletic. The single representative of the Opecoelininae (not of the type genus) is nested within a group of deep-sea 'plagioporines'. The two representatives of the Opistholebetidae are embedded within a group of shallow-water 'plagioporine' species. The Opistholebetidae is reduced to subfamily status pro tem as its morphological and biological characteristics are distinctive. This implies that as opecoelid systematics develops with more molecular evidence, several further subfamilies will be recognised. Many of the morphological characters were found to be homoplasious, but the characters defining the Helicometrinae and Opecoelinae, such as filamented eggs, reduced cirrus-sac and uterine seminal receptacle, are closely correlated with the inferred phylogeny., Rodney A. Bray, Thomas H. Cribb, D. Timothy J. Littlewood, Andrea Waeschenbach., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We prove two versions of the Monotone Convergence Theorem for the vector integral of Kurzweil, $\int _R{\mathrm d}\alpha (t) f(t)$, where $R$ is a compact interval of $\mathbb{R}^n$, $\alpha $ and $f$ are functions with values on $L(Z,W)$ and $Z$ respectively, and $Z$ and $W$ are monotone ordered normed spaces. Analogous results can be obtained for the Kurzweil vector integral, $\int _R\alpha (t)\mathrm{d}f(t)$, as well as to unbounded intervals $R$.
In this article, the results of the morphological study of the cerebral arteries in the patients with the hemorrhagic ischemic stroke on the background of metabolic syndrome were submitted. We established that under hemorrhagic stroke on the background of metabolic syndrome one could observe the atherosclerotic damages in the form of plaques, hyalinosis of vessels walls, destructive and necrotic changes of the middle coat of vessel wall, which are, in our opinion, the main reason in morphogenesis of hemorrhagic stroke. The atherosclerotic affection of the cerebral vessels with the lipidosis and fibrotic plaques in the vessel wall, which caused in disorganization of the vessel wall in the form intimae proliferation, structural reconstruction of the internal elastic membrane which resulted in narrowing of the vessel lumen and development of ischemia is the morphological basis for the ischemic stroke with the metabolic syndrome. Also diabetic microangiopathy with the development of the hyalinosis, vessels walls sclerosis, which provoked the microcirculatory and metabolism processes injury in the cerebral substance that complicate the disease course is the important factor of cerebral blood circulation damage., Natalia Chuiko, and Literatura
The larval morphology of the western Palaearctic zygaenid species Aglaope infausta (Linnaeus, 1767) is described and figured in detail. Unlike other members of the zygaenid subfamily Chalcosiinae, the last instar larva of A. infausta has numerous secondary setae and a multitude of cuticular cavities that are devoid of openings. The other chalcosiine genera have primary setae and cuticular cavities with specialized openings through which a defensive secretion can be discharged. Imaginal characters, on the other hand, provide strong evidence for placing Aglaope in the Chalcosiinae.
This article examines the symbolism of the orange tree (ju, juyou, and also gan in later developments) in Chinese poetry from ancient times through the Tang dynasty. It will trace back its beginnings to Chuci and the Qu Yuan lore. The motif is examined as it appears in late Hun gushi, during its transformations in Six Dynasties "imitations of ancient verses" (nigu), as well as in the court "poems on things" (yongwu). Tang use and the further transformations of the motif are also touched upon, showing its development in the hands of such poets as Zhang Jiuling, Du Mu, and Du Fu. As a result, the flexibility of the symbolic meaning of the orange tree motif, its adaptation for new purposes, and the eventual transformation of the conventionalized motif into a poetic image endowed with unique personal symbolism of the poet are demonstrated.
The multicolored Asian ladybeetle, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), was first reported in southern Canada in 1994. In this study, we examined the status of the ladybeetle in Quebec agroecosystems seven to ten years after its arrival. We integrated the findings from eight independent field studies carried out in pome fruit, grapes, medicinal crops, field corn, sweet corn, sweet pepper, lettuce, and soybean. Nine aphidophagous and 6 coccidophagous coccinellid species were sampled on these crops. Among these aphidophagous species, three invasive (H. axyridis, Coccinella septempunctata and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata) as well as one indigenous species (Coleomegilla maculata lengi) were consistently present. Higher richness was observed in perennial crops, where the 6 coccidophagous coccinellids were almost exclusively present. Higher abundance of aphidophagous coccinellids was observed in field and sweet corn. The multicolored Asian ladybeetle was a dominant species of the coccinellid assemblage in all crops monitored.
The multiple star 14 Aurigae (= ADS 3824) contains five visual members, of which A and C (both of them single-lined spectroscopic binaries) form a physical system. Extreme ultraviolet observations reveal a hot white dwarf superposed on 14 Au r C. Ultraviolet spectroscopy reveals that it is a distant companion to the optical spectroscopic binary, but that is a physical member of the system. Capitalizing on the fact that the visible component of 14 Aur A, KW Aur, in somewhat evolved, and is both an ellipsoidal variable and δ Scuti pulsator, we are able to model this quintuple system, obtaining both an evolutionary age for the system and a cooling age for the white dwarf, also masses for all five components, orbital inclinations for the two spectroscopic binaries, and an improved distance estimate to the system. Our results provide empirical values of the pulsation constants of KW Aur, and an estimate of the initial as well as final mass of the white dwar.