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Monitoring the accuracy of meters by qualified workers and managers is a preventive measure of every organization. The paper focuses on monitoring the accuracy of measuring devices and proposes preventive and corrective actions. The discussed measurement device was tested for accuracy using accuracy indexes Cg and Cgk. The identified deviations in measurements showed that the meter was not fully efficient. Consequently, actions were taken to ensuring that the measurement device is accurate.

Thin films of transition-metal dichalcogenides are potential materials for optoelectronic applications. However, the application of these materials in practice requires knowledge of their fundamental optical properties. Many existing methods determine optical constants using predefined models. Here, a different approach was used. We determine the sheet conductance and absorption coefficient of few-layer PtSe2 in the infrared and UV–vis ranges without recourse to any particular model for the optical constants. PtSe2 samples with a thickness of about 3–4 layers were prepared by selenization of 0.5 nm thick platinum films on sapphire substrates at different temperatures. Differential reflectance was extracted from transmittance and reflectance measurements from the front and back of the sample. The film thickness, limited to a few atomic layers, allowed a thin-film approximation to calculate the optical conductance and absorption coefficient. The former has a very different energy dependence in the infrared, near-infrared, and visible ranges. The absorption coefficient exhibits a strong power-law dependence on energy with an exponent larger than three in the mid-infrared and near-infrared regions. We have not observed any evidence for a band gap in PtSe2 thin layers down to an energy of 0.4 eV from our optical measurements.

Some of the distinct optical, catalytical, and electronic properties of few-layer MoS2 films arise from a specific orientation of the MoS2 layers. The growth of horizontally or vertically aligned M...

Recently, few-layer PtSe2 films have attracted significant attention due to their properties and promising applications in high-speed electronics, spintronics and optoelectronics. Until now, the transport properties of this material have not reached the theoretically predicted values, especially with regard to carrier mobility. In addition, it is not yet known which growth parameters (if any) can experimentally affect the carrier mobility value. This work presents the fabrication of horizontally aligned PtSe2 films using one-zone selenization of pre-deposited platinum layers. We have identified the Se : Pt ratio as a parameter controlling the charge carrier mobility in the thin films. The mobility increases more than twice as the ratio changes in a narrow interval around a value of 2. A simultaneous reduction of the carrier concentration suggests that ionized impurity scattering is responsible for the observed mobility behaviour. This significant finding may help to better understand the transport properties of few-layer PtSe2 films.

The objective of the paper is managerial evaluation of the level of logistics on individual continents and to find out dependence between the level of logistic systems and the level of GDP in the selected countries of the world. To evaluate logistics, we used the Logistics Performance Index and its six categories (customs clearance, infrastructure, international shipment, logistic competencies, monitoring shipment, and satisfaction). The index of gross domestic product was shown per capita and in constant U.S. dollars for 2010. The analyzed period was the years 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. Together, we analyzed 134 countries from five of the world’s continents. Results are provided separately for the European countries and the Slovak Republic. To find out mutual linear dependence, we used the correlation coefficient. From the results of the research, it is clear that there is a connection between the variables LPI and GDP and thus that there exists a direct linear dependence. Only in one case, that of the African continent in 2018, was the coefficient of correlation close to zero and we had to state that the variables were not linearly dependent. For most resulting values of the correlation coefficient, we found only slight linear dependence. The exception was the countries of Australia and Oceania, where a strong dependence was found for all the years in question. This kind of analysis has significance primarily on the macroeconomic level. The individual countries can investigate, evaluate, and consequently improve their respective logistic systems and services. Understanding and decomposing the components of trade and logistics performance can help countries improve freight transport efficiency and identify where international cooperation could help overcome barriers.

New practices and changes are appearing in personnel management in the same way as they occur in other areas of management. New trends, which have various ways of implementation, emerge, along with its impact on employees, managers and businesses. Employees are an important part of each business and therefore, it is important to have right people in right places. The objective of the paper is to find out how food businesses working in Slovakia are implementing an innovative approach to the personnel management. The research actively included 453 food businesses from all Slovakia. We decided to do research into these businesses because they are household names in the field of production of domestic food products. Production of high-quality domestic food products is considered important not only for people´s nutrition and availability of quality domestic products but also due to sustainability of the employment rate in this field, development and recruitment of professional, qualified and engaged employees. The statistical relations and correlations between variables were performed by Cronbach alpha, Spearman test, Kruskal-Walis test using programs EXCEL and SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1. We found out that food businesses in Slovakia had already started to implement innovative approaches to the personnel management, but there are still significant reserves and shortcomings. The positive aspect is that food business managers have understood importance of personnel management innovation because nowadays, their main task to find, recruit, select and retain a prospective employee.

