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The effect of tick salivary proteins on innate immunity cells
PÁLENÍKOVÁ, Jana
Saliva of Ixodid ticks contains a whole array of pharmacologically active molecules with vasodilatory, antihemostatic, and immunomodulatory activities. This thesis focuses on two types of salivary proteins, serpins and cystatins, and their role in immunomodulation. These protease inhibitors are known to affect many biological functions. To better understand their role in tick saliva we examined their effect on dendritic cells and their ability to modulate the immune response after pathogen infection. As model pathogens, Borrelia spirochetes and tick-borne encephalitis virus were used.
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The endocrine function of adipose tissue and its importance for initiation and development of insulin resistance and diabetes
Haluzík, Michal ; Schreiber, Vratislav (advisor) ; Marešová, Dana (referee) ; Šeda, Ondřej (referee)
Endocrine production of adipose tissue is a very complex process affected by numerous endogenous and exogenous stimuli. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-alpha (PPAR-) are important modulators of metabolic processes which can also affect endocrine function of adipose tissue. Recently, numerous novel factors produced by adipose tissue with important metabolic effects were identified. Some of them can directly bind PPAR receptors. One of the examples of these factors is fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) which can directly bind PPAR receptors and indirectly modify its activation by changing availability of endogenous PPAR ligands -free fatty acids. We hypothesized that the mechanism of action of PPAR receptors to metabolic processes may partially lie in their complex interaction with adipose tissue-derived hormones. The unraveling of these interactions may have important consequences in finding approaches to treat patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. (...) In summary, our data show an important role for the interplay of PPAR activation and endocrine function of adipose tissue in metabolic regulations which may have important clinical consequences.
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Formation of the Unites States foreign policy towards Latin America 1848-1898: before the eagle flew out of the nes
Vytečka, Aleš ; Opatrný, Josef (advisor) ; Baďura, Bohumil (referee) ; Křížová, Markéta (referee)
Foreign policy is an outer side of the nation's life, and this applies even more to the foreign policy of the United States. Historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. sums up this statement in his excellent book The Cycles of American History writing: "The foreign policy is the face a nation wears to the world."1 Tremendous growth of the United States during the 19th century set up conditions, which helped to the 'Colossus of the North' to assume during the 20th century a role of the most important world power. Especially because of the result of the Cold War and the recent course of international events, political scientists are comparing present position of the United States with the Roman or British Empire in a peak of their power.2 One of the most interesting aspects of a study of American history is its uninterrupted continuity and 'logic,' which consequently brings forward strong appeal to our presence. By continuity I mean creation of a national identity or a 'common identity' of the American nation. A line between the past and the present in case of the United States is very strong.3 If we accept the statement of Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., then the face of the American nation obtained mature features during the second half of the 19th century. The process of framing of principal characteristics and...
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Role of Psb28 proteins in the biogenesis of the Photosystem II complex in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
BEČKOVÁ, Martina
The thesis focuses on the role of Psb28 proteins, namely the Psb28-1 and its homolog Psb28-2, in the biogenesis of the Photosystem II complex (PSII) in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803. The aims of this work were to localize the proteins within the cells, and to determine their function. A fraction of both Psb28 proteins was identified in the monomeric PSII core complexes but most proteins were found in the unassembled protein fraction associated with thylakoid membranes. Psb28-1 was mostly detected as a dimer while Psb28-2 as a monomer. Psb28-1 also differed from Psb28-2 by its higher affinity to the PSII core complex lacking CP43 antenna. Characterization of Psb28-less mutants suggested regulatory function of the proteins in PSII biogenesis in connection with chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway. Analysis of preparations isolated using FLAG-tagged versions of Psb28 proteins showed their association with Photosystem II - Photosystem I supercomplexes, especially under increased irradiance, and supported a role of Photosystem I in the PSII biogenesis.
