Zprávy o sedmi srážkách černých děr, jednoho páru neutronových hvězd a Nobelově ceně za fyziku., The latest observation of gravitational waves has finalized the creation of a "new window into the universe" leading to the Nobel Prize being awarded to leaders of the project. Seven observations of waves produced by black-hole collisions are reviewed as well as one corresponding to the merger of neutron stars. An electromagnetic counterpart was observed and multi-messenger astronomy was born., Tomáš Ledvinka, Jiří Bičák., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The cis(c)-9, trans(t)-11 (c9,t11) and t10,c12 isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) have been reported as agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and beneficial in lipidemia and glycemia. However, it is unclear whether CLA isomers enhance or antagonize effects of conventional drugs targeting PPAR. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed high fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks and treated without or with CLA, rosiglitazone or both for 4 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance and surrogate markers of insulin resistance were not significantly different for all treatments compared to untreated normal diet (ND) or HFD group, except lipoprotein levels. The combination of CLA and rosiglitazone had suppressed levels of low and high density lipoproteins (46 % and 25 %, respectively), compared to HFD-alone. Conversely, the atherogenic co-efficient of the animals received HFD or HFD+rosiglitazone+CLA was 2-folds higher than ND, HFD+rosiglitazone or HFD+CLA. Isolated aortic rings from the combined CLA and rosiglitazone treated animals were less sensitive to isoprenaline-induced relaxation among endothelium-denuded aortas with a decreased efficacy and potency (Rmax=53±4.7 %; pEC50=6±0.2) compared to endothelium-intact aortas (Rmax=100±9.9 %; pEC50=7±0.2). Our findings illustrate that the combination of CLA and rosiglitazone precede the atherogenic state with impaired endotheliumindependent vasodilatation before the onset of HFD-induced insulin resistance., B. K. Chai, Y. S. Lau, B. J. Loong, M. M. Rais, K. N. Ting, D. M. Dharmani, S. K. Mohankumar., and Obsahuje bibliografii
By use of plastic or rubber admixtures in the stamped charges, it is possible to affect the properties of tar, in contrast to the calorific value of resulting coking gas; further, it was found that the reactivity- and strength parameters of the obtained blast-furnace coke are good or acceptable. Unused plastics or rubber can economize on part of the coal used in a stamped charge. Additions of both light and heavy plastics can be used up to 5 % of a charge weight; in the case of rubber it is not advisable to exceed 2 wt.-% in a charge. In contradiction to the other methods, which process the unused plastics of up to a content of 1 % in a charge, it is possible, in the case of used stamping method, to process even 2 % or more., Pavel Straka., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
The abnormal proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Adipocytes produce several bioactive paracrine substances that can affect the growth and migration of VSMCs. Our study focuses on the direct effect of the bioactive substances in conditioned media (CM) that was obtained by incubation with primary adipocyte-derived cell lines, including cell lines derived from both preadipocytes and from more mature cells, on the proliferation rate of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HAoSMCs). We used a Luminex assay to measure the adipokine content of the CM and showed that there was a higher concentration of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in renal preadipocyte-CM compared with the HAoSMC control (p<0.5). The addition of both renal preadipocyte- and epicardial adipocyte-CM resulted in the elevated production of vascular endothelial growth factor compared with the control HASoSMC CM (p<0.001). The adiponectin content in renal adipocyte-CM was increased compared to all the remaining adipocyte-CM (p<0.01). Moreover, the results showed a higher proliferation rate of HAoSMCs after co-culture with epicardial adipocyte-CM compared to the HAoSMC control (p<0.05). These results suggest that bioactive substances produced by adipocytes have a stimulatory effect on the proliferation of VSMCs., J. Ždychová, S. Čejsková, I. Králová Lesná, A. Králová, J. Malušková, L. Janoušek, L. Kazdová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Long-term spring arrival dates of 37 migratory bird species as recorded in Moravia (Czech Republic) during 103 years between 1881 and 2001 were evaluated for pairwise correlation (i.e. co-fluctuation in migratory timing) between avian species. Cluster analysis of the correlation matrix