The few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) are an attractive class of materials due to their unique and tunable electronic, optical, and chemical properties, controlled by the layer number, crystal orientation, grain size, and morphology. One of the most commonly used methods for synthesizing the few-layer TMD materials is the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. Therefore, it is crucial to develop in situ inspection techniques to observe the growth of the few-layer TMD materials directly in the CVD chamber environment. We demonstrate such an in situ observation on the growth of the vertically aligned few-layer MoS2 in a one-zone CVD chamber using a laboratory table-top grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) setup. The advantages of using a microfocus X-ray source with focusing Montel optics and a single-photon counting 2D X-ray detector are discussed. Due to the position-sensitive 2D X-ray detector, the orientation of MoS2 layers can be easily distinguished. The performance of the GIWAXS setup is further improved by suppressing the background scattering using a guarding slit, an appropriately placed beamstop, and He gas in the CVD reactor. The layer growth can be monitored by tracking the width of the MoS2 diffraction peak in real time. The temporal evolution of the crystallization kinetics can be satisfactorily described by the Avrami model, employing the normalized diffraction peak area. In this way, the activation energy of the particular chemical reaction occurring in the CVD chamber can be determined.

Jedním z primárních cílů zoo je vzdělání a výchova v ekologii a ochranářství. Tento příspěvek k proměně lidského přístupu k přírodě a zastavení vymírání druhů, který má nějakým způsobem legitimizovat držení divokých zvířat v zajetí, je kritiky zpochybňován. Jak tomu je se vzdělávacím přínosem ve skutečnosti, mohou ukázat výzkumy. Text se věnuje výsledkům výzkumů o vzdělávacím přínosu zoo a jejich analýzám. Předpokládá se, že návštěva zoo by měla přispět k pro-environmentálnímu cítění, ochranářskému étosu, postoji a chování, ke gramotnosti v biodiverzitě a dalším. Závěry výzkumů jsou ale prozatím přinejmenším nejednoznačné. Cílem příspěvku je v kontextu těchto nejnovějších výzkumů poukázat na další relevantní faktory, které mohou ovlivňovat postoje lidí, a na případný potenciální edukační přínos zoologických zahrad v jiných oblastech., One of the zoo’s primary goals is education and training in ecology and conservation. This contribution to changing the human approach to nature and halting the extinction of species, which should somehow legitimize the keeping of wild animals in captivity, is being challenged. Research can show the reality of educational benefits. The text deals with the results of research on the educational benefits of zoos and their analyses. It is assumed that a visit of the zoo should contribute to pro-environmental sentiment, conservation ethos, attitudes and behaviours, biodiversity literacy and more. However, conclusions from the research are so far at least ambiguous. The aim of this paper is to point out, in the context of this latest research, other relevant factors that may influence people's attitudes and the potential educational benefits of zoos in other areas.

Electron diffraction tomography (EDT) data are in many ways similar to X-ray diffraction data. However, they also present certain specifics. One of the most noteworthy is the specific rocking curve observed for EDT data collected using the precession electron diffraction method. This double-peaked curve (dubbed `the camel') may be described with an approximation based on a circular integral of a pseudo-Voigt function and used for intensity extraction by profile fitting. Another specific aspect of electron diffraction data is the high likelihood of errors in the estimation of the crystal orientation, which may arise from the inaccuracies of the goniometer reading, crystal deformations or crystal movement during the data collection. A method for the refinement of crystal orientation for each frame individually is proposed based on the least-squares optimization of simulated diffraction patterns. This method provides typical angular accuracy of the frame orientations of less than 0.05°. These features were implemented in the computer program PETS 2.0. The implementation of the complete data processing workflow in the program PETS and the incorporation of the features specific for electron diffraction data is also described.

Recently, few-layer PtSe

Euglenids represent a group of protists with diverse modes of feeding. To date, only a partial genomic sequence of Euglena gracilis and transcriptomes of several phototrophic and secondarily osmotrophic species are available, while primarily heterotrophic euglenids are seriously undersampled. In this work, we begin to fill this gap by presenting genomic and transcriptomic drafts of a primary osmotroph, Rhabdomonas costata. The current genomic assembly length of 100 Mbp is 14× smaller than that of E. gracilis. Despite being too fragmented for comprehensive gene prediction, comparison of the transcriptomic and genomic data revealed features of its introns, including several candidates for nonconventional introns. 16 % of transcripts bear a recognizable partial splice leader sequence. A set of 39,585 putative R. costata proteins were predicted from the transcriptome. Annotation of the mitochondrial core metabolism provides the first data on the facultatively anaerobic mitochondrion of R. costata, which in most respects resembles the mitochondrion of E. gracilis with certain level of streamlining. R. costata synthesises heme by a mitochondrial-cytoplasmatic C4 pathway with enzymes orthologous to those found in E. gracilis. The low percentage of green algae-affiliated genes, supports the ancestrally osmotrophic status of this species.

