The benefit of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of transplant renal artery stenosis for ischemic nephropathy may be adversely affected by rejection or other complications. As a result, assessment of the effect of PTA on renal function or blood pressure is often difficult. In this paper, we evaluated the effect of PTA using the method of integrated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) based upon the area under the curve over a follow-up period (AUC0-t), to express the level of GFR in a simple manner despite its significant fluctuations. A similar procedure was used to evaluate mean arterial pressure (MAP). The method was employed to assess the outcome in 20 individuals before PTA, and 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after PTA. In eight cases, rejection was detected while there was one case of glomerulonephritis in the graft during the follow-up period. Evaluation (AUCCcr)0-12 related to the integrated pre-PTA value of Ccr [(Ccr)0 x 12] revealed a rise in GFR by more than 20 % in 65 % of cases. No improvement was observed in seven individuals with post-PTA complications. When assessing the integrated value of MAP, success of PTA (a reduction by at least 10 %) was found in 85 % of cases. No significant correlation was found between the relative changes of integrated GFR and MAP. Our data suggest that evaluation of the integrated value of GFR or MAP on the basis of AUC0-t allows to characterize, in a simple manner, the level of graft function and MAP throughout the follow-up period in individual cases. Furthermore, it may provide additional information on the average values obtained at different time intervals after the therapeutic procedure., J. Stříbrná, O. Schück, J.H. Peregrin, D. Krajíčková, J. Skibová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Ionic environment is important in regulating photosynthetic reactions. The roles of cations, Mn2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, and K+ as cofactors in electron transport, energy transfer, phosphorylation, and carbon assimilation are better known than the roles of anions, except for chloride and bicarbonate. Only a limited information exists on the roles and effects of nitri formate, sulphate, and phosphate. In this review, we evaluate and highlight the roles of some specific anions on electron transport as well as on excitation energy transfer processes in photosynthesis. Anions exert significant effects on thyla membrane conformation and membrane fluidity, possibly by redistributing the thylakoid membrane surface charges. The anion/cation induced phase transitions in the hydrophilic domains of the thylakoid membranes are probably responsible for the various structural and co-related functional changes under stress. Anions are also important in regulation of energy distribution between the two photosystems. Anions do not only divert more energy from photosystem (PS) 2 to PS1, but can also reverse the effect of cations on energy distribution in a valence-dependent manner. Anions affect also the structure of the photosynthetic apparatus and excitation energy distribution between the two photosystems. and A. Jajoo, S. Bharti, P. Mohanty.
A suitability of the bladed disk design regarding the possibility of the resonant vibration excitation can be assessed on the basis of several approaches. Most information concernng the evaluation of the bladed disk design suitability is provided in theSAFE diagram but the possibility of exciting the action wheel resonant vibration can also be evaluated from the Campbell diagram. Further criterion is the assessment of the design suitability on the basis of a critical speed of the bladed disk. It expecially causes breakdowns of relatively flexible disks. The suitability of the bladed disk with the blades of the ZN340-2 type was evaluated. and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Several multiaxial fatigue criteria have been developed and improved within the last couple of decades, but they are not very widely used in industrial applications. Many engineers and designers still use simple uniaxial criteria for multiaxial load cases. In order to test and validate / discard these uniaxial criteria on the basis of multiaxial load cases, the present work presents a comparison between several uniaxial criteria applied to a large set of experimental results for smooth unnotched samples tested under multiaxial loading. The effect of mean stress is also evaluated in order to determinate how it affects the final results. and Obsahuje seznam literatury
An observation network was built to observe the process of creating of a subsidence depression above exploited coal mining panels near Karviná. Points of the observation network were periodically surveyed by geodetic GPS method from 2006 to 2009. This method enables the evaluation of both vertical subsidence and horizontal shifts. Such complex evaluation of processes on the surface of the undermined area makes it possible to understand the progress of the subsidence depression caused by undermining. The results have shown on areas of irregular development of the subsidence depression. The irregularities are caused by a complicated tectonic situation and former exploitation in given locality and also active exploitation in the surroundings of given locality., Hana Doležalová, Vlastimil Kajzar, Kamil Souček and Lubomír Staš., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Water quality of the Cidlina river (right tributary of the Labe river was studied during two years (1997 - 1998). Besides the examination of hydrology and land use, the main resources of pollution were identified. Physical, chemical and biological parameters of water were measured in 10 profiles and water quality was evaluated according to Czech norms 75 7221 and put into the grade of purity. Pollution of upper part of river is not so bad but lower part is very polluted. High concentration of BOD5 correspond with biological parameters - alfa-mesosaprobita. At the end some tools and strategies are added to manage water more effectively. and V létech 1997 a 1998 byla sledována kvalita povrchové vody v Cidline (pravostranný přítok Labe). Kromě studia hydrologických parametrů a využívání krajiny (land use) byly zjištěny hlavní zdroje znečištění - města Jičín a Nový Bydžov. Fyzikálně-chemické a biologické charakteristiky vody byly měřeny na 10 říčních profilech a kvalita vody hodnocena podle CSN 75 7221 a zařazena do tříd čistoty. Horní část toku, méne znečištěná, náleží do III. - IV. třídy, silně znečištená dolní část do V. třídy čistoty. Zvýšené koncentraci BSK5 v celém toku odpovídá i kvalita makrozoobentosu - vetšinou α -mezosaprobita. V závěru jsou navržena opatření k zlepšení kvality vody.
