|
The influence of the type of post-mining areas restoration on biodiversity {--} the model group of small mammals.
MIKLAS, Bořek
One way to assess restoration success is to examine the biodiversity in the newly created areas. We chose small mammals as biodiversity indicators because of their good reproductive capacity and invasive ability. The aim of the study was to compare different types of restoration from the small mammal biodiversity perspective. Small mammals were captured five times during the 2004 season at spoil heap localities with various types of restoration: agricultural, forest and wetland, using standard methods of capturing with snap traps in lines and quadrates.
|
|
Robust solver of a system of nonlinear equations
Růžek, Bohuslav ; Kolář, Petr ; Kvasnička, M.
ANNIT (Artificial Neural Network Inversion Tool) is solver of a set of non- linear equations. It is implemented in MATLAB and Scilab. ANNIT is based on numerical approximation of mapping the right hand sides residuals of the original set of equations to searched parameters. A population of individuals is used for building such approximation. The shape, location and size of this population is adaptively changed during the inversion depending on the convergence of the solved problem. ANNIT has been thoroughly tested by using a set of standard problems and also by using selected geophysical problems (localization of the earthquake hypocenter, magnetotelluric inversion, inversion of group velocities of surface waves etc.).
|
|
The Role of WT1 gene in normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis
Kramarzová, Karolina ; Trka, Jan (advisor) ; Zadražil, Stanislav (referee)
6 Abstract The Wilms' tumor gene is highly expressed in a large proportion of human acute leukemias and other hematological malignancies. It is thought to play an important role in human hematpoiesis and leukemogenesis. Despite the large number of studies, WT1 expression patterns and its clinical significance in acute myeloid leukemia remain still controversial. To investigate the prognostic relevance of initial WT1 expression and its usefulness as a marker for minimal residual disease, we have analysed 66 bone marrow samples from newly diagnosed AML patients. RQ-RT-PCR for absolute quantification of total WT1 was designed according to Europe Against Cancer Program. In 82 % of samples we detected a higher expression of WT1 compared to normal healthy donors or patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (p<0.0001). We did not find any correlation between initial WT1 expression level and age or sex. Patients with FAB M3 subtype showed significantly higher WT1 levels than other subtypes, especially M5 (p<0.001). We found a strikingly high WT1 expression in standard risk group patients compared to high risk group (p<0.0007). Children with FAB/cytogenetical favorable prognostic factors have high WT1 expression, while there was no relation between WT1 levels at diagnosis and day 15 BM response. We did not find any...
|
|
Alpine treeline dynamics in relation to slope aspect, western Giant Mts.
Píro, Lukáš ; Treml, Václav (advisor) ; Šefrna, Luděk (referee)
In eight selected habitats in the Western Giant Mountains (area of peaks Kotel and Violík) was studied growth of individuals of Norway spruce (Picea abies) in ecotone of alpine treeline. There were selected four habitats in two locations (tree groups and close canopy forest) in the south exposition and four habitats in two locations in the north exposition. With use of size of radial growth and other dendrometrical characteristics was studied differences in growth of trees depend of slope exposition and location of the habitats (tree groups and close canopy forest). There were compiled the standard and residual chronologies. Further was studied the response function of radial growth and temperature characteristics, especialy mean temperature of growing season. It was found the positive a negative pointer years, representive years with extreme ring width, and response function of pointer years indexes and temperature characteristics. Last step was to analyze the tree age structure in studied habitats. There were found statistically significant differencies in radial growth between north and south slope exposition in the close canopy forest position in years 1959 - 1998, although radial growth on south side was larger all the spotted time. In tree groups was radial growth larger in north slope...
