A recently discussed cardiovascular risk factor, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), is known to act as an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. The aim of this study was to establish 1) the relationship between ADMA and ultrasonographically or biochemically determined endothelial dysfunction in children, and 2) the effect of folate supplementation on these parameters. The study cohort included 32 children with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), 30 with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) and 30 age-matched healthy children as the control group. Furthermore, twenty-eight randomly selected FH and DM1 children were re-examined after 3-months supplementation with folic acid. Baseline levels of ADMA and oxidized low density lipoproteins (oxLDL) were significantly higher in FH group than in DM1 and healthy children. Children in DM1 group had significantly lower concentration of homocysteine, but ADMA levels were normal. Folic acid supplementation significantly lowered homocysteine and hsCRP levels in both FH and DM1 group; however, ADMA and oxLDL concentrations remained unaltered. In conclusion, ADMA and oxLDL appear to be associated with endothelial dysfunction in children with FH. Administration of folic acid did not influence these markers in both FH and DM1 children., P. Jehlička ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Aerosolové částice se vyskytují všude okolo nás v mnoha různých formách, například jako prach, mlha, kouř, dým nebo smog. Tyto částice ovlivňují dohlednost, klima, zdraví obyvatel a jejich kvalitu žvota. Atmosférický aerosol je v současné době jedním z největších problémů znečištění ovzduší. Tento článek dokumentuje vznik aerosolu, formy jeho výskytu a depozice. Dále popisujeme nejužívanější metody jeho odběru a monitorování. V závěrečné části jsou ukázány první výsledky získané pomocí nového zařízení na zkoumání resuspenze aerosolu - resuspenzní komory., Martin Civiš, Jan Hovorka, Devraj Thimmaiah., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The effects of the atomic ratio of N to P (N:P) on the response of Alexandrium tamarense to UV radiation (UVR) were investigated in this study. Artificial sea water of 5 different N:P ratios for indoor culture and with 3 different N:P ratios for outdoor culture were used for a period of 14 and 9 d, respectively. The short-term response of cells to UVR was analyzed using a fluorometer. Cells that acclimated to nutrient conditions at the Redfield value (16:1) showed the fastest growth rate and highest pigment concentrations in both indoor and outdoor conditions, compared to those acclimated to the non-Redfield conditions. Moreover, these physiological parameters were functions of the N:P ratio according to a two-order equation (y = a + bx + cx2, R2>0.95). The fluorescence data of indoor cultures showed that A. tamarense grown at 16:1 (N:P) exhibited the greatest ratio of repair rate/damage rate (r/k) and minimum level of UVR-induced inhibition. among those grown at all of the N:P ratios following UVR exposure. Outdoor cultures had the same patterns of fluorescence as indoor cultures, but the less UVR-induced inhibitions were detected compared the former with the latter. The following three parameters, the r/k, level of inhibition caused by the two radiation treatments following 60 min of exposure (PAR and PAB, respectively), and level of UVR-induced inhibition, were also functions of the N:P ratio according to the two-order equation (R2>0.96). Further, there was a negative correlation between
UVR-induced inhibition and the r/k ratio. In summary, the Redfield value (16:1) was the optimal nutrient stoichiometry for the protection of A. tamarense against the deleterious effects of UVR. Results were not impacted by previous light history experienced by cells., W. C. Guan, L. Li., and Obsahuje bibliografii
To investigate the effects of atmospheric CO2 enrichment on physiology and autumnal leaf phenology, we exposed 3-year-old sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) seedlings to 800 (A8), 600 (A6), and 400 μL(CO2) L-1 (AA) in nine continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) chambers during the growing season of 2014. Leaf abscission timing, abscised leaf area percentages, leaf number, light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (PNmax), leaf area, accumulative growth rates, and biomass were determined and assessed. The results suggested the following: (1) no significant differences were found in the timing of leaf abscission in the three CO2-concentration treatments; (2) PNmax was continuously stimulated to the greatest extent in A8 at 319% and 160% in A6 until the end of the growing season, respectively; and (3) leaf number, leaf area, and accumulative height growth all significantly increased by elevated CO2, which led to a 323% increase in A8 biomass and 235% in A6 biomass after 156-d fumigation. In summary, the results suggest, the timing of leaf abscission of sugar maple in fall was not modified by CO2 enrichment, the increased carbon gain by elevated CO2 was mainly due to increased leaf area, more leaves, and the continuously enhanced high photosynthesis throughout the growing season instead of the leaf life span., L. Li, W. J. Manning, X. K. Wang., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is an attenuated Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccine. We performed a series of co-infection experiments with BCG-Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi Landau, 1965 AS using C57BL/6 mice to analyse whether BCG can affect the development of protective immunity to infection with Plasmodium spp. and the mechanism of this protection. We divided mice into four groups: BCG-inoculation 4 weeks prior to P. c. chabaudi AS infection (B-4w-Pc); simultaneous BCG-inoculation and P. c. chabaudi AS infection (Pc+B); BCG-inoculation 3 days post P. c. chabaudi AS (Pc-3-B) infection; and mono-P. c. chabaudi AS infection as control (Pc). The parasitemia level in the B-4w-Pc group was noticeably higher than control group at 6-19 days post infection (dpi). Compared with the control group, the proportion of CD4+CD69+ T cells was significantly reduced 5, 8 and 12 dpi, but the proportion of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs was significantly increased in the B-4w-Pc group on 5 and 8 dpi. The B-4w-Pc group also demonstrated reduced levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α on 5 and 8 dpi and significantly elevated level of IL-10 on 12 dpi. There were significantly fewer mDCs (CD11c+CD11b+) and pDCs (CD11c+B220+) in the B-4w-Pc group than the control group at all the time points post infection and the expression of MHC II was noticeably reduced on day 8 pi. Our findings confirmed that BCG inoculation prior to Plasmodium infection resulted in excessive activation and proliferation of Tregs and upregulation of anti-inflammatory mediators, which inhibited establishment of a Th1-dominant immune response during the early stages of Plasmodium infection by inhibiting dendritive cells response. BCG inoculation prior to P. c. chabaudi AS infection may contribute to overgrowth of parasites as well as mortality in mice., Dong-Hua Cao, Ji-Chun Wang, Jun Liu, Yun-Ting Du, Li-Wang Cui, Ya-Ming Cao., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Insights can be gained by analysing the feeding decisions of animals in terms of nutrient demands at a species or community level. Using carbohydrate and protein food baits, resource use and food preferences of Formica (Serviformica) lemani were determined at nine locations situated at different altitudes (1875 to 2400 m a.s.l.) in the alpine grassland belt above the tree line in Austria and northern Italy. F. lemani is the most common species of ant in this habitat. Sucrose baits placed around ant colonies were visited by significantly (3.9 times) more workers than protein baits. This indicates that sources of sugar (carbohydrate) are in short supply in the alpine zone, whereas availability of prey items appears to be less constraining. Overall, we recorded a decrease in the incidence of visits to baits from low (31.9% baits attracting ants at least once) to high altitudes (16.7%). Foraging ants never visited 51.5% of the baits exposed for periods of 75 min. This indicates that with increasing altitude competition for food among ant colonies becomes less intense in alpine grassland ant communities., Elia Guariento, Jan Martini, Konrad Fiedler., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Antiparasitic allogrooming in two adults of Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) was observed in the Javorie Mountains in Slovakia on 18th April 2016. This rare observation was documented by photographs and video. In this context, the occurrence of ticks on Red Foxes and in fox faeces in Europe is briefly reviewed and discussed. and Ivan Literák.