Few-layer films of transition metal dichalcogenides have emerged as promising candidates for applications in electronics. Within this group of 2D materials, platinum diselenide (PtSe2) was predicted to be a compound with one of the highest charge carrier mobility. Recently, the successful integration of group III–V nitride semiconductors with NbNx-based superconductors was reported with a semiconductor transistor grown directly on a crystalline superconductor. This opens up the possibility of combining the macroscopic quantum effects of superconductors with the electronic, photonic, and piezoelectric properties of the semiconducting material. Here, we report on the fabrication of a few-layer PtSe2 film on top of an NbN substrate layer by selenization of pre-deposited 3 nm thick Pt layers. We found the selenization parameters preserving the chemical and structural integrity of both the PtSe2 and NbN films. The PtSe2 film alignment can be tuned by varying the nitrogen flow rate through the reaction chamber. The superconducting critical temperature of NbN is only slightly reduced in the optimized samples compared to pristine NbN. The carrier mobility in PtSe2 layers determined from Hall measurements is below 1 cm2/V s.

Osimertinib patři mezi 3. generaci tyrozinkinazových inhibitorů (TKI) cilicich na receptor pro epidermalni růstový faktor (EGFR). Jeho dobrou toleranci prokazaly již studie faze I a II. Recentně publikovana studie faze III (AURA3) pak porovnavala jeho ucinnost vůci platinovemu doubletu u pacientů s prokazanou mutaci T790M po předchozi lecbě EGFR-TKI 1. ci 2. generace. Výsledkem bylo jak signifikantně i klinicky významne zlepseni doby do progrese onemocněni (PFS) a objektivni lecebne odpovědi (ORR), tak i lepsi bezpecnostni profil a zlepseni kvality života pacientů. Osimertinib se proto stal novým standardem u teto skupiny nemocných s nemalobuněcnými plicnimi karcinomy (NSCLC).

In this work, we present an Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionisation (APCI) study of several organic solvents relevant to Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) (methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol, acetone, ethyl acetate, diethylamine). The solvents were investigated using an Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) combined with orthogonal acceleration Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (IMS-oaTOF MS). The solvents were iononised by Reactant Ions (RI – H+.(H2O)3,4m/z55 and 73). The ions were analysed using IMS and IMS-oaTOF technique was used to assign the ion mobility peaks to ions according to theirm/z. IMS spectra of methanol, ethanol, propan-2-ol and diethylamine exhibited only one peak (reduced ion mobilities of 2.19, 2.07, 1.98, 2.06cm2s−1V−1respectively) whereas acetone and ethyl acetate were characterised by two peaks (2.15, 1.85 and 1.94, 1.53cm2s−1V−1respectively). The IMS-oaTOF spectrometry assigned IMS peaks of VOCs to M⋅H+(H2O)n.n=0,1,2 or M2⋅H+ions, where M represents the solvent molecule.

Correction for ‘Tuning the charge carrier mobility in few-layer PtSe2 films by Se : Pt ratio’ by Jana Hrdá et al., RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 27292–27297, DOI: 10.1039/D1RA04507E.

Prasinophytes are a paraphyletic assemblage of nine heterogeneous lineages in the Chlorophyta clade of Archaeplastida. Until now, seven complete mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced from four prasinophyte lineages. Here, we report the mitochondrial genome of Pyramimonas parkeae, the first representative of the prasinophyte clade I. The circular-mapping molecule is 43,294 bp long, AT rich (68.8%), very compact and it comprises two 6,671 bp long inverted repeat regions. The gene content is slightly smaller than the gene-richest prasinophyte mitochondrial genomes. The single identified intron is located in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1). Interestingly, two exons of cox1 are encoded on the same strand of DNA in the reverse order and the mature mRNA is formed by trans-splicing. The phylogenetic analysis using the data set of 6,037 positions assembled from 34 mtDNA-encoded proteins of 48 green algae and plants is not in compliance with the branching order of prasinophyte clades revealed on the basis of 18S rRNA genes and cpDNA-encoded proteins. However, the phylogenetic analyses based on all three genomic elements support the sister position of prasinophyte clades Pyramimonadales and Mamiellales.

The X-ray bichromator is a novel optical device introduced by the X-ray optics group of the Institute of Physics in a previous publication. The scope of this article is the detailed description of the adjustment possibilities of the X-ray bichromator.