|
|
The Use of Liquid Chromatography for Determination of Drug Residues
Dvořáková, Petra ; Hajšlová, Jana (referee) ; Chýlková, Jaromíra (referee) ; Sokol, Jozef (referee) ; Vávrová, Milada (advisor)
This work is based on the occurrence of drug residues in the environment. This study is focused on the development and optimization methods for determination of selected drugs in the surface water, aquatic sediment and sewage sludge from waste water treatment plant. From the group of drugs were chosen antibiotics. Antibiotics presented in the environment can cause adverse effects including toxic effects, immunity disorders and indirect bioalteration effects. Sulfonamide antibiotics, which are used in the treatment of urinary and respiratory tract infections as well as in the treatment of other infectious diseases, were chosen as a target compounds. Three optimized analytical methods for determination of sulfonamide antibiotics were developed. For the optimization of extraction were tested: solid phase extraction, pressurized solvent extraction, microwave extraction and ultrasonic extraction. For the final analysis was used liquid chromatography with two detectors - diode array detector and mass spectrometer. These optimized methods were applied for the analysis of real samples. The surface water and sediment samples were collected from two Moravian rivers (the Svratka river and the Svitava river). Samples of sewage sludge were collected from waste water treatment plant Brno-Modřice. Fish samples from the Svratka river were also collected. It was observed that all the selected sulfonamide antibiotics are present in real sediment samples (ug.kg-1). Simultaneously presence of some target analytes in real surface water (ug.l-1) and in sewage sludge (ug.kg-1) samples has been confirmed. In samples of surface water from the Svitava river and in fish samples sulfonamide antibiotics were not detected or their concentrations were below the limit of detection.
|
|
Processing peptidases of M16B family and their evolutionary relationships
Hanušová, Iva ; Stiborová, Marie (advisor) ; Šulc, Miroslav (referee)
The theoretical part of this bachelor thesis deals with the group of processing peptidase of the M16B family. The main focus is on the structure and the evolution of mitochondrial and hydrogenosomal processing peptidase and also the hypothetical peptidase from the bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii. In the practical part of this work, the constructs coding the α-subunit of hydrogenosomal processing peptidase (α-HPP) with the substituted tryptophan residue in the position 236 for phenylalanine and tyrosine were prepared using the site-directed mutagenesis. Subsequently, the new reporter tryptophan residue was introduced in α-HPP in positions 256, 260, 267 or 271 in the so-called glycine-rich loop.
|
|
Diffusion Weighted Imaging and Other Quantitative MRI Methods in the Diagnostics of Selected CNS Diseases
Keller, Jiří ; Kalvach, Pavel (advisor) ; Hluštík, Petr (referee) ; Hájek, Milan (referee)
The aim of this study was to assess the scope of exploitation of the diffusion weighted imaging and other quantitative MR methods in the clinical diagnostics. We calculated the normal values of fractional an- isotropy (FA) in our group of healthy volunteers and proved FA depen- dence on age in some regions of brain using regression analysis. The relationship was quadratic in the splenium of callosal body, the left pre- central gyrus and in the pyramidal tract at the level of mesencephalon on the right. Linear decrease of FA with age was found in the rostrum of callosal body, in the white matter of frontal lobes, in the anterior limb of internal capsule on both sides and in the pyramidal tract at the level of mesencephalon on the left. In all measured parts of basal ganglia FA in- creased. Based on our data set, we propose a non-linear colour look-up table (LUT) to enhance the pathologic values. The use of this LUT is presented in patients with several neurological disorders. Quantitative methods were used also for assessment of the group of patients suffering from ALS. The changes we expected in the posterior limb of internal capsule were not significant, therefore we suppose that the presence of T2 hyperintensity in this region is not a reliable marker of the disease. T2 relaxometry detected the...
|
|
Utilization of chronopotentiometric titration in humic research
Viktorinová, Jana ; Pospíšilová, Ľubica (referee) ; Klučáková, Martina (advisor)
Humic acids are natural substances belonging to the group of humic substances. They arise mainly decomposition of plant residues. They are contained in soils, peat, sediments, young coal, water and even in the air. Humic acids are only partially soluble in water with increasing pH increases their solubility. Diploma thesis focuses on the use of chronopotentiometric titration of humic research. This method is mainly used for the determination of trace concentrations of analytes. This work is focused on the determination of acidity by potentiometric titration and the determination of dissociation constants using chronopotentiometry with measurement of pH of prepared samples.
