In this work we report on the implementation of methods for data processing signals from microelectrode arrays (MEA) and the application of these methods for signals originated from two types of MEAs to detect putative neurons and sort them into subpopulations. We recorded electrical signals from firing neurons using titanium nitride (TiN) and boron doped diamond (BDD) MEAs. In previous research, we have shown that these methods have the capacity to detect neurons using commerciallyavailable TiN-MEAs. We have managed to cultivate and record hippocampal neurons for the first time using a newly developed custom-made multichannel BDD-MEA with 20 recording sites. We have analysed the signals with the algorithms developed and employed them to inspect firing bursts and enable spike sorting. We did not observe any significant difference between BDD- and TiN-MEAs over the parameters, which estimated spike shape variability per each detected neuron. This result supports the hypothesis that we have detected real neurons, rather than noise, in the BDD-MEA signal. BDD materials with suitable mechanical, electrical and biocompatibility properties have a large potential in novel therapies for treatments of neural pathologies, such as deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease.
There has been increasing evidence in recent years for the hypothesis of bones as endocrine organs. Osteocalcin, long considered just a marker of new bone formation, is now seen as the first hormone produced by bones, and seems to be associated with regulating glucose metabolism and reproduction. The aim of this work was to monitor changes of osteocalcin in reaction to hypoglycemia, and determine if there are differences in such reactions between the sexes. The study included 61 healthy probands with physiological calciophosphate metabolism (30 men and 31 women). We applied to each of them an insulin tolerance test, and then monitored levels of undercarboxylated osteocalcin and reactions to hypoglycemia at regular time intervals. We found differences in the reaction to hypoglycemia between the sexes. In men there was a significant decline in undercarboxylated osteocalcin between the 30 and 40 min (p<0.0015), which reflects a reaction to a glycemic decline between 25-30 min, followed by reversal. Low undercarboxylated osteocalcin in men lasted up to 90 min, after which they returned to levels before the test. In women we did not find any significant changes in undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels. Changes in undercarboxylated osteocalcin induced by hypoglycemia indicate a relationship between bones and glucose metabolism. There was an interesting difference between the sexes. However, a definitive conclusion about the role of osteocalcin in human metabolism will require numerous future studies., Michaela Dušková, Lucie Kolátorová, Hana Jandíková, Hana Pospíšilová, Luboslav Stárka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Arterial branches to the uterus and ovaries that pass through the mesosalpinx contribute significantly to the maintenance of the ovarian reserve. Especially arterial supply of the uterine tube is provided by a number of anastomoses between both the uterine and ovarian vessels. Knowledge on the morphologic peculiarities will allow to identify main contributors especially blood flow ultrasound examination for the purpose of ovary preserving surgery. This study aimed at identifying landmarks especially for so-called low-flow tubal vessels. Arteries of 17 female Thielembalmed bodies were studied along three preselected paramedian segments and measurements taken. A section was made through the center of the ovary perpendicular to uterine tube, then the mesosalpinx tissue distance was divided into 3 equivalent zones: upper, middle and lower thirds. The surface area of the mesosalpinx averaged 1088 ± 62 mm2 . 47.7 ± 7.1 % of the mesosalpinx zones included macroscopically visible vessels. The lower third segment of mesosalpinx was the thickest averaging 2.4 ± 1.5 mm. One to three tubal branches were identified in the middle third of the mesosalpinx. Arterial anastomoses were found in the upper segment of the mesosalpinx, but no presence of a marginal vessel supplying the fallopian tube could be found. Statistically significant moderate positive correlations were established between the diameters of the mesosalpingeal arteries between the three zones. The mesosalpinx, uterine tube and the ovary form areas of segmental blood supply. Variants of tubal vessels appear to be a sparse source of blood supply.
