A rapid and simple large volume headspace (HS) sampling technique termed headspace solid-phase microcolumn extraction (HS-SPMCE) is described. HS gas above a liquid or solid sample is aspirated by ...attaching a gas-tight syringe onto a glass thermal desorption tube filled with Tenax sorbent. The trapped analytes are recovered by thermal desorption for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and the xylene isomers (BTEX) are used as model compounds to demonstrate the application of the extraction procedure for water samples. The results of the tests of the effect of agitation time and aspiration rate on recovery of the analytes show a good robustness of the method. BTEX are determined in the linear range from 0.5 to 50.0 μg L-¹ with limits of detection (3 σ) ranging within 0.09-0.14 μg L-¹ (MS was in scan mode). The method provides a good repeatability (RSD < 9%) and only a negligible carryover effect was observed ( <=0.05%) when analysing BTEX at concentration 50.0 μg L-¹.
Associations of functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 1B1, epoxide hydrolase 1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, glutathione S-transferase Pi-1 and deletions of glutathione ...S-transferases Mu-1 and θ-1 with colorectal cancer risk were investigated in a hospital-based case-control study on 495 matched pairs of Czech Caucasians. Polymorphisms were assessed by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism-based methods, allele-specific multiplex and allelic discrimination by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Carriers of variant Ser allele in codon 453 of cytochrome P450 1B1 (rs1800440) were at a significantly lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to carriers of the wild-type allele (adjusted odds ratio, aOR=0.68, CI=0.51-0.89, p=0.006). The combination of polymorphisms in codons 453 and 432 (rs1056836) of cytochrome P450 1B1 further increased the protective effect (aOR=0.53, CI=0.34-0.83, p=0.005). The glutathione S-transferase Mu-1 deletion was associated with a moderately elevated colorectal cancer risk (aOR=1.30, CI=1.01-1.68, p=0.044). Combination of glutathione S-transferase Mu-1 and θ-1 deletion was associated with a significantly higher colorectal cancer risk compared to the presence of both full-length genes (aOR=1.58, CI=1.01-2.47, p=0.044). Genetic polymorphisms in glutathione S-transferase Pi-1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, epoxide hydrolase 1 and deduced epoxid hydrolase 1 activity did not modify the risk of colorectal cancer. These results provide further evidence that interaction between metabolic gene variants contributes to colorectal carcinogenesis.
The aim of this paper is to present various types of research on reducing emissions in the flue gases produced by low-power biomass boilers, especially when the boilers operate outside their nominal ...operating regime. This long-term investigation program is being carried out on a pilot boiler in the university laboratories. The program involves acquiring additional instrumentation for performing and evaluating present and future experiments, creating various types of models of the boiler for designing and testing the control algorithms using available data, and implementing and evaluating the algorithms in real operation. The pilot device enables us to experiment using non-standard instrumentation, but throughout our research it is necessary to strike a balance between ecological policy requirements and economic considerations.
Nonobese, hereditary hypertriglyceridemic (HTG) rats provide an interesting model of hypertriglyceridemia, glucose intolerance, and hypertension. In age-matched 15 HTG and 16 control Wistar rats fed ...on a high sucrose diet (70 cal%) for 6 weeks, we measured insulin sensitivity in vivo and some parameters of sympatoadrenal system. Using euglycemic clamps with administration of 2-deoxy1-3Hglucose, we found whole body insulin resistance and decreased glucose metabolic index Rg' in soleus muscle, epitrochlearis muscle, diaphragm, and white adipose tissue in HTG rats. We found higher levels of plasma epinephrine and higher excretion of vanilmandelic and homovanilic acids in HTG rats. The binding of 3H-dihydroalprenol to the heart membrane fraction was similar in both groups, but the dissociation constant Kd was increased by 75% in the heart of HTG rats.
: Allogeneic HSCT is a curative treatment, when chemotherapy fails, for certain malignant diseases. In Europe, only 15% of the indicated children have an HLA‐matched sibling available; in 65–70% of ...others, HLA allele‐matched (9–10/10) UDs can be identified. For the rest, it is necessary to identify other alternative donors (HLA‐mismatched family or unrelated cord blood). We present our data of HSCT using HLA partially allele‐mismatched (7–8/10) UDs in 24 children with leukemia. Uniform GvHD prophylaxis was used (rATG, CsA and MTX). Acute GvHD grade II was diagnosed in 70.8% of the patients and grade III–IV in 12.5%. Overall incidence of chronic GvHD was 38.7% (extensive in 30%). The probability of EFS was 60.3% (95% CI 35.5–78.1) and OS was 74.9 (95% CI 49.1–88.9). No difference in survival between PBSC and BM recipients was observed. TRM at day + 100 was 4%, and overall was 12.5%. We conclude that used combination of drugs for GvHD prophylaxis is efficient even for patients transplanted with grafts from a HLA‐mismatched UDs. It enables stable engraftment, good control of GvHD, full reconstitution of immunity, and is not connected with unacceptable transplant‐related mortality.
To meet the increasing environmental and efficiency requirements, the possibilities to improve the performance of a 25 kWth wood pellet boiler by utilizing PLC and feedback control are investigated. ...The process is first stabilized by improving the grate sweeping sequence, which originally disturbs the process. Prior to continuous combustion control development, the process is analyzed and identified. After sequential control improvements the combustion behaves well but tends to drift. A PID controller was designed to enable drifting compensation. It is shown that improved grate sweeping sequence and continuous feedback control provide a major improvement for system performance cost effectively.
