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Specificity of insect-plant associations and their role in the formation of plant defenses and speciation
VOLF, Martin
The aim of this dissertation is to investigate what role insect-plant interactions play in the formation of host-plant defenses and in the diversification of both groups. We show that various groups of herbivore respond differently to host-plant defenses. Therefore plant defenses diversify into suites of complementary traits, as individual traits fail to provide protection against specialized herbivores. Further, we identify what levels of host-phylogeny shape the food-web structure of insect herbivores. We show that specialized herbivores are affected mainly by the terminal parts of the host-phylogeny. In contrast, more polyphagous guilds are affected mainly by the mid-levels of the host phylogeny because the effects of terminal or deeper phylogeny seem to be surpassed by other factors in more generalist insect species. In the last chapter, we show how specialized insect-plant interactions generated by tight insect-plant coevolution can influence the speciation in plants over environmental gradients.
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Methods for Elemental Speciation of Arsenic Compounds.
Navrátilová, Jana ; Jarošová, Alžběta (referee) ; Golian,, Jozef (referee) ; Šimko, Peter (advisor)
Speciační analýza arsenu v různých matricích s využitím HPLC/ICPMS byla předmětem této práce. Toxicita arsenu závisí na oxidačním stavu a formě, ve které je přítomen. Znalost zastoupení specií arsenu je nutná k hodnocení toxicity a biodostupnosti. Obecně, anorganické specie jsou více toxické než organické. V práci byla studována degradace arsenocukrů v mořských řasách za simulovaných přirodních podmínek. Původní arsenocukry byly transformovány na arseničnan a kyselinu dimethylarseničnou. Arsen vstupuje do rostlin z půdy a vody a následně může vstoupit do potravního řetězce. S ohledem na tuto skutečnost byla speciační analýza provedena u vybraných vzorcích rýže, zakoupených v české obchodní síti. Stanovený celkový obsah arsenu se pohyboval v rozmezí 36.06 µg/kg - 218.11 µg/kg a hlavními speciemi byla kyselina dimethylarseničná a anorganický arsen (54-78%). Mořské ryby a tuky obsahují významnou část arsenu ve formě zvané arsenolipidy. Část práce byla zaměřena na analýzu arsenolipidů u máslové ryby (Lepidocybium flavobrunnrum) s celkovým obsahem arsenu 1.8 mg/kg a 22% celkového arsenu bylo vyextrahováno pomocí hexanu, což potvrzuje lipofilni charakter těchto sloučenin. Hlavní specií stanovenou ve vodném extraktu byl arsenobetain, představující 89%.
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Monitoring of arsenic forms in foodstuffs
Harkabusová, Veronika ; Hrstka, Miroslav (referee) ; Vitoulová, Eva (advisor)
The diploma thesis is dealing with monitoring of arsenic in foodstuffs. The aim of this thesis is the determination of arsenic in samples of fish and rice and the study of forms, in which arsenic occurs, using speciation analysis. Arsenic is known as a toxic element, but its measure of toxicity depends on the chemical form it occurs in. Arsenic is present in the environment naturally or it gets in the environment by human activities. Complete characterization of arsenic compounds is necessary to understand intake, accumulation, transport, detoxification and activation of this element in the natural environment and living systems. The field of arsenic speciation analysis has grown rapidly in recent years, because determination of the total element content is not sufficient in the case of arsenic. Speciation method was done using separation by high performance liquid chromatography and detection by atomic fluorescence spectrometry with hydride generation. Extractable arsenic was present in the form of nontoxic arsenobetaine in all analysed samples of fish. In samples of rice there was confirmed the presence of toxic inorganic species of arsenic, esspecially As (III), but their concentration was at low level.
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Speciation and fractionation analysis of metals in agricultural soils
Lepař, Petr ; Mládková, Zuzana (referee) ; Diviš, Pavel (advisor)
This bachelor thesis deals with the procedures and analytical techniques associated with speciation analysis and fractionation of metals in agricultural soils. The first part defines the basic concepts related to speciation, fractionation, soils and elements contained within it. The following chapters describe procedures of samples withdrawal and its adjustment including a description of some methods used for the purpose of extraction, fractionation and speciation analysis. The last chapter is devoted to listing of some separation techniques and instrumental methods used for the purposes of speciation and fractionation.
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Indirect speciation of mercury in soils and sediments with cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry.
ŠPAČKOVÁ, Jitka
In the diploma thesis have been tested four extraction techniques for isolation of organic forms of mercury from sediments (liquid liquid extraction, microwave extraction in liquid liquid extraction, solid phase extraction and extraction with use of ionic exchange) followed by determination of mercury by atomic absorption spectrometer AMA?254. It has been achieved great results during liquid liquid extraction likewise ionic exchange extraction. Reached percents of orgHg were in accord with certified reference material for sediments CRM-580 and corresponded to 86,44 ? 16,63 %, resp. 87,01 ? 29,22 %. Thanks to a simple procedure, extraction speed and ease of determination of organic forms of mercury contain was first of all (in the first instance) verified a method with use of ionic exchange, whose principle and procedure is very elementary. This technique was applied to a number of real sediment samples collected from water tanks Jordan and Skalka. It was approved that this method has been presenting a suitable alternative to chromatographic methods or methods of electro?migration.
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Sex chromosomes in the house mouse hybrid zone
DUFKOVÁ, Petra
Understanding the genetic basis of reproductive isolation is the ultimate goal of the study of speciation. Here I present the results of a study of gene flow and its barriers at sex chromosome markers across the central European portion of the hybrid zone between two house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus. We identified strong introgression of Y musculus chromosome into the domesticus area accompanied by a perturbation of the census sex ratio. In addition, we detected stochastic effects that can distort results of hybrid zone studies. Finally, we confirmed a strong effect of sex chromosomes on reproductive isolation and hence their important role in the process of speciation.
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The Use of Electrochemical Stripping Methods for Lead and Cadmium Speciation in Soil Solutions
Šestáková, Ivana ; Jaklová Dytrtová, J. ; Jakl, M. ; Navrátil, Tomáš ; Fojta, Miroslav
Soil solution is an aqueous phase of soil which is affected by plant root systems. The soil solution contains nutrients, organic and inorganic soil substances and also exudates – substances released by plant roots (e.g. low molecular weight organic acids). For the bioaccumulation (transport from soil into plants) the free metal ions and labile complexes contents (usually in trace amounts) in soil solution are important. That is why the electrochemical methods using working electrode preconcentration step, i.e. differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry, anodic stripping square-wave voltammetry and stripping chronopotentiometry with constant current, are applicable. Mentioned methods combined with the hanging mercury drop electrode were tested for the cadmium and lead speciation possibilities in model and also real soil solutions.
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Mercury speciation in forest soils
Hojdová, Maria ; Rohovec, Jan ; Navrátil, Tomáš
We compared distribution of Hg in soil profiles with different level of Hg content in forest floor humus. Detailed study of soil profiles revealed that at the locality with lower Hg content in humus was higher Hg content in mineral horizons in comparison to locality with higher content in organic horizons. Most of the Hg in forest soils was bound to organic matter.
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