Flowers of dicotyledonous plants host communities of arthropod species. We studied the community associated with dandelion (Taraxacum section Ruderalia), a complex of apomictic micro-species abundant in central Europe. Identification of microspecies in the field was impracticable. These plants produce an abundance of flowers that host arthropod communities that are not yet fully documented. We investigated species occurrence, its diurnal and seasonal variation and some of the factors that determine the abundance of the dominant species. Insect and spiders were collected from 2010 to 2012 at a locality in Prague. Whole capitula were harvested at weekly intervals and resident arthropods were identified. Diurnal variation in insect presence and the effect of pollen and microclimate on some of the species were also examined. The insect community (> 200 species) consisted mainly of species of Hymenoptera (86 spp.), Coleoptera (56 spp.), Diptera (46 spp.) and Heteroptera (23 spp.). The most abundant were Thysanoptera (2 spp.). Pollen eaters/collectors and nectar feeders dominated over predators and occasional visitors. From April to mid-August, the insect community was dominated by Coleoptera, and later by Diptera and Hymenoptera. Except for Meligethes spp. and species breeding in the capitula, the insects occupied flowers during the daytime when the flowers were open (10-12 h in spring and only 2-4 h in late summer). The presence of Meligethes spp. in particular flowers was associated with the presence of pollen; the occurrence of Byturus ochraceus with pollen and flower temperature. Although pollination is not necessary, dandelion plants produce both nectar and pollen. The community of arthropods that visit dandelion flowers is rich despite their being ephemeral.The composition of local faunas of flower visitors, presence of floral rewards and flower microclimate are important factors determining the composition of the flower community., Alois Honěk, Zdenka Martinková, Jiří Skuhrovec, Miroslav Barták, Jan Bezděk, Petr Bogusch, Jiří Hadrava, Jiří Hájek, Petr Janšta, Josef Jelínek, Jan Kirschner, Vítězslav Kubáň, Stano Pekár, Pavel Průdek, Pavel Štys, Jan Šumpich., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The acidic tumor microenvironment (TME) of pancreatic cancer affects the physiological function of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), which in turn promotes cancer progression. Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) is responsible for acidosis-related physiopathological processes. In this study, we investigated the effect of acid exposure on the activation and autophagy of PSCs, and the role of ASIC1a in these events. The results showed that acidic medium upregulated the expression of ASIC1a, induced PSCs activation and autophagy, which can be suppressed by inhibiting ASIC1a using PcTx1 or ASIC1a knockdown, suggesting that ASIC1a involves these two processes. In addition, the acidinduced activation of PSCs was impaired after the application of autophagy inhibitor alone or in combination with ASIC1a siRNA, meaning a connection between autophagy and activation. Collectively, our study provides evidence for the involvement of ASIC1a in the acid-caused PSCs activation, which may be associated with autophagy induction.
Aspiration is a common condition affecting healthy or sick patients which could create an acute or chronic inflammatory reaction in the lungs. Aspiration syndromes could be categorized according to a content entering the respiratory system into bacterial aspiration pneumonia with the gastric or oropharyngeal bacteria entering, aspiration chemical pneumonitis with bacteriafreegastric acid aspiration, or aspiration of a foreign body which causes an acute pulmonary emergency. There are differences in the clinical presentation of volume-dependent aspirations (microaspiration and macroaspiration): the higher is the volume of aspiration, the greater is the injury to the patient and more serious are the health consequences (with 70 % mortality rate for hospitalized patients). Aspiration syndromes can affect both the airways and pulmonary parenchyma, leading to acute lung injury, increased hospitalization rate and worse outcomes in critically ill patients. Impaired alveolar-capillary permeability, oedema formation, neutrophilic inflammatory response and pulmonary surfactant inactivation lead to reduced lung compliance and loss of aerated lung tissue and give rise to hypoxemia and respiratory failure. This review discusses the effect of aspiration events on the pulmonary tissue. The main focus is to distinguish the differences between bacterial and chemical pneumonia, their clinical presentation and symptoms, risk factors of developing the changes, possibilities of diagnostics and management as well as prevention of aspirations. Because of a risk of serious lung damage after the aspiration, pathophysiology and processes leading to lung tissue injury are discussed in detail. Data sources represent a systematic literature search using relevant medical subject headings