In the period 1964-2007, data on 1472 ex. of prey was acquired from whole Slovakia. It was confirmed that the location of the breeding population on the foothills and mountains of the Carpathian Arc ...has a cardinal contribution to diet diversity. The breeding sites and hunting-grounds were found from 100 to 1 000 meters above sea level. The dominant part of the diet created mammalian species (88.11 %, 19 species and Sorex sp., Apodemus sp., undetermined Artiodactyla). Birds were less represented but with higher diversity of species (6.25 %, 24 species and Columba sp., undetermined Passeriformes). In comparison with birds, the share of Amphibia, Reptilia and Pisces together (4.89 %, 5 species and Rana sp., Lacerta sp., undetermined Serpentes and Reptilia) was lower. Pisces constituted only 0.007 % with 1 ex. of prey species Cyprinus carpio. Evertebrata constituted 0.75 % and species from orders Orthoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera were found. The dominant prey of A. pomarina in Slovakia was Microtus arvalis (69.57 %), followed by Arvicola terrestris (5.16 %) and Microtus agrestis (3.94 %) constituting significantly lower proportion. These three species from the category small rodents composed 75.67 % of diet. Less abundant species in range 2.24-1.00 % were Talpa europaea (2.31 %), Rana temporaria (2.24 %), Cricetus cricetus (1.70 %), Phasianus colchicus (1.15 %), and Lepus europaeus (1.09 %). In lesser extent (1.0-0.5 %) also other mammalian species such as Apodemus flavicollis (0.88 %) and Mustela nivalis (0.88 %) were represented. The most frequently encountered birds were Galliformes such as P. colchicus (1.15 %), Gallus gallus domesticus (0.48 %), and Coturnix coturnix (0.54 %). Other more abundant prey bird species were Alauda arvensis (0.48 %), Columba sp. (0.48 %), and Crex crex (0.34 %). From the class Reptilia relatively high share of Anguis fragilis (0.95 %) and Lacerta sp. (0.68 %; most probably Lacerta agilis) were recorded. Other species with representation lower than 0.3 % were a random prey of A. pomarina.
V rokoch 1964-2007 sa získali údaje o 1472 kusoch koristi z celého Slovenska. Potvrdilo sa, že zásadný podiel na diverzite potravy má situovanie hniezdnej populácie do predhorí a pohorí Karpatského oblúka. Hniezdiská a loviská sa zistili v nadmorských výškach od 100-1000 m. Dominantnú zložku tvorili cicavce (88,11 %, 19 druhov a Sorex sp., Apodemus sp., neurčené Artiodactyla). Vtáky sú zastúpené oveľa menej početne, no s väčšou druhovou diverzitou (6,25 %, 24 druhov a Columba sp., neurčené Passeriformes). V menšej miere v porovnaní s vtákmi je zastúpenie spoločnej skupiny Amphibia, Reptilia a Pisces (4,89 %, 5 druhov a Rana sp., Lacerta sp., neurčené Serpentes a Reptilia). Z toho Pisces tvorili len 0,007 % s jediným kusom koristi druhu Cyprinus carpio. Evertebrata tvorili 0,75 %, tvorených zástupcami radov Orthoptera, Coleoptera a Diptera. Dominantnou korisťou A. pomarina na Slovensku je hraboš poľný (Microtus arvalis, 69,57 %), po ňom nasleduje so značným odstupom hryzec vodný (Arvicola terrestris, 5,16 %) a hraboš močiarny (Microtus agrestis, 3,94 %). Tieto tri druhy z kategórie drobných hlodavcov tvorili 75,67 % potravy. Menej početnými druhmi zistenými v potrave v rozsahu 2,24-1,00 % boli krt obyčajný (Talpa europaea, 2,31 %), skokan hnedý (Rana temporaria, 2,24 %), chrček poľný (Cricetus cricetus, 1,70 %), bažant poľovný (Phasianus colchicus, 1,15 %) a zajac poľný (Lepus europaeus, 1,09 %). Z ostatných cicavcov sa v menšej miere (1,0-0,5 %) vyskytovali ryšavka žltohrdlá (Apodemus flavicollis, 0,88 %) a lasica myšožravá (Mustela nivalis, 0,88 %). Z vtákov boli najčastejšie zastúpené kurotvaré (Galliformes), a to bažant poľovný (P. colchicus, 1,15 %), kura domáca (Gallus gallus dom., 0,48 %) a prepelica poľná (Coturnix coturnix, 0,54 %). Ďalšie početnejšie lovené druhy vtákov boli škovránok poľný (Alauda arvensis, 0,48 %), holuby (Columba sp., 0,48 %) a chriašteľ poľný (Crex crex, 0,34 %). Z triedy Reptilia sa zistilo pomerne vysoké zastúpenie u slepúcha lámavého (Anguis fragilis, 0,95 %) a jašterice (Lacerta sp., 0,68 %; s najväčšou pravdepodobnosťou jašterica krátkohlavá, Lacerta agilis). Ostatné druhy s dominanciou pod 0,3 % sú náhodnou korisťou A. pomarina.
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