Distribution of population sizes within different orchid metapopulations

Orchids, as one of the most species-rich families in the world, are known for their specific symbiotic relationships with other organisms and can therefore be referred to as indicators of the state of vegetation. Studying orchids as metapopulations allows us to better estimate the level of threat of individual orchid species. The traditional metapopulation model assumes a metapopulation consisting of sub-populations, where individual populations are connected by migration, and colonization of new and recolonization of existing localities occurs. Orchids, on the other hand, show a different behavior. Their seeds are spread passively by wind, and the colonization of new habitats is therefore rather random. Therefore, a new model would be suitable for the study of orchids, which should include information on the size of the population of a given orchid species, taking into account the region in which they occur. The metapopulation is also influenced by the temperature and amount of precipitation before the flowering period, the possibility of individual sterility or dormancy, and last but not least, the quality of management on the site. These variables should be included in a new metapopulation model that could better describe changes in orchid metapopulations. This thesis provides the basis for a...Orchideje, jako jedna z druhově nejbohatších čeledí na světě, jsou známé svými specifickými symbiotickými vztahy s dalšími organismy a mohou proto být označovány jako indikátory stavu vegetace. Studium orchidejí jako metapopulací nám umožňuje lépe odhadnout míru ohrožení jednotlivých druhů orchidejí. Tradiční metapopulační model předpokládá metapopulaci tvořenou dílčími populacemi, kde jsou jednotlivé populace propojeny migrací, dochází ke kolonizaci nových a k rekolonizaci stávajících lokalit. Orchideje naopak vykazují odlišné chování. Jejich semena jsou šířena pasivně prostřednictvím větru a kolonizace nových stanovišť je tedy spíše náhodná. Proto by byl pro studium orchidejí vhodný nový model, do kterého by měly být zahrnuty informace o velikosti populace daného druhu orchideje s přihlédnutím na region, ve kterém se vyskytují. Metapopulaci ovlivňuje také teplota a úhrn srážek před obdobím květu, možnost sterility jedinců či dormance a v neposlední řadě také kvalita managementu na lokalitě. Tyto proměnné by měly být zahrnuty do nového metapopulačního modelu, který by dokázal lépe popisovat změny v orchidejových metapopulacích. Tato diplomová práce přináší podklady pro nový model metapopulační dynamiky studovaný pro čtyři druhy orchidejí: Dactylorhiza majalis, Platanthera bifolia, Neottia ovata a...Institute for Environmental StudiesÚstav pro životní prostředíFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

Functional membrane microdomains in the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane

Funkční membránové mikrodomény jsou strukturní heterogenity v cytoplazmatické membráně bakterií, které dosahují velikosti až několika desítek nanometrů. Svým lipidovým a proteinovým složením i fluiditou se liší od zbytku membrány a do velké míry tak odpovídají eukaryotickým lipidovým raftům. Membránové mikrodomény obsahují strukturní homology eukaryotického flotilinu a také hopanoidy a karotenoidy jako funkční analogy cholesterolu v lipidových raftech eukaryot. V membránových mikrodoménách bakterií jsou lokalizovány proteiny účastnící se buněčného transportu, signalizace, sekrece, tvorby biofilmu nebo sporulace. Funkční membránové mikrodomény bakterií jsou specifickým místem pro vstup některých antibiotik do buňky. Rozrušení funkčních membránových mikrodomén můžeme navíc považovat za nový mechanismus boje proti bakteriálním infekcím způsobených patogeny rezistentními ke stávajícím antibiotikům. V nepřítomnosti membránových domén totiž dochází ke ztrátě aktivity proteinů, které pro svou funkci vyžadují prostředí mikrodomén, což může vést k inhibici růstu bakteriální buňky. Klíčová slova: Funkční membránové mikrodomény, cytoplazmatická membrána bakterií, kardiolipin, hopanoidy, flotiliny, rezistence bakterií k antibiotikůmFunctional membrane microdomains are structural heterogeneities in bacterial cytoplasmic membrane with up to few tens of nanometers in size. Same as in the case of eukaryotic lipid rafts the lipid and protein composition and fluidity of bacterial membrane microdomains differ from the rest of the membrane. Membrane microdomains contain the structural analogues of eukaryotic flotilin as well as hopanoids and carotenoids as functional analogues of cholesterol in eukaryotic lipid rafts. In functional membrane microdomains there are located proteins associated with membrane trafficking, signaling, secretion, biofilm formation, and sporulation. Functional membrane microdomains are specific sites for the entry of certain antibiotics into cells. What is more, disassembly of functional membrane microdomains might be regarded as a possible novel mechanism of bacterial infections suppression that is caused by antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens. In the absence of membrane domains proteins which require for their functions the membrane domain localization lose their activity. This may result in inhibition of bacterial cell growth. Key words: Functional membrane microdomains, bacterial cytoplasmic membrane, cardiolipin, hopanoids, flotilins, antibiotic resistanceKatedra genetiky a mikrobiologieDepartment of Genetics and MicrobiologyFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

