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Evolutionary Aspects of the Human Aesthetic Responses to Flowers
Hůla, Martin ; Flegr, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Frynta, Daniel (referee) ; Sádlo, Jiří (referee)
Human aesthetic responses to plants and flowers have long been an unexplored topic in people-plant interactions research. Theories focusing on aesthetic responses to plants and studies testing the effects of plants on human well-being have usually used general terms such as vegetation, greenery, or houseplants, thus ignoring the immense diversity of individual plant shapes and colors. We argue that specific features of different plant species play a key role in eliciting human aesthetic responses and possibly also influence the strength of their effects on human well-being. We decided to identify some flower features that might influence the aesthetic response and to test their relevance empirically. The choice of flower features was derived from evolutionary theoretical frameworks that discuss the origin of human aesthetic responses to flowers (Habitat selection theory), shapes (Information processing theory), and colors (Ecological valence theory). In the first study, we asked more than 2,000 participants to rate the beauty of 52 Czech wildflowers in photographs. Our results showed a strong agreement between raters. The prototypicality of flowers had a positive effect on the rating of their beauty. At the same time, the ratings were strongly negatively correlated with flower complexity. Floral...
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Atomic fluorescence spectrometry with volatile species generation - a sensitive tool for ultra-trace elemental analysis
Štádlerová, Barbora ; Musil, Stanislav (advisor) ; Spěváčková, Věra (referee) ; Dočekalová, Hana (referee)
This thesis encompasses a development of innovative methodologies based on atomic fluorescence spectrometry, offering precise and sensitive determination of ultra-trace elements, such as bismuth, cadmium, and nickel. The common denominator of all parts of this work is the use of a research-grade non-dispersive atomic fluorescence spectrometer (AFS). First part of this work is dedicated to the development of a highly sensitive methodology for bismuth determination based on hydride generation (HG) coupled with AFS. Bismuthane was generated by the reaction with NaBH4 in HCl medium in a flow injection arrangement and directed by a stream of carrier argon and hydrogen to an atomizer. A detailed optimization of the optical path of the spectrometer (electrodeless discharge lamp, lenses and interference filter) and atomization parameters in two flame atomizers - miniature diffusion flame (MDF) and flame-in-gas-shield atomizer (FIGS) - was performed. An excellent repeatability and extremely low limits of detection were achieved, namely 1.8 ng L−1 with the MDF and 0.9 ng L−1 with the FIGS. Subsequently, a photochemical vapour generation (PVG) of bismuth was coupled to AFS, employing a flow injection arrangement of the generator, a standard mercury low-pressure UV lamp and a coiled Teflon reactor. A flow rate...
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Lipid emulsions in lonf-term parenteral nutition
Ševela, Stanislav ; Novák, František (advisor) ; Cahová, Monika (referee) ; Lahoda Brodská, Helena (referee)
The combination of intestinal failure and parenteral nutrition is a condition associated with mild chronic inflammation and organ injury, the most significant of which is hepatic injury. This crossover-controlled trial investigated the effects of different intravenous lipid emulsions (IVLE) enriched with increased doses of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) from fish oil (FO) in patients on home parenteral nutrition (HPNP) for chronic intestinal failure. Twelve patients were consecutively given three different IVLEs, with an FO emulsion added after each IVLE. The study also included twelve paired healthy controls for comparison. The aim of this study was to investigate how long-term administration of these IVLEs affected primarily the erythrocyte and plasma fatty acid (FA) spectrum, as well as the inflammatory response, antioxidant status, markers of liver function and bile acid spectrum in HPNP, and how these changes differed from healthy subjects. We demonstrated successful incorporation of n-3 PUFA into erythrocyte phospholipids and corresponding changes in the plasma FA spectrum, characterized in particular by significant increases in n-3 versus n-6 PUFA, with a decrease in the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio. We also found a more prolonged effect on these changes with high dose FO...
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Study of protein-protein interactions of human E3 ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2.
