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Regulation of the cytokine IL-33 production and its biological effects.
Kardošová, Miroslava ; Stříž, Ilja (advisor) ; Zajícová, Alena (referee)
IL-33 is a dual function protein that may function as both a proinflammatory cytokine and an intracellular nuclear factor. In a role of cytokine IL-33 signals via receptor ST2 and induces T helper type 2-associated cytokines in its target cells including mast cells, basophils, eosinophils and natural killer cells. Additionally, it acts as chromatin-associated nuclear factor with transcriptional regulator properties affecting expression of some proinflammatory cytokines. Regulation of this processes is poorly understood, mechanisms underlying synthesis, processing and secretion of IL-33 also remain to be fully explored. The aim of our study was to examine mechanisms probably involved in regulation of IL-33 production and its secretion outside the cell. First, we investigated possibility that IL-33 secretion is affected by stimulation with cytokines TNFα, IFN γ, IL-1β, IL-13, IL-33, TGF-β and IL-10 or stimulation with LPS isolated from E. coli. Next we investigated hypothesis that IL-33 is released from cells during cell damage or necrosis and serve as "alarmin". Necrosis was induced in LPS-stimulated cells by freeze-thawing cycles. Besides the presence of IL-33 we tested levels of IL-1α and IL-1β. In our experimental model, we used A549 cell line (alveolar type II-like cells), THP-1 promonocytic...
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Raman tweezers for sorting of living cells
Pilát, Zdeněk ; Ježek, Jan ; Kaňka, Jan ; Šerý, Mojmír ; Jákl, Petr ; Zemánek, Pavel
We have developed an instrument for automatized analysis and sorting of living cells of unicellular algae and other micro-objects based on laser tweezers and Raman spectroscopy. The system comprises the Raman tweezers setup, special microfluidic chip, and a specialized software allowing image recognition, spectral analysis, and automated sorting functions. The resulting instrument allows non-destructive analysis of chemical properties of living cells and their automatic separation for further examination or cultivation.
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Materials for Solar Cells Based on Thin Silicon Films
Fekete, Ladislav
Thin lm microcrystalline silicon is the most promising materiál for large area PN junction solar cells. As microcrystalline silicon is a heterogenous material composed of two phases (amorphous silicon tissue from which crystalline grains of micrometric dimension grow). The Raman spectra are commonly used to determine the crystallinity of mixed phase silicon thin lms by analyzing the contributions of amorphous and crystalline phase to TO phonon band. Many dierent empirical or semi-empirical methods of evaluating crystallinity from the Raman spectra exist. In this master's thesis the microcrystalline Raman spectra were studied and a better way of evaluating crystallinity was searched for. The decomposition of the microcrystalline spectra of the series of the samples, where a single deposition parameter was changing,by tting them with Gaussian bands was performed. We also report on the development of a special software for the band decomposition by non-linear least-squares tting based on Marquardt-Levenberg algorithm and demonstrate its use for a series of lms with structure changing from amorphous to fully microcrystalline.
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Molecular mechanism of formation and development of colonies of wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains
Šťovíček, Vratislav
Yeasts are capable of forming a wide range of multicellular communities, which enable the survival in harmful and changing environment. Surface associated biofilms, often connected with infections in human body, and colonies can serve as an example of such populations. This work investigates formation and development of complex structured colonies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which can be considered as a distinctive feature of yeast strains isolated from the wild. Architecture and properties of such colonies are fundamentally different from the spatially undifferentiated colonies of most of laboratory strains and resemble in many ways rather natural biofilms of pathogenic yeasts. Yeast populations use specific developmental processes induced by communication mechanisms to synchronize the early stages of their development. Formation of specific three-dimensional colony architecture is enabled by the presence of extracellular matrix and adhesive protein Flo11p which provide stability and integrity of the whole structure. Protection of the colonies is accomplished by spatially differentiated cell subpopulations using various mechanisms such as expression of efflux pumps capable of removing toxic substances or production of extracellular matrix functioning also as selectively permeable barrier. Phenotypic...
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Patents: Means to Innovation or Strategic Ends?