Slovak Warmblood championship is a competition for young horses of given population, which is organized annually by the recognized breeder organization under the same test conditions. The aim of our study was to analyze genetic parameters and determine their potential impact on the performance indicators in championship for young horses of Slovak Warmblood population. Basic data consisted the results of 761 horses that have qualified for the finals. From the analysis of genetic parameters on performance indicators we found that all factors: breeder, breed, line, gender, age of horse and year of the competition influenced the final ranking respectively the logarithm of ranking. But on the level of significance only the factor breeder. The genetic assessment of monitored horses in tested competitions shows that factors breed and line high statistically influence Log U in particular competition. On the border of statistical support were fixed effects - degree of difficulty in the competition and year of competition. Based on our knowledge, we can conclude that in addition to the above factors on the ranking in competitions of sport form of testing has a major impact factor - rider.

The discovery of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) brought a major breakthrough in the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Pathogenetic CML events are closely linked with the Bcr-Abl protein with tyrosine kinase activity. TKIs block the ATP-binding site; therefore, the signal pathways leading to malignant transformation are no longer active. However, there is limited information about the impact of TKI treatment on the metabolome of CML patients. Using liquid chromatography mass spectrometric metabolite profiling and multivariate statistical methods, we analyzed plasma and leukocyte samples of patients newly diagnosed with CML, patients treated with hydroxyurea and TKIs (imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib), and healthy controls. The global metabolic profiles clearly distinguished the newly diagnosed CML patients and the patients treated with hydroxyurea from those treated with TKIs and the healthy controls. The major changes were found in glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and amino acid metabolism. We observed differences in the levels of amino acids and acylcarnitines between those patients responding to imatinib treatment and those who were resistant to it. According to our findings, the metabolic profiling may be potentially used as an additional tool for the assessment of response/resistance to imatinib.

It is proposed how to create and merge two parallel X-ray beams with different wavelengths. The proposed method is based on simultaneous diffraction on two or more different crystallographic planes of perfect single crystals. Possible applications are discussed.

Euglenophytes obtained their plastids from a primary green alga related to extant genus Pyramimonas . The relatively recent establishment of this new organelle is an intriguing evolutionary phenomenon worth studying and comparing with other secondary plastids with a regard to their similarities and differences. A remarkably fast evolution driven by rapid intron gain and diversification is observed in euglenid plastid genomes which often tend to swell in size and rearrange while keeping the gene content stable. As a result of the secondary endosymbiosis, the plastid is wrapped in an additional membrane which makes any protein, metabolite, or ion transporting routes more complicated. In the case of protein import, secretory pathway-derived, signal peptide-dependent mechanism involving the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, and vesicular transport were recruited. The plastid endosymbiosis also served as a source of various oddities concerning metabolic pathways as the new organelle contained some of the enzymes and pathways already present in the host. Thus, several cases of division of labour and specialization can be observed, as well as simple redundancies which might be in fact just transitory and will eventually disappear in the future course of evolution. Endosymbiotic and lateral gene transfers were quite common in the ancestors of euglenophytes, especially in the case of plastid proteins many of which were demonstrated to have originated not only from the green-algal endosymbiont but also from a spectrum of nongreen lineages. The circumstances of the nongreen-algal gene gains are unclear. Another evolutionary phenomenon occurring in euglenophytes is the secondary loss of plastid or its photosynthetic capacity. This process gave rise to a number of distinct species which no longer possess the ability to photosynthesize. Interestingly, this “bleaching” process can be induced in the laboratory, enabling to study the process of plastid loss in vitro.

Přispěvek přibližuje problematiku moderniho trendu prodeje baleneho cerstveho ovoce a zeleniny, ze dvou uhlů pohledu. Prvnim je pohled podnikatelský, pro který obchodni udaje za rok 2008 poskytl velkoobchod s ovocem a zeleninou Hortim Internatioal, spol. s r. o. Druhý pohled je celospolecenský, vyzvedavajici význam prodeje baleneho cerstveho ovoce a zeleniny při dodatecnem zaměstnani pracovniků u balicich linek a vyplaceni mezd. V teto souvislosti nelze ani opomenout zvýsený rozsah výroby balicich materialů.Řesena problematika seznamuje s nazory 500 respondentů, kteři uvaději, že pro zvýseni prodejnosti baleneho cerstveho ovoce a zeleniny bude nutne dodržet kvalitu a cerstvost balených produktů. Soucasně s tim lepe motivovat kupujici k nakupu vhodně volenými marketingovými nastroji podpory prodeje.Zpracovaný problem vyzvedava aspekty hygienickeho prodeje, nutnost variabilniho baleni, jakož i pohodlnějsi a rychlejsi nakup. Poukazuje na rozdil ve vymezeni obalu a baleni. Vychazi z premisy, že za zaklad charakteristiky je nutne využit pravni předpisy, jako rozhodujici normy pro kontrakty, je nutne vazat splněni platebni podminky na převedeni vlastnickeho prava k předaným obalům, což marketing nezdůrazňuje.Obchodni výsledky Hortim International, spol. s r. o. za rok 2008 ukazuji spotřebitelskou poptavku balených cerstvých rajcat (23,50 % z prodaneho množstvi), cibule (11,93 %) a papriky (9,65 %). Z ovoce na patem mistě v pořadi jsou mandarinky (5,70 %), na dalsich pak citrony (5,10 %) a jablka (4,90 %). Na poslednich mistech z třicetidruhoveho obchodniho sortimentu prodavaneho cerstveho baleneho ovoce a zeleniny, je lilek a chřest s podilem 0,13 %. Přes pozitiva, ktere Hortim International, spol. s r. o. dosahuje, bude pro zvýseni prodeje nezbytne vyvinout usili k ziskani větsiho podilu v prodeji baleneho cerstveho ovoce a zeleniny. Předpokladem je těsnějsi spoluprace s obchodnimi řetězci, využiti marketingových nastrojů podpory prodeje, celkově větsi a cilenějsi forma propagace.

