Hemangiom je nejčastější primární benigní nádor páteře typu hamartomu, který nikdy nemalignizuje. V drtivé většině případů se jedná o asymptomatické solitární léze hrudní páteře jakožto náhodné nálezy radiografických vyšetření. Pouze v 1 % případů se hemangiom obratle projeví klinicky a agresivita této benigní léze pak spočívá v expanzivním chování nádorové tkáně či v důsledku patologické fraktury obratle. Klinickými příznaky potom jsou především dorzalgie, v pokročilých případech pak známky kořenové nebo míšní komprese. Radiodiagnostika je poměrně snadná, protože hemangiom obratle vykazuje zcela typické grafické příznaky, pro potvrzení diagnózy agresivního hemangiomu obratle jsou stanovena grafická kritéria. Spektrum léčebných modalit je velmi široké od konzervativní léčby přes hodně využívanou vertebroplastiku po radikální chirurgickou léčbu. Komplementárně jsou často využívány embolizační výkony, alkoholová sklerotizace a lokální radioterapie. Agresivní hemangiom obratle je poměrně velmi vzácná diagnóza. Proto zatím neexistují velké soubory či klinické studie, podle kterých by bylo možné stanovit optimální terapeutický postup., Hemangioma is the most common primary benign hamartoma type spine tumor. Malignant degeneration has never been reported. In the majority of cases, this is an asymptomatic solitary lesion of the thoracic spine found incidentally during a radiographic examination. Only 1% of cases manifests clinically and this benign lesion is considered aggressive because of the expansive nature of the tumor and because it may cause pathological fracture of the vertebrae. Clinical symptoms then include dorsalgia and either root or spinal neurological symptoms. Radiological diagnosis is relatively easy because vertebral hemangioma is associated with quite typical graphic signs; graphic criteria to confirm the diagnosis of aggressive vertebral hemangioma have been clearly defined. The range of treatment options is very wide, from conservative treatment through frequently used vertebroplasty to radical surgical treatment. Embolization procedures, alcohol sclerotherapy and local radiotherapy are often used as complementary procedures. Aggressive vertebral hemangioma is a relatively rare diagnosis, so far there are no large cohorts or clinical studies from which it would be possible to determine an optimal therapeutic approach. Key words: hemangioma – vertebroplasty – angiogenesis inhibitors – angiomatosis – propranolol The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE “uniform requirements” for biomedical papers., and R. Kostyšyn, Z. Pleskačová, V. Málek
One of the most important services provided by biodiversity is thought to be the biological control of pests in agricultural landscapes, including aphids on cereals. The food webs potentially contributing to biological control of aphids primarily consist of polyphagous predators, parasitoids and pathogens. The problems of aphid pests have increased greatly since the 1970-ies, possibly as an effect of agricultural intensification, which is thought to have reduced diversity and abundance of these predators and parasites and consequently their biocontrol potential. The main objective of this study was to test this by measuring this potential for biological control of aphids, and relate it to agricultural intensification and predator abundance. We selected 30 farms distributed along agricultural intensification gradients, based on the amount of fertilizers applied per hectare. Estimates of ground-living predator density were obtained using pitfall trapping over a one-week period. Traps were placed inside the cereal fields, 10 m from the margin, in 2 replicates per field. Predation risk due to ground-living predators (biocontrol potential) was estimated by monitoring removal of aphids glued to labels. This was done in the same fields, in the immediate vicinity of the traps, over a period of 2 days. The proportion of aphids eaten per unit time was the response variable. We present the correlations between intensity of agricultural exploitation, predator abundance and biocontrol potential. The outcomes are not straightforward in that intensification begets a reduction in predator density and biocontrol potential. We discuss the potential confounding issues that might have affected our results.
The aircraft engine lubricating oil monitoring is essential in terms of the flight safety and also for reduction of the maintenance cost. The concentration of metal elements in the lubricating oil includes a large amount of information about the health condition of the aircraft engine. By monitoring the lubricating oil, maintenance engineers can judge the performance deterioration of the aircraft engine and can find the latent mechanical faults in the aircraft engine in advance. But it is difficult for traditional methods to predict the tendency of the mental elements concentration in the lubricating oil. In this paper, a time series prediction method based on process neural network (PNN) is proposed to solve this problem. The inputs and the connection weights of the PNN are time-varied functions. A corresponding learning algorithm is developed. To simplify the learning algorithm, a set of appropriate orthogonal basis functions are introduced to expand the input functions and the connection weight functions of the PNN. The effectiveness of the proposed method is proved by the Mackey-Glass time series prediction. Finally, the proposed method is utilized to predict the Fe concentration in the aircraft engine lubricating oil monitoring, and the test results indicate that the proposed model seems to perform well and appears suitable for using as a predictive maintenance tool.
