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The study of new risk factors of the cardiovascular diseases
Eremiášová, Lenka ; Danzig, Vilém (advisor) ; Vrablík, Michal (referee) ; Rosolová, Hana (referee)
Bilirubin is a major product of the heme catabolism in the vascular bed with substantial antioxidant properties. These importantly contribute to pathogenesis of diseases associated with increased oxidative stress, including cardiovascular or cancer diseases. In the first part of this PhD project serum bilirubin concentrations were examined in the 1 % representative sample of the general Czech population, together with determination of the prevalence of Gilbert's syndrome. Bilirubin concentrations were determined also within individual polymorphisms of the UGT1A1 gene (OMIM*191740) responsible for bilirubin biotransformation in the liver, including their association with the basic risk factors for atherosclerosis. We also assessed the activity of the standard liver enzymes (representing another significant risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases) with surprisingly high proportion of subjects with elevated values. Simultaneously, we determined the concentrations of serum bilirubin in a group of patients with an acute coronary syndrome, who manifested with significantly lower concentrations as compared to general population. In the second part of this research project, the relationship between plasma concentrations of bilirubin and individual variants of UGT1A1 gene polymorphisms...
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Ecological and ethological aspects of bird-building collisions
Semeráková, Anna ; Sedláček, Ondřej (advisor) ; Koleček, Jaroslav (referee)
Collisions with artificial structures represent one of the most significant cause of bird mortality worldwide. Accounting for hundreds of millions bird deaths each year, bird-building collisions represent a particular problem. Although the bird's vision system is perfectly adapted to the orientation during fast flight, birds are often confused due to the transparency or reflectivity of the glass. Moreover, light pollution of urban areas interferes with the physiological geomagnetic and polarized light compass in birds, which causes the night migrants to disorient. The bird-building collision frequency variates in time and space. Throughout the day, largest number of fatal collisions occurs during early morning. Throughout the year, the peak in the numbers of fatal strikes appears in the course of autumn migration. Local species abundance did not appear to be the most important predictor of collision probability. Species traits making birds highly prone to collisions are small body size, high flight speed, long distance of migration and feeding strategy requiring rare and temporary food sources. Aggressive males during the mating period and inexperienced post-fledging juveniles are among the most vulnerable individuals. Based on taxon-specific ecological traits, some bird families were identified to...
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Sublethal effects of the insecticides neonicotinoids on migration abilities of spiders
Přibáňová, Gabriela ; Řezáč, Milan (advisor) ; Korenko, Stanislav (referee)
The purpose for using pesticides is to kill organisms that cause damage (so-called pests) on various crops and thus prevent possible crop losses. Their side effect is a negative impact on non-target organisms. The presented diploma thesis is focused on the effect of neonicotinoids on invertebrates particularly on spiders. Its main goal was to document their influence on behavioral parameters influencing dispersal abilities such as locomotion and tendency to spread by wind (so-called ballooning). The diploma thesis compares the influence of neonicotinoids on model species, Pardosa lugubris (Walckenaer, 1802) and Phylloneta impressa (L. Koch, 1881) with different modes of prey hunting and compares the influence on adult and nymphal stages. Pesticides Actara® 25 WG, Biscaya® 240 OD, Confidor® 200 OD and Mospilan® 20 SP were applied to the spiders under laboratory conditions and their effect was tested at different concentrations and different methods of application. The biggest impact on spiders had Confidor. It clearly had the most significant negative effect on mobility and a tendency to spider wind propagation. The lethal effects were caused by neonicotinoids in nymphal individuals Pardosa lugubris, especially Confidor (even 100% mortality for tarsal application). During an experiment studying the...
