Toxoplasma gondii Nicolle et Manceaux, 1909, the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, was considered a clonal population with three distinct genetic lineages (I, II and III); however, sequence analysis of different strains has revealed distinct atypical genotypes. Macrophages are essential for immunity against toxoplasmosis and differential cell regulation may affect the course of the disease. In this context, our study aims to investigate the infection by TgChBrUD2, a highly virulent atypical Brazilian strain of T. gondii, on the activation and polarisation of human macrophages. Human macrophage-like cells obtained from THP-1 cells were infected with TgChBrUD2, RH or ME49 strains of T. gondii to evaluate the impact of parasite infection on macrophage polarisation. Our results indicate that the TgChBrUD2 and ME49 strains of T. gondii induced a classic activation of human macrophages, which was confirmed by the high rate of spindle-shaped macrophages, low amount of urea and increase in the levels of nitrite, as well as the down-regulation of M2-markers. In contrast, RH strain promoted an alternative activation of macrophages. The polarisation of human macrophages towards an M1 subtype mediated by TgChBrUD2 and ME49 strains resulted in a low parasite burden, with high levels of IL-6 and MIF. Finally, the M2 subtype triggered by the RH strain culminated in a lower intracellular proliferation index. We concluded that the atypical (TgChBrUD2) and clonal (ME49) strains are able to elicit an M1 subtype, which results in parasitism control, partially explained by the high levels of IL-6 and MIF produced during the infection by these genotypes. In contrast, the clonal (RH) strain promoted a macrophage polarisation towards an M2 subtype, marked by a high parasite burden, with a weak modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, atypical strains can present different mechanisms of pathogenicity and transmissibility compared to clonal strains, as well as they can use distinct strategies to evade the host's immune response and ensure their survival.
This paper examines the relationship between Big Five personality dimensions and membership in political parties in the Czech Republic. A total of 194 members from eight major Czech political parties filled out the NEO Five-Factor Inventory to assess the Big Five personality dimensions. The mean scores of the respondents from each party were compared to the scores of a sample of the general Czech population. The members of three right-wing parties scored lower in agreeableness and the members of one left-wing party were higher in agreeableness than the general population, which is consistent with results from other countries. The Greens scored higher in openness than the general population, which is consistent with results from Germany. Members of former governing parties, which had long been out of power, scored lower in neuroticism than the general population. and V článku se zabýváme vztahem mezi osobností a členstvím v českých politických stranách. Sto devadesát čtyři členů osmi hlavních českých politických stran vyplnilo NEO – pětifaktorový osobnostní inventář. Průměrné skóry členů každé strany byly porovnány se skóry vzorku české populace. Členové tří pravicových stran skórovali níže než populace v přívětivosti, členové jedné levicové strany naopak v přívětivosti skórovali výše. To je v souladu se vztahem mezi levicovostí a přívětivostí zjištěným v jiných zemích (např. Itálie). Zelení skórovali výše než populace v otevřenosti, což souhlasí s podobným zjištěním v Německu. Členové dřívějších vládních stran, jejichž vládní angažmá skončilo před dlouhou dobou, skórovali níže v neuroticismu než česká populace.
Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois, 1818) (tarnished plant bug) is a serious pest of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the Delta region as compared to cotton in the Hills region of the state of Mississippi in USA. The reason for this is unclear but it was hypothesized that the plant cell wall degrading polygalacturonase enzyme system in the salivary glands of L. lineolaris from the Delta could be better adapted for cotton, which is grown more predominantly in the Delta region than in the Hills region. Expression analysis of three primary polygalacturonase genes (LlPG1, LlPG2 and LlPG3) was conducted in laboratory reared and field collected populations of L. lineolaris. Assay of polygalacturonase enzyme activity was also conducted to compare wild collected populations. Initial laboratory and field data revealed gene expression differences in sex, age, region, and host plant which guided the direction of our subsequent study during 2013 and 2014. Based on the results of this study, we propose that the three genes studied may not be reflective of the entire polygalacturonase enzyme system and may not be solely responsible for the observed adaptation of L. lineolaris to cotton in the Delta region than in the Hills region. Analyses also revealed that the expression of the three targeted polygalacturonase genes was affected by the host plant from which the insects were collected and that adults had higher polygalacturonase expression than nymphs. Taken together, our results provide strong evidence for developmental stage specific and host plant based change in expression of PG genes in the salivary glands of L. lineolaris. This, however, was not reflected in total polygalacturonase enzyme activity which was not significantly different between regions, hosts, sex, or developmental stage., Daniel Fleming, Natraj Krishnan, Fred Musser., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This study reports seasonal presence of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Southeast Turkey, in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Samples were collected from crops in agricultural areas at altitudes of 10 m, 800 m and 1400 m from stands of wild herbaceous plants , and at 1750 m from stone debris fields. First C. septempunctata adults were collected at the beginning of June at Tentcamp (800 m) and Tozlu (1400 m), early in July at Sarikiz (1700 m) when the mean air temperature reached 30°C. Adults became active in spring, after aestivating around Sarikiz and overwintering there under snow. First adults emerged on 2nd April in 2009 around Edremit Gulf when mean air temperature reached 14.8°C. Adult and immature stages of C. septempunctata were recorded attacking aphid populations till the end of June. C. septempunctata was present there for only one period each year during which they completed one generation. Adult individuals of this generation returned to Mount Ida to aestivate. Maximum numbers of adults present on Mount Ida in the first week of August in 2009 and 2010 were recorded. C. septempunctata adults aestivate and overwinter at Sarikiz on Mount Ida after completing their development on aphids in April, May and June around Edremit Gulf., Ali Özpinar, Ali Kürşat Şahin, Burak Polat., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The ladybird beetle, Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius), has been extending its distribution in and around urban areas at higher latitudes in Japan over the past 100 years. Between 2003 and 2011, we investigated the seasonal occurrence, aphid prey and population dynamics of this species in an urban park in Osaka City, central Japan. We found that C. sexmaculata completes three generations a year in Osaka. Overwintered adults emerge in March or April and produce two (or rarely one) generations by summer. Second-generation adults aestivate and subsequently produce another generation in autumn. This species feeds on five species of aphids that infest planted shrubs and alien weeds throughout the vegetative season. We analyzed the association between accumulated temperature and when overwintered adults first emerged. In addition, we determined the association between their time of emergence, peak abundance and last occurrence, and meteorological conditions. There was no association between the sum of effective temperatures and termination of adult overwintering. There was, however, an association between first occurrence and peak abundance, and climatic conditions, such as warm temperatures or low humidity. This species maintained a stable population in an urban park by becoming quiescent when climatic conditions were unfavourable or prey was scarce. We discussed these findings in relation to urban environmental factors, such as climate, food conditions and vegetation., Yasuko Kawakami, Kazuo Yamazaki, Kazunori Ohashi., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Cílem předkládaného textu je kritická reflexe zahraničních výzkumů týkající se porodních plánů a jejich implementace v praxi. Pozornost je tak věnovaná dopadu užití porodních plánů na zkušenost ženy s porodem, ženou pociťovanou kontrolu během porodu, ale i na průběh porodu a zdravotní stav ženy a novorozence po porodu. Vedle kritické reflexe metodologických studií zkoumajících efektivitu porodních plánů jsou zde popsány i faktory, které mohou užití porodních plánů i jejich efektivitu v praxi ovlivnit. Konkrétně se jedná o postoje zdravotníků k porodním plánům a rozlišení mezi porodními plány nabízenými zdravotníky či institucí a porodními plány, se kterými přicházejí ženy z vlastní inciativy. Dále pak je pozornost věnována podobě porodních plánů, rodičkami v porodních plánech nejčastěji uváděným požadavkům, charakteristikám žen, které mohou ovlivnit podobu porodního plánu, a souvislosti mezi porodními plány a představami žen o průběhu porodu. and The aim of the presented paper is a critical reflection on foreign researches regarding birth plans and their implementation in practice. It focuses on the impact of the use of birth plans on the birth experience and a sense of control experienced by a woman during childbirth, but also on the impact of the use of birth plans on delivery outcomes from a medical point of view. Besides the critical reflection on methodological studies examining the effectiveness of birth plans, factors that may influence the use of birth plans and their effectiveness in practice are also described. Specifically, these comprise the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards the use of birth plans and the distinction between birth plans offered by healthcare professionals /institutions and those developed on the women’s own initiative. In addition, attention is paid to the form of birth plans, to the most common requests mentioned in women’s birth plans, to women’s characteristics that may affect the form of the birth plan, and to the relationship between birth plans and women’s visions of the birth process.