Štěpánek, Martin ; Schwarz, Jiří (advisor) ; Vlasáková Baruníková, Michaela (referee)
This paper utilizes an extensive dataset of 163,663 US patents granted between 1976 and 2011 to 25 companies within four technological fields (aerospace in- dustry, computer manufacturing, semiconductor industry, and software devel- opment), to observe fluctuations in their value and characteristics. I find that certain indicators have changed immensely during the last 36 years, suggesting that newer patents are much less valuable than their predecessors. Further, using Data Envelopment Analysis, I estimate relative production efficiency of transformation of inputs (research and development expenses and company's workforce) into outputs (patent stock and its technological importance), to provide an empirical evidence for the recent theories of strategical patent ex- ploitation by large companies. I find that the efficiency varies considerably for different industries and also for the companies within an industry. There is an overall trend of increasing efficiency in patent production per unit of input, but there is none in the effectiveness of creating valuable inventions, which seems to depend only on the company itself. JEL Classification D22,L20,O32,O34 Keywords patent value, intellectual property rights, strate- gic patents, research and development efficiency Author's e-mail Stepanek.Martin@hotmail.com
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Analysis of impact of new software distribution models on company IS/ICT management
Polanský, Ondřej ; Voříšek, Jiří (advisor) ; Vít, Miroslav (referee)
Diplomová práce se zabývá modelem distribuce aplikační funkcionality formou služeb (SaaS ? Software as a Service), transformací trhu s IT dle tohoto modelu a dopadem těchto změn do sféry řízení podnikové informatiky. Cílem práce je co nejlépe anticipovat dopad transformace IT průmyslu právě do oblasti služeb a na základě výsledků této prognózy odvodit nejvýznamnější změny, kterými projde jak samotná podniková informatika, tak způsob jejího řízení. Popis transformace IT průmyslu je možný na základě identifikace nejzávažnějších současných problémů tohoto průmyslu a popisu těch současných trendů, které k této transformaci směřují. Změny podnikové informatiky a jejího řízení jsou popisovány na základě vývoje od doby vzniku moderních podnikových informačních systémů (tj. počátek 90. let 20. století), s tím, že je kladen důraz na ty nejzávažnější problémy integrace IT do struktury podniku a nejvýznamnější metody, které se na řešení těchto problémů uplatňovaly či uplatňují. Velký důraz je v práci kladen na korporátní důsledky těchto změn, takže každý významný diskutovaný aspekt je zkoumán mimo jiné z pohledu jeho vstřebávání trhem či samotnou organizací, a to především z hlediska porovnávání nákladů a přínosů. Přínos práce spočívá především v analýze dopadů změn trhu s IT na subjekty na trhu působící, tedy jak na nabízející tak na poptávající. Z hlediska strany nabídky jde především o sekce věnující se vzájemným vztahům mezi poskytovateli aplikačních služeb (sdružování do tzv. SaaS platforem) a také nástupu celého modelu (viz např. tabulka 4.2 na str. 41). Z hlediska poptávajících na IT trhu, tedy z hlediska řízení podnikové informatiky, je přidaná hodnota práce především v těch částech, které se věnují možnému navázání SaaS aplikací na model řízení IT služeb, a dále např. integraci SaaS aplikací z hlediska uživatele (část 6.4.6). První tři kapitoly práce se zabývají úvodem do celého konceptu poskytování aplikační funkcionality formou služeb, současnému IT průmyslu a jeho problémům a také pravděpodobnému vývoji celého tohoto nového segmentu. Další kapitoly obsahují nejprve charakteristiku současného řízení podnikové informatiky a také aplikaci výše zjištěných poznatků o SaaS modelu na podnikovou informatiku. Poslední kapitola je orientována praktičtěji a obsahuje zjednodušený popis metody definice IT služeb v podniku a tvorby katalogu služeb.
