Changes in Hill reaction activity (HRA) and ultrastructure of mesophyll cell (MC) chloroplasts were studied during the ontogeny of third leaf of maize plants using polarographic oxygen evolution measurement, transmission electron microscopy, and stereology. The chloroplast ultrastructure was compared in young (actively growing), mature, and senescing leaves of two different inbreds and their reciprocal F1 hybrids. Statistically significant differences in both HRA and MC chloroplast ultrastructure were observed between different stages of leaf ontogeny. Growth of plastoglobuli was the most striking characteristic of chloroplast maturation and senescence. The chloroplasts in mature and senescing leaves had a more developed system of thylakoids compared to the young leaves. Higher HRA was usually connected with higher thylakoid volume density of MC chloroplasts. and J. Kutík ... [et al.].
The paper traces the establishment and development of dīwān al-awqāf in Egypt in the 19th century. It analyzes two manuscript documents stored in the Egyptian state archive in Cairo. The first one is a regulation of 1837, entitled Lā’ihat tartīb camalīyat al-awqāf bi-l-thughūr wa al-banādir. The second one is Lā’ihat dīwān al-awqāf, which dates back to 1851. The aim of this paper is to present a full edition of both documents and review their content in the context of dīwān’s institutional development. It is demonstrated that the regulation of 1837 is, contrary to earlier assessments, predicative of the dīwān only to a limited extent. Its significance is reassessed within the broad framework of Muhammad cAlī’s waqf policy, which is dealt with at the beginning of the paper. Then the document of 1851 is introduced. It represents, most probably, the very first preserved constitutive document of dīwān alawqāf in 19th century Egypt. The content of the document makes it possible to define the structure of the dīwān and its executive powers. The paper concludes with a survey of the development of dīwān al-awqāf up to 1895, when it evolved into a sophisticated bureau of administration.
Echinactinomyxon-type actinospores were found in a mixed-species oligochaete culture originating from the Temperate Water Fish Hatchery near Budapest, Hungary. On the basis of DNA sequence analysis, the actinospores were identified as Myxobolus pavlovskii (Akhmerov, 1954), the 18S rDNA sequence from myxospores of which is available in GenBank. Silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes) fry specimens were successfully infected by cohabitation with the echinactinomyxon-releasing oligochaetes, which confirmed the molecular data congruence. The echinactinomyxons and the myxospores that developed in the gills of exposed fish fry were analysed morphologically and on DNA basis. The infected gill tissue was examined histologically. As typical characters of M. pavlovskii, numerous small plasmodia were observed in the epithelia of gill lamellae. Plasmodia contained thousands of myxospores with polar capsules unequal in size and with large intercapsular processes. The 18S rDNA sequence from actinospores and those from myxospores originating from the experimentally infected fish were identical. The oligochaete species releasing actinospores was morphologically determined as Limnodrilus sp. This is the first record of an echinactinomyxon as an alternate stage within the genus Myxobolus.
The site of Eythra, a former village located on the western bank of the White Elster River, has yielded numerous remains of a settlement that existed there during the early Neolithic cultures – the Linear Pottery culture (LBK) and the Stroke Ornamented Pottery culture (SBK). The site covers some 30 hectares, making it the largest excavated settlement of the LBK and SBK areas to date. Chemical analyses of the ceramic fragments from the consecutive stylistic phases that were represented in Eythra were carried out. The objective of this was to find out whether the stylistic changes in the shape and the decoration of the ceramic material correspond to technological changes in regard to such aspects as clay composition and tempering. The transitions between the earliest and the early LBK phases and between LBK and SBK were of particular interest in this respect, as also were the localised developments that took place within the two phases of the LBK and SBK. and Z lokality Eythra, bývalé osady na západním břehu řeky Bílý Halštrov, pochází mnoho pozůstatků osídlení, které zde existovalo v průběhu prvních neolitických kultur – kultur s lineární keramikou (LBK) a vypíchanou keramikou (SBK). Lokalita se rozkládá na ca 30 ha, což z ní činí dosud největší zkoumané sídliště v oblasti LBK a SBK. Byly provedeny chemické analýzy keramických střepů z jednotlivých stylistických fází, které byly v Eythra zastoupeny. Účelem těchto analýz bylo zjistit, jestli stylistické změny ve tvaru keramiky a její výzdobě odpovídají technologickým změnám, např. co do složení keramické hlíny a ostřiva. V tomto ohledu byla zvláštní pozornost věnována přechodu mezi nejstarší a časnou fází LBK a přechodu mezi LBK a SBK, stejně jako lokálním inovacím, které se uskutečnily ve zmíněných fázích LBK a následující SBK.
The development of the nematode Procamalianus (Spirocamallanus) neocaballeroi (Caballero-Deloya, 1977), an intestinal parasite of the characid fish, Astyanax fasciatus (Cuvier) in Mexico, was studied in the experimental copepod intermediate host, Mesocyclops sp. After the copepod’s ingestion of free first-stage larvae of the nematode, these penetrate into the haemocoel of the intermediate host; they moult twice (on the 3rd and 4-5th day p.i. at 21-22”C) before they attain the third, infective stage. The third-stage larva already possesses the large buccal capsule subdivided into an anterior broad portion with eight spiral thickenings (as observed in lateral view) and a narrow posterior portion, and its tail tip bears three conical processes. The definitive host acquires infection by feeding on infected copepods; in the intestine of this fish, the nematode larvae undergo two more moults (on the 10th and 14-15th day p.i. at 25-32°C) before attaining their maturity. The prepatent period is approximately two months.