The population structures of different species of Calliphoridae flies are highly diverse at different locations. We investigated populations of the Eastern European L. sericata using chaetotaxy and eight microsatellite loci. Our results strongly indicate that a panmictic population of L. sericata exists in the area studied, possibly with a high rate of intra-population gene flow. Analysis of chaetotaxy also supports the panmictic population hypothesis., Anna V. Diakova, Dmitry M. Schepetov, Nadezhda Y. Oyun, Anatole I. Shatalkin, Tatiana V. Galinskaya., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Using passive hair traps to obtain genetic material from wild mammals is an effective form of testing the abundance of animal populations. Based on genetic analysis of collected hair, it is possible to estimate the number and sex of individuals present in a given area. The aim of this study was to confirm the success of the method of collecting hair from beavers in a non-invasive way, as well as to determine the effectiveness of using passive hair traps as sampling tools that can be applied in different regions. The study was carried out in the area of Stobrawa Landscape Park (southwestern Poland) between December 2017 and May 2018. For 17 control days, 12 samples were obtained, which gave the result of 0.7 samples per control day. This study shows that the proposed method, due to its simplicity and efficiency, could be a cost-effective way of collecting hair from free-ranging beavers without the need for capturing individuals.
Light trapping is the most widely used tool for determining the diversity of nocturnal Lepidoptera, but UV LEDs have yet to be used as light sources for the large-scale monitoring of Lepidoptera. We assessed the efficiency of this novel light source for sampling moths using a Heath type moth equipped with a strip of 150 high brightness UV LEDs (emission peak 398 nm, ~ 15 W) powered by a 12 V battery. We compared the number of individuals, the number of species and the Geometridae / Noctuidae ratio recorded for the samples collected using UV LED traps with those collected in two monitoring programs carried out in the same geographic region using two different light sources: a 200 W incandescent lamp (Rothamsted trap) and a 160 W mercury vapour lamp (manual catch). The total catch consisted of 61,120 individuals belonging to 699 species. The species richness rarefaction curves revealed that the Rothamsted trap collected fewer species and individuals than UV LED traps. Furthermore, the median numbers of species and individuals caught by UV LED traps fell within the range of those caught by mercury vapour lamp traps. In addition, the community composition recorded using incandescent lamps and UV LEDs was similar. The data obtained using UV LED traps, in absolute terms and in comparison with the other light sources and different sampling methods, clearly reveal that this light source is suitable for sampling macro-moth communities. For field work UV LEDs have many advantages, as they are resistant to mechanical damage, easily protected from heavy rain and energy efficient., Marco Infusino, Gunnar Brehm, Carlo Di Marco, Stefano Scalercio., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In the present study physicochemical characterization of slate sample was carried out which was collected from slate mine in Lasbela District, Baluchistan. Slate was evaluated for its effectiveness as partial replacement of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in the production of Portland Pozzolana cement (PPC). The grain size analysis of crushed slate sample using ball mill revealed that maximum fraction retained on 44 μm was about 72.8 %. Sum of the major oxides (SiO2 + Al2O3 + Fe2O3) is about 90.09 % that meet the requirement as per ASTM C 618 (minimum 70.0 %). Other oxides including SO3 (<0.05), CaO (4.04), MgO (1.66), K2O (0.10), Na2O (0.16), TiO2 (0.35), MnO (<0.02) and Cl (0.12) also meet the international standard of ASTM C 618 for PPC. OPC without and with using slate sample in a ratio of 5 % and 10 % with clinker was tested to measure compressive strength, physical tests and setting time. The results showed that after 5 % and 10 % replacement, insignificant effect was observed on the physical properties, setting time and compressive strength in 2-, 7- and 28-days curing. Hence, slate can be used as natural pozzolan for manufacturing PPC. It is cost effective for the production of cement as well as to sustain the resources of limestone for long time and reducing emission of CO2 in the environment. It can also be used in the sulfate rich environment, coastal areas especially for the construction of dams and bridges.