The aim of the present study wa s to compare the immediate and delayed locomotor response to high-dose nicotine (NIC) administration in rats. The vertic al and horizontal activity of behavior in adult male rats exposed to 1 mg/kg NIC or saline (SAL) were tested in a Laboras apparatus for one hour after drug application. Animals were then returned to their cages and housed for another seven days. After this period all animals were placed in Laboras again and their behavioral pattern was retested for another period of one hour (delayed response). Horizontal activity: immediately af ter nicotine administ ration animal were less mobile (first 2-minutes interval), when compared with controls. The immobilization effect of nicotine disappeared within 4 minutes and during whole first 10-minutes interval time spent by locomotion did not differ from controls. Locomotion activity of animals treated with nicotine increased robustly in following 10 minutes and remained significan tly higher in 2nd, 3rd and 5th 10-minutes interval. Vertical activity: Rearing frequency was significantly lowered by NIC administration in first two minutes of the experiment and the same was found when the duration of rearing was analyzed. Lower rearing intensity of NIC treated animals disappeared in 4 minutes and was finally higher during whole test session as compared with controls. When duration of rearing was analyzed it was significantly longer in NIC treated animals. In majority of observed behavioral aspects there were no differences between NIC treated rats and controls seven days after NIC or SAL treatment. Our results reflect effect of NIC and we conclude that NIC significantly influences behavior of experimental animals., K. Jandová, D. Marešová, J. Pokorný., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The paper presents the foundations of MAFA method, as well as its application to the pro cessing of new GPS and Galileo signals. The presented numerical tests have been carried out on the basis of data obtained from a hardware GNSS signal simulator as there are currently too few Galileo satellites on orbit. In the proposed methodology, first linear combinations have been formed using new GNSS signals. These linear combinations constitute a data set for a cascade adjustmen talgorithm employing extended MAFA method. Feasibility of a single-epoch precise positioning has been tested. The single-epoch positioning is particularly important for reliable real-time landslide and deformation monitoring. The obtained test results show a high success rate of the extended MAFA method. The number of the correct single-epoch solutions varied from 85 % to over 99 % depending on the baseline length and accuracy of an a priori position. Thus, the MAFA method may be successfully used with new GPS and Galileo signals, even for the processing of single-epoch data., Sławomir Cellmer, Jacek Paziewski and Paweł Wielgosz., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Thrips are important agricultural pests and accurate identification is important for their effective management. In order to determine species, however, they need to be mounted on slides and the traditional process is time-consuming. The aim of this paper is to describe a simple and fast method to prepare temporary slides for the routine identification of thrips, which is not dependent on their colour and hardness. Four species of thrips of different colours were used in the preparations: Frankliniella occidentalis (yellow with brown tergal markings), Frankliniella schultzei (entirely brown), Haplothrips gowdeyii (dark brown to carmine) and Caliothrips phaseoli (brown to black). Slides of each species were prepared using three different methods: traditional (3 days), simplified (6 h) and fast method (10 min). The thrips on the resulting slides were observed under a microscope and important structures used in their identification were compared. The quality of the slides prepared using the traditional method was superior to those prepared using the other two methods if only the transparency and general position of the insects on the slides were considered. The transparency of the slides prepared using the simplified method was also good, but only for the pale coloured species (yellow and grey-brown). The fast method, on the other hand, was very efficient for routine identification since it resulted in slides of sufficient quality for identifying species regardless of their colour. It is important, however, to stress that the fast method is only suitable for preparing temporary slides for routine identification and is not a substitute for the traditional method of preparing permanent slides., Luís C.P. Silveira, Marcelo M. Haro., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Moderately elevated plasma/serum triglycerides (2 -10 m mol/l) signalize increased risk for cardiovascular disease or presence of non- alcoholic steatohepatitis. Extremely elevated triglycerides (more than 10 mmol/l) signalize increased risk for pancreatitis and lipemia retinalis. The concentration of triglycerides is regulated by many genetic and nongenetic factors. Extremely elevated triglycerides not provoked by nutritional factors, especially inappropriate alcohol intake are more likely to have a monogenic cause. On the contrary, mildly to moderately elevated triglycerides are often caused by polygenic disorders; these could be also associated with central obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus. Concentration of triglycerides is also closely interconnected with presence of atherogenic remnant lipop roteins, impaired reverse cholesterol transport and more atherogenic small LDL particles. In general, there is tight association between triglycerides and many other metabolic factors including intermediate products of lipoprotein metabolism which are freq uently atherogenic. Therefore, reliable evaluation of the independent role of triglycerides especially in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease is difficult. In individual cases values of HDL cholesterol, non -HDL cholesterol (total minus HDL cholester ol), non -HDL/nonLDL cholesterol (total minus HDL minus LDL cholesterol, especially in nonfasting status), atherogenic index of plasma and/or apolipoprotein B could help in decisions regarding a ggressiv eness of treatment., J. Piťha, J. Kovář, T. Blahová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of our study was to evaluate rapid insulin pulses and insulin secretion regularity in fasting state in lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in comparison to lean healthy women. PCOS (n=8) and controls (n=7) underwent every minute blood sampling for 60 min. Insulin pulsatility was assessed by deconvolution and insulin secretion regularity by approximate