Příklad sedimentace v malých antropogenně ovlivněných tocích: petrografie a mineralogie jemnozrnných fluviálních sedimentů v prostoru Libeň-Klecany

Petrography and mineralogy of sediments from tributaries of the Vltava River between Libeň and Klecany reflect an example of sedimentation in a small stream influenced by anthropogenic activity. Nevertheless, the studied material mostly corresponds to the rocks of the bedrock. The concentration of heavy minerals depends on their stability, petrology and anthropogenic influence. The grain size of stream sediments ranges from gravel to clay. The amount of individual components depends on the site and conditions of origin. Changes in the grain size are controlled by channel morphology and anthropogenic influence. Petrography, mineralogy and the grain size of sediments along the stream course depend on many factors and do not fit the classic idea of sediment distribution in streams. They rather show sedimentation typical for a rejuvenated part of the stream course with relicts of older sedimentation

Hildegard of Bingen: Saint, Nun and Healer

The topic of this work is a look at the treatment procedures and medical ideas of a medieval healer known as Hildegard of Bingen. This woman became well known even during her lifetime not only as a healer, composer, writer and visionary, but also because she was an abbess and founder of two monasteries. She wrote many works of mystical, religious and medical nature and among her endeavours there are also musical compositions. An extensive collection of her correspondence has been preserved, which documents regular exchange of letters with powerful people of her time, for example the cistercian monk Bernard of Clairvaux, popes Eugene III. and Alexander III., emperor Frederick I. Barbarossa, bishop Daniel of Prague and archbishop Kristián Buch of Mainz. The aim of my work is an attempt to understand the sources of Hildegard's healing abilities and explore the assumed conflict of the knowledge acquired through study and practice, and the sources originating in her visions

Cryptosporidium myocastoris n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae), the Species Adapted to the Nutria (Myocastor coypus)

Cryptosporidium spp., common parasites of vertebrates, remain poorly studied in wildlife. This study describes the novel Cryptosporidium species adapted to nutrias (Myocastor coypus). A total of 150 faecal samples of feral nutria were collected from locations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and examined for Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts and specific DNA at the SSU, actin, HSP70, and gp60 loci. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of C. parvum (n = 1), C. ubiquitum subtype family XIId (n = 5) and Cryptosporidium myocastoris n. sp. XXIIa (n = 2), and XXIIb (n = 3). Only nutrias positive for C. myocastoris shed microscopically detectable oocysts, which measured 4.8–5.2 × 4.7–5.0 µm, and oocysts were infectious for experimentally infected nutrias with a prepatent period of 5–6 days, although not for mice, gerbils, or chickens. The infection was localised in jejunum and ileum without observable macroscopic changes. The microvilli adjacent to attached stages responded by elongating. Clinical signs were not observed in naturally or experimentally infected nutrias. Phylogenetic analyses at SSU, actin, and HSP70 loci demonstrated that C. myocastoris n. sp. is distinct from other valid Cryptosporidium species

Cryptosporidium proliferans n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae): Molecular and Biological Evidence of Cryptic Species within Gastric Cryptosporidium of Mammals.

The morphological, biological, and molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium muris strain TS03 are described, and the species name Cryptosporidium proliferans n. sp. is proposed. Cryptosporidium proliferans obtained from a naturally infected East African mole rat (Tachyoryctes splendens) in Kenya was propagated under laboratory conditions in rodents (SCID mice and southern multimammate mice, Mastomys coucha) and used in experiments to examine oocyst morphology and transmission. DNA from the propagated C. proliferans isolate, and C. proliferans DNA isolated from the feces of an African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in Central African Republic, a donkey (Equus africanus) in Algeria, and a domestic horse (Equus caballus) in the Czech Republic were used for phylogenetic analyses. Oocysts of C. proliferans are morphologically distinguishable from C. parvum and C. muris HZ206, measuring 6.8-8.8 (mean = 7.7 μm) × 4.8-6.2 μm (mean = 5.3) with a length to width ratio of 1.48 (n = 100). Experimental studies using an isolate originated from T. splendens have shown that the course of C. proliferans infection in rodent hosts differs from that of C. muris and C. andersoni. The prepatent period of 18-21 days post infection (DPI) for C. proliferans in southern multimammate mice (Mastomys coucha) was similar to that of C. andersoni and longer than the 6-8 DPI prepatent period for C. muris RN66 and HZ206 in the same host. Histopatologicaly, stomach glands of southern multimammate mice infected with C. proliferans were markedly dilated and filled with necrotic material, mucus, and numerous Cryptosporidium developmental stages. Epithelial cells of infected glands were atrophic, exhibited cuboidal or squamous metaplasia, and significantly proliferated into the lumen of the stomach, forming papillary structures. The epithelial height and stomach weight were six-fold greater than in non-infected controls. Phylogenetic analyses based on small subunit rRNA, Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein, thrombospondin-related adhesive protein of Cryptosporidium-1, heat shock protein 70, actin, heat shock protein 90 (MS2), MS1, MS3, and M16 gene sequences revealed that C. proliferans is genetically distinct from C. muris and other previously described Cryptosporidium species