Joshi, Rohit Ashok ; Obšilová, Veronika (advisor) ; Krůšek, Jan (referee) ; Holoubek, Aleš (referee)
Posttranslační modifikace prostřednictvím ubikvitinace hrají klíčovou roli v regulaci membránových proteinů. Nedd4-2, lidská HECT E3 ubikvitin ligáza, je poslední komponentou ubikvitinační kaskády, která přenáší molekuly ubikvitinu a spouští endocytózu svých následných cílových molekul. Dysregulace Nedd4-2 může způsobovat různé poruchy, včetně epilepsie, respirační úzkosti a Liddleova syndromu. Přestože se na regulaci Nedd4-2 podílejí různé adaptorové proteiny, v tomto výzkumu jsme se zaměřili na konzervované proteiny 14-3- 3, známé negativní regulátory Nedd4-2. V této studii jsme provedli biofyzikální charakterizaci konstruktů Nedd4-2190-581 a Nedd4-2186-975 v komplexu s 14-3-3, abychom získali další náhled do dynamiky této interakce. Naše výsledky časově rozlišené fluorescenční spektroskopie odhalily, že vazba 14-3-3 ovlivňuje emisní vlastnosti a pohyblivost specifických WW domén (WW3 a WW4) Nedd4-2, zatímco ostatní (WW1) šetří. Zajímavé je, že katalytická doména HECT prochází při tvorbě komplexu konformačními změnami a zvýšenou exponovaností rozpouštědlu. Předpokládáme, že sterická inhibice domén WW3 a WW4 v kombinaci s konformačními změnami v katalytické doméně může být základem regulačního mechanismu zprostředkovaného vazbou proteinem 14-3-3. Chemické zesítění spolu s hmotnostní spektrometrií...
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Magnetic nanoparticles of iron oxides for medicine
Kubániová, Denisa ; Kohout, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Mašláň, Miroslav (referee) ; Šepelák, Vladimír (referee)
Magnetic nanoparticles of iron oxides, particularly those of ferric oxides, magnetite, substituted variants, including functional derivatives, have attracted significant interest because of promis- ing capabilities in emerging diagnostic imaging methods and novel therapeutic interventions. In addition to the rapid development of syntheses and functionalization methods, a comprehen- sive understanding of their fundamental physical characteristics and the complex link among composition, microstructure, magnetic properties, and relaxation characteristics is pivotal for the rational design of well-defined magnetic nanoparticle systems. Generally, the magnetic behavior of nanoparticles deviates from bulk materials not only due to finite-size and surface effects but also by the occurrence of new crystal structures (polymorphs) and metastable states, such as non-equilibrium cation distribution. The doctoral thesis investigates the key physical characteristics of selected nanoparticle systems (simple ferric oxides of various crystal struc- ture and morphology; Zn-, Co- and Mn-substituted magnetite-maghemite; coated by various hydrophilic and biologically inert surface layers), primarily by 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and supplemented by other available techniques. For that purpose, Mössbauer spectroscopy that...
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Atherosclerosis and cadiovascular risk in selected rheumatic diseases
Oreská, Sabína ; Tomčík, Michal (advisor) ; Horák, Pavel (referee) ; Soukup, Tomáš (referee)
Cardiovascular (CV) diseases due to atherosclerosis are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. CV risk in rheumatic patients is caused by both traditional and non- traditional risk factors associated with autoimmune diseases. Unlike the relatively more prevalent rheumatic disease, there is a lack of evidence on CV risk in rare rheumatic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the CV risk in 90 patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), compared to 180 healthy controls (HC) with similar age and gender distribution, without clinically manifested CV diseases. The results of this cross-sectional cohort study showed a significantly higher prevalence of traditional risk factors as well as of subclinical atherosclerosis in IIM compared to HC. In comparison to carotid ultrasonography, SCORE, SCORE2, and modified SCORE was proved to underestimate the CV risk, while SCORE2 appeared to be the most accurate. The most severe CV risk profile was observed in patients with statin-induced necrotizing myopathy. Overall, higher CV risk in IIM was associated with higher age, disease activity, body composition parameters, and higher blood pressure values. We confirmed a higher CV risk as well as a higher prevalence of traditional risk factors in patients with IIM compared to the...