Wild Arachis genotypes were analysed for chlorophyll a fluorescence, carbon isotope discrimination (ΔC), specific leaf area (SLA), and SPAD readings. Associations between different traits, i.e., SLA and SPAD readings (r =-0.76), SLA and ΔC (r = 0.42), and ΔC and SPAD readings (r = 0.30) were established. The ratio of maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) showed a wider variability under water deficit (WD) than that after irrigation (IR). Genotypes were grouped according to the Fv/Fm ratio as: efficient, values between 0.80 and 0.85; moderately efficient, the values from 0.79 to 0.75; inefficient, the values < 0.74. Selected Selected genotypes were evaluated also for their green fodder yield: the efficient genotypes ranged between 3.0 and 3.8, the moderately efficient were 2.6 and 2.7, the inefficient genotypes were of 2.3 and 2.5 t ha-1 per year in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Leaf
water-relation traits studied in WD and IR showed that the efficient genotypes were superior in maintenance of leaf water-relation traits, especially, under WD. Potential genotypes identified in this study may enhance biomass productivity in the semiarid tropic regions., P. C. Nautiyal, A. L. Rathnakumar, G. Kulkarni, M. S. Sheshshayee., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This paper contains the method and results of calculation evapotranspiration and its structure - transpiration and evaporation from traditionally tilled and mulched soil. The data considered indicate that in the arid regions of territory under study the evapotranspiration when soil is mulched does not change significantly and only the relation between the transpiration and soil evaporation changes. In the wet regions, evapotranspiration decreases when the soil is mulched which can result in a certain disturbance of the natural structure of the hydrological cycle and possible overmoistening soils.
Both, severe hypo- or hyperthyroidism may alter hemodynamic parameters. The aim of our study was to ascertain, whether also distinct changes within normal range of free thyroxine (fT4) would be associated with an impairment of left ventricle function in patients with chronic heart failure. Hundred-forty-eight patients (m121, f27, mean age 63.8±1.14 years) with chronic heart failure, fT4 levels within the normal range (9-22 pmol/l) and without thyrostatics or substitution treatment. Degree of heart failure was quantified by plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP). Patients with fT4 in the range 11.9-14.6 pmol/l [optimal, 2nd-3th quintile] had significantly lower NT-proBNP (718±70.4 pg/ml), than those with fT4<11.8 [low-normal, bottom quintile](1236±223.6 pg/ml; p<0.03) and those with fT4 over 14.6 pmol/l [high-normal, top two quintiles] (1192±114.9 pg/ml; p<0.0002). These differences remain significant, also if adjusted for age, gender and other confounders; adjusted odds ratio was 1.30 (1.05-1.59) for optimal vs. low-normal and 1.27 (1.04-1.55) for optimal vs. high-normal. Similar statistical differences were also found in BNP, but only when optimal and high-normal fT4 ranges were compared. In conclusion, the severity of heart failure seems to be also influenced by only mild deviations of fT4 concentrations from optimal levels., O. Mayer Jr, J. Šimon, J. Čech, H. Rosolová, J. Hrbková, R. Pikner, L. Trefil., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické údaje
This paper is concerned with the problem of H∞ event-triggered output feedback control of discrete time piecewise-affine systems. Relying on system outputs, a piecewise-affine triggering condition is constructed to release communication burden. Resorting to piecewise Lyapunov functional and robust control techniques, sufficient conditions are built to ensure the closed-loop systems to be asymptotically stable with the prescribed H∞ performance. By utilizing a separation strategy, the static output feedback controller is solved by means of linear matrix inequalities. The validity of the proposed method are demonstrated by numerical examples.