a1_Diabetes mellitus is not just a simple metabolic disorder, however, it is considered to be a cardiovascular disease of a metabolic origin. This is apparent especially when speaking about type 2 diabetes (DM II). The objective of our study was to determine whether a comprehensive spa treatment (procedures and drinking cure) may affect the level of the sympathetic tone of patients suffering from DM II. As an indicator of the sympathetic tone, selected electrocardiographic parameters derived from the heart rate variability and microwave alternans were chosen. There were 96 patients enrolled in our study: 38 patients with poorly controlled DM II and two control groups: 9 patients with compensated DM II and 49 patients, average age without diabetes or other disorders of the glucose metabolism. All received an identical spa treatment and continued their medical therapy. The electrophysiological examination of patients was performed before and after a three-week spa treatment using the KARDiVAR system. Parameters derived from the analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), microvolt T-wave alternans, and microvolt R-wave alternans were analyzed in order to evaluate the tones of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The control group showed a slight increase of parameter the index of activity of regulatory systems (IRSA) (4.4±1.3 vs. 3.8±1.4; p=0.006) after the spa treatment, while increased heart rate (80.9±11.0 vs. 74.6±9.6; p=0.028), reduced index of centralization (IC) (1.3±0.6 vs. 2.9±1.4; p=0.027) and reduced index of myocardium (IM) (9.9±7.4 vs. 18.0±6.3; p=0.041) were found in patients with a compensated DM II. Patients with a poorly compensated DM II showed a decreased IM (10.9±8.6 vs. 16.9±5.2; p=0.001) and also a reduced IRSA (4.1±3.5 vs. 6.3±1.9; p=0.001)., a2_The results proved favorable changes in ANS cardiovascular control of patients with DM II after a spa treatment, especially in terms of reducing the sympathoadrenal system activity (decreased IRSA), improving electrical stability of the myocardium and increasing centrally controlled heart rate variability without overloading the cardiovascular system (drop of IM)., E. Fialová, O. Kittnar., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Adult body size is the result of important environmental, maternal and/or genetic effects acting on animals during development. Here we investigate how sexual size dimorphism (SSD) develops in seven species of Odonata: Anax imperator, Cordulegaster boltonii, Onychogomphus uncatus, Oxygastra curtisii (Anisoptera), Cercion lindeni, Ischnura graellsii and Platycnemis acutipennis (Zygoptera). SSD of both the last larval and adult stages of the same individuals, which were reared under laboratory conditions, was measured. The aims were to investigate (i) whether SSD develops during the larval stage, (ii) the direction of larval and adult SSD, and (iii) whether the direction of adult SSD can be predicted by the mating system of a given species (e.g. males of territorial species being larger than females and the opposite for non-territorial species). We found that although larval differences in size may be present between the sexes, these are not necessarily shown in the adult stage (they may change or disappear). Also, the mating system was not related to patterns of adult SSD. Differences in SSD in larvae may be caused by differential use of resources via differential niche-utilisation or sex-specific growth patterns. We highlight the fact that sexual selection favouring large male size and fecundity selection, which selects for large females may be acting on the observed patterns in SSD in adults.
The tegument ultrastructure of the cestode Triaenophorus nodulosus has been studied in the stages of oncosphere, procercoid, plerocercoid and adult. The syncytium of primary tegument has glandular origin and is located in the peripheral areas of the oncosphere. The primary tegument degenerates at the initial stages of the procercoid development and is replaced with secondary tegument persisting throughout all following stages of the worm’s development. Two ways of microthrix formation on the body surface of procercoid were discovered. The formation of the cyst consisting of fibrillar material around the plerocercoid was observed. It fills spaces between numerous finger-like évaginations of plerocercoid’s tegument. The structural differentiation of tegument and microtriches was demonstrated on the scolex and all parts of strabila of T. nodulosus.
The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) amount in cells as the basis for mitochondrial energy generating system, which produces ATP, plays an important role in the fetal development and postnatal morbidity. Isolated human cord blood leukocytes (HCBL) contribute very little to the overall metabolic turnover, but they may serve as easily available marker cells for the study of the mtDNA amount changes in cord blood during fetal development. The aim of our study was to analyze the mtDNA amount in HCBL. HCBL were isolated from cord blood samples of 107 neonates born between the 25th and 41st week of gestation. The mtDNA amount was analyzed by the real-time PCR method. The significant negative correlations were found between the relative mtDNA amount in HCBL and gestational age (r = -0.54, p<0.01) and birth weight (r = -0.43, p<0.01), respectively. The results revealed that the mtDNA content per cell decreases in HCBL with progressing fetal development. This may be explained by gradual shift of the hematopoiesis from fetal liver to bone marrow during the second half of pregnancy presumably accompanied by decreasing cell volume of HCBL as it was shown similarly in red blood cells., M. Pejznochová, M. Tesařová, T. Honzík, H. Hansíková, M. Magner, J. Zeman., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
There are several evolutionary grades of wing reduction in female bagworm moths of the family Psychidae. In this family, female adults of Taleporia trichopterella, Bacotia sakabei and Proutia sp. have vestigial wings, although as pupae they have small wings. Consequently, these species (usually called wingless-legged bagworm moths), are intermediate between the two extremes of females with normal wings and those with no wings. Using light and electron microscopy, the processes of wing development during the last-larval instar and wing degeneration during the pupal stage was investigated in these species. Female wing imaginal discs proliferated during the last-larval instar, but diminished due to apoptosis in the prepupal stage of the last instar. In the pupal stage, degenerate cells were observed between the epithelia of the degenerating wing discs of the female. The presence of these cells is associated with apoptotic cell death. These observations suggest that female-specific wing degeneration caused by apoptosis occurs in two steps in these bagworm moths, i.e. in the larval and pupal stages. Such a process of wing reduction has not been previously reported in holometabolous insects, and is reported here for the first time in bagworm moths.