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The predictive validity of the state part of the school-leaving exam and the entrance exam to the Faculty of Education, Charles University
Bartáková, Irena ; Chvál, Martin (advisor) ; Kucharská, Anna (referee) ; Michek, Stanislav (referee)
This dissertation deals with the predictive validity of the state part of the school-leaving exam and the entrance exam to the Faculty of Education, Charles University. Its purpose is to find what influence these exams have on academic performance, with the criteria being the grade point average for each year of the bachelor program, cumulative grade point average and the state final examination grade. The data set consists of students admitted for academic years 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 in the following fields: Czech language, English language and Special education. The dissertation includes also a review study giving an overview of the research on the predictive validity conducted in the Czech republic and other countries. The empirical part provides the description and comparison of the individual data sets, including results from school-leaving exam and the entrance exam, as well as university grades. As for the school-leaving exams, students pass most succesfully the English exam. When focusing on the field of study, the most successful students are those of the English language, while students of Special education have the worst grades. However, these students achieve the best results in the entrance exam and they also perform best during their university studies, which can be seen in the...
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Zoos as socially constructed institutions in changing social and territorial contexts
Nekolný, Lukáš ; Fialová, Dana (advisor) ; Šantrůčková, Markéta (referee) ; Boltižiar, Martin (referee)
This dissertation deals with research of the zoo as a social construct, which in its history and form represents the development of the relationship between society and nature, or man and animals. At the same time, it is a specific cultural landscape reflecting other changes in paradigms and needs in society. The current form of zoos has always reflected various economic, political, environmental and cultural aspects, or opinion and spatial changes of society. This work is a contribution to the discussion of the application of thematization typical of contemporary experience-oriented society. The aim of the thesis is to characterize the development of zoos and their current form in Europe, where this concept originated at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, and to discuss regional differences regarding the different geographical context of the post-socialist space. From the geographical point of view, this is a topic rarely addressed so far, both from a theoretical (the zoo as an example of the specific landscape) as well as a regional approach. The first part provides a theoretical framework by means of a discussion of scientific literature and formulating the starting points of the research based on selected concepts and paradigms (social constructivism, the relationship between man and...
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Molecular causes and mechanisms of hereditary cholestasis and statin-induced myopathy
Neřoldová, Magdaléna ; Jirsa, Milan (advisor) ; Dvořáková, Lenka (referee) ; Bronský, Jiří (referee)
The discovery of the molecular basis of Rotor syndrome consisting in biallelic inactivating mutations in both SLCO1B1 and SLCO1B3 genes encoding hepatic transporters OATP1B1 and OATP1B3, together with the previously described association of the rs4149056 variant in OATP1B1 with statin-induced myopathy (SM), led us to hypothesis that private variants in OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 confer predisposition to SM. This hypothesis was not supported by our study of 88 patients in whom exome sequencing was performed. Interestingly, we detected candidate variants in several genes mutated in recessively inherited muscle disorders, namely CLCN1, whose carriage may predispose to SM. Pathogenic variants in several dozens of causative genes underlie hereditary cholestasis. We performed exome sequencing in 51 unexplained cases and revealed several unexpected diagnoses such as autosomal recessive polycystic polyposis, cutaneous porphyria or nephronophthisis. The most remarkable finding was that of yet unreported F11R deficiency due to a homozygous splice mutation found simultaneously in an index patient suffering from liver cirrhosis and her healthy sister. The F11R protein is involved in formation of tight intercellular junctions and mutations in F11r predispose to liver failure in mice. The finding of bialellic variants...
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Essays in Experimental Economics: Labor Market Discrimination
Jibuti, Daviti ; Filer, Randall (advisor) ; Hamermesh, Daniel S. (referee) ; Deb, Partha (referee)
i Abstract The three chapters in this dissertation use field experiments to examine discrimination in various settings. Chapters I and II use a correspondence testing approach to study discrimination against applicants with visible tattoos in the German labor market. Previous empirical research has documented unfavorable treatment of tattooed applicants on the labor market. This may be because negative stereotypes are still associated with tattooed people, despite the increasing popularity of tattoos. However, the impact of tattoos on employment chances may be different across different occupations. Fictitious applications are sent to online job postings in the banking and IT sector. Otherwise identical applications differ only in the picture attached: in the treatment group the applicants have a visible tattoo. The extent of discrimination is measured by the difference in callback rates. The data indicates that the candidates without visible tattoos have, on average, a 13-percentage point higher callback rate in the banking sector, and in the IT sector applicants with visible tattoos are about 25% less likely to get a callback. In the third chapter we conduct a study of hiring bias on an online platform where we ask participants to make hiring decisions for a mathematically intensive task. Our findings...
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