Debunking as a Method of Uncovering Disinformation and Fake News

Journalism is about much more than just seeking and processing information. Multi-skilled journalists of the twenty-first century have to fulfil the given basic tasks and invest much of their time in verifying the affairs that are presented, and uncovering half-truths or false information. That is why all truly professional editorial offices pay attention to demasking, denying, or explaining disinformation in order to monitor and properly check the publishing activities of other media subjects. The chapter is focused on so-called debunking, a method of identifying disinformation, or rather a media genre that is associated with investigative journalism. The present study therefore aims to further explain why nowadays more and more media recipients express their trust in disinformation or various conspiracy theories. The outlined theoretical frameworks are followed by a discourse analysis in which the authors reflect on the current strategies of debunking applied by selected online news media. The text’s contribution to the contemporary scholarly discussions on journalism thus lies in defining various journalistic strategies associated with debunking, i.e., publicly uncovering false information that is disseminated in order to influence or rather manipulate the whole of society or at least its major parts

Legal and Ethical Regulation in Slovakia and Its Relation to Deliberative Communication

The offered social-scientific analysis is based on a critical discussion of key problems present in the Slovak media environment, such as the ethical self-regulation of the media, freedom of expression, the right to obtain information, or the legal protection of the sources of information. The study also refers to available scholarly sources and the previously published body of knowledge to assess the development of the media system in Slovakia over the past 30 years, outlining the country’s (in)ability to foster deliberative communication and democracy. The results suggest that the legal and ethical aspects of the Slovak media system do support some of the principles of deliberative communication, specifically freedom of expression and free access to information; however, free speech is not sufficiently confronted with the boundaries of protecting privacy and human dignity to prevent defamation and hate speech. Media autonomy based on the possibility of self-regulation is not sufficiently developed either. A serious problem is the lack of transparency in the media

Difficulties in determining distribution of population sizes within different orchid metapopulations

When examining the probability of extinction of a given orchid species, the species must be viewed as a metapopulation composed of many individual populations connected by migration. In biology, much attention has been paid to the dynamics of metapopulations, especially in the situation where metapopulation dynamics are affected by active migration of individuals between populations. However, this is not the case with orchids. Their seeds are passively spread by wind, and therefore are unable to actively choose the point where they land (passive migrants, unlike, e.g., butterflies, which can actively look for a suitable site that hosts, hosted or can potentially host a population of their species (active migrants). Thus, while active migrants can often find a suitable destination for their migration, passive migrants often die after landing at an unsuitable site. One would therefore expect that, other things being equal, the proportion of suitable sites inhabited by active migrants is larger than that inhabited by passive migrants. In passive migrants (orchids) we may therefore meet metapopulation dynamics of a different, yet unexplored type, in which some existing localities die out and new localities appear, in the vast majority where no orchids have ever grown before. This type of dynamics has not yet been studied anywhere and this paper is intended to be the first step in this direction. The main goal here is therefore empirical determination of actual distributions of population sizes in different metapopulations. We do it in four regions of the Czech Republic and for four species of orchids, considering the factors that influence it

Location-Based Games as a Contemporary, Original, and Innovative Method of Seniors’ Teaching and Learning

This book is a result of the Location-based games as a contemporary, original, and innovative method of seniors’ teaching and learning [LoGaSET] project, coordinated by Foundation Pro Scientia Publica, financed from the Erasmus Plus KA2 strategic partnership budget (nr 2017-1-PL01-KA204-038869). Dr Ewa Jurczyk-Romanowska (University of Wrocław, Poland) was the scientific coordinator of the project

Inhibitory effects of B. velezensis strain on plant pathogens of the genus Xanthomonas

Biological control is a method of applied ecology that uses one organism, or its product, to inhibit another pathogenic organism. This method in plant protection should be more environmentally friendly than commonly used pesticides. The rhizobacterium Bacillus velezensis FZB42, which can suppress the growth of other microorganisms, can be used as a biological control agent. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris is a phytopathogen that causes significant losses in agricultural production. This diploma thesis proved an antagonistic effect of the bacterial strain B. velezensis FZB42 on the phytopathogenic bacteria Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris SU in mixed culture. The study confirmed that the antibiotic effect of B. velezensis strain FZB42 against X. campestris pv. campestris SU in mixed culture depends on the inoculation ratios of both strains. The interaction of the two bacterial strains was characterized by metabolomics analysis, it was confirmed that B. velezensis FZB42 produces four dominant secondary metabolites: lipopeptides surfactin, fengycin, and bacillomycin and siderophore bacillibactin, which show antifungal and antibiotic activity. The inhibitory activity of B. velezensis strain FZB42 was further monitored by SEM analysis, which showed damage to X. campesris pv. campestris SU..