entropy methodology. PCOS had higher testosterone (p<0.02), prolactin (p<0.05) and lower sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) (p<0.0006) levels than controls. Approximate entropy, insulin pulse frequency, mass, amplitude and interpulse interval did not differ between PCOS and controls. PCOS had broader insulin peaks determined by a common half-duration (p<0.07). Burst mass correlated positively with testosterone (p<0.05) and negatively with SHBG (p<0.0004) and common half-duration correlated positively with prolactin (p<0.008) and cortisol levels (p<0.03). Approximate entropy positively correlated with BMI (p<0.04) and prolactin (p<0.03). Lean PCOS patients tended to have broader insulin peaks in comparison to healthy controls. Prolactin, androgens and cortisol might participate in alteration of insulin secretion in PCOS-affected women. Body weight and prolactin levels could influence insulin secretion regularity., T. Grimmichová, J. Vrbíková, P. Matucha, K. Vondra, P. P. Veldhuis, M. L. Johnson., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
First intron variability of the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) has strong impact on adiposity. We focused on lean women carrying the most “obesity-risk” haplotype to study their anthropometric parameters and hormonal and metabolic profile. Genotype-phenotype correlation was performed in a group of 172 lean women (body mass index (BMI) ≥18.5 and <25 kg/m2; age 26.8±7.26 years), 77 of them used hormonal contraceptives. Even in lean women the association of the risk haplotype CAGA with BMI was confirmed but it did not influence the anthropometric indices of body composition. CAGA carriers compared to non-carriers had significantly higher both fasting (p=0.016) and post glucose load (p<0.001) levels of growth hormone (GH), significantly higher glucose, insulin and C-peptide levels in the late phase of oGTT and lower fasting concentration of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. Administration of hormonal contraceptives further increased observed hormonal and metabolic effects in CAGA carriers. We conclude that higher levels of GH in lean women carrying the FTO “obesity risk” haplotype could protect them from the development of obesity. The relation between the FTO gene variability and GH secretion has to be elucidated. This is the first study demonstrating the interaction of FTO genotype with hormonal contraception., P. Lukášová, M. Vaňková, J. Včelák, D. Vejražková, O. Bradnová, S. Stanická, V. Hainer, B. Bendlová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Most of natural materials contain traces of chlorine and it enters also to the combustion process. Chlorine products of combustions are usually inorganic hydrogen chloride vapors and chloride salts, nevertheless smaller amount of organic chlorine compounds are formed. Simpler of these organic compounds can act as greenhouse and ozone depleting gases; more complex compounds are directly dangerous for their mutagenity or extreme toxity like so called dioxines. Non-fossil natural materials and fuels derived of them can contain more chlorine than common coal. From the published research studies is evident that the formation of organochlorine compounds is limited to the temperature range 300-800 °C. At the higher temperatures, these compounds are destroyed. In the stage of flue gas cooling some chlorine may be by a "de novo" synthesis introduced to the organic form. Well-controlled combustion of alternative fuels need not contribute to the increase of amount of emissions of dangerous chlorine compounds. In our research were moreover studied the fuels with lower chlorine content. The experimental tests of the emissions from large-scale industrial fluid bed boiler indicated that substitution of large percentage of coal by alternative fuels had no significant effect., Kamil Wichterle, Jan Cieslar, Antonín Klečka, Zdeněk Klika and Václav Roubíček., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The fate of intraperitoneally inoculated infective third-stage larvae (L,) of the nematode Brugia malayi Lichtenstein and the status of the peritoneal macrophage function were investigated in the susceptible rodent hosts Mastomys natalensis Roberts and Meriones unguiculatus Milne-Edwards (jird). Jirds and M. natalensis were inoculated intraperitoneally with 125 and 250 L, and the worm burden and peritoneal macrophage function in the two species were compared at different days post-in-oculation (DPI). None of the infected M. natalensis had adult worms in the peritoneal cavity; very few degenerating L, surrounded by peritoneal cells were recovered 7 and 15 DPI. In contrast, all the infected jirds showed the parasite in different stages of development and the worm burden at different days PI was more in 250 L, dose group than in 125 L3 dose group. The phagocytic function of peritoneal macrophages of normal M. natalensis was twice higher than that of jirds. This function was found significantly suppressed in both host species at 15 DPI; at 35 DPI, the activity was still at this low level in the jird, while that in M. natalensis reverted to uninfected age- and sex-matched control levels. These findings demonstrate that the peritoneal environment of M. natalensis is not conducive to the development of B. malayi and this is probably related to high macrophage activity in the peritoneum of this host compared to that found in the jird.
Dietary composition and metabolism of fatty acids (FA) influence insulin resistance, atherogenic dyslipidemia and other components of the metabolic syndrome (MS). It is known that patients with MS exhibit a heterogeneous phenotype; however, the relationships of individual FA to MS components have not yet been consistently studied. We examined the plasma phosphatidylcholine FA composition of 166 individuals (68F/98M) with MS and of 188 (87F/101M) controls. Cluster analysis of FA divided the groups into two clusters. In cluster 1, there were 65.7 % of MS patients and 37.8 % of controls, cluster 2 contained 34.3 % of patients and 62.2 % of controls (P<0.001). Those with MS within cluster 1 (MS1) differed from individuals with MS in cluster 2 (MS2) by concentrations of glucose (P<0.05), NEFA (P<0.001), HOMA-IR (P<0.05), and levels of conjugated dienes in LDL (P<0.05). The FA composition in MS1 group differed from MS2 by higher contents of palmitoleic (+30 %), γ-linolenic (+22 %), dihomo-γ-linolenic (+9 %) acids and by a lower content of linoleic acid (–25 %) (all P<0.01). These FA patterns are supposed to be connected with the progression and/or impaired biochemical measures of MS (lipolysis, oxidative stress, dysglycidemia, and insulin resistance)., A. Žák, M. burda, M. Vecka, M. Zeman, E. Tvrzická, B. Staňková., and Obsahuje bibliografii