Numerous specimens of Calydiscoides spp. from Lethrinus nebulosus and L. harak, and fewer specimens from L. lentjan, L. ravus and L. obsoletus, collected off New Caledonia, South Pacific, were examined. Three species of Calydiscoides were recognized. Calydiscoides difficilis (Yamaguti, 1953) Young, 1969 was generally the most abundant species on the five hosts. Specimens of C. difficilis were measured and compared to the type specimens (from Indonesia) and museum vouchers (from Australia and the Arabian Gulf). The morphology of the massive male copulatory organ and of haptoral sclerotized parts was similar, but specimens from the same host and from different hosts showed wide morphometric variations; it is concluded that C. difficilis has a high degree of variability, although the possibility of a species complex remains. Calydiscoides duplicostatus (Yamaguti, 1953) Young, 1969 was found on L. nebulosus, L. harak and L. lentjan; specimens were homogeneous in the three hosts and similar to the type specimens. Calydiscoides terpsichore sp. n. is described from L. nebulosus (type host) and L. harak and was uncommon in both fish. The new species, a member of the 'australis group', is characterized by its Y-shaped male copulatory organ, with the left branch bearing a trifurcated secondary branch. Lethrinus nebulosus and L. harak shared the 3 species of Calydiscoides studied here, a fact probably related with their close phylogenetic relationships. Among the 15 species of Lethrinus present in New Caledonia, 11 were examined and 9 species harboured 1-3 species of Calydiscoides each. Only 7 species of Calydiscoides were found, due to their stenoxenous specificity. Each species of Calydiscoides has 1 to 5 hosts.
Three species of Magnibursatus Naidenova, 1969 are described from marine teleosts: M. skrjabini (Vlasenko, 1931), the type species of the genus, from the gobiid Zosterisessor ophiocephalus on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast; M. bartolii sp. n. from the sparid Boops boops off the Atlantic coast of Spain; and M. minutus sp. n. from the gobiid Neogobius eurycephalus on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. M. bartolii differs from all other Magnibursatus species in its larger sinus-sac (length >250 µm, width >150 µm) and the more posterior location of testes. This species is also unusual in that it occurs in the branchial chamber and on the gills of its host. M. minutus is distinguished by the distinctly smaller dimensions of the body (length <1000 µm, width <200 µm), organs and eggs. These species are also distinguished from both M. caudofilamentosa (Reimer, 1971) and Tyrrhenia blennii Paggi et Orecchia, 1975. A key to the species of Magnibursatus is presented.
The effects of phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) and apoferredoxin (apoFd) on the diaphorase activity of spinach ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR) in the presence of dibromothymoquinone (DBMIB) or cytochrome c (Cyt c) were studied. PMA inhibited effectively (I50 = < 5 μM) ferredoxin-dependent Cyt c reduction but did not affect evidently the enzyme activity in the presence of DBMIB as an electron acceptor. ApoFd caused also inhibition of Cyt c reduction but slightly stimulated, like ferredoxin, DBMIB reduction. We confirm a hypothesis according to which three binding sites for substrates [NADP(H), Fd-Cyt c, quinone/dichlorophenol indophenol] occur within the molecule of isolated FNR. and M. Bojko, S. Więckowski.
This paper concentrates on the mathematical modelling for three-dimensional flow of an incompressible Oldroyd-B fluid over a bidirectional stretching surface. Mathematical formulation incorporates the effect of internal heat source/sink. Two cases of heat transfer namely the prescribed surface temperature (PST) and prescribed surface heat flux (PHF) are considered. Computations for the governing nonlinear flow are presented using homotopy analysis method. Comparison of the present analysis is shown with the previous limiting result. The obtained results are discussed by plots of interesting parameters for both PST and PHF cases. We examine that an increase in Prandtl number leads to a reduction in PST and PHF. It is noted that both PST and PHF are increased with an increase in source parameter. Further we have seen that the temperature is an increasing function of ratio parameter.
