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
The article primarily describes the original results of Czech research into interactions between ants and plants in Central Europe. The role of myrmecophily is illustrated by long-term case studies (mountain pastures, industrial deposits) at the ecosystem level. Facilitation and acceleration of spontaneous vegetation succession by the ants’ activity with their nest construction and seed dispersal can be used as a tool in assisted ecological restoration. and Pavel Kovář.
Extrakty z rostlin jsou důležitým zdrojem většího počtu klinicky používaných protinádorových léčiv. Většina působí jako konvenční cytostatika modulující mikrotubuly (vinkristin, vinblastin, taxany), nebo inhibitory topoizomeráz jako např. deriváty epipodofylotoxinu a kamptotecinu (etopozid, irinotecan). Z rostlin či mořských organizmů jsou odvozeny také látky s účinkem na cílené nitrobuněčné struktury (flavopiridol, kombrestatin aj). Řada látek obsažených v ovoci a zelenině může interferovat z různými etapami kancerogeneze. Je uveden stručný přehled těchto chemopreventivních substancí., Plant derived compounds have been an important source of many clinically useful anti-cancer agents. These include drugs acting as conventional cytostatics, such as microtubule modifiers (vincristin, vinblastin, taxanes), or topoisomerase inhibitors, such as epipodophyllotoxin and camptothecin derivatives (etoposid, irinotecan). From plant or marine organisms derived also drugs against cancer-related molecular targets (flavopiridol, combrestatin etc.), which are under clinical or preclinical development. Numerous phytochemicals derived from edible plants have been reported to interfere with a specific stage of the carcinogenic process. These chemopreventive phytochemicals are shortly reviewed., Pavel Klener, Pavel Klener jr., and Literatura
The Lake Quillwort (Isoëtes lacustris) and Spring Quillwort (I. echinospora) are submerged Lycopods and critically endangered species of Czech flora, each living in a sole lake in the Šumava Mountains (Bohemian Forest). Our 15-year scientific research has been focused on the resistance of these living fossils to the strong acidification of the lakes. Both populations were unable to reproduce for decades and are responding in a quite specific way to the current recovery of the lakes, although this does not quarantee the successful restoration of the quillwort stands. and Martina Čtvrtlíková.
A large outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome and bloody diarrhoea caused by the pathogenic E. coli strain in Germany in 2011 has increased attention to foodborne diseases – bacterial infections linked to the consumption of fresh produce. Since the early 1990s, evidence is emerging that en - teropathogenic bacteria have the ability to grow and persist on crop plants for prolonged periods of time, including until harvest, and to be the carrier of illness. and Václav Kůdela.
Mnoho skupin živočichů disponuje zrakem citlivým na tzv. ultrafialové světlo. Jednou z takových skupin jsou i různí opylovači, kteří nám dobře známé květy mohou vidět v trochu odlišných barvách, než my. Na květech rostlin totiž často existují vzory patrné pouze v ultrafialové části spektra, které jsou pro člověka neviditelné. V první části seriálu o výskytu a významu těchto vzorů u rostlin se zabývá historií odhalování citlivosti živočichů na ultrafialové světlo, přibližuje otázky, jak funguje zrak a jakým způsobem ultrafialové zbarvení na povrchu organismů vzniká., The vision of many animal groups is sensitive to the so-called ultraviolet (UV) light. These groups include various pollinators, which may see flowers that are quite familiar to us in a different coloration. That is because flowers often feature patterns visible only in the UV part of the spectrum, and thus invisible to humans. This series deals with the occurrence of such patterns and their significance for plants. The first part recounts the history of discovering the sensibility of animals to UV light, expounds on the way how vision works, explains the origin of UV coloration on organismal surfaces., and Pavel Pecháček.
Význam ultrafialových znaků v životě různých organismů byl dlouho opomíjen především z toho důvodu, že UV paprsky jsou pro lidský zrak za normálních okolností neviditelné. Jedna z možností, jak si můžeme ultrafialovou podobu živočichů či rostlin zviditelnit, je použití speciálně upraveného klasického či digitálního fotoaparátu. Druhý díl seriálu o ultrafialových vzorech na květech rostlin se zabývá vývojem techniky záznamu UV podoby různých organismů a popisem získávání fotografií, které doprovázejí tento text. Druhá část článku je věnována vybraným druhům našich nejběžnějších rostlin a charakterizaci jejich ultrafialových znaků., The significance of UV characteristics for the life of various organisms has been neglected for a long time. It stems mainly from the fact, that under normal circumstances, UV rays are invisible to the human eye. One of the ways to make the UV appearance of animals or plants visible is to use a specially adjusted classic or digital camera. This second paper deals with the UV patterns on flowers. It focuses on the development of techniques which allow us to capture the UV appearance of various organisms, and provides a methodology with which the accompanying photos were taken. The article also presents selected species of common native plants, with a description of their UV characteristics., and Pavel Pecháček.
The last part of this series about UV characters on plant flowers presents UV images of several other common plant species native to the Czech flora. Attention is also paid to the possibility of using herbarium material for research into the UV characters of plants. The article summarizes recently discovered knowledge along with the evolutionary and ecological factors behind the emergence and significance of UV characters on plant flowers, particularly their role in the communication of pollinators. and Pavel Pecháček.