We used butterfly assemblages to evaluate the ecological value of habitat mosaics within garrigue ecosystems in Cyprus. To understand the importance of the local plant communities for Cypriot butterflies, five plots in each of two habitat types (grass-dominated or shrub-dominated) were surveyed weekly for a period of five months in order to assess the abundance, species richness and diversity of butterflies. A total of 810 butterflies of 16 species were recorded. Indices of butterfly diversity, calculated across the whole season, were similar between grassland and shrubland dominated mosaics. However, species richness of all butterflies was consistently higher in grassland dominated mosaics throughout the whole season. The peak abundance of all butterfly species occurred during mid-season (late April - early May), with similar numbers observed in both habitat types. However, a greater abundance was observed during early and late season in grassland patches. The abundance of endemic species (Maniola cypricola, Hipparchia cypriensis, Glaucopsyche paphos) peaked earlier in the season in shrubland patches, but was higher in grassland patches in late season. This difference in seasonal timing of endemic abundance was dominated by the seasonal dynamics of M. cypricola. These results suggest that, while garrigue is characterised by its shrub flora, management to maintain a mosaic of grassland and shrubland could act to maximise the abundance and richness of indicator species groups of conservation importance. and Özge Özden, David J. Hodgson.
Geographic isolation, altitude, climate, landscape and habitat are significant predictors of butterfly diversity in mountain ecosystems. Their diversity and its dependence on altitude, aspect (compass bearing) and biogeographic characteristics of the butterflies were surveyed on the karst mountain Biokovo in southern Croatia. The results affirm that there is a high diversity of butterflies in the study area and the species composition and biogeographic elements are more dependent on altitude than aspect of the mountain. The present study indicates that climate, relief and habitat preferences strongly influence the biogeographic features of species and the relationship between species richness per site and altitude, aspect and the altitude-aspect interaction. and Iva Mihoci, Vladimir Hršak, Mladen Kučinić, Vlatka Mičetić Stanković, Antun Delić, Nikola Tvrtković.
Colonic mucosal protection is provided by the mucus gel, mainly composed of mucins. Several factors can modulate the formation and the secretion of mucins, and among them butyrate, an end-product of carbohydrate fermen tation. However, the specific effect of butyrate on the various colonic mucins, and the consequences in terms of the mucus layer thickness are not known. Our aim was to determine whether butyrate modulates colonic MUC genes expression in vivo and whether this results in changes in mucus synthesis and mucus layer thickness. Mice received daily for 7 days rectal enemas of butyrate (100 mM) versus saline. We demonstrated that butyrate stimulated the gene expression of both secreted (Muc2) and membrane-linked (Muc1, Muc3, Muc4) mucins. Butyrate especially induced a 6-fold increase in Muc2 gene expression in proximal colon. However, butyrate enemas did not modify the number of epithelial cells containing the protein Muc2, and caused a 2-fold decrease in the thickness of adherent mucus layer. Further studies should help understanding whether this last phenomenon, i.e. the decrease in adherent mucus gel thickness, results in a diminished protective function or not., E. Gaudier ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
We consider a class of evolution differential inclusions defining the so-called stop operator arising in elastoplasticity, ferromagnetism, and phase transitions. These differential inclusions depend on a constraint which is represented by a convex set that is called the characteristic set. For BV (bounded variation) data we compare different notions of BV solutions and study how the continuity properties of the solution operators are related to the characteristic set. In the finite-dimensional case we also give a geometric characterization of the cases when these kinds of solutions coincide for left continuous inputs.
Pro hloubavého čtenáře jsou v hlavní části článku shromážděna v historické posloupnosti fakta k zamyšlení se nad výše položenou otázku. V roce 2016 uplyne 170 roků od jednoho z nejvýznamněších činů lidského intelektu v historii nebeské mechaniky - objevu planety Neptun. Udál se za neobvyklých a částečně i dramatických okolností na různých mistech Evropy. Proběhl zásluhou úspěšného propojení matematicky obtížných a časově náročných výpočtů ve Francii, Anglii a krátkého pozorování v Německu., The discovery of planet Neptune is one of the greatest events in the history of celestian mechanics. Le Verrier and simultaneously Adam applied inverse perturbation theory to the problem of Uranus, whose irregularities in motion could be used for determination of the orbit and mass of a yet unknown planet. These very complicated computations were successfully finished in summer 1846. Neptune was discovered by Johann Galle using le Verrier‘s predictions in September of the same year proving that the mathematical methods and numerical calculations were not fundamentally flawed. Therefore, dicovery of Neptune cannot be considered as accidental., and Vladimír Štefl.