Phylogenetic relationships between <i>Cryptosporidium proliferans</i> (highlighted) and other <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. as inferred by a neighbor-joining analysis (NJ)/maximum parsimony (MP)/maximum likelihood (ML) of (A) MS2 (442 base positions in the final dataset, ML = log -792.33), (B) MS3 (485 base positions in the final dataset, ML = log = -832.45), and (C) MS16 (580 base positions in the final dataset, ML = log = -956.78).

<p>The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (1000 replicates). Numbers at the nodes represent bootstrap values for the nodes gaining more than 50% support. Scale bar included in each tree. </p

<i>Cryptosporidium proliferans</i>, <i>Cryptosporidium muris</i> HZ206, and <i>Cryptosporidium parvum</i> oocysts in (A) differential interference contrast microscopy and stained by (B) aniline–carbol–methyl violet (C) Auramine Phenol and (D) anti-<i>Cryptosporidium</i> FITC-conjugated antibody.

<p>Bar = 10 μm.</p

Phylogenetic relationships between <i>Cryptosporidium proliferans</i> and selected <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. as inferred by a neighbor-joining analysis (NJ)/maximum parsimony(MP)/maximum likelihood (ML) analysis of a concatenated sequence constructed from partial DNA sequences of SSU, actin, COWP, HSP70, and TRAP-C1 genes (1991 base positions in the final dataset, ML = log = -4368.98).

<p>The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (1000 replicates). Numbers at the nodes represent bootstrap values for the nodes gaining more than 50% support. Scale bar included in tree. </p

Phylogenetic relationships between <i>Cryptosporidium proliferans</i> (highlighted) and other <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. as inferred by a neighbor-joining analysis (NJ)/maximum parsimony (MP)/maximum likelihood (ML) of (A) actin (728 base positions in the final dataset, ML = log = -5522.35) and (B) MS1 (436 base positions in the final dataset, ML = log -886.75). The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (1000 replicates).

<p>Numbers at the nodes represent bootstrap values for the nodes gaining more than 50% support. Interrupted branches have been shortened five-fold. Scale bar included in each tree. </p

Phylogenetic relationships between <i>Cryptosporidium proliferans</i> (highlighted) and other <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. as inferred by a neighbor-joining analysis (NJ)/maximum parsimony(MP)/maximum likelihood (ML) of (A) HSP70 (211 base positions in the final dataset, ML = log -1745.42) and (B) COWP (369 base positions in the final dataset, ML = log -532.78).

<p>The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (1000 replicates). Numbers at the nodes represent bootstrap values for the nodes gaining more than 50% support. Scale bar included in each tree.</p

Phylogenetic relationships between <i>Cryptosporidium proliferans</i> (highlighted) and other <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. as inferred by a neighbor-joining analysis (NJ)/maximum parsimony(MP)/maximum likelihood (ML) of (A) the SSU (706 base positions in the final dataset; ML = log -2886.67) and (B) TRAP-C1 (531 base positions in the final dataset, ML = log -1929.25).

<p>The percentage of replicate trees in which the associated taxa clustered together in the bootstrap test (1000 replicates). Numbers at the nodes represent bootstrap values for the nodes gaining more than 50% support. Scale bar included in each tree.</p