Raman microspectroscopy (μRS) and imaging is gradually becoming a practical tool for contactless and nondestructive analysis of microscopis objects. Due to the combination of chemical specificity of vibrational spectra and spatial resolution offered by confocal optical microscopy, μRS techniques are particularly suitable for studying chemical composition and morphology of living cells and biological tissues. Progress in experimental technniques and development of methods making the informational richness of vibrational spectra more accessible allowed expansion of μRS beyond the walls of specialized spectroscopis laboratories directly into biomedical practice., Ramanova mikrospektroskopie (μRS) a zobrazování se postupně prosazuje jako praktický nástroj pro bezkontaktní a nedestruktivní analýzu mikroskopických objektů. Díky kombinaci chemické specificity vibračních spekter a prostorového rozlišení poskytovaného konfokální optickou mikroskopií jsou techniky μRS zvlášť vhodné pro studium chemického složení a morfologie živých buněk i biologických tkání. Pokrok v experimentální technice a rozvoj metod zpřístupňujících informační bohatství vibračních spekter umožnily rozšíření μRS mimo zdi specializovaných spektroskopických laboratoří přímo do biomedicínské praxe., Peter Mojzeš, Jan Palacký, Václava Bauerová, Lucie Bednárová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Ramsay-Huntov syndróm je výsledkom reaktivácie varicella-zoster vírusu na úrovni ganglion geniculatum. Syndróm je charakterizovaný kombináciou periférnej tvárovej paralýzy, výsevom herpetiformnej vyrážky v oblasti tváre, najčastejšie v oblasti zvukovodu a ušnice, a možným pridružením kochleo-vestibulárnych symptómov. Zlatým štandardom v liečbe Ramsay-Huntovho syndrómu je aj naďalej dľa dostupných údajov kombinácia antivírusovej terapie s kortikosteroidmi a adekvátnou analgetickou terapiou. V kazuistike je prezentovaný prípad 55-ročnej pacientky., The Ramsay-Hunt syndrome results from reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus at the geniculate ganglion level. The syndrome is characterized by a combination of peripheral facial paralysis and a herpes-like rash occurring on the face, most commonly in the ear canal and the skin of the external ear, and the possible association with the cochlea-vestibular symptoms. According to the available data, combination of an antiviral therapy with corticosteroids and adequate analgesic therapy remains the gold standard of the treatment of the Ramsay-Hunt sydrome. We present a case of a 55-year-old patient. Key words: Ramsay-Hunt syndrome – varicella-zoster virus – facial paralysis The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE “uniform requirements” for biomedical papers., and R. Rosoľanka, K. Šimeková
Knowledge of the patterns in the spatial distribution of species provides valuable information about the factors (resources and environment) that regulate the use of space by animals. Typically, the distribution of litter-dwelling scorpions in Atlantic forests is correlated with the structure of their microhabitats, although to better understand their natural history more studies on the patterns in their use of space are required. Therefore, we investigated the effect of rainfall on the patterns in the spatial distributions and population densities of two sympatric species of scorpion, Tityus (Archaeotityus) pusillus Pocock 1893 and Ananteris mauryi Lourenço 1982 in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. The study was carried out during the dry (September) and rainy (June) months. We collected 501 individuals (268 T. (A.) pusillus and 233 A. mauryi) by actively searching at night using UV lanterns. We found that the spatial distribution and population density of T. (A.) pusillus, but not A. mauryi, were significantly affected by rainfall, with T. (A.) pusillus individuals showing a clumped pattern during the rainy month and random distribution in the dry month. We also found a different response in the population densities of the two species, with T. (A.) pusillus but not A. mauryi being affected by rainfall. Our results indicate that, although co-habiting in leaf litter, these species respond differently to rainfall, which affects their spatial distribution and abundance in this habitat., Gabriela Cavalcanti Silva de Gusmão Santos, Welton Dionisio-Da-Silva, João Pedro Souza-Alves, Cleide Maria Ribeiro de Albuquerque, André Felipe de Araujo Lira., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We consider an accessibility index for the states of a discrete-time, ergodic, homogeneous Markov chain on a finite state space; this index is naturally associated with the random walk centrality introduced by Noh and Reiger (2004) for a random walk on a connected graph. We observe that the vector of accessibility indices provides a partition of Kemeny’s constant for the Markov chain. We provide three characterizations of this accessibility index: one in terms of the first return time to the state in question, and two in terms of the transition matrix associated with the Markov chain. Several bounds are provided on the accessibility index in terms of the eigenvalues of the transition matrix and the stationary vector, and the bounds are shown to be tight. The behaviour of the accessibility index under perturbation of the transition matrix is