A recently developed Thouless-expansion-based diagonalization-free approach for improving the efficiency of self-consistent field (SCF) methods (Noga and Šimunek, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2010, 6, 2706) has been adapted to the four-component relativistic scheme and implemented within the program package ReSpect. In addition to the implementation, the method has been thoroughly analyzed, particularly with respect to cases for which it is difficult or computationally expensive to find a good initial guess. Based on this analysis, several modifications of the original algorithm, refining its stability and efficiency, are proposed. To demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of the improved algorithm, we present the results of four-component diagonalization-free SCF calculations on several heavy-metal complexes, the largest of which contains more than 80 atoms (about 6000 4-spinor basis functions). The diagonalization-free procedure is about twice as fast as the corresponding diagonalization.

The aim of this study was to evaluate short-term intravenous anaesthesia with alfaxalone in green iguanas (Iguana iguana). Alfaxalone at a dose rate of 5 mg/kg was administered to thirteen adult male green iguanas via the ventral caudal vein following 24 h fasting. The induction time, tracheal tube insertion time, surgical plane of anaesthesia interval, and full recovery time were recorded. Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure (measured indirectly), pulse rate, respiratory rate, SpO2 and ETCO2 were recorded. The induction time and tracheal tube insertion time was 41.54 ± 27.69 s and 69.62 ± 37.03 s, respectively. The time from the alfaxalone administration to the loss of toe-pinch reflex was 2.20 ± 1.47 min. Full activity was restored 14.23 ± 4.15 min after the initial alfaxalone administration. The respiratory rate increased significantly (P < 0.01) from 4.3. ± 3.2 to 6.8 ± 1.6 breaths per min and a gradual decrease of ETCO2 from 43.65 ± 10.54 to 26.58 ± 8.10 mmHg (P < 0.01) was noted from the second to the 13th min after alfaxalone administration. The pulse rate, SpO2 and blood pressure did not change significantly. Intravenous use of alfaxalone proved to be a suitable and safe form for short term anaesthesia in green iguanas.

Toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO-NPs) powder and water soluble salt of Zn (ZnCl2) to the annelid Enchytraeus crypticus was tested in agarose gel. Influence of the spiking method on the resulting size of nanoparticles and on E. crypticus mortality was studied. Two methods of ZnO-NPs powder (mean particle size diameter of 10 nm) introduction into the exposure media were used. In the first method, the nano-powder was initially cryogenically ground with dry agar followed by an addition of water. The second procedure began with re-suspension of nanoparticles in demineralized water containing a dispersant (sodium pyrophosphate decahydrate). The obtained colloid was subsequently mixed with hot agar gel. Relative mortality in worms observed after 96 h of their exposure to the ZnO-NPs concentrations (all in mg of ZnO-NPs per kg of agar) of 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 in the cryogenically ground medium ranged between 28.9 % and 34.4 % and it did not exhibit any concentration dependence. When the second method of exposure media preparation was applied, the relative mortality ranged from 0 % to 66.6 % in the same concentration region depending on the concentration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of large agglomerates (1–10 µm in diameter) in the media prepared by cryogenic grinding with the highest concentration of ZnO-NPs. Neither the cryogenically ground media with lower ZnO-NPs concentrations nor any media prepared from colloidal solutions contained agglomerates exceeding 100 nm, detectable by SEM. Hydrodynamic diameters of particles in the colloids used in the second method of agar preparation were measured using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and ranged between 164 nm and 240 nm. The observed toxicity was thus clearly dependent on the size of ZnO-NPs agglomerates and the technique of exposure media preparation. Experimentally detected LC50 value for dissolved Zn2+ was 37.2 mg kg−1 in agar. The same concentration of Zn induced an approximately 30 % mortality of E. crypticus when administered in form of cryogenically ground ZnO-NPs with agar. No observable effects were found at this ZnO-NPs concentration when the exposure medium was prepared from the colloid solution.