Attention deficit disorder is a neurodevelop-mental disorder that affects the mental and social functioning of an individual not only in child-hood. Its impact on higher education and work life has been studied intensively over the last two decades. This review aims to analyse, which variables related to attention deficit disorder are studied among university students, which meth-ods are used to identify individuals with atten-tion deficit disorder symptoms in higher educa-tion, and which inhibitors and facilitators may affect university studies of individuals with at-tention deficit disorder symptomatology. Authors searched Web of Science – Core Col-lection from 1. 1. 2011 to 31. 12. 2020 for stud-ies that investigated study-related variables in students with attention deficit disorder. The initial search identified 307 studies, 41 of them were eligible for further analysis. To identify the individuals with attention deficit disorder, the researchers used a combination of methods including self-report of previously diagnosed disorder, expert confirmation, and self-report scales of attention deficit disorder symptoms. The studied variables were merged into seven content categories. The results of the studies show that university students with attention def-icit disorders make a vulnerable group, studies mainly focused on inhibiting factors rather than those that facilitate students ́ performance and success. The further research should focus on the facilitating variables and the effectiveness of accommodations and interventions provided by universities for this particular target group of students. and Porucha pozornosti je neurovývinová porucha, ktorá ovplyvňuje mentálne a sociálne fungo-vanie jednotlivca nielen v detstve. Jej vplyv na vysokoškolské vzdelávanie a pracovný život sa v ostatných dvoch desaťročiach intenzívne štu-duje. Cieľom tohto prehľadu bolo analyzovať, ktoré premenné súvisiace s poruchou pozornosti sa skúmajú u vysokoškolských študentov, ktoré metódy sa používajú na identifikáciu jednot-livcov so symptómami poruchy pozornosti vo vysokoškolskom vzdelávaní, a ktoré inhibítory a facilitátory môžu ovplyvniť vysokoškolské štúdium osôb so symptómami porúch pozornos-ti. Na základe rešerše z databázy Web of Scien-ce-Core Collection za obdobie 1. 1. 2011 – 31. 12. 2020 autorky identifikovali štúdie, ktoré skúmali premenné súvisiace s vysokoškolským štúdiom osôb s poruchou pozornosti. Z pôvodne identifikovaných 307 štúdií do prehľadu zaradili 41.Na identifikáciu jednotlivcov s poruchou pozor-nosti výskumníci používali kombináciu metód vrátane vlastného deklarovania diagnostikova-nej poruchy, potvrdenia odborníkom a sebahod-notiacich škál symptómov poruchy pozornosti. Skúmané premenné boli zlúčené do siedmich obsahových kategórií. Výsledky ukazujú, že vysokoškolskí študenti s poruchami pozornosti sú zraniteľnou skupinou. Štúdie sa zameriavali skôr na inhibujúce faktory než na faktory, ktoré facilitujú akademický výkon a úspešnosť štu-dentov s poruchou pozornosti. Ďalší výskum by sa mal zamerať na facilitujúce premenné a efek-tivitu akomodácií a intervencií, ktoré vysoké školy poskytujú tejto skupine študentov.
Cílem studie je přispět k porozumění souvislostem mezi nesymbolickými numerickými schopnostmi a vývojovou dyskalkulií. Zabýváme se tedy početními funkcemi již na úrovni vrozených dispozic, předcházejících osvojení číselného aparátu, které jsou zajišťovány instancí tzv. aproximativního numerického systému (ANS) a projevují se v dovednosti odhadu kvantit. Pokud tento vztah existuje, bylo by jej zřejmě možné využít pro praktickou diagnostiku dyskalkulie již v raném věku dítěte před projevením případných obtíží v numerických dovednostech. Naše pilotní studie srovnává úroveň nesymbolických početních schopností (početního odhadu) u dětí s dyskalkulií a kontrolní skupiny. Kompletní výzkumný soubor tvořilo 75 žáků ve věkovém rozmezí 6,6 až 17,8 let (M = 12,03; SD = 2,68), přičemž 25 (33 %) z nich vykazovalo matematické obtíže, které jsou v 17 případech(23 %)vysvětleny diagnózou dyskalkulie. Sběr dat byl realizován s využitím elektronického „testu početního odhadu“ vlastní konstrukce, tvořeného tzv. aproximativními úlohami založenými na principu diferenciace množství. Výsledky naznačují, že kontrolní skupina diskriminuje množství lépe než děti s matematickými obtížemi. Po kontrole věku respondentů je však vztah dyskalkulie a výkonu v testu početního odhadu slabý a statisticky nevýznamný, beta = –0,232, p = 0,056. Zjištěné výsledky jsou diskutovány ve vztahu k možnostem jejich využití v praxi. and The aim of the study is to contribute to the understanding of the links between non-symbolic numerical abilities and developmental dyscalculia. Therefore, we deal with the numerical functions already at the level of innate dispositions preceding the acquiring of numerical