investigated, and examples exhibiting some counter-intuitive behaviour are presented. Finally, we characterize the situation in which the accessibility indices for all states coincide., Steve Kirkland., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The analysis of information coding in neurons requires methods that measure different properties of neuronal signals. In this paper we review the recently proposed measure of randomness and compare it to the coefficient of variation, which is the frequently employed measure of variability of spiking neuronal activity. We focus on the problem of the spontaneous activity of neurons, and we hypothetize that under defined conditions, spontaneous activity is more random than evoked activity. This hypothesis is supported by contrasting variability and randomness obtained from experimental recordings of olfactory receptor neurons in rats., L. Košťál, P. Lánský., and Obsahuje biblografii a biblografické odkazy
For a block upper triangular matrix, a necessary and sufficient condition has been given to let it be the sum of block upper rectangular matrices satisfying certain rank constraints; see H.Bart, A.P.M.Wagelmans (2000). The proof involves elements from integer programming and employs Farkas’ lemma. The algebra of block upper triangular matrices can be viewed as a matrix algebra determined by a pattern of zeros. The present note is concerned with the question whether the decomposition result referred to above can be extended to other zero pattern matrix algebras. It is shown that such a generalization does indeed hold for certain digraphs determining the pattern of zeros. The digraphs in question can be characterized in terms of forests, i.e., disjoint unions of rooted trees., Harm Bart, Torsten Ehrhardt, Bernd Silbermann., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The development of neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE) can be elicited by an immediate epidural balloon compression of the thoracic spinal cord. To evaluate whether a slower balloon inflation could prevent NPE development, we examined the extent of NPE in animals lesioned with a rapid (5 μl - 5 μl - 5 μl) or slow rate (3 μl - 2 μl - 2 μl - 2 μl - 2 μl - 2 μl - 2 μl) of balloon inflation. These groups were compared with the NPE model (immediate inflation to 15 μl) and with healthy controls. Slow balloon inflation prevented NPE development, whereas the pulmonary index and histology revealed a massive pulmonary edema in the group with a rapid rate of balloon inflation. Pulmonary edema was preceded by a considerable decrease in heart rate during the inflation procedure. Moreover, rapid inflation of balloon in spinal channel to either 5 μl or 10 μl did not cause NPE. Thus, a slow rate of balloon inflation in the thoracic epidural space prevents the development of neurogenic pulmonary edema, most likely due to the better adaptation of the organism to acute circulatory changes (rapid elevation of systemic blood pressure accompanied by profound heart rate reduction) during the longer balloon inflation period. It should be noted that spinal cord transection at the same level did not cause neurogenic pulmonary edema., J. Šedý ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Increased phosphorylation of Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) is essential to trigger the full increase in insulin-stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle. The primary aim of this study was to characterize the time course for reversal of insulin-stimulated AS160 phosphorylation in rat skeletal muscle after insulin removal. The time courses for reversal of insulin effects both upstream (Akt phosphorylation) and downstream (glucose uptake) of AS160 were also determined. Epitrochlearis muscles were incubated in vitro using three protocols which differed with regard to insulin exposure: No Insulin (never exposed to insulin), Transient Insulin (30 min with 1.8 nmol/l insulin, then incubation without insulin for 10, 20 or 40 min), or Sustained Insulin (continuously incubated with 1.8 nmol/l insulin). After removal of muscles from insulin, Akt and AS160 phosphorylation reversed rapidly, each with a half-time of <10 min and essentially full reversal by 20 min. Glucose uptake reversed more slowly (half time between 10 and 20 min with essentially full reversal by 40 min). Removal of muscles from insulin resulted in a rapid reversal of the increase in AS160 phosphorylation which preceded the reversal of the increase in glucose uptake, consistent with AS160 phosphorylation being essential for maintenance of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake., N. Sharma, E. B. Arias, G. D. Cartee., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
During the screening of apolipoprotein (apo) E gene polymorphism with PCR and subsequent restriction analysis, we have identified a female carrier with a mutant allele Arg136 ® Cys. This proband had normal lipid parameters and no history of coronary artery disease (CAD). We did not confirm the previously described connection between apo E Arg136 ® Cys mutation and elevated lipid levels. In the case of this mutation, other factors (environmental and/or genetic) are important for the development of lipid metabolism disorders., J. A. Hubáček, J. Piťha, Z. Škodová, R. Poledne., and Obsahuje bibliografii