Red wine polyphenols have been reported to exert beneficial effects in preventing cardiovascular diseases but their molecular mechanisms of hemodynamic effects on functional cardiovascular and renal changes were studied much less. The review is focused on in vitro as well as in
vivo effects of red wine extract containing polyphenolic compounds
(Provinols™) on cardiovascular systems and kidney in relation to the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of these compounds. This review provides the evidence that Provinols™ is able to produce ex vivo
endothelium-dependent relaxation as a result of enhanced NO synthesis. Administration of Provinols™ partially prevents the development of hypertension during NO deficiency and accelerates the decrease of blood pressure in already established hypertension. The effects of Provinols™ include prevention and/or attenuation of myocardial fibrosis, reduction of aortic wall thickening and improvement of vascular functions. These functional and structural alterations are associated with significant augmentation of NO production, seen as the increase of NO synthase activity and eNOS protein expression. Moreover, it has been documented that Provinols™ decreased the oxidative stress within the cardiovascular system and kidney.
In the Pyrenees, brown bear population abundance is estimated from non-invasive genetic analyses of scat and hair samples. Although such analyses are highly beneficial for population monitoring and research, it can be especially difficult for humans to locate bear scats in the field. To address this, we have incorporated a dog (trained from an early age to detect bear scats) into these efforts since 2014. Here, we compared the effectiveness of the scat-detection dog/handler and human-only teams to locate bear scats using our work in the Pyrenees as a case study. A species validation was systematically carried out, either genetically or visually using a microscope, based on the presence of bear hair, for all scats collected from 2010 to 2019. From 2014 to 2019, the use of the dog/handler team in addition to human-only teams increased the average number of bear scats collected annually by four times in comparison with the 2010-2013 period when only humans were searching for scats. This temporal augmentation could not be explained by the increase in bear population size. From 2014 to 2019, the annual percentage of outings during which at least one bear scat was found was 17 times higher for the dog than for humans. The use of the dog also resulted indirectly in a better genotyping success and genetic identification of more individuals due to a larger choice of viable samples that could be sent to the molecular laboratory, as well as a larger number of cub scats detected by the dog. We found that even the use of a single scat-detection dog can greatly improve the efficiency of detecting target scats in challenging monitoring conditions.
Cíl: Přezkoumání benefitů metody klokánkování pro nedonošené novorozence, to znamená najít dostatek důkazů pro opodstatnění používání metody klokánkování na Jednotce intenzivní péče pro novorozence. Metodika: Vyhledávání validních indikátorů pozitivního vlivu metody klokánkování prostřednictvím metody praxe založené na důkazech. Pro získání relevantních zdrojů byly využity licencované databáze a volně přístupné databáze - Medline, Bibliomedica, Nursing: Best Evidence for Nursing care, Google Scholar. Výsledky: Analýza výsledků prokázala jednoznačně pozitivní vliv metody klokánkování na nedonošené novorozence umístěné na Jednotce intenzivní péče, a to zejména v oblasti vnímání bolesti u invazivních výkonů, efektivního kojení, zvýšení váhového přírůstku, delšího a klidnějšího spánku, pozitivnější interakce matka – dítě, udržení nebo zvýšení tělesné teploty, zkrácení doby hospitalizace, růstu do délky, růstu obvodu hlavičky a aktivace centrální nervové soustavy. Závěry: Výzkumné studie (n = 34) a jeden systematický přehled ukazují pozitivní vliv metody klokánkování na nedonošeného novorozence umístěného na Jednotce intenzivní péče v oblastech biopsychosociálních. V podmínkách českého zdravotnictví chybí vypracované platné standardy pro využívání metody v praxi., Objective: To review benefits of kangaroo care method for premature babies, it means finding enough evidence to justify using the kangaroo care method in the Intensive care unit for newborns. Methods: Searching for valid indicators of a positive influence method of kangaroo care through method evidence-based practice. To obtain relevant sources were used licensed databases and freely available databases - Medline, Bibliomedica, Nursing: Best Evidence for Nursing care, Google Scholar. Results: Analysis of results showed a clearly positive impact of the kangaroo care methods on premature infants placed in intensive care, especially in the perception of pain in invasive procedures, effective breastfeeding, increased weight gain, longer and quieter sleep, more positive interactions of mother - child, maintaining or increasing body temperature, reduced hospitalization, growth in length, head circumference growth and activation of the CNS. Conclusions: The research studies (n = 34) and one systematic review have shown a positive influence of the kangaroo care methods on premature newborns placed in intensive care in the areas of bio-psycho-social. In terms of the Czech healthcare system lacks established standards for the use of valid methods in practice., Lucie Sikorová, Monika Suszková, and Literatura
The macrozoobenthos in saline pools at dumps in a former coal mining area was studied over a period of two years. Due to specific environmental conditions these pools are unique in the Czech Republic. Extremely high values of salinity (up to 11‰) along with a low concentration of dissolved phosphorus (0.01-0.1 mg.l-1) are typical of some of the water in this area. The pools were grouped into three categories based on their conductivity values and treated using cow dung, municipal wastewater treatment sludge and inorganic NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) fertilizer at doses recommended for carp ponds. The application of fertilizer had a positive effect on the density and biomass of all the groups in the macrozoobenthos. The highest and the lowest increases in macrozoobenthos biomass were recorded after the application of NPK and cow dung, respectively. However, the application of fertilizer had no effect on the diversity of macrozoobenthos. Chironomus aprilinus, recorded in the Czech Republic for the first time, inhabited all pools with conductivity ranges of between 5,000-16,000 µS.cm-1. The density of C. aprilinus larvae increased with increasing salinity reaching a maximum of about 17,083 ind.m-2 (biomass - 82 g.m-2). Analysis of C. aprilinus phenology revealed a bivoltine pattern with the summer generation of larvae reaching a maximum in June-July and the overwintering generation in October to November., Josef Matěna, Iva Šínová, Jakub Brom, Kateřina Novotná., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The genus Berchmansus Navás, which was previously assigned to the tribe Leucochrysini, consists of three very rare species, all described from the Neotropics and all poorly known. Our report (1) provides the first description of a Berchmansus larva, the first instar of Berchmansus elegans (Guérin Méneville), (2) illustrates and redescribes the B. elegans adult, with emphasis on male and female genitalia, and (3) examines the larval and adult characters vis-à-vis the tribal affiliation of the genus. Given that the B. elegans adult and first instar share many apomorphies with other belonopterygine genera, this species belongs in the cosmopolitan tribe Belonopterygini, rather than the New World tribe Leucochrysini. Although Berchmansus larvae have not been collected in the field, we suspect that, like other belonopterygines, they are associated with ant nests. B. elegans exhibits a number of highly modified and unusual structures, some of which (#1 to #5) are not reported for any other chrysopids. Specifically: Males have (1) a unique, quadrate, dome-like hood above the gonarcus and (2) large, coiled parameres on the gonosaccus. First instars have (3) a greatly enlarged subapical seta on the flagellum, (4) a transverse row of long, hooked setae along the dorso-anterior margin of the pronotum, and (5) setose laterodorsal tubercles on the meso- and metathorax, with (6) multi-pronged, hooked setae.