|
|
The use of GC/MS for the analysis of drugs
Sýkora, Richard ; Opatřilová, Radka (referee) ; Vávrová, Milada (advisor)
This diploma thesis is based on the current issue of the presence of pharmaceuticals in various components of the environment. Concerning the contamination by residues of pharmaceuticals the most affected environment is the aquatic environment where these substances leaks especially from wastewater treatment plants, which eliminate them during the cleaning process only partially. This work is focused on the selected group of pharmaceuticals, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (salicylic acid, ibuprofen, caffeine, naproxen, ketoprofen, diclofenac) in waste water. For analysis purposes two types of sampling were used and compared: the conventional spot sampling of wastewater and the sampling using passive samplers POCIS. The sampling took place at the inflow and outflow of the wastewater treatment plant in Brno Modřice. The solid phase extraction (SPE) using Oasis HLB columns was used as the extraction method. Extracted sample was derivatized then. Derivatization agents were: MSTFA (N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamid) and BSTFA (N, O-bis(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamid). The final analysis was performed using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection Time-of-Flight (GC/TOF-MS).
|
|
Human nutrition like part of prevention in osteoporosis and osteomalacia
BRABCOVÁ, Markéta
The purpose of this baccalaureate work is to study deseases related to osteoporosis and osteomalacia. It describes the composition of the bones, historical occurrence of osteoporosis, the characteristics of the osteoporosis and osteomalacia, as well as the differences between these osseous diseases. Furthermore, the present work focuses on the prevention of osteoporosis from the nutrition point of view. It analyses the influence of mineral substances, vitamins and hormons on the formation of bones. Osteoporosis is an old disease. Women suffering from osteoporosis can be seen already on some Chinese and Greek paintings. Premature osteoporosis has been noticed also in skeletal residues of young women steming from the 3rd - 5th centuries A.D. In such young women, the osteoporosis was due to consumption of bread containing a higher portion of phytate which bonds calcium. Within the whole group of osseous metabolic osteopathias, the osteomalacia is the least frequent one. It can be found also in developing countries like India and Pakistan, but also in Muslim minorities living in the United Kingdom. It originates in the shortage of vitamin D. The purpose of this work was to find out to which extent the human nutrition influences bone diseases. A bone is never a finished product, it is subject to a continuous process of creation and destruction. Osteoporosis is a result . In aging individuals, the destruction of bones predominates over the creation of new ones, the total osseous substance decreases as such and there is an excessive decrease in all bone components - minerals, especially in calcium. This is why calcium reserves in bones are so important. The level of sexual hormons as well can cause an accelerated decrease in osseous substance. We refer here to the so-called menopausal osteoporosis which occurs in women. In men, it occurs at a later age and has a milder course. Osteomalacia is originated by a malfunction of the mineralisation of bones. There is a sufficient quantity of osseous substance, however, what is missing are minerals. A good mineralisation of bones requires enough vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and trace elements boron and fluorine. Osteoporosis and osteomalacia are, in the last years, an increasingly serious problem in the developed countries, as a consequence of the increasing life expectancy. The treatment of osteoporosis and osteomalacia is very expensive, and this is why so much emphasis is placed in their prevention. Prevention measures should be commenced as soon as possible, because lack of calcium in the infant food and in the nutrition of young people causes health problems and is the inception stage of osteoporosis. The most important preventive measure is a sufficient supply of calcium and vitamin D. Other measures are physical training and exercises, staying in the sun, a sufficient supply of minerals - magnesium, phosphorus, fluorine and vitamins, especially vitamins C, K and B12 from the daily food. A negative effect on the bones is caused by excessive consumption of proteins and caffeine, which leads to calciuria. A nutrition rich in fruits and vegetables increases the alkalinity of the environment, which reduces the calciuria.
|
guest ::
