Beetroot juice: effects on blood pressure, intraocular pressure, and ocular vessel density in healthy adults

Background: The blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect of beetroot is attributed to its high nitrate concentration, which converts to the vasodilator nitric oxide. Nitric oxide may also mediate ocular aqueous outflow to regulate intraocular pressure (IOP). Aims: We investigated the effect of beetroot juice on IOP and ocular vessel density. Subjects and Methods: With a single-blind, crossover design, 19 healthy young adults participated on 2 days 1 week apart. On Visit 1, baseline IOP, BP, and ocular vessel density (optical coherence tomography angiography, disc, and macula) were measured. Three hours after consumption of 16 ounces of beetroot juice or water (randomly assigned), all measurements were repeated. On Visit 2, baseline and 3-hour post-consumption measurements were assessed, with each subject consuming the drink not ingested on Visit 1. Results: Paired-samples t-test showed 1) no difference in IOP change post-water vs post-beet root juice (P = 0.27), and 2) mean systolic and diastolic BPs were lower only post-beet root juice (systolic: -4.8 (SEM ± 2.1) mm Hg, P = 0.032, 95% CI (0.47, 9.11); diastolic: -6.2 (SEM± 1.4) mm Hg, P <0.001, 95% CI (3.27, 9.15)). Superficial vessel density was significantly lower in several macular regions post-beet root juice, but not post-water (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, immediately superior, inferior, and temporal to center; respective P values of 0.016, 0.035, and 0.046). Conclusions: Beetroot juice lowers BP and macular vessel density, but does not lower IOP in young, healthy adults. Further investigation into its effect on IOP and vessel density in glaucomatous eyes is warranted

Contrast Sensitivity Testing in Normal Vision: Performance with Letter vs. Continuous Text

Introduction: Contrast sensitivity is a visual element used in optometric examinations to help assess visual capacity. This study compared two formats of contrast sensitivity tests, ETDRS Letters and Continuous Text. Methods: Contrast sensitivity was measured in 75 subjects, who met inclusion criteria, using the Adult Near Contrast Test. Patients’ verbal readings provided data for the formats at five contrast levels. Results: Average visual acuity and number of lines/paragraphs read correctly decreased with decreasing contrast. ANOVAs showed significant differences by contrast level in total words and total letters (ps\u3c 0.001) and a Pearson correlation gave high correlations between the contrast sensitivity readings of the two formats except at 100% contrast (ps\u3c 0.05; p= 0.69). Conclusion: Analysis revealed that contrast sensitivity readings from the different formats were essentially the same for most contrast levels. These two test formats can both be used with success in measuring contrast sensitivity in a normally sighted population

The effect of a temporary absence of target velocity information on visual tracking

Experiments with the Rashbass ‘step-ramp’ paradigm have revealed that the initial catchup saccade that occurs near pursuit onset uses target velocity as well as position information in its programming. Information about both position and motion also influences smooth pursuit. To investigate the timing of velocity sampling near the initiation of saccades and smooth pursuit, we analyzed the eye movements made in nine ‘step-ramp’ conditions, produced by combining –2, 0 and +2 deg steps with –8, 0 and +8 deg/s ramps. Each trial had either no temporal gap or a 50-ms gap during which the laser target was extinguished, beginning 25, 50, 75 or 100 ms after the step. Six subjects repeated each of the resulting 45 conditions 25 times. With no temporal gap, saccades were larger in the step-ramp-away’ than the ‘step-only’ condition, confirming that saccade programming incorporates ramp velocity information. A temporal gap had no effect on the accuracy of saccades on ‘step-only’ trials, but often caused undershoots in ‘step-ramp’ trials. A 50-ms gap within the first 100 ms also increased the latency of the initial saccade. Although initial pursuit velocity was unaffected by a temporal gap, a gap that started at 25 ms reliably delayed pursuit onset for ramp motion of the target toward the fovea. Later gaps had a minimal effect on initial pursuit latency. The similar timing of the temporal gaps in target motion information that affect the initiation of saccades and pursuit provides further behavioral evidence that the two types of eye movements share pre-motor neural mechanisms

Projektová výuka dějepisu se zaměřením na regionální dějiny na příkladu Chebska

The subject of the thesis deals with the topic of project teaching of regional history within the subject of history and its application within the second stage of elementary and secondary schools. In the theoretical part I define the concept of project, project method, project teaching. I also deal with project teaching from several different perspectives. This applies in particular to phases or types of projects, what are the positives and negatives of the involvement of this method in teaching, in what ways it can be used at all, how it is possible to link it to the framework educational program. The aim of the thesis is to present projects that could be used to enrich teaching in many different directions. The same applies to the students themselves. The projects will lead them to use knowledge from different areas, subjects (interdisciplinarity is key), to expand creativity as well as creative and critical thinking. The projects contained in this thesis should deepen students' interest in history

A republic that outlived itself. The Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and their inner politics

The subject of the thesis are the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The author is dealing with steps that Emperors of the first dynasty took to change the current republican establishment in the so called principate. The main point is the relationship between the Emperors and the social elite, primarily the senate. On the relationship between the emperor and the senate is viewed in two levels, namely the emperor and the senate as whole and the emperor and the senators as individuals. The thesis also analyses the dividing of the roman Provinces between the power of the senate and the power of the emperor as well as the intervention in this dividing. The attitude of the Emperors towards their ancestors is also part of the work

Generals who buried the republic. Description of the crisis and the demise of the Roman Republic on the basis of an analysis of the careers of signicificant Roman politicians in the 1st century BC

This bachelor thesis deals with careers and lives of those Roman politicians and generals, who played an active role in civil wars of the late republic and who contributed a great deal to its downfall. At the core of the thesis is explanation of their actions, analysis of their decisions and deliberation of legitimacy they obtained. The thesis follows developments in the Roman republic from the civil war of Sulla and Marius in 88 BCE until the last civil war of the republic, culminating in the battle of Actium in 31 BCE