Cíl studie: Sledování trendů koncentrací olova v krvi (plumbémie) u pracovníků vystavených zvýšené zátěži olovem během let 2005 - 2012. Hlavním účelem studie bylo posoudit efektivnost zavedených preventivních opatření na snížení expozice olovem (snížení plumbémie). Typ studie: Observační prospektivní studie Materiál a metody: Do studie bylo zařazeno 236 pracovníků bateriového průmyslu. Podle vstupních hodnot plumbémií z roku 2005 jsme pracovníky rozdělili do čtyř skupin (< 200 μg/l, 200 – 299 μg/l, 300 – 399 μg/l, ≥ 400 μg/l). Plumbémie byla stanovena metodou bezplamenové atomové absorpční spektrometrie. Pro statistické vyhodnocení byl použit párový t-test. Výsledky: Nejvýznamnější pokles v plumbémii mezi lety 2005 – 2012 byl zaznamenán ve skupině pracovníků s nejvyšší vstupní hodnotou plumbémie ≥ 400 μg/l (průměrný pokles na 37 % k roku 2012, t(63) = 29.105, p < 0.001). Významné poklesy byly zjištěny i u všech ostatních skupin pracovníků – se vstupní hodnotou plumbémie 300 – 399 μg/l (průměrný pokles na 41 %, t(70) = 32.704, p < 0.001), 200 – 299 μg/l (průměrný pokles na 42 %, t(67) = 34.208, p < 0.001) a pod 200 μg/l (průměrný pokles na 51 %, t(32) = 11.663, p < 0.001). Závěr: U všech skupin pracovníků vystavených zvýšené zátěži olovem jsme sledovali významné snížení plumbémie během let 2005 – 2012. Tato studie ukazuje, že zavedená preventivní opatření jsou vysoce efektivní., Objective: Monitoring trends in blood lead concentrations (plumbemia) of lead-exposed workers during years 2005 - 2012. Determining the effectiveness of preventive measures on reducing lead exposure (decreasing plumbemia) was investigated. Design: Observation prospective study Material and Methods: The study was performed on 236 workers of a battery industry factory in period 2005 – 2012. Workers were divided into 4 groups based on their initial plumbemia in the year 2005 (< 200 μg/l, 200 – 299 μg/l, 300 – 399 μg/l, ≥ 400 μg/l). Plumbemia was measured using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Paired t-test was used for statistic interpretation. Results: The most significant decrease in plumbemia between years 2005 – 2012 was measured in the group of workers with initial plumbemia ≥ 400 μg/l (average decrease to 37 % by the year 2012, t(63) = 29.105, p < 0.001). Significant decreases were measured also in other groups of workers with initial plumbemia 300 – 399 μg/l (average decrease to 41 %, t(70) = 32.704, p < 0.001), 200 – 299 μg/l (average decrease to 42 %, t(67) = 34.208, p < 0.001) and under 200 μg/l (average decrease to 51 %, t(32) = 11.663, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In all groups of lead-exposed workers we found significant decrease in plumbemia during years 2005 – 2012. Our data show that applied preventive measures are highly effective in decreasing plumbemia., Los F., Kotackova L., Zima T., and Literatura
Myrmica rubra is a northern, temperate Palaearctic ant species with a geographical range that extends from the Atlantic coast of Europe to central Asia. In Europe, its range covers > 25° of latitude where it lives under a variety of climates that vary from extreme oceanic in the west, to continental in the east. Colonies nest in the soil and their life cycles are known to be highly dependent on ambient temperature and soil moisture. We hypothesised that the brood-rearing behaviour of populations might be focally adapted to climate and that we might detect differences when the ants were reared under \"common-garden\" conditions. Brood-rearing behaviour was compared for 38 colonies of M. rubra drawn from 13 populations representing a range of 6 latitudes: all 6 were represented in eastern Europe and 2 in western Europe. A sample of ants from each colony was used to estimate respiration rate, body mass and fat content at the start of the experiment in spring (immediately post hibernation) and at the end of the experiment (mid summer). Respiration had a linear relationship with latitude, with northern populations having greater respiration rate in spring compared to southern populations. It is suggested that this is an adaptation to different seasonality over the species' range that results in the \"more active\" northern workers rearing fewer brood to maturity more quickly than southern workers. Fat content, a measure of worker \"quality\", had a parabolic relationship with latitude with mid latitude colonies having the fattest workers. Fatter workers appeared to rear heavier brood. This probably represented a functional response to environment with populations living at \"edge of range\" sites being physiologically more stressed and performing brood-rearing tasks less well than centre of range populations. We believe that this is the first demonstration of a consistent, intra-specific trend for Variation in the social physiology of an ant species over its geographic range., Graham W. Elmes, Judith C. Wardlaw, Mogens G. Nielsen, Vladilen E. Kipyatko, Elena B. Lopatina, Alexander G. Radchenko, Boyd Barr, and Lit