The paper is devoted to the possibilities of applying team organization in agricultural sector enterprises in Slovakia. The success of applying the team organization is subject to a number of internal and external factors. To the most important internal factors we include the team leader's personality, value orientation of team members and team uniformity. The most important external factors are the company focusing, its organizational structure and corporate culture.

It is shown that an extremely inclined X-ray double-crystal monochromator can diffract a beam with the required wavelength and at the same time may reflect a great deal of unwanted radiation in a broad range of Bragg angles. This is a generalization of the idea of Cowan & Brennan [Rev. Sci. Instrum.(1989),60, 1987–1990], which partially solves the radiation heat load problem. The properties of such a device are discussed. It is shown that in some cases the diffracted beam may be significantly broadened as a result of refraction effects. In these cases a four-crystal arrangement or an additional mirror is necessary.

An analytical method combining high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection was developed for an easy and rapid assay determination of the anticancer drug picoplatin (=cis-[Pt(NH3)(2-methylpyridine)Cl2]) and its degradation products. An ion exchanger was used as the stationary phase with an aqueous solution of NaH2PO4 with pH adjusted to 3.0 with H3PO4 as the mobile phase. The calibration curve was linear within the concentration range of 0.10–0.50 g L−1 (R2 ≥ 0.998). The limit of detection was 0.05 g L−1 and limit of quantification was 0.09 g L−1. The developed method was characterized with a high precision (≤6.0%, determined as RSD), an acceptable accuracy (the values of recovery were from intervals 98–103%). The developed method was used for assessing the stability of picoplatin during a stability study.

A 3.10 kg, six-year old male green iguana (Iguana iguana) suffered several weeks of decreased activity, loss of body weight, anorexia and change of skin colour. Physical examination revealed a cachectic depressed lizard, with marked pale mucous membranes. The complete blood count revealed a leukocytosis (46.5 × 109/l), elevated heterophils (23.25 × 109/l) and azurophils (23.25 × 109/l), decreased haemoglobin concentration (29.00 g/l), low haematocrit (0.16 l/l) and erythropenia (0.35 × 1012/l). Abnormalities of the plasma chemistry panel included increased activity of aspartate aminotransferase (6.05 μkat/l) and creatinephosphokinase (217.91 μkat/l), increased concentrations of uric acid (321.58 μmol/l), phosphorus (4.04 mmol/l) and bile acids (120.21 μmol/l), as well as a decreased concentration of glucose (3.72 mmol/l), cholesterol (0.637 mmol/l) and triglycerides (0.09 mmol/l). A lateral radiograph revealed soft-tissue opacity present in the region of the liver. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a markedly enlarged left liver lobe distended caudally and displacing the other abdominal organs. The signal intensity of the liver parenchyma was slightly hyperintense, the ventro-medial part of the left lobe showed a hypointense signal. Endoscopic examination of the coelomic cavity revealed a greatly enlarged pale liver and the presence of a straw-coloured modified transudate. Based on histopathological examination of the liver hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed. Despite supportive treatment the patient died on the sixth day of hospitalisation.

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) contributes to the development of gastric and extra-gastric diseases such as autoimmune thyroiditis (AT), and causes persistent life-long infection despite local and systemic immune response. We determined the specific cellular immune response to Hp antigens and PWM (control mitogen) in two groups of Hp infected patients - group A (n = 21), involving patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and group B (n = 13) of patients without AT - using modified lymphocyte transformation test before and after eradication therapy in comparison with healthy controls (group C, n = 15). Immune reactivity to the majority of Hp antigens (aHp, hHp, HpAg, CagA) was significantly lower in group B before eradication therapy in comparison with healthy Hp negative controls. A significant increase in immune reactivity was observed in group B to certain Hp antigens after successful eradication. The same levels (but insignificant) of immune reactivity were shown in group A. Our results indicate that Hp can cause the inhibition of the specific cellular immune response in Hp infected patients with or without autoimmune diseases such as AT, which can be abrogated by successful eradication of Hp. Lymphocyte transformation test appears to be a good tool for detection of immune memory cellular response in patients with Hp infection.