Fiber lasers are the youngest and most rapidly developing branch of lasers. Golden era of fiber lasers started only in early 2000’s and followed success of fiber amplifiers in telecommunications in nineties. Nowadays, the ytterbium fiber lasers at around 1 μm are the most powerful lasers available, reaching 100 kW of average output power. The 2 μm class fiber based on thulium-doped fibers are getting increasing importance thanks to better eye-safety, relaxed non-linear limits, more efficient processing of various materials, e.g., plastics, and high slope efficiency of up to 70 %. In the paper we review our recent progress in research of novel host materials for enhancements of fluorescence properties of thulium-doped fibers and new fiber-optic components and their applications in monolithic thulium-doped fiber laser. Results of coherent combination of thulium-doped fiber lasers are also presented. and Vláknové lasery patří mezi nejmladší a nejrychleji se rozvíjející typy laserů. Zlatá éra vláknových laserů začala teprve na začátku nového tisíciletí a navazuje na úspěch vláknových zesilovačů v telekomunikacích v devadesátých letech. Ytterbiem dopované vláknové lasery na vlnových délkách v okolí 1 μm jsou v současnosti vůbec nejvýkonnějšími dostupnými lasery, dosahují až 100kW průměrného výstupního výkonu. Vláknové lasery na 2 μm založené na thuliem dopovaných optických vláknech získávají nyní na významu díky menšímu riziku poškození zraku, menším omezením kvůli nelinearitám, vysoké účinnosti dosahující až 70 % a efektivnějšímu opracovávání některých materiálů, např. plastů. V příspěvku shrnujeme některé naše nedávné výsledky v oblasti výzkumu nových typů materiálů pro zlepšení fluorescenčních vlastností thuliem dopovaných vláken, nových typů vláknových optických součástek a jejich použití v monolitickém vláknovém laseru. Popisujeme rovněž výsledky výzkumu koherentního kombinování thuliem dopovaných vláknových laserů.
In plants external stimuli are perceived through a cascade of signals and signal transduction pathways. Protein phosphorylation and de-phosphorylation is one of the most important transduction paths for the perception of signals in plants. The highest concentrations of plant phospho-proteins are located in chloroplasts. This facilitates the protection of thylakoid membranes from stress-induced damage and augments adaptive strategies in plants. In this review, the protein kinases associated with phosphorylation of thylakoid membrane protein, and the adaptive changes in thylakoid membrane architecture and developmental cues are given. The presence of membrane bound kinases in thylakoid membranes have evolutionary implications for the signal transduction pathways and the photosynthetic gene expression for thylakoid membrane protein dynamics. and A. N. Misra, A. K. Biswal.
Thyroid hormones (TH) are powerful modulators of heart function, but their arrhythmogenic effects are less elucidated. We have examined both acute and long-term action of TH on the heart susceptibility to the ventricular fibrillation (VF) and on the heart ability to terminate VF and restore a sinus rhythm. Triiodothyronine (T3) was applied in the range of 10-9-10-6 mol/l in acute experiments using isolated perfused aged (14-month-old) guinea pig hearts. L-thyroxine (T4) was applied in the dose of 50 μg/100g/day to young (3-month-old) and aged (20-month-old) rats for 2 weeks. The T4 treatment resulted in an increased susceptibility of young, but not adult rat hearts to a hypokalemia induced VF and facilitated a spontaneous sinus rhythm (SSR) restoration in the latter group. The acute T3 administration in the range of 10-9-10-7 mol/l significantly decreased the susceptibility of an isolated heart to an electrically induced VF and also facilitated the sinus rhythm restoration. The SSR restoration was, however, not affected by 10-6 mol/l concentration of T3, which also led to an increased VF susceptibility. Results indicate that TH can affect the susceptibility of the heart to VF and its ability to restore the sinus rhythm via acute (non-genomic) and long-term (genomic) actions. Furthermore, an anti- and pro-arrhythmic potential of TH appears to be age- and dose-dependent., V. Knezl, T. Soukup, Ľ. Okruhlicová, J. Slezák, N. Tribulová., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Thyroid nodules are a very frequent pathology among common population. Despite the vast majority of them are of benign origin, the incidence of thyroid cancer is currently rather rising. Although there are several risk factors of thyroid cancer and several clinical, ultrasound, biochemical and molecular diagnostic markers, the exact mechanisms of thyroid oncogenesis and the linkage between thyroid nodule ultrasound appearance and its biological character remain unclear. While ionizing radiation is the only one well-known risk factor for thyroid cancer, the significance of some others remains unclear. The aim of our review was to discuss some not completely known pathophysiological mechanisms involved in thyroid oncogenesis as hypothyroidism, mutations of genes regulating cell proliferation, thyroid autoimmunity and pregnancy and to describe pathophysiological background of some ultrasound markers of thyroid cancer (size, echogenicity, vascularization, calcifications and stiffness). Better knowledge in this field is crucial for development of novel diagnostic techniques and therapeutic approaches. For exampl e, the analysis of BRAF, RAS and other mutations in cytological samples may help to distinction between follicular thyroid carcinoma and follicular thyroid adenoma and may signific antly decrease the number of unnecessary surgery among patients with thyroid nodules. Alternatively, the different malign cells growth, angiogenesis, destructions of thyroid follicles, reparative changes, growth retardation, fibrosis and increased interstitial fluid pressure implicate the typical ultrasound appearance of papillary thyroid cancer (hypoechogenicity, irregular vascularization, microcalcifications, stiffness) which is essential to catch the suspicious nodules on the basis of their ultrasound appearance among large amount of benign nodules., J. Krátký, H. Vítková, J. Bartáková, Z. Telička, M. Antošová, Z. Límanová, J. Jiskra., and Obsahuje bibliografii