Amphicrossus japonicus is the first known facultatively aquatic nitidulid. The adult beetles breed in bamboo sap and subsequently enter water-filled bamboo culms. In water they breathe via a ventral air sheath held by hydrofuge pubescence. The beetles are facultative predators and hunt mosquito larvae, which they grab with their forelegs. The trend to facultative predation in Cucujoidea and the transition for beetles in general from semi-liquid decaying organic matter into water is discussed.
Central pattern generators (CPGs) play an important role in controlling rhythmic movements in vivo. Increased insight into mechanisms of CPGs can be obtained by perturbing neuron activities so as to study a range of behaviors. By applying this method, a series of simulations were performed to research different transition modes between firing patterns in a pacemaker neuron model of stomatogastric ganglion (STG). Firstly, with the perturbation of parameters in model, such as external stimulus, parameters in compartments and connection between compartments, different firing patterns and bifurcation of inter-spike intervals (ISIs) were obtained to exhibit the impact of single parameter on the transions between spiking and bursting. Moreover, perturbing two parameters gCa, Iext simultaneously induced the continuous variation of the bifurcation mode, which implied the crucial role of calcium channel in regulating the rhythm generation. Finally, a two-dimensional parameter space (gCa, Iext) was constructed by spike-counting method to capture the distribution of the firing patterns and different transition mode between them in a comprehensive aspect. In this parameter space, three basic transition modes were concluded: bifurcation ring, period-doubling mode and period-adding mode.
The distributions of the tetraploid Anthoxanthum odoratum and diploid A. alpinum were first studied in the Krkonoše Mts (part of the Sudetes Mts) to find the transition zone where both species occur together and then their ecological requirements in this zone were determined. The distribution was studied at two spatial scales, geographic and local; the latter included detailed distribution at a locality level, where the relationships of both species to plant communities were investigated. The zone where the overlap occurs is between 800–1290 m a.s.l. Anthoxanthum alpinum is able to descend to even lower altitudes, where it grows in vegetation dominaned by Nardus stricta. The species commonly occur in a fine mosaic of plant communities of Polygono-Trisetion (A. odoratum), Nardion (A. alpinum) or Nardo-Agrostion tenuis (both species). Anthoxanthum alpinum also occurs in areas that are currently not in direct contact with either alpine or subalpine vegetation (the Rýchory ridge, Černá hora Mt).
Transkatétrová implantácia aortálnej chlopne (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation – TAVI) predstavuje intervenčnú metódu liečby závažnej aortálnej stenózy. TAVI je určená pre pacientov, ktorí boli tzv. srdcovým tímom (heart team) označení za chirurgicky inoperabilných resp. operabilných len pri veľmi vysokom operačnom riziku. Výhodou tohto terapeutického výkonu je miniinvazívnosť s absenciou sternotómie a potreby mimotelového krvného obehu. Intervenčná procedúra neumožňuje priamo (zrakovo) vizualizovať anatomické pomery v mieste implantácie (aortálny anulus). Z tohto dôvodu je nevyhnuté zabezpečiť presný obraz prostredníctvom kvalitného zobrazovacieho zariadenia. Štandardnou metódou posúdenia anatomických pomerov pred TAVI je multidetektorová počítačová tomografia (MDCT) s 3D rekonštrukciou. V budúcnosti by MDCT mohla byť nahradená trojrozmernou transezofageálnou echokardiografiou (3D TEE), ktorá na rozdiel od MDCT nie je zaťažená ionizačným žiarením, rizikom postkontrastnej nefropatie a hypersenzitívnej reakcie na jód. Navyše umožňuje usmerňovať intervenciu a zabezpečuje ľahšiu a lacnejšiu dispenzarizáciu pacienta. Multicentrická randomizovaná štúdia PARTNER jasne preukázala signifikantný prínos TAVI pre inoperabilných pacientov so závažnou aortálnou stenózou. Nedávno uverejnená CoreValve US Pivotal randomizovaná štúdia preukázala vyššiu efektivitu a bezpečnosť TAVI v priamom porovnaní s chirurgickou liečbou. Cieľom tohto prehľadového článku je sprostredkovať tie najaktuálnejšie informácie týkajúce sa TAVI, a to na úrovni predintervenčnej prípravy, priebehu intervencie, dispenzarizácie ako aj ovplyvnenia kvality života pacientov., Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an interventional method for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis. TAVI is indicated in patients who have been identified by the heart team as surgically inoperable or operable at very high risk. The advantage is minimal invasive approach with the absence of sternotomy and extracorporeal blood circulation. Interventional procedure does not allow direct visualization of the anatomical relations at the site of the final valve position (aortic anulus). For this reason it is essential to ensure appropriate view by high quality imaging methods. A standard method for the evaluation of the anatomical relations before TAVI is multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) with 3D reconstruction. In the future, the MDCT would be replaced by three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D TEE), which does not require ionizing radiation, there is no postcontrast nephropathy and hypersensitive reaction to iodine compared to MDCT. Furthermore, it provides direct measurements during the procedure and ensures easier and cheaper dispensarisation of the patients. A multicenter randomized PARTNER trial clearly demonstrated significant benefits of inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis treated by TAVI. Recently published CoreValve US Pivotal randomized trial demonstrated higher efficiency and safety of TAVI in direct comparison with surgical treatment. The aim of this review is to provide current knowledge of TAVI, preparation of the patients before the intervention, the process of intervention, dispensarisation, as well as affecting the quality of patients life., and Marián Kurečko, Gabriel Valočik, Marianna Vachalcová, Mariana Dvorožňáková