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Structural and functional impacts of infective endocarditis
Pazderník, Michal ; Šochman, Jan (advisor) ; Veselka, Josef (referee) ; Beneš, Jiří (referee)
Despite more recent advances in both medical and surgical therapies, the syndrome of infective endocarditis (IE) continues to be characterized by serious complications, and remains a life-threatening infection. According to data from the World Health Organization, the Czech Republic has one of the highest mortality rates due to this disease worldwide. Despite the severity of illness in this country, very few data have been reported previously regarding investigations of IE in the Czech Republic. Consequently, a retrospective evaluation of local IE cases at one of the country's largest medical centers was conducted. Our aim was to analyze the characteristics of this disease in our country. The greatest interest was devoted to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), etiological agent that has been associated with the worst course of IE episodes. The hypothesis of our study was that infective endocarditis caused by S. aureus, in comparison with other etiological agents, is associated with worse course of the disease. We evaluated the structural (abscess formation, impaired integrity of heart valves, systemic embolism) and functional (incidence of heart failure and conduction disturbances, in-hospital mortality) manifestations of IE. Of all studied parameters, only embolism and S. aureus as the causative agent were...
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Natural regeneration of Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) in the National nature reserve Salajka
Holík, Jan
This study addressed the development of natural regeneration of tree species over the period 2009-2016 in a temperate fir-beech old-growth forest left to a spontaneous development since 1930s. The research site was located in the strictly protected National Nature Reserve Salajka, lying in the Western Carpathians mountain range. Ungulate game browsing, establishment and mortality of natural regeneration as the main drivers of species coexistence were studied, using two alternative sampling methods, permanent network of 98 inventory plots regularly positioned across the whole forest reserve and transect with 54 transect plots. Beech was found to secure gradually absolute dominance over other tree species in natural regeneration. The growth of fir, maple and spruce was hindered by browsing since the individuals rarely exceeded the height of 0.5 m. Further, the resource concentration effect was found in fir as browsing was more intense under high conspecific densities. Establishment and mortality of fir and beech differed, suggesting the species-specific life-history strategies. The results demonstrated the importance of regular and inextensive establishment of fir and huge but relatively less frequent establishment of beech. Mortality overweighed establishment in both species, though fir ratio tended to be almost balanced. The height of natural regeneration was revealed to be the only good predictor of mortality. Browsing, establishment and mortality of natural regeneration comprise an important part of forest regeneration processes and their role should be acknowledged by both forest and nature conservation management.
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Epidemie eboly a její ekonomické a jiné dopady na země západní Afriky
Benešová, Lucie
More than 30,000 people have been infected with this disease since the first Ebola outbreak in 1976. The largest and most fatal was the fifth Ebola epidemic, which especially hit three West African countries in 2014–2015: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. This Bachelor Thesis examines the economic and other consequences of the fifth epidemic in these three countries. The impacts on the economy of these three countries were analysed based on available data: gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment and international trade. It was found that the composition and development of GDP of all studied countries changed in connection with the epidemic. Real GDP growth slowed to 0.1% (2015) in Guinea, 0.7% in Liberia (2014) and -21.5% (2015) in Sierra Leone. The unemployment rate was not affected and the negative balance of international trade deepened in all three states. Other impacts on affected countries and their populations have been reflected in the mitigated travel and tourism and mental health of survivors, relatives and citizens living in impacted regions.