apparatus, which are ensured by the instance of the so-called approximate number system (ANS) and are manifested in the quantitative estimation skill. If the relationship exists, it might be possible to use it for the practical diagnosis of dyscalculia at an early age before showing any difficulties in numerical skills. Our pilot study compares the level of non-symbolic numerical abilities (counting) in children with dyscalculia and control groups. The complete research group consisted of 75 pupils aged between 6.6 and 17.8 years (M = 12.03; SD = 2.68), with 25 (33%) showing mathematical difficulties in 17 cases (23%) explained by the diagnosis of dyscalculia. Data was collected using an electronic “numerical estimate test” of the own construction, constituted by the so-called approximation tasks based on the principle of differentiation of quantities. The results suggest that the control group discriminates the quantity better than children with mathematical difficulties. However, after checking the age of the respondents, the relationship between dyscalculia and numerical test output is weak and statistically insignificant, beta = -0.232, p = 0.056. The results are discussed in relation to the possibilities of their use in practice.
Mental disorders affect 10-20 % of the young population in the world. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental disease with a multifactorial and not clearly explained pathophysiology. Many cases remain undetected and untreated, which influences patients’ physical and mental health and their quality of life also in adulthood. The aim of our pilot study was to assess the prediction value of selected potential biomarkers, including blood cell counts, blood cell ratios, and parameters like peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1), tenascin C (TNC) and type IV collagen (COL4) between depressive pediatric patients and healthy peers and to evaluate a short effect of antidepressant treatment. In this study, 27 young depressive patients and 26 non-depressed age-matched controls were included. Blood analyses and immunological assays using commercial kits were performed. Platelet count was the only blood parameter for which the case/control status was statistically significant (p=0.01) in a regression model controlling for the age and gender differences. The results from ELISA analyses showed that the case/control status is a significant predictor of the parameters PRDX1 (p=0.05) and COL4 (p=0.009) in respective regression model considering the age and gender differences between MDD patients and controls. A major finding of this study is that values of platelet count, monocyte to lymphocyte ratio, white blood cell, and monocyte counts were assessed by the Random Forest machine learning algorithm as relevant predictors for discrimination between MDD patients and healthy controls with a power of prediction AUC=0.749.
The action of the medicinal plant Tribulus terrestris (TT) on bovine ovarian cell functions, as well as the protective potential of TT against xylene (X) action, remain unknown. The aim of the present in vitro study was to elucidate the influence of TT, X and their combination on basic bovine ovarian cell functions. For this purpose, we examined the effect of TT (at doses of 0, 1, 10, and 100 ng/ml), X (at 20 μg/ml) and the combination of TT + X (at these doses) on proliferation, apoptosis and hormone release by cultured bovine ovarian granulosa cells. Markers of proliferation (accumulation of PCNA), apoptosis (accumulation of Bax) and the release of hormones (progesterone, testosterone and insulin-like growth factor I, IGF-I) were analyzed by quantitative immunocytochemistry and RIA, respectively. TT addition was able to stimulate proliferation and testosterone release and inhibit apoptosis and progesterone output. The addition of X alone stimulated proliferation, apoptosis and IGF-I release and inhibited progesterone and testosterone release by ovarian cells. TT was able to modify X effects: it prevented the antiproliferative effect of X, induced the proapoptotic action of X, and promoted X action on progesterone but not testosterone or IGF-I release. Taken together, our observations represent the first demonstration that TT can be a promoter of ovarian cell functions (a stimulator of proliferation and a suppressor of apoptosis) and a regulator of ovarian steroidogenesis. X can increase ovarian cell proliferation and IGF-I release and inhibit ovarian steroidogenesis. These effects could explain its antireproductive and cancer actions. The ability of TT to modify X action on proliferation and apoptosis indicates that TT might be a natural protector against some ovarian cell disorders associated with X action on proliferation and apoptosis, but it can also promote its adverse effects on progesterone release.