Selenium is an essential component of selenoproteins, enzymes with extensive regulatory and protective effect in organism. Immunological effects of Se are documented and are distinct even above concentrations necessary for maximal activity of selenoenzymes. Therefore, we investigated effect of supplementation by 100 μg of yeast-bound Se on concentrations of thyroid autoantibodies TPOAb and TgAb in the group of 253 seniors living in the Asylum Houses of South Bohemia. Increase of serum selenium from 59 to 150 μg Se/L serum in supplemented group and from 59 to 72 μg Se/L serum in group with placebo were detected by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and proved increased Se intake during the trial. Autoantibodies were analyzed by ELISA at the beginning of the trial and after 1 year. Statistical evaluation of results in whole groups (regardless of increased autoantibodies) by ANOVA manifested significant decrease of TPOAb and TgAb in non-supplemented group while supplementation did not effect serum autoantibodies concentrations. Evaluation of groups of seniors created from those with increased autoantibodies, ANOVA demonstrated decrease of TPOAb in both groups but Se supplementation did not affect the decrease. In opposite, TgAb increased significantly and Se supplementation led to higher increase of TgAb. Recent results of possibility to decrease serum concentration of TPOAb proved this effect only for high TPOAb concentrations and for higher Se supplements. From this point of view, it is necessary to conduct subsequent trials with the patients with autoimmune thyreoiditis with different levels of autoantibodies and detect also serum Se levels.

A total of 20 healthy green iguanas (14 males and six females with body weight ranging from 280 to 720 g) were divided into three groups and used for the experiment. Carprofen (2.0 mg/kg, i.m.) was administered to seven iguanas for 10 days, five were treated with meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg, i.m.) for the same period, and eight iguanas received the same volume of saline solution (0.04 ml/kg). All iguanas were blood sampled on Day 1 and 11 to obtain haematological and biochemical parameters. Comparing the values within particular groups, a decrease in haemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume accompanied by an increase in azurophils ( P < 0.05) was observed in iguanas treated with carprofen. Decreased values of haemoglobin and packed cell volume were also found in control iguanas ( P < 0.05). Increased ALT levels (P < 0.01) were found in all three groups of iguanas. A decrease in the concentration of Ca ( P < 0.01) was observed both in meloxicam-treated iguanas and in the con - trol ones. Mean ALT values of carprofen-treated iguanas (2.42 ± 0.52 μkat/l) were considerably higher ( P < 0.01) than those in iguanas treated with meloxicam (0.49 ± 0.18 μkat/l) or saline (0.43 ± 0.13 μkat/l). Repeated doses of carprofen induced higher levels of AST (0.82 ± 0.26 μkat/l) compared with saline ( P < 0.01, 0.31 ± 0.16 μkat/l) or meloxicam ( P < 0.05, 0.38 ± 0.16 μkat/l). All blood parameters of green iguanas following the 10-day intramuscular administration of both carprofen and meloxicam were within the physiological reference values of this species.

Modern high resolution mass spectrometry offers unique identification capability in drug metabolism studies. In this work detailed imatinib metabolization in the plasma of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia is presented. The metabolites were separated by liquid chromatography on a C18 column with mass spectrometry detection via an Orbitrap Elite instrument (Thermo Scientific) based on exact mass measurement. A scan range of m/z 350–1200 resolution of 60,000 was applied (mass accuracy of 5 ppm). The data were evaluated using the advanced software for mass spectrometry Mass Frontier and MetWorks. In all plasma samples, studied 90 metabolites in the concentration range of 0.0001–1 μmol/L were identified by m/z values and confirmed by exact mass measurement of the MS2 and MS3 fragmentations. In order to achieve optimal clinical response and avoid toxicity, current therapeutic monitoring of parent drug is a useful tool for the individualization of treatment. Current high-resolution mass spectrometry possesses the potential to broaden this approach by monitoring number of potentially clinically relevant drug metabolites.

It is shown that a channel-cut crystal monochromator may be harmonics-free in the whole range of Bragg angles, if the second wall is suitably curved (not bent). The curvature is described by the functionf(x)=Cx K, whereC is an arbitrary constant. There are two solutions:K 0 with the surface concave. The concave surface decreases the divergence of the diffracted beam or even it may create slightly convergent beam due to refraction. Both solutions are theoretically compared and it is shown that the concave monochromator may be useful for sufficiently large monochromator-sample distances.

One of the factors influencing the focus size in diffractive–refractive optics is the quality of diffracting surface. If the surface is uneven, as it is when the silicon crystal surface is only etched, then the diffraction at each point of the surface is a combination of an asymmetric and inclined diffraction (general asymmetric diffraction). This somewhat deviates and spreads the diffracted beam. The integration over the surface hit by an incident beam gives the angular spread of the diffracted beam. It is shown theoretically that in some cases (highly asymmetric, highly inclined cut) the etched surface may create the spread of the diffracted beam such that it causes a significant broadening of the focus. In this case a mechanical–chemical polishing is necessary. This has been verified by us earlier in a preliminary experiment with synchrotron radiation. In this work the new experiment with the same crystals is performed using double crystal (+, −) arrangement and a laboratory x-ray source (CuKα radiation). We compared two samples; one of them is mechanically–chemically (MC) polished and thus the diffracting surface is almost perfect; the other is only etched. This experiment allows a better comparison of the result with the theory. The difference between the measured rocking curve widths for the etched and MC polished crystals (10'') roughly agrees with theory (7''), which supports the correctness of the theoretical approach.