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Laboratory diagnostics of micrometastases in breast cancer patients
Mikulová, Veronika ; Zima, Tomáš (advisor) ; Svoboda, Marek (referee) ; Průša, Richard (referee)
Introduction: The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in the peripheral blood has been associated with worse prognosis and early relapse in breast cancer patients. CTC determination in the peripheral blood has been considered as a liquid biopsy. The aim of this project was to analyze the presence of CTC followed by their molecular characterization with the potential use not only as a new biomarker for real-time monitoring of therapy efficacy but also as a suitable tool for patient's stratification and individualization of treatment for breast cancer. Methods: A total of 54 patients with diagnosed early breast cancer were enrolled into a prospective study. Ten millilitres of peripheral blood were sequentially collected to test for the presence and characterization of CTC during the follow-up of patients. CTC isolation and detection was performed by AdnaTest BreastCancer™ (AdnaGen AG, Germany), which is based on the detection of EpCAM, HER2 and MUC1 specific transcripts in enriched CTC- lysates. cDNA from isolated CTC has been further used for newly optimized qPCR assays for breast tumor and therapy resistance associated genes: TOP1, TOP2A, CSTD, ST6GAL, KRT19 and reference gene actin. qPCR results have been analyzed by Genex software (MultiD Analysis). Results: 195 blood samples have been...
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Modulation of activities and expression of enzymes metabolizing ellipticine by histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A
Kopejtková, Barbora ; Kubíčková, Božena (referee) ; Stiborová, Marie (advisor)
Histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) increases cytotoxicity of antineoplastic agent ellipticine to human neuroblastoma cells. Its mechanism of action has not yet been explained. One of the possible mode of action is conformational change in chromatin, which leads to changes in DNA that is more accessible to covalent modification and intercalation. The aim of this work is to study another mode of action, which can explain this phenomenon. The question is, if TSA can increase cytotoxicity of ellipticine to human neuroblastoma cells by modulation of activities and expression of cytochromes P450 and peroxidases. These enzymes are responsible for cytotoxicity of ellipticine to human neuroblastoma cells. TSA has no effect on oxidation of ellipticine mediated by cytochromes P450 leading to metabolites responsible for formation of ellipticine-DNA adducts and detoxication metabolites. TSA increases formation of ellipticine dimer, which is a detoxication metabolite, forming during its oxidation by peroxidases. TSA has no effect on activities of CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP3A, which significantly participate in oxidation of ellipticine. TSA modulates expression of enzymes oxidizing ellipticin in human neuroblastoma cells. TSA in the presence of ellipticine increases expression of CYP1A1 a CYP3A4 in...
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Metal chip management of production machine
Bílek, Vít ; Zbožínek, Adam (referee) ; Holub, Michal (advisor)
This thesis is concerned with cutting farm machine and it consists of three parts. Theoretical part describes mechanism of chip formation, shape of the chips, temperature of the chips, technological variables describing chips, chip conveyor, chip crusher, briquetting press and coolant filter. In the next part there is proposal of design of cutting farm machine for production cell consists of six machining center. At last part there is design proposal and calculation of chip conveyor.
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Inhibition of Thymidine Phosphorylase
Zákoucká, Eva ; Brynda, Jiří (advisor) ; Obšil, Tomáš (referee)
2. Abstract Thymidine phosphorylase (TPase), also known as gliostatin or Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF), is an enzyme with an important role in the nucleoside metabolism and is also involved in degradation and recycling of DNA. TPase catalyzes the reversible phosphorolysis of pyrimidine 2'-deoxynucleosides to 2-deoxy-D-ribose-1- phosphate and their respective bases, as well as the transfer of the deoxyribosyl moiety from one pyrimidine base to another. Thymidine phosphorylase is a therapeutic target of great importance because of its participation in angiogenesis especially in solid tumors of various tissues. Therefore, TPase stimulates tumor growth and progression, as well as metastasis. In addition to this, TPase inhibits apoptosis, particularly of tumor cells and causes degradation of several antiviral and anticancer drugs. Apart from the carcinoma tissues, thymidine phosphorylase is overexpressed in various other tissues affected by disorders characterized by proliferation of blood vessels including psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis. Inhibiting the activity of TPase selectively in the tissues affected by the diseases listed above would be of great therapeutic significance. Therefore, many inhibitors, mainly substrate analogues, have been designed based on the...
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