Remarks on the type locality and current status of the foraminiferal species Rzehakina epigona (Rzehak, 1895)

A likely topotype locality is proposed for Rzehakina epigona. As the type specimen of Silicina epigona Rzehak, 1895 is assumed to be lost, we undertook a search for new material in the type area, Zdounky village in Moravia. A single locality provided a total of 138 Rzehakina specimens. The greenish grey marly clays sampled here contain a rich fauna of both planktonic and benthic foraminifers belonging to the Abathomphalus mayaroensis Zone. In addition to R. epigona, rare specimens attributable to R. inclusa, R. lata, R. minima and even a typical form of R. fissistomata are present at the Zdounky locality. Biometrical analysis was carried out on 52 complete specimens using the involution value "Z" and the length/breadth ratio. Most of the Rzehakina epigona topotypes form a tight cluster with "Z" values between 4 and 15%, although forms that appear transitional to R. lata have Z values of around 20%. The length/breadth ratio is more variable, with values ranging between 1.2 and 2.0. However, the Z value measured from Rzehak's type figure is significantly higher and outside the range of variability of this cluster of specimens. We conclude that Rzehak's drawing may be imprecise. Unfortunately, we were not able to study the inner structure of these specimens owing to the lack of internal filling in these specimens. The unfavourable preservation and low abundance of specimens from the type locality do not enable a proper revision of the species Rzehakina epigona at this time

Web Application: Visualization of Market Behavior

Cílem práce je navrhnout a implementovat komponentu a webovou aplikaci, umožňující sběr, analýzu a vizualizaci dat vybraného trhu. Práce se zabývá architekturou systému, použitými technologiemi, popisem sbíraných dat, použitým postupem pro analýzu dat a vzhledem k implementaci také obecnou architekturou rozšíření pro webový prohlížeč.The aim of the thesis was to design and implement a component and a web application, enabling collection, analysis and visualisation of selected market data. The thesis deals with system architecture, used technologies, description of data collection, method used for data analysis, and due to implementation it deals with the general architecture of web browser extension460 - Katedra informatikyvýborn

MAPK phosphatase-1 represents a novel antiinflammatory target of glucocorticoids in the human endothelium

Glucocorticoids are well-established anti- inflammatory drugs thought to mainly act by inhibition of proinflammatory transcription factors like NF-κB. In recent years, however, transcription factorindependent mechanisms of glucocorticoid action have been proposed, namely the influence on MAPK pathways. Here we identify MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) as a pivotal mediator of the anti-inflammatory action of glucocorticoids in the human endothelium. We applied dexamethasone (Dex) to TNF-α-activated human endothelial cells and used the adhesion molecule E-selectin as inflammatory read-out parameter. Dex is known to reduce the expression of E-selectin, which is largely regulated by NF-κB. Here, we communicate that Dex at low concentrations (1–100 nM) markedly attenuates E-selectin expression without affecting NF-κB. Importantly, Dex is able to increase the expression of MKP-1, which causes an inactivation of TNF-α-induced p38 MAPK and mediates inhibition of E-selectin expression. In endothelial MKP-1ˉ/ˉ cells differentiated from MKP-1ˉ/ˉ embryonic stem cells and in MKP-1-silenced human endothelial cells, Dex did not inhibit TNF-α-evoked E-selectin expression. Thus, our findings introduce MKP-1 as a novel and crucial mediator of the anti-inflammatory action of glucocorticoids at low concentrations in the human endothelium and highlight MKP-1 as an important and promising antiinflammatory drug target

Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Protects against Histamine-Induced Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction in Vivo