Distribution of population sizes within different orchid metapopulations

Orchids, as one of the most species-rich families in the world, are known for their specific symbiotic relationships with other organisms and can therefore be referred to as indicators of the state of vegetation. Studying orchids as metapopulations allows us to better estimate the level of threat of individual orchid species. The traditional metapopulation model assumes a metapopulation consisting of sub-populations, where individual populations are connected by migration, and colonization of new and recolonization of existing localities occurs. Orchids, on the other hand, show a different behavior. Their seeds are spread passively by wind, and the colonization of new habitats is therefore rather random. Therefore, a new model would be suitable for the study of orchids, which should include information on the size of the population of a given orchid species, taking into account the region in which they occur. The metapopulation is also influenced by the temperature and amount of precipitation before the flowering period, the possibility of individual sterility or dormancy, and last but not least, the quality of management on the site. These variables should be included in a new metapopulation model that could better describe changes in orchid metapopulations. This thesis provides the basis for a..

Inhibitory effects of B. velezensis strain on plant pathogens of the genus Xanthomonas

Biologická kontrola je metoda aplikované ekologie, která využívá jeden organismus, případně jeho produkt, k inhibici jiného, patogenního, organismu. Využití této metody v ochraně rostlin by měla být oproti běžně používaným pesticidům šetrnější k životnímu prostředí. Jako biokontrolní činidlo může být využívána rhizobakterie Bacillus velezensis FZB42, která disponuje schopností potlačit růst jiných mikroorganismů. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris je fytopatogen, který způsobuje značné ztráty v zemědělské produkci. Tato diplomová práce měla prokázat, že bakteriální kmen B. velezensis FZB42 působí antagonisticky na fytopatogenní bakterie Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris SU ve směsné kultuře. Studie potvrdila, že antibiotický efekt kmene B. velezensis FZB42 proti X. campestris pv. campestris SU ve směsné kultuře závisí na počátečním množství buněk obou kmenů. Interakce dvou bakteriálních kmenů byla charakterizována prostřednictvím metabolomické analýzy, bylo potvrzeno, že B. velezensis FZB42 produkuje čtyři dominantní sekundární metabolity: lipopeptidy surfaktin, fengycin a bacillomycin a siderofor bacillibaktin, které vykazují antifungální a antibiotickou aktivitu. Inhibiční aktivita kmene B. velezensis FZB42 byla dále sledována SEM analýzou směsné kultury, kde bylo patrné poškození buněk X....Biological control is a method of applied ecology that uses one organism, or its product, to inhibit another pathogenic organism. This method in plant protection should be more environmentally friendly than commonly used pesticides. The rhizobacterium Bacillus velezensis FZB42, which can suppress the growth of other microorganisms, can be used as a biological control agent. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris is a phytopathogen that causes significant losses in agricultural production. This diploma thesis proved an antagonistic effect of the bacterial strain B. velezensis FZB42 on the phytopathogenic bacteria Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris SU in mixed culture. The study confirmed that the antibiotic effect of B. velezensis strain FZB42 against X. campestris pv. campestris SU in mixed culture depends on the inoculation ratios of both strains. The interaction of the two bacterial strains was characterized by metabolomics analysis, it was confirmed that B. velezensis FZB42 produces four dominant secondary metabolites: lipopeptides surfactin, fengycin, and bacillomycin and siderophore bacillibactin, which show antifungal and antibiotic activity. The inhibitory activity of B. velezensis strain FZB42 was further monitored by SEM analysis, which showed damage to X. campesris pv. campestris SU...Department of Genetics and MicrobiologyKatedra genetiky a mikrobiologieFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

MAKING GAMES: THE POLITICS AND POETICS OF GAME CREATION TOOLS

Review of: WERNING, S.: Making Games: The Politics and Poetics of Game Creation Tools. Cambridge, MA : MIT Press, 2021. 158 p. ISBN 978-0-262-04483-7