Chronic airflow limitation, caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or by asthma, is believed to change the shape and the position of the diaphragm due to an increase in lung volume. We have made a comparison of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of diaphragm in supine position with pulmonary functions, respiratory muscle function and exercise tolerance. We have studied the differences between patients with COPD, patients with asthma, and healthy subjects. Most interestingly we found the lung hyperinflation leads to the changes in diaphragmatic excursions during the breathing cycle, seen in the differences between the maxim al expiratory diaphragm position (DPex) in patients with COPD and control group (p=0.0016) . The magnitude of the diaphragmatic dysfunction was significantly related to the airflow limitation expressed by the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to slow vital capacity (FEV 1 /SVC) , (%, p=0.0007); to the lung hyperinflation expressed as the ratio of the residual volume to total lung capacity (RV/TLC), (%, p=0.0018) and the extent of tidal volume constrain expressed as maximal tidal volume (V Tmax ), ([l], p=0 .0002); and the ratio of tidal volume to slow vital capacity (VT/SVC), (p=0.0038) during submaximal exercise. These results suggest that diaphragmatic movement fails to contribute sufficiently to the change in lung volume in emphysema. Tests of respiratory muscle function were related to the position of the diaphragm in deep expiration, e.g. neuromuscular coupling (P 0.1 /VT) (p=0.0232). The results have shown that the lung volumes determine the position of the diaphragm and function of the respiratory muscles. Chronic airflow limitation seems to change the position of the diaphragm, which thereafter influences inspiratory muscle function and exercise tolerance. There is an apparent relationship between the position of the diaphragm and the pulmonary functions and exercise tolerance., L. Hellebrandová, J. Chlumský, P. Vostatek, D. Novák, Z. Rýznarová, V. Bunc., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Akromegalie patří mezi vzácná a závažná onemocnění, základem její léčby je kombinace terapie chirurgické, radiační a medikamentózní. V práci se popisuje případ akromegalie diagnostikované před 10 lety ve stadiu, v němž byla možná již jen parciální resekce hypofyzárního tumoru. Přesto se podařilo dosáhnout dlouhodobé stabilizace stavu kombinací opakovaného chirurgického zákroku, radioterapie lineárním urychlovačem i Leksellovým gama nožem a medikamentózní léčby somatostatinovým analogem oktreotidem a blokátorem receptorů pro růstový hormon pegvisomantem. Dávka oktreotidu i pegvisomantu byla opakovaně měněna podle výsledků vyšetření hladiny IGF1, v současnosti je podáváno somatostatinové analogon Sandostatin LAR 30 mg jednou za 3 týdny a blokátor receptorů pro růstový hormon Somavert 20 mg denně. Přes přítomnost závažné choroby nemocný již po 10 let vede spokojený život. Náklady na finančně náročnou léčbu jsou z etického hlediska plně odůvodněné., Acromegaly is a rare and serious disease. A successful and rational therapy of acromegaly ought to combine surgery, radiotherapy and pharmacotherapy. The submitted article presents a case of acromegaly that was only diagnosed at the stage when total pituitary adenoma removal was impossible. Even so, the long-term stabilisation of the disease was reached by way of repeated surgery through transfenoidal and transcranial approach, by linear accelerator radiation therapy and Leksell Gamma Knife radiotherapy and by pharmacotherapy with somatostatin analogon octreotide and growth hormone receptor antagonist pegvisomant. The octreotide and pegvisomant dosage has been repeatedly changed according to IGF1 levels. The contemporary somatostatin analogon Sandostatin LAR 30 mg is given once every 3 weeks and the growth hormone receptor antagonist Somavert 20 mg is applied daily. Despite this serious disease, the patient has already been living contentedly for 10 years. From the ethical point of view, the financials costingness of the therapy should be considered as reasonable., and Helena Šiprová, Miroslav Souček
Akromegalie je vzácné onemocnění způsobené autonomní nadprodukcí růstového hormonu, ve většině případů hypofyzárním adenomem. Neléčená akromegalie vede ke zvýšené morbiditě a mortalitě a také zhoršené kvalitě života pacientů. Pro prognózu pacientů je proto nezbytné včasné stanovení diagnózy a časná léčba a péče o pacienty s akromegalií by měla být koncentrována do specializovaných center. Článek shrnuje současný pohled na diagnostiku a léčbu akromegalie., Acromegaly is a rare disorder caused by autonomous oversecretion of growth hormone mostly by pituitary adenoma. Untreated acromegaly leads to significantly increased morbidity and mortality and impaired quality of life. Early diagnosis and treatment is therefore essential for improvement of patients’ prognosis and management of acromegaly should be concentrated in specialized centres. Present article summarizes current view on diagnosis and treatment of acromegaly., and Michal Kršek
Because greater Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) phosphorylation has been reported in insulin-stimulated skeletal muscles without improved Akt activation several hours post-exercise, we hypothesized that prior exercise would result in attenuated AS160 dephosphorylation in insulin-stimulated rat skeletal muscle. Epitrochlearis muscles were isolated from rats that were sedentary (SED) or exercised 3 h earlier (3 h postexercise; 3hPEX). Paired muscles were incubated with [3H]-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) without insulin or with insulin. Lysates from other insulin-stimulated muscles from SED or 3hPEX rats were evaluated using AS160Thr642 and AS160Ser588 dephosphorylation assays. Prior exercise led to greater 2-DG uptake concomitant with greater AS160Thr642 phosphorylation and a non-significant trend (P=0.087) for greater AS160Ser588. Prior exercise also reduced AS160Thr642 and AS160Ser588 dephosphorylation rates. These results support the idea that attenuated AS160 dephosphorylation may favor greater AS160 phosphorylation post-exercise., E. B. Arias, H. Wang, G. D. Cartee., and Seznam literatury