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The role of supervision in the work with volunteers
Pravdová, Miroslava ; Poláčková, Věra (referee) ; Lorenzová, Jitka (advisor)
As far as my diploma dissertation is concerned I deal here with tasks of supervision in the course of work with volunteers of Help line. Theoretical part of my work is specialized in summary of present theoretical accesses and conceptions of volunteering and supervision in our conditions. I apply myself mostly to interpretation of volunteering and description of volunteer, then supervision importance in helping professions and also supervision clasification whether from the view of its function, tasks and forms of above mentioned supervision or from the view of particular participants. My work deals with conditions in various organizations where the supervision definitely belong to. I also addresed particular part of my work to supervision at work with volunteers where I investigated with understanding of supervision from the view of particular volunteers on Hot line.The main idea and desire during the formation of my diploma dissertation was my possible assistance to formation of constantly developing view of supervision both theory and work experience of helping professions and volunteers' work
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The Financial Arbiter in the Czech Republic
Rázová, Ilona ; Marková, Hana (advisor) ; Vybíral, Roman (referee)
The goal of this bachelor's thesis is to offer an explanation of issues connected with out-of-court settlements of disputes between financial institutions and their clients in the Czech Republic. It is represented by the Financial Arbiter, whose office was established for the purpose of harmonization of Czech law and that of the European Unions countries on 1st January 2003 through the Act No. 229/2002, concerning Financial Arbitration. This thesis deals with the origins of this post, legal basis for position of the Financial Arbiter in Czech law and his role and importance within the financial market. An important part is created with the analysis of the proceedings in front of the Financial Arbiter from its principles to the conclusion. Sample cases, which the Financial Arbiter handled, including types of solutions, are also researched. Finally, international cooperation is described in this thesis. And furthermore, there is also a similar institute working in the Great Britain mentioned in order to compare both of these offices.
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Crystallographic study of the iron-regulated outer membrane lipoprotein (FrpD) from Neisseria meningitidis
SVIRIDOVA, Ekaterina
Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis) is a Gram-negative commensal bacterium colonizing nasopharynx of about 10 % of healthy individuals, which can cause invasive diseases, such sepsis and meningitis, upon occasional penetration into bloodstream. Pathogenesis of N. meningitidis appears to be directly related to conditions of limited iron availability. Under these conditions two proteins of unknown function: FrpC and FrpD, are synthesized. FrpD is a highly conserved lipoprotein of N. meningitidis anchored to the bacterial outer membrane. It is known that FrpD tightly binds the FrpC protein, which belongs to the Repeat-in-Toxin (RTX) protein family and may act as bacterial exotoxin. However, the mechanism of FrpD-FrpC interaction and the exact function of this complex are unknown due to the absence of structural information on these proteins. Therefore, we set out to determine the structure of FrpD and provide insights into its interaction mechanism with FrpC and structure-functional relationships of these two proteins. We determined the first crystal and solution structures of the FrpD protein. We found that atomic structures of FrpD reveal a novel protein fold. We uncovered the structure-function relationships underlying the mechanism of interaction between the FrpD and FrpC proteins and tested the putative function of the FrpD-FrpC1-414 complex in vitro. Finally, we proposed the putative function of the FrpD-FrpC1-414 complex as a new minor adhesin of N. meningitidis, which mediates the bacterial adhesion to the host epithelial cells and facilitate the colonization. Our work constitutes the first step in clarifying the molecular basis of the FrpD-FrpC interaction and sets the base for further investigation of the role of FrpD and FrpC in the virulence mechanism of N. meningitidis.
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The role of insect adipokinetic hormones in oxidative stress
VEČEŘA, Josef
In this work, the role of adipokinetic hormones (AKHs) in specific pathological conditions known as oxidative stress (OS) was evaluated in insects. A previous suggestion that the AKHs reverse the OS status elicited by the herbicide paraquat was confirmed using other OS elicitor insecticides malathion and endosulfan in the classical model species the firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus. Nevertheless, the main part of this work is focused on another insect model a herbivore Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera), where the OS was elicited by tannic acid and where the impact of both OS and AKH treatment was evaluated in larval midgut tissue. Several markers of OS including activities of antioxidant enzymes, their gene expression, protein carbonyls and reduced glutathione level were measured. The results confirm the active role of AKH in activation of antioxidative defence reactions and suggest a pathway partially through which the antioxidant effects of AKHs could be realized.
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