Endothelial barrier dysfunction is a hallmark of many severe pathologies, including sepsis or atherosclerosis. The cardiovascular hormone atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) has increasingly been suggested to counteract endothelial leakage. Surprisingly, the precise in vivo relevance of these observations has never been evaluated. Thus, we aimed to clarify this issue and, moreover, to identify the permeability-controlling subcellular systems that are targeted by ANP. Histamine was used as important pro-inflammatory, permeability-increasing stimulus. Measurements of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran extravasation from venules of the mouse cremaster muscle and rat hematocrit values were performed to judge changes of endothelial permeability in vivo. It is noteworthy that ANP strongly reduced the histamine-evoked endothelial barrier dysfunction in vivo. In vitro, ANP blocked the breakdown of transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) induced by histamine. Moreover, as judged by immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis, ANP inhibited changes of vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin, β-catenin, and p120ctn morphology; VE-cadherin and myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) phosphorylation; and F-actin stress fiber formation. These changes seem to be predominantly mediated by the natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-A, but not by NPR-C. In summary, we revealed ANP as a potent endothelial barrier protecting agent in vivo and identified adherens junctions and the contractile apparatus as subcellular systems targeted by ANP. Thus, our study highlights ANP as an interesting pharmacological compound opening new therapeutic options for preventing endothelial leakage

Most significant geosites of the Cieszyn Foothills, Outer flysch Carpathians, Poland and Czech Republic

The article provides a review of the most important geotouristic attractions within the Cieszyn Foothills, Outer Flysch Carpathians in Poland and adjacent part of the Czech Republic. The best geosites, which can be visited during a short 1-2 day visit in the Polish Carpathians were selected. The present paper contains the description of the classic localities exposing the oldest deposits and igneous rocks of the Silesian Unit. The geotouristic objects are important because the represent scenic sites as well as geosites with educational values supplying limitless information about the geological history, as well as the history of earth sciences research

Ozelenjevanje mest kot orodje za zmanjševanje učinka toplotnega otoka

Roofs, as the top layer of the urban environment, significantly contribute to overheating and creating a heat island, which is known as one of the most critical global warming effects. There are several ways to mitigate the effects of such heat islands, among which greening is the most natural, sustainable solution, and also economically acceptable and socially valued principle. Vegetation is known to significantly improve the urban microclimate and directly reduce the effect of the urban thermal core. At the Environmental Protection College in collaboration with the Institute Complementarium, both based in Slovenia, we conducted a pilot experiment to evaluate greening, in our case the principle of a flat green roof, as an effective and promising approach for reducing an urban heat island and its effects. Temperature measurements have shown that the green surface can lower both the surface temperature itself (e.g., the roof) and the air surrounding the green surface. We have presented an initial pilot case, which is planned to be upgraded in the future to confirm our current results and assumptions. In addition, we summarized data showing that Velenje is, in view of annual higher average temperatures, a highly suitable urban environment for the introduction of greening principles on the top urban layers.Strehe kot zgornja plast mestnega okolja največ prispevajo k pregrevanju in ustvarjanju mesta kot toplotnega otoka. Le-ta je znan kot eden najpomembnejših učinkov globalnega segrevanja. Obstaja več načinov blaženja učinkov toplotnega otoka, med katerimi je ozelenjevanje najbolj naraven, trajnostno usmerjen način ter hkrati ekonomsko sprejemljiv in družbeno zelo cenjen princip. Znano je, da vegetacija znatno izboljšuje mestno mikroklimo in neposredno zmanjšuje učinek urbanega toplotnega jedra. Na Visoki šoli za varstvo okolja smo v sodelovanju z inštitutom Complementarium - oba sta locirana v Sloveniji - izvedli pilotni eksperiment, s katerim smo poskusili ovrednotiti ozelenjevanje, v našem primeru princip ravne zelene strehe, kot učinkovit in perspektiven pristop k zmanjševanju urbanega toplotnega otoka in njegovih učinkov. S temperaturnimi meritvami smo ugotovili, da lahko zelena površina znižuje tako temperaturo površine same (npr. strehe) kot tudi zraka v njeni bližnji okolici. Predstavili smo začetni pilotni primer, ki ga želimo v prihodnosti nadgraditi in tako pridobiti podatke, ki bodo naše rezultate in predpostavke potrdili. Hkrati pa smo izpostaviti podatke, ki kažejo, da je mesto Velenje glede na porast letnih povprečnih temperatur zelo primerno urbano okolje za vzpostavitev zelenih površin na zgornjih plasteh mestnega pokrova