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The reaction of phytophagous on differenced manganese content in the diet
Martinek, Petr
The rapid adaptation of insect species on environment changes can represent a significant advantage for their development and consequently a great negative effect for the stability of forest ecosystems. Larval individuals of Cabera pusaria and Lymantria dispar and adults of Melolontha hippocastani and Phillobius arborator is in general widely expanded species of herbivorous insects in European regions and with them are connected huge economic and ecological losses. The composition of food (biogenic elements, trace elements, heavy metals, proteins, carbohydrates etc.) is the main parameter of food quality. Laboratory experiment with natural diet (assimilation apparatus of Quercus petraea and Betula pendula) in control conditions (temperature, humidity, and light) were used for determination of insects’ reactions to increased concentration of manganese in the diet. Food was contaminated by soaking in solutions of MnCl2.4H2O with graded manganese concentrations. On the base of experiment design and character of reared experimental species we determined the food consumption, the activity period of adults, the mortality of larvae, the quantity of eggs laying, the dry mass and live weight of experimental individuals, concentrations of manganese in unconsumed food, excrement and lyophilized bodies, larval and pupal exuviae. Mentioned parameters were observed for determination of reactions of experimental insect species on changed food quality via the presence of high manganese contents. The results showed, that the reactions of individual experimental animals were very different. We observed the negative reaction to high manganese content in the diet of L. dispar larvae with the tendency of its compensation (the increasing food consumption rate and prolongation of development). Caterpillars of C. pusaria were very sensitive to changed food quality and therefore we observed high mortality. On the other side, the high manganese content in the diet of P. arborator in the laboratory conditions influenced neither their food intake nor their mortality. For individuals of M. hippocastani very high content of manganese in the diet significantly influenced the food consumption and thereby their development(distortion of copulation and consequent eggs laying). We observed the repellent effect of high levels of manganese in the diet. In all cases, the elimination mechanisms of surplus manganese in the diet were observed. Individuals in experiments exuded manganese through the digestive system into excrements and by incorporation of it into unspecified parts of their adult body without direct physiology activity or in exuviae of caterpillars.
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Critical limb ischemia and autologous cell therapy in diabetic foot disease, pathogenesis of Charcot osteoarthopathy.
Němcová, Andrea ; Jirkovská, Alexandra (advisor) ; Polák, Jan (referee) ; Prázný, Martin (referee)
Diabetic foot disease (DFD) is a serious complication of diabetes and, along with critical limb ischemia, significantly exacerbates the prognosis of patients. Peripheral arterial disease in patients with diabetes has an atypical clinical course, its diagnosis is challenging and is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality of patients with DFD. The aim of this dissertation focused on the diagnosis and treatment of DFD was to identify a suitable method for evaluating the effect of autologous cell therapy (ACT), to assess options for early diagnosis of Charcot osteoarthropathy (COA) and, possibly, to establish the association between the incidence of cardiovascular disease and DFD. In our studies concerning therapeutic vasculogenesis, we observed a significant increase in the antiangiogenic factor endostatin after ACT in contrast to its unchanged levels after standard percutaneous transluminal angioplasty; the transient increase in endostatin seems to be a marker of therapeutic vasculogenesis after ACT. A benefit of using calf muscle perfusion scintigraphy in the assessment of microcirculation and ACT effect was not clearly demonstrated. By contrast, a promising method for the evaluation of microcirculation and the effect of revascularization after ACT was MR spectroscopy of calf...
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Sublethal effects of the insecticides neonicotinoids on spider's migration and predatory abilities
Přibáňová, Gabriela ; Řezáč, Milan (advisor) ; Korenko, Stanislav (referee)
This research deals with impacts of pesticide substances on spider populations. In this case pesticides of the neonicotinoids classes were tested. Specific neonicotinoids were applied to different of spiders which were collected in various localities and at some stage of development - nymph, adult or subadult individuals. The diploma thesis analyzes and the documents the effects of neonicotinoids to spiders. The results show that some pesticides can have a significant negative effect to locomotion, predation, ballooning, drop or to spiders mortality. Keywords: spider, arthropod, pesticides, insecticides, neonicotinoids, sublethal effects, mortality, EthoVision XT, locomotion, drop, ballooning, predation, Philodromus, Oedothorax, Pardosa, Xerolycosa, Phylloneta
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Změny v produkci adipokinetických hormonů u \kur{Pyrrhocoris apterus} v různých částech CNS po působení stresových faktorů
VÁVRA, Jakub
The main goal of this bachelor thesis was to characterize changes of adipokinetic hormone (AKH) production in the brain and corpora cardiaca of the firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus during the infection caused by entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. The effects of the pathogen were investigated by determination of AKH level in the CNS using competitive ELISA test and immunohistochemical localization with a specific antibody against the P. apterus AKH (Pyrap-AKH). The results confirmed presence of majority of AKH in corpora cardiaca and smaller amount also in brain. The infection increased AKH production in both monitored organs, however, in brain the elevation was more intensive than that in corpora cardiaca.
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