The HLA allelic frequency was determined in three groups of autoimmune endocrinopathies: A) 30 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, B) 20 patients with polyglandular activation of autoimmunity, and C) 10 patients with the autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type II. The groups were defined by the clinical state and serological parameters. Healthy blood donors of Caucasian population from the US database of HLA frequencies served as the controls. In group A, a higher occurrence of HLA-A24 (21.7 %) was found as compared to group B (5.0 %) and to the controls (8.5 %), of HLA-B27 (15.0 %) and of HLA-DR-11 (20 %) as compared to the controls (4.2 % and 8.5 %). In group B, a higher occurrence of HLA-A3 (25.0 %) was found as compared to group A (10 %) and to the controls (11.8 %), and of HLA-B8 (22.5 %) as compared to group A (8.3 %) and to the controls (8.6 %). In this group the occurrence of HLA-DR3 (30.0 %) was higher as compared to group A (10.0 %) and to the controls (9.8 %) and of HLA-B8 (30.0 %) as compared to group A (8.3 %) and to the controls (8.6 %). Genetic markers indicate a similarity of groups B and C. Patients in these groups could be at different stages of the same disease, however, some distinctions between them lead us to consider the possibility whether different epigenetic factors could extend the difference between these groups in the course of clinical development.

Two methods, spectrophotometry and HPLC, were compared in the analyses of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase (HL) activity in three unrelated Czech patients with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric (HMG) aciduria and their family members. The HL activities in cultured fibroblasts and/or isolated lymphocytes of probands were below the detection limits of the methods used. Both methods were also suitable for recognition of all heterozygotes in affected families. We searched for pathogenic mutations in the HL gene. Molecular analyses revealed that two patients are homozygous for known mutation H233R and R41Q, respectively, whereas the third patient is a compound heterozygote for the mutation H233R and a novel mutation Pro9fs(-1). This study expands the knowledge of the genotypic variability of the HMG aciduria.

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters, and space group for a novel platinum-based anticancer complex, Pt(C6H10N2)Br2, are presented [a = 10.049 (1) Å, b = 9.240 (2) Å, c = 11.497 (2) Å, β = 101.945 (3)°, unit-cell volume V = 1044.41 Å3, Z = 4, and space group P21/c]. All the measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P21/c space group. No detectable impurities were observed.

The possibility of concentrating a synchrotron X-ray beam using diffraction by a single crystal with a properly designed transverse groove on its surface, suggested earlier, has been studied experimentally. Here, the first experimental demonstration of this effect is reported, performed on beamline BM5 at the ESRF. The experimental result confirms the theoretical model.

A new substance,cis-amminedibromido(2-methylpyridine-κN)platinum(II),cis-[PtBr2(C6H7N)(NH3)], which is a potential platinum-based antineoplastic agent for the treatment of patients with solid tumors, has been synthesized and structurally characterized. There is one molecule in the asymmetric unit and molecules are linkedviatwo symmetry-independent N—H...Br hydrogen bonds into zigzag chains running parallel to thecaxis. C—H...Br hydrogen bonds crosslink these chains to give a layer parallel to (010). N—H...Br hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions between pairs of pyridine rings stack the layers alongb.

In 75 young adults with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM 1) we have performed a cross-sectional study to gain more information about their adrenocortical function. We have found in a surprisingly large portion of patients (25%) a subnormal response (500 nmol/L, low responders) of the serum cortisol during low-dose Synacthen test, accompanied by significantly decreased stimulated values of aldosterone and salivary cortisol. Basal serum cortisol, aldosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (in women only) were significantly reduced in low responders as well, while ACTH, cortisol binding globulin, plasma renin activity, urinary free cortisol/24h, and salivary cortisol did not differ. The results indicate that the disorder of adrenocortical function in low responders occurs in all adrenocortical zones. The patients with the highest risk in respect to revealed hypocorticalism were DM 1 with autoimmune thyroiditis, 13 out of 36 in contrast to 5 out of 39 suffered from isolated form of DM 1, with onset around 30 years, independently on sex. The biorhythm of salivary cortisol in low responders under real-life conditions did not significantly differ from normal responders, except of the decreased values in the morning. Antibodies against 21-hydroxylase and adrenal cortex were negative in the entire group of diabetics studied. In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate in as much as 25% of young adults with DM 1 patients without any signs of adrenal autoimmunity decreased both basal and stimulated serum cortisol and aldosterone levels, implying existence of subclinical primary hypocorticalism.