revealed a number of clusters (called ‘migrons’) of co-fluctuating migratory bird species. All short-distance migrants with the European (Mediterranean) winter range clustered together in migron A (Alauda arvensis, Motacilla alba, Vanellus vanellus, Sturnus vulgaris, Corvus frugilegus, Columba palumbus, Phoenicurus ochruros, Phylloscopus collybita, Remiz pendulinus, Erithacus rubecula, Turdus philomelos, Larus ridibundus, Serinus serinus, Sylvia atricapilla), while six other, smaller clusters were formed exclusively of long-distance migrants having an African (sub-Saharan) winter range: (B) Cuculus canorus, Streptopelia turtur; (C) Hirundo rustica, Jynx torquilla, Luscinia megarhynchos, Apus apus, Sylvia curruca; (D) Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, Riparia riparia, Upupa epops; (E) Anthus trivialis, Delichon urbica, Motacilla flava, Hippolais icterina; (F) Ciconia ciconia, Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Ficedula albicollis, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, Lanius collurio; (G) Oriolus oriolus, Muscicapa striata, Locustella fluviatilis, Coturnix coturnix. Results of the co-migration analysis pose interesting questions about possible varying underlying mechanisms of the migration timing in different migrons of birds.
On the basis of laboratory and industrial experiments it was found that rubber can be treated by co-gasification with brown coal, namely in the process of the oxygen-steam pressure gasification in a moving bed (Lurgi gasification process). Considering the very low reactivity of the residual char from rubber, the optimal content of the rubber particles in the mixture being gasified should probably not exceed 10 wt.-%, but short-term increases in the proportion of these particles (up to 20 wt.-%) will not cause technological problems or significant economic losses., Pavel Straka, Vlastimil Kříž and Zdeněk Bučko., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Seasonal variations in a population of the monogenean Ancyrocephalus mogurndae Gussev, 1955 were investigated on gills of cage-cultured mandarin fish, Siniperca chuatsi (Basilewsky), during the period from April 1994 to April 1995. The abundance of A. mogurndae peaked in late spring and summer. Prevalence was high (75-100 %) throughout the study period, and did not vary significantly between months. More than 50 % of all monogeneans were found on the first and second gill arches, except one occasion when the fourth gill arch had the majority in April 1995. The niche breadths were significantly correlated with the population abundance. A coexistent parasitic myxosporean, Henneguya weishanensis Hu, 1965, on the gills of the fish was found to have little influence on the gill-arch preference of the monogenean, although the monogenean abundance was higher in those fish infected with the myxosporean.
In herbivorous insects, differences in the degree of specialization to host plants emerge when the distribution of an herbivore differs from that of its host plants, which results in a mosaic of populations differing in performance on the different host plants. Using a specialized butterfly, Battus polydamas archidamas Boisduval, 1936, which feeds exclusively on the genus Aristolochia, we test whether host plant co-occurrence and associated differences in host quality modify local adaptation in terms of larval preference and performance. We compared individuals from a monospecific host stand of Aristolochia chilensis with those from a mixed host stand of A. chilensis and A. bridgesii. Individuals were reared in a reciprocal transfer experiment in which source population and the host species fed to larvae were fully crossed in a two-by-two factorial experiment in order to quantify their preference, performance (development time, size and growth rate) and survival. Individuals from both populations preferred the species they ate during their larval development over the other host, which indicates host plant-induced preference with non-adaptive implications. Larvae from mixed and monospecific stands grew faster and survived better when reared on A. bridgesii than A. chilensis. Larvae from a monospecific host stand grew slower and fewer individuals survived under the same local conditions, which is contrary to expectations. Therefore, rearing the butterfly on A. bridgesii consistently resulted in better performance, which indicates that the monospecific population is less well adapted to its host than the mixed population. Variation in the occurrence of the two host plants in the two populations can result in divergent selection due to the variation in plant quality, which in this case could result in opposing adaptive processes., Rodrigo S. Rios, Cristian Salgado-Luarte, Gisela C. Stotz, Ernesto Gianoli., and Obsahuje bibliografii